Describing Injuries and Using Past Tense
1. Vocabulary for Injuries
Sprain:
– Definition: An injury to a joint caused by overstretching or tearing.
– Example: “She hurt her wrist; she has a sprain.”
Bruise:
– Definition: A mark on the skin caused by a blow.
– Example: “I bruised my shoulder after falling.”
Break:
– Definition: A bone fracture.
– Example: “She broke her leg and needs therapy.”
Twist:
– Definition: An injury caused by turning or rotating a joint awkwardly.
– Example: “I twisted my ankle while playing tennis.”
Cut:
– Definition: An injury caused by a sharp object.
– Example: “I dropped the knife and cut my foot.”
Hit/Bump:
– Definition: A minor injury from a collision or impact.
– Example: “I hit my head; it’s just a bump.”
2. Pronunciation and Past Tense Endings
Many past tense verbs end in “-ed.” Sometimes this ending is pronounced (as in “twisted”) and sometimes it sounds like part of the base word (as in “happened”).
Practice saying these words slowly and repeat them to master the correct pronunciation.
Note: Some words have silent letters. For example, “wrist” is pronounced without the “w.”
3. Sample Dialogues and Expressions
Asking About an Injury:
– “What happened?”
– “Are you okay?”
Responses:
– “I sprained my wrist.”
– “I bruised my shoulder.”
– “I broke my leg.”
Additional Expressions:
– “It wasn’t fun at all—it was no picnic.”
– When describing a series of events, use clear sequence markers (see next section).
4. Using “When” vs. “While”
When: Indicates a specific point in time.
– Example: “I answered the phone when it rang.”
While: Indicates that an action was in progress when something else happened.
– Example: “I twisted my ankle while playing tennis.”
Remember: “While” is used for ongoing activities, and “when” pinpoints a moment.
5. Ordering and Completing Sentences
Practice completing sentences that describe incidents:
– “I fell down and hurt my elbow.”
– “I dropped the knife and cut my foot.”
– “I slipped and twisted my ankle.”
Arrange events in order to describe what happened before, during, and after an injury.
6. Informal Speech and Cultural Notes
In casual conversation, words like “yeah” and “okay” are common. However, be aware that expressions can vary by region.
For formal presentations or clear communication, aim for more precise language.
Always capitalize “I” and other proper nouns.
7. Final Practice and Reminders
Repeat and shadow sentences from recordings or movies with a neutral accent to improve both pronunciation and fluency.
Use these notes to practice both the vocabulary and grammatical structures for describing incidents and injuries.
If you have any questions or wish to book an additional session, please email me at
teacherjt407@outlook.com
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