Travel Guide

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Look at this travel guide for tourists visiting Los Angeles and do the exercises to improve your English reading skills.

Preparation

Match the vocabulary words with their definitions.

pier/rollercoaster/gym/amusement park/museum

  1. a fairground attraction that consists of a light railway track which has many tight turns and steep slopes on which people ride in small, fast open carriages
  2. a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited
  3. a platform on pillars projecting from the shore into the sea, typically incorporating entertainment arcades and places to eat
  4. a room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and other physical exercise
  5. a large outdoor area with fairground rides, shows, and other entertainments
1. rollercoaster 2. museum 3. pier 4. gym 5. amusement park

Reading

Discover Los Angeles

Universal Studios Hollywood

travel guide

Universal Studios Hollywood is the ultimate Hollywood experience. This place is a mix of amusement park, movie studio, restaurants, and stores. It is a great place for the entire family to spend the day together. Rides include a variety of rollercoasters with virtual reality elements. In addition, you can explore the Universal Studios blacklot where some of the most famous movies such as Jaws, Mission Impossible III, and Pirates of the Caribbean were shot! You can end your day on Universal CityWalk which is filled with additional entertainment, dining, and shopping.[1]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d104417-Reviews-Universal_Studios_Hollywood-Los_Angeles_California.html

The Getty Center

travel guide

The Getty Center is one of the most popular museums to visit in Los Angeles. It features an impressive collection of art work from artists such as Cezanne, Monet, and Van Gogh. In addition, its buildings and gardens are great examples of beautiful architecture. To top it all off, it sits perched on the Santa Monica hills, where you can get a great look of the rest of Los Angeles.[2]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d147966-Reviews-The_Getty_Center-Los_Angeles_California.html

Santa Monica Pier

travel guide

The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most iconic beach locations to visit in Los Angeles. One of the most famous parts of the piers is Pacific Park, a family amusement park famous for its Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, and other small rides. In addition, there are many other things to do on the pier such as go to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, shop, eat, fish, and look at the beautiful Pacific Ocean sunset.[3]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33052-d104238-Reviews-Santa_Monica_Pier-Santa_Monica_California.html

Venice Beach

travel guide

Venice Beach, not to be confused with Venice, Italy, is an area of Los Angeles that is very unique, bohemian, and artistic. It is famous for its canals, Ocean Front Walk, and multitude of performers and personalities. One of the most famous locations on Venice Beach is Muscle Beach where you can see perform great acrobatic and bodybuilding feats outdoors on the beach.[4]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d104591-Reviews-Venice_Beach-Los_Angeles_California.html

The Grove

travel guide

If shopping is more your style, then look no further than the iconic Grove! Shop at famous stores such as Nordstrom, DvF, and even take a look at Tesla cars! In addition, the place is stylish with great restaurants to eat at as well as the popular water fountain that places a choreographed water show to music every hour. This place is also a great place to go people watching. There is even a great chance that you will get to see some famous stars walking around and shopping! [5]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d547175-Reviews-The_Grove-Los_Angeles_California.html

Hollywood Walk of Fame

travel guide

While locals may avoid it, as a tourist, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a must on any Los Angeles bucket list. With more than 2,600 stars commemorating directors, musicians, and actors, it is one of the greatest memorials to Hollywood history in the world. One of the best things to do is walk around and try to find your favorite stars on the walk.[6]https://www.thecrazytourist.com/top-25-things-to-do-in-los-angeles/

El Matador State Beach

travel guide

If you are looking to “get out” of Los Angeles and experience a little bit of that famous California nature and weather, look no further than El matador State Beach located in Malibu, California! Due the magnificent rocks and caves along the beach, this spot is popular for photographers to take photos of models. If you would like to walk along the beach, the best time is at low tide.[7]https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/el-matador-state-beach/

Dodger Stadium

travel guide

No trip to Los Angeles is complete without visiting a shrine to America’s pastime, baseball. Dodger Stadium is the 3rd oldest baseball stadium in the US as well as the largest one with a capacity of 56,000 people! While seeing a game eat some popular baseball game foods such as hot dogs and nachos while you root for the home team! If you would like to learn more about the stadium, there are even tours offered that let you get in the dugout and walk on the field.((https://www.thecrazytourist.com/top-25-things-to-do-in-los-angeles/))

True or False

Select true or false for each statement about this travel guide.

