Listen to Tim telling you about his day. Underline all the verbs in the simple past or in the past continuous. 

My day started early and luckily ended early, too. First, I went to visit a friend I hadn’t seen in ages and who lives alone out in the country. I arrived and found the front door unlocked but no one was at home. I entered the kitchen and helped myself to some food. Then a family I had never seen before came in, and I realized it wasn’t my friend’s house! You should have seen how they were smiling like crazy and laughing their heads off! 

Continue listening. Write down all the verbs in the past tense. Next, compare your list with that of your partner. Then tell your partner what happened to you yesterday. Was your day any better than Tim’s? 

Later the same day I discovered how pathetically introverted I am when I was going to the supermarket with my family by car. We were listening to the radio and I called out from the back seat: “I really like this song!” My parents gasped because they had forgotten I was sitting in the back seat. And I’m their only child! I’m really appalled!

 In the afternoon, while I was doing my job as a cart clerk and feeling exhausted, a gentleman went around the parking lot and picked up some trash. I think he was trying to help out or something. Faith in humanity: +1!. About an hour later I saw a woman pick a bug off her windshield and eat it. What?! Faith in humanity: -200! 

Yesterday was my girlfriend’s birthday. To celebrate, I spent the day with her and then took her out for a really nice dinner. Wow, I really have this “I’m a great boyfriend thing covered,” I remember saying to myself. Sigh! She is currently giving me the silent treatment because I didn’t write “happy birthday” on her Facebook wall. She says I forgot her birthday!