Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 46 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 10: Past and Plans

Where were you yesterday?

At the same moment, it can be Monday in one country and Sunday in another. In this lesson you say where you and other people were in the past. You use was and were.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Time and places

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Where were you yesterday?
  2. Were you at home last night?
  3. Where were you last weekend?
  4. Were you tired yesterday?
  5. Were you busy last week?
  6. Where were you an hour ago?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. The day before today is .
  2. The day after today is .
  3. A part of the world where the clocks show the same time is a .
  4. A meeting of friends with food, music and dancing is a .
  5. A short journey, for example to the mountains, is a .
  6. After a long day without rest, you feel .
  7. A person with a lot to do is .
  8. If the lesson is at eight and you come at seven, you are .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. yesterday is the day
  2. tomorrow is the day
  3. a time zone is a part of the world with the same
  4. a trip is a short
  5. tired = needing
  6. early =
    the right time
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to say where you were.

  • Where were you yesterday?Де ти був учора?Where were you yesterday?
  • I was at home.Я був удома.I was at home all day.
  • We were at work.Ми були на роботі.We were at work yesterday.
  • I wasn't at home.Мене не було вдома.I wasn't at home last night.
  • They weren't tired.Вони не були втомлені.They weren't tired.
  • Were you...?Ти був...?Were you at the party?
  • Yes, I was.Так, був.Were you at work? Yes, I was.
  • No, I wasn't.Ні, не був.Were you late? No, I wasn't.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Time zones

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Where were you yesterday?

Where were you yesterday? You probably remember: you were at home, at work or at school. But the answer is not the same all over the world. Because of time zones, it can be Monday in one country and Sunday in another country at the same moment.

The Earth has got many time zones. When it is noon in Ukraine, it is early in the morning in New York and night in Tokyo. There is an imaginary line in the Pacific Ocean where the date changes. It is called the International Date Line. If you fly across it, you can lose a day or have the same day twice.

In December 2011, the country of Samoa moved to the other side of this line. People there went to bed on Thursday, the twenty-ninth of December, and woke up on Saturday, the thirty-first. Friday the thirtieth did not exist in Samoa in that year. The government said that this helped the country to work with its neighbours, for example Australia and New Zealand.

Time zones are useful, but sometimes they are confusing. When you call a friend in another country, ask: "What time is it there? Were you asleep?"

Where were you yesterday, and where were your friends?

3.2

True or false?

  1. The Earth has got many time zones.
  2. It is the same day everywhere at the same moment.
  3. Samoa moved to the other side of the date line in 2011.
  4. Friday the thirtieth of December 2011 did not exist in Samoa.
  5. Time zones are never confusing.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Is it difficult to call a friend in another time zone?
  2. Where do you want to be tomorrow?
  3. Do you like early mornings?
  4. What was the best day last week?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Was and were

Use was with I, he, she, it. Use were with you, we, they. Negative: wasn't, weren't. In questions, put was / were before the person. Short answers: Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.

I was at home. She was tired. We were at work. They weren't late. Were you at the party? Yes, I was. Was he busy? No, he wasn't.

Time words for the past

Use yesterday, last night, last week, last year and ago with the past. Do not use a / the before last.

I was at home yesterday. We were in Lviv last week. She was in Kyiv two days ago. They were late last night.

Block 10 preview

Grammar you will use in this block.

was / were (L46) · Past Simple: regular and irregular verbs (L47) · Past Simple negatives and questions (L48) · going to (L49) · review (L50)

Common mistakes: use was with I, he, she, it and were with you, we, they. For questions, put was / were before the person. ✗ I were at home → I was at home. ✗ They was at work → They were at work. ✗ You was tired → You were tired.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I
    at home.
  2. They
    at work.
  3. You
    tired.
  4. She
    late.
  5. you at the party?
  6. Yes, I
    .
  7. We
    busy yesterday.
  8. He
    at school.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I were at home. →
  2. They was at work. →
  3. You was tired. →
  4. She weren't late. →
  5. Was you at the party? →
  6. We was in Kyiv last week. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use was and were.

  1. Where were you yesterday?
  2. Where were you last night?
  3. Were you busy last week?
  4. Where were you last weekend?
  5. Where were your friends yesterday?
  6. Were you tired yesterday?
5

Three people and yesterday, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and yesterday

Three people say where they were yesterday. Compare them. Who was at work? Who was tired? Where were you yesterday?

Person 1

Dmytro, 30

  • Was at work yesterday
  • Was busy all day
  • Was tired in the evening
  • Wasn't at home until eight
Person 2

Sofia, 25

  • Was at a party last night
  • Was with her friends
  • Was happy
  • Wasn't tired
Person 3

Mr Lee, 60

  • Was on a trip last week
  • Was in the mountains
  • Was early for the bus
  • Wasn't busy
5.2

Mini-talk: where I was

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: say where you were yesterday and last night.
  3. Part 2: say where you were last weekend and who was with you.
  4. Part 3: say if you were busy, tired or happy and ask your teacher a question.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Where were you yesterday?
  2. Where were you last night?
  3. Were you at work yesterday?
  4. Where were you last weekend?
  5. Were you tired yesterday?
  6. Were you busy last week?
  7. Where were you an hour ago?
  8. Were you late today?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who was with you yesterday?
  2. Who was at home yesterday?
  3. Who was at work?
  4. Who was busy?
  5. Who was on a trip last year?
  6. Who was late today?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is it good to be busy?
  2. Are time zones a good idea?
  3. Was last year a good year?
  4. Is it fun to go on a trip?
  5. Is it better to be early or late?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Where were you?

You

Speaker

A friend (your teacher) asks where you were yesterday:
  • say where you were
  • say who was with you
  • say if you were tired or busy
  • ask your friend where he or she was
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use was and were.
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. Where were you yesterday?
  2. Who was with you?
  3. Were you tired?
  4. I was at home.
7.2

A phone call

You

Speaker

A friend in another country (your teacher) calls you:
  • ask what time it is there
  • say what time it is here
  • say where you were an hour ago
  • say goodbye
You do most of the talking. Use: What time is it? · I was...
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. It's eight o'clock here.
  2. Where were you?
  3. Were you at work?
  4. Goodbye!
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

yesterdaytomorrowtime zonepartytriptiredbusyearly
  1. The day before today is .
  2. The day after today is .
  3. A part of the world where the clocks show the same time is a .
  4. A meeting of friends with food, music and dancing is a .
  5. A short journey, for example to the mountains, is a .
  6. After a long day without rest, you feel .
  7. A person with a lot to do is .
  8. If the lesson is at eight and you come at seven, you are .
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. I at home.
  2. They at work.
  3. You busy.
  4. She late.
  5. you at the party?
  6. Yes, I .
  7. We tired yesterday.
  8. He at school.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I was at home.
  2. I were at home.
  3. They were at work.
  4. They was at work.
  5. Were you at the party?
  6. Was you at the party?
  7. She wasn't late.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. Where were
  2. I was
  3. We were
  4. I wasn't
  5. They weren't
  6. Were you
  7. Yes,

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.