  1. Dodger Stadium is the 2nd biggest baseball stadium in the USA. True/False
  2. El Matador State Beach is located in Santa Monica, CA. True/False
  3. The Grove is a great place to see movie stars. True/False
  4. There are rollercoasters at Universal Studios. True/False
  5. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is popular with locals. True/False
  6. Venice Beach is famous for its canals. True/False
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. True

Matching

The following are several people who want to visit Los Angeles, but don’t know what to do or see. Match each person with the place that they would like most based on what they say using the information from the travel guide.

  1. “I don’t really like the big city, but I love nature and the ocean.”
  2. “Movies are my passion. Some of my favorite actors are Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt.”
  3. “I love sports, especially baseball.”
  4. “I’m not really into sports. I consider myself more of an artistic, alternative type.”
  5. “Shopping, shopping, and more shopping. I love shopping!”
  6. “Rollercoasters are my jam, I especially like it when they incorporate virtual reality elements!”
1. El Matador State Beach 2. Hollywood Walk of Fame 3. Dodger Stadium 4. Venice Beach 5. The Grove 6. Universal Studios Hollywood

Discussion

Which of these places for this travel guide in Los Angeles is the most interesting to you? Why?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the B1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

Reported Speech

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Reported speech is when tell what someone else said.[1]https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html

Direct vs. Indirect Speech

There are two ways to use reported speech.

Direct speech: “I am a teacher,” Fred said.

Indirect speech: Fred said that he was a teacher.

Depending on the original tense, we must change the tense in the indirect reported speech. This is called a backshift.

reported speech

Present Simple

When using reported speech, we must backshift from the present simple to past simple.

For example:

  • I work a lot. → He said that he travelled a lot.
  • Susie is a teacher. → Susie said that she was a teacher.
  • We are sick. → They said that they were sick.

Present Continuous

For the present continuous, we must backshift to the past continuous.

For example:

  • They are talking very loudly. → She told me that they were talking very loudly.
  • We are singing. → She said that we were singing.
  • I am studying for the test. → He said that I was studying for the test.

Present Perfect

For the present perfect, we must change to the past perfect.

For example:

  • She has hurt her arm. → She said that she had hurt her arm.
  • I have studied for the test. → He said that he had studied for the test.
  • We have lived in the house for a long time. → They said that they had lived in the house for a long time.

Past Simple

For the past simple, we must change to the past perfect simple.

For example:

  • We lived in Paris for 2 years. → They said that they had lived in Paris for 2 years.

Past Continuous

For the past continuous, we must change to the past perfect continuous.

For example:

  • It was snowing all day. → The weatherman said that it had been snowing all day.
  • We were working hard yesterday. → They said that they had been working hard yesterday.
  • Susie was studying last night. → She said that she had been studying last night.

Past Perfect

The past perfect does not change when using reported speech.

Example Exercises

Change the following sentences into the reported speech.

 13%

Question 1 of 8

1. I am having a party next week. → Frank said ____________ a party next week.

Question 1 of 8

Question 2 of 8

2. I live in New York City. → Susie said that she ____________ in New York City.

Question 2 of 8

Question 3 of 8

3. We have eaten breakfast already. → They said that ____________ already.

Question 3 of 8

Question 4 of 8

4. I have studied Spanish for 5 years. → He said that he ____________ Spanish for 5 years.

Question 4 of 8

Question 5 of 8

5. It was raining yesterday. → He said that it ____________ yesterday.

Question 5 of 8

Question 6 of 8

6. We ate dinner at 8 pm. → They said that they ____________ at 8 pm.

Question 6 of 8

Question 7 of 8

7. She lived in Los Angeles. → She said that she ____________ in Los Angeles.

Question 7 of 8

Question 8 of 8

8. Mark is an Engineer. → Mark said that he ____________ an engineer.

Question 8 of 8


 

References[+]

Linking Words – Cause and Effect

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In English, linking words help to express cause and effect between different actions or events.

There are three main linking words categories.[1]https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/hemp5.htm

  • Conjunctions
  • Prepositions
  • Transitions

They can be used with all the different verb tenses in English.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions can be used to both express cause and effect. They link two complete thoughts together.

The most important linking words for cause are “because” and “since”.

