The very first contact with English. Learners build the alphabet, sounds, numbers and a handful of survival phrases — enough to say who they are and exchange a few words.
Printable one-to-one lesson plan
The verb to be (am / is / are)
Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
No required previous lesson. Use retrieval to establish the learner’s starting evidence.
No additional related lesson is registered.
Use after the complete A0 sequence, not as a lesson quiz.
Open diagnostic →10–15 min optional: Extra class-profile agreement practice · Five-minute next-day retrieval
Derived from this lesson’s source
Lesson-specific teaching brief
This is not a second lesson registry. The plan reads the same native content that produces the learner page.
What the learner should do
Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
What must become clear
Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
High-value friction points
- Are you a student?With the verb to be, put be before the subject. Do not use do.
- Are you at home?Put Are before you. Do not use do with the verb be.
- I am 20 (years old).Replace “I have 20 years.” with the repaired form and ask the learner to explain the contrast.
Protect these lesson moments
- Drill 1: choose the form
- Drill 1B: ask and answer
- Drill 2: match the subject
- Speak: say it short
- Watch out: common beginner mistakes
Learner production
Make it true for you: finish each sentence so it is true about you . Say it out loud, then write it. My name is ____. I am from ____. I am a ____. (your job, or “student”) I am ____ years old. Today I am ____. (happy · tired · fine · busy)
- Mini interview: ask a partner, then answer with a short form. Are you from Mexico? Are you a teacher? Are you tired today? Short answers: Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
- Speak for 30 seconds: Say your name, where you are from, and how you feel today. Then ask one Are you…? question.
Carry this language into the next session
At the start of the next lesson, open the five-minute retrieval . Then introduce yourself and one person you know in three sentences and ask your teacher one Are you…? question.
Tutor-only contrastive support
L1 Transfer Lens
Test a pattern. Do not label a learner. Use this only after the learner’s actual production gives you evidence.
Select a first language to reveal only the contrasts relevant to this lesson.
Spanish → English
One pattern to test
English describes age with be
- Possible transfer
I have 30 years.
- English rebuild
I’m 30.
Why it can happen: Spanish treats age as something a person has. English treats age as a current description, so the changing verb is be: I am, she is, and they are.
Natural English:
- My sister is 28, and I’m 31.
- How old is your manager?
Brazilian Portuguese → English
2 patterns to test
Use be—not have—for age
- Possible transfer
I have 25 years.
- English rebuild
I’m 25.
Why it can happen: Portuguese expresses age with ter, literally have. English makes age a description with be, so the verb agrees with the person: I am 25, he is 25, and they are 25.
Natural English:
- My parents are both 62.
- How old were you when you moved?
Name the English subject
- Possible transfer
Is very important.
- English rebuild
It is very important.
Why it can happen: Portuguese can omit a subject in contexts where the verb form or conversation makes it clear. Standard English usually needs the subject expressed, including dummy it for weather, time, distance, and evaluations.
Natural English:
- It is raining again.
- She works with international clients.
Turkish → English
One pattern to test
Make be audible in the English sentence
- Possible transfer
I ready. / My brother doctor.
- English rebuild
I’m ready. / My brother is a doctor.
Why it can happen: Turkish can express identity and description without a separate word matching English be in the same position. English requires am, is, or are to connect the subject with a noun, adjective, or location.
Natural English:
- The client is ready now.
- My parents are in Ankara.
Russian → English
One pattern to test
Make present-tense be visible
- Possible transfer
My manager busy. / I at home.
- English rebuild
My manager is busy. / I’m at home.
Why it can happen: Russian normally links a present subject to an adjective, noun, or location without an audible copula. Standard English requires am, is, or are, so the learner must add a verb even when the Russian message feels complete without one.
Natural English:
- The documents are ready now.
- My sister is an engineer in Boston.
Ukrainian → English
One pattern to test
Supply be in descriptions and locations
- Possible transfer
The office near. / They ready.
- English rebuild
The office is near. / They’re ready.
Why it can happen: Ukrainian commonly forms present descriptions and identifications without a separate copula matching English be. English requires am, is, or are before an adjective, noun phrase, or location complement.
Natural English:
- The meeting is online today.
- My coworkers are very helpful.
Mandarin Chinese → English
One pattern to test
Use be before an English adjective
- Possible transfer
I very tired. / The room cold.
- English rebuild
I’m very tired. / The room is cold.
