6B Past simple: be and can

A Complete the dialogues with was, were, wasn’t or weren’t.

Oscar Hi Mia. 1 you at school yesterday?
Mia No, I 2 .I3 at the
science museum with my class.
Oscar Really? 4 it interesting?
Mia No, it 5 very boring. I hate
science and I can’t stand museums!

Lily Where 6 you yesterday evening,

Poppy? You 7 at home.
Poppy No, I 8 at the theatre.
The play 9 brilliant!
Lily 10
there any famous people in it?
Poppy No, there 11 . But the actors
12
really amazing.

B Complete the sentences with couldn’t and the verbs below.

borrow buy do go see sit down sleep wear

1 I on the bus because it was very busy.

2 Matilda the boots because they
were very expensive.
3 Sorry I to the picnic. I was ill.
4 We any books because the
library was closed.
5 Imogen her favourite skirt
because it wasn’t clean.
6 Harry because his tooth was
really painful.
7 My parents the film because
there weren’t any more tickets.
8 Luca his geography homework
because it was really difficult.

C Work in small groups. Find out answers to the questions.

How many people in your group …
1 were proud of their last English exam result? 2 could use a computer when they were five?
3 could cook a meal when they were twelve? 4 were in bed at 10 o’clock last night, but weren’t asleep?
5 were happy about coming to school this morning? 6 could play a musical instrument when they were ten?
7 were in the bathroom at seven o’clock this morning? 8 could swim underwater when they were eight?

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 6B Past simple: be and can

Aims  To review and practise the past simple of be and can

Time  10 minutes
Materials  1 handout for each student
• Give each student a handout and tell them to complete
task A. Check answers as a class.
Answer Key
1 Were 2 wasn’t 3 was
4 Was 5 was 6 were
7 weren’t 8 was 9 was
10 Were 11 weren’t 12 were
• Tell students to complete task B. Check answers as a class.
Answer Key
1 couldn’t sit down 2 couldn’t buy
3 couldn’t go 4 couldn’t borrow
5 couldn’t wear 6 couldn’t sleep
7 couldn’t see 8 couldn’t do
• Divide the class into groups of four for task C. Tell them
they need to ask each other questions and write down the
number of people next to each item. Remind them that they
need to add and change pronouns, e.g. ‘Were you proud
of your last English exam result?’ You may want to elicit the
correct questions from the class before they begin.
• Get feedback from groups on what they found out. You
might want to put some prompts on the board, e.g. Two
people in our group could … / One person was … / Everybody
could … / Nobody was …

Solutions 2nd edition  Elementary © Oxford University Press