For example:

  • I am going to eat because I am hungry.
  • Since it is late, she is going to sleep.

As you can see, if the conjugation is in the beginning of the sentence, you must use a comma to separate the two clauses.

The most important linking word for effect is “so”.

For example:

  • It was raining outside, so I brought an umbrella.
  • They test is tomorrow, so I can’t go out to the party. I must study instead.

As you can see, with the conjunction “so”, you must always use a comma to separate the first and second clauses.

Examples of other linking word conjugations include[2]https://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m3/m3u5/m3u5s6/m3u5s6_3.htm

  • As
  • Thus
  • Hence

Prepositions

Linking words can form a noun phrase in order to talk about cause.

The most important ones are “due to” and “because of”.

For example:

  • Because of the snow, all the roads were closed.
  • I didn’t go to school due to my flu.

Transitions

Linking words can be used in transitions to express effect.

When doing so, you are joining two complete sentences together.

The most important ones are “therefore”, “consequently”, and “as a result”.

For example:

  • There is a test tomorrow; therefore, I need to study tonight.
  • It snowed a lot last night. Consequently, school was canceled today.
  • We didn’t study for the test. As a result, we all failed.

As you can see, you can use the transition linking words in one of two ways:

  • 1st sentence; transition word, 2nd sentence.
  • 1st sentence. Transition word, 2nd sentence.

References[+]

Short Answers – Past Tense

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In English, it is possible to ask questions using the past tense. When answering these questions, you have the option of replying with long answers or short answers.[1]https://www.grammar.cl/Past/Short_Answers.htm

Short Answers

short answers

Certain questions in English allow you to respond back with a short answer.

Did

You can respond with a short answer for questions that begin with the word “Did”.

For example:

  • Did you eat dinner yet? Yes, I did / No, I didn’t.
  • Did she study for the exam? Yes, she did / No, she didn’t.
  • Did he park the car? Yes, he did / No, he didn’t.

Was/Were

You can respond with a short answer for questions that begin with the words “Was” or “Were”.

For example:

  • Was she there? Yes, she was / No, she wasn’t.
  • Were they coming? Yes, there were / No, there weren’t.
  • Was it busy? Yes, it was. No, she wasn’t.

Long Answers

Not all questions in English allow you to respond back with a short answer.

Questions that begin with the question words who, where, when, why, what, which, or how often require more detailed explanations.

For example:

  • Who are you? I am Fred.
  • Where are you from? I am from the United States.
  • Why are you studying French? I am studying French because I want to visit Paris.
  • What are you doing? I am reading a book.
  • Which book are you reading? I am reading Harry Potter.
  • How often do you work out? I work out 3 times a week.

References[+]

Modal Verbs of Deduction – Must/Can’t/May (not) & Might (not)

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In English, there are several modal verbs of deduction. They allow us to guess if something is true based on the information available. Four very important ones to know are must, can’t, may (not), and might (not).[1]https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate/modals-deductions-about-the-present

modal verbs of deduction

Must

You use the word “must” when you are 100% (or nearly) positive that something is true.[2]https://smitkit10-11.weebly.com/deduction.html

For example:

  • You must be tired after that workout. (I am very sure that you are tired)
  • I don’t have my phone. It must be on my desk. (I am sure that the phone is on my desk)
  • She must study for the test if she wants to do well. (I am very sure that if she wants to pass the test it is required that she study)

May (not) & Might (not)

You use the words “may (not)” or “might (not)” if you are 50% sure of a fact.

For example:

  • They are not here yet. They might be stuck in track. (I am not exactly sure why they aren’t here)
  • Frank may be able to help us with the problem. (There is a 50% chance that Frank can help)
  • The airline told us that the flight might be delayed due to weather. (There is a 50% chance that the flight gets delayed due to weather)

Difference between Might and May

May is used for situations that could be factual or could be possible.

Might is used for speculative situations that didn’t actually happen.[3]https://writingexplained.org/may-vs-might-difference

Can’t

You use the word “can’t” when you are 100% (or nearly) sure that something is false.[4]https://www.test-english.com/explanation/b1/modal-verbs-deduction-must-might-cant/

For example:

  • Sorry, I can’t do that. It’s against the law. (I am 100% unable to do the task)
  • You can’t stay in the house while they paint it. The fumes are toxic. (You are 100% not allowed to be in the house)
  • I can’t drive today. I just had an eye test and can’t see. (Due to the eye test, I am 100% unable to drive)

Example Exercises

Please go to Modal Verbs of Deduction – Must/Can’t/May (not) & Might (not) to view this quiz

References[+]

Embedded Questions

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Embedded questions are questions that appear inside another statement or question.[1]https://esllibrary.com/blog/embedded-questions

This can be confusing for many English learners because of the usual sentence pattern in English.

