Week 5: Right place, wrong weekend (Pre-Intermediate in 34 weeks)

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• This week's topic: your best and worst trips, holidays and weekends – what happened, what went right/wrong, funny incidents.
• Grammar: past simple (regular & irregular verbs), negatives with didn’t.
• Vocabulary: holidays, travel activities, travel problems.
• Speaking: talking about your last holiday / weekend and asking other people about theirs.

Short Russian summary

Неделя 5 — говорим про лучшие и худшие поездки и выходные. Тренируем Past Simple (в том числе неправильные глаголы и отрицания с didn’t), лексику по теме отпусков/поездок и учимся рассказывать истории «что случилось» + задавать вопросы другим.

DAY 1 – READING: Right place, wrong weekend

A1. Read the story

Right place, wrong weekend

Last month I decided to visit my friends in a small town by the sea. I needed a break from work, so I booked a cheap train ticket and packed my backpack. The weather forecast looked perfect: sunny and warm.

On Friday evening I arrived at the station and immediately noticed something strange. Many people carried big flags and wore the same colours. I thought, “Maybe there is a small football game here.” I walked to my friends’ flat and rung the bell.

My friend Anna opened the door and said, “You picked a very interesting weekend. There is a big football final tomorrow. Our town usually stays quiet, but today it is crazy.” She smiled, but I didn’t feel very relaxed.

The next morning we tried to go to the beach, but the streets were full of noisy fans. They sang songs, drank beer and shouted in front of the cafés. We waited twenty minutes for a bus, but it never came. Finally, we walked to the beach.

The sea looked beautiful, but the beach was already full of people. Some fans played loud music, some left rubbish on the sand, and one man even fell asleep on our towels. We stayed for only an hour and then we went back to the flat.

In the evening it started to rain. The football fans didn’t stop their party. They danced, screamed and banged on the doors of our building. I couldn’t sleep, so I made some tea and watched the match on TV. Our team lost, and the fans became even louder.

On Sunday afternoon I took the train home. The town looked peaceful again from the window, but I felt very tired. It was the right place – I loved the sea and the old streets – but it was the wrong weekend. Next time I will check the football calendar before I book my ticket.

A2. Check your understanding

Answer in full sentences (aloud or in writing).

1. Why did the writer decide to visit the small town by the sea?
2. What was strange at the station on Friday evening?
3. What did Anna say about this weekend in the town?
4. What happened when they tried to go to the beach?
5. Why was the beach not very relaxing?
6. What did the fans do in the evening?
7. Why couldn’t the writer sleep?
8. How did the writer spend the night instead?
9. What happened in the football match?
10. What will the writer do before the next trip?

If you study with a partner, discuss your answers together.

DAY 2 – VOCABULARY: holidays, activities & problems

Today we save and practise useful words from the story.

B1. Match the words with their meanings

1. forecast
2. fans
3. final
4. rubbish
5. crowded
6. noisy
7. peaceful
8. to book (a ticket / room)
9. to get a break from work
10. to pick a weekend

a) people who love a team, singer or sport
b) to choose a specific weekend
c) last game in a tournament
d) plastic, paper, cans etc. that people throw away
e) calm and quiet
f) to reserve and pay for something in advance
g) very loud, with a lot of sounds and voices
h) when there are too many people in one place
i) to stop working for a short time and relax
j) information about future weather

B2. Complete the sentences

Use the words from B1. Change the form if needed.

1. I always check the weather __________ before I travel.
2. We couldn’t find a place on the beach; it was too __________.
3. The café was very __________, so we went outside to talk.
4. Many football __________ arrived on Friday evening with flags and songs.
5. I want to __________ a small hotel near the sea for August.
6. There was a lot of __________ on the sand after the party.
7. I need a __________ from work; I feel really tired.
8. Our town is usually very __________ on Sunday mornings.
9. They __________ the wrong weekend for their trip – there was a big festival.
10. The team played in the cup __________ and lost.

B3. Travel activities – choose the correct phrase

Choose the best option.

1. When I go on holiday, I usually a) stay at home b) stay in a hotel / Airbnb.
2. My favourite part of a trip is a) packing my bag b) exploring a new city.
3. On the first day I like to a) get lost on purpose b) sleep all day.
4. When the weather is bad, I usually a) complain all day b) visit museums or cafés.
5. If a place is too crowded, I prefer to a) find a quieter street b) shout at people.
6. On the last night of a trip I often a) buy small presents for friends b) throw my money in the sea.
7. During long trips I like to a) read or listen to podcasts b) stare at the wall.
8. If there is a problem with transport, I usually a) panic immediately b) check other options (bus, taxi, walking).
9. I think a good trip is a) always perfect b) sometimes messy, but still interesting.
10. When I come back home, I usually a) feel a bit tired but happy b) hate everything.

(Use this as a speaking prompt: ask “What about you?” and explain your choice.)

