The Wallet — Past Simple (A2)

A2 · PAST SIMPLE

The Wallet

IMAGE

(you'll add this)

“The photos came home at the right time.”

Past simple · regular & irregular verbs

Reading

Speaking

STAGE 1 · WARM-UP

Something in your bag

Choose one thing in your bag or pocket — your keys, a photo, a ticket…

Tell your partner:

IMAGE

What is it?

Where did you get it?

Is it important to you?

(add your own)

STAGE 2 · BEFORE YOU READ

Where was it all this time?

You are going to read about a wallet. A man lost it in 1995 — and got it back last month.

30

A brown leather wallet vanished for thirty years — then builders found it.

years lost

IMAGE

PREDICT

(add your own)

Where do you think the wallet was for thirty years? Make one guess with your partner.

Read quickly and check your guess.

STAGE 3 · READING

Read once — was your guess right?

The wallet that waited thirty years

Last month, builders started work on an old cinema in Leeds. Under the floor of the ticket office, one of them found something strange: a brown leather wallet, covered in dust.

Inside, the builders discovered an old bus ticket, three photos, £15, and a library card with a name on it: David Okonkwo. The company put a message on social media, and two days later, David's daughter saw it.

David is now 68. In 1995 he worked at the cinema as a ticket seller. “I lost the wallet on my last day,” he remembers. “I was so angry — the photos were of my wedding, and we didn't have copies.”

So how did the wallet get under the floor? “There was a small hole behind my desk,” David explains. “It probably fell in, and nobody saw it.”

Last week, David visited the old cinema and met the builder who found his wallet. He didn't want the money — he gave the £15 to the builders for coffee. But he took the photos home. “My wife died two years ago,” he said quietly. “Yesterday I put our wedding photos on the wall. They came home at the right time.”

STAGE 4 · COMPREHENSION

Put the events in order

Number the events 1–6. Careful — the story isn't in this order!

____ David’s daughter saw the message online.

THEN ANSWER

____ David lost his wallet at work.

1 Why were the photos so important to David?

____ David put the wedding photos on the wall.

____ Builders found a wallet under the floor.

2 How did the wallet get under the floor?

____ David worked at a cinema in Leeds.

____ David met the builder and gave him the money.

STAGE 5 · TALK ABOUT IT

What do you think?

Discuss with a partner.

Imagine it was YOUR bag. What three things would be inside it in thirty years?

IMAGE

(add your own)

David gave the money away. What would you do?

STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — NOTICE

Find the past forms

Find the past simple of these verbs in the article, then say: regular or irregular?

infinitive

past simple

regular / irregular?

start

________

regular

find

________

________

see

________

________

work

________

________

lose

________

________

give

________

________

STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — THE PATTERN

Positive, negative, question

+

David ________ at the cinema as a ticket seller.

–

We ________ have copies. He ________ want the money.

?

How ______ the wallet get under the floor?

COMPLETE THE RULE

In past simple negatives and questions, we use didn't / did + the __________ (infinitive / past form) of the verb.

STAGE 7 · THE RULES

Past simple

regular

irregular

+

She worked in a shop.

He found a wallet.

–

She didn't work Sundays.

He didn't find the money.

?

Did she work there long?

Where did he find it?

Yes, she did. / No, she didn’t.

Yes, he did. / No, he didn’t.

Finished past actions — once or many times: I lost my wallet in 1995. The form is the same for all persons.

STAGE 7 · THE RULES

Spelling & key points

verb

past

rule

work / start

worked / started

add -ed

live

lived

add -d (ends in e)

study

studied

y → -ied

stop

stopped

double consonant

After did / didn’t, no -ed and no irregular form: Did he found it? → Did he find it?

Common irregulars: go → went · see → saw · take → took · put → put

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Complete David’s story

Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple.

In 1995 I (1) ______ (be) 37. I (2) ______ (sell) tickets at the cinema, but I (3) ______ (not / like) the job, so I (4) ______ (decide) to leave. On my last day, I (5) ______ (put) my wallet on the desk — and then it (6) ______ (disappear)! I (7) ______ (ask) everybody, but nobody (8) ______ (know) anything. Thirty years later, my daughter (9) ______ (phone) me and (10) ______ (say): “Dad, you’re famous on the internet!”

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Write the questions

Example: Where did the builders find the wallet? → Under the floor of the ticket office.

1 What / the builders / discover inside? → An old bus ticket, three photos, £15 and a library card.

2 When / David / lose the wallet? → On his last day at the job.

3 Why / he / be / angry? → Because the photos were of his wedding.

4 Who / he / meet last week? → The builder who found his wallet.

5 What / he / do with the money? → He gave it to the builders for coffee.

STAGE 9 · SPEAKING

Find someone who…

Talk to your classmates. Find a different person for each line. When someone says “Yes, I did!” write their name — then ask ONE extra question.

Find someone who…

name

extra info

watched TV last night

went to bed after midnight

bought something this week

lost something important once

took a photo yesterday

cooked dinner last weekend

travelled abroad last year

Then tell the class the two best things: “Ana bought a plant this week. Tomás lost his passport in Italy!”

TEACHER'S REFERENCE

Answer key

4 Order

4, 2, 6, 3, 1, 5 (worked at cinema → lost wallet → builders found it → daughter saw message → met builder / gave money → photos on wall)

Questions: 1 wedding photos, no copies (and his wife died). 2 It fell through a hole behind his desk.

6a started (reg) · found (irreg) · saw (irreg) · worked (reg) · lost (irreg) · gave (irreg)

6b worked / didn't, didn't / did

6c infinitive

8a David’s story

1 was 2 sold 3 didn't like 4 decided 5 put 6 disappeared 7 asked 8 knew 9 phoned 10 said

8b Questions

1 What did the builders discover inside? 2 When did David lose the wallet? 3 Why was he angry? 4 Who did he meet last week? 5 What did he do with the money?