Sentence Patterns

embedded questions

Normally in English a question follows the (Question Word)-Auxiliary Verb-Subject-Main Verb pattern.

For example:

  • What did you do yesterday?
  • Where are we going to go for dinner?
  • Did you swim last night?

However, embedded questions do not follow the inverted pattern. Instead, they follow the Subject-Verb pattern of a statement. These sentences end with a question mark.

For example:

  • Do you know when we start the test?
  • Do you think your mom will bake a cake for your birthday?
  • Could you tell me when you plan on arriving?

You can also find imbedded questions in phrases that don’t end with a question mark.

For example:

  • I wonder whether the test is today.
  • I asked if I could help with the assignment.
  • Let’s ask them if they like horror movies.

Usage of Embedded Questions

So why do we used embedded questions rather than the usual inverted question format?

Be Polite

You can use an embedded question to be more polite.

For example:

  • Inverted Question: Where is the restroom?
  • Imbedded Question: Can you tell me where the restroom is?

Give Additional Information

You can use an embedded question to add additional information. This usually helps express intent.

For example:

  • Inverted Question: Will he call me?
  • Imbedded Question: I wonder if he will call me. (this expresses the intent of curiosity)

Change from Direct to Indirect Speech

You can use an embedded question to change direct speech to indirect speech.

For example:

  • Inverted Question: What did you do yesterday?
  • Imbedded Question: She asked me what I did yesterday.

References[+]

Present Perfect Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

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The present perfect continuous and the past perfect continuous are quite similar. However, the main difference between the two is that the present perfect continuous refers to time in the present while the past perfect continuous refers to time in the past.[1]https://englishstudypage.com/grammar/differences-between-present-perfect-continuous-tense-and-past-perfect-continuous-tense/

Before we go into the differences between these two verb tenses, it is important to understand them separately.

Present Perfect Continuous

present perfect continuous

Usage of the Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous is an action that started in the past and continuous up to the present. It may be just finishing now or still continuing.

Actions started in the past and continuing till now

You can use the present perfect continuous verb tense to describe long actions that started in the past and continue till the present.

For example:

  • She has been living in California for 7 years.
  • We have been going to the same beach for summer my whole life.
  • Frank has been studying for the test all week.

Recent actions that have results now

You can use this verb tense to talk about recent actions that have clear results in the present.

For example:

  • He is late for the meeting because he has been talking with his friends and forgot the time.
  • Susie’s muscles are sore because she has been working out all day yesterday.
  • We are tired because we have being studying all evening.

Temporary situations

You can use this verb tense to talk about temporary situations.

For example:

  • Have you been studying?
  • Have they been playing all day?
  • Has Susie been preparing for the exam?

If you would like to learn more, check out the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

Past Perfect Continuous

past perfect continuous

Usage of the Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous is an action that continued for a period of time in the past.

Past actions that continued for a period of time before another action

You can use the past perfect continuous verb tense to express an action it the past that took place for a period of time before another action in the past.

For example:

  • We had been studying for the exam when the teacher sent an email saying it was canceled.
  • They had been playing outside when the weather got worse.
  • Susie had been playing video games when her mother told her to come down for dinner.

Duration of an action in the past

You can use the past perfect continuous tense to express the duration of an action in the past that comes before something else.

For example:

  • I really needed this vacation because I had been working really hard at work for the last 3 months.
  • They really needed a break because they had been working for 8 hours straight.
  • We really needed to sit down because we had been standing up all day long.

Cause of something in the past

You can use the past perfect continuous to express the cause for something in the past.

For example:

  • I was hungry because I had been working out.
  • Susie was tired because she had been driving.
  • We were thirsty because we had been jogging.

Differences Between the Two Tenses

As you can see, the present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous both describe event that start in the past.

