Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0002 · Lesson No.002 · 零基础英语第二课 · Pre-A1 → A1

This Is… What Is This?

This is a book. What is this? It is a book.
这是一本书。这是什么？这是一本书。

Today, English becomes something you can point at.

今天，我们让英语变成你可以“指着东西说”的语言。

You will learn how to name objects, ask what something is, use this and that, use a and an, and build very small noun sentences that work in real life.

你会学习怎样给物品命名，怎样问“这是什么”，怎样使用 this 和 that，怎样使用 a 和 an，以及怎样造出真正能用的最基础名词句。

What you will be able to do 这一课学完后你能做什么？

• This is a book. — 这是一本书。
• That is a door. — 那是一扇门。
• What is this? — 这是什么？
• What is that? — 那是什么？
• It is a phone. — 那是一部手机 / 它是一部手机。
• Is this a pen? — 这是一支笔吗？
• Yes, it is. — 是的。
• No, it isn’t. — 不是。
• This is my bag. — 这是我的包。
• That is your chair. — 那是你的椅子。
• These are books. — 这些是书。
• Those are chairs. — 那些是椅子。

You do not need to master every line at once. The core is only four small moves: point → name → ask → answer.

你不需要一次把所有内容全部掌握。最核心只有四个动作：指向 → 命名 → 提问 → 回答。

1. Point and name 指着一个东西，说出它是什么

Pick up a book.

拿起一本书。

This is a book.

这是一本书。

Now pick up a pen.

再拿起一支笔。

This is a pen.

这是一支笔。

This is language with a real object attached to it. That is powerful for a beginner because you do not need a long grammar explanation before the meaning becomes clear.

这种学习方法把英文直接连接到真实物品。对初学者非常有用，因为你不需要先听十分钟语法解释，意思就已经很清楚。

Try ten real objects 用十个真实物品练习

• This is a book. — 这是一本书。
• This is a pen. — 这是一支笔。
• This is a pencil. — 这是一支铅笔。
• This is a phone. — 这是一部手机。
• This is a cup. — 这是一个杯子。
• This is a key. — 这是一把钥匙。
• This is a bag. — 这是一个包。
• This is a chair. — 这是一把椅子。
• This is a table. — 这是一张桌子。
• This is a door. — 这是一扇门。

Touch the object when you say the sentence. Let the meaning become physical.

说句子时碰一下那个物品，让意思和真实世界连接起来。

2. This and that: near and farther away this 和 that：近一点、远一点

This usually points to one thing near the speaker. That usually points to one thing farther away.

This 通常指说话人附近的一个东西；that 通常指距离更远的一个东西。

English	中文	Idea
This is a book.	这是一本书。	near 近
That is a book.	那是一本书。	farther 远一点
This is my cup.	这是我的杯子。	near 近
That is your cup.	那是你的杯子。	farther 远一点

Do not make the rule more complicated than you need. Put one object near you and one object across the room. Point and speak.

现在不要把规则想得太复杂。一个物品放在你身边，一个物品放在房间另一边。指着它们说。

• This is a pen.
• That is a chair.
• This is my phone.
• That is the door.

3. What is this? 这是什么？

Now turn a statement into a small information problem.

现在，把“陈述”变成一个小问题。

What is this?
这是什么？

Answer:

It is a book.
这是一本书。

You can also answer This is a book. But It is a book is useful because the question has already identified the thing you are talking about.

你也可以回答 This is a book.。不过 It is a book. 很有用，因为问题已经指明了你们正在谈论的那个东西。

Question-and-answer drill 问答练习

What is this?	It is a pen.	这是什么？这是一支笔。
What is this?	It is a phone.	这是什么？这是一部手机。
What is that?	It is a door.	那是什么？那是一扇门。
What is that?	It is a chair.	那是什么？那是一把椅子。

Ask and answer aloud. Reading silently is not enough if you want the sentence to become available in conversation.

要把问题和回答真正说出来。如果你希望以后在对话中能用出来，只默读是不够的。

4. A and an: one thing, named as a member of a group a 和 an：一个东西

English often puts a or an before one singular countable noun when the listener does not need to identify one particular known item.

