Getting Started

GETTING STARTED LANGUAGE SYSTEMVECTOR ATLAS / 04

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-GREETINGS

Say hello

A greeting opens the conversation. Choose it for the person and the situation.

Essential greetings

Hi! / Hello!

Useful in many everyday situations. Hello is neutral, not exclusively formal.

Hi, Ana!

Hey!

A casual greeting, especially with people you know.

Hey, Bruno!

Hi, everyone!

Greet a group. Everyone includes the whole group.

Hi, everyone! I’m Lucas.

Good morning!

Greet someone in the morning.

Good morning, everyone!

Good afternoon!

Greet someone after noon, during the afternoon.

Good afternoon, Sofia.

Good evening!

Greet someone in the evening.

Good evening, Alex.

Choose a setting

You join a class in the morning.

Teacher

Good morning, everyone!Bom dia, pessoal!

You

Good morning, teacher!Bom dia, professor!

You can return the same greeting.

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-INTRODUCTIONS

Introduce yourself

Give your name, ask the other person’s name and acknowledge the introduction.

Names and first meetings

I’m Ana. / My name is Ana.

Both are natural. I’m is a shorter everyday introduction.

Hi! I’m Ana.

What’s your name?

Ask someone’s name. Introducing yourself first can make the exchange friendlier.

I’m Lucas. What’s your name?

Nice to meet you!

Acknowledge a first introduction.

Nice to meet you, Ana!

From textbook to everyday English

Click a red card to reveal a green conversational alternative. Red means textbook-style or formal, not incorrect. Click again to compare.

Exchange names

You meet a new classmate.

You

Hi! I’m Lucas. What’s your name?Oi! Eu sou o Lucas. Qual é o seu nome?

Maya

I’m Maya. Nice to meet you!Eu sou a Maya. Prazer em conhecer você!

You

Nice to meet you, too!Prazer em conhecer você também!

I’m means I am. Learn the expression now; explore the verb later.

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-HOW-ARE-YOU

How are you?

Use the arrows to explore replies, from enthusiastic to tired.

Reply energy

Awesome!

Estou ótimo!

From textbook to everyday English

Click a red card to reveal a green conversational alternative. Red means textbook-style or formal, not incorrect. Click again to compare.

Try a short exchange

Ana asks how you are before class.

ConversationChoose what you say next

Ana

Hi! How are you?Oi! Como você está?

Your turn · choose a reply

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-MEET-OTHERS

Meet someone else

Introduce another person and choose between a first meeting and a reunion.

Introduce a friend or colleague

Ana introduces Bruno to Maya.

Ana

Maya, this is Bruno.Maya, este é o Bruno.

Bruno

Hi, Maya. Nice to meet you.Oi, Maya. Prazer em conhecer você.

Maya

Nice to meet you, too!Prazer em conhecer você também!

This is + name introduces another person.

Who are you meeting?

You are meeting Ana for the first time.

ConversationChoose what you say next

Ana

Hi! I’m Ana. Nice to meet you.Oi! Eu sou a Ana. Prazer em conhecer você.

Your turn · choose a reply

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-GOODBYES

Say goodbye

Close the conversation and respond when someone wishes you well.

Useful farewells

Bye! / Goodbye.

Both work. Bye is often more relaxed in a routine exchange.

Bye, Ana!

See you later! / See you tomorrow!

Mention seeing the person again.

See you next week!

Take care!

A friendly wish when leaving.

Bye! Take care.

Have a nice day!

Wish someone a good day. Reply: You too!

Have a nice day!

Good night!

Use when leaving at night or going to bed.

Good night. See you tomorrow!

Arriving or leaving?

You arrive for an evening class.

You

Good evening!Boa noite!

Teacher

Good evening, Lucas!Boa noite, Lucas!

Good evening is a greeting.

GETTING STARTED / FIRST-CONVERSATION

A conversation

A few useful expressions are enough to start a conversation. Learn what to say, when to say it and how to respond.

By the end, you can greet someone, exchange names, ask how they are, introduce another person and say goodbye. Learn these expressions as useful chunks; the grammar comes in the following topics.

