• a day of colour, boats and Thai traditions

Subject: My trip to Surat Thani

Dear Fandy,

How are you? I hope you are well. I want to tell you about my trip to Thailand.

In October 2024, I went to Surat Thani in Thailand. It is a nice town in the south. I saw the Chak Phra Festival there. The festival was from 14 to 22 October. I was very happy to see it and learn about Thai life.

This festival is about Buddha. It is very important to Thai people. Many families came to the town to be together. The streets were full of people, and everyone had big smiles.

I saw many nice boats and floats. People put flowers and gold colors on them. Some floats went through the streets. Other boats went down the river. I took many photos because the boats looked very pretty.

There was loud music in the streets. People wore nice clothes, and children had a lot of fun. I also watched big boat races on the river. The boats were very fast, and people shouted for their favorite team.

People went to the temples to pray and show respect to Buddha. I loved this trip very much because I met local people and saw new things.

Write to me soon!

Best regards,

Wolf

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True or false:

1. The writer went to Surat Thani in November 2024.
2. Surat Thani is a town located in the south of Thailand.
3. The writer saw the Chak Phra Festival during the trip.
4. The Chak Phra Festival lasted for less than a week.
5. The festival is related to Buddha and is very important to Thai people.
6. Many families gathered together in the town for the festival.
7. The streets were empty during the festival.
8. People decorated the boats and floats with flowers and gold colors.
9. Some floats went through the streets while other boats went down the river.
10. The writer did not take any photos during the trip.
11. There was quiet music playing in the streets.
12. Children did not enjoy the festival.
13. The writer watched slow boat races on the river.
14. People visited temples to pray and show respect to Buddha.
15. The writer disliked the trip because it was too crowded.

__________________________

Answer key:

1. The writer went to Surat Thani in November 2024. (False)
2. Surat Thani is a town located in the south of Thailand. (True)
3. The writer saw the Chak Phra Festival during the trip. (True)
4. The Chak Phra Festival lasted for less than a week. (False – It was from 14 to 22 October, which is 9 days)
5. The festival is related to Buddha and is very important to Thai people. (True)
6. Many families gathered together in the town for the festival. (True)
7. The streets were empty during the festival. (False – The streets were full of people)
8. People decorated the boats and floats with flowers and gold colors. (True)
9. Some floats were pulled through the streets while other boats went down the river. (True)
10. The writer did not take any photos during the trip. (False – The writer took many photos)
11. There was quiet music playing in the streets. (False – There was loud music in the streets)
12. Children did not enjoy the festival. (False – Children had a lot of fun)
13. The writer watched slow boat races on the river. (False – The boat races were very fast)
14. People visited temples to pray and show respect to Buddha. (True)
15. The writer disliked the trip because it was too crowded. (False – The writer loved the trip very much)

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Multiple-choice

1. When did the writer travel to Surat Thani?
   A) In October 2024 B) In November 2024 C) In October 2023
2. Where is Surat Thani located in Thailand?
   A) In the north B) In the south C) In the central region
3. What main event did the writer see during the trip?
   A) The Loy Krathong Festival B) The Songkran Festival C) The Chak Phra Festival
4. How long did the Chak Phra Festival last?
   A) From 14 to 22 October B) From 10 to 15 October C) From 1 to 7 October
5. Who is the Chak Phra Festival about?
   A) The King of Thailand B) Buddha C) Local river spirits
6. Why did many families come to the town?
   A) To be together B) To find new jobs C) To buy new boats
7. How were the streets described during the festival?
   A) Quiet and peaceful B) Full of people C) Completely empty
8. How did people decorate the boats and floats?
   A) With paper lanterns and lights B) With flags and ribbons C) With flowers and gold colors
9. Where did the floats and boats travel during the festival?
   A) Only through the town streets B) Only across the ocean C) Through the streets and down the river
10. Why did the writer take many photos?
    A) Because the boats looked very pretty B) Because it was a school project C) Because the weather was very sunny
11. What kind of music was heard in the streets?
    A) Traditional quiet music B) Loud music C) No music at all
12. What river event did the writer watch?
    A) Swimming competitions B) Fishing contests C) Big boat races
13. How fast were the boats in the river races?
    A) Very fast B) Slow and calm C) Moderately paced
14. Why did people go to the temples?
    A) To watch the boat races B) To pray and show respect to Buddha C) To sell flowers and food
15. Why did the writer love the trip so much?
    A) Because the tickets were very cheap B) Because they stayed in a luxury hotel C) Because they met local people and saw new things

