Topic: Wild Man (Article)
In this lesson we will use a short newspaper article about a hermit living alone in the Scottish wilderness. We will study the past simple, countable/uncountable nouns, quantifiers, and time expressions with in, on, ago, yesterday and last.
Lesson Notes November 10, 2026 (Elementary)
Words & Phrases
I turned on my heater today and started using my humidifier. I had to pull out the humidifier from my closet.
I (fell / slipped) off my bicycle when I suddenly tried to get off of it. (NOT fall down; see below)
I fell down the stairs and landed hard. My legs (flipped / flew) over my head.
I bought a (waterproof) cover for my arm so I could take a bath easily.
There is still a lot of inflammation. (= It’s still really swollen)
I don’t want my brain to go soft since I’ll be trapped at home.
Pronunciation
Ambulance (noun) ˈæmbjʊləns / AM-byoo-lunss
Appropriate Language
“Fall down” vs “Fall off”
Fall off: Used when leaving a surface, seat, or ride.
He lost his balance and fell off his (bike / horse / ladder / the bed).
Fall down: Used for descending height, tumbling, or dropping to the floor.
She fell down (the stairs / the hill / on the ice).
“Well” and “OK”
My shoulder and arm are ok, it’s only my wrist that is broken. (We use “well” when talking about overall health and illness.)
It took about three months for my broken wrist to (heal / get better). (For bones we can use “heal” or “get better”)
Wild Man (Article)
Section 2 Part B
Japan is surrounded by a lot of water.
I can see Mount Fuji and the Tanzawa Mountains from my balcony.
Mount + NAME; Mount Fuji, Mount Logan, Mount Everest (NO “the”)
the + NAME + Mountains; the Rocky Mountains, the Tanzawa Mountains, the Swiss Alps
the + NAME + River; the Tama River, the Mackenzie River, the Sumida River
Lake + NAME; Lake Biwa, Lake Ontario, Loch Ness (a famous lake in Scotland) (No “the”)
Sometimes you will see NAME + Lake; Bear Lake, Crater Lake, Fish Lake
If it’s a group of lakes; the + NAME + Lakes; the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes. the Fuji Five Lakes
Next lesson
November 17, 2026 - Wild Man Section 3
