UNIT 7

Grammar: Texts:

The Past Simple Tense The Past Tense of «be»: «was» and «were» The repetition-word «one» The Imperative 1. «Guy Fawkes» «A Penny for the Guy» «Dinosaurs» «One Return to Hastings». Dialogue

Text One

«Guy Fawkes»

English children do not have bonfires on Midsummer Eve. Instead they have them on November 5th - Guy Fawkes’ Night or Bonfire Night. Who was Guy Fawkes? A man called Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. He and some other men dug a tunnel under the Houses of Parliament and then put a lot of gunpowder in the tunnel. They planned to light it on November 5th, the day the King opened Parliament.

Vocabulary: to have bonfires to dig a tunnel gunpowder treason to blow up a plot a match to burn a «guy» fireworks Beefeaters

On November 4^th Guy Fawkes went into the tunnel and waited. But someone told the King about the plot. The King’s soldiers found the gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament and they also found Guy Fawkes, - with three matches ready in his hand. Some days later they burnt him to death.

So, November 5^th became Guy Fawkes’ Night and every year people lit a bonfire and burnt a ‘guy’. Some families still do this in their gardens today, but often towns have big bonfires and fireworks in a park. Children still learn the rhyme:

Remember, remember The fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason Why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot!

Following an old tradition, even today Beefeaters from the Tower look under the Houses of Parliament for gunpowder every 5^th of November.

Text Two

«A Penny for the Guy»

Benny’s younger brother Ray wanted a real Guy Fawkes party in their garden on the 5th of November, with a bonfire and fireworks. His brother thought it to be a brilliant idea. But their father was against it because fireworks were dangerous and too expensive.

Vocabulary: a brilliant idea dangerous expensive a doll to put in a pram Take it easy!

straw to keep up to count to build a bonfire to light a bonfire the colours

Ray: Gosh! I didn’t think of that. I’ve only got 80 p.

Stevie: Benny: Ray: Stevie: Benny: Ray: Stevie:

I’ve got about four pounds. How about you, Benny? Two pounds twenty. That makes seven pounds. We can’t get any good rockets for that. How can we get some money in a short time? Well, in the old days people went about with a doll in a pram and got «a penny for the guy» from everybody. Did they really? I didn’t know that. We can dress up Ray and put him in the pram. No, you can’t! Take it easy! Let’s make a guy out of straw like everybody else. Then we can burn it on the fire.

So, on November 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th the three boys walked along the streets in Southsea with their pram. Most people were quite nice to them. One old lady said: «I’m so glad to see that young people still keep up the old traditions. I remember what it was like when I was young... I met my husband at a Guy Fawkes party, you know.» When they counted their money on November 4^th, they had almost thirty pounds.

November 5^th was a Saturday, so they didn’t have any school. They built a big bonfire in their garden and Stevie bought some fireworks. When their friends came in the evening, they lit the bonfire and the fireworks, and watched the colours against the dark sky. It was a great party. The guests did not go home before midnight.

Text Three

«Dinosaurs»

Dinosaurs lived on the earth for 135 million years. They appeared 200 million years ago, and they disappeared 65 million years ago. They were the largest animals ever to live on earth, and they ruled the earth for a very long period of time. Dinousaurs lived in North America,in Africa,and in Europe.During this time

Vocabulary: a dinosaur to disappear shallow serious fossils

the land in North America was under a large, shallow sea. Many dinosaurs lived in the water, which helped to hold up their great weight. The early dinousaurs walked on two feet, and they ate meat. The later dinosaurs were larger and walked on four feet. Some of the later dinosaurs ate plants only.

Why did dinosaurs die out? Nobody knows for sure. Probably a change in the weather made serious problems for them. About 70 million years ago, the Rocky Mountains formed in North America. The plant life and the weather changed. Perhaps the dinosaurs couldn’t change fast enough.

People who like dinosaurs can see fossils in Dinosaur National Park. This park is in Utah and Colorado. Fossils are bones which have become stone. Fossils have taught us a lot about these great animals of the past.

Text Four

«One Return to Hastings»

Harold: One return to Hastings, please. Ticket clerk: First or second class? Harold: Second class, please. How much is it? Ticket clerk: Thirty four and six, please. Harold: Thank you. What time is the train leaving? Inspector: Eight twenty. Harold: Which platform? Inspector: Platform Five.

Vocabulary: an order a drug-smuggler a rack What a pity! Certainly a turning a pillar-box

Harold: Thank you.

News vendor: Morning, sir. Newspaper?

Harold: Daily Telegraph, please.

