A trip of a lifetime.
Hey, Ella.
How was your summer vacation?
I've been dying to hear all about it.
Hi, Oliver.
Oh, it was amazing.
I went to Crete Island in Greece with my husband and kids.
It was a dream come true.
No way.
That sounds like a slice of paradise.
How was it traveling with your husband and two kids?
Well, you know, it was a bit of a roller coaster ride sometimes.
But overall, it was a blast.
We all had a whale of a time.
I can imagine.
What kind of activities did you guys do there?
Oh, we did it all.
We hit the beach almost every day, soaking up the sun and riding the waves.
We went snorkeling and scuba diving.
The underwater world in Crete is breathtaking.
We even saw some sea turtles.
Wow, that sounds like a picture-perfect vacation.
That's right.
We also took a boat tour around the island.
We did a lot of exploring.
We visited the ancient ruins of Knossos, which was fascinating.
Were the kids happy?
Yeah, the kids were over the moon the whole time.
They loved learning about the history of the Minoan civilization.
Amazing!
What else did you do there?
We went off the beaten path and explored some hidden gems like Calypso Beach, Margaret's Village, or Lake Kornis.
They were really gorgeous.
I bet.
Did you guys try any local cuisine while you were there?
Oh, you bet we did.
The food in Crete was incredible.
We tried so many new dishes, like souvlaki, moussaka, fresh seafood, you name it.
It was a real treat for us.
Sounds like you had a foodie's paradise there.
Did you make any new friends during your trip?
We did indeed.
We met some locals who were as friendly as can be.
It was like a home away from home, chatting with them over a cup of coffee.
That's so heartwarming.
Did you take lots of photos to remember the trip?
Oh, for sure.
We took more photos than you can shake a stick at.
How was the weather there?
Did it rain?
No, it didn't rain at all.
The weather was perfect.
It was sunny and warm every day.
Did you bring back any souvenirs from Crete?
Yes, we brought back some local olive oil, honey, and of course, some handmade pottery.
It's a great way to remember our time there.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
It's hard to choose just one favorite part, but I think it was watching the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
It was so peaceful and beautiful.
I'm so happy you had such a fantastic vacation, Ella.
It sounds like you guys had the time of your lives.
Thanks, Oliver.
It was truly a trip of a lifetime, a real cherry on top of our summer.
Vocabulary.
Be dying for or to do something.
The phrase, be dying for something or be dying to do something, is an idiomatic expression which means to have a strong desire or craving to do something.
For instance, if I say, I am dying for a slice of pizza, it means that I really want a slice of pizza.
Another example could be, she is dying to go on a vacation, which indicates a strong urge to travel.
No way.
No way is an informal expression used to show disbelief, surprise, or strong disagreement.
For instance, if someone tells you they just won the lottery, you can respond with, no way.
That's incredible.
A roller coaster ride.
When we say something is like a roller coaster ride, it means that it was full of ups and downs with a lot of unexpected twists and turns, just like how a roller coaster goes up and down rapidly.
Example, starting a new job has been a roller coaster ride with challenges and successes.
A blast.
A blast is an informal expression used to describe a very enjoyable or exciting experience.
For example, if you say, I had a blast at the concert last night, it means you had a great time.
Hit the beach.
Hit the beach is an idiom that means to go to the beach, typically for relaxation or leisure activities.
For instance, after a long week at work, I can't wait to hit the beach this weekend.
Hidden gems.
Hidden gems refers to something that is extremely valuable or impressive, but not widely known or recognized.
For instance, a book that is not well-known but exceptionally well-written can be considered a hidden gem.
Or, imagine a small cafe tucked away in a quiet corner of the city that serves amazing food but is not popular among most people.
You name it.
This idiom is used to convey that there are many options or possibilities available.
For example, if you're planning an event and someone asks what kind of activities will be there, you could say, there will be games, music, dancing, you name it.
Treat.
The noun treat typically refers to something special or enjoyable that is given to someone or done for them.
It could be a reward, a pleasure, or a gift.
Here are a few examples.
I bought some ice cream as a treat for myself after a long day.
My grandmother always gives me a treat when I visit her.
Going to the park is a nice treat for the kids on weekends.
Having the time of one's life.
Having the time of one's life means to have a wonderful or extremely enjoyable experience.
For example, you might say, I had the time of my life at the concert last night.
Comprehension questions.
Hey, Ella.
How was your summer vacation?
I've been dying to hear all about it.
Hi, Oliver.
Oh, it was amazing.
I went to Crete Island in Greece with my husband and kids.
Who were the two main characters in the conversation?
The two main characters were Oliver and Ella.
Where did Ella say she went for her vacation?
Ella said she went to Crete Island in Greece with her husband and kids.
No way.
That sounds like a slice of paradise.
What does Oliver mean by saying a slice of paradise?
Oliver means that Crete sounds like a very beautiful and perfect place for a vacation.
