WHAT'S ON

THE NEWS?

By Yesika Daz
English B1
OBJETIVES
Use there is/there are to show that
objects/people/events exist in the present.

Use there was/there were to show that

objects/people/events existed in the past.

Use vocabulary and idiomatic expressions related to

the new and to uneventful everyday activities
 READING
(Peter and Gina are in their living room after dinner)
PETER: Whats on the news?
GINA: Nothing good, you can be sure.
PETER: Well, lets see what the bad news is, then. (Turns on the TV)
ANNOUNCER:
the police said the individual was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and wore a mask.
There were reports he was seen driving away in a blue Monza.
Now on to some lighter news. In Medellin, Colombia, ten schoolchildren squeezed into a Renault 4 car and
broke a Guinness Record.
In Rainham, England a bank robber was arrested after trying to escape ON A BICYCLE. I guess he wasnt in a
hurry.
In Motown Kentucky a 25-year old woman wants to strengthen her tummy muscles. She drinks only fruit
juices and lies down with two cinder blocks on her tummy for five hours every day. I think shes on a crush
diet.
And theres a man in Wellington, New Zealand who is completing 25 continuous days at the top of a 40-foot
pole. You might say thats one way of getting away from it all.
On to weather. Tomorrow should be fine with about 75 degrees.
(Gina switches off the TV)
GINA: Man, people sure do stupid things to get into the Guinness Records Book.
PETER: And to get their name in the news, too, apparently. What a lot of nonsense! By the way, I got a letter
from Aunt Agatha today and she says
 THERE IS / THERE ARE
The phrases " there is" and "there are" indicate that something or a group of things exist or do not
exist. e.g.

a)There's a fly in my soup

b)There are several mistakes in this report.

Note that it is possible to say the following:

a) A fly is in my soup.
b) Several mistakes are in this report.

Using the pronoun there as a subject in these example sentences stresses the fact that the "the
fly" or "the mistakes" exist. By using "there" in the sentences, the speaker makes a clear declarative
statement, drawing more attention to his statement.
THE VERB TO BE IN THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE: WAS /
WERE
The past forms of the verb to be are was and were, and the conjugation of the verb is as follows:

I / he / she / it was

You / we / they were

The forms was and were are used to describe a situation or situations in the past that no longer
exist, e.g.
There were two men on that corner, but they are gone now.
Terry was thin when he was young.
The concert last night was fabulous!