In this section you can read or download simple, short and easy texts in English for beginners. Materials include short stories, articles, excerpts from famous works, or stories in English for beginners. These texts will be useful, first of all, to those who are at the initial stage of learning and have a small vocabulary, although they may also be of interest to more advanced students. The approximate level of the stories presented is from beginner to elementary. Simple and entry-level stories will be an excellent source for vocabulary development, especially when reading without a dictionary and using semantic guesswork, since most of the words in the text are quite simple and are likely to be already familiar to you. Reading light articles and stories will allow you to develop and consolidate a vocabulary of the most frequently used words in everyday speech, the so-called “minilex” consisting of approximately 400-500 popular words.
You can read your favorite stories in entry-level English on our website, print the materials directly from the browser “Ctrl+P” or save them to your computer using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+S” for further work with the text.
The more you read, the faster your vocabulary will grow, since reading is the most natural, effective and enjoyable way to expand your vocabulary. At the initial stage, short and easy reading texts in English are suitable, as well as specially adapted books of 1-3 difficulty levels (starter, beginner, elementary).
You just read the story, trying to guess the meaning of all the unfamiliar words. If the level of the work is chosen correctly, then there will not be too many such words, and you will be able to fully understand the meaning of what you read. A good option for reading would also be easy texts in English for beginners with translation into Russian. The advantage of this option is that there is no need to consult a dictionary. But in this case, you should not abuse the translation and mainly use a semantic guess, and only then watch the Russian version.
This section presents mainly works of fiction for reading. And if you haven’t found what you were looking for, then perhaps you need to go to the section of the site where essays are presented, as well as essays in English. Or a collection of topics for reading and memorizing on your computer.
The collection includes simple texts in English for beginners on various topics and will be an excellent assistant for schoolchildren learning the language. A total of 400 topics ranging from stories about yourself, your family and your hobbies, to biographies of outstanding people in the history of mankind and the traditions of residents of English-speaking countries.
If easy texts for beginners in English seem too simple to you, that is, when reading you will not encounter unfamiliar words or there will be too few of them, then you can safely move on to short stories and stories of an average level of complexity or adapted books of the intermediate level.
Download and read short easy stories in English :
English legend
Hello friends. Many teachers include independent extracurricular reading in their curriculum. Some assign readings from classic works or adapted versions of books, but short stories that can be printed out and distributed to students are much better suited for this purpose.
The boy was soaking wet. He was standing in a puddle of water. His clothes hung heavy on his body. Suddenly, a sharp razor-like slither of white light blazed above his head and a gravelly rumbling echoed in his ears. Then came another downpour. He pulled his jacket tightly...
Long, long ago, in the winter-time, when the snowflakes were falling like little white feathers from the sky, a beautiful Queen sat beside her window, which was framed in black ebony, and stitched. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and so it happened that she pricked ...
In old days, it was believed that the seventh son, in a family of sons, was a conjurer by nature, and that he could work wonders like the fairies and cure diseases better than any doctor. If he were the seventh son of a seventh son, he was himself ...
Down below there was only a vast white sea of clouds. Above there was the sun, and the sun was white like the clouds, because it is never yellow when one looks at it from high in the air. He was still flying the Spitfire.* His right hand was on ...
JACK SELLS THE COW Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a little cottage with her only son Jack. Jack was a giddy, thoughtless boy, but very kind-hearted and affectionate. There had been a hard winter, and after it the poor woman had suffered from ...
In this article we offer you simple English texts for beginners with audio and translation. If you have already mastered them, then it will not be difficult for you to read them.
The texts are written by a native English speaker with an Australian accent, the so-called Aussie. Listen carefully, follow the text with your eyes, try to catch not only sounds, but intonation, rhythm, stress. Listen several times (the more, the better), then start repeating after the speaker, and try to copy exactly all the nuances of her speech.
We highly recommend reading an article on the topic, which, in particular, contains some practical useful advice from the young, very successful polyglot Luca Lampariello on how to correctly read texts in English for beginners.
1. I am happy - I’m happy
2. Texts in English for beginners on the topic: What is it? - What is this?
I want to tell you a little about my family. My family is quite big. I have a mother, father, sister and brother. There are five of us in our family. My mother is 42, but she looks younger. She is not tall, but slim. Her hair is blond and curly. Her eyes are gray. She's a doctor. She is very kind. My father is strong and handsome. His hair is dark and straight. His eyes are brown. My father is a programmer. It can also do many different things. He always helps us with our homework. I have an older sister. She is 19 and a student. She loves to cook and read. She looks like my father. She has a lot of boyfriends. My little brother is only 12. Sometimes he is noisy, but mostly he is a very friendly boy. I'm 16. I like to play football and listen to music. I look like my mother. I also have blond, curly hair and gray eyes. After I finish school I would also like to be a doctor and help people. We have grandparents. They live in the village. They don't work, they are retired. Sometimes they come to visit us and every summer we visit them and spend our holidays with them.
