READING

Historical Origin of the Celebration 

 
A  popular  explanation  of  the  link  between Saint Valentine and the 
Holiday  says  that  at  the  time  of  the  Roman  "Lupercalia"  Festival 
marriage  was  a  common  tradition,  but  when  Claudius  became 
Emperor  he  changed  all  of  that.  He  outlawed  all  marriages 
because  he  was  afraid  that  men  would  refuse  their  duty  to  fight 
because they would not want to leave their wives behind.  
Young  couples  still  fell  in  love  though  and  still  wished  to  marry 
and  they  took  these  desires  to  the  Catholic  Bishop  Valentine who, 
understanding love, began to secretly marry couples.  
  
When  Claudius  found  out,  he  arrested  Valentine  and  sentenced 
him  to  death.  While waiting in prison, Valentine began exchanging 
letters  with  the  prisoner's  daughter  and  soon  had  fallen  in  love 
with  her.  The  day  he  was  to  be  beheaded,  he  wrote  her  one  last 
note and signed it: "From Your Valentine". 
  
In  496  A.D.  Christianity  had  taken  over  Rome  and  Pope  Gelasius 
outlawed  the  pagan  Lupercian  Festival.  Knowing  it’s  popularity, 
he  looked  to  replace  it  with something more "appropriate" and set 
aside  a  day  in  February  to  honor  the  martyr  St.  Valentine.  Even 
though  in  1969  the  church  removed  St.  Valentines  Day  from  it’s 
calendar of "official" holidays, it is still widely celebrated today.  
  
And  although Valentine's Day has become quite commercial, it still 
contains  an  important  aspect  shared  by  all  of  the  best  holidays  - 
time spent thinking of and being with the one you love. 
. 
. 
. 
 
 

Historical Origin of the Celebration - READING

GRAMMAR

THE PAST SIMPLE TENSE (Thì quá khứ đơn)

* Công thức:

DẠNG CÂU ĐỘNG TỪ TO BE ĐỘNG TỪ THƯỜNG

KHẲNG ĐỊNH S + was/were + O S + V2/ed

PHỦ ĐỊNH S + wasn’t/weren’t + O S + didn’t + V1

NGHI VẤN (Wh-)+ was/were + S + (Wh-) + did + S + V1…?

O?

* Cách dùng:

- Một hành động đã xảy ra và kết thúc trong quá khứ.

She came back last Friday.

I saw her in the street.

- Một thói quen trong quá khứ.

When I was young, I often went swimming with my friends in this river.

- Một chuỗi hành động trong quá khứ

I entered the room, turned on the light, went to the kitchen and had dinner.

​* Dấu hiệu nhận biết:

Trong câu thường có các từ: yesterday ​________ ( yesterday morning, yesterday
afternoon,…….),​ time + ago​ ( two years ago, many months ago, ten minutes
ago….),​ last + time​ ( last year, last night, last week, last month….), ​in + time in the
past​ (in 1975, in 1998…), ​from ​(March to June).

MORE EXAMPLES FOR USING THE PAST SIMPLE TENSE

PAST SIMPLE TENSE

GRAMMAR

Câu khẳng định S + V-ed/P1 (+ O)

She came back last Friday.

They were in London from Monday to Thursday of last week.

Câu phủ định S + did not/didn't + V (+ O)

She didn't come back last Friday

They were not in London from Monday to Thursday of last week.

Câu nghi vấn

- (Từ để hỏi) + did not/didn't + V + (O)

- (Từ để hỏi) + did + V + not + (O)

When did she come back?

Were they in London from Monday to Thursday of last week?

EXERCISES
Fill in the past form.
1. Mammoths ……………. big animals, bigger than elephants. (be)
2. Mammoths ……………. 100 years ago. (not live)
3. Mammoths ……………. a long time ago. (live)
4. Mammoths ……………. meat. They …………….grass. (not eat / eat)
5. They …………….two large tusks about three metres long. (have)
6. I …………….by credit card. I …………….cash. (pay / not pay)
7. He …………….some milk. He …………….any water. (drink / not drink)
8. She only …………….a pound. She …………….3 pounds. (spend / not spend)
9. I ……………. some elephants. I ……………. any lions. (see / not see)
10. They ……………. in the sea, but ……………. in the lake. (swim / not swim)

PAST SIMPLE TENSE