Showing posts with label Grammar with Stories. Show all posts

Third Conditional – Story

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My friend called me last night. I was asleep at the time of the call. I still heard that my phone was ringing but I couldn’t get up and pick it up. In the morning, when I woke up I saw that my friend was online. We started exchanging messages. And here is our message history:

- Why didn’t you return my call last night?

- I would have returned your call last night if I hadn’t been asleep.

- Why did you go to bed so early?

- I wouldn’t have gone to bed so early if I hadn’t been tired.

- What did you do to be tired?

- I wouldn’t have been tired if I hadn’t been studying so much.

- Wow, why did you study so much?

- I wouldn’t have studied so much if I hadn’t had an exam after 2 days.

- Why do you reply to me in this weird way – I would have done…..if I hadn’t been….

- I wouldn’t have replied to you in this way if I hadn’t had an English exam and I’m practicing third conditional at the moment.

- Oh, wow, what is third conditional?

- Third conditional is used to talk about the past and to imagine something different from what actually happened.

- Do you mean we can use it to express regret?

- Sure and to make up excuses :-) I’ve just made up all of these answers in order to practice the third conditional.

- Wow :-)

- And I want to know, why didn’t you bring me apples?

- Now, it is my turn to make up excuses, right? :-)

************* Third conditional

If + past perfect ..., would + have + past participle

If you had called me earlier, I would have answered you.

…would + have + past participle… if + past perfect ...

I would have answered you if you had called me earlier.

If + past perfect … wouldn’t + have + past participle

Instead of would, we can use also – could, should, might

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Pay attention to the pronunciation of would have – would’ve. The same goes for - could have, should have, might have – Watch the video below!

*************Retell the story using the template:

My friend – call – last night – asleep – missed call

1. Why, return, my call? – asleep

2. Why, bed, early? – tired

3. What, tired? – studying

4. Why, studying? – exam

5. Why, weird answers? – practicing third conditional

6. What, third conditional?

7. Express regrets about past?

8. Why, apples?

9. Make up excuses

************Should have = 'shoulda' in spoken English;

Should not have = shouldna

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Practice the Third Conditional with Songs:

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Pay attention that woulda is only in spoken English. In writing, we write – would have

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Practice the Third Conditional with "Once Upon a Time"

Category: Grammar with Stories 0 comments

Interesting and Interested - Story

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Adjectives that end in –ed describe the person’s feeling. How we feel about something.

Adjectives that end in –ing describe the thing/person that produces these feelings, i.e. the characteristics of a person/thing/situation.

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He is such an interesting man…

- I’m so interested in him…

- Well, these are your feelings. I don’t share them…

- Thank goodness! He is my boyfriend))

- But he’s really an interesting man.

- Yes, he is. He’s the most interesting, charming guy in the whole world.

- I see how he causes these strong emotions.

- Oh, really? I think you’re just …

- What?! I’m just tired of listening to all of that. You’re talking about him all the time.

- Yes, I feel like I want to describe my feelings to him all the time. I’m so happy and excited about our next meeting.

- Tell me, how do you think he feels about you?

- I believe he’s in love with me, too. Every time when he looks at me, his eyes are shining like diamonds…

- Wow, I think you definitely have to write a song about him. He’ll be delighted.

- I have something in mind already. Do you mind if I describe to you his outstanding characteristics?

- I do mind. But that won’t stop you, right?

- He is so inspiring, interesting, charming. He makes me feel loved and appreciated. I’m so excited to see him after an hour. Have I told you about his appealing traits already?

- Oh, here we go again. You make me feel tired. Change the topic!

- Sorry, I can’t think of anything else in the moment. He is such an interesting guy…

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Adjectives that end in –ed describe the person’s feeling. How we feel about something.

1. I’m so tired of listening to all of that. (These are my feelings and emotions, how I feel)

2. I’m so excited to see him after an hour. (These are my feelings and emotions, how I feel)

Adjectives that end in –ing describe the thing/person that produces these feelings, i.e. the characteristics of a person/thing/situation.

1. He’s such an interesting man

2. He’s interesting, inspiring, charming…

Read more here: http://englishwordoftheday2010.blogspot.bg/2012/09/adjectives-ending-in-ed-and-ing.html

Category: Grammar with Stories, Story 0 comments

Ronaldo and Messi - Story

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Ronaldo knocked on the door of Messi.

- Messi, wake up! Let’s go and play together!

No answer.

- Messi, please, wake up! Let’s practice together!

- Hmm, come after an hour – replied Messi sleepily.

While Ronaldo was practicing, Messi was sleeping.

After an hour, Ronaldo stopped playing and went to wake up Messi. He knocked on the door.

- Messi, wake up! Let’s go and play together! – said he in an enthusiastic tone.

Nothing. No answer.

- Messi, please, wake up!

- Hmm, come after an hour – said Messi in a sleepy voice.

While Ronaldo was practicing, Messi was sleeping. After an hour, Ronaldo stopped playing and went to wake up his friend. He knocked on the door loudly and with force that time.

Messi opened the door immediately and said with a smile - I’m ready! Let’s do it!