___________________________
Answer key:
1. A 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. B 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. C
10. A 11. B 12. C 13. A 14. B 15. C

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Verbs in text – regular or irregular

Infinitive	Past Simple	Past Participle
be	was / were	been
hope	hoped	hoped
want	wanted	wanted
tell	told	told
go	went	gone
see	saw	seen
learn	learned / learnt	learned / learnt
come	came	come
have	had	had
put	put	put
take	took	taken
look	looked	looked
wear	wore	worn
watch	watched	watched
shout	shouted	shouted
pray	prayed	prayed
show	showed	shown / showed
love	loved	loved
meet	met	met
write	wrote	written

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When to use past simple

We use the Past Simple for things that started and finished in the past.

• I went to Thailand in October.
• I saw a big festival last week.
• The boats were very fast in 2025.

How to make past simple

1. Regular Verbs (Add -ed)

Most verbs just add -ed (or -d if the word ends with e).

Word	Past Simple	Example
look	looked	I looked at the boats.
love	loved	I loved the trip.
shout	shouted	People shouted for their team.

2. Irregular Verbs (Special words)

These words change! You need to remember them:

Word	Past Simple	Example
go	went	I went to Surat Thani.
see	saw	I saw nice boats.
take	took	I took many photos.
meet	met	I met local people.

(Note: be becomes was for I/he/she/it, and were for you/we/they).

Negatives and questions

Use did or didn’t + base verb (the normal word).

1. Negatives (No / Not)

Subject + didn’t + base verb

• I didn’t see bad weather. (NOT: I didn’t saw)
• They didn’t stay home.

(With be: wasn’t or weren’t => „The streets weren’t empty.“)

2. Questions (?)

Did + subject + base verb?

• Did you go to Thailand?
  • Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
• Where did you go?

3. Negative Questions (Didn’t…?)

Use this to check something or show surprise:

Didn’t + subject + base verb?

• Didn’t you take photos? (Surprise: You didn’t take any?)
• Didn’t they like the festival?

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Rewrite as shown in 1.:

1. The writer visited Surat Thani.
   
   YOU WRITE:
   a) negation: The writer did not visit Surat Thani.
   b) questions: Did the writer visit Surat Thani?
   c) negative question: Didn’t the writer visit Surat Thaniq
   
2. The festival lasted nine days.
3. Local people decorated big floats.
4. Families gathered in the town.
5. The floats entered the streets.
6. The boats traveled down the river.
7. The writer took many photos.
8. People watched fast boat races.
9. Visitors visited local temples.
10. The writer loved the trip.

________________________________

Answer key:

1. The writer visited Surat Thani. a) negation: The writer did not visit Surat Thani. b) question: Did the writer visit Surat Thani? c) negative question: Didn’t the writer visit Surat Thani?
2. The festival lasted nine days. a) negation: The festival did not last nine days. b) question: Did the festival last nine days? c) negative question: Didn’t the festival last nine days?
3. Local people decorated big floats. a) negation: Local people did not decorate big floats. b) question: Did local people decorate big floats? c) negative question: Didn’t local people decorate big floats?
4. Families gathered in the town. a) negation: Families did not gather in the town. b) question: Did families gather in the town? c) negative question: Didn’t families gather in the town?
5. The floats entered the streets. a) negation: The floats did not enter the streets. b) question: Did the floats enter the streets? c) negative question: Didn’t the floats enter the streets?
6. The boats traveled down the river. a) negation: The boats did not travel down the river. b) question: Did the boats travel down the river? c) negative question: Didn’t the boats travel down the river?
7. The writer took many photos. a) negation: The writer did not take many photos. b) question: Did the writer take many photos? c) negative question: Didn’t the writer take many photos?
8. People watched fast boat races. a) negation: People did not watch fast boat races. b) question: Did people watch fast boat races? c) negative question: Didn’t people watch fast boat races?
9. Visitors visited local temples. a) negation: Visitors did not visit local temples. b) question: Did visitors visit local temples? c) negative question: Didn’t visitors visit local temples?
10. The writer loved the trip. a) negation: The writer did not love the trip. b) question: Did the writer love the trip? c) negative question: Didn’t the writer love the trip?

