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Material How Things Happened PDF
Material How Things Happened PDF
In this third learning activity of English Dot Works 4, you will learn about simple
past, past continuous, the structure of used to, time words such as always, as, as
quickly as possible, immediately, at the age of, eventually, later, soon, then, until
and some vocabulary related to life changes.
Introductory material
Dear learner,
This material will help you study the topics related to learning activity 3.
2. Used to.
Let’s begin!
1. Past simple vs. Past simple continuous
Look at the following picture and the actions people were doing yesterday.
Fuente: SENA
As you can see, all activities happened in the past. How do you know it? Let’s
review the use of simple past.
You should remember that the simple past tense is used to talk about activities that
began and ended in the past.
Affirmative sentences
Negative sentences
Interrogative sentences
Yes, I did /
Did you study English at SENA?
No, I didn’t
Verb in base Short
Did Subject Complement
form answers
You should know something very important about the use of simple past tense,
and it is the use of regular and irregular verbs.
B. Regular verbs
Most verbs are formed in past by simply adding –ed at the end of the verb. Those
verbs are called regular verbs.
Examples:
Simple form Past form
Wash Washed
Call Called
Cook Cooked
Open Opened
Close Closed
Watch Watched
Talk Talked
Paint Painted
Rules Examples
For regular verbs that end in –e, add –d. Hope - hoped
For regular verbs that end in a vowel
other than –e, add –ed. Echo - echoed
Arise Arose
Awake Awakened - awoke
Be Was - were
Begin Began
Bend Bent
Bite Bit
Catch Caught
Drink Drunk
Drive Drove
Fall Fell
Feed Fed
Feel Felt
Fly Flew
Hide Hid
Hit Hit
Hold Held
Keep Kept
Lose Lost
Make Made
Mean Meant
Meet Met
Put Put
Read Read
Ride Rode
Write Wrote
D. Past continuous
As you can see in the situation, they are referring to some actions that took place
in the past. They are using expressions in past continuous (what were you doing
last night; I was watching a movie) and some in simple past (I called you last
night; my boss called me; we talked over an hour).
Example:
I was playing
the guitar last
night.
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I was playing the guitar Past
For example:
I was having
What were you
dinner with my
doing yesterday
wife.
evening?
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Past
I was having dinner with my wife
Yesterday evening
For example:
He was making dinner when the telephone rang.
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4. When two actions are taking place at the same time in the past. You should
use the word while between the two actions.
For example:
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Past
I was talking on the phone
while
I was driving
Now you will learn how to make affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences
in past continuous.
Affirmative sentences
More examples:
Verb be in
Subject Verb in -ing form Complement
past form
I was having dinner.
You were washing the dishes.
He was laughing all the time.
She was writing her report.
It was working perfectly.
We were waiting for her.
They were painting a piece of art.
Negative sentences
wasn’t
I reading a book.
was not
Verb be in past form Verb in -
Subject Complement
+ negative form ing form
More examples:
Verb be in past form + Verb in -ing
Subject Complement
negative form form
I wasn’t having dinner.
You weren’t washing the dishes.
He wasn’t laughing all the time.
She wasn’t writing her report.
It wasn’t working perfectly.
We weren’t waiting for her.
They weren’t painting a piece of art.
Interrogative sentences
Yes, you
Was I reading a book? were / No,
you weren’t
Verb be in Verb in -ing Short
Subject Complement
past form form answers
More examples:
Verb in -ing
Verb Subject Complement Short answers
form
Yes, you were /
Was I saying anything wrong ?
No, you weren’t
dinner with your Yes, I was / No, I
Were you having
family? wasn’t
Yes, he was / No,
Was he running in the park ?
he wasn’t
Yes, she was /
Was she working last night?
No, she wasn’t
Yes, it was / No,
Was it running fast?
it wasn’t
Yes, we were /
Were we waiting the right person?
No, we weren’t
Yes, they were /
Were they rehearsing for the concert?
No, they weren’t
2. Used to
This situation shows that Alex played the piano for some time in the past, but not
anymore. In the present, he plays the drums.
Uses of used to
The structure used to refers to habits, states or repeated actions that happened
in the past but no longer happens in the present. For examples:
Habits:
He used to drink five cups of coffee every day. Now he drinks just one.
Past Present
Marylyn used to be very shy when she was 18. She is an outgoing person
now.
Past Present
Repeated actions:
Past Present
Used to is also chosen to talk about something that was true in the past, but it
is not true in the present. Look at the following examples:
People used to think that the earth was flat. Now, we know it is round.