4. Apperance - Appearance
We have a head, a face, two arms, two hands, a body with two shoulders, a chest and stomach, two legs, two knees and two feet. We have hair and two ears on our head. We have two eyes, a nose, a mouth on our face. We have 32 teeth and a tongue in our mouth. Our hair can be dark or light, straight or curly, long or short. Our eyes can be blue, green, brown, gray or yellow. We can have long or short, strong or weak arms and legs. We can be tall or short, thin or fat. Our skin can be white, yellow, brown or black.
We may be old or young. A man can be good-looking or handsome. A woman can be very pretty or beautiful. How would you describe yourself? I'm not very tall, not very short. I'm not very old, but my hair is almost grey. I have blue eyes. My nose is straight. My ears are small. My face is a little tanned because I'm outside a lot. What about you? How would you describe yourself?
5. Where are you from - Where are you from?
Where are you from?
I'm from Russia. And you?
I'm from Germany. And you?
I'm from Italy. And she?
She's from France. And him?
He's from Spain. What about them?
They are from the Czech Republic.
We are from different countries, but we all want to learn English, don't we?
By the way, do you know where English is the native language? It is a native language in the UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ghana and the second national language in India.
English is now the most influential language in the world, spoken by more than a billion people on our planet.
Simple texts in English for beginners - a collection of short stories
Hello, my beloved readers!
Have you ever wondered how to force yourself to listen and read more at the very beginning of learning a language? After all, it seems like it’s so complicated, and difficult, and uninteresting... and you can come up with a couple hundred more excuses!
Today I will share a method that helps my students a lot. I will give you stories in English for beginners (by the way, I have begun to form - please)!
I have prepared short and very interesting stories with parallel translation for you. This practice at the beginning of learning a language helps you quickly and also absorb the structure of the language as a whole.
Story 1
Sudden rain.
Sudden rain.
It was definitely going to rain. The sky turned into gray and there was no sun at all. It was already a noon.
It was definitely going to rain. The sky turned gray and there was no sun at all. It was already noon.
Mary was standing at the corner of the street talking to Jane. Both of them were holding shopping bags in their hands.
Mary stood on the street corner talking to Jane. They were holding shopping bags in their hands.
Mary and Jane started to discuss the weather.
-Do you like rain? -Mary asked.
-Yes, actually I do. - Answered Jane. - When it rains, I sit on the porch and drink tea. Rain is quite refreshing and allows to think about everything. And you?
Mary and Jane began to discuss the weather.
Do you like rain? - asked Mary.
Yes, actually I like it,” Jane replied. - When it rains, I sit on the porch and drink tea. The rain is very refreshing and allows you to think about everything. And you?
-Well, I love when it rains during the summer. But I can’t stand rainy weather in winter.
I love it when it rains in summer. But I can't stand rainy weather in winter.
They were talking when a sudden stroke of thunder interrupted them. The heavy rain was about to start. Jane noticed that Mary didn’t have an umbrella. She decided to invite her for a cup of tea and continue their conversation sitting on her porch.
-I have no objections. At least, we can spend more time talking about your journey to the USA.
They were talking when a sudden clap of thunder interrupted them. It was about to start raining heavily. Jane noticed that Mary did not have an umbrella. She decided to invite her for a cup of tea and continue their conversation while sitting on the porch.
I don't mind. At least we can spend more time chatting about your trip to the US.
At the initial stage of study, it is very important that the stories are adapted specifically to your level. These stories are exactly like that. So try another exciting story with translation and audio.
Story 2
A Book Shop Robbery.
Bookstore robbery.
Sandy was on her way to work. Being the owner of a book shop was her dream. She loved books and the smell of recently published ones.
Sandy was on her way to work. Being a bookstore owner was her dream. She loved books and the smell of newly published books.
When she got to the shop she noticed that there was something wrong with the door. It was open. She remembered closing it last night. So there was only one explanation - she was robbed.
When she reached the store, she noticed that something was wrong with the door. It was open. She remembered closing it last night. So there was only one explanation - she was robbed.
Entering the shop she realized that the place was turned upside down. All the books were on the floor. She checked the till and thanked herself for taking all the money to the bank last night so there was nothing to steal.
Upon entering the store, she realized that everything was turned upside down. All the books were on the floor. She checked the cash register and thanked herself for taking all the money to the bank last night so there was nothing to steal.
She was upset but the relief of the thought that nothing was stolen calmed her down.
-I need to set an alarm system, - thought Sandy and started placing books on the bookshelves.
