A1 · To Be and To Have

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Objectives

Use am, is, are, have accurately in context
Read and discuss a topic-specific article at A1 level
Practise speaking fluently on grammar: core verbs
Complete written exercises with vocabulary in context

Teaching Notes

Warm-up: allow 8-10 min, let personal answers develop
Article: read together or have students read silently first
Vocabulary match: good for pair work
Speaking: encourage full sentences, not one-word answers
Exit questions: 5-min closer, no prep needed

Timing Guide

Warm-up: 8 min
Article + comprehension: 12 min
Vocabulary + match: 10 min
Exercises: 10 min
Speaking + discussion: 15 min
Exit + recap: 5 min

Teacher Question Bank

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A1 · Lesson 08 · Grammar: Core Verbs

To Be and To Have

Grammar: Core VerbsAmIsAre

Getting started

Warm-Up Questions

Click the button to get your first question

Read & Understand

Article

To Be and To Have at Work

To be and to have are the two most important verbs in English. We use them every day.

TO BE: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are. For example: I am a teacher. She is my manager. We are colleagues. Are you busy today?

TO HAVE: I have, you have, he/she/it has, we have, they have. For example: I have a meeting at 3pm. She has a new laptop. Do you have time for a call?

Negatives: I am not (I'm not). He is not (He isn't). I do not have (I don't have). She does not have (She doesn't have).

These two verbs are the building blocks of English. If you know to be and to have, you can say hundreds of things!

Topic: Grammar: Core Verbs

Key words

Vocabulary

To be — used with I: I am happy

To be — used with he, she, it: She is my manager

Are

To be — used with you, we, they: They are colleagues

Have

To possess something: I have a meeting at 3

Has

To possess — used with he, she, it: She has a laptop

Colleague

A person you work with

Office

A room or building where people work

Busy

Having a lot of things to do

Match the Words

Click a word on the left, then click its definition on the right.

Are

Have

Has

Colleague

Office

Busy

To possess something: I have a meeting at 3

To possess — used with he, she, it: She has a laptop

A room or building where people work

Having a lot of things to do

To be — used with you, we, they: They are colleagues

A person you work with

To be — used with I: I am happy

To be — used with he, she, it: She is my manager

Say it right

Pronunciation

Colleague

COL-league

Office

OF-fice

Busy

BIZ-y

Manager

MAN-ag-er

Meeting

MEET-ing

Read & Discuss

Short Dialogue

Good morning. Are you Maria?

Yes, I am. And you are Carlos, right?

That's right. I am the new sales manager.

Welcome! Do you have an office?

Not yet. I have a meeting with HR at 11.

I have a desk next to the window. You can sit here for now!

Comprehension

What is Carlos's job?
Does Carlos have an office?
What does Carlos have at 11?

Practice

Exercises

Gap Fill

Complete each sentence using vocabulary from today's lesson.

1. I a teacher. My students very motivated. (am/are)

2. She my manager. She a meeting every Monday. (is/has)

3. you busy? (Are/Is)

4. He not have a computer. (do/does)

5. We colleagues. We the same office. (are/have)

Error Correction

Find and correct the mistake in each sentence.

She have a new job.

I are very tired today.

They is in the meeting.

He don't have a laptop.

Speaking practice

Speaking Prompts

Discuss with your partner

Introduce yourself using to be: I am..., I am from..., I am a...

Tell your partner three things you have at work (a computer, a team, a deadline...).

Ask and answer: Are you from Spain? Are you a manager? Is your office big?

Describe a colleague using to be and to have. Don't say their name — can your partner guess who it is?

Open discussion

Discussion Generator