Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 69
Topics
Everyday activities
Checking understanding
Prepare Before Class
A pen (or any other small object)
Learning Strategy
Ask questions to clarify
Goals
Grammar: Present continuous tense;
Questions for clarication
Pronunciation: Shortened form of Present
Continuous verbs; shorter form of the
question phrase, “What are you doing?”
Speaking: Asking questions to clarify.
Level 1
Lesson 7
What Are You
DOING?
Day 1
Introduce the Lesson Topic
In this lesson, students learn how to ask questions to learn more about what people are
doing.
Say, “Today we will learn about the present continuous tense, which is used to talk about
something happening now.”
Give an example: “I am teaching English.” Make gestures like writing on the board.
Ask one student, “What are you doing? Are you learning French?” Help the student say “I
am not learning French.”
Write the sentences on the board, and underline the ‘ing’ attached to each verb.
What are you doing? I am teaching I am not learning French
Explain that the present continuous tense can show what someone is doing or not doing.
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 70
Speaking Practice Script – Lesson 7
1. BE + verb + ing
Listen:
What are you doing? I am writing.
Now you try it.
_____ _____ _____doing? (what are you)
What are you doing?
Answer with working.
I __ ______. (am working)
2. Clarication questions: BE + verb + ing
Listen:
Are you writing? Yes, I am writing.
Now it’s your turn. Are you recording?
Answer: Yes, I___ ________. (am recording.)
Clarication questions:
BE + verb + ing + object
Are you reading the news?
Yes, I am reading the news.
Are you doing your show?
Answer: Yes, ___ ____ ____my show.
(I am doing)
Main Video Script – Lesson 7
1. Listen:
What are you doing? I am writing.
Speak:
What are you ? (doing) I am .
(writing) Listen:
Are you recording?
Are you reading the news?
2.Listen:
Are you recording?
Are you reading the news? Speak:
Are you ? (recording)
Are you the news? (reading)
Present the Conversation
Tell students that the video will show Anna asking about what her coworkers are doing.
Play the video or have ve students read the script for the video at the end of this lesson.
Have students repeat the example questions shown in the video or the box below.
Learning Strategy
In Lesson 6 students learned to ask for more information about places. In Lesson 7,
students learn to ask questions about the things people are doing.
Speaking Practice
Have students watch the Speaking Practice video and say the new words for this lesson or
repeat them after you. After the key words, the video teaches how to ask questions about
everyday activities in the present continuous tense.
If you do not use the video, write the question forms on the board and show how the word
order changes from a statement (You are working) to a question (Are you working?).
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 71
Day 2
Activity Sheet – Practice Present Continuous
Hand out the Activity Sheet and ask students to form pairs. Tell the class: “First write the
missing letters. After you complete the worksheet, take turns. Pick a verb, then use your
body to act out the verb. Your partner will guess the verb by asking, Are you ___-ing? Think
of other questions to ask: Where are you walking? How fast are you walking? Why are you
walking?
Have one pair of students do the activity to show the class how to ask many questions.
To check the activity, have several pairs of students stand up and ask and answer
questions about the activities. Then tell them to ask questions to get more information
about what their classmates are doing. (when, where, how, etc)
Jobs Around Us
Explain that in the video for this lesson, Anna see her co-workers doing their jobs. Ask
students to look at the script and see if they can tell what jobs Anna’s co-workers are
doing. For example, Anne is writing. Is she a writer? Jonathan reports the news. He is a
reporter.
Ask students to look around them at school and at home and talk about what people are
doing at their jobs. For example, “The teacher is teaching. S/he is a teacher.”
Show pictures of people in various jobs around your school or town, such as a shop
keeper, a person who is building, a person who is gardening, and so on. Have students
write sentences about what each person is doing.
As a homework assignment, ask students to talk with family members or friends and ask
them to tell about the jobs they have done in the past or the job they would like to have
in the future. Compile a list of the jobs and teach students how to say several of the most
common ones in English.
Pronunciation Practice
The Pronunciation Practice video teaches the reduced form of the present continuous
tense, or writin’ instead of writing. The video then teaches how the words “What are..” are
shortened as “What’re.”
Day 3
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 72
Listening Quiz
Give each student a paper copy of the listening quiz. Play each question’s video and pause
for students to answer. Ask students to choose the correct answer.
If not using the video, read the sentences below aloud.
1. Caty says “What are you doing?”
2. Amelia says “I am reading for my show.”
3. Amelia says “I am reading.”
4. Anna asks “Are you recording?”
Pronunciation Practice Video Script - Lesson 7
1. In the present continuous tense, verbs
end in “ing”.
In careful speech Americans pronounce the
“g” at the end of the verb.
However in fast speech, many Americans
do not pronounce the “g” at the end of the
verb.
The result sounds like this:
writin’ doin’ readin’
Here is an example.
Careful speech: I’m reading a book
Fast speech: I’m readin’ a book.
