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4B Grammar

Talk about musicians and songs

Unit 4

I CAN use the present continuous
I CAN describe what is happening now

Grammar

11 cards

Look around you. What is happening right now? A musician is playing the guitar. A singer is singing on the stage. People are dancing and listening to the music. All of these sentences use the present continuous — a verb form for things happening at this moment. We often use it with words like now, right now, at the moment and Listen!. It is one of the most useful tenses when we talk about live events, concerts and musicians.

The form of the present continuous is: subject + am / is / are + verb-ing. We use am with I (I am singing). We use is with he, she and it (She is dancing. The band is playing). We use are with you, we and they (You are listening. We are performing. They are singing).

To make a negative sentence, we put not after am, is or are. We often use the short form: is not → isn't, are not → aren't, am not → 'm not. Examples: The singer isn't singing. They aren't dancing. I'm not playing the piano. To make a question, we put am, is or are before the subject: Is she singing? Are they playing? What are you doing?

Spelling is important. Most verbs simply add -ing: play → play-ing, sing → sing-ing, listen → listen-ing. Verbs ending in a silent -e drop the e and add -ing: dance → danc-ing, make → mak-ing. Short verbs like sit, run and swim (ending in consonant–vowel–consonant) double the last letter: sit → sitt-ing, run → runn-ing.

Subject	Affirmative	Negative	Question
I	I am playing.	I'm not playing.	Am I playing?
You / We / They	You are singing.	You aren't singing.	Are you singing?
He / She / It	She is dancing.	She isn't dancing.	Is she dancing?

الـ Present Continuous — المضارع المستمر

أهلاً بيكم يا جماعة! النهاردة هنتكلم عن زمن مهم جداً في الإنجليزي، وهو الـ Present Continuous، أو اللي بنسميه "المضارع المستمر". ده الزمن اللي بنستخدمه لما عايزين نتكلم عن حاجة بتحصل دلوقتي، في اللحظة دي بالظبط.

بنستخدمه امتى؟

بنتكلم بيه عن حاجات بتحصل now أو right now أو at the moment. وكمان بنستخدمه مع كلمة Listen! لما حد عايز يلفت انتباهك لحاجة بتحصل قدامك. زي مثلاً:

Listen! The singer is singing our favourite song.
The band is playing a new song at the concert.

شكله إزاي؟

القاعدة بسيطة جداً: subject + am / is / are + verb-ing

مع I بنستخدم am: I am singing.
مع he, she, it بنستخدم is: She is dancing. The band is playing.
مع you, we, they بنستخدم are: You are listening. We are performing. They are singing.

النفي (Negative)

عشان تخلي الجملة negative، بتحط not بعد am أو is أو are. وغالباً بنستخدم الصورة المختصرة:

is not → isn't
are not → aren't
am not → 'm not

مثال: The singer isn't singing. They aren't dancing. I'm not playing the piano.

السؤال (Question)

عشان تسأل سؤال، بتحط am, is, are قبل الفاعل:

Is she singing?
Are they playing?
What are you doing?

إزاي بنكتب الـ -ing؟

دي نقطة مهمة جداً! عندنا 3 قواعد للـ spelling:

أغلب الأفعال بنضيفلها -ing عادي: play → playing, sing → singing, listen → listening
الأفعال اللي بتخلص بـ -e ساكتة، بنشيل الـ e وبنضيف -ing: dance → dancing, make → making
الأفعال القصيرة زي sit, run, swim (اللي بتخلص consonant + vowel + consonant)، بنضاعف الحرف الأخير: sit → sitting, run → running

خد بالك من القواعد دي كويس، وحاول تحل التمرينات اللي جاية. بالتوفيق!

The band is playing a new song at the concert.

Read the model sentence. Notice the verb form.

Listen! The singer is singing our favourite song.

Read the model sentence. Notice the verb form.

