Level: Elementary (A2) General English
A2 Elementary English
Book 2 of 6 · English Self-Learning Series · 6 weeks
Book 2 of the English Self-Learning Series, for learners who have finished A1. In six weeks you learn to talk about the past, ask for information and directions, make plans and predictions, compare places and products, and explain health and work problems. Each week follows the book's plan: grammar with Sinhala help, vocabulary, useful phrases, speaking, reading, writing, listening and pronunciation, and a review quiz. The course ends with the A2 exit test.
- Units
- 7
- Lessons
- 43
- Effort
- 36 hours
- Learning
- Self-paced
What you will learn
- Talk about what you did last weekend and in the past.
- Ask and answer simple questions to get information.
- Ask for and give simple directions in town.
- Describe your plans and make simple predictions.
- Compare places, products and people.
- Explain a health problem to a doctor or pharmacist and understand their advice.
- Shop, ask about prices and talk about quantities.
- Write a short email or message (60–80 words) about your week, your plans or a problem.
About this course
About this level
A2 is the Elementary level. It is for learners who have finished A1 and can read and write simple sentences. In six weeks you learn to talk in simple English about things that happened in the past, your plans for the future, comparisons and everyday problems. By the end of the level you can have simple conversations with confidence at a bus stop, in a shop, in an office or with a doctor.
A2 යනු Elementary හෙවත් මූලික මට්ටමයි. A1 මට්ටම අවසන් කළ, සරල වාක්ය කියවීමට සහ ලිවීමට හැකි අයට මෙම කොටස සුදුසුයි. සති 6ක් තුළ ඔබ අතීතයේ සිදු වූ දේ, අනාගත සැලසුම්, සංසන්දනය සහ දෛනික ගැටලු ගැන සරල ඉංග්රීසියෙන් කතා කිරීමට ඉගෙන ගනී. මෙම මට්ටම අවසානයේ ඔබට බස් නැවතුමක, කඩයක, කාර්යාලයක හෝ වෛද්යවරයා හමුවේ සරල සංවාද විශ්වාසයෙන් කරගත හැකි වේ.
Your daily 60-minute routine
Study six days a week and use the seventh day (Sunday) for review:
- 10 min – Flashcard review (Anki): add only 10–12 new words a day.
- 15 min – Grammar study and written exercises.
- 10 min – Listening (a podcast or a video): first without subtitles, then with subtitles.
- 10 min – Reading a short text: 1–2 pages of a graded reader or a short article.
- 10 min – Speaking practice: shadowing and talking to yourself about your day.
- 5 min – Writing a short diary entry of 4–5 sentences.
How the course follows the book
This is Book 2 of 6 in the English Self-Learning Series (overall weeks 7–12). The course follows the book's weekly plan in the same order, with one unit for each week:
- Week 1: Last weekend and past events – the Past Simple and 40 irregular verbs
- Week 2: Asking for information and directions – question forms; in, on and at
- Week 3: Plans for the future – will and going to
- Week 4: Comparing places, products and people – comparatives and superlatives; adverbs of frequency and object pronouns
- Week 5: Health, work and everyday problems – countable and uncountable nouns; should and have to
- Week 6: Consolidation and exit test – all eight grammar topics, the 10 common mistakes and all the vocabulary
Each week has grammar lessons with Sinhala help, vocabulary, useful phrases and speaking, reading and writing, and listening and pronunciation, and it includes the book's ten tasks for that week. Every week ends with a 10-question review quiz (pass mark 70%; you can try as many times as you need).
The exit test
The book ends with an exit test: a checklist of eight things you should be able to do before you start B1. In this course the A2 exit test has 27 questions on the grammar, vocabulary and reading from all six weeks. Pass it with 70% or more to complete the course and get a myedu.lk certificate of completion. (The certificate shows that you finished the course; it is not an official English qualification.) The speaking, writing and listening items on the book's checklist are self-checks that you do with a partner or a recording.
Please note
The course is text-based: there is no audio or video yet. Speaking and writing tasks are self-assessed with checklists and model answers, and the listening tasks use free resources named in the book, such as BBC Learning English, British Council LearnEnglish, VOA Learning English and ELLLO.
