lesson 4 - past.

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L ESSON 4: P AST TENSES

READING COMPREHENSION: DISASTROUS DINNER
Last Friday, Mrs. Anderson planned to have a delicious dinner.
She bought a T-bone steak and some cream and apples for an apple pie. When she came
home from the supermarket, she put her shopping bags on the table. While she was
setting the table, her two pets sat underneath it and watched her. Then she went to the
kitchen to make the pastry for the pie.
She was a little forgetful so she didnt realize the steak, cream
and apples were still on the table. While she was making the
pastry, the dog jumped on a chair and looked longingly at
the steak. At last, it took the steak in its mouth and jumped
off the chair, just as Mrs. Anderson was coming back into the
dining room.
Mrs. Anderson screamed, but the dog ran into the garden.
She ran after the dog. While she was chasing the dog, the cat jumped on the table and started
drinking the cream. Mrs. Anderson didnt manage to catch the dog, and she came back into
the dining room. When she saw the cat, she shrieked, and the cat got such a fright that it
jumped a meter into the air, and leapt out the window. Mrs. Anderson threw her broom
at the cat, but she missed, and broke the window. At the same time she overbalanced
and put her hand in the cream, spilling it all over the tablecloth.

Poor Mrs.Anderson -she had no dinner, only a dirty tablecloth and a broken window.

Glossary:
set the table -put knives and forks, plates, salt etc. on the table
underneath - under
longingly - e.g. the dog wanted it but knew it couldnt have
shriek - louder than scream
get a fright - suddenly (not the same as be frightened)
overbalance - to lose your balance and fall
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Answer these questions about the story. Answer in complete sentences.

What did Mrs. Anderson plan?

______________________________________________________________________

Why did she buy cream and apples?

______________________________________________________________________

When did her pets watch her?

______________________________________________________________________

Where did she leave the steak?

______________________________________________________________________

When did the dog jump on the chair?

______________________________________________________________________

How did the dog look at the steak?

______________________________________________________________________

When did the dog jump off the chair?

______________________________________________________________________

Where did the dog go?

______________________________________________________________________

What was she doing when the cat jumped on the table?

______________________________________________________________________

What did Mrs. Anderson do when she saw the cat?

______________________________________________________________________
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Circle the correct answer

a) Mary prepared / was preparing lunch when they came / was coming.

b) Tom was very unlucky. It rained / was raining every day during his holidays.

c) Who was that nice girl you talked / were talking to when I walked / was walking by the
pub?

d) Last weekend Susan fell / was falling and broke/ was breaking her leg.

e) When I entered / was entering the cafeteria Mary had / was having lunch with Peter.

f) We drove/ were driving to Berlin in Roberts new car.

g) The sun shone / was shining brightly when I got up / was getting up this morning.

h) Ann finally told / was telling us the whole story about Peter.
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Activity 1 : fill in the blanks

1. I ...(watch) TV when she ....(call).

2. When the phone (ring), she .. (write) a letter.

3. While we ..(have) the picnic, it (start). to rain.

4. What (you, do).. when the earthquake ..(start) ?

5. I ..(listen) to my iPod, so I ....(not, hear) the fire alarm.

6. You (listen) to me when I ...(tell) you to turn the oven off.

7. While John ..(sleep) last night, someone .(steal) his car.

8. Sammy (wait) for us when we (get off) the plane.

9. While I .(write) the email, the computer suddenly went off.

10. Last night, she..(call) Pizza Hut and the delivery man..(deliver)
her order right away.

11. A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
B: I (snowboard).

12. When I ...(walk) into the office, several people .. (watch) news
on CNN.
13. They..(meet) my parents at eight this morning.

14. The salesman .(help) the customer when the thief ...(come) into
the store.

15. While I . (study), she ..(cook).

16. Children..(talk), when I(fall) asleep.

17. What..(she,do) during her holiday last month?

18. While I.(take ) a bath, Suze..(fix) the door.

19. Yesterday we .(play) at the park. I ..(throw) the wood stick

and my dog.(catch) it for me.

20. What..(you, do) during the Math class this morning?

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Activity 2 : Chose the right answer

1) Last night,Irems boyfriend ____the room while she was talking with another boy on the
phone.
a)was entering b)entered c)had entered

2) Can on the sofa when the baby started to cry.

a)had slept b)slept c)was sleeping

3) World War 1 . when World War 2 began.

a)was already ending b)had already ended c)already ended

4) I .. the movie Da Vinci Code at ten oclock yesterday.

a)watched b)was watching c)had watched

5) The family last ... on a vacation in 2010.

a)was going b)had gone c)went

6) The crowd . after the mayor had made his speech.

a)had cheered b)was cheering c)cheered

7) We a huge,beautiful house when I was a child.

a)had b)were having c)had had

8) Before the man ............. this job a year ago,he had graduated from university in 1999.
a)had found b)found c)was finding

9) The girl .. on her project while her mother was feding her baby sister.
a)worked b)had worked c)was working

10) you at the meeting yesterday? I didnt see you there.

a)Were b)Did c)Had been

11) While I yesterday morning,I .. my friend Lisa.

a)was jogging/was seeing b)jogged/saw c)was jogging/saw

13)Jane and Jim . a baby soon after they .

a)had/married. b)had/had married. c)had had/married.
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1. He ___________ (ride) his
skateboard when he ________ (fall).
5. While he _________ (breakdance),
he ___________ (hit) his head.
lesson 4 - past.docx
2. He ___________ (crash) into a tree while he 3. The wheels ___________ (fall) off 4. When he ___________ (hurt) himself,
___________ (drive) his car. as he ___________ (ride) his quad. he ___________ (ride) his BMX.
6. He __________ (trip) while he 7. While she __________ (eat), 8. She ____________ (send) a text message
_________ (walk) down the stairs. she _________ (fall) asleep. when she ___________ (spill) her coffee.

9. He _________ (run) when he 10. He _________ (be) kicked in the face 11. As she ___________ (play) volleyball, 12. They __________ (make) a mistake
___________ (trip). when he ___________ (play football). the ball ___________(hit) her face. when they ___________ (spell) school.