Three things every morning, written badly, in English. And the week somebody noticed.
Level A2≈ 25 minutesBritish EnglishPast Simple
How to Get the Most from This Lesson
First, just read and listen. Nothing is checked here. Tap the underlined words to see them in Ukrainian.
Then do the exercises.
At the end, speak out loud. This is the most important part of the lesson. Do not skip it.
Lesson 1 Lesson 1 · On your own · текст, аудіювання, словник
Warm-up · From Episode 2
Before you start
Two minutes on Episode 2
Do not look back at the lesson. Guess, even if you are not sure. Remembering something badly is what makes it stay.
chocolate help everything?
I tired today.
My brain feels .
Nina is a little proud, because she .
And Emma’s answer to that: “You’re doing .”
Episode 2 in one line: two true words are enough, and do and does carry the question.
This episode picks up the three phrases we left unexplained there: I didn’t sleep well, I showed up, I didn’t hide at home.
Before you read
What was good today?
Not this year, not this month. Today. How hard is that question for you right now?
Step 1 · Text
Three Things
Read it twice: once on your own, then again with the audio. Every verb in this story is in the past.
Last September, Nina started something very small. Every morning, before checking her phone, she wrote three things. Not a plan. Not a list of tasks. Three things she was grateful for.
Минулого вересня Ніна почала щось дуже маленьке. Щоранку, перед телефоном, вона писала три речі. Не план. Не список справ. Три речі, за які вона вдячна.
The first morning was hard. She sat with her tea and thought: “I have nothing today.” Then she wrote: the tea, the quiet, my cat. It took two minutes.
Перший ранок був важкий. Вона сиділа з чаєм і думала: «Сьогодні в мене нічого немає». А потім написала: «чай, тиша, мій кіт». Це зайняло дві хвилини.
In the second week something changed. She started to notice things during the day and save them for the morning: a man who held a door, the smell of rain, one good sentence in English.
На другому тижні щось змінилося. Вона почала помічати речі протягом дня і зберігати їх до ранку: чоловік, який притримав двері, запах дощу, одне вдале речення англійською.
She wrote the list in English. Her English was not perfect and she did not stop to check it. Nobody read it. That was the point.
Список вона писала англійською. Її англійська не була ідеальною, і вона не зупинялася, щоб перевірити. Ніхто цього не читав. У цьому й був сенс.
On Thursday a man walked into the café. She knew him: the man from the bus stop, the one she answered with “Fine, thanks”. He looked at her notebook and smiled. Nina smiled back, and wrote nothing for a minute.
У четвер до кав'ярні зайшов чоловік. Вона його впізнала: той самий, із зупинки, якому вона відповіла «Fine, thanks». Він подивився на її блокнот і усміхнувся. Ніна усміхнулася у відповідь і хвилину нічого не писала.
In October, Emma looked at her in the café and said: “You look well. Something’s different.”
У жовтні Емма подивилася на неї в кав'ярні й сказала: «Ти гарно виглядаєш. Щось змінилося».
Nina did not buy anything. She did not move, and she did not change her job.
Ніна нічого не купила. Вона не переїхала і не змінила роботу.
She only started noticing. The brain finds what it looks for.
Вона просто почала помічати. Мозок знаходить те, що шукає.
Step 2 · Listen and write
What did you hear?
Five sentences from the story. Play each one on its own with the button beside it, as many times as you need, and write the missing word.
Last September, Nina something very small.
Every morning she three things.
It two minutes.
In the second week something .
You look well. Something’s .
Step 3 · Words and phrases
Listen and repeat
Try to remember first, then flip the card. Say every phrase out loud. Not in your head, out loud, so your mouth remembers it.
Fancy seeing you here!Яка несподівана зустріч!
Can’t complain.Не можу скаржитися, все нормально
Tell me about it!Та й не кажи! У мене те саме
all over the placeхаотично, то одне, то інше
By the way…До речі…
Something’s different.Щось змінилося.
a morning routine/ruːˈtiːn/ранкова рутина, звичний порядок
I’m grateful for…/ˈɡreɪtfl/Я вдячна за…
Sounds fancy.Звучить вишукано, аж занадто
Where did you hear about it?Де ти про це почула?
