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Ellis Island: where are they from? Countries and nationalities with the verb to be

This A1 ESL lesson plan teaches countries and nationalities in English, and how to ask and answer Where are you from?

Grammar
The verb to be with he, she, it, we and they, the negatives isn't and aren't, and from before a country only: She's from China. She's Chinese.
Topic
Where people come from, on a visit to the immigration museum on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, with words like ferry, hall, suitcase and visitor.
Activities
A museum poster to read, a dialogue in the museum's great hall, self-checking drills such as a nationality table, a chat at the museum desk and an open-the-box game.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Warm-up: where are you from?

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: at the museumVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and choose the wordChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: welcome to Ellis Island!

    • Look at the photo: Ellis IslandPictureUnlock
    • Read the poster: welcome to Ellis Island!Real-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: at the museum

    • Look at the photo: a family at Ellis IslandPictureUnlock
    • Listen to Priya and LiamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: he's, she's, they're

    • Study the grammar: he's, she's, they'reGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps with the verb to beFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Drag the nationalities into the gapsDrag and dropTry it
    • Fill in the table: countries and nationalitiesFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: where are they from?

    • Choose the right replies: at the museum deskChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Put the letters in the right order: museum wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Record yourself: where are they from?Speaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

23 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • hall
  • suitcase
  • family
  • country
  • visitor
  • look at
  • ask

Grammar: he's, she's, they're: the verb to be

Ellis Island, the door to America for about 12 million people, is a natural place to say where people are from. Learners take the verb to be from I and you to every person and pair each country with its nationality.

To be: he's, she's, it's, we're, they're

Say where people are from: countries and nationalities

The verb to be with every person

Each person has its form of be, full and short: he is or he's, they are or they're. The negatives are isn't and aren't, while I'm not keeps its own form.

The verb to be

Full formShort formNot
I amI'mI'm not (am not)
you areyou'reyou aren't (are not)
he ishe'she isn't (is not)
she isshe'sshe isn't (is not)
it isit'sit isn't (is not)
we arewe'rewe aren't (are not)
they arethey'rethey aren't (are not)

People and places

  • Hans is from Germany. He's German.a man → he
  • Ingrid is from Sweden. She's Swedish.a woman → she
  • Ellis Island? It's in New York Harbor.a place or a thing → it
  • Liam and I are from the USA. We're American.Liam and I → we
  • Rosa and Marco are from Italy. They're Italian.two or more people → they

Where are you from?

The question and its answer go together: Where's she from? She's from China. She's Chinese. A country takes from; a nationality never does.

QuestionAnswer
Where are you from?I'm from Mexico. I'm Mexican.
Where's he from? (Where's = Where is)He's from Germany. He's German.
Where's she from?She's from China. She's Chinese.
Where are they from?They're from Greece. They're Greek.

Countries and nationalities

Nationalities are grouped by ending, so learners can guess new ones: -an or -ian (Mexican, Italian) and -ish (Irish, Spanish), plus a short list to watch, like Greek and Chinese.

-an / -ian

  • America → American
  • Italy → Italian
  • Germany → German
  • Mexico → Mexican
  • Norway → Norwegian
  • India → Indian

-ish

  • Ireland → Irish
  • Sweden → Swedish
  • Spain → Spanish
  • England → English

Watch out!

  • Greece → Greek
  • China → Chinese
  • Japan → Japanese
  • France → French

Capital letters!

Countries and nationalities start with a capital letter: Mexico, Mexican, China, Chinese.

Common mistakes

  • He's Italy.

    He's from Italy. He's Italian.

    from + country; a nationality has no from

  • They is from Greece.

    They are from Greece.

    they → are

  • Liam is from Philadelphia. She's American.

    Liam is from Philadelphia. He's American.

    a man → he; a woman → she

  • Where you are from?

    Where are you from?

    a question: Where + are + you

More lessons on this grammar: Verb to be lessons and exercises

Try the countries and nationalities exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 10 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 1 teacher-checked task
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 3 pictures
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • use the verb to be with every person: he's, she's, it's, we're, they're, and the negatives isn't and aren't
  • ask and answer Where are you from? and Where's she from?
  • name countries and nationalities, with from before a country only: He's from Germany. He's German.
  • talk about a museum visit with words like island, ferry, hall and suitcase

Lesson 2 of English A1.1 · Hello, World sits in the first unit, Hello!, and takes the verb to be beyond I and you. It builds on lesson 1, which taught I'm and you're with greetings and spelling names, and lesson 4 reviews it with the rest of the unit. The museum poster pairs each old photo with a country, so Where are they from? has an answer for every one.

Students start with a spin wheel of where-are-you-from questions and ten museum words with pictures and audio. They read the welcome poster, answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions, and listen to Priya and Liam in the great hall (an AI-voiced dialogue). The grammar chapter has the scheme and five practice exercises, including a table of countries and nationalities, each checked as students answer. In the speaking chapter, they reply to a museum guide in a chat and open boxes of questions.

