EnglishA disrupted hotel arrival
Put the events in order:
arrive at the hotel → the hotel gives away the room
By the time we arrived at the hotel, they had given away our room.
Earlier event | Later past event |
|---|---|
They had given away the room. | We arrived at the hotel. |
- boarding pass [/ˈbɔːdɪŋ pɑːs/]
- a document that allows you to get on a plane
I showed my boarding pass at the gate. - platform [/ˈplætfɔːm/]
- the area where you get on or off a train
Our train left from platform 6. - delayed flight [/dɪˌleɪd ˈflaɪt/]
- a flight that leaves later than planned
Our delayed flight arrived after midnight. - check in [/tʃek ˈɪn/]
- to register when you arrive at a hotel or airport
We checked in online before the flight. - give away a room [/ɡɪv əˈweɪ ə ruːm/]
- to offer a reserved hotel room to another guest
The hotel had given away our room. - book a hotel [/bʊk ə həʊˈtel/]
- to reserve a room in a hotel
I had booked a hotel near the station. - miss a connection [/mɪs ə kəˈnekʃən/]
- to arrive too late for the next bus, train, or flight
We missed our connection in Frankfurt. - tour guide [/ˈtʊə ɡaɪd/]
- a person who shows visitors around a place
The tour guide told us about the old city. - sightseeing tour [/ˈsaɪtsiːɪŋ tʊə/]
- a trip to visit famous places in a city
They took a sightseeing tour of Rome. - luggage [/ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/]
- bags and suitcases for travel
My luggage was still at the airport. - reservation [/ˌrezəˈveɪʃən/]
- an arrangement to keep a room, seat, or table for someone
The receptionist could not find my reservation. - arrive at the hotel [/əˈraɪv æt ðə həʊˈtel/]
- to reach the hotel
We arrived at the hotel at 10 p.m.
Two past events, one clear order
Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
Earlier completed event | had + past participle | The train had left. |
Later completed event | Past Simple | We reached the platform. |
Background action in progress | was/were + -ing | We were waiting for the bus. |
Say the events in order: earlier event → later event.
- By the time we reached the platform, the train [___] .
- After I [___] , I went to the gate.
- Before the tour started, we [___] a city map.
- By the time the taxi arrived, we [___] our luggage.
- After the airline [___] our flight, we booked a train.
- Before we [___] the hotel, we had paid the bill.
- When I got to the museum, the guide [___] the tour.
- While we [___] for the bus, we realized that we had missed the connection.
A travel forum story
The worst holiday I’ve ever had
Last summer, I flew to Rome for a weekend of sightseeing. I had booked a small hotel near the station, but when I arrived, the receptionist said they had given away my room. While I was trying to explain my reservation, my phone died. I had left my charger on the plane. After the receptionist found another room, I walked there in heavy rain. By the time I reached it, my luggage had disappeared from the taxi. The driver returned it an hour later, but I had missed the evening tour I had paid for. The next morning, I visited the Colosseum, but it was closed because of a strike. I went home early and promised myself to plan better next time.
Mark the story:
- Underline the Past Simple verbs.
- Circle the Past Continuous verb phrase.
- Put a box around the Past Perfect verb phrases.
Number these events from 1 to 5:
- the phone died
- the hotel room was unavailable
- the writer arrived in Rome
- the taxi luggage disappeared
- the driver returned the luggage
- Why did the receptionist say the writer could not have the original room?
- What was the writer doing when the phone died?
- Why did the writer miss the evening tour?
Difficult words
- receptionist — a person who welcomes guests at a hotel
- reservation — a booking for a room, seat, or service
- charger — a device used to give power to a phone
- heavy rain — very strong rain
- disappeared — was suddenly not there
- strike — a time when workers stop working to protest
- Colosseum — a famous ancient building in Rome
Your travel incident
Write 40–80 words about a travel problem.
Start with:
Include:
- one travel word from today
- one sentence with Past Perfect
- one sentence with Past Simple
- one marker: by the time, after, before, when, or while
Useful phrases:
Earlier problem | Later result |
|---|---|
I had booked the wrong hotel. | When I arrived, the receptionist could not find my reservation. |
My flight had been delayed. | By the time I reached the platform, the train had left. |
I had left my luggage in the taxi. | After I called the driver, he returned it. |
While I was checking in, ... | ... my phone died. |
