UNIT 6: Family

Universidad Politécnica Salesiana del Ecuador

CONTENTS

• Getting started: Talk about a family you know

• Lesson A: They were married in 1962

• Lesson B: I played anything and everything

Universidad Politécnica Salesiana del Ecuador

Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE

• We use was / were to talk about the past.

• Was / were are the past forms of am / is / are.
• I am = I was
• She/He/It is = She/He/It = was
• You,We,They are = You,We,They were
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE

We often use past time expressions with

was / were.
Past Time Expressions: yesterday, last,
in (2010, 1998), ago
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE
AFFIRMATIVE
AFFIRMATIVE
I was I was at home yesterday.
You were You were at home yesterday.
He was He was at home yesterday.
She was She was at home yesterday.
It was It was difficult yesterday.
We were We were at home yesterday.
They were They were at home yesterday.
EXERCISE:
Choose the correct option ( Verb to be in Past) affirmative.

1. I _____ in Canberra last spring.

a. was b. were
2. We _____ at school last Saturday.
a. was b. were
3. Tina _____ at home yesterday.
a. was b. were
4. He _____ happy.
a. was b. were
5. Robert and Stan _____ Garry's friends.
a. was b. were
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Choose the correct option ( Verb to be in Past) affirmative.

1. I _____ in Canberra last spring.

a. was b. were
2. We _____ at school last Saturday.
a. was b. were
3. Tina _____ at home yesterday.
a. was b. were
4. He _____ happy.
a. was b. were
5. Robert and Stan _____ Garry's friends.
a. was b. were
EXERCISE:
Choose the correct option ( Verb to Be in Past)
affirmative.
6. You _____ very busy on Friday.
a. was b. were
7. They _____ in front of the supermarket.
a. was b. were
8. I _____ in the museum.
a. was b. were
9. She _____ in South Africa last month.
a. was b. were
10. Jessica and Kimberly _____ late for school.
a. was b. were
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Choose the correct option ( Verb to Be in Past) affirmative.

6. You _____ very busy on Friday.

a. was b. were
7. They _____ in front of the supermarket.
a. was b. were
8. I _____ in the museum.
a. was b. were
9. She _____ in South Africa last month.
a. was b. were
10. Jessica and Kimberly _____ late for school.
a. was b. were
EXERCISE:
• Fill in the correct form of the verb (was/were). 
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
• Fill in the correct form of the verb (was/were). 

were
was
were
was
were
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE
NEGATIVE
NEGATIVE
I was not / wasn’t I wasn’t at home yesterday.

You were not / weren’t You weren’t at home yesterday.

He was not / wasn’t He wasn’t at home yesterday.

She was not / wasn’t She wasn’t at home yesterday.

It was not / wasn’t It wasn’t difficult yesterday.

We were not / weren’t We weren’t at home yesterday.

They were not / weren’t They weren’t at home yesterday.

EXERCISE:
Complete the gaps with wasn’t /
weren’t.
1 2

Jack ______ at the party. Paul _____ very happy yesterday.

3 4

They ____ happy with the concert last week.

Tim __ at home yesterday.
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Complete the gaps with wasn’t /
weren’t.
1 2

Jack wasn’t at the party. Paul wasn’t very happy yesterday.

3 4

Tim wasn’t at home They weren’t happy with the concert last
yesterday. week.
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE
QUESTION
QUESTION
I Was I Was I at home yesterday?

You Were you Were you at home yesterday?

He Was he Was he at home yesterday?

She Was she Was she at home yesterday?

It Was it Was it difficult yesterday?

We Were we Were we at home yesterday?

They Were they Were they at home yesterday?

EXERCISE:
Write questions with was or were.

1. The book was interesting.

_____ the book interesting?
2. The photos were in the newspaper.
_____the photos in the newspaper?
3. The horse was in its stable.
_____the horse in its stable?
4. The teachers were nice.
_____the teachers nice?
5. It was your birthday last week.
_____it your birthday last week?
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Write questions with was or were.

1. The book was interesting.

Was the book interesting?
2. The photos were in the newspaper.
Were the photos in the newspaper?
3. The horse was in its stable.
Was the horse in its stable?
4. The teachers were nice.
Were the teachers nice?
5. It was your birthday last week.
Was it your birthday last week?
EXERCISE:
Use the prompts (in the same order) to make full questions. You will need to add a
past tense of the verb "to be" too.