How was it traveling with your husband and two kids?
Well, you know, it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride sometimes, but overall, it was a blast.
We all had a whale of a time.
Ella says that traveling with her family was a rollercoaster ride.
What does she mean by that?
Ella means that there were ups and downs during the trip, like a rollercoaster.
When Ella says they had a whale of a time, what does she mean by that?
She means they had a great and enjoyable time during the vacation.
We went snorkeling and scuba diving.
The underwater world in Crete is breathtaking.
How did Ella describe the underwater world in Crete?
She said it was breathtaking.
When Ella says the underwater world in Crete is breathtaking, what does she mean?
She means that the underwater world in Crete is stunning and beautiful.
Were the kids happy?
Yeah, the kids were over the moon the whole time.
How did Ella describe the kids' reaction to the vacation?
Ella said the kids were over the moon the whole time.
When Ella says the kids were over the moon the whole time, what does she imply?
She means that the kids were extremely happy and excited throughout the vacation.
We went off the beaten path and explored some hidden gems like Calypso Beach, Margaret's Village, or Lake Cornice.
They were really gorgeous.
What does off the beaten path mean based on Ella's statement?
Off the beaten path means going to lesser-known or less-traveled places rather than popular tourist spots.
When Ella says they explored hidden gems like Calypso Beach and Margarita's Village, what does she mean by hidden gems?
Hidden gems refer to places that are not widely known, but are incredibly beautiful or interesting.
What did Ella think of these hidden gems they visited?
Ella described them as really gorgeous.
Did you make any new friends during your trip?
We did indeed.
We met some locals who were as friendly as can be.
It was like a home away from home, chatting with them over a cup of coffee.
What did Ella say about the locals they met during their trip?
Ella mentioned that they met friendly locals who made them feel at home.
Did you guys try any local cuisine while you were there?
Oh, you bet we did.
The food in Crete was incredible.
We tried so many new dishes, like souvlaki, moussaka, fresh seafood, you name it.
It was a real treat for us.
Sounds like you had a foodie's paradise there.
Ella used the expression, you bet we did, when talking about trying local cuisine.
What does that phrase imply?
It means she definitely tried the local cuisine.
What does the term foodie's paradise imply in this context?
It suggests that the food in Crete was exceptionally good and enjoyable for people who love food.
Did you take lots of photos to remember the trip?
Oh, for sure!
We took more photos than you can shake a stick at.
It sounds like you guys had the time of your lives.
Thanks, Oliver.
It was truly a trip of a lifetime.
A real cherry on top of our summer.
When Ella says, they took more photos than you can shake a stick at, what does that idiomatic phrase mean?
It means they took a lot of photos, more than one could imagine or count easily.
How did Ella describe their experience in Crete overall?
Ella said it was a trip of a lifetime, a real cherry on top of their summer.
What does the phrase, a real cherry on top of our summer, suggest about Ella's overall impression of the trip?
It means that the trip to Crete was the perfect way to end their summer, something special and unforgettable.
Grammar lesson.
Simple past tense.
Definition.
The simple past tense is used to talk about actions that happened in the past and are now completed.
Hey, Ella, how was your summer vacation?
Hi, Oliver.
Oh, it was amazing.
I went to Crete Island in Greece with my husband and kids.
It was a dream come true.
In this conversation, we see Ella talking about her past experience.
I went to Crete.
The verb went is in the simple past tense, indicating that the action happened in the past.
Regular and irregular verbs.
The simple past tense is formed by adding ed to regular verbs, like tried, explored, or visited.
We explored some hidden gems.
We tried so many new dishes.
We visited the ancient ruins of Knossos.
There are some spelling rules to consider when adding ed to regular verbs, such as, if a verb ends in a y, such as try, you change it to an i and then add ed.
Try, tried.
Doubling the last consonant before adding ed for verbs ending in a single vowel followed by a consonant.
Drop, dropped.
However, some verbs are irregular and do not follow this rule.
They have unique forms in the past tense that you need to memorize.
Let's see some examples in the following sentences.
How was your summer vacation?
Was is the simple past tense of the verb to be.
We hit the beach almost every day.
Hit is the simple past tense of the verb to hit.
We went snorkeling and scuba diving.
Went is the simple past tense of the verb to go.
We even saw some sea turtles.
Saw is the irregular past tense form of the verb to see.
We met some locals who were as friendly as can be.
Met is another irregular verb in the simple past tense form of meet.
We took more photos than you can shake a stick at.
Took is the irregular past tense form of the verb to take.
Interrogative.
By using did and the base form of the verb, we create questions in the past tense.
For example, did you guys try any local cuisine while you were there?
The verb be is an exception.
In this case, we move be before the subject.
How was the weather there?
Were the kids happy?
Negative.
To form negative sentences in the simple past tense, we use did not or didn't before the base form of the verb.
For instance, how was the weather there?
Did it rain?
No, it didn't rain at all.
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