News vendor: Thank you.

Ticket inspector: Your ticket, sir? Thank you.

Harold: And now the newspaper. «Drugs Stolen From a Factory in Essex.

Scotland Yard has special orders to find drug-smugglers.»

Lady: Here’s a carriage, Shirley. Get in.

Shirley: There’s someone in there already.

Harold: Hello, little girl.

Shirley: I’m not a little girl. I’m a big girl.

Lady: Oh, Shirley.

Shirley: Can I sit by the window, mummy?

Lady: All right, but mind the suitcase.

Harold: Shall I put your suitcase on the rack?

Lady: Oh, that’s very kind of you. Thank you.

Shirley: Look, mummy. Our train is leaving.

Lady: Please, would you shut the window?

Harold: Of course.

Shirley: Look, mummy. It’s raining.

Lady: Oh, what a pity!

Guard: Tickets, please.

Shirley: Who’s that, mummy?

Lady: Ssh, that’s the guard.

Guard: Thank you. And you, little girl. Where’s your ticket?

Shirley: I haven’t got a ticket.

Guard: What? The little girl has no ticket?

Lady: Shirley, of course you have a ticket!

Harold: Excuse me, there’s a ticket on the floor. There it is, under the seat.

Lady: Thank you very much.

Shirley: Yes, this is my ticket.

Guard: This ticket is all right. Thank you.

(Hastings! Hastings!)

Harold: Here I am in Hastings. Now where’s Castle Road? Ah, there’s a

postman. Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me the way to Castle Road?

Postman: Certainly. Go straight on till you come to the post-office on the corner.

Harold: Yes, the post-office.

Postman: Turn right and walk straight on again.

Harold: Yes.

Postman: Take the first turning to the left. There’s a pillar-box on the corner.

Harold: First to the left. Pillar-box. Yes.

Postman: That’s Battle Road. And then you take the second turning to the right.

Harold: Second turning to the right.

Postman: That’s Castle Road. It’s not a long way!

Harold: Thank you.

Notes. Forms and Patterns.

1. The Past Simple

(a) Form:

regular verb + -ed

√	I stopped.		√	I drank.
?	Did you stop?		?	Did I drink?
x	He did not (didn’t) stop.		x	I did not (didn’t) drink.

2. We use the Past Simple:

1. to express a finished action in the past.

e.g.	We played tennis last Sunday. John left two minutes ago.

2. to express actions which follow each other in a story.

e.g.	James came into the room. He took off his coat and sat down on the bed. Suddenly, he noticed somebody behind the curtain. He stood up and walked slowly across the room...

2. Adverbials. Time expressions usually used with the Past Simple are:

last year/week etc

five years ago

yesterday

in 1978 etc.

then

when

just now

(d) Spelling of regular pasts:

Most regular verbs:	work - play -	worked played
Verbs ending in -e:	hate - like -	hated liked
Verbs ending in one stressed vowel + one consonant:	stop - plan -	stopped planned
Verbs ending in consonant + -y	study - try -	studied tried

(e)Types of questions:

Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

Did Guy Fawkes try to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605? Did Guy Fawkes try to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 or 1610? What did Guy Fawkes try to blow up in 1605? Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, didn’t he? Who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605?

2. The Past Tense of «be»: was and were.

I was you were he/she/it was we were you were they were

Was I? Were you? Was he/she/it? Were we? Were you? Were they?

I was not (wasn’t) you were not (weren’t) he /she/it was not (wasn’t) we were not (weren’t) you were not (weren’t) they were not (weren’t)

3. The use of the repetition-word «one».

We use «one(s)» to avoid repetition of a noun, after an adjective.

e.g.	They have two large rooms and a small one. He has an English book and two French ones.

4. The Imperative.

Commands are expressed in English by the base form of the verb alone.

e.g.	Come in. Show me your passport, please.
	Come in, will you? Don’t make so much noise, will you?

The «first-person plural imperative» is formed by the use of «let’s» (let us) and a base form.

e.g.	Let’s wait a while longer. Let’s not be late. Let’s wait a little longer, shall we?

Drills

Drill 1.

Was he at home in the evening? Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t.

Was she a good cook? Was he a doctor? Was she a nurse? Was it cold in the morning?

Was he at the theatre in the evening? Was she at the party with you? Were you out in the evening? Was your father very busy last week?

Drill 2.

Were you tired this morning? No, I wasn’t at all tired.

Was he happy? Was she sad? Were you and Mary afraid? Were the Browns surprised? Were you angry?

