Writing Activity:

A. Put all the verbs in this text into the PRESENT tense.

1. Mrs Cable was the richest woman in the city, but she is also a
busybody. She always wanted to know what everybody is doing. When
she needs something she rings a bell and a servant came. One day a
truck stops in front of her house and three men got out. They are
carrying a large box. Mrs Cable sees this and told her servant,
Sam, to go and see what the men were doing. Sam goes out and spoke
to the men but they don't tell him. 2. When he came back Mrs
Cable is very angry with him. Next she sent George to find out. He
didn't want to go at first and Mrs Cable told him he is afraid.
When he goes out the men ignored him when he said good morning. He
tries again but this time the big man hit him in the stomach and
he fell on the ground. 3.  Mrs Cable sees all this and came on to
the street. The men take her by the arms and put her in the box.

B. Now do it again, putting all the verbs into the PAST tense.

4. Mrs Cable was the richest woman in the city, but she is also a
busybody. She always wanted to know what everybody is doing. When
she needs something she rings a bell and a servant came. One day a
truck stops in front of her house and three men got out. They are
carrying a large box. 5. Mrs Cable sees this and told her servant,
Sam, to go and see what the men were doing. Sam goes out and spoke
to the men but they don't tell him. When he came back Mrs Cable is
very angry with him. Next she sent George to find out. He didn't
want to go at first and Mrs Cable told him he is afraid. When he
goes out the men ignored him when he said good morning. 6. He
tries again but this time the big man hit him in the stomach and
he fell on the ground. Mrs Cable sees all this and came on to the
street. The men take her by the arms and put her in the box.
C. Now write the word which is the same in both tenses - (you
didn't have to change it!)
The word is: