PRE-BEGINNER 2

UNFORGETTABLE
VACATIONS
MODULE

10
Course: Pre-Beginner 2
Module: Getting Away II

© Universidad Privada del Norte, 2021

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Content

1. Introduction / Introducción 3
2. The Simple Past Tense of be: Yes/No Questions and Information
Questions / El pasado simple del verbo ser o estar: Preguntas
cerradas y preguntas de información 3
3. Conclusions / Conclusiones 6
Bibliography / Bibliografía 7
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1 INTRODUCTION / INTRODUCCIÓN

If a person asks me about my best vacation, I can answer that I had one of the most unforgettable
vacations two years ago. I visited different cities around the world. First, I visited Paris. I took a lot
of pictures. I took a tour of the Eiffel Tower. The weather was cold, but the food was very delicious.
Second, I went to Italy. I shopped in great markets. The people were friendly. I visited the Roman
Colosseum. It was interesting. Third, I went to the US, specifically New York, the city that never
sleeps. Every place is open the whole day. I went sightseeing in Central Park and the Statue of
Liberty. It was exciting. I bought souvenirs for my family and friends. After that, I went to Brazil.
The beaches there were so warm. There were a lot of people. All of them were friendly. I made
some good friends. I ate ‘feijoada’, a typical dish made of beans. I loved it. I practiced some sports
and went to different festivals. Finally, I returned to Peru. I visited Cuzco. I went to Machu Picchu,
one of the new seven wonders of the modern
world. I didn’t stay in any hotel because my sister
lives there. I tried ‘pachamanca’. It was exquisite. There are many touristic
In the evening, I went to a nice disco. The service
places to visit around the
was great and the bartenders were polite. After
world, but our country is
visiting those incredible cities, I felt proud of my
beautiful country. There are many touristic places the only one that has
to visit around the world, but our country is the almost everything to
only one that has almost everything to have an have an excellent time.
excellent time. That vacation was the best I have
had so far.

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF BE: YES / NO QUESTIONS AND

2
INFORMATION QUESTIONS / EL PASADO SIMPLE DEL VERBO SER O
ESTAR: PREGUNTAS CERRADAS Y PREGUNTAS DE INFORMACIÓN

1 We use it to express the past of: am, is, are.

Module 10: Getting Away II p. 3

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2 We use was: I, he, she, it.

We use were: we, you, they.

Yes/No Questions - Grammar structure

(past of verb to be (was/were) + subject + complement)

Was your classmate in Lima last week?

Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.

Were they in Rio on their last vacation?

Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.

Information questions - Grammar structure

(question word (wh-) + past of verb to be (was/were) + subject + complement)

Where were your colleagues yesterday night?

They were in Cajamarca.

When was Rodrigo in the US?

He was in the US in 2018.

Module 10: Getting Away II p. 4

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Remember

Contractions in short answers (negative)

Were you in Trujillo a year ago?

Yes, I was. No, I was not OR

No, I wasn’t.

Yes, we were. No, we were not OR

No, we weren’t.

Was Lucille in Italy on her last vacation?

Yes, she was. No, she was not OR
No, she wasn't.

Were his friends in Colombia in 2019?

Yes, they were. No, they were not OR
No, they weren’t.

Information questions

it is necessary to use QUESTION WORDS depending on the

information a person wants to know.

QUESTION WORDS
What (a thing)
When (time)
Why (reason)
Where (a place)
How (the way)
How many (numbers)
Who (a person/people)
How long (period of time)

Examples:

What was the class about?

1 About the simple past of be.

Where were you last summer?

2 In Huanchaco.

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When was Isabel in Cuzco?

3 Two weeks ago.

How many days were your classmates in Lima?

4 Two days.

Why were you in class?

5 Because it was my final exam.

Who was in the US one year ago?

6 Meg was.

How was your vacation?

7 It was exciting.

How long were you in Paracas?

8 One week.

FYI (For Your Information).

For examples:

Who was at the university yesterday? I was.

When Who is the subject.
Who was at the university yesterday? Susan and I were.

3 CONCLUSIONS / CONCLUSIONES

We use the simple past tense of be to express the past of: am, is, are, I (am), he, she, it (is),
and we, you, they (are). In the past, we conjugate two forms: was - were.

We use question words to ask for specific information.

Module 10: Getting Away II p. 6

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BIBLIOGRAPHY / BIBLIOGRAFÍA

English Club. (n.d.). WH Question Words.

Juicy English. (n.d.). The past tense of the verb to be.

Module 10: Getting Away II p. 7

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