Lingoda Group Class Notes 6
Topic: Narrative tenses Relatedskill: Grammar
Date: 21 May 2024 Teacher: SalimaClassmates:
- 1 from XXX (I missed)
What I've learned
Idioms
What are the chances? - Meaning: An expression used when something very surprising or unlikely happens. - Example: What are the chances of meeting you here?
Vocabularies & Phrases
| V&P | Definiation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| coincidence | n. 巧合，同时发生；相符，一致；符合 | Soon, they discovered some very strange coincidences |
| fatality | n. （灾难、事故中的）死亡；致命性；宿命 | There was an increase in road fatalities this year. |
| dam | n. 水坝；v.（在河上）筑坝；阻止，抑制 | It is of course very easy to laugh at the story of the small fish that endangered the great dam. |
| flash flood | n. （暴雨引起的）暴发洪水 | There were flash floods last spring due to heavy rainfall. |
| anecdote | n. 轶事；秘史 | By sharing his own anecdotes behind English slang on his mini-blog, he's trying to make others laugh and learn. |
| biographical | adj. 传记的 | I found a few links to past articles and some biographical details. |
| narrative | n. 叙述; adj.叙述的；故事体的 | He then told me that he would commence his narrative the next day when I should be at leisure. |
| find your niche | 找到自己的定位 | Once you find your niche, you are ready to start a business and, first, choose that business. |
| every topic under the sun | 无所不谈 | There are blogs on every topic under the sun these days. |
Grammar
The narrative tenses = past simple, pastcontinuous, past perfect and pastperfect continuous
Using narrative tenses: - The narrative tenses are used together to talk about the past. - They are often used to tell stories and anecdotes, describe historical events. - You can also give biographical information using the narrative tenses.
Past Simple
The past simple says what happened at a specific time in the past. Usage: Subject + verb 2 (drove, ate, made, saw, completed, lived etc...)
- We went to the restaurant. We ate dinner. Then we went home.
- Soon, they discovered some very strange coincidences.
Past continuous
The past continuous says what was happening around a certain time in the past. It's useful for description and background action. Usage: Subject + was/were + verb-ing
- When we got to the restaurant, they were waiting for us. The music was playing and waiters were bringing out the starters.
- Then last week, while I was buying my groceries at the local supermarket, I saw her in the next aisle.
Past perfect
The past perfect describes an action that happened before another action in the past. Usage: Subject + have/had + past participle
- We had called ahead and reserved a table before we set off for the restaurant.
- Their adoptive parents had called both of them James.
Past perfect continuous
The continuous form is used to describe an action that happened in the past and the action was ongoing. Usage: Subject + have/had + been + verb-ing
- She had been travelling the world.
- Until then, they had been living separate lives in cities in Ohio.
Review
3.5/5
Salima was a very friendly and kind teacher. She always gave us positive feedback and equal opportunities to speak and read. However, her teaching approach was strictly following the lecture materials without incorporating external knowledge, and she didn't take too many notes during the class.