Narrative Tenses
Complete the sentence with the correct tense:
The sun ___ (shine) and the birds ___ (sing) when she opened the window.
→ was shining / were singing
💬 Follow-up: What was the weather like the last time you woke up early?
Explain the difference between: “He had his car repaired” vs. “He repaired his car.”
→ First: someone else did it; second: he did it himself.
💬 Follow-up: Do you usually fix things yourself or get someone to do it for you?
Combine: “This is the book. I told you about it.”
→ This is the book (that/which) I told you about.
💬 Follow-up: What’s a book or film that you’d recommend?
Complete the sentence with the correct modal of obligation:
You ___ wear a seatbelt when driving.
→ must
💬 Follow-up: What’s something people are required to do in your country that might surprise foreigners?
Make a comparison using “as…as”: John / tall / Mike
→ John is as tall as Mike.
💬 Follow-up: Who is as tall as you in your family or friend group?
Complete: By the time she arrived, we ___ (leave) already.
"had already left"
💬 Follow-up: Have you ever missed something because you arrived too late?
Change to causative: “A professional cleaned the carpets.”
→ We had the carpets cleaned.
💬 Follow-up: What was the last thing you had done by a professional?
Difference between defining and non-defining clauses?
→ Defining = essential info; non-defining = extra info, uses commas
💬 Follow-up: Tell your partner about a person who has influenced your life.
Choose the correct modal:
You ___ bring your own food; snacks will be provided at the event.
→ don’t have to
💬 Follow-up: Can you think of a time when you thought something was necessary but it actually wasn’t?
What’s the comparative form of “far”?
→ Farther / further
💬 Follow-up: What’s the farthest you’ve ever traveled?
What’s the difference between “I was walking” and “I had been walking”?
→ Explanation of difference
💬 Follow-up: Tell your partner about a time you had been doing something for a long time before something else happened.
Create a sentence using “get” in the causative for a haircut.
→ Example: I got my hair cut yesterday.
💬 Follow-up: Where do you usually get your hair done?
Identify the relative pronoun:
The woman ___ car was stolen is speaking to the police.
→ whose
💬 Follow-up: Can you describe a person you know using a relative clause? (e.g., A friend who lives abroad, a teacher who inspired you, etc.)
Difference between “don’t have to” and “mustn’t”?
→ "Don’t have to" = not necessary; "mustn’t" = not allowed
💬 Follow-up: What’s something people often confuse about rules?
Use a double comparative to describe prices going up.
→ Prices are getting higher and higher.
💬 Follow-up: What things are getting more and more expensive?
Transform: “He finished dinner. Then he called his friend.”
→ After ...
→ After he had finished dinner, he called his friend.
💬 Follow-up: Can you describe your last evening using narrative tenses?
Correct the mistake: “I will get to repair my phone tomorrow.”
→ Correct: “I will get my phone repaired tomorrow.”
💬 Follow-up: Have you ever had problems with your phone or another device?
Correct: “The people which live next door are very noisy.”
→ Correct: “The people who live next door…”
💬 Follow-up: Do you have any stories about neighbors — good or bad?
Rewrite: “It wasn’t necessary for him to come.”
→ He didn’t have to come.
💬 Follow-up: Have you ever chosen not to do something because it wasn’t really necessary? What was it?
Complete the sentence with the correct form:
This film is ___ (much / good) than the one we saw last week.
→ much better
💬 Follow-up: Compare two films or books you like in detail. What makes one better or worse than the other?
Correct the error: “I had been knowing her for years...”
→ Correct: “I had known her for years…”
💬 Follow-up: How long had you known your best friend before you became really close?
Form a question in the causative: clean / house / yesterday
→ Did you have your house cleaned yesterday?
💬 Follow-up: Do you do most of the cleaning yourself, or do you get help?
Rewrite with a non-defining clause: “Marie Curie discovered radium. She was a brilliant scientist.”
→ Marie Curie, who was a brilliant scientist, discovered radium.
💬 Follow-up: Can you tell your partner about a famous person you admire?
Past obligation: He / submit / the report / yesterday
→ He had to submit the report yesterday.
💬 Follow-up: What’s a deadline you recently had to meet?
Superlative with a modifier: three candidates, most experienced
→ She is by far the most experienced.
💬 Follow-up: Who is the most skilled person you’ve worked or studied with?