LEVEL 4 GRAMMAR, MAY 11, 2017

We began by revising the three past tenses - Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect - We used them to tell some stories....

This is the story from p.80.

My cousin Sam is a daredevil. This means that he likes doing dangerous things.

Just last week, Sam visited (visit) my house. While we were eating (eat) dinner, Sam suggested that we go for a ride on his motorbike when we finished our pizza. He had just bought (just buy) a new one. I wasn’t sure, because I knew (know) that Sam wasn’t very safe, but I was bored and so I decided (decide) to go.

At first it was fun. Sam was riding/rode (ride) fast, and the sun was shining (shine), so I was enjoying (enjoy) myself. Sam had brought (bring) some bottles of Coca Cola; he gave (give) me one and I drank (drink) it.

Suddenly, we saw (see) a little cat on the road in front of us. Sam put (put) the brakes on but he was going (go) too fast. Sam loves animals, so he didn’t want (want) to hit the kitten. He turned (turn) fast and swerved into the kerb. The bike hit (hit) the kerb and we both flew (fly) into the air.

Luckily, before we left my house, Sam and I had put on (put on) our helmets, so we weren’t badly injured. But I was still knocked out, and when I woke up (wake up), I was in the hospital. In my room, a doctor and a nurse were talking (talk). The doctor told me that I had broken (break) my leg, but apart from that I was alright. Sam came to visit me; he was fine, he just had (have) some cuts and bruises, but there was nothing broken. And all because of a kitten crossing the road!

Practice with Past Perfect and Past Continuous here

Story telling here. 

We then listened to a story and then tried to write it, putting the verbs into the correct forms (answer below)

ACCIDENT

(Speed limit – the maximum speed allowed, hail – little pieces of ice falling from the sky like rain, steering wheel – what you use to change direction in a car, swerve – to change direction quickly, ditch – the area at the side of the road, often at a lower level than the road)

One day, I was driving through country roads in the south of County Sligo. It was just getting dark and ______________________ (rain) a little bit.

I_______________________(arrange) to meet someone and I was late, so _____________________ (drive) at just on the speed limit or a little above. The roads ______________________ (be) a little wet, but were not too bad.

Suddenly, it ___________________(start) to hail. The hailstones that ____________________(fall) were very small, and they soon formed a layer of ice on the road. I _______________________ (turn) a corner and realized, too late, that the roads were now quite dangerous. I felt the car slipping, and when I turned the steering wheel a little, I _____________________(lose) control of the car.

The car swerved, and went very fast towards the ditch. Within seconds, the car ______________________(come) to a stop. I was shocked and I couldn’t see anything because my glasses _____________________(fly) off in the accident, but I soon realized that the car _______________________(turn) on its side. I managed to get out of the car, with difficulty.

A man who had been driving past ______________________ (saw) the accident, and had stopped. He rang an ambulance, even though I felt ok. The ambulance came and _________________(take) me to the hospital. The doctors there examined me, and told me that I _____________________(be) very lucky, and that I ________________________(not injure) myself.

I _____________________(call) a taxi to take me home. When I _____________________(walk) out of the hospital, I heard someone calling my name. It was my friend Patrick. He __________________(stand) there with a bandage on his head. He also _________________________(have) an accident and had gone to the hospital. It __________________________(happen) at almost exactly the same time as mine. He too was fine, though he _____________________(have) a little cut on his head.

I was physically ok, but my car was not. I had to buy a new one. It was a small price to pay for something that could have been much more serious. 

SOLUTION

(Speed limit – the maximum speed allowed, hail – little pieces of ice falling from the sky like rain, steering wheel – what you use to change direction in a car, swerve – to change direction quickly, ditch – the area at the side of the road, often at a lower level than the road)

One day, I was driving through country roads in the south of County Sligo. It was just getting dark and it was raining a little bit.

I had arranged to meet someone and I was late, so I was driving at just on the speed limit or a little above. The roads were a little wet, but were not too bad.

Suddenly, it started to hail. The hailstones that were falling were very small, and they soon formed a layer of ice on the road. I turned a corner and realized, too late, that the roads were now quite dangerous. I felt the car slipping, and when I turned the steering wheel a little, I lost control of the car.

The car swerved, and went very fast towards the ditch. Within seconds, the car had come to a stop. I was shocked and I couldn’t see anything because my glasses had flown off in the accident, but I soon realized that the car had turned on its side. I managed to get out of the car, with difficulty.

A man who had been driving past had seen the accident, and had stopped. He rang an ambulance, even though I felt ok. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital. The doctors there examined me, and told me that I had been very lucky, and that I had not injured myself.

I rang a taxi to take me home. When I was walking out of the hospital, I heard someone calling my name. It was my friend Patrick. He was standing there with a bandage on his head. He had also had an accident and had gone to the hospital. It had happened at almost exactly the same time as mine. He too was fine, though he had a little cut on his head.

I was physically ok, but my car was not. I had to buy a new one. It was a small price to pay for something that could have been much more serious.