MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH

Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end


  Drag&Drop
Time connectors (simultaneous actions, etc.)
Focus Grammar
Description Here we are going to practise how to express events that happen at the same time and also some other emphatic forms. The numbers show the order of events (1+1 for simultaneous actions). Punctuation is also important for your choice.
Instructions Click on the right connectors at the bottom and drag them into the empty boxes of the sentence to complete it.
 
Gapped text Items
1- when I can visit you + 2- (immediately) I'll go and visit you = I'll go and visit you ______________________ I can. then / meanwhile / as / after / before / as soon as
1- Mary was studying + 1- Peter was painting = Mary was studying ______________________ Peter was painting. suddenly / as soon as / then / after / the moment / before / while
1- He was walking down the street + 1- His phone rang = ______________________ he was walking down the street, his phone rang. later / afterwards / after / when / first / before / then
1- I was having a rest + 2- (quickly and unexpectedly) I remembered she was waiting = I was having a rest, but ______________________, I remembered she was waiting. while / then / as soon as / suddenly / before / meanwhile / as
1- She was sleeping + 1- I phoned you = She was sleeping ______________________ I phoned you. after / suddenly / as soon as / when / the moment / before
1- Jack was having a shower + 1- The telephone rang = ______________________ Jack was having a shower, the telephone rang. afterwards / after / later / then / first / before / as
1- She was going out + 1- Her cousin arrived = ______________________ she was going out, her cousin arrived. after / when / before / first / afterwards / then / later
1- He sat reading the paper + 1- The door opened = ______________________ he sat reading the paper, the door opened. afterwards / as / later / then / first / before / after
1- Have fun + 1- You are here = Have fun ______________________ you are here. before / after / while / afterwards / later / then / as soon as / as
1- They were going to Canterbury + 1- They saw something very strange = ______________________ they were going to Canterbury, ______________________ they saw something very strange. before / after / first / later / then / as / afterwards / --
1- I get older + 1- I get optimistic = ______________________ I get older, ______________________ I get more optimistic. before / first / afterwards / -- / as / then / later / after
1- Everything is ready + 2- (immediately) I'll go there = I'll go there ______________________ everything is ready. as / after / then / later / before / as soon as / while
1- I was looking for her + 1- She saw me = ______________________ I was looking for her, ______________________ she saw me. then / afterwards / after / before / as / -- / first / later
1- He had a beer + 1- She was talking on the phone = He had a beer ______________________ she was talking on the phone. the moment / before / later / after / meanwhile / while / suddenly / then
1- I was coming here + 1- I found this in the street = ______________________ I was coming here, I found this in the street. later / after / afterwards / before / then / first / as
1- He had a beer + 1- She was talking on the phone = He had a beer. ______________________, she was talking on the phone. Before / Then / as / Then / The moment / Meanwhile / After / when
1- They saw me + 2- (immediately) They started to shoot = ______________________ they saw me, they started to shoot. before / The moment / then / later / afterwards
1- Mary was studying + 1- Peter was paining = Mary was studying. ______________________, Peter was painting. As / Later / Then / Meanwhile / Before / When / As soon as / After
1- He is in a meeting + 1- You can wait here = He is in a meeting. You can wait here ______________________. as soon as / as / after / before / later / meanwhile / then
1- I went out + 2- (immediately) It started to rain = It started to rain ______________________ I went out. after / suddenly / while / before / meanwhile / the moment
1- She was making dinner + 1- Her sister came to visit = ______________________ she was making dinner, ______________________ her sister came to visit. -- / then / before / afterwards / first / after / as / later
1- She heard the news + 2- (immediately) She phoned me = She phoned me ______________________ she heard the news. as soon as / later / afterwards / then / before
1- I saw her with him + 2- (quickly and unexpectedly) I lost control = I saw her with him. ______________________, I lost control. then / after / as soon as / before / while / Suddenly / as / meanwhile
1- There was a big noise and everybody stopped + 2- (quickly and unexpectedly) Everybody started to run = There was a big noise and everybody stopped. ______________________, everybody started to run. As soon as / While / As / Before / Meanwhile / then / Suddenly / after
1- You left + 2- (1 minute later) Everything started = Everything was started ______________________ you left. suddenly / meanwhile / before / while / after / the moment
Total number of items: 25
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

TO INTRODUCE THE FIRST OF TWO ACTIONS
BEFORE (c.) (f.c.) (p.)
      Wake me up before you go (c.)
      Enter the house, but before, you have to disconnect the alarm system (f.c.)
      Don’t just open the door. Before that, ask who is knocking (f.c.)
      I met Charles before lunch (p.)

WHEN (c.)
      When I opened the door, the dog looked at me and went out  (First I open the door, then, the dog goes out)
 
If we want to emphasise that the second actions happens immediately after the first one:
 
AS SOON AS (c.)
THE MOMENT (c.)
      Phone me as soon as you see her
      The moment I saw her, I lost control

 

TO INTRODUCE THE SECOND OF TWO ACTIONS

AFTER (c.) (p.)
       After the bomb exploded, everything was quiet
       I went out after work
 
AFTERWARDS (f.c.)
THEN (f.c.)
LATER (f.c.)

Later suggests an interval of time between both actions. Afterwards and then can be used when there is an interval of time or when the second action takes place immediately after the first one.

      There was an explosion. Afterwards/Then, everything was quiet
      She had a shower. Later/Afterwards/Then, she went for a walk

If we want to show that the second action happens quickly and unexpectedly we use:
 
SUDDENLY (f.c.)
      I saw her. Suddenly, I lost control

 

  TO INTRODUCE THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF ACTIONS (2 or more)

FIRST (f.c.) often used with "then" or also with "second", "third", etc.
      First, go into the house, then, go upstairs and wait for me
      First, switch it on. Second, search for the channel, and last, adjust the volume

 

TO EXPRESS SIMULTANEOUS ACTIONS

if both actions are long, we usually use:
WHILE (c.)
MEANWHILE (f.c.)
 
     While Mary was studying, Peter was painting
     Mary was studying. Meanwhile, Peter was painting
 
if one action is long and the other one is short or instantaneous:
AS (c.)
WHEN (c.)
WHILE (c.)
 
      As / When / While I was walking down the street, I saw a rabbit

 

abbreviations:  (c.)= conjunction   (f.c.)= free connector (p.)= preposition    (see the important difference here: Kinds of Connectors)