Support material

Learning activity 2

1. PRESENTATION
Presentation

A. Past perfect and past simple

Function

The past perfect tense is used to indicate an event that happened before
another event in the past.

Examples:
 Structure

See the examples below to remember how to form the past perfect in the
affirmative, negative and interrogative forms.

Affirmative form
Subject Had Past participle Complement
popcorn at the
He had bought
movie.
They had taught The students well.
Isabella had cancelled lunch.
 Negative form
Had + not /
Subject Past participle Complement
Hadnt
He hadnt bought popcorn.
They hadnt taught the students well.
Isabella hadnt cancelled lunch.

Yes / No interrogative form

Question
Had Subject Past participle Complement
mark
Had he bought popcorn ?
the students
Had they taught ?
well
Had Isabella cancelled lunch ?

Information interrogative form

Information Past Question
Had Subject Complement
question participle mark
Where had he bought the popcorn ?
the students
How long had they taught ?
well
Why had Isabella cancelled lunch ?

B. Adverbs and time expressions

Function

We use adverbs and time expressions to specify when something

occurred. See the examples below and notice how the different
expressions can be used.

Examples:

1. I took a shower when I had finished exercising. Or when I had

finished exercising, I took a shower.
 Fuente de imgenes: SENA

2. After he had eaten dinner, Mauricio had coffee. Or he had coffee after
had eaten dinner.

Fuente de imgenes: SENA

3. My father had just finished doing the dishes when he found three more
plates to wash.
 Fuente de imgenes: SENA

4. Lila thought she was the first woman to hike to the top of the tallest
mountain in the country, but she found out that another woman had
already climbed to the top earlier that year.

Fuente de imgenes: SENA

5. Until I joined the basketball team, I had been very out of shape. Or I had
been very out of shape until I joined the basketball team.

Fuente de imgenes: SENA

6. Before the family arrived for dinner, the hosts had prepared all the food.
Or the hosts had prepared all the food before the family arrived for
dinner.

Fuente de imgenes: SENA

7. By the time we got home, it was too late to order pizza. Or it was too late
to order pizza by the time we got home.

Fuente de imgenes: SENA

8. As soon as you had cleaned your room, the dog got it dirty again. Or the
dog got your room dirty again as soon as you had cleaned it.

Fuente de imgenes: SENA

Structure

The position of adverbs or time expressions depends on their

grammatical category. See the chart below.
 Adverbs Subordinators
When
After
Just Before
Already Until
As soon as
By the time

The adverbs are placed between had and the past participle. See numbers 3, 4
above.

The subordinators should be placed before the subject, either in the initial
position in the sentence, or between two independent clauses. See numbers 1,
2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 above.

C. Anecdotes

To able to tell stories and anecdotes is an important part of everyday

communication. Below you will find some strategies that will help you
develop this essential skill. With these strategies and the vocabulary above,
you will become a very skillful storyteller. If you practice, of course!

Elements of an anecdote

1. Beginning

To start telling your anecdote, it is a good idea to create an atmosphere. The

following phrases will help you set it:

That reminds me of.

Have I ever told you about
Something like that happened to me once.
Heres a good story
Ill never forget the day

2. Sequence

It is important to make it easy for the listener to understand the sequence of

events you are describing. The following sequencing words will help you
achieve that:
 First of all.
Secondly.
Before / before that.
After/ after that.
Then.
But before all that.
As soon as.
Finally.

3. Grammar structures

In order to tell a story or anecdote, people generally use the simple past
tense to describe the actions that took place and the past continuous to
describe activities that were in progress or describe the background.

Example:

The day I met your mother (simple past), it was raining (past continuous)
very hard and I was walking down the street (past continuous) without an
umbrella.

If you want to avoid telling your story as one chronological event after the
other, you can use the past perfect tense to make your story more
interesting by talking about events that happened before the events in your
story.

Example:

I suddenly remembered I had put the letter under her pillow. That letter had
an important clue to solve this mystery.

D. Feelings and emotions

Function

One important aspect of sharing anecdotes is describing how the people or

the characters feel in response to the events in the story. Look at the
following vocabulary that is useful for describing feelings and emotions.
There are many, many words you can use for this purpose. There is a more
complete list in the glossary. If there are words you need but do not see in
the list, please use the dictionary.
Lets see some examples.

Examples:

1. Meditation is something that makes me feel so calm. Or meditation is so

calming for me.

Fuente: SENA

2. My younger brother is the most annoying kid ever! He always follows

me wherever I go! Or I get somewhat annoyed with my younger brother
because he follows me wherever I go!

Fuente: SENA
3. My partner thinks that romantic comedies are a bit boring. Or my partner
gets a bit bored in romantic comedies.

Fuente: SENA

4. The show Cosmos always fills me with wonder about the universe. It is
fascinating! Or I am quite fascinated by the show Cosmos. It fills me
with wonder about the universe!

Fuente: SENA
5. My daughter is always grouchy when she wakes up in the morning. She
is not a morning-person so we simply call her Oscar the Grouch, like the
character from Sesame Street.