That makes sense.Це логічно, тепер зрозуміло
mindfully/ˈmaɪndfəli/усвідомлено, не поспішаючи
Alright then.Ну добре тоді.
Give me a shout.Напиши або гукни мені
Lesson 2 Lesson 2 · With your teacher · перевірка, діалог, граматика, говоріння
Before we start
Your first two minutes
Nina writes three things every morning, before she checks her phone. What do you do first in the morning?
Before the dialogue
Quick check: the text
You read this at home. Three questions, no looking back.
Nina wrote her list before checking her phone.
Nina’s English in the list was perfect.
The man from the bus stop walked into the café.
Before the dialogue
Answer in a few words
Short answers, from the text. The last one needs a full thought, not one word.
How many things did Nina write every morning?
What did she write on the first morning?
Which language did she write the list in?
What did Emma say in October?
What does the brain find, says the closing line?
Step 4 · Dialogue
Emma and Nina
A cosy café in London, Tuesday morning. They bump into each other. Somebody else is there too.
Scene 1 · Fancy seeing you here
EmmaHey, Nina! Fancy seeing you here.
NinaEmma! What a lovely surprise. How was your week?
EmmaNot bad, not bad. Bit tired, but can’t complain. What about you?
NinaOh, same here. Busy week, but this coffee is saving me today.
EmmaTell me about it. And the weather was all over the place, wasn’t it?
NinaTotally. One minute it was sunny, the next it rained. Classic British weather.
Scene 2 · Something’s different
EmmaBy the way, you look well. Something’s different. New haircut?
NinaThanks! No haircut, actually. I started a little morning routine last month. Gratitude journaling.
EmmaGratitude journaling? Sounds fancy. What’s that about?
NinaIt’s quite simple, actually. Every morning I write down three things I’m grateful for. Big or small. My morning tea, my cat, or just feeling okay.
EmmaThat sounds lovely. Where did you hear about it?
NinaFrom the English Energy course online. I started it in September. They mix the language with wellbeing.
NinaThe idea is: when you focus on what’s good, your brain starts looking for more good things.
EmmaThat makes sense. So it’s like training your brain to be a bit more positive?
NinaExactly. And it helped my English too. I write my list in English.
NinaYesterday I wrote: “Today I’m grateful for sunshine, silence, and oat milk.”
Scene 3 · Emma decides to try
EmmaI love that. Honestly, my mornings are mostly: “Where’s my phone? Where are my keys?”
EmmaMaybe I should start the day a bit more mindfully.
NinaYou totally should! It takes two minutes. And your tea tastes better after. Promise.
EmmaAlright then. Tomorrow morning: “I’m grateful for Nina and her magical advice.”
Nina(laughing)Haha, deal! And if you need help with the grammar, just give me a shout.
Scene 4 · The man from the bus stop
EmmaNina? You’re not listening.
NinaSorry. That man over there. He was at the bus stop last month.
Emma(not turning round)And?
NinaAnd nothing. I said: “Fine, thanks.”
Tom(passing their table)Morning.
NinaMorning.
Emma(after a pause)Mm-hm.