英语在表达“一个可数的单数东西”时，常常需要在名词前使用 a 或 an。中文没有完全相同的冠词系统，所以这一步对中文母语学习者尤其值得从一开始就建立习惯。

For this beginner lesson, use a simple working rule:

• a before a consonant sound: a book, a pen, a cup, a phone
• an before a vowel sound: an apple, an egg, an orange, an umbrella

重点是“声音”，不是只看字母。

Use a	Use an
a book 一本书	an apple 一个苹果
a bag 一个包	an egg 一个鸡蛋
a phone 一部手机	an orange 一个橙子
a chair 一把椅子	an umbrella 一把伞
a key 一把钥匙	an idea 一个想法

Do not say This is book when you mean one ordinary countable book. Say This is a book.

如果你说的是“一本普通的书”，不要说 This is book。要说 This is a book.

Why this matters for Mandarin speakers 为什么中文母语学习者要特别注意？

Mandarin does not have an English-style article system. Chinese can say “这是书” or “这是一本书” depending on context, using classifiers such as 本, 个, 把 and 张. English articles do a different grammatical job. That is why a learner can know the noun book perfectly and still omit a.

普通话没有和英语完全一样的冠词系统。中文会根据语境说“这是书”或“这是一本书”，并使用“本、个、把、张”等量词。英语的 a/an 属于另一套语法系统。所以一个学习者即使完全认识 book，仍然可能忘记前面的 a。

Repair it early by learning the noun together with its small partner:

• a book, not only book
• a pen, not only pen
• an apple, not only apple
• an egg, not only egg

把名词和它的小搭档一起学，会比以后反复补漏更省力。

5. Sound decides a or an 用声音决定 a 还是 an

The beginner rule is based on the first sound, not simply the first written letter.

入门规则看的是“开头的声音”，不是只看第一个字母。

• an apple — vowel sound
• an hour — the h is silent, so it begins with a vowel sound
• a university — begins with a /y/ sound, so use a

You do not need rare exceptions now. Just learn the idea that English spelling and English sound are not always the same thing.

现在不用学很多例外。先建立一个重要观念：英语“拼写”和“声音”不总是一一对应。

6. It is… 用 it 回答

It can refer to a thing, animal, situation or idea already identified in the conversation.

It 可以指对话中已经明确的物品、动物、情况或事情。

• What is this? It is a key.
• What is that? It is a bag.
• Is this your phone? Yes, it is.
• Is that a chair? No, it isn’t.

Mandarin can often omit a subject when context makes it clear. English usually needs an explicit grammatical subject in these basic sentences. It is one of the small words that keeps the English sentence complete.

普通话在语境清楚时经常可以省略主语。英语的基础句通常需要明确的语法主语。It 就是帮助句子保持完整的重要小词。

7. Is this a…? 这是不是一个……？

Statement:

This is a pen. — 这是一支笔。

Question:

Is this a pen? — 这是一支笔吗？

The word is moves before this.

is 移到 this 前面。

• This is a book. → Is this a book?
• This is your bag. → Is this your bag?
• That is a door. → Is that a door?
• That is your phone. → Is that your phone?

Short answers 简短回答

Is this a book?	Yes, it is.	是的。
Is this a phone?	No, it isn’t.	不是。
Is that your bag?	Yes, it is.	是的。
Is that a door?	No, it isn’t.	不是。

Practise the whole answer. Do not stop at only “yes” and “no”. The extra words help you learn English sentence structure.

练习完整的简短回答，不要永远只说 yes 或 no。后面的几个词会帮助你建立英语句子结构。

8. My and your: whose thing? my 和 your：是谁的东西？

my means 我的. your means 你的 / 你们的.

• This is my book. — 这是我的书。
• This is my phone. — 这是我的手机。
• That is your bag. — 那是你的包。
• Is this your key? — 这是你的钥匙吗？

English possession often sits directly before the noun: my book, your phone, his bag, her key.

英语表示所属时，所有格词通常直接放在名词前面：my book, your phone, his bag, her key。

Add his and her 加入 his 和 her

my	我的	my bag
your	你的 / 你们的	your phone
his	他的	his book
her	她的	her key

Spoken Mandarin uses the same sound tā for 他 and 她. English uses different spoken words: his and her. Listen carefully.

