In this blog we will look at vocabulary and example sentences to be used during the Christmas season.
Here are some sentence structures we will use:
Question word + verb 'be' + subject + going to + present tense verb phrase
Question word + subject + present tense verb phrase
Have + subject + past participle verb phrase
Question word + verb 'be' + subject + continuous verb phrase
Subject + verb 'be' + going to + present tense verb phrase
Subject + present tense verb phrase
Before Christmas
Nouns
Nativity - a play of Jesus' birth, often performed by young children at school
Verbs
decorate - changing the appearance of a noun (such as Christmas tree), room or building
wrap - putting paper and other decorations around a present
watch - to look at a changing picture for a period of time
go - traveling from one place to another
spend - to use time or money for an activity
Example sentences
Decorate
Question: When are you going to decorate your house for Christmas?
This questions is for this year (going to...)
"for Christmas" = the purpose is Christmas
Answer: I'm decorating it [time chunk].
Answer: I'm decorating it tomorrow.
Q: When do you decorate your house for Christmas?
This is a general question about every year.
A: I decorate it in / on [time chunk].
A: I decorate it on December 1st.
A: We decorate it in December.
Q: How do you decorate your house for Christmas?
'How' is asking what style or to what level is your house decorated.
A: It's simply decorated.
A: I go all out.
This means you do everything.
A: I keep it traditional.
This means the decoration is traditional.
'Keep it' is used because you are not changing from the original style.
Presents
Q: Have you bought your presents yet?
'Yet' is used because it is assumed you will do the activity. The activity (buy presents) is going to happen.
A: Not yet. I'll do it [time chunk].
"Not yet" means the activity has not been done but it will be. There is no choice.
A: Yes, I did it [time chunk].
Q: How many presents do you need to buy?
A: I need to get about [number].
You use 'about' because the number is not precise.
Q: Who do you need to buy for?
'Who' is used because you are asking about the people you are buying presents for.
A: I need to get presents for [list people].
A: I need to get presents for my husband and a colleague at work.
A: I have to get presents for [list people].
A: I have to get presents for my husband, son and son-in-law.
A: I must get presents for [list people].
For the difference between 'have to' and 'must' click here.
Q: Have you wrapped your presents yet?
Using the present perfect tense as the subject of the sentence effects the present.
'Yet' is used because the action (wrap presents) will be done.
A: No, not yet. I'll do it [time chunk].
A: Yes, I did it [time chunk].
Q: When will you wrap your presents?
A: I'll do it [time chunk].
Go
Q: Where are you going for Christmas?
'are you' means this year.
A: We're going to my [name of person in possessive form].
A: We're going to my sister's.
A: I'm going home.
This means your childhood home.
Q: Where do you go for Christmas?
This means where do you usually go.
A: We go to my [name of person in possessive form].
A: We go to my wife's families.
A: I go home.
Spend
Q: Where are you spending Christmas?
'are you' means this year.
A: We're spending it at my [name of person in possessive form].
A: We're spending it at my boyfriend's.
A: I'm spending it at home.
This means your childhood home.
Q: Where do you spend Christmas?
This means where do you usually go.
A: We spend it at [name of person in possessive form].
A: We spend it at my wife's families.
A: I spend it at home.
What's the difference between 'go' and 'spend'?
'Go' is a verb to do with moving. 'Spend' is a verb about using something (in this case, time)
I go to my parent's house. You travel to...
I go to my parent's house for Christmas. You travel to...and then the reason why (for...)
I spend Christmas at my parent's house. You use the 'Christmas time' at your parent's.
Nativity
Q: Are you going to watch [name]'s nativity play?
Asking about an event in the future.
A: Yes, I'm watching it on [time chunk].
A: Not this year.
This means no for this year, but you may watch it this year and have probably watched it previously.
Songs
Q: Do you like Christmas songs?
A: Yes, I love listening to them.
A: I like some but not others.
A: Not really.
A: No, I hate them all.
Q: Do you listen to Christmas songs?
A: Yes, but only near Christmas.
A: Yes, I listen to them all through December.
A: No, I hear enough on the radio and in shops.
Q: Which is your favourite Christmas song?
A: It has to be [name of Christmas song].
This is a way of saying that there's a lot of choice but my favourite is...
A: My favourite is [name of Christmas song].
A: I don't have a favourite but I like [name of song], [name of song] and [name of song].
A: I don't like any of them.
On Christmas Day
Nouns
tradition - something done for a long time.
Adjectives
traditional - describes something as being done for a long time. For example, 'traditional clothes' are clothes which have been worn by people for a long time.
Verbs
cook - preparing food
eat - consume food
play - having fun while doing an activity
unwrap - remove wrapping paper from a present
Example sentences
Christmas day
Q: Do you have a big Christmas?
This is asking if you see a lot of people at Christmas.
A: No, it's just [small list people].
A: Yes, there's about [number] of us.
Q: When do you unwrap your presents?
A: We unwrap one in the morning, then have breakfast, and then unwrap the rest.
A: We always unwrap them in the morning.
A: We unwrap all in the morning, except a big one we leave until the afternoon.
'except' means everything but...
'a big one' means an expensive presents
Q: What did Santa Claus / Father Christmas get you for Christmas?
Santa Claus / Father Christmas is the person children believe gives the presents.
A: I got a PlayStation.
Q: What did you get for Christmas?
A: I got a few books, a jumper and a bottle of wine.
Christmas dinner
Q: When do you have Christmas dinner?
A: We have it [time chunk].
Q: Do you have a traditional Christmas dinner?
A traditional Christmas dinner is turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing, roast vegetables and gravy.
A: Yes, it's very traditional.
A: No, we have [type of food].
A: No, we have pizza.
Q: Do you have crackers with your dinner?
A: Yes.
A: No.
Q: What kind of crackers do you have?
'kind of' is asking for a description of the crackers
A: We have traditional ones.
A: We have luxury crackers.
A: My mum buys cheap crackers. You know, the ones with the paper hats.
Q: Who cooks Christmas dinner?
A: Usually mum does everything.
A: We all cook something.
A: My mum does a lot but my dad carves the turkey.
A: I do the stuffing, my brother does the pigs in blankets and my sister does the rest.
'the rest' means everything else.
Christmas traditions
Q: Do you have any Christmas traditions?
This is an open question. It's asking whether you do anything every Christmas.
These are examples but every person's will be different.
A: We never watch TV on Christmas day.
A: My family will play a board game in the evening.
A: We always go to church in the morning.
A: I read a book.
A: My dad will play the piano and we'll sing Christmas songs.
After Christmas Day
Nouns
Boxing Day - 26th December
Verbs
take down - removing something that is up
tidy up - clearing / cleaning mess
watch - seeing something that typically moves
Example sentences
Q: What are you doing on Boxing Day?
This is asking about this year's Boxing Day.
A: I'll go to the sales and look for bargains.
A: I'm going to the football.
The person uses 'the' football because they know which match they are going to.
Q: What do you do on Boxing Day?
This is asking about Boxing Day every year.
A: I go to my girlfriend's house and see her family.
A: I normally visit my grandparent's.
A: We watch a lot of football.
A: Tidy up!
Q: When do you take down your Christmas decorations?
A: We take them down on the first weekend in January.
A: About a week after Christmas day.