Переклад діалогу. Сцена 1: «Привіт, Ніно! Яка несподівана зустріч.» «Еммо! Яка приємна несподіванка. Як минув твій тиждень?» «Непогано, непогано. Трохи втомлена, але не скаржуся. А ти?» «О, у мене так само. Тиждень насичений, але сьогодні мене рятує ця кава.» «Та й не кажи. І погода була така хаотична, правда ж?» «Абсолютно. То сонце, то дощ. Класична британська погода.» Сцена 2: «До речі, ти гарно виглядаєш. Щось змінилося. Нова стрижка?» «Дякую! Ні, не стрижка. Минулого місяця я почала маленьку ранкову рутину. Щоденник вдячності.» «Щоденник вдячності? Звучить вишукано. А що це таке?» «Насправді дуже просто. Щоранку я записую три речі, за які я вдячна. Великі чи маленькі. Ранковий чай, мій кіт, або просто те, що мені нормально.» «Звучить чудово. Де ти про це почула?» «На курсі English Energy онлайн. Почала у вересні. Вони поєднують мову з турботою про себе.» «Ідея така: коли ти зосереджуєшся на хорошому, мозок починає шукати ще більше хорошого.» «Це логічно. Тобто це ніби тренування мозку бути трохи позитивнішим?» «Саме так. І це допомогло моїй англійській. Я пишу список англійською.» «Учора написала: „Сьогодні я вдячна за сонце, тишу і вівсяне молоко“.» Сцена 3: «Мені це подобається. Чесно, мої ранки це переважно: „Де мій телефон? Де мої ключі?“» «Може, мені варто починати день трохи усвідомленіше.» «Та звісно варто! Це дві хвилини. І чай після цього смачніший. Обіцяю.» «Ну добре тоді. Завтра вранці: „Я вдячна за Ніну і її чарівні поради“.» «Ха-ха, домовились! А якщо треба буде допомога з граматикою, просто гукни мене.» Сцена 4: «Ніно? Ти мене не слухаєш.» «Вибач. Той чоловік он там. Він був на зупинці минулого місяця.» «І?» «І нічого. Я сказала: „Fine, thanks“.» «Доброго ранку.» «Доброго ранку.» «Мгм.»
After the dialogue
Complete the line
Straight from the scenes you just heard. Pick the word that completes each line.
“Hey, Nina! Fancy you here.”
“Bit tired, but can’t .”
“Every morning I write down three things I’m for.”
“Maybe I should start the day a bit more .”
“If you need help with the grammar, just give me a .”
Step 5 · Grammar
Past Simple
1 · Meaning: the time is over
Past Simple is for something that finished in a finished time. Yesterday, last week, in September, two minutes ago. The moment is closed, and you are looking back at it.
Past Simple для того, що завершилося в завершений час. Учора, минулого тижня, у вересні, дві хвилини тому. Момент закритий, і ти дивишся на нього здалеку.
a finished action
I started a morning routine last month. It happened, and the month is over.
a chain of actions
She sat with her tea, thought for a minute, and wrote three words.
a state in the past
The first morning was hard. Then, not now.
something that did not happen
She didn’t stop to check it. Nobody read it.
Завершена дія: Я почала ранкову рутину минулого місяця. Це сталося, і місяць уже минув. Ланцюжок дій: Вона сіла з чаєм, хвилину подумала і написала три слова. Стан у минулому: Перший ранок був важким. Тоді, а не зараз. Те, що не сталося: Вона не зупинилась перевірити. Ніхто це не читав.
The words that pull a sentence into the past: yesterday, last week, last month, in September, two minutes ago, this morning (if the morning is over).
Слова, які тягнуть речення в минуле: yesterday (учора), last week (минулого тижня), last month (минулого місяця), in September (у вересні), two minutes ago (дві хвилини тому), this morning (сьогодні вранці, якщо ранок уже минув).
See it on a timeline
A closed moment, with a gap before now
last monthnow
I started a morning routine last month. The dot sits back there, not here. The gap between them is the whole point.
Крапка стоїть там, позаду, не тут. Розрив між нею і зараз — це і є весь сенс.
I write three things every morning.Present Simple. A habit, still true.
Yesterday I wrote three things.Past Simple. One finished morning.
Я пишу три речі щоранку. Present Simple. Звичка, досі правдива. Учора я написала три речі. Past Simple. Один завершений ранок.
2 · Form: one shape for everybody
One form works for every person: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Nothing changes with who is speaking.
Одна форма працює для кожної особи: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Ніщо не змінюється залежно від того, хто говорить.
■ what changes in the verb ■ the helper, did / didn’t
■ що змінюється в дієслові ■ допоміжне дієслово, did / didn't
Regular verb: start
Who
+
−
?
I
I started
I didn’t start
Did I start?
You
You started
You didn’t start
Did you start?
He / She / It
She started
She didn’t start
Did she start?
We
We started
We didn’t start
Did we start?
They
They started
They didn’t start
Did they start?
Irregular verb: write
Who
+
−
?
I
I wrote
I didn’t write
Did I write?
You
You wrote
You didn’t write
Did you write?
