How Was Your Trip?
Mixing past tenses in conversation. Omar tells the others about his trip to Montreal: a forgotten wallet, a sprint with a suitcase, three wins, and a final loss to a teenager.
📖 Reading: Omar's Trip to Montreal
Last month, Omar went to Montreal for a chess tournament. It was only his second time leaving Toronto since he arrived in Canada.
The journey started badly. While he was waiting at the bus station, he realised he had left his wallet at home.
"I've never felt so stupid in my life," he told the others afterwards.
He called his roommate, who brought the wallet just in time. Despite this, he almost missed the bus.
"I was running — with my suitcase — at full speed," he said. "I've never run so fast."
He arrived in Montreal three hours later. The city was beautiful, although it was very cold — minus twelve degrees.
The tournament was intense. Omar won his first three games, but then lost to a sixteen-year-old girl from Quebec in the semi-final.
"She was incredible," he said. "She was playing so calmly while I was panicking."
"Did you speak French?" asks Priya.
"A little! I've been learning French on an app for three months. I managed to order a croissant — in perfect French!"
"That's the real victory," laughs Leo.
"I think so too," says Omar. "I've already booked my ticket for next year's tournament."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tournament | A competition involving many players in a series of games | n. — Omar went to a chess tournament. |
| wallet | A small flat case for carrying money and cards | n. — He left his wallet at home. |
| roommate | A person you share a house or apartment with | n. — His roommate brought the wallet. |
| despite | Without being affected by; in spite of | prep. — Despite this, he almost missed the bus. |
| semi-final | The round before the final in a competition | n. — He lost in the semi-final. |
| panic | To feel sudden overwhelming fear or anxiety | v. — He was panicking during the game. |
| intense | Very strong, serious, or concentrated | adj. — The tournament was intense. |
| manage | To succeed in doing something difficult | v. — He managed to order a croissant in French. |
📚 Key Verbs in This Lesson | |
to realise → realised | He realised he had left his wallet at home. |
to miss → missed | He almost missed the bus. |
to panic → was panicking | He was panicking while she played calmly. |
to manage → managed | He managed to order in perfect French. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Mixing Past Tenses — When to Use Each | |
Past Simple | Completed events in sequence: He went. He arrived. He won. |
Past Continuous | Background/ongoing action: While he was waiting, he realised. |
Present Perfect | Life experience or recent result: I've never run so fast. I've booked. |
Linking Words for Stories
📚 Linking Words for Stories | |
despite / in spite of | Despite the cold, Montreal was beautiful. |
although / even though | Although he almost missed the bus, he arrived on time. |
however | He won three games. However, he lost in the semi-final. |
because / so | He left his wallet, so he almost missed the bus. |
🎭 Dialogue: Tell Us Everything!
Back from Montreal, Omar tells the friends the full story of his trip — the disaster at the bus station, the tournament, and his unexpected highlight.
Omar! We've been waiting to hear about Montreal. How was it?
It was amazing — and a disaster — and amazing again.
What happened?
While I was waiting for the bus, I realised I'd left my wallet at home.
No! What did you do?
I called my roommate. He ran to the station. I almost missed the bus!
But you made it. How was the tournament?
I won three games! But I lost in the semi-final to a sixteen-year-old.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What problem did Omar have at the bus station?
Who did Omar lose to in the tournament?
What was the difference between Omar's and his opponent's approach?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
While Omar ___ at the bus station, he realised his wallet was missing. (wait — background action)
He ___ so stupid in his life. (never / feel — life experience)
She ___ calmly while he
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model.
- Student A: Tell a story about a trip that had both good and bad moments. Use all three past tenses.
- Student B: Listen and ask questions that require different tenses in the answers (What were you doing when…? Have you ever…? What happened next?).
- Use Past Simple for events, Past Continuous for background, and Present Perfect for life experience.
- Use at least 2 linking words: although, despite, however, because, so.