1havo test review unit 1
Getting English basics right
Items in this lesson
Getting English basics right
Open by framing the lesson as accuracy in everyday English: talking about people, possessions, identity and simple descriptions.
Today’s goal
I can correctly use personal and possessive pronouns, a/an, the verb to be in the present simple, and have got in affirmative, negative and question forms.
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Subject/onderwerp pronouns
The subject/onderwerp pronoun does the action and comes before the verb.
Het voornaamwoord voert de handeling uit. Het staat vóór het werkwoord.
I
you
he / she / it
we
they
Remind students that English always needs a subject in standard sentences: not '*Is happy' but 'He is happy'.
Subject (onderwerp) pronouns & object (voorwerp) pronouns
Subject (Onderwerp)
The pronoun does the action. Comes before the verb.
Het voornaamwoord voert de handeling uit. Het staat vóór het werkwoord.
I, you, he, she, it
we, you, they
Example: I am walking to school.
Object (Voorwerp)
The pronoun receives the action or follows a preposition.
Het voornaamwoord ondergaat de handeling of volgt op een voorzetsel.
me, you, him, her, it
us, you, them
Example: Walk with me!
A common error is mixing these: 'He brother' or 'They bus'. Point out that possessive adjectives need a noun after them.
Choose the correct subject pronoun: “___ are my best friends.”
Them
They
Us
Her
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Choose the correct object pronoun: “Can you help ___?”
I
He
We
me
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Which sentence is correct?
Him likes football.
Her is my sister.
They saw we.
She saw him.
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Complete the paragraph with the correct subject pronouns
Tom is my brother. He plays football after school. My sister Anna likes books. She reads every evening. I have a new bike, and it is very fast. My friends and I live near the park, so we often meet there on Saturdays. Mrs Khan is our teacher, and she gives us helpful feedback. Jake and Amir are in my class. They sit next to me in English lessons.
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Choose the correct object pronouns in the paragraph
Mia saw Tom and Anna at the bus stop. She waved to them and asked if the driver had seen Leo. A minute later, Leo arrived, and Mia gave him his ticket. Anna was cold, so Mia lent her a jacket for the journey home.
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Choose the correct subject and object pronouns
Emma has a new classmate called Ben. He sits next to Emma in English, and the teacher often asks him simple questions. Emma likes Ben because he is friendly and helpful. After school, Ben and Emma walk home together, and their parents sometimes see them near the park. When Ben forgets his homework, Emma reminds him about it, and Ben always thanks her for the help.
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Possessive adjectives
Possessive adjectives show who something belongs to.
my book
your bag
his bike
her phone
its tail
our teacher
their house
They come before a noun.
Use the term 'possessive adjectives' consistently, because the prompt asks for the difference between subject forms and possessive adjectives.
Complete the paragraph with the correct possessive adjectives
Tom is talking about his family and friends. His sister Anna loves music, and she often brings her guitar to school. Tom and Anna have a dog, and their dog sleeps in the kitchen. Tom says, "I always do my homework before dinner." Later, Tom meets his friends Ben and Lucy. He asks, "Have you finished your project yet?" Ben smiles and says that the teacher liked our ideas very much.
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How to choose a or an
Use a before a consonant sound.
Use an before a vowel sound.
a dog
a university
an egg
an umbrella
Listen to the first sound.
Useful contrast: 'a university' begins with a /j/ sound, not a vowel sound.
Which phrase is correct?
an university
a apple
the pen
an hour
Tests article choice by sound, not spelling. 'The pen' is grammatical in some contexts, but here the taught contrast is article choice for first sound; 'an hour' is the only unambiguously correct target example from the slides.
Choose the correct article in a short text
Mia wants to buy an umbrella before school. On the way, she sees a uniform in a shop window. Later, her friend tells her about an honest boy who returned a lost bag. In the afternoon, Mia eats a sandwich and reads an email from her teacher. It says she must bring a notebook for class tomorrow.
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The verb to be: affirmative
Present simple forms of to be:
I am
he / she / it is
we / you / they are
Examples: I am ready. She is at home. They are happy.
Highlight subject–verb agreement clearly: I→am, he/she/it→is, others usually→are.
The verb to be: negative
Add not to make the negative.
I am not late.
He/she/it is not tired.
We/you/they are not at school.
Short forms are common:
isn't
aren't
You may mention 'I'm not' as a common short form, but avoid overloading students with every contraction pattern.
The verb to be: questions
In questions, the verb comes before the subject.
Am I late?
Is she/he/it your dog?
Are they/we/you at home?
This is a key A2/B1 error area. Emphasise inversion: verb first, then subject.
Short answers with to be
Yes
Yes, I am.
Yes, he is.
Yes, they are.
No, I’m not.
No, he isn’t.
No, they aren’t.
No
Point out that short answers repeat the verb; students often answer only 'Yes' or 'No' in written grammar tasks.
Which question has the correct word order?
She is your sister?
Are they at home?
Where you are?
She not is tired.
Focus on inversion with to be: verb before subject. The distractors are common A2/B1 errors listed on the content slides.
Complete the forms of to be
Anna is at home today, but her brothers are not there. Is Anna tired? Yes, she is.
Checks agreement, negative structure, question order and short answers in one short paragraph.
Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the verb 'to be'
Tom and his sister are at home after school. Tom is in the kitchen, but his sister isn't there. She is in her room. Their parents aren't at home yet, so the children make a snack. It is a quiet afternoon, and the dog isn't noisy today.
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Have got: meaning and form
Use have got to talk about possession and simple description.
I have got a bike.
She has got blue eyes.
They have got a new teacher.
Keep the two uses together: possession and description of features or characteristics.
Have got: affirmative and negative
Affirmative:
I / you / we / they have got
he / she / it has got
Negative:
haven’t got
hasn’t got
Examples: We haven’t got a car. He hasn’t got a brother.
Another key agreement point: students often write '*He have got'.
Have got: questions
Put have or has before the subject.
Have you got a pen?
Has she got curly hair?
Have they got a dog?
Do not say: You have got a pen?
Again, focus on question word order rather than every possible variation.
Short answers with have got
Yes
No
Yes, I have.
Yes, she has.
Yes, they have.
No, I haven’t.
No, she hasn’t.
No, they haven’t.
Students may want to answer with 'got' in the short answer. Show that the short answer uses have/has only.
Which sentence is correct?
He have got a bag.
Has they got a cat?
She has got blue eyes.
You have got a pen?
Checks agreement and question form with have got. Distractors come straight from the common errors slide.
Complete the text with have got
I have got a bike, but my brother has got a skateboard. Have you got a pet? No, I haven't.
Covers affirmative, agreement, question order and short answer form. Remind students that short answers do not include 'got'.