Required

Look at the two sentences above. What comes after 'the band' and 'the singer'?

is + verb-ing
are + verb-ing
the verb on its own

Required

The musicians ___ at the moment.

Required

She ___ a beautiful song now.

Required

Which sentence is correct?

I am listen to music.
I am listening to music.
I listening to music.

Required

'He are playing the guitar now.' is a correct sentence.

Required

Put the words in the correct order to make a present continuous sentence.

listening
I
music
am
to

Required

___ they dancing at the concert?

Required

Drag the correct -ing form into each sentence.

listening
singing
dancing
playing

The band is a new song.

She is a beautiful song.

They are at the concert.

I am to the music.

Listening

5 cards

Imagine you are at a big music concert in London. The lights go down. A band walks onto the stage. The crowd cheers. In this section, you will listen to a short conversation between two friends, Emma and Tom, who are at the same concert. Listen carefully: they use the present continuous to describe what is happening right now.

Before you listen, think: What can you hear at a concert? What can you see? Who is on the stage? Are people singing? Are they dancing? Try to predict the words you might hear — words like band, singer, song, playing, singing, dancing, concert (the vocabulary from the previous section).

As you listen, focus on the -ing verbs. Notice how Emma and Tom use is and are with the -ing form to talk about things happening now. After the conversation, you will answer three questions: one about the main idea, one about a specific detail, and one where you complete a sentence with a missing word.

Here is a useful listening strategy for A2 learners. When you hear a conversation, do not try to understand every word. Listen first for the main idea (gist) — in this case: what is happening at the concert? Then listen a second time for specific information — for example, the song they are playing. Finally, listen a third time for exact details — the words you need to complete a sentence.

The dialogue you will hear is short — ten lines. It uses simple present continuous sentences, the same grammar from Section 1 and the same vocabulary from Section 2. So you already know the words! You just need to listen for them in connected speech.

Ready? Press play and enjoy the concert!

خد عندك كوباية شاي وقوليالك: إحنا النهارده في حفلة موسيقية في لندن! 🎵

في الدرس ده، هتسمع محادثة قصيرة بين اتنين أصحاب، Emma و Tom، وهم واقفَيْن في الجمهور بيشوفوا الفرقة (the band) بتلعب على المسرح.

الـ Present Continuous (المضارع المستمر)

في الإنجليزي، لما عايز توصف حاجة بتحصل دلوقتي قدام عينك، بتاخد الفعل وتضيفله -ing وتحط قبله is أو are أو am. اسمع الجمل دي من المحادثة:

The band is playing fantastically tonight — الفرقة بتلعب بشكل رائع النهارده.
The singer is singing really well — المغنية بتغني كويس أوي.
The musicians are playing beautifully — الموسيقيين بيعزفوا بجمال.
I am dancing! — أنا برقص!

القاعدة بسيطة: is مع المفرد (he / she / it)، و are مع الجمع (they / we / you)، و am مع I بس.

كلمات مهمة من عالم الحفلات

concert — حفلة موسيقية
band — الفرقة الموسيقية
musician — موسيقي
singer — مغني / مغنية
song — أغنية
guitarist — عازف الجيتار
solo — قطعة موسيقية لوحده
crowd — الجمهور
audience — الحضور / المتفرجين

إزاي تسمع صح؟ 🎧

لما تسمع المحادثة، متحاولش تفهم كل كلمة من أول مرة. اسمعها تلات مرات بالترتيب ده:

أول مرة: ركز على الفكرة الرئيسية (gist) — إيه اللي بيحصل في الحفلة؟ الناس مبسوطة ولا لأ؟
تاني مرة: ركز على التفاصيل (detail) — إيه الأغنية اللي بيغنوها؟ مين بيعزف الـ solo؟
تالت مرة: اسمع عشان تملا الفراغات في الأسئلة اللي جاية.