He / She / It
She wrote
She didn’t write
Did she write?
We
We wrote
We didn’t write
Did we write?
They
They wrote
They didn’t write
Did they write?
Регулярне дієслово start: у стверджувальній формі до кожної особи додається -ed. У заперечній — didn't + проста форма. У питанні — Did + особа + проста форма. Неправильне дієслово write: замість -ed уся форма змінюється на wrote, однакова для кожної особи. Заперечення й питання працюють так само: didn't write, Did ... write?
Opens your browser’s print dialog. Choose “Save as PDF” to keep it.
The one rule under all of it: did carries the past, so the verb goes back to its plain form. I wrote · but Did you write? · and I didn’t write.
Головне правило, на якому все тримається: did бере минулий час на себе, тому дієслово повертається до простої форми. I wrote, але Did you write? і I didn't write.
This is exactly the same trick as do and does in Episode 2. One helper carries the grammar, the verb stays plain.
Це той самий прийом, що й do та does в Епізоді 2. Одне допоміжне дієслово бере граматику на себе, основне дієслово лишається простим.
3 · The verbs of this story
Regular: add -ed.
Регулярні: додай -ed.
most verbs
+ ed start → started, look → looked, help → helped, want → wanted
ends in -e
+ d notice → noticed, change → changed, save → saved
consonant + y
y → ied try → tried, study → studied, cry → cried
one vowel + one consonant
double it stop → stopped, plan → planned
Більшість дієслів: додай -ed (start → started, look → looked, help → helped, want → wanted). Закінчення на -e: додай лише -d (notice → noticed, change → changed, save → saved). Приголосна + y: y змінюється на -ied (try → tried, study → studied, cry → cried). Одна голосна + один приголосний: подвой приголосну (stop → stopped, plan → planned).
Irregular: you learn them one by one. These eight are the ones this story uses, and they are among the most common in English.
Неправильні: вчиш кожне окремо. Ці вісім використані в цій історії, і вони серед найпоширеніших в англійській.
be
was / wereThe first morning was hard.
write
wroteShe wrote three things.
sit
satShe sat with her tea.
think
thoughtShe thought: I have nothing.
take
tookIt took two minutes.
say
saidEmma said: you look well.
hold
heldA man who held a door.
hear
heardWhere did you hear about it?
be → was/were (був/була/були): Перший ранок був важким. write → wrote (написала): Вона написала три речі. sit → sat (сіла): Вона сіла з чаєм. think → thought (подумала): Вона подумала: у мене нічого немає. take → took (зайняло): Це зайняло дві хвилини. say → said (сказала): Емма сказала: ти добре виглядаєш. hold → held (притримав): Чоловік, який притримав двері. hear → heard (почула): Де ти про це почула?
4 · Pronunciation: three sounds of -ed
Exactly like the -s in Episode 2: one spelling, three sounds. And only one of them adds a syllable.
Точно як -s в Епізоді 2: одне написання, три звуки. І лише один з них додає склад.
/t/ after a quiet ending (p, k, f, s, sh, ch):
helpedlookednoticedfinished
Звук /t/ після глухого закінчення: p, k, f, s, sh, ch.
/d/ after a voiced ending and after a vowel:
changedsavedlistenedtried
Звук /d/ після дзвінкого закінчення і після голосного.
/ɪd/ only after t and d, and here the word gets one syllable longer:
startedwantedneededdecided
Звук /ɪd/ лише після t і d, і тут слово стає на один склад довшим.
And the word that almost disappears. In a real question did is unstressed and runs into the next word:
Where did you hear about it? /dɪdjə/Did you write it in English? /dɪdjə/
І слово, яке майже зникає. У реальному питанні did ненаголошене і зливається з наступним словом.
5 · Five mistakes almost everybody makes
Did you went to the café? → Did you go to the café?did already carries the past. The verb stays plain.
did вже несе минулий час. Дієслово лишається простим.
I didn’t wrote it. → I didn’t write it.The same rule, in the negative.
Те саме правило, у заперечній формі.
Yesterday I write three things. → Yesterday I wrote three things.The time word says the past, so the verb must say it too.
Слово часу вказує на минуле, тож дієслово теж мусить це показати.
