No matter where you’re at in your English learning, it’s always worth it to build a a strong English base and work to keep that base strong. Think of it this way: your base is the foundation of everything you can say or understand. Without it, things start to wobble, like a table missing one of it’s legs. 🫠
Even if you’re advanced, reviewing your base is never a waste of time. In fact, it’s essential. For example, my Spanish is advanced, so I focus on strengthening my base by reviewing and polishing what I already know. But with my French, where I’m still learning, I focus on building a strong foundation.
The approach you’ll take depends on where you are with English, but the goal is the same: a solid base that keeps your English stable and constant.
Here’s an easy, practical way to strengthen or build your base, and it’s one I use regularly with my students. 🤗
Step 1: Common Verbs
A strong base in any language includes learning common verbs. Lucky for you, I’ve saved you the trouble of searching! You can start with this list of Babbel’s 20 most common English verbs.
You’ll see some verbs you know and maybe some new ones, too. There will be ones like: be, have, do… and many more. These verbs come up often in conversations, so they’re great to focus on!
Step 2: Make It Personal
Think about the things you often talk about. These will be the subjects of your sentences in the next part.
For me, that’s my cats, my husband, my family, and, of course, languages. 😏
What about you? Write down 10 things you like to talk about.
Now let’s add some fun! Choose 10 adjectives you know, like, or want to use more.
For example: nice, easy, funny, boring, beautiful. (Want help picking adjectives? This list is a great starting point!)
Got your topics and adjectives ready to go? Fabulous! Time to continue.
Step 3: Build Sentences
Now it’s time to connect everything. Use your verbs, your subjects, and adjectives to build sentences.
You don’t have to stop at one sentence, connect them to create a little story about your life, day, or routine.
For example:
👉 My cat is funny. She likes to play in small boxes.
👉 I learn languages because they are interesting. I don’t learn math because it’s boring. 🤭
👉 My husband is very handsome, and he loves to cook delicious food. Yum!
The more you connect the sentences to your life, the easier they are to create and also to remember so you can use them later in conversations. Plus, you’ll see how much you can say as you build a strong English base of verbs and adjectives.
Step 4: Simplify and Challenge Yourself
Here’s where it gets even more fun. 🎉 Challenge yourself to say what you want using only the verbs from the list. Even if they’re not the ones you’d naturally pick, can you find a way to make them work?
For example: Instead of saying, “I received a present,” you could say “I got a present”. 🎁
This forces you to simplify your thoughts and find creative ways to express yourself. It’s one of the best tricks for language learning because it teaches you to be flexible with the way you say things and focus on using the language you do know.
Bonus Tip: Practice the Past
The majority of the verbs on the list are irregular in the past tense. Once you’ve practiced with the present, try it again on another day focusing on past tense sentences.
👉 Yesterday, my cat was funny. She found a big box to play in.
👉 I saw some boring news in French in the online paper, but I learned new words so it was worth my time. 🙌
Are you ready to build your English base with me?
Want more support to make English feel natural when you’re speaking? In my personalized 1:1 classes, we use tricks like this to strengthen your base and help you speak with confidence. Or, if you prefer regular practice to keep your English sharp, try my Voice Message Speaking Practice! You’ll get weekly speaking topics and feedback to help you stay on track with builidng your English base.
Share Your Practice
What topics did you come up with? Share your sentences in the comments. I’d love to see them! 😍