DAY 3 – GRAMMAR: past simple + negatives with didn’t

Quick reminder

Positive:

• I/you/he/she/we/they visited Rome.
• She took the train.

Regular verbs: verb + -ed → visited, decided, needed, stayed.
Irregular verbs: different forms → went, took, came, saw, made, had.

Negative:

• I/you/he/she/we/they didn’t visit Rome.
• She didn’t take the bus.

Form: didn’t + base verb (no -ed, no 2nd form).

Questions:

• Did you enjoy the trip?
• Did they have any problems?

C1. Choose the correct form

Circle a or b.

1. Last year we ___ to Spain.
   a) went
   b) go
2. I ___ a small hotel near the station.
   a) booked
   b) book
3. They ___ any museums; they stayed on the beach all day.
   a) didn’t visit
   b) visited not
4. The bus ___ late, so we missed the train.
   a) was
   b) were
5. We ___ very tired, but we ___ happy with the trip.
   a) were / were
   b) were / was
6. I ___ my passport at home. Luckily, I noticed before I left.
   a) left
   b) leaved
7. The weather ___ good, so we ___ to the mountains.
   a) was / went
   b) were / go
8. She ___ a lot of photos, but she ___ them on social media.
   a) took / didn’t post
   b) taked / didn’t posted
9. We ___ the price before we booked the room.
   a) checked
   b) check
10. I ___ to buy a ticket in advance, so I ___ in a long queue at the station.
    a) forgot / stood
    b) forgot / stand

C2. Complete with past simple (regular or irregular)

Use these verbs: decide, arrive, see, try, sleep, buy, miss, feel, start, enjoy

1. We __________ our trip at 6 a.m.
2. I __________ to call the hotel, but nobody answered.
3. They __________ very tired after the night flight.
4. We __________ the mountains from the train window.
5. She __________ a small present for her host family.
6. He __________ at all on the night bus.
7. We __________ the bus and had to walk to the hotel.
8. I __________ to learn a few phrases in the local language.
9. The holiday __________ in a strange way, but it finished well.
10. In the end, we __________ our weekend a lot.

C3. Make negative sentences with didn’t

Use the prompts.

1. I / enjoy / the hotel (very noisy)
2. We / swim / in the sea (too cold)
3. They / find / the museum (no sign)
4. She / bring / enough money (everything was expensive)
5. He / sleep / on the plane (a baby cried)
6. The restaurant / have / vegetarian dishes
7. We / plan / our trip very well
8. I / know / about the football match in the town
9. They / take / a taxi (it was too expensive)
10. We / feel / bored (it was crazy, but interesting)

(Write full sentences, e.g. “I didn’t enjoy the hotel because it was very noisy.”)

DAY 4 – SPEAKING & WRITING

D1. Speaking – “Best and worst trip”

If you have a partner / tutor:

• Role A: Ask about the other person’s trip.
• Role B: Answer and tell your story.

Use questions like:

• Where did you go?
• When did you go?
• Who did you go with?
• How did you travel (by car, by train…)?
• What went well?
• What went wrong?
• Did you have any funny or strange problems?
• Would you like to go there again?

Then change roles.

If you study alone, record yourself on your phone. First, ask the questions. Then answer them as if you are in an interview.

D2. Writing – email or postcard from a trip

Write 8–10 sentences about:

• your best trip
  or
• your worst / most difficult trip.

Include:

• Where you went, when, and with whom
• 2–3 things that you did
• 1–2 problems or funny moments
• How you felt at the end

Example starter:

Last summer I went to…
We stayed in…
The best/worst part was when…

First, write simple past forms. Then read your text and underline all the verbs in past simple.

DAY 5 – LISTENING, REVISION & SHADOWING

Option 1 – Offline practice (without the app)

1. Read the story “Right place, wrong weekend” again.
2. Close the text and try to retell the story in your own words (aloud).
3. Read the story aloud and record it on your phone.
4. Play the recording and do shadowing – speak together with your own voice, copy the intonation and rhythm.
5. Repeat key questions out loud (at least 10), for example:

• Where did you go?
• When did you go?
• What happened on the trip?
• Did anything go wrong?
• Would you like to go there again?

Option 2 – Practice in SpeakingCamps (with the app)

If you use the SpeakingCamps app, you can make this easier and more fun.

Open the app → Pre-Intermediate camp with the same name as this post (Week 2 topic about trips).

There you can:

• listen to the trip story as audio;
• do shadowing directly with the built-in recording;
• revise the key travel vocabulary and question forms;
• test your understanding with short in-app tasks;
• speak with an AI agent that is trained to ask you about your best and worst trips and help you correct grammar and mistakes.

You can also sign up for a live Speaking Club where we talk about travel stories in small groups (up to 8 people).

Download the app:
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/speakingcamps/id6448212314

If you have questions, you can always write to me on Telegram @olga_dobrozhan or email support@speakingcamps.com.

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P.S: Correct answers for self-check: