The Talking Grandfather

1. raised                 a. very happy and excited
2. newborn                b. brought up and cared for
3. pleading               c. a baby who has recently been born
4. reluctant              d. asking strongly for something
5. anticipation           e. hesitating before doing something
6. vacant                 f. empty and available
7. delighted              g. seeing that something might happen in the future

Fill in the blanks with the words below:

raised - anticipation - vacant - delighted - newborn - pleading - reluctant

1. Mr and Mrs Carter had ______ four children.
2. Their daughter needed help with her ______ baby.
3. She called her mother, ______ for help.
4. Mr Carter was ______ to leave his job.
5. He traveled by train with great ______.
6. He noticed three ______ seats on the train.
7. He was ______ when the third man was not a grandfather.

Odd One Out

1. raised - brought up - cared for - abandoned

2. newborn - baby - infant - grandfather

3. pleading - begging - asking - refusing

4. reluctant - unwilling - hesitant - eager

5. anticipation - excitement - expectation - boredom

6. vacant - empty - available - occupied

7. delighted - happy - joyful - disappointed

Answer with True or False

1. Mr and Mrs Carter had four children.
2. All of their children were still unmarried.
3. Mrs Carter went to help her daughter with the newborn.
4. Mr Carter stayed behind because he had to work.
5. Mr Carter traveled by train on Friday.
6. The third man on the train was not a grandfather.
7. Mr Carter decided to tell the third man about his grandchildren.

1. How many children did Mr and Mrs Carter have?

a. Two
b. Three
c. Four
d. Five

2. Why did Mrs Carter leave home?

a. To visit a friend
b. To help her daughter with a newborn
c. To start a new job
d. To visit her grandchildren at school

3. Why did Mr Carter stay behind at first?

a. He was sick.
b. He did not want to travel.
c. He had to work.
d. He had no money.

4. How did Mr Carter travel to see his newest grandchild?

a. By car
b. By bus
c. By plane
d. By train

5. How many grandchildren did the first elderly man have?

a. Two granddaughters
b. Three granddaughters
c. Four granddaughters
d. Three grandsons

6. What did the third man say about himself?

a. He had three grandchildren.
b. He had four grandchildren.
c. He was not a grandfather.
d. He was expecting a grandchild.

7. Why was Mr Carter delighted with the third man?

a. The man knew his family.
b. The man was his old friend.
c. The man wanted to hear about his grandchildren.
d. The man was not a grandfather, so Mr Carter could tell him about his own grandchildren.

Put the Events in Order

1. ___ Mr Carter boards a train after work.
2. ___ Mrs Carter goes to help her daughter.
3. ___ Mr Carter asks the first man if he is a grandfather.
4. ___ Mr Carter's daughter gives birth again.
5. ___ Mr Carter finds a man who is not a grandfather.
6. ___ Mr Carter asks the second passenger about his grandchildren.
7. ___ Mr Carter begins telling the third man about his grandchildren.

Find a phrase from the story that supports each statement.

1. Mr and Mrs Carter had four children.
2. Their children had started families of their own.
3. Mrs Carter went to help with a new baby.
4. Mr Carter stayed behind because of his job.
5. Mr Carter was excited about meeting the new grandchild.
6. The third man was not a grandfather.
7. Mr Carter wanted to talk about his grandchildren.

Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb

Past Simple

1. Mr and Mrs Carter ______ four children. (raise)
2. Their children ______ and started families. (marry)
3. Their daughter ______ birth again. (give)
4. Mrs Carter ______ immediately. (leave)
5. Mr Carter ______ behind to work. (remain)
6. He ______ a train after work. (board)
7. The third man ______ he was not a grandfather. (admit)

Choose the Correct Preposition

1. Mr Carter stayed (behind / under / between) because of his job.
2. Mrs Carter set (off / under / between) immediately.
3. He traveled (by / at / under) train.
4. He was excited (about / under / between) meeting his grandchild.
5. He sat (beside / from / under) the third man.
6. He asked the man (about / under / between) his family.
7. He told the man (about / from / under) his grandchildren.

Choose A, AN, or THE

1. Mr Carter had ___ daughter who gave birth again.
2. She asked for help with ___ newborn.
3. He boarded ___ train after work.
4. He approached ___ elderly gentleman.
5. He saw ___ vacant seat.
6. He found ___ man who was not a grandfather.

Change to the Past Tense

1. Mr Carter travels by train.
2. He approaches an elderly gentleman.
3. The man confirms that he has three granddaughters.
4. Mr Carter asks another passenger a question.
5. The woman says she has four grandchildren.
6. The third man admits he is not a grandfather.
7. Mr Carter tells him about his grandchildren.

Make the Sentences Negative

1. Mr Carter has four children.
2. All of his children are unmarried.
3. Mrs Carter stays at home.
4. Mr Carter travels by car.
5. The first man has three granddaughters.
6. The third man is a grandfather.
7. Mr Carter is disappointed.

Turn the Sentences into Questions

1. Mr Carter has four children.
2. Mrs Carter helps her daughter.
3. Mr Carter stays behind for work.
4. Mr Carter travels by train.
5. The first man has three granddaughters.
6. The second passenger has four grandchildren.
7. The third man is not a grandfather.

Find the adjectives in each phrase.

1. two daughters
2. newborn baby
3. elderly gentleman
4. vacant seats
5. pleasant woman
6. newest grandchild
7. delighted grandfather

Find the adverb in each sentence.

1. Mrs Carter left immediately.
2. Mr Carter traveled cheerfully.
3. He approached the first passenger politely.
4. The third man finally answered.
5. Mr Carter practically buzzed with anticipation.
6. He happily sat beside the man.
7. He cheerfully began telling him about his grandchildren.

Why do you think Mr Carter asked the other passengers if they were grandparents?

Why did Mr Carter say "That's good" when the third man said he was not a grandfather?

1. Would you talk to another passenger on a train?

2. Would you ask a stranger if they were a grandparent?

3. Would you tell a stranger about your family?

4. Would you sit beside someone who wanted to talk?

5. Would you enjoy meeting Mr Carter?

6. Would you tell Mr Carter about your own family?

7. Would you prefer to travel alone or talk to other passengers?

1. How funny is the story?

1 = Not funny
5 = Extremely funny

2. How friendly is Mr Carter?

1 = Not friendly
5 = Extremely friendly

3. How happy is Mr Carter?

1 = Not happy
5 = Extremely happy

4. How interesting is the train conversation?

1 = Not interesting
5 = Extremely interesting

5. How enjoyable is the ending?

1 = Not enjoyable
5 = Extremely enjoyable

Write a new ending for the story. Keep the story the same until Mr Carter finds the third man, but change what happens next.

Write a dialogue between Mr Carter and the third man after Mr Carter sits beside him.