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Hi, hey, howdy or aloha? Greetings and the verb to be

An A1 ESL lesson plan on greetings and the verb to be, from hello and goodbye to introducing yourself in English.

Grammar
The verb to be with I and you, short forms and negatives (I'm Olivia. You aren't Jack.), greetings for each time of day, and the American alphabet for spelling a name.
Topic
Hellos in a shared house in Brooklyn, whose roommates come from across the US: hey for friends, howdy from Texas, aloha from Hawaii.
Activities
A group chat to read, a dialogue and a voicemail that spell out names, self-checking drills of short forms and greetings, a chat with a new roommate and a spin-the-wheel game.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, everyone!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the words: hello and goodbyeVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: the group chat

    • Look at the photo: the new roommatePictureUnlock
    • Read the group chatReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read and choose the right nameQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: Sam or Jack?

    • Listen to Olivia and SamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Listen to Emma's voicemailListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and write the namesFill in the gapsUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: I'm, you're and the ABC

    • Study the scheme: I'm, you're and the ABCGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Write the short formsFill in the tableTry it
    • Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Complete the dialogueFill in the gapsUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk!

    • Choose the right repliesChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
    • Sort the letters by soundSort into columnsUnlock
    • Match the questions and answersMatchUnlock
    • Record yourself: hello, I'm…Speaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 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.

Greetings in English

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

  • aloha
  • good morning
  • good night
  • nice to meet you
  • goodbye
  • spell
  • say

Grammar: the verb to be with I and you

A first English lesson has one job: hello, your name, and how to spell it. This one does it in a shared house in Brooklyn, where Olivia meets her roommates, so learners use the verb to be, I'm and you're, from the first minute.

I'm, you're and the ABC

Say hello, say your name and spell it.

I'm and you're: the verb to be

Learners meet be with I and you: I'm Olivia, you're Sam, and the negatives I'm not and you aren't. The table shows every person, but the exercises drill only I and you.

WhoYes ✓No ✗
II'm Olivia. (= I am)I'm not Emma. (= I am not)
youYou're Sam. (= you are)You aren't Jack. / You're not Jack. (= you are not)
he, she, itHe's Sam. She's Mia. It's late. (= he is, she is, it is)He isn't Jack. She isn't Emma. It isn't late. (= he is not, she is not, it is not)
weWe're roommates. (= we are)We aren't in Texas. (= we are not)
theyThey're in the kitchen. (= they are)They aren't in the backyard. (= they are not)

Hello and goodbye, by time of day

Greetings follow the clock: good morning before noon, good afternoon until six, good evening after that. Good night is a goodbye, never a hello.

Hello 👋

  • Hello! / Hi! / Hey! (friends)
  • Good morning! 🌅 (a.m.)
  • Good afternoon! ☀️ (12–6 p.m.)
  • Good evening! 🌆 (after 6 p.m.)
  • Nice to meet you! (a new person)

Goodbye 👋

  • Goodbye! / Bye!
  • See you! / See you later!
  • Have a good day! (at a store, at work)
  • Good night! 🌙 (late, or before bed)

Hello across the USA

Hi and hello work everywhere, hey is for friends, many people in Texas say howdy, and in Hawaii aloha means both hello and goodbye.

  • hello, hi · everywhere
  • hey · friends
  • howdy · many people in Texas
  • aloha · Hawaii: hello and goodbye

Spelling names in American English

Students spell their names letter by letter. The alphabet is grouped by vowel sound, so letters that rhyme are learned together, and Z is zee in American English.

The ABC: letters by sound

Sounds likeLetters
dayA H J K
seeB C D E G P T V Z (zee)
tenF L M N S X
myI Y
noO
youQ U W
carR

Spell your name

  • What's your name? — I'm Olivia.
  • How do you spell it? — O-L-I-V-I-A.Say the letters, one by one.
  • I'm Sam: S-A-M.
  • How do you say hello in Hawaii? — Aloha!

A big I

I is always a capital letter: I'm Olivia. I am Olivia.

Common mistakes

  • I Olivia.

    I'm Olivia.

    Don't forget 'm.

  • I'm is Olivia.

    I'm Olivia.

    'm = am. Don't add is.

  • i'm Olivia.

    I'm Olivia.

    I is a capital letter.

  • Good night, Sam! Nice to meet you!

    Good evening, Sam! Nice to meet you!

    Good night is a goodbye.

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

Try the verb to be exercises

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

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What's in the lesson

  • 13 auto-checked exercises
  • 2 games
  • 1 teacher-checked task
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say hello and goodbye at any time of day: Good morning!, Good evening!, See you!, and Good night! as a goodbye
  • say who they are and who you are with I'm and you're, and say no with I'm not and you aren't
  • spell their name letter by letter with the American alphabet, and ask How do you spell it?
  • recognize everyday American greetings: hi, hey, howdy and aloha

Lesson 1 of English A1.1 · Hello, World opens the course and its first unit, Hello!, so students need no English before it. Lesson 4 reviews its I'm and you're with the rest of the unit's verb to be. The roommates come from across the US, which is why their group chat says hello as hi, hey, howdy and aloha.