普通话口语里“他/她”都读 tā；英语口语里的 his 和 her 是不同的声音，所以要特别听清楚。

9. One thing and more than one 一个和多个

English usually changes a countable noun when there is more than one.

英语可数名词从“一个”变成“多个”时，通常要变化。

One 一个	More than one 多个
a book	books
a pen	pens
a chair	chairs
a bag	bags
a phone	phones

For many common nouns, add -s. There are other plural patterns, but you do not need all of them today.

很多常见名词只需要加 -s。英语还有其他复数规则，但今天不需要全部学。

Compare:

• This is a book. — 这是一本书。
• These are books. — 这些是书。
• That is a chair. — 那是一把椅子。
• Those are chairs. — 那些是椅子。

10. This → these; that → those 一个变多个时，指示词也变

	One 单数	More than one 复数
Near 近	this 这个	these 这些
Farther 远	that 那个	those 那些

• This is a pen. — 这是一支笔。
• These are pens. — 这些是笔。
• That is a chair. — 那是一把椅子。
• Those are chairs. — 那些是椅子。

Notice another change: is → are.

还要注意另一个变化：is → are。

This gives you a small agreement system:

• this + is + one thing
• that + is + one thing
• these + are + more than one
• those + are + more than one

Do not memorise it as four abstract rules. Put real objects in front of you and say the sentences.

不要把它变成四条抽象规则死背。把真实物品放在面前，一边指一边说。

11. Twenty-five everyday objects 日常 25 个物品

book 书	pen 笔	pencil 铅笔	bag 包	phone 手机
cup 杯子	bottle 瓶子	key 钥匙	door 门	window 窗
chair 椅子	table 桌子	box 盒子	card 卡片	ticket 票
apple 苹果	orange 橙子	egg 鸡蛋	umbrella 雨伞	computer 电脑
shirt 衬衫	shoe 鞋	clock 钟	map 地图	picture 图片

Do not treat this as a vocabulary test. Choose five objects that are physically around you. Learn those first.

不要把这张表当成考试。先选你身边真的看得到的五个物品来学。

12. Learn nouns with a small package 名词不要“裸着学”

Instead of learning only:

book = 书

learn a small package:

• a book
• my book
• this book
• two books
• This is a book.

Now the word has grammar around it. It is easier to use in a real sentence.

这样学，单词周围已经带着一点语法，更容易进入真实句子。

Try the same package with phone:

• a phone
• my phone
• this phone
• two phones
• This is my phone.

13. What is it? and What is this? 有什么差别？

What is this? is useful when you point to or hold something near you.

What is it? is useful when the thing is already in the conversation but its identity is unknown.

对零基础阶段，不需要追求复杂定义。你可以先这样使用：

• Pointing near: What is this? — 指着近处：这是什么？
• Pointing farther: What is that? — 指着远处：那是什么？
• Talking about an already-mentioned thing: What is it? — 已经提到那个东西：它是什么？

14. A simple classroom dialogue 一个最简单的课堂对话

Teacher: What is this?
Learner: It is a book.
Teacher: Is this your book?
Learner: Yes, it is.
Teacher: What is that?
Learner: It is a bag.
Teacher: Is that your bag?
Learner: No, it isn’t.

中文：老师：这是什么？学生：这是一本书。老师：这是你的书吗？学生：是的。老师：那是什么？学生：那是一个包。老师：那是你的包吗？学生：不是。

Now replace book and bag with real objects.

现在把 book 和 bag 换成你面前的真实物品。

15. The object hunt 物品寻宝游戏

Walk around one room. Find ten objects. For each object:

1. Point. 指一下。
2. Say the noun. 说单词。
3. Add a/an if needed. 加上 a/an。
4. Say a full sentence. 说完整句。
5. Ask a question. 提一个问题。
6. Answer it. 回答。

Example:

• phone
• a phone
• This is a phone.
• What is this?
• It is a phone.

This small game trains vocabulary, articles, sentence order, questions, speaking and retrieval at the same time.

这个小游戏会同时训练词汇、冠词、语序、问句、口语和记忆提取。

16. Colours: add one describing word 加一个颜色词

English adjectives usually come before the noun in this simple pattern.