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Short answers, past simple, basics:

Example Sentence	Yes	No
I learned letters.	Yes, I did.	No, I didn’t.
You read signs.	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
He spoke English.	Yes, he did.	No, he didn’t.
She watched TV.	Yes, she did.	No, she didn’t.
It helped me.	Yes, it did.	No, it didn’t.
We used an app.	Yes, we did.	No, we didn’t.
You read words.	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
They made mistakes.	Yes, they did.	No, they didn’t.

---

Questions (Past Simple)

Question	Yes	No
Did I learn letters?	Yes, I did.	No, I didn’t.
Did you read signs?	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
Did he speak English?	Yes, he did.	No, he didn’t.
Did she watch TV?	Yes, she did.	No, she didn’t.
Did it help me?	Yes, it did.	No, it didn’t.
Did we use an app?	Yes, we did.	No, we didn’t.
Did you read words?	Yes, you did.	No, you didn’t.
Did they make mistakes?	Yes, they did.	No, they didn’t.

---

Was / Were

Question	Yes	No
Was I happy?	Yes, I was.	No, I wasn’t.
Were you happy?	Yes, you were.	No, you weren’t.
Was he happy?	Yes, he was.	No, he wasn’t.
Was she happy?	Yes, she was.	No, she wasn’t.
Was it good?	Yes, it was.	No, it wasn’t.
Were we happy?	Yes, we were.	No, we weren’t.
Were you happy?	Yes, you were.	No, you weren’t.
Were they happy?	Yes, they were.	No, they weren’t.

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Short answers:

1. The Chak Phra Festival lasted for nine days.
   
   YOU WRITE:
   Yes, it did.
   
2. The festival took place in Bangkok.
3. The writer visited Surat Thani in October 2024.
4. People decorated land floats and river boats.
5. Only five people watched the boat races.
6. The festival had fast boat races on the river.
7. Visitors went to temples to pray and show respect to Buddha.
8. The floats were decorated with bright lights, flowers, and gold colors.
9. The writer stayed at home during the whole festival.
10. Local people wore colorful clothes.
11. The festival took place in December.
12. Everyone had big smiles during the event.
13. The boat races were very slow and boring.
14. People shouted and cheered for their teams.
15. The Chak Phra Festival only happened on land, not on water.
16. The writer took many photos of the boats and floats.
17. Children cried because there was no music.
18. Local people put Buddha images on the floats.
19. The temples were completely closed during the festival.
20. The writer hated the trip to Surat Thani.

_________________________________

Correct answers:

1. The Chak Phra Festival lasted for nine days. Yes, it did.
2. The festival took place in Bangkok. No, it didn’t.
3. The writer visited Surat Thani in October 2024. Yes, he did.
4. People decorated land floats and river boats. Yes, they did.
5. Only five people watched the boat races. No, they didn’t.
6. The festival had fast boat races on the river. Yes, it did.
7. Visitors went to temples to pray and show respect to Buddha. Yes, they did.
8. The floats were decorated with bright lights, flowers, and gold colors. Yes, they were.
9. The writer stayed at home during the whole festival. No, he didn’t.
10. Local people wore colorful clothes. Yes, they did.
11. The festival took place in December. No, it didn’t.
12. Everyone had big smiles during the event. Yes, they did.
13. The boat races were very slow and boring. No, they weren’t.
14. People shouted and cheered for their teams. Yes, they did.
15. The Chak Phra Festival only happened on land, not on water. No, it didn’t.
16. The writer took many photos of the boats and floats. Yes, he did.
17. Children cried because there was no music. No, they didn’t.
18. Local people put Buddha images on the floats. Yes, they did.
19. The temples were completely closed during the festival. No, they weren’t.
20. The writer hated the trip to Surat Thani. No, he didn’t.

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Answer as shown in 1.:

1. The festival started in December.
   
   YOU WRITE:
   No, it didn’t. It started in November.
   
2. The writer traveled to Bangkok.
3. The people walked slowly in the streets.
4. The locals painted the floats black.
5. Visitors washed the boats in the river.
6. The crowd shouted at the players.
7. The children stayed at home.
8. The writer asked for money.
9. The tourists liked the rain.
10. The festival ended after one day.
11. The writer saw giant elephants.
12. The people ate cold soup.
13. The floats came from the ocean.
14. The driver drove a fast car.
15. The writer took five sleeping pills.
16. The local people gave away free cars.
17. The children lost their shoes.
18. The crowd bought expensive tickets.
19. The writer was sad about the food.
20. The boats were dirty from the mud.