Students learn ten greeting words with pictures and audio, then read the group chat and answer true-or-false questions. They listen to Olivia and Sam (an AI-voiced dialogue) and to a voicemail, and write the names they hear. The grammar chapter has the scheme, then four exercises, from choosing the right word to completing a dialogue, each checked as students answer. In the speaking chapter, they choose replies in a chat with Mia and spin a wheel of questions.

For homework, they choose the right words, sort letters by sound, match questions and answers, and record themselves saying hello, which the teacher reviews.

Grammar:
to be: I'm, you're · the alphabet
Topic:
greetings · names · the alphabet · Texas and Hawaii

Teaching tips

  • Start with your own name: say it, spell it and write it on the board. Students copy the pattern before they see the scheme.
  • Before the grammar chapter, ask students to find every I'm in the group chat and to listen for you're in the dialogue, so both forms are familiar when the table appears.
  • Make good night a goodbye on purpose: say it at the end of class and see who answers with hello.
  • Use the spin wheel in pairs, then swap partners, so every student says I'm and spells a name several times.

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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 1 · you're hereHi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis 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

What is the verb to be in English?
The verb to be has three present forms, am, is and are, and it says who someone is, where they're from or what they're like. I takes am; he, she and it take is; you, we and they take are. Short forms are usual: I'm Olivia. You're from Texas. I'm not Emma. Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?, lesson 1 of English A1.1 on edio.ai, drills only I'm and you're.
What are the basic greetings in English?
The basic greetings in English are hello, hi and a greeting for the time of day. Before noon, say good morning; from noon to 6 p.m., good afternoon; after that, good evening. Hey is the casual one, for friends, and someone new gets Nice to meet you! The A1 lesson Hi, hey, howdy or aloha? on edio.ai has learners match greetings to the clock, from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., in a drag-and-drop.
How do you introduce yourself in English?
To introduce yourself, say hello, then your name with I'm, and add where you're from. Hi, everyone! I'm Olivia, the new roommate. I'm from Chicago. The other person answers Nice to meet you!, and you reply Nice to meet you too! If they ask How do you spell it?, give the letters one by one. On edio.ai, the group chat of Hi, hey, howdy or aloha? opens with exactly this hello.
Is it "I'm Olivia" or "I'm is Olivia"?
Just I'm, with no is after it: the 'm is already the verb, short for am. So it's I'm Olivia or I am Olivia, and You're Sam, never You're is Sam. Dropping the verb is wrong too: I Olivia needs its 'm. And I takes a capital letter every time, even inside I'm.
Is "good night" a hello or a goodbye?
Good night is a goodbye, said late in the evening or at bedtime. After 6 p.m., the hello is good evening: Good evening, Sam! Nice to meet you! Keep good night for leaving or going to bed: Bye, Emma! Good night! This lesson's chat turns it into a trap, with Good night! as a wrong reply to Nice to meet you.
What do "howdy" and "aloha" mean?
Howdy and aloha both mean hello, and aloha means goodbye too. Howdy is an American greeting that comes from how do you do, and many people in Texas use it: Howdy, Olivia! Aloha is a Hawaiian word that can also mean love, and Hawaii's nickname is the Aloha State. In this lesson's chat, a roommate from Hawaii uses it both ways: Aloha! I'm Mia to start and Aloha, Olivia! to leave.
How do I teach the verb to be to complete beginners?
Start with I'm and each learner's own name, add you're for a partner, and leave he, she and they for later. In Hi, hey, howdy or aloha? on edio.ai, both forms turn up in a group chat and a dialogue before learners see the scheme. The drills then climb one step at a time: choose I'm or you're, write the short forms, and complete a dialogue from prompts like (I / be).
How do I teach the English alphabet to ESL beginners?
Group the letters by the sound they share, not A to Z, and have learners spell real names from the start. A, H, J and K rhyme with day; B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V and Z with see, since Z is zee in American English. In this lesson, students write down names spelled out in a voicemail, then sort letters by sound for homework.
What's a good game for practicing greetings?
A spin wheel of situations works well: each spin names a place, a time or a person, and the student answers with the greeting that fits. You're in Texas. Say hello and your name. 11 p.m. Say goodbye to a friend. Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?, a beginner lesson on edio.ai, ends with such a wheel and warms up with an open-the-box game of questions like How are you?
How do you practice greetings one-to-one?
Play the other person yourself: name a time of day, greet the student, and have them answer, introduce themselves and spell their name. The chat in this lesson needs no partner at all, since the student picks every reply to a new roommate, from Nice to meet you too! to Good night, Mia! See you! Then take turns on the spin wheel.
What's good homework for practicing introductions?
A short voice recording of a self-introduction, because the student has to say every part aloud: hello, name, spelling and goodbye. In this lesson, three self-checking drills come first: choosing greetings and I'm or you're, sorting letters by sound, and matching questions such as How do you spell it? with their answers. The teacher then listens to the recording.
Are there interactive exercises for greetings in English?
Yes, online drills that check each answer work well for greetings and short forms. The page of Hi, hey, howdy or aloha? on edio.ai lets anyone try four parts without an account: the roommates' group chat, a dialogue to listen to, a table of short forms such as I'm not, and a chat with replies to choose. The other drills, the spin wheel and the homework unlock with a free trial.
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