Joy English · Level B1 · Short storiesjoy-english.com
The Gift of the Magi
Name:Date:
Follow past-tense narration in a classic story.
Listen to each sentence and write what you hear.
Audio and answer checking: https://joy-english.com/listening-lessons/the-gift-of-the-magi
Words to know
- count
- To find the total number or amount.
- clearly
- In a way that is easy to see or understand.
- expenses
- Money that you spend on things.
Answer key
- Three times Della counted it.The time phrase comes first for emphasis: she counted the money three times.
- And the next day would be Christmas.“Would be” describes the future from a moment in the past.
- There was clearly nothing to do but sit down and cry.“Nothing to do but” means the only thing she could do.
- Della finished her crying and dried her face.Two past verbs: “finished” ends with a t sound and “dried” with a d sound.
- Expenses had been greater than she had expected.Past perfect: “had been” and “had expected” describe an earlier past.