Lesson 1: Family & People Descriptions

Welcome to your first vocabulary lesson! Talking about our family and friends is one of the most common topics in everyday English conversation.

In this interactive lesson, you will learn essential words for family members, practice describing people's physical appearances, and avoid a very common grammar mistake when talking about height.

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Welcome back! I am Teacher Sopheak. Whenever I meet new friends, they always ask about my family. When I talk about my brothers and sisters, I want to describe them well.

Today, we are going to learn how to talk about the people we love and describe what they look like in English.

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Core Words & Phrases

Family

Parents /ˈper.ənts/ A mother and a father.

Example: My parents live in a small village.

Family

Sibling /ˈsɪb.lɪŋ/ A brother or a sister.

Example: I have one sibling. He is my younger brother.

Description

Tall /tɔːl/ Measuring a great height; above average height.

Example: My father is very tall.

Personality

Friendly /ˈfrend.li/ Kind, pleasant, and easy to talk to.

Example: The shop owner is always smiling and friendly.

record_voice_over In Action: Seeing a Photo

A

Who is that man?

B

He is my brother, Dara.

A

Wow, he is very tall! Is he friendly?

B

Yes, he is. He is very nice.

warning Watch Out: Describing People

Use "Be" (is/are), not "Have"!

In some languages, people use the word "have" to talk about height or descriptions. But in English, we always use the "Be" verb (am/is/are) when using an adjective to describe someone's body or personality.

cancel Wrong

He has tall.

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check_circle Correct

He is tall.

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Real-World Check

photo_camera Showing a Picture

You show a friend a picture of your mother and father. You say: "These are my _______."

(Hint: What is the word for a mother and father together?)

handshake Describing a Friend

Your new friend always smiles and loves talking to people. What word describes them?

(Hint: Which word means kind and pleasant?)

psychology Grammar Check

Fill in the blank: "My brother ________ tall."

(Hint: Do we use "have" or a "be" verb?)

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Lesson Complete!

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Study Resources

Lesson Summary & Review

Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to use these words correctly.

Core Vocabulary

• Parents: A mother and father. (Example: "My parents are at home.")
• Sibling: A brother or sister. (Example: "I have two siblings.")
• Tall: Above average height. (Example: "My brother is very tall.")
• Friendly: Kind and pleasant to others. (Example: "She is a friendly teacher.")

Grammar Rule: Describing Physical Appearance

When you want to describe someone's height, weight, or personality, you must use the "Be" verb (am, is, are).

Do not use the word "have" to describe these traits.

• Correct: "He is tall."
• Incorrect: "He has tall."