________________________________

Correct answers:

1. The festival started in December. No, it didn’t. It started in October.
2. The writer traveled to Bangkok. No, he didn’t. He traveled to Surat Thani.
3. The people walked slowly in the streets. No, they didn’t. They walked quickly in the streets.
4. The locals painted the floats black. No, they didn’t. They painted the floats gold.
5. Visitors washed the boats in the river. No, they didn’t. They decorated the boats in the river.
6. The crowd shouted at the players. No, they didn’t. They cheered for the teams.
7. The children stayed at home. No, they didn’t. They went to the festival.
8. The writer asked for money. No, he didn’t. He took photos.
9. The tourists liked the rain. No, they didn’t. They liked the sunny weather.
10. The festival ended after one day. No, it didn’t. It ended after nine days.
11. The writer saw giant elephants. No, he didn’t. He saw decorated floats.
12. The people ate cold soup. No, they didn’t. They ate delicious local food.
13. The floats came from the ocean. No, they didn’t. They came from the river.
14. The driver drove a fast car. No, he didn’t. The rowers rowed a fast boat.
15. The writer took five sleeping pills. No, he didn’t. He took many photos.
16. The local people gave away free cars. No, they didn’t. They gave away traditional food.
17. The children lost their shoes. No, they didn’t. They wore colorful clothes.
18. The crowd bought expensive tickets. No, they didn’t. They watched the races for free.
19. The writer was sad about the food. No, he wasn’t. He was happy about the food.
20. The boats were dirty from the mud. No, they weren’t. They were bright and colorful.

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1. Choose the Right Question Word

• What =>Things / Actions (What did you see?)
• Where => Places (Where did he go?)
• Who =>People (Who built the float?)
• When => Time (When did it start?)
• Why => Reasons (Why were they happy?)

2. Past Simple Question Formulas

To ask questions in the Past Simple tense, put the Question Word at the beginning.

Rule A: With Action Verbs (Use Did)

Question Word + did + Subject + Base Verb ?

• Where + did + he + go? $\rightarrow$ He went to Surat Thani.
• What + did + they + see? $\rightarrow$ They saw colorful boats.
• Who + did + you + meet? $\rightarrow$ I met local people.

Rule B: With „To Be“ Verbs (Use Was / Were)

Question Word + was / were + Subject ?

• Where + was + the festival? $\rightarrow$ It was in Thailand.
• Why + were + the boats + pretty? $\rightarrow$ They were decorated with flowers.

________________________________

1. „Who saw him?“ (Who = Subject)

You want to know the person who did the action.

• Meaning: Someone saw him. Who was that person?
• Structure: Question Word + Past Verb + Object?
• Example Answer: John saw him.

2. „Who did he see?“ (Who = Object)

You want to know the person he looked at.

• Meaning: He saw someone. Who was that person?
• Structure: Question Word + did + Subject + Base Verb?
• Example Answer: He saw Mary.

Comparison

Question	Who did the action?	Who received the action?
Who saw him?	Unknown (Someone)	Him
Who did he see?	He	Unknown (Someone)

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Form questions to which the word/s given is/are the answer:

1. The writer traveled to Surat Thani in October.
   
   a) The writer:
   
   YOU WRITE:
   Who traveled to Surat Thani in October?
   
   b)traveled to Surat Thani in October:
   
   YOU WRITE:
   What did he do?
   
   c) Surat Thani:
   d) in October:
   
2. Local people decorated the river boats.
   a) Local people:
   b) Local:
   c) decorated the river boats:
   d) the river boats:
   e) river:
   
3. Fast boat races took place on the river.
   a) Fast boats races:
   b) boat races:
   c) on the river:
   
4. Visitors went to the local temples.
   a) Visitors:
   b) wne to the local temples:
   c) to the local temples:
   d) local:
   
5. Thousands of cheerful people watched the festival.
   a) Thousands of cheerful people:
   b) watched the festival:
   c) the festival:
   
6. The floats carried bright Buddha images.
   a) The floats:
   b) carried bright Buddha images:
   c) bright Buddha images:
   d) birght Bzddha:
   