المحادثة فيها 10 سطور بس، وكلها جمل بسيطة بالمضارع المستمر اللي اتعلمته قبل كده. يلا، دوس play واستمتع بالحفلة! 🎤

Listen to a conversation between Emma and Tom at a music concert. Notice the present continuous forms.

E
Emma Hi Tom! Are you enjoying the concert?
T
Tom Yes, I am! The band is fantastic tonight.
E
Emma I know! The singer is singing really well.
T
Tom What song is she singing now?
E
Emma I think it's their new song. The musicians are playing beautifully.
T
Tom Listen! The guitarist is playing a solo.
E
Emma Amazing! Are you dancing, Tom?
T
Tom I am! Look at the crowd — they are all dancing.
E
Emma I love this moment. The band is performing live.
T
Tom This is the best concert of the year!

Required

What is the main idea of the conversation?

Tom is cooking dinner at home.
Emma and Tom are at a music concert and enjoying the band.
Emma is going shopping with her friends.

Required

The singer is singing a song she doesn't know.

Required

Listen again. The guitarist ___ a solo.

Pronunciation

5 cards

The present continuous uses the -ing ending. The final sound is /ɪŋ/ — a short 'i' vowel followed by the nasal sound 'ng'. This is different from /ɪn/, which is just 'i' plus 'n'. Many learners say sing-in instead of sing-ing. Let's fix that.

To make the /ɪŋ/ sound, lift the back of your tongue and press it gently against the soft palate (the back of the roof of your mouth). Air comes out through your nose — do not let it come out through your mouth. Your voice is on. Your lips stay relaxed. Hold the sound for one second.

Now look at these music words. Each one ends in -ing, and the final sound is /ɪŋ/: sing-ing, play-ing, danc-ing, listen-ing, perform-ing. Say them slowly, then quickly. Feel the back of your tongue move up at the end. Compare: sing-ing (2 syllables) and sing (1 syllable). The -ing adds one extra syllable: /ɪŋ/. Practice saying the full sentence The band is playing now — make sure the last sound is /ɪŋ/, not /ɪn/.

Here is a useful tip. In natural, fast English, speakers sometimes drop the /g/ when the next word starts with a vowel or another consonant. For example, dancing_again can sound like dancin' again. In a song lyric, you might hear We are singin' and dancin' tonight. This is a relaxed form, common in music. For now, in your present continuous sentences, say the full /ɪŋ/ clearly so listeners can hear the grammar.

Let's look at the sound one more time:

/ɪŋ/: sing, ring, bring, playing, dancing (the 'g' is part of the sound)
/ɪn/: pin, win, tin, thin, in (no 'g')

Words like playing and singing always end in /ɪŋ/. Words like pin and win never have a 'g'. This simple rule will help you a lot.

في الدرس ده هنتعلم صوت مهم جدًا في الإنجليزي، وهو صوت الـ /ɪŋ/ اللي بييجي في آخر الكلمات زي singing وplaying وdancing.

الفرق بين /ɪŋ/ و /ɪn/:

كتير من المتعلمين بيخلطوا بين الصوتين دول، خصوصًا في الـ present continuous. خلينا نبص على الفرق:

/ɪŋ/: صوت nasal يعني الهواء بيطلع من الأنف، والـ g موجودة كجزء أساسي من الصوت. أمثلة: sing, ring, bring, playing, dancing.
/ɪn/: صوت تاني خالص، ومفيش g فيه. أمثلة: pin, win, tin, thin.

إزاي تعمل صوت الـ /ɪŋ/ صح؟

عشان تعمل الصوت ده، ارفع ضهر لسانك وخليه يلمس سقف بقك من ورا بهدوء — المكان ده اسمه soft palate. خلي الهواء يخرج من أنفك مش من بقك. شغّل صوتك وسيب شفايفك مرتاحة من غير ضغط. جرب قولها ببطء الأول: sing-ing، حس بضهر لسانك بيطلع لفوق في الآخر، وبعدين جربها بسرعة عادية.

