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My First Day in New York

By the end of this exercise, you can write a message to a friend about your first day in a new city — what you did, saw and ate, and what you didn't like — using irregular past verbs and did / didn't.

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Ex A – ReadingRead about Lena's first day in New York and answer six questions
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Ex B – Irregular verbsgo → went, buy → bought, see → saw
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Ex C – Did and didn'tQuestions and negatives in the past
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Ex D – More irregular verbsRound 1: meet → met, ride → rode
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Ex E – More did and didn'tRound 1: mixed questions and negatives
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Ex F – Write the past formRound 2: type the verb yourself
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Ex G – Word orderRound 2: build questions and negatives
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Ex H – WritingA message to your pen friend
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Auf einen Blick / At a glance

Free Year 8 English practice: a first day in New York — practise irregular simple past verbs and did / didn't questions and negatives at A2 level.

Niveau / Level
A2 (GER/CEFR)
Für / For
Jahrgang 8 · Oberschule
Grammatik / Grammar
Simple Past
Fertigkeiten / Skills
Grammatik / Grammar, Schreiben / Writing
Aufgaben / Tasks
8 — Lena's First Day in New York · Irregular Verbs in the Simple Past · Questions and Negatives with did / didn't · Round 1: More Irregular Verbs · Round 1: More did / didn't · Round 2: Write the Past Form · Round 2: Word Order · Writing: A Message to Sam
Kosten / Cost
kostenlos, ohne Anmeldung / free, no sign-up
Exercise A

Lena's First Day in New York

Read the text. Then choose the correct answer to complete each sentence.

Before you read — optional, not marked
You can leave this empty. It does not count towards your score.
Reading text

Last summer, Lena from Hamburg flew to New York to visit her cousin Maya. The plane was late, so she got to the airport at ten at night. Maya and her dad took her home to Brooklyn by subway.

The next morning, the girls went to Central Park. They ate bagels for breakfast and saw lots of people on bikes. Lena didn't like the noise in Times Square, but she loved the bright lights. In the afternoon they rode the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, and Lena bought a small statue for her brother.

That night she was very tired, but she couldn't sleep. New York was too exciting!

Questions

1. Lena comes from .

2. She got to the airport .

3. They went to Brooklyn by .

4. For breakfast in the park, the girls ate .

5. In Times Square, Lena didn't like the .

6. Lena bought a small statue for her .

Exercise B

Irregular Verbs in the Simple Past

Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets. Most of these verbs are irregular: they do not end in -ed.

Maya's diary

1. Yesterday we (go) to the Empire State Building.

2. My dad (buy) the tickets online.

3. We (see) the whole city from the top.

4. Lena (take) lots of photos.

5. Then we (eat) pizza in Little Italy.

6. I (make) a short video for my friends.

7. We (come) home at nine o'clock.

8. I (live) in Brooklyn now, and I love it here.

Exercise C

Questions and Negatives with did / didn't

After did and didn't, use the base form of the verb: didn't go, Did you see …? Choose the correct words.

Lena's phone call home

1. I the noise in Times Square.

2. Mum: " the Statue of Liberty?"

3. We a taxi because it was too expensive.

4. Mum: "Where for lunch?" – "To Chinatown."

5. Maya's dad with us. He had to work.

6. Mum: " Maya's school?" – "Yes, I did."

7. The subway at our station, so we walked.

8. Mum: "What for your brother?" – "A small statue."

Exercise D

Round 1: More Irregular Verbs

Choose the correct simple past form of the verb in brackets.

Day 2 in New York

1. On Sunday we (meet) Maya's friends in Brooklyn.

2. We (ride) bikes across the Brooklyn Bridge.

3. Then Lena (lose) her phone on the bridge!

4. A police officer (find) it ten minutes later.

5. After that, we (sit) in a café near the river.

6. I (drink) a big chocolate milkshake.

7. Maya's friend (give) Lena a New York T-shirt.

8. In the evening, Lena (write) postcards to her friends.

Exercise E

Round 1: More did / didn't

Choose the correct words.

Lena's second phone call home

1. Mum: "How much for the bikes?" – "Ten dollars each."

2. At first, Lena her phone.

3. Mum: " the milkshake?" – "Yes, it was great."

4. We the bus home. We walked.

5. Mum: "When home?" – "At eight o'clock."

6. Maya the T-shirt. Her friend bought it.

7. Mum: " the bridge?" – "No, we went by bike."

8. The police officer any money for his help.

Exercise F

Round 2: Write the Past Form

Type the simple past form of the verb in brackets.

Lena's last day

1. On her last day, Lena (have) breakfast with Maya's family.

2. She (feel) sad because she wanted to stay.

3. "At first I (think) New York was too loud," she said.

4. But after the first night, she (sleep) very well.

5. Maya (run) to the shop to buy her a present.

6. At the airport, the girls (speak) about Lena's next visit.

7. The plane (leave) at six in the evening.

8. The film on the plane (begin) ten minutes later.

Exercise G

Round 2: Word Order

Put the words in the correct order to make a question or a negative sentence. Type the whole sentence.

Make the sentences

1. you / did / where / go / yesterday

2. didn't / I / the subway / like

3. the ferry / did / take / you

4. we / have / didn't / time

5. what / see / did / she

6. last night / didn't / sleep / Lena

7. when / arrive / did / the plane

8. the noise / like / didn't / they

Exercise H

Writing: A Message to Sam

Imagine you are in New York for a school trip. Write a message to your pen friend Sam in London about your first day (6–8 sentences). Say what you did, saw and ate, and one thing you didn't like. Use at least five irregular past verbs and one didn't.

Useful words
went saw ate bought took had met rode got didn't like didn't have
Your message
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All exercises complete!

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