Now you try it. Make “I am” shorter, too.
Listen:
I am recording my show. Speak:
__’_____________’ my show (I’m recordin’)
2. Another way Americans shorten words is
to put them together.
“What” and “are” often sound like “what’re”
Now you try it.
Listen:
What’re you doin’?
Speak:
_____’__ you doin’? (What’re)
Day 4
Ask students to take out their Activity Sheets for this lesson, or show a list of the verbs
that students learned in the activity. Have students make pairs and practice asking and
answering questions with the informal pronunciation of the present continuous and the
short form of the greeting, “What’re you doing?”
Example:
Student A: What’re you doin’?
Student B: I’m readin’.
Student A: What’re you readin’?
Student B: I’m readin’ a book.
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 73
5. Jonathan says “I am doing my show.”
6. Anna asks “What are you doing?”
Collect the papers or have students trade papers and check the answers together.
Writing
Discuss some activities students like to do after school, such as playing football, cricket,
or basketball, visiting shops, talking with friends, reading, and listening to music. Write
some of the verbs on the board for students to copy for use in their written work.
Give the writing assignment in class or as homework. Remind students to use the present
continuous tense. Write the writing topic on the board:
What are you doing now? What are your friends doing?
Here is an example: “I am reading and my friends are listening to music.”
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 74
Resources
Conversation
Caty: Come in.
Caty: Well, Anna, welcome. Anna: Thank you.
Caty: I am your boss, Caty Weaver. But, please call me Caty.
Anna: Thank you, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: Just Caty.
Anna: Sure thing, Ms. Weaver. Caty: Okay then. Are you excited?
Anna: Yes, I am excited!
Caty: So sorry, but I am busy. Please meet your co-workers. But remember, they are
busy working.
Anna: Sure. Thanks, Ms. Weaver. Anna: Hi there! I’m Anna.
Anne: Hi, Anna. I’m Anne.
Anna: Nice to meet you. What are you doing?
Anne: Um, I’m writing.
Anna: You are writing! You are writing a lot!
Anna: Oh! Oh dear.
Anne: No! No! That’s okay. Anna: I am sorry!
Anne: That’s okay. Really. Anna: I am sorry!
Anne: Please. Please. Please stop. Please. Anna: Sorry. Sorry.
Jonathan: “and people all around the world are waiting to hear news about the next
president…”
Anna: Jonathan, hi! Remember me? I live in your building.
Jonathan: Oh. Uh. Hi, Anna.
Anna: What are you doing?
Jonathan: I am doing my show!
Anna: Oh, sorry. Are you recording?
Jonathan: Yes! And, now I have to record again!
Anna: Sorry. Have a good show.
Jonathan: Thank you.
Anna: Sorry.
Amelia: The word of the day is social. Social -
Anna: Oh! Hi!
Amelia: - is an adjective.
Anna: Hi! I’m Anna!
Amelia: Hi. I’m Amelia.
Anna: Nice to meet you!
Anna: What are you doing?
Amelia: I’m reading.
Anna: Are you reading the news? Hi!
Amelia: No, I’m reading for my show. (to camera person) Can I read again?
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Anna: Sorry.
Anna: This day is not going well.
Caty: Anna! Hi! What’re you doing?
Anna: I am bothering people, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: Let’s go to my oce and talk.
Anna: I like to talk with you, Ms. Weaver.
Caty: It’s Caty.
Anna: Right. Thanks…. Ms. Weaver.
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 76
Key Words
boss – n. the person whose job is to tell other workers what to do
bother – v. to annoy someone or to cause someone to feel annoyed
busy – adj. actively doing something
excited – adj. very enthusiastic and eager about something
nervous – adj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might
happen
news – n. information that is reported in a newspaper, magazine, or a television news
program
oce – n. a building or room in which people work at desks doing business or professional
activities
read – v. to look at and understand the meaning of letters, words, symbols, etc.
record – v. to store (something, such as sounds, music, images, etc.) on tape or on a disk
so that it can be heard or seen later
show – n. a television or radio program
work – v. to do things as part of your job
write – v. to create (a book, poem, story, etc.) by writing words on paper or on a computer
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 77
Quiz - Level 1, Lesson 7 - What are you doing?
Listen. Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What does Caty say?
a. Where are you going?
b. Who are you?
c. What are you doing?
d. What do you want?
4. What does Anna ask?
a. Are you reading?
b. Are you roaring?
c. Are you recording?
2. What is Amelia doing?
a. She doesn’t know.
b. She is reading.
c. She’s pleading to save her show.
d. She is reading for her show.
5. What is he doing?
a. He is doing his shopping.
b. He is reading.
c. He is doing his show.
d. He is writing.
3. What does Amelia say?
a. She is recording.
b. She is reading.
c. She is bleeding.
d. She is feeding.
6. What does Anna ask?
a. Water? Are you drinking?
b. What are you doing?
c. Are you recording?
Let’s Learn English Lesson 7 78
