UNIT 14: TALKING ABOUT THE PAST (II): INTERRUPTED CONTINUOUS ACTIONS

UNIT 14: TALKING ABOUT THE PAST (II): INTERRUPTED CONTINUOUS ACTIONS 

1. Vocabulary in use 
1. Read the story, and collect the words/phrases in bold letters. Then write each bold word/phrase next to the correct meanings given below. 
1. a. looking at something/somebody for a long time = staring
2. shouted = yelled
3. disappeared = vanished
4. died = passed away
5. attention = heed
6. held each other tightly = cuddled
7. afraid = scared

2. Reading comprehension

2. Read the story, and put the following sentences in the correct order. 

1. Dinesh asked his grandma where she was going.
2. Pabitra continued packing her things.
3. She would quickly change the topic and start talking about something else.
4. Jayaram congratulated his son for being second in the class.
5. There was a tablet on the table in his room.
6. Junakiri took a half-day leave from her office to welcome her mother-in-law at home.
7. As he talked about Kanchhu, she hurried to come home back.

TIME FOR GRAMMAR

1. Read the following story, and supply the correct form of the verbs in brackets. 

Yesterday Bikash was driving his car when he saw a calf sitting in the middle of the street. The calf was watching the car. He stopped his car and got out of it. As he was getting out, the calf ran away. He went back to his car. When he got into the car, the calf appeared and sat down on the road. He started the engine but the calf did not move. He jumped out of the car and shouted at the calf. The calf chased him instead of moving away from him. Bikash found green maize and threw it at the calf. The calf was happy and started to munch it. While the calf was eating the maize, he drove his car away. 

2. Complete the sentences with the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in the brackets.

1. A: What was that terrible noise last night?
   B: Sorry, it was my brother. He was practising for a singing competition. (practise)
2. A: How was the game?
   B: Terrible! We lost by 6-0. (lose)
3. Do you like my cell phone? My friend gave it to me for my birthday. (give)
4. My son was sleeping when I left for work this morning. (sleep)
5. A: What happened to you? Did you hurt yourself?
   B: Yes! When I was playing football. (play)

WRITING (p.163)

2. Time for writing 

Write a biography of Swar Samrat, Narayan Gopal Guruacharya using the following hints: 

Date of birth:	October 4, 1939
Parents:	Asha Gopal Guruacharya and Ram Devi Guruacharya
Spouse:	Pemala Lama
Popular Songs:	Euta manchey ko mayaley kati; Yo samjhiney man cha; Kehi mitho baata gara; over 500 songs for films, opera, dramas and others
Awards:	Best Singer (Radio Nepal) 1967; Gorkha Dakshin Bahu Fourth 1976; Indra Rajya Laxmi Award 1983; Chhinalata Award 1987; Trishakti Patta 1990 and many more
Demise:	December 5, 1990, Kathmandu

Narayan Gopal Guruvacharya is the most prominent and popular singer and composer in the history of Nepali music. He is popularly referred to as Swar Samrat (Emperor of Voice) in Nepali music. He is also known as Tragedy King.

He was born on October 4, 1939, to a Newar family in Kathmandu. His father was Asha Gopal Guruvacharya and his mother was Ram Devi Guruvacharya. He had six brothers and four sisters. He married Pemala Lama in 1971.

He has sung over 500 songs for films, operas, dramas and others. Most of his songs are melodies. It is said that he was very selective about which songs he sang. Some of his most popular songs include Euta manchey ko mayaley Kati, Yo samjhiney man cha, Kehi mitho baata gara and several others.

Narayan Gopal, who has enthralled millions of listeners with his immortal melodies; has been awarded several national honours. He received the Radio Nepal Best Singer Award in 1967, Gorkha Dakshin Bahu IV in 1976, Indra Rajya Laxmi Award in 1983, Chhinalata Award for vocals in 1987, Trishakti Patta in 1990 and many more.

In his singing career, he sang for eighteen movies and recorded over one hundred and fifty-seven songs. On December 5, 1990, at the age of 51, he died from complications of diabetes in Bir Hospital, Kathmandu.

Sources: 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9186681/bio

https://dbpedia.org/page/Narayan_Gopal

Past simple

The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).

My parents called me yesterday.
I woke up early this morning.
Ram played basketball when he was at school.

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents didn't call me yesterday.
I didn't wake up early this morning.

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

Did you wake up early this morning?
Did Ram play basketball when he was at school?

Past continuous

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.

A: What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? 

B: I was studying.

This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

The past continuous can also show that activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

We were cleaning the house all morning.

We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb.

She couldn't come to the party. She was working.
Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.
What were you doing this time last year?

Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Sita was cooking dinner.
When the guests arrived, Sita cooked dinner.

In the first one, Sita started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Sita started cooking.