A Day at the Beach
Grammar Focus: Past Simple & Past Continuous
In the story, we can see how the past simple (went, arrived, decided, etc.) is used for actions that happened one time in the past. The past continuous (was preparing, was enjoying, were playing, etc.) is used for actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past, often to show an action in progress or to set the scene.
Past Simple:
- “Emma and her friends went to the beach.”
- “They arrived in the morning.”
Past Continuous:
- “While they were unpacking, Lucy decided to swim.”
- “Emma was preparing sandwiches when Lucy hurt her foot.”
Last Saturday, Emma and her friends went to the beach. The weather was perfect—sunny and warm. They arrived in the morning and started setting up their towels and umbrellas. While they were unpacking, Emma’s friend, Lucy, decided to take a swim. She ran straight into the water, splashing around and laughing.
At the same time, Emma was preparing some sandwiches. She was enjoying the peaceful morning when she suddenly heard a loud shout. It was Lucy! She had stepped on a rock and hurt her foot. Emma quickly ran to help her, and they sat on the sand for a few minutes.
While they were resting, Emma noticed some people nearby who were playing volleyball. They were hitting the ball back and forth, and everyone was having fun. Emma felt a little sad because she couldn’t join in, but she stayed with Lucy until she felt better.
After a while, Lucy said, “I think I’m okay now! Let’s go for a walk.” They walked along the shore, collecting seashells and talking about their plans for the summer. By the time they returned to their towels, the sun was beginning to set.
It had been a beautiful day, and they both agreed they would come back to the beach next weekend.
Comprehension Questions:
- Where did Emma and her friends go last Saturday?
- What was the weather like when they arrived?
- What was Lucy doing while Emma was preparing sandwiches?
- What happened to Lucy while she was swimming?
- What did Emma do when she heard Lucy shout?
- Who was playing volleyball at the beach?
- What did Emma notice about the volleyball players?
- Why couldn’t Emma join the volleyball game?
- What did Emma and Lucy do after Lucy felt better?
- What time of day was it when they returned to their towels?
- What did Emma and Lucy decide at the end of the day?
- They went to the beach.
- The weather was sunny and warm.
- Lucy was swimming in the water.
- Lucy stepped on a rock and hurt her foot.
- Emma quickly ran to help her.
- Some people nearby were playing volleyball.
- They were hitting the ball back and forth and having fun.
- She stayed with Lucy because Lucy had hurt her foot.
- They went for a walk along the shore and collected seashells.
- It was in the evening, and the sun was beginning to set.
- They decided to come back to the beach next weekend.