One empty chair, twenty minutes, and a list that almost told the truth.
Level A2≈ 25 minutesBritish EnglishAsking real questions
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 4
Before you start
Two minutes on Episode 4
Do not look back at the lesson. Guess, even if you are not sure. Remembering something badly is what makes it stay.
She likes her mornings, now there is a problem.
Her mornings are not quiet, one thought keeps interrupting them.
Tom always orders a .
Emma’s word for what Nina has: “It’s called having a .”
Nina’s honest line: “I don’t have a , Emma.”
Episode 4 in one line: Nina notices Tom, and, but, because and so join her sentences, and she still has no plan.
This episode is where the plan stops mattering, because something happens anyway.
Before you read
What would you ask?
A stranger sits down next to you, someone you have secretly noticed for weeks. You have five minutes. What do you actually ask?
Step 1 · Text
The Empty Chair
Read it twice: once on your own, then again with the audio.
On Wednesday, the café is full, and there is exactly one empty chair. It is at Tom’s table.
У середу кав'ярня переповнена, і є рівно один вільний стілець. Він за столиком Тома.
Nina stands with her tea for a second too long. Tom looks up, and before she can decide anything, he says: “It’s just a chair. It doesn’t bite.”
Ніна стоїть зі своїм чаєм на секунду довше, ніж треба. Том підводить погляд і, перш ніж вона встигає щось вирішити, каже: «Це просто стілець. Він не кусається.»
She sits down. Her brain, for once, says nothing useful.
Вона сідає. Її мозок, вперше, не підказує нічого корисного.
“What are you reading?” he asks, nodding at her notebook. “Nothing,” she says. Then, because that sounds ridiculous: “A list. Three things a day.”
«Що ти читаєш?» питає він, кивнувши на її блокнот. «Нічого», каже вона. Потім, бо це звучить безглуздо: «Список. Три речі на день.»
“What kind of list?” “Good things. It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud.” “It doesn’t,” he says. “What’s on it today?”
«Який список?» «Хороші речі. Звучить безглуздо, коли я кажу це вголос.» «Зовсім ні», каже він. «Що там сьогодні?»
Nina almost says his name. She writes “the empty chair” instead, and he never finds out how close it was.
Ніна мало не називає його ім'я. Замість цього вона пише «вільний стілець», і він так і не дізнається, наскільки близько це було.
They talk for twenty minutes: where he works, how often he comes here, why he always sits by the window. Simple questions, the kind you ask when you want to know somebody, not just be polite.
Вони говорять двадцять хвилин: де він працює, як часто сюди приходить, чому завжди сидить біля вікна. Прості питання, такі, які ставиш, коли хочеш когось пізнати, а не просто бути ввічливою.
Two cups of tea, one shared table, and a list that almost told the truth.
Дві чашки чаю, один спільний столик, і список, який мало не сказав правду.
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.
There is exactly one empty .
It’s just a chair. It doesn’t .
Her brain, for once, says nothing .
Nina almost says his .
A list that almost told the .
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.
It doesn’t bite.Він не кусається (жарт про безпечність)
I was miles away.Я замріялась, думками була десь далеко
Genuinely, I don’t mind.Справді, я не проти
I’ve given up finding a quiet one.Я вже й не сподіваюсь знайти тихий столик
ridiculous/rɪˈdɪkjələs/безглуздо, смішно
apparently/əˈpærəntli/виявляється, вочевидь
round the cornerза рогом, зовсім близько
mostly meetingsздебільшого зустрічі
by heartнапам'ять
a good view ofгарний вигляд на
You never know who’s going to walk through it.Ніколи не знаєш, хто зайде
a big dealщось важливе, велика справа
Write that in your list.Запиши це у свій список.
Lesson 2 Lesson 2 · With your teacher · діалог, граматика, вправи, говоріння
Before we start
Would you take the chair?
You just read about the one empty chair, at Tom's table. If it happened to you, what would you actually do?
Before the dialogue
Quick check: the text
You read this at home. Three questions, no looking back.
There is exactly one empty chair, and it is at Tom’s table.
Nina writes Tom’s name in her list.
Nina and Tom talk for twenty minutes.
Before the dialogue
Answer in a few words
Short answers, from the text. The last one needs a full thought, not one word.
What does Tom say about the chair?
What does Nina write instead of his name?
How long do Nina and Tom talk?
Who told Emma what happened?
What does the closing line say about Nina’s list?
Step 4 · Dialogue
Tom, Nina, and Emma
The café, Wednesday, then Thursday.
Scene 1 · The empty chair
TomIt’s just a chair. It doesn’t bite.
NinaSorry. I was miles away.
TomTake a seat. Genuinely, I don’t mind.
NinaThanks. It’s usually busy on Wednesdays.
TomEvery Wednesday, actually. I’ve given up finding a quiet one.
Scene 2 · Twenty questions
TomSo, what are you reading?
NinaNothing, really. A notebook.
TomWhat kind of notebook?