Past Present
Past Present
In this part, you will learn about time words. The purpose of these words is to
provide you with expressions that will improve your communicative performance in
daily situations.
o As. o Soon.
o Immediately. o Until.
A. Use of always
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b. To say that something happened throughout a long time in the past. For
example:
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c. To say that something is or was repeatedly and annoying. For example:
The kids were always screaming and running around the room.
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Fuente: SENA
Note:
a. Use always before a main verb, except with the verb to be. For example:
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Fuente: SENA
c. We use as to link a result with a cause. For example:
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d. We use as when one event happened while another was in progress. For
example:
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f. We use as to express “in the way that”. For example:
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Yours
Mine
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Fuente: SENA
D. Use of immediately
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E. Use of eventually
Two years
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F. Use of later
We use later to indicate that an action will take place in the near future or to
indicate a subsequently action. For example:
a. Near future.
I will see you
later!
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b. Subsequently action.
The police was looking for the thief and later he was arrested.
It means Erika didn’t take too much time to arrive. She was punctual.
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H. Use of then
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b. To express an action that will take place after another event. For example:
Let me
finish this report
and then we can
go.
Fuente: SENA
Fuente: SENA
d. To express a result. For example:
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I. Use of until
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Fuente: SENA
c. Until is also used to express distance. For example:
You should walk until the end of the corner, and then turn left.
Fuente: SENA
J. Use of at the age of
We use this expression to express events that took place at a specific age. For
example:
Fuente: SENA
The following images will show you some examples of changes in people’s lives.
Pay attention to the language used.
Growing up
The boy grew up very fast!
Contextualization
Oh!
This is amazing! Oh really?
I love the song the I didn’t have any
pianist was playing. I idea about it.
used to play that song What happened then?
with my rock band a Why didn’t you continue
few years ago. playing?
The same happened to me.
I was working with an airline when
my current employer asked me to
work with him, then my life
Well,
changed. I am traveling all the
I used to have more
time.
free time. I changed
my job and now, I
have too many things
to do.
I am working as a
consultant. I used to work I see.
Where do you I always wanted to be
as an engineer but as you an engineer as my father.
work now? know, the salary was not I think it is an interesting
good. job.
Oh really?
Yes, it is. When I was a kid I wanted
When I was little, I to be a musician. Then, at 12, I You are right.
always wanted to be a studied music for five years; life has changed.
singer. I used to sing in and eventually, that dream What were you doing
front of a mirror all the came true. But things have when I called you
time. changed now. yesterday?
I was writing a
report. I am always I understand.
busy you know, as Did I tell you that I
have to go to Paris
I said before, too at the end of the
much work month?
to do.
That’s great.
You are living soon!
What do you have
to do there? I have to take a
training program.
I will be there until
Christmas.
That’s fantastic.
I’ve always wanted to
go to Paris…
Comprehension
Based on the conversation, choose the option that best completes the sentence or
answers the question.
1. Who likes the song that the pianist was playing at the restaurant?
a. The man.
b. The woman.
c. None.
5. Why did the woman sing in front of a mirror when she was little?
6. What was the man doing when the woman called him?
8. Based on the last part of the conversation, we can say that _________
Practice 1
A. Complete the text with the correct verbs in past form. There are some that you
can use more than once.
got watched met took asked
minutes later. I ______ to the kitchen and I ________ some coffee. Then, I
_______ my teeth and _______ a shower. After that, I _______ dressed and I
sales during this month. I __________ almost four hours writing it. During lunch, I
________ potatoes and meat. In the afternoon, I ________ a long meeting with
1.
to best always try I my do
2.
night always She crying during was the
s
3.
always be wanted to cook Elizabeth a
4.
hammer use a Don’t the as shoe
5.
used as My a to flight work
attendant mom
6.
was predicted weather As you the
awful
.
7.
saw as I Helen running in I
was park
1. Start working.
2. Getting married.
5. Growing up.
6. Getting divorced.
Note: This practice must be completed using the multimedia version of the
study material. There you will find the corresponding sound files.
For example:
morning mathematician
ˈmɔr·nɪŋ ˌmæθ·ə·məˈtɪʃ·ən
B. Go to the multimedia and listen to the following words. Notice the stress patterns
in the following nouns which are composed by noun + noun or by an adjective +
noun.
Noun + Noun Adjective + Noun
Now, classify the words on the following list according to their stress pattern.
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