Piano practice

A doting father once there was Who loved his daughter Gerda, Until she got the piano craze, - Then how the passion stirred her! Her fingers were wild elephant’s feet, And as month after month he heard ‘her He tried every way To stop her play From bribery to murder.

One day when she was practicing, He popped up behind and caught her And dumped her in his wheelbarrow And carried her off to slaughter. Tipping her into a well, he cried, “Hurrah! I’ve drowned my daughter!” But a voice from the well Rang out like a bell, “Aha- there isn’t any water!”

®Grammar

SIMPLE PAST OF BE (POSITIVE)

Present Past

I am I

He He was

She is She

You You

We are We were

They They

Simple past of be (negative)

Present Past

I am not I

He is not He was not (wasn’t)

She She

You You

We are not We were not (weren’t)

They They

▲1.Fill in “was” or “were”.

1. There ……… five children in the room a minute ago.

2. There ……… two white and blue balls in the box yesterday.

3. There ……… a toy-bear on the sofa yesterday evening.

4. There ……… three newspapers on the little table an hour ago.

5. There ……… a nice little birds in the cage last year.

6. There …….. four pairs of shoes in the hall yesterday.

7. There ……. ten pupils in the classroom twenty minutes ago.

8. There … …. a cup of coffee on the table yesterday morning.

9. There ……. our keys on the table five minutes ago.

10. There ……. a glass of juice on the table a minute ago.

11. There ……. five little kittens in the box last night.

12. There ……. a telephone in the hall yesterday.

13. There ……. two pictures on the wall last year.

14. There …… a cat in the kitchen five minutes ago.

15. There …… a little TV set in the living room two months ago.

▲2.Change into the plural.

Example: There was one dog in the park. - There were many dogs in the park.

1. There was one bench in the park.

2. There was one tree near his house.

3. There was one pond in the village.

4. There was one child in the yard.

5. There was one squirrel in the tree.

6. There was one dog near the door.

7. There was one policeman in the street.

8. There was one bird in the tree.

9. There was one flower on the ground.

10. There was one apple on the plate.

11. There was one banana on the dish.

12. There was one cup of coffee on the table.

13. There was one candle in the birthday cake.

14. There was one flower on the vase.

15. There was one zookeeper at the zoo.

▲3.Write sentences: a) in the negative;

b) in the interrogative.

1. There were twenty boys in our class last year.

2. There were lots of stars in the dark sky last night.

3. There was an English lesson last Wednesday.

4. There were three white cars in the street two hours ago.

5. There was a big birthday cake on the table yesterday evening

6. There was a new pen in the pencil-box yesterday.

7. There were two pupils in the school garden two hours ago.

8. There was a wat6er-melon in the fridge yesterday.

9. Nick was at home at that time.

10. You were angry with me.

11. The little girl was afraid of the dog.

12. We were ready to have a test in English.

13. The boys were at the stadium yesterday.

14. You were glad to hear this news.

15. Her parents were at the theatre last night.

16. Their house was the finest in the street.

▲4.Change the verbs to be into the Simple Past.

1. I am a pupil.

2. They are at school

3. His father is worker.

4. She is a schoolgirl.

5. His parents are farmers.

6. The girls are at the theatre.

7. Peter is ill.

8. Is the doctor at the hospital?

9. Were you ready to go there?

▲5.Choose the correct item.

1. The girls … at the skating rink now.

a) are, b) was, c) were

2. My friends … at school ten minutes ago.

a) are, b) were, c) is

3. Jim …at the shop now.

a) is, b) was, c) are

4. Nan …good at the maths last year.

a) is, b) are, c) was

5. I … at home now.

a) was, b) are, c) am

6. My father and I … in the park two hours ago.

a) were, b) am, c) are

7. They … in the mountains last summer.

a) are, b) was, c) were

▲6.Make up sentences from the words.

1. yesterday, we, at the theatre, were, evening.

2. was, in the town, two days ago, Mark.

3. twenty minutes, the girls, at the, ago, skating-rink.

4. a good student, Fred, many, was, years, ago.

5. at school, she, yesterday, was, morning.

6. five minutes, the cat, in the tree, was, ago.

7. at home, were, yesterday, we, afternoon.

8. good, at chess, was, several years ago, he.

9. was, on the, yesterday, TV set, it.

10. last week, Sue, busy, was.

11. was, yesterday, late, her sister, for walk, morning.

12. open, last Sunday, were, the shops.

13. at the school sports ground, were yesterday, after school, the boys.

14. was, the day before yesterday, Mary, ill.

15. five minutes ago, was, in the kitchen, she.

UNIT 10

Read this poem.