Beginner 1 | Lesson 8 | Basic Sentence Patterns

What is a typical day for you?

Two people discuss their daily routines. Get the Free Book
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Todd: So Natalie, what is a typical day for you? For example, what is a typical morning?

Natalie: Well, I wake up at about 7.00 a.m.

Todd: Oh that's early.

Natalie: Yes, I really am a morning person.

Todd: I think you are a morning person. I'm not a morning person at all.

Natalie: Well, I don't actually get out of bed until about 7.30.

Todd: Okay, so what do you do?

Natalie: Well, I play on my phone, I check my emails, I check Facebook, and I read the news.

Todd: Do you eat breakfast at home?

Natalie: I usually prepare breakfast at home, yeah.

Todd: What do you eat?

Natalie: Oh, just the simple stuff, eggs, bacon, sausages, sometimes I'll have toast.

Todd: Do you drink coffee or tea?

Natalie: No, I don't like coffee or tea.

Todd: Oh, what do you drink?

Natalie: Actually, I like hot chocolate in the morning.

Todd: Yeah, I like hot chocolate too. So what about your day?

Natalie: Well, I'm a teacher. I teach at a school. Lessons start at about 9.00 a.m. and we have lunch at noon.

Todd: How many classes do you have in the morning?

Natalie: Each class lasts an hour, so I have three classes.

Todd: Do you eat lunch at school?

Natalie: Yes, we have a huge canteen.

Todd: Is the food good?

Natalie: The food is great and it's so much fun eating with the students too.

Todd: Is the food cheap or expensive?

Natalie: It's pretty cheap. I'd say maybe $3 for lunch.

Todd: Oh that's really good.

Natalie: Yeah, and for that you get a lot of food.

Todd: What do you do in the afternoon?

Natalie: In the afternoon I have more lessons, usually taking me till about 4.00 p.m.

Todd: Oh and do you have big classes?

Natalie: Yes, so I teach English, that means I teach the whole year, so I have really big classes. We have about 200 students at the school.

Todd: That's a lot.

Natalie: Yes it is.

Todd: What about the evening? What do you do in the evening?

Natalie: When I get home I'm usually really tired, so I get changed into my pajamas and I watch TV for about two hours. After that, I'll maybe have some dinner, maybe get a pizza and then read a book or play on my phone again.

Todd: What do you watch on TV?

Natalie: I really like watching Korean drama.

Todd: Korean dramas are cool.

Natalie: I know, the characters are so much fun.

Todd: Do you listen to K-pop?

Natalie: A little bit but I think it's a little bit boring. I prefer American pop.

Todd: Oh so you like Korean dramas and American music?

Natalie: That's right. I also like game shows.

Todd: Oh, what game shows?

Natalie: Well actually my favorite one is Busted, and that's also Korean.

Todd: Okay, I need to see that. So when do you go to bed?

Natalie: Most nights I go to bed at around 10.00 p.m. but at the weekend, sometimes it's later, maybe around midnight.

Todd: Well I think you have an interesting and long day.

Natalie: That's right, I'm usually very tired.

Sentence Patterns

Point 1: A common sentence pattern in English is S.V.O which means subject, verb, object.
  1. He has a nice car.
  2. My town has a big park.
  3. She does not eat meat.
  4. They play tennis once a week.
Point 2: WH questions usually follow this pattern:
WH + Auxiliary + S + O + ?
  1. When do you study?
  2. What do you do at your job?
  3. Where did you buy that shirt?
  4. Why do you study English?
Point 3: Yes / No questions use the same pattern without the WH word: Auxiliary + S + O + ?
  1. Do you like sushi?
  2. Does this machines need batteries?
  3. Do you get much snow in your town?
  4. Did Bob buy lunch?
Point 4: Yes / No questions often have short form answers.
  • Do you play tennis?
  • Yes, I do.
  • And you?
  • No, I do not.
  • No, I don't
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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