She was upset, but the relief of knowing that nothing had been stolen calmed her.
We need to install an alarm, Sandy thought and began to lay out books on the bookshelves.
If you want not only to learn to read, but also to perceive texts by ear, then I suggest listening to these stories. I recommend that you first read the story several times, then read and listen at the same time, and not at the last stage just listen.
2. A Book Shop Robbery
Nowadays you can find hundreds of stories online that will help you quickly master the initial stages of the English language. You can read, listen to, download for your travels, and all this is completely free. Don't be lazy and spend 20 minutes a day.
And if you don’t know what to learn, then subscribe to my newsletter, where I will constantly give you new materials and ideas for studying, as well as replenish your piggy bank with new stories for different levels.
Remember that the most important thing on the way to good English is practice.
Until we meet again, my dears.
One of the ways to learn English is by reading. Regular reading in English not only allows you to expand your vocabulary in the most natural, enjoyable and accessible way, but also allows you to observe the practical application of grammatical structures in finished texts.
If you regularly read works of fiction by English-speaking writers, you will learn “proper” English, which is different from spoken English.
In addition, you become familiar with the culture of the countries of the language you are learning, and have the opportunity to “observe” the natural behavior of book characters in various life situations.
Easy texts in English for beginners can be divided into two types:
- simple literary texts;
- topics - short stories on certain topics.
At first, both children and adults can recommend topics on the simplest topics - about yourself, about your family, about your daily routine, about the weather, about holidays. Children will most likely be interested in stories about toys and animals.
Topics
Here are examples of some such light topic texts in English:
My family
Meet my family. There are five of us - my parents, my elder brother, my baby sister and me. First, meet my mom and dad, Jane and Michael. My mum enjoys reading and my dad enjoys playing chess with my brother Ken. My mum is slim and rather tall. She has long red hair and big brown eyes. She has a very pleasant smile and a soft voice. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends. She is a housewife. As she has three children, she is always busy around the house. She takes care of my baby sister Meg, who is only three months old. My sister is very small and funny. She sleeps, eats and sometimes cries. We all help our mother and let her have a rest in the evening. Then she usually reads a book or just watches TV. My father is a doctor. He is tall and handsome. He has short dark hair and gray eyes. He is a very hardworking man. He is rather strict with us, but always fair. My elder brother Ken is thirteen, and he is very clever. He is good at Maths and always helps me with it, because I can hardly understand all these sums and problems. Ken has red hair and brown eyes. My name is Jessica. I am eleven. I have long dark hair and brown eyes. I am not as clever as my brother, though I try to do my best at school too. I am fond of dancing. Our dancing studio won The Best Dancing Studio 2015 competition last month. I am very proud of it. I also like to help my mother with my little sister very much. Our family is very united. We love each other and always try to spend more time together.
My family
Meet my family. There are five of us - my parents, my older brother, my little sister and me. First, meet my mom and dad, Jane and Michael. My mom likes to read and my dad likes to play chess with my brother Ken. My mother is slim and quite tall. She has long red hair and big brown eyes. She has a very pleasant smile and a gentle voice. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends. She is a housewife. Since she has three children, she is always busy around the house. She takes care of my baby sister Meg, who is only three months old. My sister is very small and funny. She sleeps, eats and sometimes cries. We all help our mother and let her rest in the evening. Then she usually reads a book or just watches TV. My dad is a doctor. He is tall and handsome. He has short dark hair and gray eyes. He is a very hardworking person. He is quite strict with us, but always fair. My older brother Ken is thirteen and very smart. He is good at math and always helps me with it because I barely understand all these examples and problems. Ken has red hair and brown eyes. My name is Jessica. I'm eleven. I have long dark hair and brown eyes. I'm not as smart as my brother, although I try hard at school too. I'm interested in dancing. Our dance studio won the Best Dance Studio 2015 competition last month. I'm very proud of this. I also really love helping my mom with my little sister. Our family is very friendly. We love each other and are always trying to spend more time together.
Lunches for school
Every day in elementary school in America begins at 9.20 a.m. Children have classes till 3.15 p.m. At 12 o’clock children have lunch. Many boys and girls bring their lunch from home. But some of them go for lunch to a school cafeteria.
Mrs. Bradley prepares school lunches almost every weekday for her two children. Sometimes she gives the children money and they eat in the school cafeteria. But usually the children prefer to take a lunch from home.
This morning Mrs. Bradley is making peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, the children's favorite. She puts two bottles of apple juice for the children to drink. She is going to put the sandwiches, some cherry tomatoes and two bananas in their lunchboxes. The lunchbox is easy for the children to carry to school.
School lunches
Every day in elementary school in America starts at 9:30 am. Children's lessons last until 3.15 pm. At 12 o'clock the children have lunch. Many boys and girls bring their own lunch. But some go to the school canteen for lunch.