NinaA list. Three good things, every morning.
TomWhat’s on it today?
NinaThe empty chair, apparently.
Tom(laughing)I’ll take that.
NinaWhere do you work, by the way?
TomJust round the corner. Marketing, mostly meetings.
NinaHow often do you come here?
TomMost days. Why do you think I know the menu by heart?
NinaAnd why the window seat, always?
TomBetter light. And a good view of the door.
NinaThe door?
TomYou never know who’s going to walk through it.
Scene 3 · Emma hears about it
EmmaYou did WHAT on Wednesday?
NinaI sat down. That’s all.
EmmaFor twenty minutes, apparently.
NinaHow do you know that?
EmmaThe barista told me everything. What did you talk about?
NinaHis job. How often he comes here. Normal things.
EmmaNormal things, for twenty minutes, with THAT man.
NinaIt wasn’t a big deal, Emma.
EmmaSure. Write that in your list tomorrow.
Переклад діалогу. Сцена 1: «Це просто стілець. Він не кусається.» «Вибач. Я замріялась.» «Сідай. Справді, я не проти.» «Дякую. У середу тут зазвичай людно.» «Щосереди, взагалі-то. Я вже й не сподіваюсь знайти тихий столик.» Сцена 2: «То що ти читаєш?» «Та нічого, насправді. Блокнот.» «Який блокнот?» «Список. Три хороші речі щоранку.» «Що там сьогодні?» «Вільний стілець, виявляється.» «Я це приймаю.» «До речі, де ти працюєш?» «Тут за рогом. Маркетинг, здебільшого зустрічі.» «Як часто ти сюди приходиш?» «Майже щодня. Чому, думаєш, я знаю меню напам'ять?» «А чому завжди біля вікна?» «Краще світло. І гарний вигляд на двері.» «На двері?» «Ніколи не знаєш, хто зайде.» Сцена 3: «Ти ЩО зробила в середу?» «Я сіла. Оце й усе.» «На двадцять хвилин, виявляється.» «Звідки ти знаєш?» «Бариста мені все розповіла. Про що ви говорили?» «Про його роботу. Як часто він сюди приходить. Нормальні речі.» «Нормальні речі, двадцять хвилин, з ОТИМ чоловіком.» «Це не було чимось важливим, Еммо.» «Аякже. Запиши це у свій список завтра.»
After the dialogue
Complete the line
Straight from the scenes you just heard. Pick the word that completes each line.
“It’s just a chair. It doesn’t .”
“Genuinely, I don’t .”
“I’ve given up a quiet one.”
“The empty chair, .”
“You never know who’s going to walk through .”
Step 5 · Grammar
Real questions: What, Where, Why, How often
1 · Meaning: six words, six kinds of answer
A yes/no question gets one word back. A question word gets a real answer, the kind that starts a conversation instead of ending it.
Питання так/ні отримує у відповідь одне слово. Питальне слово отримує справжню відповідь, таку, що починає розмову, а не завершує її.
What
a thing What are you reading?
Where
a place Where do you work?
Why
a reason Why the window seat, always?
How often
frequency How often do you come here?
What kind of
a category What kind of notebook?
What питає про річ. Where питає про місце. Why питає про причину. How often питає про частоту. What kind of питає про категорію, тип.
2 · Form: the word order never changes
Question word first, then exactly the yes/no question you already know from Episode 2: do/does + who + verb.
Спочатку питальне слово, потім те саме питання так/ні, яке ти вже знаєш з Епізоду 2: do/does + хто + дієслово.
question word
Where
do / does
do
who
you
verb (bare)
work?
How often asks for a habit, not a number. The natural answer uses a frequency word or a phrase like “most days”, not a count. How often do you come here? — Most days. / Every Wednesday.
3 · Four mistakes almost everybody makes
Where you work? → Where do you work?A question word never removes do/does, it just stands in front of it.
Питальне слово ніколи не прибирає do/does, воно просто стає перед ним.
What means this word? → What does this word mean?The verb goes back to its bare form after does, exactly like in a yes/no question.
Дієслово повертається до своєї початкової форми після does, так само як у питанні так/ні.
How often you drink coffee? → How often do you drink coffee?Do/does is never optional, even when the question word already tells you a lot.
Do/does ніколи не можна пропустити, навіть якщо питальне слово вже багато пояснює.
Why he always sits by the window? → Why does he always sit by the window?He, she, it still needs does, and the verb stays bare: sit, not sits.
He, she, it усе одно потребують does, а дієслово лишається в чистій формі: sit, а не sits.
4 · Check the idea before you practise
“Where do you work?” Could you answer this with just “Yes”?
No. A question word always needs real information back, never a yes/no answer.
Ні. Питальне слово завжди потребує справжньої інформації у відповідь, ніколи не так/ні.
“How often do you come here?” Is the natural answer a number of times, or a habit word?
A habit word, like most days or every Wednesday. A number sounds unnatural here.
Слово-звичка, як-от most days чи every Wednesday. Число тут звучить неприродно.