1. John / at school / yesterday? ________________________

2. the / weather / Paris / hot? __________________________
3. how much / tickets /concert? ________________________
4. why / plane / so late?______________________________
5. how long / you / at the museum / Saturday? ____________
6. your English test / difficult / easy? ____________________
7. your house / big / when / you / child?__________________
EXERCISE:
Use the prompts (in the same order) to make full questions. You will need to add a past
tense of the verb "to be" too.

1. John / at school / yesterday? Was John at school yesterday?

2. the / weather / Paris / hot? Was the weather in Paris hot?
3. how much /tickets /concert? How much were the tickets for concert?
4. why / plane / so late? Why was the plane so late?
5. how long / you /at the museum / Saturday? How long were you at the museum on
Saturday?
6. your English test / difficult / easy? Was your English test difficult or easy?
7. your house / big / when / you / child? Was your house big when you were
a child?
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE
wh-questions
wh-questions

I / HE / SHE / IT Where Where was he yesterday?

You / we / they Where Where were you yesterday?

Wh-word + was/were +
subject + complement?
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
Pastsimple
simpleBE
BE
There
Therewas
was/There
/Therewere
were

We can also use there was / there

were to talk about past

There was a computer on the table. Singular countable noun

There were some chairs in the garden. Plural countable noun.

EXERCISE:
Write There was or There were to complete the sentences.

1. _______a bag on the table.

2. _______a calendar on the wall.
3. _______two posters in my room.
4. _______a banana in this basket.
5. _______six chairs in the kitchen.
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Write There was or There were to complete the sentences.

1. There was a bag on the table.

2. There was a calendar on the wall.
3. There were two posters in my room.
4. There was a banana in this basket.
5. There were six chairs in the kitchen.
EXERCISE:
Write There was or There were to complete the sentences.

6. _______ lots of books on the shelf yesterday.

7. _______ a mirror in our hall last year.
8. _______12 cushions on the sofa yesterday.
9. _______ a big wardrobe in my sister's bedroom
last month.
10. ________ children in the yard yesterday.
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Write There was or There were to complete the sentences.

6. There were lots of books on the shelf yesterday.

7. There was a mirror in our hall last year.
8. There were12 cushions on the sofa yesterday.
9. There was a big wardrobe in my sister's bedroom
last month.
10. There were children in the yard yesterday.
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
PastSimple:
Simple:Positive
Positive

We use the past simple

to describe completed
actions in the past
Lesson A: Grammar: Past Simple: Positive
Lesson A: Grammar: Past Simple: Positive

We often use past time

expressions with the past simple.

 yesterday
 last
 when I was a child
 a month ago
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
PastSimple:
Simple:Positive
Positive
Spelling: regular verbs in past
• Most verbs add –ed start started
watch watched
• Verb ends in –e add –d live lived
die Died
• Verb ends in consonant + -y change try tried
–y to -i then add –ed cry cried
• Verb ends in one vowel (a, e, i, o u) and one stop stopped
consonant (g, n, t, etc.) double the plan planned
consonant and add –ed
• Never double the consonants w, x or show showed
y add –ed only play played
Lesson
LessonA:
A:Grammar:
Grammar:Past
PastSimple:
Simple:positive
positive

Irregular verbs in past

Some verbs are irregular and you

will need to learn their past forms
by heart .
Eg.

meet met
buy bought
Lesson A: Grammar: IRREGULAR VERBS
Lesson A: Grammar: IRREGULAR VERBS
Lesson A: Grammar: IRREGULAR VERBS
Lesson A: Grammar: IRREGULAR VERBS
EXERCISE:
Write R (Regular) or I (Irregular) after each verb .

1. arrive ___ 2. buy ___

3. cook ___ 4. try ___
5. spend ___ 6. have ___
7. find ___ 8. work ___
9. win ___ 10. tell ___
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Write R (Regular) or I (Irregular) after each verb .

1. arrive R 2. buy I
3. cook R 4. try R
5. spend I 6. have I
7. find I 8. work R
9. win I 10. tell I
EXERCISE:
Put the correct forms of the verbs into the gaps. Use Simple Past in the
statements.

1.Last summer I ____ to New York. (go)

2.She ____her homework in the afternoon. (do)
3.The students _____ an exam yesterday. (take)
4.My father _____football in his school team. (play)
5. I ____very hard for my English test. (study)
EXERCISE: ANSWER KEY
Put the correct forms of the verbs into the gaps. Use Simple Past in the
statements.

1.Last summer I went to New York. (go)

2.She did her homework in the afternoon. (do)
3.The students took an exam yesterday. (take)
4.My father played football in his school team. (play)
5. I studied very hard for my English test. (study)
REFERENCES:
• Cambridge English Empower A2 Combo A

• https://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=6433

• Empower Teacher´s Book A2