Fuente: SENA

6. The happy couple was absolutely blissful on their wedding day.

Fuente: SENA
7. When my wallet got stolen on the bus, I was very angry.

Fuente: SENA

8. The sudden death of our dear friend Sonia left us all shocked and
bereft. We extend our sincerest sympathies to her family.

Fuente: SENA
9. After I had met him twice already, I still didnt remember his name. I was
so ashamed!

Fuente: SENA

10. They looked kind of puzzled after I told them that I would not be home
until 10.00 p.m. from work. I usually arrive home around 6.00 p.m.

Fuente: SENA
 Structure

a. You will notice that some words to describe feelings can be used in
two ways. See examples 1-4 above.

Here is a list of words to describe feelings that can be used in two ways.
The words that end in (Ed) usually describe a person and the (Ing) words
usually describe things.

-Ed -Ing
Annoyed Annoying
Bored Boring
Confused Confusing
Disturbed Disturbing
Embarrassed Embarrassing
Exasperated Exasperating
Exhausted Exhausting
Fascinated Fascinating
Frustrated Frustrating
Inspired Inspiring
Puzzled Puzzling
Relieved Relieving
Satisfied Satisfying
Shocked Shocking
Surprised Surprising

b. Also, you can see that many times, word can be preceded by an
adverb. These adverbs can be used to emphasize or soften, that is,
to make the feeling being described seem stronger or weaker. Look
at these examples. Usually, the softeners are used with negative
qualifications.

Emphasizers Softeners

I am quite fascinated by the show My partner thinks that romantic

Cosmos. It fills me with wonder comedies are a bit boring.
about the universe!

I get extremely somewhat

Meditation is something that makes
annoyed with my younger
me feel so calm.
brother because he follows me
wherever I go!
 They looked kind of puzzled
I get extremely annoyed with my
after I told them that I would not
younger brother because he follows
be home until 10.00 p.m. from
me wherever I go!
work. I usually arrive home
around 6.00 p.m.
When my wallet got stolen on
the
bus, I was very angry.

Practice

A. Choose the answer which correctly transforms the original sentence about
historical events to the past perfect tense. Remember to pay attention to
irregular verbs.

1. What is the correct past perfect form of The Incan civilization rises in
Peru in 1100 A.D..

a. The Incan civilization had rise in Peru in 1100 A.D.

b. The Incan civilization had rose in Peru in 1100 A.D.
c. The Incan civilization had rised in Peru in 1100 A.D.
d. The Incan civilization had risen in Peru in 1100 A.D.

2. What is the correct past perfect form of In 483 BCE the Buddah dies.

a. In 483 BCE the Buddah had dies.

b. In 483 BCE the Buddah had died.
c. In 483 BCE the Buddah have dies.
d. In 483 BCE the Buddah have died.

3. What is the correct past perfect form of King David of Israel makes
Jerusalem the capital.

a. King David of Israel made Jerusalem the capital.

b. King David of Israel had made Jerusalem the capital.
c. King David of Israel has made Jerusalem the capital.
d. King David of Israel make Jerusalem the capital.
 4. What is the correct past perfect form of Joan of Arc saves France.

a. Joan of Arc save France.

b. Joan of Arc saved France.
c. Joan of Arc has saved France.
d. Joan of Arc had saved France.

5. What is the correct past perfect form of King William the III of England
gets pneumonia.

a. King William the III of England get pneumonia.

b. King William the III of England got pneumonia.
c. King William the III of England had gotten pneumonia.
d. King William the III of England has gotten pneumonia..

B. Complete the following sentences using the simple past and the past perfect
accordingly:

1. I ___________ (not / go) to the football game because I __________

(get sick) the day before.

2. She ___________ (finish) her homework just before the deadline

___________ (arrive).

3. When our friend _____________ (come) for a visit, we _____________

(already / buy) a special air mattress so she would have a comfortable
place to sleep.

4. By the time they _____________ (arrive) to their destination, their

connecting flight _____________ (already / leave).

5. I _____________ (have) a fear of commitment until the day I

_____________ (get) married.

C. Read the situations and write sentences using the words in parenthesis.

1. You went to Marys office, but she wasnt there.

(she / go /out)_____________________________________________

2. You went back to your country after many years. It looked totally
different.
 (it / change / a lot)__________________________________________

3. Carlos invited Julia to the party, but she couldnt come.

(she /already / make / other

plans)__________________________________

4. It was nice to see my family again after such a long time.

(I / not /see / them / for eight

years)_________________________________

5. I bought Laura an apple, but she didnt eat it.

(she / just / have / lunch)

________________________________________

D. Fill in the blanks with either past perfect or simple past.

1. I was exhausted, so when I got home I ______________ (go) straight to

bed.

2. I arrived late to the meeting because my car _______________ (break

down) on my way here.

3. The palace smelled very good when I came in. Someone

______________ (burn) incense.

4. Paul _______________ (be) to California two times when he decided to

invite his wife.

