[ti:Describing Your Birthday]
[al:Everyday Grammar]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2025-02-21]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Today, on Everyday Grammar, we will learn to describe our birthdays.
[00:07.19]When people ask us the question "When is your birthday?" we can answer a few different ways.
[00:16.77]We can use the season (spring, summer, autumn/fall, or winter), the month, or the day.
[00:28.18]My birthday is in the summer.
[00:31.70]Her father's birthday is in March.
[00:35.16]Last Sunday was her birthday.
[00:38.64]His birthday is the 4th of May.
[00:43.17]Remember that word "birthday" is different from "birthdate." 
[00:49.47]"Birthdate" is the exact date, like December, 7th, 1997. 
[00:57.58]The word "birthday" can be the date, or you can answer more generally.
[01:04.49]For example,
[01:06.62]My niece's birthday is in August.
[01:10.75]Her birthdate is August 3rd.
[01:15.32]When we want to say how old we are, we can use the present or future verb tenses depending on when our birthdays are.
[01:26.75]We can use the past tense with the verb "turn."
[01:32.05]If we are talking about a future birthday, say next year or in a few months, we can answer the question of "How old will you be?" with:
[01:46.37]I will be + (age). Or...
[01:52.15]I'll be + (number) years old.
[01:56.05]In 2023, I will be 36 years old.
[02:01.68]On your birthday, you can use the present tense.
[02:06.90]Deborah is 55 today.
[02:10.04]For the past tense, we can use the structure of the verb "be" + age (years old), but we generally use it to talk about past ages in reference to something else.
[02:26.35]We can also use the verb "turn" to talk about how old we are.
[02:32.58]In this way "turn" means to reach or pass a certain age.
[02:39.22]Therefore, we can use the past tense with "turn" for talking about birthdays. For example:
[02:47.95]I turned 35 this year.
[02:50.89]This means that my birthday was in the past. I am still considered to be 35 years old after my birthday.
[03:01.50]In the present tense, we can use "turn" to say that a birthday is "today." As in,
[03:10.36]Brad turns 60 today.
[03:13.29]And to express a future birthday, we can use the same form, the present tense.
[03:20.23]Kristen turns 41 this year.
[03:23.90]This means that sometime this year (the near future), Kristen will be 41 years old.
[03:32.61]We can use the modal verb of "will" with "turn" to express a future birthday.
[03:39.66]I will turn 36 next year.
[03:44.68]When talking about making plans for a birthday, someone may ask you: "What do you want to do for your birthday?"
[03:54.47]You can answer with ideas of plans that you would like to do.
[03:59.64]You can use the expressions:
[04:01.77]"I want to..." or "I would like to..." to be more polite.
[04:08.04]You can even use the expression "I + be going to" if you have already made the plans, yourself.
[04:16.70]She wants to go to a French restaurant for her birthday.
[04:21.35]I'm going to celebrate with my friends later.
[04:25.24]If your birthday has already past, someone may ask you,
[04:31.10]"How was your birthday?"
[04:32.62]You can answer by describing your birthday with an adjective.
[04:37.87]My birthday party was wonderful.
[04:40.87]Then they may ask you:
[04:43.07]"What did you do for your birthday?"
[04:46.65]You can answer in the past tense:
[04:49.56]For my birthday this year, we went to an amusement park.
[04:54.54]If someone wants to get you a gift for your birthday they may ask you:
[05:00.98]"What do you want for your birthday?"
[05:03.57]"What do you want on your birthday?"
[05:06.04]If you want something for your birthday that means a gift, generally.
[05:11.71]If you want something on your birthday that could be a party or to make some type of plans to celebrate on the actual date.
[05:23.26]On my birthday next year, I would like to go to the countryside.
[05:27.51]Please don't buy me anything for my birthday.
[05:30.95]After your birthday, people may ask what you received as a gift for your birthday:
[05:38.44]"What did you get for your birthday?"
[05:41.65]"What do you get on your birthday?"
[05:44.99]You could say that you got or received something.
[05:49.71]I got a cat for my birthday.
[05:52.57]Or you could say what you got and who gave it to you.
[05:56.88]My mom sent me a lovely birthday card in the mail.
[06:01.16]Here is how you might tell about another's birthday:
[06:06.73]Her husband gave her jewelry for her birthday.
[06:10.63]Let's end this report with a homework assignment. 
[06:15.12]In 5-8 sentences, write about your birthday this year.
[06:20.97]Try to use ideas that you have learned about in today's report.
[06:26.81]You can use the question headings as your guide! 
[06:29.92]Remember to use the correct verb tense depending on when your birthday is.
[06:35.78]Send your writing to our email address: learningenglish@voanews.com
[06:46.07]We will select one piece of writing and provide feedback and suggestions in a future report!
[06:54.52]I'm Faith Pirlo
[06:57.09]And I'm Jill Robbins.