- I just need to rest a bit. Go and play! I’ll come along – said Ronaldo in a tired voice.

While Messi was practicing, Ronaldo was sleeping.

After an hour, Messi stopped playing and went to wake up Ronaldo. He knocked on the door.

- Ronaldo, wake up! Let’s play together!

No answer.

- Ronaldo, please, wake up! Let’s practice together!

- Hmm, come after an hour – replied Ronaldo sleepily.

While Messi was practicing, Ronaldo was sleeping.

After an hour, Messi stopped playing and went to wake up Ronaldo. He knocked on the door. The same scene repeated.

Messi went to play football. It was 7 pm in the evening. He was elated. Suddenly while he was playing, he heard a loud noise. He stopped and turned around. To his amazement, …

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What do you think happened next? Can you continue the story? Don’t forget to follow the rules about Past Continuous and Past Simple.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this story is just to practice grammar in a creative way.

Category: Grammar with Stories, Speaking 0 comments

Out of the Blue - Story Part 2

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First read Out of the Blue - part 1

This is part 2 :-)

Are you curious to know what happened after the incident in Part 1 of the story? Let's see :-)

My neighbor helped me to clean and fixed the broken window. Everything went to normal.

Next day, I went to work like usual. Later in the afternoon when I came back home, and opened the door of that same room again, I gasped in disbelief. Someone had stolen the TV, the computer, all the expensive furniture which was there. Someone had even eaten my birthday cake (I had a birthday the day before).

For the first time in my life, I felt what it meant to have jelly legs. I was thinking that I was dreaming and every moment I would wake up and see that everything was just a nightmare. I pinched myself. Nothing…Everything was real. I called the police. To my relief, an hour after the incident, the burglars were caught. What a day!

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Past Perfect

When I arrived home, I couldn’t believe my eyes:

· Someone had stolen the TV, the computer, all the expensive furniture.

· Someone had eaten my birthday cake.

Which things happened first? Had those terrible things happened before or after arriving?

Past Perfect - had + past participle of the verb

Category: Grammar, Grammar with Stories, Story 0 comments

Out of the Blue - Story Part 1

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Part 1

It was a beautiful day yesterday. I was running in the park at 9 am. The sun was shining and the birds were singing while I was running and enjoying myself. I felt invigorated when I came back home. I started reading my book.

I was reading the book on my e-reader when out of the blue, I heard a loud, banging noise. I jumped to my feet and ran away in the direction of the noise. When I opened the door of the room, my eyes became as big as apples… When I was entering the room, at that very moment, a brick was flying to the window, hitting and smashing the glass into pieces. I screamed and ran out of the room to see what was happening outside. I was shaking like a leaf. Nobody was outside. I talked to my neighbor. He didn’t see anyone…He was always talking on the phone. No wonder, he didn’t notice anything. He was busy…

I. Retell the story

II. Do the grammar exercises from the pdf file

III. Stay tuned for the second part of the story

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Past Continuous

I was running at 9 am yesterday.

We use Past Continuous:

1. for an action which was in progress at a particular time in the past. We do not know when the action started or finished.

e.g. I was running at 9 am yesterday. (It’s not clear when I started and when I finished running. We only know that at 9 am yesterday, at that time, I was in the middle of running)

Analogy between Present Continuous and Past Continuous

Continuous tenses express unfinished action. The action is in progress at a specific time.

Present Continuous – something which is happening at the moment, at the present moment. The activity is not finished. You are in the middle of doing something. The activity is in progress in the present time.

Past Continuous - something which was happening at a specific moment in the past. The activity was not finished. You were in the middle of doing something. The activity was in progress in the past time.

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I was reading a book on my e-reader when I heard a loud, banging noise.

We use Past Continuous:

2. For a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use Past Continuous for the action in progress (the longer action) and Past Simple for the action which interrupted it (the shorter action)

e.g. I was reading a book on my e-reader when I heard a loud, banging noise. (was reading = longer action; heard = shorter action)

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The sun was shining and the birds were singing while I was running in the park.

We use Past Continuous:

3. For two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past (simultaneous actions)

e.g.

The sun was shining and the birds were singing while I was running in the park.

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He was always talking on the phone.

We use Past Continuous:

4. with a word like always or constantly when there is criticism or complaint:

e.g. He was always talking on the phone.

Category: Grammar with Stories, Story 0 comments

Characters - Story

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Story

The main hero Martin is the kind of person who bottles up his emotions. In contrast, his wife Demi wears her heart on her sleeve.

It was very interesting to watch them together. Demi was very conscientious and trustworthy with a lot of charisma, very approachable.

Martin was a real character – quick-witted, and shrewd. I thought he was rather taciturn, too. He hardly spoke in comparison with his wife who was very garrulous.

:-)

Let me tell you about their first meeting.

Martin missed the train for work because he had overslept. He was obviously very upset.

Demi didn’t have time for breakfast because she had woken up late. She rushed for the train. But when she arrived at the train station, the train had already left. She was obviously very upset.

She sat at the bench where Martin had been sitting ;-)

They hit it off immediately ;-)