Grammar - Narrative 132

Simple Past

Use: actions or facts completed in the past. Finished time.

Forms:
1. VERB-ed or VERB-d
draft ► drafted
argue ► argued

2. Some verbs add or change endings:
map ► mapped
try ► tried

3. Some verbs are irregular:
drive ► drove
make ► made
sleep ► slept

4. We use did + SUBJECT + VERB for questions:
Did you book a hotel room yet?
Did Mr. Gupta approve the request?

Negative Form: didn't/did not + VERB
No. I didn't book a hotel yet.
She didn't make reservations for Saturday night.
He drove for three hours to work everyday for thirty years. (past action)
Although she stopped singing around the age of ten, she is a pop idol now because of her dancing. (She used to sing.)

Past Continuous

Use: actions that were happening at a certain time in the past when something else happened.

Form: past BE verb (was, were) + VERB-ing
She was baking a pie when I left this morning.
She was writing the letter while watching the game. (was happening at the same time)
They were driving to the game when the accident happened. (was happening before)

Negative Form: was/were not VERB-ing
I was not wearing pajamas when the police came. I was wearing comfortable clothes.

Past Perfect

Use: actions and facts true before another event in the past. Finished time.

Forms:
1. had VERB-ed or VERB-d
draft ► had drafted
argue ► had argued

2. Some verbs are irregular:
drive ► had driven
make ► had made
sleep ► had slept

He had driven 120 miles when he realized that he forgot his medication. (He had driven before he forgot.)
Negative Form: had not + VERB
They had not practiced together when they won first place. (They had not practiced before they won.)

Directions:

After completing today's practice, save the score page to:
Desktop ► Student Files ► 132 Reading-Writing III (Fesenmeyer)

Exercise 1 - Narrative
Complete the story by using the correct narrative verb forms: simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive.

The Tragic Tale of Red Riding Hood
There was once this young girl. I don't know what she (be called) really, because I only ever (hear) her being called by her nickname Red Riding Hood, at least I think it was her nickname. It was how they usually (refer) to her in the village, anyway. I always (assume) that it (come) from the red hooded top that she (wear), day in day out, wherever she went. But I might have been wrong. Anyway, one day her mother (tell) her to take a basket filled with goodies to her grandma, who (happen) to live on the other side of the forest. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that this girl (live) in a small cottage on the edge of a big forest, and that she (spend) all her life there, up until that fateful day. She (set) off in a happy mood. The sun (shine) through the trees, the birds (sing). It was just as though everyone (wait) for Walt Disney to come and draw the scene. What (can) possibly spoil such a perfect day? What indeed? While she (walk) through the forest, she (see) a wolf (stroll) slowly towards her, humming something to himself. A minute or so earlier, the wolf (watch) her from behind a tree, and (think) to himself, "She'd make a nice juicy meal." But as he (not want) to frighten her off, he (decide) to play it nice and cool, and so the nonchalant walk.

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Exercise 2 - Narrative
Complete the story by using the correct narrative verb forms: simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive.

As he approached the little girl, she (remember) what her mother (tell) her before she left the house. That on no account (be) she to stop or dawdle on the way, or to talk to strangers. But the wolf (look) like such a handsome creature that she (think) to herself, "He's not like a real stranger." So when he (ask) her where she (go) on such a fine day, she innocently (reply) that she (be) on her way to visit somebody on the other side of the forest. "Who are you going to visit, little girl?" (inquire) the wolf inquisitively. "It's whom?" said the girl petulantly. "You ought to say, 'Whom are you going to visit?'" She could be a stickler about grammar. But then thinking that perhaps she (hurt) his feelings, she (relent) and told him she was going to her grandma's. The wolf (need) a bit of time to carry out the plan he (think) up on the spot, so he (tell) her that up ahead there (be) a clearing full of beautiful bluebells, and what a good idea it (will be) to pick some to take to her grandma. When she (protest) that her mother (tell) her never to pick wild flowers, he (laugh) and said that there (be) thousands of them, and that nobody (going to) miss a dozen or so. With which he (disappear) into the forest, whistling a happy tune.

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Exercise 3 - Narrative
Complete the story by using the correct narrative verb forms: simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive.

When he (arrive) at her grandma's cottage, which was only a few minutes later as he (take) a shortcut, he (knock) on the door. Before the poor unfortunate woman (realize) what (happen), the wolf (burst) into the cottage, (grab) the old lady and (gobble) her up in one gulp. Then he (get) into her night clothes, and (jump) into the old lady's bed. (eat) the little girl's grandma, the wolf now (feel) slightly better, but it was the little girl that the wolf (look) forward to really, because, which I think I've forgotten to tell you, Red Riding Hood (be) rather a plump young girl, and (promise) to be a bit more nourishing than her old grandma, who (be) to be honest, a bit on the skinny side. Not long after, the little girl herself (arrive) at the door. She (be) a bit out of breath because she (run). "Hopefully that's the last I've seen of that wolf," she (mutter) to herself, wondering if in fact he wasn't perhaps a little strange after all. Before she even had time to ring the bell, she heard a voice. "Come on in dear, it's open," (say) the wolf, who (watch) her walk up the path, from the bedroom window. "That's strange," (think) the girl, "her voice seems a bit deeper than usual. Perhaps she's got a cold." Then she (remember) that her mother (tell) her that her grandma (be) ill, and that was why she (take) her the food.

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Exercise 4 - Narrative
Complete the story by using the correct narrative verb forms: simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive.

When she (see) her grandma propped up in bed, it was true, she (not seem) to be quite her usual self. She (wear) her usual night gown alright, and her enormous nightcap. But there was something about her that (not be) quite right. Her eyes (seem) bigger than normal, and so did her ears, not to mention her enormous hooter. Just as Red Riding Hood was starting to say something about her grandma's rather large teeth, before she (can) even get the words out, the wolf (decide) that enough was enough, that he (can't keep) this up any longer, so he (jump) out of bed, remembering a phrase he (read) in some nursery rhyme or other, and which (sound) rather appropriate to the occasion. "All the better to eat you with," he (snarl). Red Riding Hood (be) quick to retort, "Shouldn't that be 'All the better with which to eat you'?" "Yeah, whatever," (snap) back the wolf, by now thoroughly fed up with all this constant grammatical criticism, and he quite literally (wolf) her down, right there on the spot. Now some people say that this sort of story has to have a happy ending, and insist that a hunter (happen) to be passing at that very moment, and being a quick-witted sort of chap, (open) up the wolf and (rescue) both the unfortunate victims before you could say Jack Robinson. But there's another darker theory that questions whether Red Riding Hood was quite what she seemed, and rumor has it that at this very moment she (whip) out a gun that she (carry) in her knickers that day, and that she (shoot) the wolf stone dead. And there's yet another version, which suggests that Red Riding Hood (meet) a sticky end at the hands of an egomaniacal woodchopper, who, (not read) the story, (not realize) that he (be) meant to save her. What's more, he (see) her picking the flowers in the clearing earlier on, and being incensed at this act of wanton vandalism, (decide) to avenge the poor flowers, which was exactly what he (do).
The End.

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