Welcome to "Self, Family, and People Around Us"!

In this chapter, we explore the most important topics in your daily life: yourself, the people you love, and how to interact with others. Whether you are introducing yourself to a new friend or describing your family members, these notes will give you the tools to speak and write English with confidence. Don't worry if it seems like a lot to learn—we will take it one step at a time!

1. Talking About Yourself (ตนเอง)

To talk about yourself, you need words that describe your appearance (what you look like) and your personality (who you are inside).

Describing Appearance

When describing how you look, we usually use the verb to be (is/am/are) for general traits and have/has for specific features.

  • Height/Build: "I am tall and slim." or "I am of medium height."
  • Hair/Eyes: "I have short, curly hair." or "I have brown eyes."

Describing Personality

Are you shy or outgoing? These words help others know you better:

  • Kind (ใจดี), Funny (ตลก), Generous (ใจกว้าง), Hard-working (ขยัน).
  • Example: "I think I am a hard-working person because I always finish my homework on time."

Quick Tip: Use the word "because" to give reasons for your feelings or opinions. This is a key skill for M.3 students! (ต 1.2 ม.3/5)

2. Family and Home (ครอบครัว)

Your family is the group of people closest to you. In English, we describe family members and the roles they play.

Vocabulary for Family

  • Parents: Father (Dad) and Mother (Mom).
  • Siblings: Brother and Sister.
  • Extended Family: Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, and Cousins.

Comparing Family Members

In Grade ม.1, you learn to compare people using adjectives. (ต 1.1 ม.1/3)

  • Comparative: "My brother is taller than me."
  • Superlative: "My mother is the best cook in the family!"

Did you know? In English, we use "much" and "many" to talk about quantities. "I have many cousins," but "I don't have much free time to see them."

3. People Around Us (คนรอบข้าง)

This includes your friends, neighbors, and teachers. Learning how to be polite is the most important part of this section.

Greetings and Social Etiquette

The way you speak changes depending on who you are talking to. This is called register.

  • Formal: "Good morning, Mr. Smith. How are you today?"
  • Informal: "Hi! What's up?"

Being Polite and Offering Help

The syllabus emphasizes using polite formulas (ต 1.2 ม.3/3):

  • Offering help: "Would you like any help?" or "What can I do to help?"
  • Accepting help: "Yes, please. That is very kind of you."
  • Refusing help politely: "I'm afraid I can't, but thank you anyway." or "I'm sorry, but I can manage."

Memory Aid: Use "Excuse me" to get someone's attention and "I'm afraid..." to deliver bad news or say "no" politely. It softens the sentence!

4. Grammar You Need to Know

To talk about people and situations, you need to use the right tenses and connectives.

The Tenses

  • Present Simple: For facts and habits. "My father works in a bank."
  • Present Continuous: For things happening now. "My friend is playing football at the moment."
  • Past Simple: For things that finished. "We visited our grandparents last week."
  • Present Perfect (ม.2-ม.3): For experiences. "I have known my best friend for five years."

Indefinite Pronouns (Infinitive Pronouns)

When we don't know exactly who we are talking about, we use these words (ม.3 focus):

  • Someone/Somebody: "Someone is knocking at the door."
  • Everyone/Everybody: "Everyone in my family likes spicy food."
  • Anyone/Anybody: "Is there anyone who can help me?"

5. Expressing Feelings and Opinions

As you move from ม.1 to ม.3, you are expected to give deeper opinions about the people around you.

Common Frames for Opinions:

  • "I think..."
  • "I believe..."
  • "In my opinion..."
  • "I agree/disagree with you because..."

Example Conversation:

A: "I think our new neighbor is very friendly."
B: "I agree! He helped me carry my bags yesterday. He is very generous."

Key Takeaways for the Exam

  • Vocabulary: Focus on words for appearance, personality, and family roles.
  • Politeness: Always use "Please," "Thank you," and "Could you...?" in simulated situations.
  • Reasons: Don't just say how you feel; explain why using "because" or "so."
  • Comparison: Know how to use -er/-est and more/most to compare friends or family members.
  • Tenses: Use Present Simple for daily life and Present Perfect for life experiences.

Note: For more information on activities like sports or music, see the "Leisure, recreation and sport" chapter. For school-related people, see the "School, education and careers" chapter.