To write about yourself in English, answer five questions in order: who you are, where you live, what you do, what you like, and what you want next. One or two short sentences for each answer give you a short text about yourself.
The idea: five questions a new friend asks
Imagine you meet someone new. They ask you five things, one after another:
- What's your name?
- Where are you from, and where do you live?
- What do you do?
- What do you like?
- Why are you learning English, or what's your plan?
Put your answers together in this order, and you have your text.
Each answer has its own pattern, and most mistakes happen in these patterns:
- The country or city you come from → from (from Brazil)
- The place where you live now → in (in Lisbon)
- Your job → work as a/an or am a/an (work as a nurse, am an engineer)
- What you study → study or am studying (I study law, I'm studying law)
- Things you like → like + -ing or a noun (like cooking, like music)
- More ways to say it → enjoy + -ing (enjoy cooking), interested in (interested in music)
A quick test for am: it goes before a job, your age or where you're from (a teacher, 30, from Spain). It doesn't go before the basic form of a verb. I am work ✗ → I work ✓ or I'm working ✓.
A2 or B1? At A2, one short sentence per question is enough. At B1, you add details: when, how long, or a longer reason. Small words like and, but and because join two ideas into one sentence.
Two example texts: A2 and B1
A2: one sentence for each question
My name is [your name], and I'm 27. I'm from Brazil, and I live in Lisbon now. I work as a nurse. I like cooking and walking by the sea. I'm learning English because I want to travel.
Every sentence answers one question. Short sentences mean fewer mistakes.
B1: the same questions, with more detail
My name is [your name]. I'm from a small town in Poland, but I've lived in Berlin for three years. I work as a software tester at a big company, and I usually start work at 9. After work, I enjoy running. I'm also interested in photography. I'm learning English because my team works in English, and I want to feel more confident in meetings.
The B1 text adds how long (for three years) and when (at 9), and it joins ideas with but and and. I've lived is the present perfect: it shows something that started in the past and is still true. The difference is explained in present perfect vs past simple.
| Question | A2 | B1 |
|---|---|---|
| Where? | I'm from … I live in … | I grew up in …, but now I live in … |
| What do you do? | I'm a/an … / I work as a/an … / I study … | I've worked as a … for … years / since 20… |
| What do you like? | I like … | In my free time, I enjoy …-ing. I'm interested in … |
| What next? | I want to … because … | I'd like to …, so I'm … |
Common mistakes
- ✗ I am work in a bank. → ✓ I work in a bank.
- ✗ I am teacher. → ✓ I am a teacher.
- ✗ I live London. → ✓ I live in London.
- ✗ I have 25 years. → ✓ I am 25. / I am 25 years old.
- ✗ I'm interested on music. → ✓ I'm interested in music.
In many languages you "have" your age. In English you are your age.
For more short writing tasks, try these A2 writing exercises and B1 writing practice.
Practice: write about yourself
Questions 1 to 8: type the word from the brackets that fits. Questions 9 to 14: fix a mistake learners really make (one word). Questions 15 to 18: make a short sentence longer.
Quick check
Writing about yourself
I'm Mexico, but I live in Spain now. (in/from)
I live a small flat near the station. (from/in)
I work a waiter in a busy café. (like/as)
I'm engineer at a car company. (a/an)
I two brothers and a sister. (am/have)
In my free time, I enjoy films. (watch/watching)
I'm learning English I want a better job. (but/because)
I grew up in Chile, now I live in Canada. (because/but)
Fix the mistake. Wrong: "I am work in a hotel." Right: "I in a hotel."
Fix the mistake. Wrong: "I am nurse." Right: "I am nurse."
Fix the mistake. Wrong: "I have 19 years." Right: "I 19 years old."
Fix the mistake. Wrong: "I'm interested about design." Right: "I'm interested design."
Fix the mistake. Wrong: "I am study medicine." Right: "I'm medicine."
Fix the mistake. Wrong: "I live in Berlin since 2021." Right: "I lived in Berlin since 2021."
Add how long. "I live in Rome." → "I've lived in Rome five years." (since/for)
Add when it started. "I work at a bank." → "I've worked at a bank 2019." (for/since)
Add a time. "I start work early." → "I usually start work 7 a.m." (in/on/at)
Join the two likes. "I like cooking. I like music too." → "I like cooking music." (but/and)
Answers and explanations
from
Your home country comes after from.
in
The place where you live now comes after in.
as
Work as tells your job. Work like means "in a similar way to".
an
Engineer starts with a vowel sound, so it's an.
have
Use have for family: I have two brothers.
watching
After enjoy, the verb takes -ing.
because
The second part is the reason, so it's because.
but
Chile and Canada are different places, so but shows the contrast.
work
Don't put am before the basic form of a verb.
a
Jobs need a or an: a nurse, an engineer.
am
In English, you are your age.
in
We say interested in.
studying
After am, use the -ing form: I'm studying. Or drop am: I study.
have
Something that started in the past and is still true takes the present perfect: I have lived.
for
For goes before a length of time: for five years.
since
Since goes before the starting point: since 2019.
at
We use at with clock times.
and
And joins two things you like.
Your turn. Write five sentences about yourself, one for each question. Then make two of them longer: add one because and one but.
