TEACHER’S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Sightseeing in Washington, D.C.

Activity Type Introduction

Reading, writing, In this was and were worksheet activity, students use the past
listening and speaking simple of the verb 'to be' to complete information about four
activity, pairwork people who went sightseeing in Washington, D.C.

Procedure
Language Focus
Divide the students into pairs (A and B) and give each student a
Was and were
corresponding A or B worksheet.

Read through the introduction with the class and review the 'was'
Aim and 'were' questions the students need to ask in the first exercise.
To use 'was' and 'were'
In their pairs, students ask and answer questions with 'was' and
in order to complete
'were' in order to complete a chart with information about four
information about
people who went sightseeing in Washington, D.C.
four people who
went sightseeing in Exercise A - Answer key
Washington, D.C.
Travis and
Places Daisuke Avigail
Arielle
Preparation
Library of Con 8:30-10:30am X 1:00-2:30pm
Make one copy of the two
worksheets for each pair Lincoln Memorial 4:00-5:00pm 10:15-11:30am X
of students. National Zoo 1:30-3:45pm 1:00-3:00pm 2:45-5:00pm
Supreme Court 10:45-11:30am X 9:00-10:15am
Level Washington Mon X 3:15-4:30pm 10:30-11:00am
Elementary (A1-A2) White House X 8:00-10:00am X

Next, students decide if was and were sentences about the four
Time people are true or false. If a sentence is false, students change
25 minutes one word in the sentence to make it true.

Exercise B - Answer key

1. F was > wasn't 3. F weren't > were 5. T

2. T 4. F wasn't > was 6. F were > weren't

In the last exercise, students use prompts to write true sentences

about the four people with was(n't) or were(n't).

Exercise C - Answer key

1. Avigail wasn't at the Supreme Court.

2. T
 ravis and Arielle were at the National Zoo in the afternoon.
3. Daisuke wasn't at the White House.
4. Avigail was at the Lincoln Memorial in the morning.
5. Travis and Arielle weren't at the White House.
6. Daisuke was at the National Zoo in the afternoon.

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 PAST SIMPLE - WAS/WERE

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Sightseeing in Washington, D.C.

Student A

A. Daisuke (a man), Avigail (a woman), and Travis and Arielle (a man and a woman) all went
sightseeing in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Each person or couple went to four places. Ask your
partner questions with 'was' and 'were' to complete the missing information in the chart. Write
the times in the gaps. If your partner's answer is no, put an X in the box.

Example: Was Daisuke at the National Zoo yesterday? Yes, he was. / No, he wasn't.
(If yes) When was he at the National Zoo? He was there from [time] to [time].

Places Daisuke Avigail Travis and Arielle

the Library of Congress 8:30-10:30 a.m. X

the Lincoln Memorial 10:15-11:30 a.m.

the National Zoo 1:30-3:45 p.m. 2:45-5:00 p.m.

the Supreme Court X

the Washington Monument X 10:30-11:00 a.m.

the White House 8:00-10:00 a.m.

B. Are the sentences below true or false? Write T for True or F for False next to each sentence.
If a sentence is false, change one word in the sentence to make it true.

1. ...... Daisuke was at the Library of Congress in the afternoon.

2. ...... Avigail was at the White House in the morning.

3. ...... Travis and Arielle weren't at the Supreme Court in the morning.

4. ...... Avigail wasn't at the Washington Monument in the afternoon.

5. ...... Daisuke was at the Lincoln Memorial in the afternoon.

6. ...... Travis and Arielle were at the Washington Monument in the afternoon.

C. Use the prompts to write true sentences about the four people with was(n't) or were(n't).

1. Avigail / Supreme Court ............................................................................

2. Travis and Arielle / National Zoo ............................................................................

3. Daisuke / White House ............................................................................

4. Avigail / Lincoln Memorial ............................................................................

5. Travis and Arielle / White House ............................................................................

6. Daisuke / National Zoo ............................................................................

Teach-This.com © 2020 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

 PAST SIMPLE - WAS/WERE

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Sightseeing in Washington, D.C.

Student B

A. Daisuke (a man), Avigail (a woman), and Travis and Arielle (a man and a woman) all went
sightseeing in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Each person or couple went to four places. Ask your
partner questions with 'was' and 'were' to complete the missing information in the chart. Write
the times in the gaps. If your partner's answer is no, put an X in the box.

Example: Was Daisuke at the National Zoo yesterday? Yes, he was. / No, he wasn't.
(If yes) When was he at the National Zoo? He was there from [time] to [time].

Places Daisuke Avigail Travis and Arielle

the Library of Congress 1:00-2:30 p.m.

the Lincoln Memorial 4:00-5:00 p.m. X

the National Zoo 1:00-3:00 p.m.

the Supreme Court 10:45-11:30 a.m. 9:00-10:15 a.m.

the Washington Monument 3:15-4:30 p.m.

the White House X X

B. Are the sentences below true or false? Write T for True or F for False next to each sentence.
If a sentence is false, change one word in the sentence to make it true.

1. ....... Daisuke was at the Library of Congress in the afternoon.

2. ....... Avigail was at the White House in the morning.

3. ....... Travis and Arielle weren't at the Supreme Court in the morning.

4. ....... Avigail wasn't at the Washington Monument in the afternoon.

5. ....... Daisuke was at the Lincoln Memorial in the afternoon.

6. ....... Travis and Arielle were at the Washington Monument in the afternoon.

C. Use the prompts to write true sentences about the four people with was(n't) or were(n't).

1. Avigail / Supreme Court ............................................................................

2. Travis and Arielle / National Zoo ............................................................................

3. Daisuke / White House ............................................................................

4. Avigail / Lincoln Memorial ............................................................................

5. Travis and Arielle / White House ............................................................................

6. Daisuke / National Zoo ............................................................................

Teach-This.com © 2020 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.