Complete the songs with the simple past

Now that we are facing a long week, I thought it would be a good idea to practise our English with songs. I propse three songs :

Level 1 : Easy
This one I selected an easy one: Cold Play's Paradise. The exercise I propose is simply that you fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Are you ready ?

Complete the song using the verbs in the box in the SIMPLE PAST AFFIRMATIVE

be    can     close    dream   expect fly    run   say

Coldplay’s Paradise

When she ______ (1)  just a girl
She __expected__ (0) the world
But it _______ (2)  away from her reach
So she ______ (3) away in her sleep
________ (4) of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Every time she ________ (5) her eyes
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh

When she ______ (1)  just a girl
She expected the world
But it _____ (2)  away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth

Life goes on
It gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night
She _____ (5) her eyes
In the night, the stormy night
Away she'd fly.

And _______ (4)of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh (repeat)

La lalaLa
Lalala

So lying underneath those stormy skies.
She ________(6) oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
I know the sun must set to rise.This _______(7) be para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradiseWhoa-oh-oh oh-ooohohoh-oh. (repeat x5)  

Here you have the lyrics of the song so thatyou can correct it by yourselves. 

Level 2 : Intermediate 

We can't deny that all of us listen to songs in English by American, English and other English-speaking singers. We end up learning their lyrics by heart, humming them, and even singing them in the shower. Songs have proved to be quite a motivating method to teach - and learn - English. This is why, from now on I will be posting some songs to this blog. You will be able to listen to the song and do some exercises designed by me. Then you will be able to check the answers by clicking the link down below. Ready ? Well, the first song in my list is Gotye's Somebody I Used to Know. This song is ideal to practise simple past tenses (both regular and irregular), as well as the structure 'used to + infinitive'. Besides, it tackles the topic of love relationships and their difficulties. Well, are you ready ? Let's have a go at this song. Here you have  the Youtube video to listen to it carefully to do my exercises:

1. Listen to the video above and fill in the gaps of the song by using the simple past of the verbs in the box

be (x4)     can          feel           not have(x2)   happen    say (x2)    tell

"Somebody That I Used To Know"
(feat. Kimbra)

[Gotye:]
Now and then I think of when we _______ (1) together
Like when you _____ (2) you felt so happy you could die
______ (3) myself that you were right for me
But _____ (4) so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember.

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we felt  that we _____(5)  not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I _____ (6)  glad that it was over

You ________ (7) to cut me off
Make out like it never _________ (8)  and that we _____ (9) nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you ________ (10) to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know

[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it ____(11) always something that I’d done
But I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You ______ (12) that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

Chorus

Somebody
(I used to know)
Somebody
(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)

(I used to know)
(That I used to know)
(I used to know)
Somebody 

2) Explain the meaning of the words and expressions in bold:

a)      Now and then

b)      That feels so rough

c)       We could not make sense

d)      You screwed me over

e)      Hung up on somebody

     3) Transform the following expressions of the song using ‘used to’

    a)      I think of when we were together:

    4)  Can you explain the structure: have +someone+ infinitive in the sentence: have      your friends collect your records…? What does it mean? Can you say it in another    way?

5)  What is the meaning of ‘though’ in I guess that I don’t need that though. Can you replace ‘though’ for a different marker?

  6) Look at the lyrics of the song and write down all the vocabulary and expressions    related to relationships 

     

      Answers:

  1) Check the lyrics of the song in this link: 

    2) a) From time to time /  sometimes

      b) it is hard, it is difficult to accept

      c) we couldn't make the relationship work; we couldn't be together

      d) you did something really annoying to me (it can also mean 'to cheat' hinting at an   infidelity)

      e) feel in love with somebody; be hooked on somebody

   3) I think of when we used to be together

   4) It is an imperative. It is when you force somebody to do something. A possible rephrasing of the sentence would be 'you made your friends collect your records ...'

    5) 'Though' is similar to however. 'However, I guess I don't need that...'

   6) 'together', 'right for me', 'love,' 'we couldn't make sense', ' we could still be friends', 'it was over', 'cut me off' , 'be hung up on somebody'
     
      Level 3 : Difficult
        
      Fill in the gaps of this song with the appropriate verb in the simple past :

Set fire to the rain

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate verb in the simple past :

I let it fall, my heart,

And as it fell you rose to claim it

It was dark and I was over

Until you ____________ my lips and you __________ me

My hands, they're strong

But my knees ___________ far too weak

To stand in your arms

Without falling to your feet

But there's a side to you

That I never _________, never _______________

All the things you'd say

They were never true, never true

And the games you play

You would always win, always win

But I set fire to the rain

___________ it pour as I touched your face

Well, it burned while I cried

'Cause I heard it screaming Out your name,

Your name

When I lay with you

I ____________stay there

Close my eyes

Feel you here forever

You and me together nothing gets better

'Cause there's a side to you

That I never _________, never ___________

All the things you'd say

They were never true, never true

And the games you play

You would always win, always win

But I set fire to the rain

_________- it pour as I touched your face

Well, it burned while I cried

'Cause I heard it screaming out your name,

Your name

I set fire to the rain

And I ____________ us into the flames

Well, it felt something died

'Cause I knew that that was

The last time, the last time

Sometimes I wake up by the door,

That heart you _________ must be waiting for you

Even now when we're already over

I can't help myself from looking for you

I set fire to the rain

___________ it pour as I touched your face

Well, it burned while I cried

'Cause I heard it screaming Out your name,

Your name

I set fire to the rain,

And I threw us into the flames

Well, it felt something died

'Cause I knew that, that was the last time

The last time

Let it burn

Let it burn

Let it burn

      Here you have the answers :

      

<   I hope you have enjoyed learning English with songs.