Why it can happen: Mandarin adjective predicates do not require 是 in the way English requires be. English needs am, is, or are to connect an ordinary subject with an adjective describing its current state or quality.
Natural English:
- The instructions are clear.
- My new coworker is very friendly.
Use while teaching
Operational teaching notes
Choose a route before class, but change it when the learner’s production gives you better evidence.
Ask before explaining
- Which examples in “Drill 1: choose the form” express the same core meaning?
- How would you explain this decision in your own words: Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
- What needs to change in this repair, and why: Are you a student?
Correct for the stage
- Controlled work: correct immediately, then require the complete repaired sentence.
- Fluency building: note repeated errors and reformulate after the learner finishes the thought.
- Communication: interrupt only when meaning breaks down or the target decision is the lesson’s main evidence.
Retrieve, do not reteach
At the start of the next lesson, open the five-minute retrieval . Then introduce yourself and one person you know in three sentences and ask your teacher one Are you…? question.
Short, core, or extended
Choose the route
All three routes end in learner production. More time means more contrast and transfer, not a longer explanation.
Short route
Retrieve for 3 minutes. Notice and discover for 8. Use the two most diagnostic tasks from Drill 1: choose the form and Drill 1B: ask and answer for 12. Protect 9 minutes for Learner production, then reflect for 3.
Core route
Follow the six-stage sequence below. Reduce repeated controlled items when accuracy is already stable, but keep the nearest useful contrast and final production.
Stretch route
Add Extra class-profile agreement practice · Five-minute next-day retrieval, then repeat the communication task with a new situation or stricter success criteria.
35–45 min core working plan
Session sequence
Protect the final communication and reflection time. If the learner needs more support, reduce the number of controlled items instead of removing production.
- 5 min
Retrieve
Activate what the learner already controls and check any prerequisite language.
Teacher move: Open with the first practice route: Drill 1: choose the form · Drill 1B: ask and answer · Drill 2: match the subject.
- 6–8 min
Notice
Let the learner observe meaning and form in a small sample before naming the rule.
Teacher move: Keep the noticing conversation anchored to this decision: Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
- 8–10 min
Discover
Connect form, meaning, use, word order, and the nearest useful contrast.
Teacher move: Test the learner’s explanation against this repair: Are you a student? With the verb to be, put be before the subject. Do not use do.
- 12–15 min
Build + drill
Move from accurate choices to faster retrieval and sentence construction.
Teacher move: Prioritize these lesson tasks: Drill 1: choose the form · Drill 1B: ask and answer · Drill 2: match the subject · Speak: say it short. Reduce repetitions if needed, but keep the final production time.
- 12–15 min
Communicate
Use the target language for a real adult purpose the learner cannot complete by copying.
Teacher move: Learner production: Make it true for you: finish each sentence so it is true about you . Say it out loud, then write it. My name is ____. I am from ____. I am a ____. (your job, or “student”) I am ____ years old. Today I am ____. (happy · tired · fine · busy)
- 3–5 min
Reflect
Make progress visible and choose one specific next use.
Teacher move: At the start of the next lesson, open the five-minute retrieval . Then introduce yourself and one person you know in three sentences and ask your teacher one Are you…? question.
Keep only useful evidence
After-lesson notes
These notes are for deliberate tutor records or printing. Nothing is stored in the learner’s browser.
The learner can now…
Write one observable use of the target language.
Still needs support with…
Record one repeated error, contrast, or point of hesitation.
Next retrieval prompt
Write one short prompt the learner will answer at the next session.
Anonymous live-lesson evidence
Learner pilot worksheet
A0 · The verb to be (am / is / are)
Pilot 1 of 30 recorded · 3 remaining
Date
Approximate starting level
Core lesson time
Starting evidence
What did the learner already control? What was the first misconception, hesitation, or contrast that mattered?
Did the principle become clear?
Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
Did the first hint help?
Record the first item that caused difficulty and whether the contextual hint led to self-correction before the full repair appeared.
Could the learner do the outcome?
Use the verb be to identify people and things, describe feelings and age, and say where someone or something is.
Listen for: The learner uses the target language independently for a real purpose.
What remained available?
If possible, check before rereading in the next session. Record what returned independently and what still required a cue.
Keep, revise, or investigate?
Note any explanation the tutor still had to supply, the smallest useful revision, and whether another pilot should test the same issue.