Examples

Ana and Lucas are meeting for the first time.

Ana

Hi! I’m Ana.Oi! Eu sou a Ana.

Lucas

Hi, Ana. I’m Lucas. Nice to meet you!Oi, Ana. Eu sou o Lucas. Prazer em conhecer você!

Ana

Nice to meet you, too! How are you?Prazer em conhecer você também! Como você está?

Lucas

Good, thanks! And you?Bem, obrigado! E você?

Ana

I’m good. See you in class!Estou bem. Até a aula!

Lucas

See you!Até!

Notice the order: hello → names → a short exchange → goodbye.

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-ALTERNATIVES

More ways to say it

Optional expressions help you recognize different tones. Start with the core phrases and expand when you feel ready.

Listen for the question’s meaning

A casual way to ask how someone is.

Alex

Hey! How’s it going?Oi! Como vão as coisas?

You

Pretty good, thanks. You?Tudo bem, obrigado(a). E você?

How are you doing? also works. You may hear How you doing? in informal speech.

Recognize these too

Awesome! / Great!

Very positive replies. Choose them when they fit how you feel.

Great, thanks!

Can’t complain. / I’ve been better.

The first is generally positive; the second suggests you are not doing so well.

I’ve been better, thanks.

Have a good one! / Catch you later!

Casual ways to end an interaction.

Bye! Have a good one.

Talk to you soon. / Safe travels!

Use the first for a future conversation and the second when someone is going on a trip.

Safe travels, Sofia!

Recognition only: “Sup?”, “bro” and “dude” are very casual and depend on the relationship. “ttyl” means “talk to you later” in messages. “Hi, everyone” is a broadly useful group greeting. You do not need slang to sound natural.

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-MAP

Explore the mind map

Select a branch to review expressions and their purpose. The branches organize ideas; they are not mandatory steps in every conversation.

Your conversation map

Greeting · Your first conversation to Say hello
Introduction · Your first conversation to Exchange names
Check-in · Your first conversation to Ask and answer
Farewell · Your first conversation to Say goodbye

Your first conversation

A greeting and your name are enough to begin.

Hi! I’m Lucas.

GETTING STARTED / CONVERSATION-CHALLENGE

Your first conversation

Put the expressions together in a complete exchange. Then try speaking without reading the model.

Choose your conversation

You are Lucas, meeting Ana before your first class.

ConversationChoose what you say next

Ana

Hi! I’m Ana. What’s your name?Olá! Eu sou Ana. Qual é o seu nome?

Your turn · choose a reply

Now make it yours

Speak

With your teacher or a partner, greet someone, give your real name, ask how they are and say goodbye. Alone? Say both parts.

Hi! I’m…

Change the situation

Repeat with someone you already know. Use Nice to see you and skip exchanging names.

Nice to see you!

Take it with you

Homework: write or record a short conversation in a new setting. Include a greeting, a response and a farewell.

Good evening! / Good night!

GETTING STARTED / SUBJECT-PRONOUNS

Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns tell us who or what we are talking about.

English	Portuguese	Example
I	Eu	I am ready.
You	Você / vocês	You are welcome.
He	Ele	He is my brother.
She	Ela	She is a teacher.
It	Ele / ela, para uma coisa, um lugar ou um animal	It is a cat.
We	Nós	We are friends.
They	Eles / elas. É o plural de he / she / it.	They are students.

GETTING STARTED / NAMES-AND-NOUN-PHRASES

Names and noun phrases

A subject can also be a name, such as Ana, or a noun phrase, such as my brother or the students. A noun phrase is a noun with words that help identify it. We can use a pronoun instead when it is clear who or what we mean.

Select an example ↓

Name or noun phrase	Subject pronoun	Example
	she	Ana is a teacher.
	he	My brother is happy.
	it	The car is red.
	we	Ana and I are friends.
	they	The students are ready.

Same person, same meaning

Ana is a teacher. → She is a teacher.

GETTING STARTED / NOUNS-AND-ADJECTIVES

Nouns? Adjectives?

These terms are labels for different jobs words do. Let’s make them simple. Knowing the difference helps you put words in the right order and understand why we say “She is a teacher” but “She is happy.”