She were tired. / We was late. → She was tired. We were late.was for I, he, she, it. were for you, we, they.
was для I, he, she, it. were для you, we, they.
I startd / I helpd → I started /ɪd/ · I helped /t/The -ed is always written. It is only the sound that changes.
-ed завжди пишеться. Змінюється лише звук.
6 · The three phrases we owed you from Episode 2
In Episode 2 we asked you to learn these whole, like words. Now you can see what is inside them.
В Епізоді 2 ми попросили вивчити ці фрази цілком, як окремі слова. Тепер ти бачиш, що всередині них.
I didn’t sleep well.didn’t + sleep, the plain form. Not slept, because didn’t already carries the past.
didn't + sleep, проста форма. Не slept, бо didn't вже несе минулий час.
I showed up.show → showed, a regular verb. The -ed sounds /d/.
show → showed, регулярне дієслово. -ed звучить як /d/.
I didn’t hide at home.didn’t + hide. The irregular form hid is not needed here, and that is the whole point of didn’t.
didn't + hide. Неправильна форма hid тут не потрібна, і в цьому весь сенс didn't.
7 · Check the idea before you practise
“I started a routine last month.” Do I still do it?
The sentence does not say. Past Simple tells you when it began, nothing more. Nina still does it, but we know that from the rest of the dialogue, not from the tense.
Речення цього не каже. Past Simple лише показує, коли це почалося, більше нічого. Ніна досі це робить, але ми знаємо це з решти діалогу, не з часу.
Why is it “Did you hear?” and not “Did you heard?”
Because a sentence carries the past once. did carries it, so hear stays plain.
Бо речення несе минулий час лише один раз. did бере його на себе, тому hear лишається простим.
“I write three things every morning” or “I wrote three things every morning”. Which is the habit?
The first. Present Simple is the habit you still have. The second says it is over.
Перше. Present Simple — це звичка, яку ти й досі маєш. Друге каже, що це вже закінчилося.
Someone asks: “Did you sleep well?” Can you answer just “Yes”?
You can, but the short answer sounds like English: “Yes, I did.” Same shape as “Yes, I do” in Episode 2, one step into the past.
Можна, але коротка відповідь звучить природніше по-англійськи: «Yes, I did». Та сама форма, що й «Yes, I do» в Епізоді 2, лише на крок у минулому.
Now the practice. Every sentence comes from this episode. Write the correct past form of the verb in brackets. Short forms like didn’t are fine.
Last September, Nina a morning routine. (start)
Every morning she three things. (write)
The first morning hard. (be)
It two minutes. (take)
She things during the day. (notice)
She to check her English. (not / stop)
about it? (you / hear)
It my English too. (help)
Nina her job. (not / change)
“Did you write your list today?” “Yes, I .” (short answer)
She with her tea. (sit)
She : “I have nothing today.” (think)
Nina anything. (not / buy)
Part 3 · Speak
Speaking 1 · From the text
Retell the story in five steps
One sentence out loud for each card, in the past. Say it yourself first, and only then open the model.
Step 1 · September
What did Nina start, and when?
Last September, Nina started a morning routine.
Step 2 · the first morning
How was the first morning?
It was hard. She thought she had nothing, and then she wrote three words.
Step 3 · the second week
What changed in the second week?
She started to notice things during the day and saved them for the morning.
Step 4 · in English
Why did she write the list in English?
She wrote it in English and she didn’t stop to check it. Nobody read it.
Step 5 · October
What did Emma say in the café?
Emma said: “You look well. Something’s different.”
Now all five sentences in a row, in one recording.
Speaking 2 · From the dialogue
Be Nina
Emma speaks, you answer as Nina. Round 1: read along with the model. Round 2: speak on your own, with only a Ukrainian hint on screen.
Speaking 3 · Your turn
Yesterday, in three sentences
Not your life in general. Yesterday. One thing you did, one thing you noticed, one thing you did not do. All three in the past.
1 · What you did “Yesterday I __________.” 2 · What you noticed “I noticed __________.” 3 · What you did not do “I didn’t __________.”
Now say them out loud. The page will listen and tell you which phrases from the lesson you used.
