Being somewhere in the past
The past tense of is with and with . It is the same for a male or female speaker: .
Negatives are and . For a question, put the verb first: , Do not add to questions with past .
Time words give the past context: , , . Learn as a useful life-information phrase.
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| State your past location. | ||
| State your past location. | ||
| State the listener’s past location. | ||
| State the listener’s past location. | ||
| Say who owned the flat before. | ||
| Say who owned the flat before. | ||
| Ask about Jack’s past location. | ||
| Ask about Jack’s past location. | ||
| Say our group was not hungry. | ||
| Say our group was not hungry. | ||
| Use the fixed phrase for a birth year. | ||
| Use the fixed phrase for a birth year. | ||
I was at home yesterday.State your past location.
You were at home yesterday.State the listener’s past location.
The flat was Jack’s.Say who owned the flat before.
Was Jack here?Ask about Jack’s past location.
We weren’t hungry.Say our group was not hungry.
I was born in 1995.Use the fixed phrase for a birth year.
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Notice the patterns
Tap the form described in this unit.
.
State your past location.
.
State the listener’s past location.
.
Say who owned the flat before.
?
Ask about Jack’s past location.
.
Say our group was not hungry.
.
Use the fixed phrase for a birth year.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
Choose the form
Choose the right word for the gap.
I at home yesterday.
State your past location.
You at home yesterday.
State the listener’s past location.
The flat Jack’s.
Say who owned the flat before.
Jack here?
Ask about Jack’s past location.
We hungry.
Say our group was not hungry.
I was in 1995.
Use the fixed phrase for a birth year.
Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps
Complete a short message
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
I at home yesterday.
State your past location.
You at home yesterday.
State the listener’s past location.
The flat Jack’s.
Say who owned the flat before.
Jack here?
Ask about Jack’s past location.
We hungry.
Say our group was not hungry.
I was in 1995.
Use the fixed phrase for a birth year.
Practice 4/6 · Building sentences
Build useful sentences
Put the words in order.
State your past location.
State the listener’s past location.
Say who owned the flat before.
Ask about Jack’s past location.
Say our group was not hungry.
Use the fixed phrase for a birth year.
Practice 5/6 · In situations
What would you say?
Choose the right words for the situation.
State your past location.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
State your past location.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
State the listener’s past location.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
State the listener’s past location.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
Say who owned the flat before.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
Say who owned the flat before.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
Ask about Jack’s past location.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
Ask about Jack’s past location.
You say:
Choose the form that fits this meaning and the English pattern explained in the unit.
Practice 6/6 · Matching
Connect messages and meanings
Match the pairs.
Unit complete