The main difference is

The present perfect continuous relates the present (right now)

And

The past perfect continuous relates only to the past

past perfect continuous

Example Exercises

Complete the following sentences with either the present perfect continuous or the past perfect continuous verb tense.

Please go to Present Perfect Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous to view this quiz

References[+]

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

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In English, there are many different verb tense that you can use to talk about the past. It can be very difficult to understand the differences. For example, the past simple and the present perfect both describe events in the past.[1]https://7esl.com/past-simple-and-present-perfect/ However, what is the difference between the past simple vs the present perfect?

The past simple describes finished time

And

The present perfect describes unfinished time.

past simple vs. present perfect

Differences between the past simple vs. present perfect

The differences between these two verb tense are slight; however, they can drastically change the meaning of a sentence.

Finished vs. Unfinished Time

The past simple expresses finished time.

For example:

  • I lived in France from 2012 to 2016.

Note: In this sentence, the subject used to live in France, but doesn’t live there anymore.

However, the present perfect describes unfinished time.

For example:

  • I have lived in France since 2012.

Note: In this sentence, the subject started living in France in 2012 and still lives there to this day.

Definite vs Indefinite Time

The past simple refers to definite time.

For example:

  • I went on vacation to Mexico last summer.

Note: In this sentence, the subject went on vacation at a specific time (last summer).

However, the present perfect describes indefinite time.

For example:

  • I have visited Mexico for vacation before.

Note: In the sentence, the subject visited Mexico; however, we don’t know when or how many times.

Series of Finished Actions vs. Experiences/Results

The past simple is used to talk about a series of finished actions in the past.

For example:

  • I finished my homework, and then I played video games.

Note: The first completed action was finishing the homework. After that was finished, the subject played video games.

However, the present perfect talks about experiences or results.

For example:

  • I have already finished my homework.

Note: In this sentence, the result is that the homework is already done.

Example Exercises

Write the correct verb tense for each sentence.

Please go to Past Simple vs. Present Perfect to view this quiz

References[+]

Present Perfect Continuous

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The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe events that started in the past and continue to the present.[1]https://7esl.com/present-perfect-continuous-tense/

present perfect continuous

Usage of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Actions that started in the past and continue to the present

You can use the verb tense to talk about actions that you started in the past and continue to do until the present.

For example:

  • I have been living in France for about 4 years.
  • Susie has been studying English for 2 years.
  • We have been driving for 10 hours!

Recent actions in the past that have results now

You can use the verb tense to talk about actions that you recently did that clearly have results in the present.

For example:

  • I am tired because I have been studying all night for the final exam.
  • She is sick because she has not been looking after her health.
  • Frank can’t come because he has not been paying attention to the time.

Short temporary situations

You can use the the verb tense to describe shorter situations.

For example:

  • Have you been studying for the English exam this week?
  • We have been cooking all day.
  • He has been studying for the exam all week.

Example Exercises

Complete each sentence with the present perfect continuous verb tense.

Please go to Present Perfect Continuous to view this quiz

References[+]

Past Perfect Tense

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The past perfect tense is used to describe events in the past that were completed before a particular point in the past.[1]https://7esl.com/past-perfect-tense/

past perfect tense

When to Use the Past Perfect Tense

A Finished Event Before Another Event in the Past

You can use the past perfect verb tense to describe a finished event in the past that happened before another event in the past.

For example:

  • I had left before they arrived.
  • They plane had taken off before we arrived at the gate.
  • She had paid the bill for the meal before I had a chance to.

An Event in the Past Before a Specific Time in the Past

You can use the past perfect verb tense to talk about an even in the past that takes place before a specific time in the past.

For example:

  • Susie had never been to Paris before this summer.
  • They had eaten dinner before 7pm.
  • We had never seen the movie before last night.

Cause and Effect

You can use the past perfect tense to describe cause and effect. In this case, you must use it with the past simple verb tense.

For example:

  • I didn’t turn in my homework because the dog had eaten it.
  • I was late to work because there had been an accident on the road.
  • She did well on the test because she had studied all weekend for it.

Emphasize the Result of a Past Event

You can use the past perfect to put emphasis on past events.

For example:

  • They had called us 5 times on the phone by the time we answered it.
  • I had interviewed with the company 3 times before I got the job.
  • She had taken the driving test 2 times before she passed the test.

Example Exercises

Please go to Past Perfect Tense to view this quiz

References[+]