The Gift of Life
Trent made his first blood donation when he was in his twenties. He continued because he wanted to help other people.
He said, “It was my way of helping others.”Life Stories
Tell what happened, describe important milestones, and share the stories behind people's achievements.
Past eventsLife milestonesInterviews and biographiesTimeline writing
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1. People in the News
Read these short profiles and notice how each story reports past actions and achievements.
Athlete of the Year
Ahmed received an award for his leadership in sports. He practiced with his team and encouraged other young athletes.
His family supported him, so he kept playing.2. Vocabulary: Events and Achievements
Use these words to talk about milestones, service, and accomplishments.
Life events
Be born, grow up, get in touch, and take responsibility describe important parts of a life story.
She grew up in Jeddah and got in touch with her coach later.Achievements
Receive an award, compete, practice, and become describe steps toward success.
He received an award after he competed in the finals.Community
A donation is something given to help. A colleague works with you. A principal leads a school.
Her colleagues encouraged her to donate blood.Describing a story
Outstanding means excellent. Hopeful describes someone who expects good things. Leadership is the ability to guide others.
The team captain showed outstanding leadership.3. Grammar Focus: Simple Past
Use the simple past for completed actions and events at a finished time.
Affirmative
Use the past form of the verb. Regular verbs usually end in -ed; many common verbs are irregular.
She practiced every day. He went to the park.Negative
Use did not / didn't + base verb.
He didn't miss a practice.Questions
Use Did + subject + base verb? The main verb returns to its base form.
Did they meet at school? Yes, they did.4. Grammar Focus: Be Born and the Past Passive
Use was / were + past participle to describe someone's birth and other past events when the action is more important than the person who did it.
Be born
Use was born with I/he/she/it and were born with you/we/they.
She was born in Riyadh. The twins were born in June.Raised and educated
These passive expressions are common in biographies.
He was raised in a small town and educated at a local school.Other past passives
Use was / were + past participle to say what happened to someone or something.
The team was called the Lions. The award was presented by the principal.5. Grammar Focus: Used To
Use used to + base verb for a past habit or state that is no longer true.
Affirmative
Subject + used to + base verb
When I was little, I used to play with toy cars.Negative
Subject + didn't use to + base verb
I didn't use to play video games.Questions
Did + subject + use to + base verb?
Did you use to live in another city?6. Dates, Time Expressions, and When Clauses
Place life events in order with past time expressions and prepositions.
Dates and periods
Use in with years, on with days and dates, and at with clock times.
in 2008 · on June 27 · at 8:00 p.m.Order events
Use before, after, then, when to show when events happened.
After he graduated, he started his first job.Durations and starting points
Use for with a period, since with a starting point, and ago to count back from now.
She worked there for five years. He moved here two years ago.7. Language in Context: A Life Timeline
Put important events in chronological order, then describe them with simple past forms.
1956
Born in Riyadh.
He was born in Riyadh in 1956.1970s
Studied and trained in the United States.
He completed his studies before he started his career.1985
Traveled into space as a mission specialist.
In 1985, he became the first Saudi astronaut.Later years
Worked in tourism and heritage.
After his flight, he took on new public roles.8. Real Talk: Ask About Someone's Past
Use simple past questions to interview someone about life events and achievements.
Ask about childhood
Ask where someone was born and grew up.
Where were you born? Where did you grow up?Ask about past habits
Use used to for habits from an earlier time.
What games did you use to play?Ask about achievements
Ask about a challenge, award, or important event.
When did you receive your first award?Wish someone well
Congratulate someone and express support for the future.
Congratulations! I wish you all the best.9. Reading Practice: A Young Athlete's Story
Read this original profile and notice how dates, past events, and passive expressions build a biography.
When Sami was young, he used to watch his older sister practice football. He was born in a small town and raised by a family that encouraged him to try new things. At the age of twelve, Sami joined a neighborhood team. His first coach taught him the basic skills, and he practiced after school three times a week. In 2020, the team won a regional tournament. Sami was chosen as captain the following year. He said, “My family supported me when I had a difficult season.” Later, he started helping younger players. His story shows how patience and support can help a young person reach a goal.
raisedencouragedjoinedtournamentcaptainfollowing year
10. Writing Lab: Write a Life Story
Build a timeline, then write a short biography with important events and accomplishments.
Biography plan
Include where and when the person was born, where they grew up or studied, important dates, achievements, and influences. Use simple past for completed events and passive expressions where appropriate.
11. Check Your Understanding
Choose True or False, or select the best answer.
Question 1 of 10Score: 0