7. Everyone enjoyed the delicious local food.
   a) Enjoyed:
   b) enjoyed the delicious local food:
   c) the delicious local food:
   d) delicious:

________________________________

Correct answers:

1. The writer traveled to Surat Thani in October. a) The writer: Who traveled to Surat Thani in October? b) traveled to Surat Thani in October: What did he do? c) Surat Thani: Where did he travel in October? d) in October: When did he travel to Surat Thani?
2. Local people decorated the river boats. a) Local people: Who decorated the river boats? b) Local: Which people decorated the river boats? c) decorated the river boats: What did local people do? d) the river boats: What did local people decorate? e) river: Which boats did local people decorate?
3. Fast boat races took place on the river. a) Fast boat races: What took place on the river? b) boat races: Which races took place on the river? c) on the river: Where did fast boat races take place?
4. Visitors went to the local temples. a) Visitors: Who went to the local temples? b) went to the local temples: What did visitors do? c) to the local temples: Where did visitors go? d) local: Which temples did visitors go to?
5. Thousands of cheerful people watched the festival. a) Thousands of cheerful people: Who watched the festival? b) watched the festival: What did thousands of cheerful people do? c) the festival: What did thousands of cheerful people watch?
6. The floats carried bright Buddha images. a) The floats: What carried bright Buddha images? b) carried bright Buddha images: What did the floats do? c) bright Buddha images: What did the floats carry? d) bright Buddha: Which images did the floats carry?
7. Everyone enjoyed the delicious local food. a) Everyone: Who enjoyed the delicious local food? b) enjoyed the delicious local food: What did everyone do? c) the delicious local food: What did everyone enjoy? d) delicious: Which food did everyone enjoy?

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Fill in the correct form of past simple:

Wolf 1. __________ (travel) to Surat Thani in Thailand during October 2024 to experience the Chak Phra Festival.
He 2. __________ (visit) the town, 3. __________ (learn) about traditional Thai culture, and 4. __________ (feel) very happy throughout the trip.
Many local families 5. __________ (gather) together, 6. __________ (fill) the lively streets, 7. __________ (smile), and 8. __________ (celebrate) the important holiday.
Residents 9. __________ (craft) colorful floats, 10. __________ (decorate) river boats with gold colors and flowers, 11. __________ (parade) through the town, and 12. __________ (float) down the river.
Meanwhile, Wolf 13. __________ (take) many photos of the sights, 14. __________ (hear) loud music playing in the streets, and 15. __________ (see) children having fun.
Spectators 16. __________ (watch) fast boat races on the river and 17. __________ (shout) to cheer for their favorite teams. Visitors 18. __________ (go) to local temples, 19. __________ (pray), and 20. __________ (show) respect to Buddha. In the end,
Wolf 21. __________ (meet) friendly local people, 22. __________ (discover) new traditions, 23. __________ (love) his journey, and 24. __________ (ask) Fandy to write back soon.

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Answer key:
1. traveled, 2. visited, 3. learned, 4. felt, 5. gathered, 6. filled, 7. smiled, 8. celebrated, 9. crafted, 10. decorated, 11. paraded, 12. floated, 13. took, 14. heard, 15. saw, 16. watched, 17. shouted, 18. went, 19. prayed, 20. showed, 21. met, 22. discovered, 23. loved, 24. asked.

________________________________

Correct version:

Wolf traveled to Surat Thani in Thailand during October 2024 to experience the Chak Phra Festival.
He visited the town, learned about traditional Thai culture, and felt very happy throughout the trip.
Many local families gathered together, filled the lively streets, smiled, and celebrated the important holiday.
Residents crafted colorful floats, decorated river boats with gold colors and flowers, paraded through the town, and floated down the river.
Meanwhile, Wolf took many photos of the sights, heard loud music playing in the streets, and saw children having fun.
Spectators watched fast boat races on the river and shouted to cheer for their favorite teams.
Visitors went to local temples, prayed, and showed respect to Buddha.
In the end, Wolf met friendly local people, discovered new traditions, loved his journey, and asked Fandy to write back soon.

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Remember how babies
learn a language:

Babies learn a language by listening.
They use their ears to hear sounds.
Their brain remembers these sounds.
Babies connect sounds with people and things.
They listen to their parents.
Then they copy the sounds they hear. They imitate words.
Slowly, babies learn to speak.

So,
LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN………………

SMFrockZ@gmx.at