在这种基础结构中，英语形容词通常放在名词前面。

• a red book — 一本红色的书
• a blue pen — 一支蓝色的笔
• a black phone — 一部黑色手机
• a white cup — 一个白色杯子
• an orange bag — 一个橙色的包

Sentence:

• This is a red book.
• That is a blue bag.
• Is this a black phone?
• Yes, it is.

Notice: English does not add a special adjective marker like Chinese 的 in this simple noun phrase. Compare 红色的书 with red book.

注意：这种简单英语名词短语里，不需要像中文“红色的书”那样加入“的”。英语直接说 red book。

17. Numbers: one, two, three 数量变化

• one book — 一本书
• two books — 两本书
• three books — 三本书
• one pen — 一支笔
• two pens — 两支笔

English normally does not put a/an together with a number like two or three. Say a book or one book, but two books.

英语通常不会把 a/an 和 two、three 这类数量词一起使用。说 a book 或 one book；说两个时变成 two books。

18. Countable objects: keep the noun visible 可数名词要让“一个/多个”的信息清楚

For a singular countable object, English usually wants something before the noun: an article, a possessive, a demonstrative, or another determiner.

单数可数名词前，英语通常需要某种限定信息，例如冠词、所有格或指示词。

• a book ✓
• my book ✓
• this book ✓
• one book ✓
• book by itself in “This is book.” ✗

This is one of the places where English may feel unnecessarily fussy to a Mandarin speaker. Do not argue with the system while you are speaking. Give the noun its small partner.

对中文母语学习者来说，这里可能会觉得英语“为什么这么麻烦”。说话时先不要和系统争论，给单数可数名词配上它需要的小搭档。

19. The is different: do not rush it the 不等于 a/an

You will also see the: the door, the book, the phone. It often points to something identifiable in the shared situation or conversation. But article choice can become complex, especially because Mandarin does not have the same system.

你也会看到 the：the door, the book, the phone。它常常表示双方都可以确定的那个东西。但英语冠词系统会逐渐变复杂，中文又没有完全相同的系统。

For now, build a clean beginner contrast:

• a book = one book, introduced as a member of a class
• the book = the identifiable book in this situation

Example:

I have a book. The book is blue.

我有一本书。那本已经提到的书是蓝色的。

That is enough for today. The goal is not to finish English articles. The goal is to stop the most basic omission from becoming permanent.

今天学到这里就够。目标不是一次学完英语冠词，而是不要让最基础的漏冠词习惯固定下来。

20. Listening focus: hear small words 听力重点：听见“小词”

Beginners often listen for big content words and miss small grammar words.

初学者常常只听“大词”，把小语法词漏掉。

• This is a book.
• What is this?
• Is this a pen?
• Yes, it is.

Ask yourself: Can I hear is? Can I hear a? Can I hear the final -s in a plural?

问自己：我听见 is 了吗？听见 a 了吗？复数词尾的 -s 听见了吗？

These are tiny sounds, but they carry grammar.

它们声音很小，却携带语法信息。

21. Pronunciation focus: final consonants and plural -s 发音重点：词尾和复数 -s

English uses word endings heavily. Do not let the end disappear.

英语非常依赖词尾。不要让单词后半段“消失”。

• book — finish the /k/
• bag — finish the /g/
• cup — finish the /p/
• books — hear the plural ending
• pens — hear the plural ending

Some Mandarin speakers may find final consonants or consonant clusters unfamiliar in English. Do not solve this by adding a full extra vowel after every consonant. Listen to a reliable model and make the word end cleanly.

部分普通话母语学习者会觉得英语词尾辅音或辅音组合不熟悉。不要习惯性在每个词尾辅音后面加一个完整元音。听可靠音频，让单词干净地结束。

22. Reading practice: in a room 阅读练习：房间里

This is my room. This is a table. On the table, there is a book, a phone and a cup. The book is blue. The phone is black. The cup is white. That is a chair. The chair is near the table. These are my things. That is not my bag. It is my sister’s bag.

中文：这是我的房间。这是一张桌子。桌子上有一本书、一部手机和一个杯子。书是蓝色的。手机是黑色的。杯子是白色的。那是一把椅子。椅子在桌子附近。这些是我的东西。那个包不是我的。那是我姐姐/妹妹的包。

Reading questions 阅读问题

1. What is on the table?
2. What colour is the book?
3. Is the phone white?
4. Where is the chair?
5. Is the bag the writer’s bag?

