The Birthday WIsh ESL Conversation Past Tense is a fun lesson for ESL students to learn vocabulary, and expressions to have a conversation using Past Continuous, Past Simple, Past Perfect & Past Perfect Continuous.
Watch the ESL video and use the ESL Printable and Digital storytelling flashcards to retell the story and practice using new vocabulary and expressions. Get the printable ESL worksheets and ESL lesson plan, ESL printable and digital flashcards, ESL listening and reading exercises, and gamify lessons with badges and stamps.
Watch the following YouTube video:
Match the words and expressions on the left with the meanings on the right.
1. rude |
2. I won’t say a word |
3. fancy |
4. once in a lifetime |
5. hop on |
6. stunning |
7. find (one’s) way |
8. scream with joy |
9. running late |
10. thrilled |
11 call in sick |
12. couldn’t believe (one’s) eyes. |
a. to get on; to board |
b. very beautiful; elegant |
c. to shout because one is very happy |
d. to discover the route, location, destination |
e. to telephone the place where you work and tell them that you won’t be coming |
f. very nice and elaborate |
g. unlikely to occur again in your life |
h. doing something later than expected |
i. to be totally shocked and surprised by something that you see |
j. impolite |
k. extremely happy about something |
l. to promise not to say anything that someone has or is about to tell you |
Sam: Hey Bob! So, why weren’t you at work yesterday?
Bob: Hi Sam!Oh, I had a really crazy day. If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone.
Sam: Oh no, it sounds serious. I promise I won’t say a word. My mouth is sealed1. What happened?
Bob: Well, it all started at the train station. I was waiting for the train when I saw a beautiful woman walk by. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was stunning. Honestly, she was like something from the movies. She suddenly stopped and started talking to me.
I was talking to her when the train that I was supposed to get on stopped. I missed my train because she was asking me questions and I couldn’t stop talking to her.
She was asking me what train she should take when my train arrived. Of course, I had to help her. It would have been rude to just jump on my train. So, I helped her find her way.
Anyways, I was checking the train schedule for the next train I could take when she invited me for coffee. I checked my watch, and I was already late for work, so …
I didn’t know what to do. Should I go for a coffee and call in sick? Or should I politely explain that I was running late for work and miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
That’s when she told me that she was only visiting. She was planning to go back to her hometown after she visited her Grandma at the hospital. There was a chance that I’d never see her again if I didn’t go for coffee. It was then that I decided to call in sick.
We hopped on the train and went to Central Station. There’s a really quiet and fancy coffee shop very close to the station that I decided to take her to. We started walking when she received a message from her friend.
She was replying to her friend when a man selling flowers walked by. I quickly bought a rose for her when she wasn’t looking. I gave her the rose and she screamed with joy. She was really thrilled.
*I won’t say a word – Can also say, ‘I won’t breathe a word’
**my mouth is sealed – more commonly known as ‘my lips are sealed’
Match the words and expressions on the left with the meanings on the right.
1. clap |
2. errand |
3. sleep in |
4. cover |
5. completely |
6. pass out |
7. stop in one’s tracks |
8. out of the blue |
9. recovery |
10. laugh hysterically |
11. stranger |
12. corner of (one’s) eye |
a. to suddenly come to a rest |
b. to put something over something so that it isn’t visible |
c. to laugh uncontrollably |
d. a short and quick trip with a purpose |
e. a person you don’t know |
f. totally |
g. unexpected |
h. become unconscious |
i. to not wake up at the usual time |
j. to see someone or something quickly and briefly, not clearly |
k. to hit your hands against each other |
l. a return to a normal state of health |
Use the flashcards and your imagination to talk about a party.
We were walking to the coffee shop when she suddenly stopped and told me that she needed to call her Grandma and tell her she would be a little bit late. When I was standing on the street waiting for her to finish talking to her Grandma, I noticed our boss Cindy out of the corner of my eye. I quickly covered my face with my bag as she was walking by. I don’t think she saw me, but I was a little bit worried.
Anyways, she finished talking to her Grandma and we continued walking to the coffee shop. We got there and it was completely full. There were no seats in the place. Just my luck! That is when she suggested that we wait. We were sitting in the waiting area when an old, loud man came in. He looked at her and said, “wow, are you from heaven? – I think I’m in love with you.” She smiled and thanked the old man. Then she did something that I wasn’t expecting at all. She invited the old man to join us for coffee. He happily accepted her invitation.
After waiting for nearly an hour, we got a table. We were looking at the menu and trying to decide what to order when the old man suddenly passed out on the table. We looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.
We were laughing when suddenly out of the blue an older looking woman walked in the door. It was her grandma. That confused me since she had told me several times that visiting her grandma in the hospital was the whole purpose of her trip.
I was thinking to myself, “was she lying or did her grandma really make a sudden recovery?”
Her grandma was walking towards us with a huge smile on her face. Then she looked down and noticed the old man passed out at our table. She stopped in her tracks and screamed loudly, “What is he doing here?”
Well that really confused me.
“How did all of these strangers happen to know each other?” I was thinking to myself.
Well, then her grandma started dancing to a song that came on the radio. The old man woke up and he suddenly started singing. We were clapping and laughing when the waitress came over with a birthday cake. Everyone in the coffee shop started to sing “Happy Birthday” to me. I couldn’t understand why since my birthday was last month. It was really hot, and I was sweating because I didn’t know what was happening. I closed my eyes, made a wish and blew out the candles.
That’s when I woke up and realized it was all just a dream. I’d forgotten to set my alarm clock and slept in. Well, I was running late and decided to use a personal day to catch up on some errands.
Sam: Well, that was a pretty entertaining dream and story. I’m relieved to hear that everything is okay with you Bob. Next time, you can just give me the short answer!
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Reference: NewInt5