Why is “Why he sits by the window?” wrong?
Because it is missing does. The question word does not replace it, it only comes before it.
Бо в ньому бракує does. Питальне слово не замінює його, воно лише стоїть перед ним.
Now the practice. Every sentence comes from this episode. Write the question, using the word in brackets.
? (what / you / read)
? (what kind of / notebook)
? (where / you / work)
? (how often / you / come here)
? (why / he / sit by the window)
? (what / you / talk about)
? (how / you / know that)
Part 3 · Speak
Speaking 1 · From the text
Retell the story in five steps
One sentence out loud for each card. Say it yourself first, and only then open the model.
Step 1 · Wednesday
What is the only empty chair, and whose table is it?
There is exactly one empty chair, and it is at Tom’s table.
Step 2 · the invitation
What does Tom say to her?
He says: “It’s just a chair. It doesn’t bite.”
Step 3 · the list
What does Nina almost write, and what does she write instead?
She almost writes his name, and she writes “the empty chair” instead.
Step 4 · the questions
What do they talk about for twenty minutes?
They talk about where he works, how often he comes here, and why he sits by the window.
Step 5 · Emma
How does Emma react the next day?
She can’t believe it, and she tells Nina to write it in her list.
Now all five sentences in a row, in one recording.
Speaking 2 · From the dialogue
Be Nina
Tom 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
Three real questions
Not small talk. Three real questions you would ask someone you want to actually know.
1 · Where “Where do you __________?” 2 · How often “How often do you __________?” 3 · Why “Why do you __________?”
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, about you this time. Answer short and answer fast.
Get ready to speak out loud.
Lesson 3 Lesson 3 · On your own · місія, рефлексія, надсилання
Part 2 · Exercises
Exercise 1
Match the pairs
Tap a phrase on the left, then its meaning on the right.
Exercise 2
True or False?
About the text and the dialogue.
The café is full, and there is exactly one empty chair.
Nina writes Tom’s name in her list that day.
Tom works just round the corner, in marketing.
Tom sits by the window because it is the quietest table.
Nina and Tom talk for about twenty minutes.
Emma does not find out about Wednesday at all.
Exercise 3
Which question word?
One word is missing. Pick it, then remember: do or does always follows.
are you reading?
do you work?
do you come here?
does he always sit by the window?
notebook is it?
do you know that?
Exercise 4
Put the lines in order
This is the start of Scene 2. Drag a line by its handle, or move it with the arrows, until the conversation makes sense. Not sure? Listen to the scene and let your ear decide.
Tom: So, what are you reading?
Nina: Nothing, really. A notebook.
Tom: What kind of notebook?
Nina: A list. Three good things, every morning.
Tom: What’s on it today?
Nina: The empty chair, apparently.
Exercise 5
Translate into English
Write full sentences. Capital letters and punctuation are not checked.
Де ти працюєш?
Як часто ти сюди приходиш?
Що ти читаєш?
Я замріялась.
Це не було чимось важливим.
Speaking 5 · In real life
Your mission this week
Ask one real question, to one real person, and actually listen to the answer.
Bonus · Questions I want to ask
Bonus
Three questions I haven’t asked yet
Not checked, not sent anywhere. Just yours. Think of someone, and write the questions you have not had the courage to ask.
Nina’s honest line, later that week: “I keep thinking of more questions. I don’t know when I’ll ask them.”
A question you have not asked yet is still a real one. Writing it down is the first half of asking it.
Tap a starter, then finish the question. Three lines are enough.
0 words
Текст лишається у твоєму браузері. Його не бачить ніхто, навіть викладач.
Займаєшся з викладачем? Прочитай свою рефлексію вголос на наступному занятті.
Send
Send your work to your teacher
This is what will be sent:
Takeaways
What to take with you
You made it through Episode 5. Here is what stays with you: language, ideas, and one real conversation.
Key expressions
It doesn’t bite. A light way to invite someone to sit, relax, come closer.
I was miles away. Admitting you were lost in thought.
Genuinely, I don’t mind. A stronger, warmer version of “it’s fine”.
apparently A word for saying something you only just realised.
by heart Knowing something so well you don’t need to check.
a big deal Something important, or, often, a denial that it is.
Key ideas
Real questions ask for a real answer, not a polite one-word reply.
You can want to know someone without having a plan for what happens next.
Sometimes the moment arrives before the courage does, and it works anyway.
A list built on small honesty almost gave away a bigger honesty.
The grammar you practised
What: What are you reading?
Where: Where do you work?
Why: Why does he sit by the window?
How often: How often do you come here?
What kind of: What kind of notebook?
Word order: question word + do/does + who + bare verb.
Words to remember
ridiculous silly, hard to say with a straight face
apparently as it turns out
genuinely honestly, really
a habit something you do without deciding each time
curious wanting to know more
a coincidence something that happens by chance
“You never know who’s going to walk through it.”
Tom · Episode 5, English Energy