Short answers:

• A book, a phone and a cup.
• It is blue.
• No, it isn’t.
• It is near the table.
• No, it isn’t.

You do not need long answers yet. Precision first.

现在不需要长答案。先把短答案说准确。

23. Writing practice: five objects 写五个物品

Choose five real objects. Write five sentences.

1. This is a ______.
2. This is my ______.
3. That is a ______.
4. This is a ______ ______. (colour + noun)
5. These are ______.

Example:

This is a cup. This is my phone. That is a chair. This is a blue pen. These are books.

Read your five sentences aloud after writing them.

写完后把五句话大声读出来。

24. Error clinic: the mistakes to repair early 常见错误诊所

Common error 常见错误	Better English 正确形式	Repair 修复点
This book. ✗	This is a book. ✓	Add is and a.
This is book. ✗	This is a book. ✓	Singular countable noun needs a determiner.
This is an book. ✗	This is a book. ✓	book starts with consonant sound.
This is a apple. ✗	This is an apple. ✓	apple starts with vowel sound.
What this? ✗	What is this? ✓	Add is.
What is it this? ✗	What is this? ✓	Use one clear question pattern.
Is this pen? ✗	Is this a pen? ✓	Add a.
Yes, this is. △	Yes, it is. ✓	Use it in short answer.
These is books. ✗	These are books. ✓	these + are.
Those are chair. ✗	Those are chairs. ✓	Plural noun.

Do not feel embarrassed by these errors. They are exactly the kinds of small system differences that language learners must discover.

不要因为这些错误觉得不好意思。学习第二语言，就是要不断发现两种语言系统之间这些小差异。

25. The first weak link: find where the object sentence breaks 第一个卡点在哪里？

• I do not know the noun. 不知道单词 → learn 5 real objects.
• I know the noun but forget a/an. 会单词但漏冠词 → learn “a book” as one chunk.
• I understand the statement but cannot ask. 会陈述不会问 → practise What is this? / Is this a…?
• I can read it but cannot say it. 看得懂说不出 → repeat aloud, then cover the text.
• I say singular and plural the same. 单复数不分 → point to one, then point to two.
• I cannot hear small words. 听不见小词 → listen specifically for is/a/an/are.

Do not add harder vocabulary until the first broken link becomes more reliable.

先修最早断掉的那一步，不要急着用更多难词把问题盖住。

26. A five-level practice ladder 五级练习阶梯

1. Copy 模仿： Repeat “This is a book.”
2. Substitute 替换： book → pen → phone → key.
3. Retrieve 提取： Hide the sentence and say it.
4. Question 问答： What is this? / It is a…
5. Real use 真实使用： Walk around and identify ten things.

If Level 1 is easy but Level 3 is hard, the problem is not understanding. The problem is retrieval. Train retrieval.

如果第 1 级很容易，第 3 级却很难，问题不一定是“没听懂”，而是“提取不出来”。那就训练提取。

27. A ten-minute daily practice 每天十分钟

2 min	Name five real objects.	说出五个真实物品。
2 min	Say a/an + noun.	练 a/an + 名词。
2 min	Ask What is this/that?	练问句。
2 min	Ask Is this a…? and answer.	练 yes/no 问答。
2 min	Write five sentences from memory.	凭记忆写五句。

Keep the same objects for two or three days. Then change the objects. Repetition creates stability; variation tests whether the pattern can travel.

同一组物品可以练两三天，再换新物品。重复建立稳定，变化检查句型能不能迁移。

28. Seven-day plan 七天计划

Day	Task 任务
1	This is a… with five objects. 用五个物品练 This is a…
2	This vs that. 练近处 this 和远处 that。
3	What is this/that? Ask and answer 20 times. 问答 20 次。
4	a vs an with ten nouns. 练十个名词。
5	my/your/his/her + noun. 练所属。
6	this/these and that/those. 练单复数。
7	Object hunt with no notes. 不看笔记完成房间物品寻宝。

29. Mini dialogue: at a desk 桌边对话

A: What is this?
B: It is a notebook.
A: Is this your notebook?
B: Yes, it is.
A: What is that?
B: That is my phone.
A: Is that your key too?
B: No, it isn’t. It is her key.