قاعدة بسيطة هتساعدك:

أي كلمة بتنتهي بـ -ing زي playing وsinging، لازم صوتها يبقى /ɪŋ/ والـ g لازم تتفظ. أما الكلمات زي pin وwin، فمفيش g أصلًا. القاعدة دي لو حفظتها هتلاقي نفسك بتتكلم صح.

ملحوظة مهمة عن الأغاني:

في الكلام السريع وفي الأغاني، المغنيين أحيانًا بيشيلوا صوت الـ g لما الكلمة اللي بعدها بتبدأ بحرف علّة أو consonant. فبتسمع مثلًا dancin' again بدل dancing again، أو جملة زي We're singin' and dancin' tonight. ده شكل مرخي طبيعي في الموسيقى. بس دلوقتي وأنا بتدرب على present continuous، الأفضل تقول الـ /ɪŋ/ كاملة وواضحة عشان المستمع يفهم Grammar صح.

جرب دلوقتي:

قول الجملة The band is playing now وتأكد إن الصوت في الآخر /ɪŋ/ مش /ɪn/. وبعدين جرب She is singing a song — ركز على ضهر لسانك في الآخر.

To make /ɪŋ/: press the back of your tongue against the soft palate, keep your voice ON, and let air leave through your NOSE. Your lips stay relaxed. Do not say /ɪn/ — say /ɪŋ/ with a clear 'ng' at the end.

Required

Listen to the word. Which word do you hear?

singing
sinnin

Required

Read the sentence aloud. Pay attention to the final /ɪŋ/ sound in 'playing'.

The band is playing.

Required

Read the sentence aloud. Make sure you say /ɪŋ/ clearly at the end of 'singing'.

She is singing a song.

Speaking

7 cards

In this section, you will speak about a concert, just like Emma and Tom did in the listening section. You will learn a few useful phrases, listen to a short model conversation, practise saying two key sentences out loud, and then have a live roleplay with your AI partner.

Here are the most useful phrases for talking about what is happening at a concert. Use at least three of them in your roleplay:

The band is playing... — الفرقة تعزف...
The singer is singing... — المغنّي يغنّي...
The musician is performing... — الموسيقي يؤدّي...
Are they dancing? — هل يرقصون؟
What song is it? — ما هي الأغنية؟
I'm listening to the music. — أنا أستمع إلى الموسيقى.
The crowd is going crazy! — الجمهور يهلل بحماس!

Use these phrases to describe what is happening right now. Remember the grammar: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. You can also add now, at the moment or right now to make the time clear. In the model conversation, your AI partner will play Tom, a friend at a concert. He will ask you about the music. Your job is to answer using the present continuous. Speak clearly and try to use the /ɪŋ/ sound correctly at the end of every -ing verb.

Speaking strategy: do not worry about being perfect. Speak at a normal speed, take a breath, and use the simple sentences you practised. If you forget a word, use a synonym or describe it simply. For example, if you forget musician, you can say the person playing the guitar. Communication is more important than perfect grammar.

A small but important tip: in British English, we often use really to make adjectives stronger: really good, really nice, really loud. You can also use so: The music is so loud! The singer is so good!. Adding these words makes your English sound more natural and friendly.

Finally, after the roleplay, look at the I CAN statements and decide which ones are true for you. If you can do them all — congratulations! You have finished today's lesson.

إزاي تتكلم عن حفلة موسيقية بالإنجليزي

السيكشن دي بتعلمك تتكلم عن حفلة (concert) زي ما عملت في جزء الليسننج قبل كده. انت في الحفلة، وبتحكي لصاحبك اللي مش معاك عن اللي بيحصل قدامك دلوقتي. الموضوع بسيط لو فهمت القاعدة الأساسية.

زمن المضارع المستمر (Present Continuous)

القاعدة في الإنجليزي: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. ده الزمن اللي بنستخدمه لما نحكي عن حاجة بتحصل في اللحظة دي. عشان توضح إن الكلام دلوقتي ممكن تزود right now أو now أو at the moment في الآخر.