5. The burglars _____________(rob) three apartments before they were

caught by the police.

E. Look at the following sentences about historical facts. Combine them into
one sentence by filling in the blank with a past perfect or past simple verb to
show which historical event came first. The year each event happened is
listed in parenthesis.

Example: Colombian independence.

Bogot becomes the capital of the Spanish governed Nueva Granada.

(1718 AD).
Simon Bolvar and his army win The Battle of Boyac. (1819 AD).
Bogot became the capital of the Spanish governed Nueva Granada
before Simon Bolivar and his army had won the Battle of Boyaca.

1. The space race.

North American astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin are the first humans
to walk on the moon. (1969 AD).
Sputnik, a Russian satellite, is the first object to orbit the Earth. (1957
AD).

By the time North American astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin

______________ on the moon, a Russian satellite called Sputnik
______________ the first object to orbit the Earth.

2. The internet.

Google begins operating (1998 AD).

Mark Zuckerberg creates Facebook (2004 AD).

When Mark Zuckerberg ______________ Facebook, Google

______________ already ______________ operating for 8 years.

3. Mexican panters.

Jose Orozco loses his hand in an accident with gunpowder (1904).

Frida Kahlo suffers serious injuries in a bus accident (1925).

Before Frida Kahlo ______________ serious injuries in a bus accident,

another Mexican painter, Jose Orozco, _______________ his hand in an
accident with gunpowder.

4. Nobel prize-winners.

Albert Einstein says I have no special talents. I am only passionately

curious in 1952.
In 1958, Niels Bohr states, We are all agreed that your theory is
crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to
have a chance of being correct.

Albert Einstein _______________ I have no special talents. I am only

passionately curious just a few years before Niels Bohr
 ______________ We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The
question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of
being correct.

5. The protestan information.

Gutenberg invents the first printing press. (1439).

Martin Luther writes and distributes his Ninety-Five Theses using
Gutenbergs printing press. (1517).

Gutenberg _______________ the printing press well before Martin

Luther _______________ and _______________ his Ninety-Five
Theses which started the Protestant Reformation.

F. Complete the following story about a man who planned a surprise birthday
party for his wife. You may use the words in the box more than once and
more than one word may be correct for each space. Look at the timeline of
events to help you figure out the answers.
 The surprise party

Just / Until / Before / Already / After / When / by the time / as soon as

I was on my way to the supermarket (1) __________ I remembered that my

wifes birthday was coming soon! So, I decided that I would plan a party for her.
She was turning 40, so it was an important day. (2) __________ I arrived home,
I took out a piece of paper and made a timeline for the party plans.

(3)___________ I did anything else, I had to collect all the contacts of her
closest friends and relatives. I asked her sister and her best friend to help me.
(4)__________ I had collected all the information, I designed the invitation.
(5)____________ that, I sent the design to the printer. It was not (6)
_____________ I had finished the invitations that I could concentrate on the
food. I hired the caterers, but not (7) _____________ I had ordered the cake
from her favorite bakery. I swear that my wife likes chocolate cake more than
she likes any other food, so I had to make sure to get that first. Then, the day
(8) _______________ the party, I went to the mall to buy her a special ring to
commemorate the event.

Finally, it was the day of the party. I had asked her friends to invite her to lunch
and a manicure so I could get the house clean and ready. They had picked her
up in the morning, and I cleaned the house all morning (9) _____________ the
caterer and baker delivered the food and cake at noon. Guests began to arrive
around 5:00 pm. I talked to her friends on the phone and they said she still had
no idea about the party.

The last guest had (10) ____________ arrived (11)_____________ her friend
sent me a text saying they were coming up the stairs to the apartment.
(12)_____________ before they arrived to the door, I had turned off the lights.
(13) _________________ as my wife opened the door she turned the lights on
and we all yelled surprise!!!!! The party was a huge hit.

Production

A. Write five sentences about historical events that interest you. In each
sentence, use at least one verb in past perfect and one verb in past simple.

Use at least two irregular verbs. Find the chart of irregular verbs on the
glossary to help you.

B. Create a timeline about a something you planned and carried out. Include at
least five steps in the time line. Then, write a story in the past that uses the
adverbs and time expressions accordingly.
C. Write an anecdote of your own. Be sure to include each moment of the story
and to use at least five phrases from key words and phrases for telling
anecdotes.

Also, use the chart below to help you follow anecdote grammar. Include at
least five words about feelings as well.

Here are some ideas to help you get started.

A time when something went wrong.

A time when you forgot something important.
A surprise.
A mistake you or someone else made.
An embarrassing situation.
Fuente: SENA
 Document control

Name Position Dependence Date

Theme expert Direccin de

Asesor English Dot formacin October
Author Nicole Bruskewitz
Works - Programa profesional. 2014
de bilingismo Direccin General

Centro
Rachman Copy editor Lnea November
Adaptation Agroindustrial.
Bustillo Martnez de produccin 2014
Regional Quindo