中文：A：这是什么？B：这是一本笔记本。A：这是你的笔记本吗？B：是的。A：那是什么？B：那是我的手机。A：那也是你的钥匙吗？B：不是。那是她的钥匙。

Change notebook, phone and key. Keep the structure.

把 notebook、phone、key 换掉，句子结构保留。

30. Mini dialogue: asking for a word 不知道英文单词时怎么办？

Learner: What is this in English?
Teacher: It is a stapler.
Learner: A stapler?
Teacher: Yes. A stapler.
Learner: How do you spell it?
Teacher: S-T-A-P-L-E-R.
Learner: Thank you.

中文：学习者：这个用英语怎么说？老师：这是 stapler（订书机）。学习者：A stapler? 老师：对。A stapler。学习者：怎么拼？老师：S-T-A-P-L-E-R。学习者：谢谢。

What is this in English? is a powerful beginner sentence because it lets you keep learning while you are using English.

What is this in English? 是一个非常有力量的入门句，因为你可以一边使用英语，一边继续学英语。

31. How do you spell it? 怎么拼？

When you hear a new word, ask:

How do you spell it?
这个词怎么拼？

This sentence is worth learning early. It turns another English speaker into a temporary spelling tool.

这句话值得很早学会。它让你可以直接请别人帮你确认拼写。

Also learn:

• Please say it again. — 请再说一次。
• Please say it slowly. — 请说慢一点。
• I don’t understand. — 我不明白。
• Can you show me? — 你可以给我看吗？

These sentences are learning tools, not just conversation phrases.

这些句子不仅是对话用语，也是“学习工具”。

32. Picture naming without a picture 用“想象图片”训练

You do not always need a worksheet. Imagine a kitchen. What might you see?

• a cup
• a plate
• a spoon
• a bottle
• an apple
• an egg

Make six sentences:

• This is a cup.
• This is a plate.
• This is a spoon.
• This is a bottle.
• This is an apple.
• This is an egg.

Now imagine a classroom, a bedroom, a train station, a shop. This expands vocabulary by meaningful places instead of random lists.

再想象教室、卧室、车站、商店。这样扩展词汇，比随机背词更有结构。

33. Beginner vocabulary by place 按场景学习词汇

At home 在家

• a bed 床
• a chair 椅子
• a table 桌子
• a door 门
• a window 窗
• a cup 杯子
• a plate 盘子
• a key 钥匙

At school 在学校

• a book 书
• a notebook 笔记本
• a pen 笔
• a pencil 铅笔
• an eraser 橡皮
• a ruler 尺子
• a desk 课桌
• a bag 包

At a shop 在商店

• a bottle 瓶子
• a box 盒子
• a bag 袋子
• a card 卡
• a receipt 收据
• an apple 苹果
• an orange 橙子
• an umbrella 雨伞

Choose one place each week. Build words around a situation you understand.

每周选一个场景。把单词围绕真实情境组织起来。

34. Retrieval: cover the English 不看英文再说

• 这是一本书。 → ______
• 这是什么？ → ______
• 那是什么？ → ______
• 这是一部手机吗？ → ______
• 是的。 → ______
• 不是。 → ______
• 这是我的包。 → ______
• 这些是书。 → ______
• 那些是椅子。 → ______

Answers:

• This is a book.
• What is this?
• What is that?
• Is this a phone?
• Yes, it is.
• No, it isn’t.
• This is my bag.
• These are books.
• Those are chairs.

If you need to look, look. Then cover it and try again. Retrieval grows through repeated successful attempts.

如果想不出来就看答案。看完马上盖住，再试一次。记忆提取能力就是这样通过很多次成功尝试长出来的。

35. Listening dictation 听写不用一开始就很难

Ask a teacher, friend or text-to-speech tool to read five sentences slowly:

1. This is a book.
2. That is my phone.
3. What is this?
4. Is this an apple?
5. These are pens.

Write what you hear. Then compare.

把听到的写下来，再对照答案。

Do not score only the noun. Check the small words: this, is, a, an, my, are. If the noun is correct but the grammar words are missing, the sentence is not yet stable.