شوف الأمثلة من الحوار:

The band is playing right now. (الفرقة بتعزف دلوقتي)
They are singing a really beautiful song. (بيغنوا أغنية جميلة جداً)
I am dancing. (أنا برقص)
The crowd is dancing too. (الجمهور كمان بيرقص)

لاحظ الـ -ing في آخر كل فعل: playing، singing، dancing، performing. ده هو اللي بيفرق المضارع المستمر عن أي زمن تاني.

نطق الـ /ɪŋ/ صح

في الإنجليزي، الـ -ing في الآخر بتنطقها /ɪŋ/ (زي كلمة sing بالظبط). يعني متقولش "playin'" بالعافية، قولها play-ing واضحة. درب نفسك على: sing-ing, danc-ing, perform-ing, listen-ing. لما تنطقها صح، كلامك هيبقى طبيعي أكتر.

عبارات هتحتاجها في الدوربلاي

في المحادثة مع الـ AI، انت هتكلم مع Tom صاحبك اللي في الحفلة. هو هيسألك عن الموسيقى، وانت ترد باستخدام المضارع المستمر. استخدم على الأقل 3 عبارات من دول:

The band is playing... (الفرقة بتعزف...)
The singer is singing... (المغني بيغني...)
The musician is performing... (الموسيقي بيؤدي...)
Are they dancing? (هل بيرقصوا؟)
What song is it? (إيه الأغنية؟)
I'm listening to the music. (أنا بسمع الموسيقى)
The crowd is going crazy! (الجمهور بيهلل بحماس!)

نصيحة عشان كلامك يبقى طبيعي

في الإنجليزي بنستخدم really و so عشان نقوي الصفة:

The music is so loud! (الموسيقى عالية جداً!)
The singer is really good. (المغني كويس جداً)

ومتحاولش تبقى perfect. اتكلم بسرعة عادية، خد نفسك، واستخدم جمل بسيطة. لو نسيت كلمة زي musician، قول the person playing the guitar (الشخص اللي بيعزف على الجيتار). التواصل أهم من القواعد 100%.

دلوقتي سجل نفسك وانت بتقول الجمل، وبعدين ابدأ المحادثة مع الـ AI!

Listen to a short model conversation at a concert between two friends.

S
Sara Hi Ali! Are you at the concert?
A
Ali Yes! The band is playing right now.
S
Sara What song are they performing?
A
Ali They're singing a really beautiful song.
S
Sara I'm listening. The crowd is dancing too!
A
Ali I am dancing. Come and join me!

The band is playing a new song at the concert.

Read this key model phrase. You can use it in your roleplay.

Required

Say the sentence aloud. Pronounce 'singing' with a clear /ɪŋ/ at the end.

The singer is singing a beautiful song.

Required

Say the sentence aloud. Pronounce 'dancing' with a clear /ɪŋ/ at the end.

They are dancing to the music.

Required

You are at a music concert with your friend Tom. He will ask you about the music. Use the present continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing) to describe what is happening. Say at least 4 sentences.

Required

I CAN use the present continuous (affirmative, negative and questions).
I CAN describe what is happening at a concert right now.
I CAN talk about musicians, songs, bands and concerts.
I CAN pronounce the -ing ending with the /ɪŋ/ sound.

Vocabulary

6 cards

Music is everywhere — in concerts, on the radio, on our phones. To talk about music in English, we need a small set of useful words. Here are eight key words for today's lesson about musicians and songs. Read the table, notice the part of speech (noun or verb) and read the example sentence for each one.

These words will help you describe what is happening at a concert right now, using the present continuous from the grammar section. For example: The band is performing a new song. The singer is dancing on the stage. They are playing a beautiful song. Keep this table open while you practise the exercises below.