Was he cold? Was she busy? Were they upset? Were you bored? Was he hungry?

Drill 3.

Is there any snow in the street? No, there isn’t. I’m glad to hear that. But there was some this morning.

Are there any leaves in the street? Is there any water in the street? Are there any bottles in the street? Is there any snow in the street?

Are there any papers in the street? Is there any rain in the street? Is there any ice in the street?

Drill 4.

Did you see him in London? Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.

Did she come home late yesterday? Did you invite him to your party last week? Did it rain yesterday? Did your mother like that film?

Did you meet her at the station? Did she make many mistakes? Did they swim much? Did you see his brother in the library?

Drill 5.

Did the lift stop? Of course, it stopped.

Did you watch the match? Did she talk to the boss? Did she type the letter? Did they discuss the plan? Did the news surprise him? Did she cook the dinner? Did they invite Mary? Did you wait for her?

Did they like the programme? Did you listen to the news? Did you visit uncle Jack? Did he complain about the weather? Did he drink coffee to stay warm? Did he drive his car? Did she receive bad news? Did she buy a new house?

Drill 6.

I met Peter yesterday. So did I. I also met him yesterday.

We began the work early. Mary bought some records. Helen came at 7. We went on a picnic at the weekend. My father caught a lot of fish.		They sold their car last year. I bought that dictionary. We got home late. Ann lost her umbrella yesterday. I met Roger on Friday.
Drill 7.	We didn’t go out last night. Neither did we. We didn’t go out last night either.

John didn’t speak at the meeting. Mike didn’t buy anything. We didn’t read this book at school. Jack didn’t say anything. We didn’t swim yesterday.

I didn’t ring him up on Friday. We didn’t write to Peter. I didn’t meet Jack there. I didn’t listen to the news yesterday. Jane didn’t do well at school.

Drill 8.

Did Sheila sing at the party? (beautifully) Yes, she sang beautifully.

1. Did you find her house? (easily)

2. Did Peter speak Spanish? (fluently)

3. Did Mike drive the car? (carefully)

4. Did she do the work alone? (quickly)

5. Did it rain yesterday? (hard)

6. Did Betty learn the poem? (easily)

7. Did she send the telegram? (immediately)

8. Did John play the violin? (very well)

9. Did you enjoy the party? (very much)

10. Did Maradonna play? (very well)

Drill 9.

He danced the tango yesterday. Yes, he dances every day.

1. She played the piano yesterday.

2. He wrote a letter yesterday.

3. He read a book yesterday.

4. They learned their lessons yesterday.

5. She walked to school yesterday.

6. They went to the cinema yesterday.

7. He went to the pub yesterday.

Drill 10.

Peter has a newspaper. What about you? I had one yesterday.

1. Peter has a party. What about you?

2. You have a book. What about Peter?

3. Harold has a bicycle. What about Nancy?

4. Ray has a brilliant idea. What about you?

5. The uncle has an electronic car. What about me?

6. Mr Parter has a bottle of lemonade. What about you and John?

7. We have an apple. What about Henry and James?

Drill 11.

Why didn’t he buy a small house? (large) Because he wanted a large one.

1. Why didn’t he buy a black car? (white)

2. Why didn’t she ask for a hot drink? (cold)

3. Why didn’t you take an empty bottle? (full)

4. Why didn’t she take an ugly coat? (beautiful)

5. Why didn’t they like a short story? (long)

6. Why didn’t you take an old car? (new)

Drill 12.

I’m going to open the box. Please, don’t open it.

I’m going to walk on the grass. I’m going to eat those apples. I’m going to catch the monkey.

I’m going to look at the children. I’m going to wait for John. I’m going to listen to your sister.

Drill 13.

Let’s keep it a secret. Let’s not keep it a secret.

Let’s go tomorrow. Let’s tell him about it. Let’s go by underground. Let’s wait for them. Let’s make some noise.

Let’s get some coffee now. Let’s watch television tonight. Let’s buy something. Let’s think about it. Let’s tell somebody what happened.

Drill 14.

Let’s invite the Thompsons to supper on Sunday (last Sunday). Oh, no! We invited them to supper last Sunday.

1. Let’s visit Uncle Peter. (last month)

2. Let’s wash the car. (last week)

3. Let’s cook a Chinese meal again on Saturday. (last Saturday)

4. Let’s watch boxing. (the day before yesterday)

5. Let’s ask Harry and Pat to come over. (only a few days ago)

6. Let’s help your father with the garden again. (last weekend)

7. Let’s play cards with Mike and Jane again. (last Saturday evening)