Explore the scenarios for each use ↓

01 / Name someone or something

Nouns

A noun names.

A noun can name a person, a place, a thing or an idea.

Teacher names a person’s role. Friend names a person’s relationship to someone. Both are nouns.

teacher · friend

02 / Describe someone or something

Adjectives

An adjective describes.

An adjective tells us more: someone’s or something’s appearance, size, qualities or how someone feels.

Friendly describes the teacher. It tells us a quality of this person.

a friendly teacher

In “a friendly teacher”, teacher names the person’s role: it is a noun. Friendly describes the teacher: it is an adjective. A friendly teacher is the complete noun phrase.

Noun	Adjective + noun
teacher	a friendly teacher
city	a big city
phone	an expensive phone

Compare these sentences.

Sentence	What does it tell us?
Ana is a teacher.	Her role. Teacher is a noun.
Ana is friendly.	A quality. Friendly is an adjective.
Ana is a friendly teacher.	Her role and a quality together.

An adjective can come before a noun or after be:

Two positions, the same description

This is a small house. → This house is small.

GETTING STARTED / ARTICLES

Small words, different meanings

Look around for three familiar objects. Name them, then choose one particular object. How can another person know which one you mean?

EXPLORE THE MEANING

Do we know which one?

Choose the message. Notice whether several objects are possible or one has been identified.

Any of these pens is possible.

Available pens

pen

I need a pen.

No particular pen is identified. Any suitable one is possible.

Everyday need

I need a bag.

Work

She is an analyst.

Shared context

Please close the door.

Learn I need… (Eu preciso de…) and Please close… (Por favor, feche…) as useful chunks here. The models with be use I am, he/she/it is, and you/we/they are; their full patterns come in Present Simple.

GETTING STARTED / ARTICLES-NOUNS

One, more than one, or uncountable?

A countable noun can name individual units: one chair, two chairs. An uncountable noun does not name separate countable units in that meaning. English and Portuguese do not always organize nouns in the same way.

Pattern	Example	Notice
Singular countable	a chair / an employee	In ordinary sentences, normally use a word such as a/an, the or my before it.
Plural countable	chairs / employees	More than one. Do not use a/an with a plural noun.
Uncountable	water / information / music	No a/an in these meanings.

Information

I need information.

One unit

I need a piece of information.

Drink

Water is important.

GETTING STARTED / ARTICLES-A-AN

A or an? Listen to the next sound

Phrase	Why?
a manager	Manager starts with a consonant sound.
an engineer	Engineer starts with a vowel sound.
an experienced manager	The next sound is in experienced.
a useful tool	Useful begins with a y sound.
a university	University also begins with a y sound.
an hour	The h is silent.

EXPLORE THE MEANING

The next word changes the article

Select a phrase. Follow the word immediately after a/an.

anext soundusefultool

It is a useful tool.

Useful starts with a consonant sound.

GETTING STARTED / ARTICLES-THE

Which one? Use the shared context

Use the when the listener can identify your reference. An earlier mention, added information or shared surroundings can make it clear.

Mentioned before

The second sentence refers to the same colleague.

I have a new colleague. The colleague is from Recife.

Shared surroundings

You are in a room with one open door. No earlier mention is necessary.

Please close the door.

Identifying detail

The extra information tells the listener which report.

The report on my desk is ready.

Noun type	Example
Singular	The report is ready.
Plural	The reports are ready.
Uncountable	The information in this email is useful.

GETTING STARTED / ARTICLES-ZERO

When no article is needed

Use no article for plural or uncountable nouns when talking generally. Common personal names, city names and language names also often need no article.

Meaning	General	Identified
Books	Books are useful.	The books on my desk are useful.
Music	I like music.	I like the music in this film.
Water	Water is important.	The water in this bottle is cold.

Name

She is Ana.

City

He is from Recife.

Language

I speak English.

Learn I like… (Eu gosto de…) and I speak… (Eu falo…) as model chunks. Here, focus on what comes after them. Special geographical names and fixed expressions will be explored later.

GETTING STARTED / ARTICLES-PHRASES