Notice that some words are nouns (things: musician, singer, band, song, concert, guitar) and some are verbs (actions: perform, dance). The verb play is also very common — you can play the guitar, play the piano, play a song, or play in a band. When you combine the nouns with play or listen to, you can make many useful sentences. I am listening to a song. He is playing the guitar. They are performing at the concert.

Here is a quick tip: in British English, we say at a concert (not in a concert). We also say play the guitar / the piano (with the word the before the instrument). And we often say a song by [artist] — for example, a song by Adele. These small patterns will make your English sound more natural.

Word	Type	Meaning (AR)
musician	noun	The musician is playing the guitar.
singer	noun	She is a famous singer in the band.
band	noun	The band is from London.
song	noun	I love this song by Adele.
concert	noun	The concert starts at eight o'clock.
guitar	noun	He plays the guitar every day.
perform	verb	They are performing on stage now.
dance	verb	We dance to the music at the concert.

كلمات الموسيقى والموسيقيين

الكلام عن الموسيقى في الإنجليزي محتاج مجموعة كلمات بسيطة بس مهمة جداً. في الدرس ده هنتعلم ٨ كلمات أساسية هتساعدك تتكلم عن الموسيقيين والأغاني والحفلات.

أنواع الكلمات (Parts of Speech)

الكلمات مقسومة لجزئين:

الأسماء (Nouns) — الحاجات والأشخاص:

musician (موسيقي) — أي حد بيشتغل في الموسيقى
singer (مغنّي أو مغنية) — اللي بيغني
band (فرقة موسيقية) — مجموعة موسيقيين مع بعض
song (أغنية) — القطعة الموسيقية اللي بتسمعها
concert (حفلة موسيقية) — المكان أو الحدث نفسه
guitar (غيتار) — آلة موسيقية

الأفعال (Verbs) — الحركات والأفعال:

perform (يؤدّي) — يعني يقدّم أو يعمل حفلة
dance (يرقص) — يتحرك على الإيقاع

زمن المضارع المستمر (Present Continuous)

لما تتكلم عن حاجة بتحصل دلوقتي زي حفلة أو حد بيعزف، استخدم الـ Present Continuous. الصيغة بسيطة: is/are + verb-ing

The singer is singing a beautiful song.
They are performing on stage now.
We are dancing to the music.

لاحظ الإضافة -ing في آخر الفعل. ده شكل الفعل لما بيكون مستمر.

حيلة ذكية: استخدم play

في British English بنستخدم فعل play كتير جداً مع الموسيقى. بس خلي بالك، لازم تحط the قبل اسم الآلة:

play the guitar
play the piano
play in a band

جُمل تستخدم فيها الكلمات

The band is performing a new song at the concert tonight.
She is a famous singer in the band.
I love this song by Adele.
He plays the guitar every day.
We dance to the music at the concert.

نصايح British English مهمة

بنقول at a concert (مش in a concert)
بنقول a song by [اسم الفنان] — مثلاً: a song by Adele أو a song by Ed Sheeran

خد وقتك في الكروت اللي تحت، اسمع كل كلمة كويس وجرب تقولها بصوت عالي عشان تثبت في دماغك.

Learn these 8 key words about music. You will use them in the rest of the lesson.

band bænd
a group of musicians who play modern music together: a group of young men or women who perform popular songs t
concert ˈkɒn.sət
a performance of music by one or more musicians or singers :
dance ˈdɑːns
To move the body rhythmically to music, often following a set pattern or steps.
guitar ɡɪˈtɑː
A musical instrument with strings, typically six strings, that you play by plucking or strumming.
musician mjuːˈzɪʃ.ən
someone who is skilled in playing music , usually as a job :
perform pəˈfɔːm
To carry out, accomplish, or execute an action, task, or duty. Also, to present or act out a piece of music, t
singer ˈsɪŋ.ər
a person who sings :
song sɒŋ
A piece of music with words that are sung.