I am having a caffè-latte

On a normal day, I usually wake up at seven o’clock a.m. Then, I have breakfast with a cup of coffee at half past seven. After that, I go to work, and I'm at the office by ten to nine. I work there until a quarter to five, and when I finish, I drive to the gym for my workout at a quarter past five.

But today, things are a bit different. Right now, I'm sitting in the park, and it's three o’clock p.m. I'm not working at the office, and I'm not in the gym. Instead, I'm having a picnic with my friends. We're having sandwiches and chatting, and it's so relaxing.

As I look around, kids are playing on the swings, some dogs are running and people are sitting on the grass. Everyone is having a great time. There's a woman with long, dark hair, who is wearing a bright red dress, walking her small white dog. She’s got green eyes and a fair complexion.

It's such a beautiful day, and everyone is having fun in the park. The sun is shining, and the temperature is just perfect. It's a wonderful change from my usual routine. (Nigel)

I usually get up at 6:30 a.m. and I walk the dog. I quickly get ready for work and leave the house at 8:00. I work at a small bookshop, and start work by 8:30, helping people find their favourite books. I assist customers until 2:00 p.m. when my shift ends.

But today, things are a bit different. Right now, I'm sitting in a cafè, and it's 1:30 p.m. I'm not at the bookshop, and I'm not helping customers. Instead, I'm having a caffè-latte by the window, enjoying the view outside.

As I look through the window, people are walking by. There's a young woman with short, curly hair, and she's wearing a bright yellow dress with white sandals. She's carrying a colourful umbrella. A group of friends is sitting at a nearby café and they are laughing. Down the street, a musician is playing his guitar and singing.

The city is alive with people going about their day, and it's a refreshing change from my usual work routine at the bookshop. (Ann)

In this unit, we will explore essential vocabulary related to:

Places in a city/town, rooms and furniture.
People's physical appearance, character and clothes.

You will also learn:

The time.
Prepositions of Place.
Present Continuous.
Descriptions / Adjectives

Pay attention to what Nigel and Ann say about their day:

I go to work, and I'm at the office by ten to nine. But today, things are a bit different. Right now, I'm sitting in the park. I'm not working at the office.
I work at a small bookshop, and start work by 8:30. But right now, I'm sitting in a cafè, I'm having a caffè-latte by the window.

First, they say what they usually do in a normal day, their routine, so they use the Present Simple (as we learnt in Unit 1). Then, they tell us that today is not a normal day, so they are not doing what they usually do. What's the difference? They use the Present Continuous to make it clear that it is not a routine but something happening right now.

Have you also noticed how they say the time?

Seven o'clock / Half past seven / Ten to nine / Quarter to five / Quarter past five, etc.

You will usually see the time written in numbers but you have to learn how to say it in a conversational context.

Finally, see how Nigel and Ann describe some of the people they are watching:

There's a woman with long, dark hair, who is wearing a bright red dress. She’s got green eyes and a fair complexion.

There's a young woman with short, curly hair, and she's wearing a bright yellow dress with white sandals.

First, check out how adjectives are used in English. We say "long dark hair". Adjectives go before nouns, while in Spanish we say "pelo negro y largo", with the adjectives after nouns. You have to be very careful when using adjectives in descriptions.

When you finish this Unit, you will be able to describe what is happening around you and describe someone's physical appearance, character and clothes.

¿qué vas a aprender?

Después de leer lo que nos cuentan Nigel y Ann, observa los puntos fundamentales de esta unidad.

Los dos utilizan el Presente Contínuo para describir lo que están haciendo, comparándolo con lo que hacen habitualmente, que es lo que expresan con el Presente Simple (recuerda lo que hemos estudiado en la Unidad 1). En esta Unidad 2 aprenderás a conjugar y usar cualquier verbo en Present Continuous.

Observa también cómo se dice la hora en inglés. Se suele escribir en número pero tendrás que aprender a leerla.

Por último, fíjate en la pequeña descripción que hacen de una de las personas que tienen delante. Cuando acabes la Unidad, podrás hacer una descripción detallada de cómo es alguien físicamente, psicológicamente y de cómo va vestida. Para ello, no olvides que los adjetivos en inglés se colocan delante del nombre al que van describiendo, y no detrás como hacemos en español.