Who this course is for
Learners in Sri Lanka who have finished A1, or who are placed at A2, and want to use simple English in everyday situations: talking about the past and the future, travel, shopping, work and health. It is designed for self-study with a daily 60-minute routine, with explanations in simple English and help in Sinhala.
Before you start
You have finished A1 (Book 1 of the English Self-Learning Series) and can read and write simple sentences, or the placement check puts you at A2 (Elementary).
Course structure
7 units · 43 lessons · about 10.5 hours of lessons
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Week 1: Last weekend and past events
Talk about last weekend, a trip and other past events. Grammar: the Past Simple with regular verbs and 40 common irregular verbs. Vocabulary: travel and transport, feelings. Goal: speak for one minute about what happened last weekend or on a trip.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 1: Last weekend and past events · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: Past Simple (regular and irregular verbs)
Make positive sentences, negatives and questions in the Past Simple with regular and irregular verbs.
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Vocabulary: 40 irregular verbs
Give the past form of the 40 common irregular verbs from the book and use them in sentences.
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Vocabulary: Travel, transport and feelings
Use 24 words for travel, transport and feelings to describe a trip and how you felt.
15 min -
Useful phrases and speaking
Ask and answer questions about last weekend or a trip, and react to what people tell you.
13 min -
Reading and writing
Understand a short diary about a trip, and write a 60-word diary entry about a trip you took and how you felt.
18 min -
Listening and pronunciation
Say regular past verbs with the right -ed sound (/t/, /d/ or /ɪd/) and pick out past verbs when you listen.
12 min -
Week 1 review
Show that you can use the Past Simple, the 40 irregular verbs and this week's words, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 2: Asking for information and directions
Ask correct questions to get information, use in, on and at for times and places, and give simple directions. Grammar: question forms (wh- questions, do / does / did) and prepositions of time and place. Vocabulary: weather, places in town and directions.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 2: Asking for information and directions · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: Question forms (wh- questions, do/does/did)
Ask wh- questions and yes/no questions with do, does and did in the right word order.
16 min -
Grammar: Prepositions of time and place (in / on / at)
Use in, on and at correctly with times, days, dates and places.
15 min -
Vocabulary: Weather, places in town and directions
Describe the weather, name places in town and understand simple directions.
15 min -
Useful phrases and speaking
Ask for directions and information politely, ask people to repeat, and give simple directions.
13 min -
Reading and writing
Find information in a timetable, a weather forecast and a leaflet, and write a 70-word email with directions to your house.
18 min -
Listening and pronunciation
Use falling intonation for wh- questions and rising intonation for yes/no questions, and follow directions when you listen.
12 min -
Week 2 review
Show that you can ask questions, use in, on and at, and understand directions, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 3: Plans for the future
Talk about your plans, promises and predictions. Grammar: the future with will and going to. Vocabulary: work and jobs, and future time expressions (tomorrow, next week, in two years).
ShowHide 6 lessons of Week 3: Plans for the future · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: Future with will and going to
Talk about plans with going to, and make decisions, promises, offers and predictions with will.
18 min -
Vocabulary: Work, jobs and future time expressions
Talk about work and jobs, and say when things will happen with future time expressions.
15 min -
Useful phrases and speaking
Ask about someone's plans, talk about your own plans and arrange to meet a friend.
13 min -
Reading and writing
Understand short job advertisements and an article about someone's plans, and write an 80-word invitation email.
18 min -
Listening and pronunciation
Use short forms (I'll, won't, I'm going to) and weak forms naturally when you talk about the future.
12 min -
Week 3 review
Show that you can use will and going to and this week's words, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 4: Comparing places, products and people
Compare places, products and people, and say how often you do things. Grammar: comparatives and superlatives; adverbs of frequency and object pronouns. Vocabulary: shopping and money, and 20 common adjectives with their comparative forms.
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 4: Comparing places, products and people · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives
Compare two things with comparatives (bigger than) and a group with superlatives (the biggest).
16 min -
Grammar: Adverbs of frequency and object pronouns
Say how often you do things with always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never, and use object pronouns (me, him, her, them).
15 min -
Vocabulary: Shopping, money and 20 common adjectives
Use shopping and money words, and give the comparative and superlative forms of 20 common adjectives.
