4. Ask your fellow-student:

1. whether it rained last Wednesday;

2. when they were in the south last;

3. how long Mr Blade lived in London;

4. what he/she did two years ago;

5. when Ann left school and what she did afterwards;

6. if he/she had much work to do yesterday;

7. why he/she was so upset the other day;

8. how many letters there were on the table;

9. why he/she made up his/her mind to become a lawyer;

10. how often he/she wrote letters to his/her parents when he/she was abroad;

11. whom he/she met just now;

12. how he/she used to spend his/her leisure time when he/she was a student;

13. when he/she had dinner;

14. why he/she didn't take part in the conference;

15. who he/she got acquainted with at the party.

5. Open the brackets. Use the appropriate form of the verb 'to be'.

(A)

1. Where you (to be) yesterday? I couldn't get in touch with you. – I (to be) at my parents' place.

2. Kate (to be) 18 last Monday.

3. When we came to London the weather (to be) rather cold. It (to be) rainy and windy.

4. They (to be) happy to have such a nice weekend.

5. There (to be) many people in the room and it (to be) very noisy.

6. Where she (to be) born? – She (to be) born in France.

7. Henry and Mark (not to be) friends when they studied at school.

8. She (not to be) fond of long walks when she was a child.

9. Who (to be) at the meeting yesterday? – All the students (to be).

(B)

Mr and Mrs Temple (1) (to be) a very average couple. His name (2) (to be) Steven. Her name (3) (to be) Ann.

They (4) (to be) tall? Mr and Mrs Temple (5) (to be) neither tall nor short. They (6) (to be) both average height. He (7) (to be) average height for a man and she (8) (to be) average height for a woman.

They (9) (to be) fat? Mr Temple (10) (not to be) weak or skinny, but he (11) (not to be) strong or well-built either. He (12) (to be) just medium build and his shoulders (13) (to be) neither very broad nor very narrow. His wife, too, could never be described as thin or slim, but then again, she (14) (not to be) overweight or fat either. Her waist (15) (to be) neither too big nor too narrow. It (16) (to be) just ... average size.

It (17) (to be) very easy for the Temples to buy clothes because parts of their bodies (18) (to be) average size too. Their feet (19) (to be) neither very big nor very small. Their hips (20) (not to be) very wide. And their legs (21) (to be) neither too short nor too long.

Yes, the Temples (22) (to be) a very average couple. Except for one thing. They (23) (to be) the only couple in the country who (24) (to be) average in so many ways at the same time. The Temples (25) (to be) in fact ... unique.

6. Express contrasting past actions. Give your reason.

Model: As a rule she gets up early. (on Sunday)

She didn’t get up early on Sunday. She got up late on Sunday. It was her day off.

1. Usually I have breakfast at 8. (yesterday)

2. She is always ready to help. (the other day)

3. Tom sleeps very well, as a rule. (last night)

4. I often go abroad on business. (last year)

5. My sister writes to me twice a month. (two years ago)

6. Nick is 20 and he has got a driving license. (when he was 15)

7. Walter is seldom away from classes. (on Monday)

8. Henry waits Kate after work and gives her a lift home. (the day before yesterday)

9. It often rains this month. (last month)

10. She speaks English fluently. (a year ago)

11. Martha skates very badly. (when she was a schoolgirl)

12. Mr Ryan doesn’t walk much. (when he was younger)

13. My parents aren’t great theatre-goers. (many years ago)

14. Sam wears glasses. (five years ago)

15. Mr Black is in a hurry. He is late for the lecture. (yesterday)

16. They always help their mother about the house. (last Friday)

17. He doesn’t remember her telephone number. (half an hour ago)

18. Sometimes I miss the 5 o’clock train. (last week)

19. He doesn’t go shopping. (the other day)

20. She doesn’t do her homework in the evening. (yesterday)