Homework puts words in order, unscrambles museum words, and ends with a short recording about where people are from, which the teacher reviews.

Grammar:
to be: he, she, it, we, they · isn't and aren't · Where are you from?
Topic:
Ellis Island · museums · countries and nationalities

Teaching tips

  • Bring a world map to class: pointing at a country while students say the nationality makes the pairs stick.
  • Before the grammar chapter, ask students to underline every he's and they're on the museum poster.
  • Drill the pairs as a quick game: you say Mexico, students say Mexican, then they quiz each other.
  • In the chat, point out No, she isn't from Japan: learners need the negative to correct a wrong guess.

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The whole course: English A1.1 · Hello, World

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2 · you're hereEllis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5Why is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23Is it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28Review: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31Saturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

Questions about this lesson

How do you answer "Where are you from?"
Answer with I'm from and your country, then add your nationality if you like, with no from: I'm from Mexico. I'm Mexican. For other people, the verb changes with the person: Where's she from? She's from China. Where are they from? They're from Greece. A guide asks it right after hello in the museum-desk chat of Ellis Island: where are they from? on edio.ai, and I'm Mexico is one of the wrong replies.
What are the countries and nationalities in English?
Each country has its own nationality word, often made with an ending. With -an or -ian: Mexico → Mexican, Italy → Italian, Norway → Norwegian. With -ish: Ireland → Irish, Spain → Spanish. A few must be learned one by one: Greece → Greek, China → Chinese, France → French. Ellis Island: where are they from? on edio.ai teaches fourteen such pairs and tests nine of them in a table.
How do you make the verb to be negative?
Add not after am, is or are, usually as a short form: I'm not, she isn't, they aren't. He, she and it take isn't; you, we and they take aren't; I has only I'm not. The right answer often follows the negative: Hans isn't from Sweden. He's from Germany.
How do you use the verb to be with he, she and they?
He, she and it take is, and they takes are, usually shortened to he's, she's, it's and they're. Pick the pronoun by who you mean: a man is he, a woman she, a place or a thing it, two or more people they. Rosa and Marco are from Italy. They're Italian. Ellis Island? It's in New York Harbor. Never say they is.
Is it "He's Italy" or "He's from Italy"?
He's from Italy, because a country needs from after the verb to be. A nationality takes no from: He's Italian, never He's from Italian. Together they make a full answer: She's from Ireland. She's Irish. A drill in Ellis Island: where are they from? on edio.ai offers exactly these choices: She's from Italy, She's Italy or She's from Italian.
Is it "Where you are from?" or "Where are you from?"
Where are you from? is correct, because in a question the verb comes before the person. Keep the order question word, verb, person, from: Where's he from? Where are they from? In the answer, the person goes first again: They're from Greece.
Do nationalities start with a capital letter in English?
Yes, nationalities and countries always start with a capital letter: Germany, German, Ireland, Irish. The capital stays in the middle of a sentence, too: He's German. Languages follow the same rule, so it's English and Spanish, never english. The last grammar drill in this lesson includes He's german. as a wrong choice.
How do I teach countries and nationalities to beginners?
Teach each pair inside a sentence, not as a list to memorize: He's from Germany. He's German. Sorting nationalities by ending, -an, -ian or -ish, helps learners guess the rest. This lesson moves from recognizing pairs to producing them: students drag nationalities into sentences, complete a country and nationality table, then pick the correct sentence out of three.
What's a good game for practicing countries and nationalities?
An open-the-box game of names and countries works well: a student opens a box and says where the person is from and what nationality they are. Carlos: Mexico becomes He's from Mexico. He's Mexican. Ellis Island: where are they from? on edio.ai saves this game for its speaking chapter; its warm-up is a wheel that asks Where are you from?
How do you practice "Where are you from?" one-to-one?
Ask about real people the student knows: family, friends or famous people, so each answer needs he's, she's or they're. Where's your mom from? She's from… The museum-desk chat in this lesson needs no partner, and its open-the-box questions work as a talk for two: Where are you from? Where is your family from?
What's good homework for practicing countries and nationalities?
A short recording about four real people works well: the student says where each one is from and what nationality they are. Carlos is from Mexico. He's Mexican. Before it, students put words in order to rebuild sentences like Ingrid isn't from Norway and unscramble museum words such as suitcase. Both games check themselves, and the recording goes to the teacher for review.
Is there an interactive countries and nationalities worksheet?
Yes, a self-checking online version does a worksheet's job without any printing. No account is needed for four parts of Ellis Island: where are they from?, which play right on its edio.ai page: the museum's welcome poster, a dialogue in the great hall, a drag-and-drop of nationalities such as Italian and Irish, and a chat at the museum desk. The country and nationality table and the other drills come with a free trial.
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