15 min -
Useful phrases and speaking
Ask about prices and sizes, pay in a shop, and give and react to opinions.
13 min -
Reading and writing
Understand short product reviews that compare phones, and write a 90-word paragraph comparing two people in your family.
18 min -
Listening and pronunciation
Say -teen and -ty numbers and prices clearly, and understand prices when you listen.
12 min -
Week 4 review
Show that you can compare things, say how often you do things and use shopping words, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 5: Health, work and everyday problems
Explain a health or work problem, and give and get advice. Grammar: countable and uncountable nouns (much / many / a lot of, a little / a few); should and have to. Vocabulary: health and the body, food and quantities (a bottle of, a packet of, a kilo of).
ShowHide 7 lessons of Week 5: Health, work and everyday problems · about 1.5 hours
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Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns (much / many / a lot of, a little / a few)
Use much, many, a lot of, a little and a few correctly with countable and uncountable nouns.
16 min -
Grammar: Should / have to (advice and obligation)
Give advice with should and shouldn't, and talk about rules and necessary things with have to and don't have to.
15 min -
Vocabulary: Health, the body, food and quantities
Describe common health problems and parts of the body, and talk about food quantities.
15 min -
Useful phrases and speaking
Make an appointment, explain a health problem to a doctor or pharmacist, and ask for and give advice.
13 min -
Reading and writing
Understand simple health advice, and write an 80-word email to your manager to say you are sick and can't come to work.
18 min -
Listening and pronunciation
Say f and p, and v and w, clearly, and note the problem and the advice when you listen to a conversation.
12 min -
Week 5 review
Show that you can use much, many, a few, a little, should and have to and this week's words, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Week 6: Consolidation and exit test
Review all eight A2 grammar topics, the 10 common mistakes, the six vocabulary sets (72 words) and the 40 irregular verbs, and get ready for the exit test and the move to B1.
ShowHide 8 lessons of Week 6: Consolidation and exit test · about 2 hours
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Grammar review: the past, questions, in / on / at and the future
Use the Past Simple, question forms, in / on / at, and will / going to correctly in mixed practice.
16 min -
Grammar review: comparing, frequency, quantities and advice
Use comparatives and superlatives, adverbs of frequency, object pronouns, much / many and should / have to correctly in mixed practice.
16 min -
Grammar review: the 10 common mistakes
Find and correct the 10 mistakes that Sinhala speakers often make at A2.
14 min -
Vocabulary: Review of the 72 theme words and 40 irregular verbs
Remember and use the 72 theme words and the past forms of the 40 irregular verbs from this level.
14 min -
Useful phrases and speaking
Use all 24 useful phrases from this level, and give a 3-minute talk about your last holiday, your plans and two places.
14 min -
Reading and writing
Understand a short story that uses all the A2 grammar, and write three 80-word texts: an email about a trip, an invitation and a message about a health problem.
20 min -
Listening and pronunciation
Read a text aloud with clear -ed endings, v and w sounds and question intonation, and understand the main points of an A2 listening.
14 min -
Week 6 review
Show that you can use all eight A2 grammar topics and the level's vocabulary, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 10 min
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Exit test
The A2 exit test from the book: check the eight things you should be able to do before B1, then take the final test. Pass it with 70% or more to complete the course.
ShowHide 1 lesson of Exit test · about 20 minutes
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A2 exit test
Pass the A2 exit test (27 questions on grammar, vocabulary and reading from Weeks 1–6) with a score of 70% or more.
Test 20 min
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Estimated effort
Plan for 36 hours in total, including practice and reviews. At about an hour a day, six days a week, that is about 6 weeks.
How you will learn
- Grammar explanations with Sinhala help
- Vocabulary and useful phrases
- Interactive exercises
- Weekly review quizzes
- Speaking, listening, reading and writing tasks
- Exit test
Try it free
2 lessons of this course are free to try, without an account. Your progress is saved once you enrol.
Completion and certificate
You complete the course when you have:
- finished every required lesson (43 lessons), and
- passed the required course test.
When you complete the course, you receive a myedu.lk certificate of completion with a code that anyone can check online.
A certificate of completion shows that you finished this course on myedu.lk. It is not an independent certification of your English proficiency.
Ready to start A2 Elementary English?
This course is free. Enrol and start your first lesson today.