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UNIT 11
Honey, you’re sleep-walking ag ai n …

SNAPSHOT

Look at the picture. Find the words that best explain the activities.

R EA D I N G

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Déjà Vu

Last night, Nikita was reading ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ in her
bedroom. She was halfway through the book when she heard a knock on the
door. She ran downstairs to answer the door. And to her surprise, she saw a
little boy. He was dripping wet because it was raining heavily outside.

He was wearing a navy blue sweater, sweatpants, and red boots. He

was crying. Nikita was asking him why he was crying but he gave no
response. She brought the boy inside. She told him to sit down.

Seeing the boy gave Nikita an idea. “Maybe he’s hungry or

thirsty”. So, she went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. While she was
pouring the water, she heard the door closing. She went back only to find the
boy was gone. To her surprise, there was no trace of water on the floor.

She rushed outside to check for the boy. Nothing. Nikita was
about to turn off the light to go upstairs, when somebody tapped her
shoulder. It was her mom. She said, “Honey, you were sleepwalking
again”. But Nikita was pretty sure what had just happened was real. The boy
was real, wasn’t he? She was making tea, wasn’t she? And she had been
reading a book, hadn’t she?
E x er c i s e 1
List the present participle (verb ending in –ing) words that you find in the text
above. Try to guess one possible meaning for each vocabulary item, and write
them in the following table.

No New Vocabulary Possible Meaning

1 Reading View letters and words in a book
2 Hearing Be aware of sounds heard
3 Running Move quickly on the feet
4 Seeing Watching with the eyes
5 Pouring Dispense liquid into a container

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Exercise2
Read the following statements. Check if they are true or false.

Statements True False

Nikita was reading 'The Fault in Our Stars' in the bathroom. False True
The boy was wearing a navy blue sweater, sweatpants and red True False
boots.

The boy was crying. True False

Nikita thought that the boy was happy. False True
The floor was dry. False True

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Past Continuous
is used to describe actions or events at a time before now. This action
began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking. In other
Fun ctio n words, it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action in the past.

Form S + was/were + V-ing + object/complement

Example Nikita was reading ‘The Fault in Our Stars’.

Exercise3

Write down 8 sentences from the reading text that use Past Continuous.

1. Last night, Nikita was reading 'The Fault in Our Stars' in her room.

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2. He was reading half a book when he heard a knock on the door.

3. He ran downstairs to open the door.

4. He was making a cup of tea when he heard the door close.

5. He rushed outside to check on the boy.

6. Nikita was about to turn off the light to go upstairs, when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

7. But Nikita was pretty sure what had just happened was real.

8. That boy is for real, isn't it? She's making tea, right?
The Structure of Sentences Using Past Continuous

Positive Sentences
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Present Auxiliary Verbs: Were/Was
Participle + Object 'Was' is used in the first person
singular (I) and the third person
singular (he, she, it).
'Were' is used in the second person
singular and plural (you) and first and
third person plural (we, they).
Present Participle: (Verb + -ing)
Examples
He was waiting for you.
The dog was barking at them.
They were eating their food.
You were crossing the street.

Negative Sentences

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Subject + Auxiliary Verb + not +
Present Participle + Object
Subject + was/were + not + (Verb + -
ing) + Object
Examples
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Auxiliary Verbs: Were/Was
'Was' is used in the first person
singular (I) and the third person
singular (he, she, it).
'Were' is used in the second person
singular and plural (you) and first
and third person plural (we, they).
Present Participle: (Verb + -ing)
He was not waiting for you.
or
He wasn't waiting for you.
The dog was not barking at them.
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They were not eating their food. or

They weren't eating their food.

You were not crossing the street.

Interrogative Sentences
Auxiliary Verbs: Were/Was
'Was' is used in the first person
Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Present
singular (I) and the third person
Participle + Object?
singular (he, she, it).
'Were' is used in the second person
was/were + Subject + (Verb + -ing) + singular and plural (you) and first
Object and third person plural (we, they).
Present Participle: (Verb + -ing)

Examples Was he waiting for you?

Was the dog barking at them?

Were they eating their food?

Were you crossing the street?

E x er c i s e 4

Decide on the auxiliary verb for each subject.

1. She Is dancing on the rain.

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2. Carlos Is taking his medication.

3. He and she are driving.

4. You and I are arguing.

5. They are attending a meeting.

6. Costa Rica is expanding its economy.

7. A priest is leading the service.

8. My brother was skipping class yesterday.

9. Many people were witnessing the Royal Wedding.

10. Everybody is changing.

11. Diego is going through some stuff.

12. Her hair is growing rapidly.

13. Mice are invading the kitchen.

14. The horses are kicking each other.

15. Louie was crying all night.

16. We were singing along to the music.

17. Wilson is hiking in Griffith Park.

18. April is posing for Harper Bazaar.

19. Jose and Maria are tying the knot in Alberta.

20. My teacher is explaining the lesson.

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Exerci
se5

Complete these sentences using Past Continuous.

1. Margo and her parents were sleeping.

2. The students were reading a book.

3. You were clapping your hands.

4. The boy was running around the room.

5. The choir was singing a hymn.

6. The dog was jumping up and down.

7. The teacher was drawing on the board.

WR I T IN G
Describe the picture at the beginning of the unit using Past Continuous.

1. he was reading a book

2. he was listening to the source of the sound from the television

3. he is watching television

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