Speaking 4 · Fast
Ten seconds to answer
Five questions in a row, all about yesterday. Answer short and answer fast. The point is not to be right. The point is to stay in the past.
Get ready to speak out loud.
Lesson 3 Lesson 3 · On your own · вправи, місія, рефлексія, надсилання
Part 2 · Exercises
Exercise 1
Match the pairs
Six British expressions from the café, and two more from the story. Tap a phrase on the left, then its meaning on the right.
Exercise 2
True or False?
About the text and the dialogue.
Nina found the first morning easy.
She wrote her list in English, without checking it.
Emma guessed straight away what had changed.
Nina says the list can be big things or small things.
Emma decides to try it the next morning.
Nina changed her job and moved to a new flat.
Exercise 3
Complete the sentence
Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence from the dialogue.
I write three things I’m for.
The weather was this week.
Bit tired, but .
I want to start the day a bit more , no rushing, just calm.
If you need anything, just !
Where you hear about it?
Exercise 4
Put the lines in order
This is the beginning of Scene 1. Drag a line by its handle, or move it with the arrows, until the conversation makes sense.
Emma: Hey, Nina! Fancy seeing you here.
Nina: Emma! What a lovely surprise. How was your week?
Emma: Not bad, not bad. Bit tired, but can’t complain. What about you?
Nina: Oh, same here. Busy week, but this coffee is saving me today.
Emma: Tell me about it. And the weather was all over the place, wasn’t it?
Nina: Totally. One minute it was sunny, the next it rained.
Exercise 5
Translate into English
Write full sentences. Capital letters and punctuation are not checked.
Як минув твій тиждень?
Де ти про це почула?
Минулого місяця я почала ранкову рутину.
Я вдячна за свій ранковий чай.
Це зайняло дві хвилини.
Speaking 5 · In real life
Your mission this week
The first mission in this course that is not one moment but a habit. Three mornings is enough to feel the difference.
Bonus · Gratitude practice
Bonus
Today, I’m grateful for…
Nina writes three things every morning. Now it is your turn. Write yours in English, big or small, and notice how you feel after. This one is not checked and not sent anywhere.
Nina’s tip from the dialogue: “Big or small. It counts.”
Your list does not need to be impressive. “I’m grateful for my morning coffee” is as powerful as anything grand. The brain simply needs to notice the good, and then it starts looking for more.
Tap a starter, then finish the sentence. Three lines are enough.
0 words
Текст лишається у твоєму браузері. Його не бачить ніхто, навіть викладач.
Займаєшся з викладачем? Прочитай свій список уголос на наступному занятті. Це найлегший спосіб почати говорити англійською про себе, бо речення вже написані.
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Takeaways
What to take with you
You made it through Episode 3. Here is what stays with you: language, ideas, and one small habit.
Key expressions
Fancy seeing you here! Warm surprise at meeting someone. Very British.
Can’t complain. The honest British “I’m okay”, without a speech.
Tell me about it! Not a request. It means “I know, the same for me”.
all over the place Chaotic, one thing and then another.
That makes sense. The cheapest way to show you followed what was said.
Give me a shout. Write to me, call me, just ask.
Key ideas
Nothing outside Nina’s life changed. Only what she noticed did.
Two minutes before the phone beats twenty minutes later in the day.
Writing badly in English, with nobody reading it, is still writing in English.
The brain finds what it looks for, and you choose what it looks for.
This is the first episode where Nina is the one who knows something and Emma asks.
The grammar you practised
Past Simple, regular: start → started, notice → noticed, help → helped.
Past Simple, irregular: was, wrote, sat, thought, took, said, held, heard.
Questions: Did you hear about it? Not: did you heard.
Negatives: She didn’t stop. I didn’t sleep well.
Short answers: Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
Three sounds of -ed: /t/ helped · /d/ changed · /ɪd/ started.
Words to remember
grateful thankful, glad something exists
routine the order of your usual morning
to notice to see what was always there
wellbeing how well you are, in a wide sense
mindfully slowly and on purpose, not on autopilot
to appreciate to value something small properly
“Big or small. It counts.”
Nina · Episode 3, English Energy