Mrs Bradley prepares school lunches for her two children almost every weekday. Sometimes she gives the children money and they eat in the school canteen. But usually children prefer to take lunch from home.
This morning Mrs. Bradley is making peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, the children's favorite (sandwiches). She puts out two bottles of apple juice for the children to drink. She is going to put sandwiches, some cherry tomatoes and two bananas in their lunchboxes. It's easy for kids to carry a lunchbox to school.
Giraffes
There are different kinds of animals on our planet, and all of them are very important for it. For example, everyone knows that the sharks are dangerous for people, but they are useful for cleaning seawater. There are two types of animals: domestic (or pets) and wild. People keep pets in their homes. And some wild animals are very dangerous. Domestic animals live next to people, whereas wild animals’ “homes” are forests, jungles, oceans and so on.
Giraffes are very beautiful and unusual animals. They are the tallest land animals in the world. Giraffes can reach a height of 5.5 m and a weight of 900 kg. They are famous for their long necks. But does anybody know, that giraffes have a very long tongue? They even can clean the ears with it! Giraffes are usually yellow or light brown with dark stains. Giraffes live in African savannas. They can live from 20 to 30 years. It is interesting to know, that giraffes sleep only for a few minutes at a time. They sit down on the ground and bend their long neck down.
Giraffes do not hunt. They eat leaves, grass, and fruit. Due to their long neck, they can reach the highest leaves on the trees that other animals cannot eat.
You can often meet giraffes in city Zoos. They are very friendly and all the children like them very much.
Giraffes
There are many different species of animals on the planet, and they are all very important to it. For example, everyone knows that sharks are dangerous to people, but they are useful for purifying sea water. There are two types of animals - domestic (or pets) and wild. People keep pets in their homes. And some wild animals are very dangerous. Domestic animals live near people, while wild animals' "homes" are forests, jungles, oceans, and so on.
Giraffes are very beautiful and unusual animals. They are the tallest land animals in the world. Giraffes can reach a height of 5.5 meters and a weight of 900 kg. They are famous for their long necks. But does anyone know that giraffes have a very long tongue? They can even clean their ears! Giraffes are usually yellow or light brown with dark spots. Giraffes live in African savannas. They can live 20 to 30 years. It is interesting to know that giraffes sleep no more than 20 minutes at a time. They sit on the ground and bend their long necks.
Giraffes don't hunt. They eat leaves, grass and fruits. Thanks to their long necks, they can reach the topmost leaves on trees that other animals cannot eat.
You can often find giraffes in city zoos. They are very friendly and children love them very much.
Fiction for easy reading in English
As for literary texts, for beginners it is advisable to choose adapted books. Now you can select works of art for any level of language proficiency, with dictionaries, comments and translation. At the initial stage, short and easy reading texts in English are suitable, as well as specially adapted books of the first three difficulty levels (starter, beginner, elementary). You don't have to look up every word you don't know in the dictionary. While reading the story, try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. If the book you choose corresponds to your level, then there will not be too many such words, and you will be able to understand the meaning of what you read.
Here are some works by English and American writers that can be easily found in English adaptations. All these books have been translated into Russian and are well known to Russian readers, which, of course, will provide additional help when reading them in English.
How to Get the Best Out of Reading
So, you have decided to form a base of English by reading English books. But finding and reading texts in English for beginners is still half the battle. For a good result, you need not only to read, but also to work with the material you read. Here are some tips on how to do this. 
- Look for English texts with audio accompaniment. This way you can not only increase your vocabulary, but also control and improve your pronunciation.
- Look for English texts with tasks after them. These could be questions, various exercises for choosing words or correct options, etc. This will give you an additional opportunity to consolidate new words in your memory and practice grammatical structures.
- If there are no exercises after the texts, try the “Why” -questions method. It lies in the fact that based on what you read, you yourself can create several questions for yourself, starting with “Why?” Moreover, it is better if the text does not provide a direct answer to your questions and you will have to speculate or speculate something when answering them.
- Try, using the text, to compose a short retelling, no more than 7-8 sentences. It is advisable to use new words. Learn the retelling by heart. Say it out loud.
Online text comprehension exercise for beginners
Read the text and complete the tasks.
The trip to my granny
Yesterday I visited my Granny in the countryside. We go there every weekend and I enjoy these trips. But not this time. It was raining cats and dogs, our car broke several times and we were all very tired. But when we saw the Granny, I forgot about the difficulties.
Answer the questions
Indicate whether the statements in the text are true (true - correct, false - incorrect)
Write a sentence that reflects the main idea of this text
In world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in the world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing !
You will find even more simple texts and online exercises in the Lim English online training service. Register and start learning fun!