不要只检查名词。也要检查这些小词：this, is, a, an, my, are。名词听对了但小词全漏，句子还没有真正稳定。

36. Self-test 自测

1. Translate: 这是一本书。
2. Translate: 那是什么？
3. Choose: This is (a / an) apple.
4. Choose: This is (a / an) phone.
5. Correct: This is book.
6. Make a question: This is a pen.
7. Answer negatively: Is this a key?
8. Change to plural: This is a book.
9. Translate: 这是我的手机。
10. Ask in English: “这个用英语怎么说？”

Answer key 答案

1. This is a book.
2. What is that?
3. an
4. a
5. This is a book.
6. Is this a pen?
7. No, it isn’t.
8. These are books.
9. This is my phone.
10. What is this in English?

37. Mastery check 掌握检查

• I can name ten objects. 我会说十个物品。
• I can use this and that. 我会用 this / that。
• I can ask What is this? 我会问“这是什么”。
• I can answer It is a… 我会回答。
• I usually remember a/an before a singular countable noun. 我开始记得冠词。
• I can ask Is this a…? 我会问“这是……吗”。
• I can answer Yes, it is / No, it isn’t. 我会简短回答。
• I can use my/your/his/her with a noun. 我会表达所属。
• I can make a simple plural with -s. 我会基础复数。
• I can use these/those with more than one object. 我会用 these/those。

If six or more are still hard, repeat the lesson with real objects before moving on.

如果还有六项以上很困难，先用真实物品再练一次，不要急着进入下一课。

38. For parents and teachers 给家长和老师

Use the learner’s environment. A real cup is better than a definition of cup. A real bag is better than a ten-line translation explanation. The early goal is rapid mapping between object, English sound, English spelling and a usable sentence.

尽量使用学习者身边的环境。一个真实杯子，比十行“cup 的定义”更有效。早期目标是让真实物品、英语声音、英语拼写和可使用句子之间快速建立连接。

Correct one layer at a time. If the learner says This book, first restore is and a: This is a book. If pronunciation is understandable, do not stop the learner after every word. Let the message finish, then repair the first important error.

每次只修一层。如果学习者说 This book，先修回 This is a book.。如果发音已经可以听懂，不要每个词都打断；让信息先说完，再修第一个重要错误。

Use spaced return: today, tomorrow, three days later, one week later. Change the objects when the structure becomes easy.

使用“隔一段时间再回来”的复习：今天、明天、三天后、一周后。结构变容易以后再换物品。

39. A small independent-learning toolkit 一个初学者可以自己用的工具包

• What is this in English? — 这个用英语怎么说？
• How do you spell it? — 怎么拼？
• Please say it again. — 请再说一次。
• Please say it slowly. — 请说慢一点。
• Can you show me? — 可以给我看吗？
• I don’t understand. — 我不明白。

These six sentences let a beginner ask for more input instead of becoming silent.

这六句话会让初学者在不会的时候“继续获得信息”，而不是直接沉默。

40. Final challenge 最终挑战

Put ten objects on a table. Do not use notes.

1. Name all ten objects.
2. Make five “This is…” sentences.
3. Make two “That is…” sentences.
4. Ask “What is this?” three times and answer.
5. Ask “Is this a…?” three times and answer.
6. Use my/your in two sentences.
7. Make one plural sentence with these or those.

If you can do this slowly but without reading, you have moved beyond passive recognition. The English is beginning to belong to you.

如果你能慢慢地、不看文字完成这些任务，你已经开始从“看得懂”走向“自己能提取”。英语正在变成你自己的工具。

Next: Lesson No.003 下一课

Objects are useful, but language becomes more alive when you can express preference and need.

下一课，我们开始说你喜欢什么、想要什么、需要什么。

I like tea. I want water. I need help.
我喜欢茶。我想要水。我需要帮助。

---

Beginner reference floor: British Council A1 English · Cambridge English Pre-A1/A1 · VOA Learning English Level 1 · Cambridge Essential Grammar in Use.

Mandarin-speaker research note: English articles are a known learning challenge for many learners whose first language does not use an equivalent article system. This lesson therefore teaches the noun together with a/an from the beginning. See research on English article acquisition by Chinese learners and broader Chinese EFL learning challenges.