General English · CEFR A2

A2 Elementary English

A full A2 course for handling routine situations with greater independence: past events, future plans, life experience, comparisons, advice, travel, health, shopping and connected everyday conversation.

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A2 outcomes

At A2, learners move beyond isolated phrases and begin to manage short connected exchanges. You should be able to describe past experiences, make simple plans, compare options, ask for and give practical information, write short messages and understand the main point of slow, clear everyday speech.

Speaking

Routine exchanges, short descriptions, simple reasons, past events and future arrangements.

Listening

Clear announcements, short conversations and familiar topics at moderate speed.

Writing

Short emails, notes and connected paragraphs with basic sequencing.

Unit 1 — Past simple and past continuous

Understanding the contrast

Use the past simple for completed events and the past continuous for an activity already in progress at a particular past time.

UseExample
Completed eventI arrived at 8:15.
Background activityPeople were waiting outside.
Interrupted activityI was cooking when the phone rang.
Two parallel activitiesWhile I was cooking, my brother was setting the table.
Form: past continuous = was/were + verb-ing. The short interrupting event is usually past simple.
Complete: 1) I ___ (walk) home when I ___ (see) Marta. 2) While they ___ (wait), it ___ (start) to rain.
Answers

1) was walking / saw 2) were waiting / started

Unit 2 — Future plans, arrangements and predictions

going to, present continuous and will
FormMain A2 useExample
be going toplan/intention; evidence-based predictionI'm going to start a course. / Look at those clouds — it's going to rain.
present continuousarrangement with time/place/personI'm meeting Anna at six.
willspontaneous decision, offer, simple predictionI'll carry that for you.
Choose: 1) We’re meeting / We’ll meet the dentist at 10:30 tomorrow. 2) The phone is ringing — I’m going to answer / I’ll answer it.
Answers

1) We’re meeting 2) I’ll answer

Unit 3 — Present perfect: life experience and recent events

have/has + past participle

At A2, use the present perfect to connect the past with the present when the exact finished time is not the focus.

MeaningExample
Life experienceHave you ever been to Rome?
Recent resultI've lost my keys.
Already/yetShe's already finished. / She hasn't finished yet.
Do not combine present perfect with a finished past-time expression: say I went there last year, not I've gone there last year.
Choose: 1) Have you ever tried / Did you ever try sushi? 2) I have seen / saw him yesterday.
Answers

1) Have you ever tried…? 2) saw

Unit 4 — Comparatives, superlatives, too and enough

Comparing people, places and things

Short adjectives usually take -er/-est: small → smaller → smallest. Longer adjectives usually use more/most: more interesting, most interesting. Irregular: good → better → best; bad → worse → worst.

as … as expresses equality: This one is as fast as that one. too means more than necessary: too expensive. enough means sufficient: cheap enough; enough time.

Rewrite: 1) My flat is smaller than yours. → Your flat is ___. 2) The bag is very heavy; I can't carry it. → The bag is too ___.
Answers

1) bigger/larger than mine 2) heavy to carry

Unit 5 — Quantifiers and countability

much, many, a lot of, a few, a little

many/a few go with countable plural nouns. much/a little go with uncountable nouns. a lot of works with both.

few/little without a often means “not much/not many” and can sound negative: We have little time. A little time means some time is available.

Choose: 1) We have a few / a little apples. 2) There isn't many / much traffic today. 3) I need a few / a little help.
Answers

1) a few 2) much 3) a little

Unit 6 — Obligation, advice and permission

must, have to, should, can and could

must/have to express obligation. mustn't means prohibited; don't have to means not necessary. should gives advice. can/could express ability or permission, while could can make requests more polite.

Important: You mustn't pay = payment is forbidden. You don't have to pay = payment is optional/not required.
Your friend has a cold. Give three pieces of advice using should/shouldn't.

Unit 7 — First conditional

Real future possibility

Use the first conditional for a realistic future condition and result: if + present simple, will + base verb.

If it rains, we'll stay inside. The order can change: We'll stay inside if it rains. Do not normally use will after if in the condition clause.

Complete: 1) If I ___ (finish) early, I ___ (call) you. 2) We ___ (miss) the train if we ___ (not leave) now.
Answers

1) finish / will call 2) will miss / don't leave

Unit 8 — Verb patterns: infinitive and -ing

Common patterns

Learn the pattern with the verb: want to go, decide to leave, need to study; enjoy reading, finish working, avoid driving. Some verbs allow both with little difference at this level: like reading / like to read.

Choose: 1) I enjoy to cook / cooking. 2) We decided to stay / staying. 3) She wants learning / to learn English.
Answers

1) cooking 2) to stay 3) to learn

Unit 9 — Travel and practical communication

Useful functions
SituationUseful language
DirectionsHow do I get to…? / Go straight ahead. / Turn left at…
TransportWhat time does the next train leave? / Is this seat free?
HotelI have a reservation. / Could I check out later?
ProblemI'm afraid there's a problem with my room.
Role-play: You are at a hotel. The room is noisy and the shower does not work. Explain the problem politely and ask for a solution.

Unit 10 — Health, symptoms and advice

Language for common health situations

Use I've got… with common symptoms: I've got a headache / a cough / a sore throat. Use My … hurts: My back hurts.

Advice: You should rest. You shouldn't exercise today. You need to drink plenty of water.

Dialogue task: One student is a patient with three symptoms; the other asks questions and gives advice.

Listening practice

Last Saturday, I was planning to stay at home, but my friend called and invited me to a food market. We met at eleven and spent about two hours there. I've never tried so many different foods in one place. My favourite was a spicy rice dish from Thailand. Next month, we're going to visit another market in a nearby town.

Questions: 1) What was the speaker originally planning to do? 2) How long did they spend at the market? 3) What life experience does the speaker mention? 4) What is the future plan?
Answers

1) Stay at home. 2) About two hours. 3) They had never tried so many different foods in one place. 4) Visit another market next month.

Writing workshop

A2 paragraph structure: opening sentence → 2–4 details → simple connector → closing sentence. Useful connectors: and, but, because, so, then, after that, finally.
Task: Write 100–120 words to a friend about a recent day out. Say where you went, who you were with, what happened and what you are planning to do next time.

Final A2 checkpoint

1) I ___ (cook) when Anna ___ (arrive). 2) We ___ (meet) Tom at 7 tomorrow. 3) Have you ever ___ (see) snow? 4) This hotel is ___ (comfortable) than the other one. 5) There isn't ___ milk left. 6) You ___ smoke here; it's forbidden. 7) If we leave now, we ___ (catch) the bus. 8) I enjoy ___ (learn) languages.
Answers

1) was cooking / arrived 2) are meeting 3) seen 4) more comfortable 5) much/any 6) mustn't 7) will catch 8) learning

Speaking: Speak for two minutes about a memorable day, including background detail, one unexpected event and one future plan.

Sources and level alignment

Original Corrigan School material. Level outcomes and communicative aims are aligned to CEFR A2 descriptors; grammar coverage is cross-checked against British Council A1–A2 grammar and Cambridge learner grammar conventions.