To MGs with love and gratitude.

To Masha, who is much better at poetry than me, and Katya, a real wizard of illustration, and Dina, the most patient sister in the whole wide world.

Hello, my friend! Me and my friends-hamsters are glad to meet you! Now we are ready to start our wonderful journey, only please have in mind what the following words mean:

Talk! – Answer the given questions, talk about yourself, etc.

Play! – Let’s play a game!

Note! – Read the given rule and try to memorize it.

Zoo! – Stories, exercises and poems about Homya from the Zoo and his friends.

Look at the picture below, my friend. Can you see the two hamsters? Their names are Hammy and Homiq. They are good old friends. They like travelling very much.

Talk! Do you like hamsters, my friend? What pets do you like best? Do you like travelling? What country would you like to travel to? Is it a magic country? What do you like most about it?

There is a place Homiq and Hammy want to visit very much. It’s called GrammArea and it’s a magic country! Wherever you go there, you learn magic words and become a Magician in the end. Let’s travel with our friends and do magic together!

We start with the Hymn of GrammArea which should take us there! Homiq and Hammy know it by heart:

The Hymn of GrammArea

GrammArea! GrammArea!

That’s where we want to be!

GrammArea! GrammArea!

All hamsters here are free!

We come to you, GrammArea,

And go until the end!

Meet me in GrammArea

And let me be your friend!

Now you need to think about someone who would like to travel with you, Hammy and Homiq. It can be anyone whom you like best, for example, your pet – a cat, a dog, a parrot or a goldfish. Let’s call him or her – Your Magic Friend and he (she) will travel with us everywhere!

Now wave your magic wand and say the spell:

One, two, three – travel with me!

By car or by bus – travel with us!

Where are Hammy and Homiq? They are on the lawn in front of a house. They are delighted that the magic hymn works! Can you draw your Magic Friend and yourself near the house in the picture below?

Talk! Would you like to live in a city or in a village? What do you like best – country-houses or flats? Why?

Now that we’re here, let’s look around! There’s something written on the house. Probably, it’s the first magic words! Let’s say them together! PRESENT SIMPLE! What does it mean? Hammy thinks that the owners of the house have got a Simple Present for us! What else can it be? Let’s find out!

There are six hamsters in front of the house. Maybe, they will teach us magic! Look at the picture below.

Can you say the hamsters’ names out loud? Which hamster do you like best? What do they hold in their paws? Why? We may find the answer if we ask the hamsters.

– Our names are Always, Often, Sometimes, Never, Every Day and Usually. We live in Present Simple. We are very busy. We do SIMPLE things in PRESENT. We’d like to share our favourite poem with you.

Hamsters’ Present Simple poem

From day to day, from day to day

We always, always do the same!

I always wash the dishes!

I often wash the floor!

I never go to market!

I sometimes close the door!

I find the way to the bay every day, every day!

And I usually eat the lunch: crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch!

Do you like this poem, my friend?

Now let’s see how often the hamsters really do what they talk about. Look attentively at the table below. It’s actually the hamsters’ weekly schedule! Do you have a schedule, by the way?

Play! Now tick the things in the box below, which YOU do always, often, never and so on. Then read it out loud, for example: I always help my Mom. You can add your own ideas here:

Note! As you see, we use Present Simple to talk about things or actions that we do always, usually, every day, sometimes, from day to day and so on. So, they happen quite regularly:

I usually bake yummy things for everyone.

We also use Present Simple to talk about things that are always true:

Dogs wag their tails when they are happy.

A story about me

Talk! Dear friend! Homiq and Hammy think that if you say the hamsters’ names from Present Simple just one more time, you do a little magic. Tell Homiq and Hammy what YOU do usually, always, often, every day, every week, every summer, from day to day or seldom. Choose any magic words you like and make up a short story about yourself. You are most welcome to draw a picture which illustrates your story. Thank you!

Play! Homiq always makes up rhymes and poems. He’d like to share one of his favourite poems with us:

The house of my dream

In the house of my dream,

I can see ice-cream,

Cookies, pies and cakes,

Which my Mommy bakes.

In the house of my dream

Every day I dream

When I lie awake

Of blue sea and lake.

Every day I read,

Every day I eat.

I tell you, it’s good -

Eating in good mood.

I’ve got a pet hedgehog,

He is good and nice.

I can feed him always

With a mushroom slice.

When it’s dark already,

Always go to sleep -

On the softest pillow -

And my sleep is deep.

Hurr…..

Can you tell what Homiq does in the house of his dream? Well done!

Talk! You can see the picture of Homiq’s house below. Do you like it? Do you want to change anything? Would you like to have a pet hedgehog or any other pets? Mother Hamster has got three cupcakes in her paws. It’s for you and your Magic Friend! Would you like to have a bird nest under the roof of your house?

Talk! Now tell us about the house which YOU dream about. What kind of house is it? Is it a cottage, a villa or anything else? Imagine that you are in this house now. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you want to touch? What do you want to do there every day, always or sometimes? You are most welcome to draw a picture of the house of your dream.