RUTH: Hello and welcome to another 'Say It Again' programme. My name is Ruth Lowton. My student here with me this week is Lee Kee. Hello Lee Kee!

LEE KEE: Hello Ruth. Thank you for your kind welcome. I enjoy coming on your programme. Each week I'm learning more about the English language and I like the true stories. Do we have another true story today?

RUTH: Yes we do. Today it's the story of Arsene Clain from Reunion. Reunion is a small island off the coast of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean. Reunion has a small Chinese population. Arsene Clain was sentenced to eighteen years in prison for murder. It was while Arsene was in prison that another prisoner told him about the living God and what God had done in changing his life. Andrew is reading Arsene's story.

Story Testimony

"I sentence you to eighteen years in prison for murdering the man," the judge said that day in the courtroom.

And so I began my prison sentence. As I sat there in my cell, I said to myself, "This is the end of my life as I know it." But one day, another prisoner spoke to me. He told me, "I have proof that God is alive. He has changed my life." I didn't agree, and I was angry. I said, "God is dead. No one can do anything to me that will change my life. I have to sit here and suffer in this prison, for killing that man." However, my companion then said to me, "Why don't you try talking to God? It wouldn't do you any harm. You could prove that God is alive, and that he wants to help you."

I was not sure of what the man was saying to me, and I didn't want to do it, but I started to talk with God. I told God, "I am sorry for all the bad things that I have done, please forgive me. I believe that You sent Your only Son Jesus Christ to die for all my sins." Now, I know that God heard me when I told him this for I felt a wonderful sense of peace and joy spreading through my body. I had received God's Holy Spirit. At last I found I had the power to say 'no' to wrong desires - my life was truly changed. I can see where God has been at work in my life. Now I help others find the true happiness that is God's love, in Jesus Christ.

RUTH: Did you enjoy Arsene's true story, Lee Kee?

LEE KEE: Yes Ruth, I did. Maybe at some time in a future programme, I'll be able to tell you how I became a Christian.

RUTH: That would be interesting, thank you. As well as a true story each week on 'Say It Again', we look at different aspects of the English language. Over the last few programmes, we've been looking at past tense irregular verbs. Today we are going to look at some more. Lee Kee, do you know any more irregular past tense verbs?

LEE KEE: Yes I think so. 'To say' in the past tense becomes 'said'. 'To come' becomes 'came'. And 'to spend' becomes in the past tense 'spent'.

RUTH: That's right. You spend all your money, so in the past tense you would say that all your money is spent. A few verbs in the present tense, when they change to the past, use the ending 't'. Let me give you some more examples. 'To weep' becomes in the past tense 'wept'. Another example is 'to keep' becomes in the past 'kept'. There's an example of 'kept' in our drama today. It comes near the end, so listen carefully.

Conversation

RUTH: So Lee Kee, did you hear the verb 'kept'?

LEE KEE: Yes Ruth, I did. Paul kept his piece of birthday cake for Grace.

RUTH: At the party, Paul probably thought, "I'll keep this for Grace." Next morning he said, "I kept this for you, Grace." Why don't you say that sentence with Lee Kee?

LEE KEE: 'I kept this for you Grace.'

RUTH: Good! Let's try the same with the other two examples I mentioned earlier - 'wept' and 'kept'. I'll say the sentence first and you then repeat it after me with Lee Kee. 'I wept after the death of my aunt.'

LEE KEE: 'I wept after the death of my aunt.'

RUTH: 'When I was a child, my father kept chickens.'

LEE KEE: 'When I was a child, my father kept chickens.'

RUTH: There's one more irregular past tense verb I want you to practice with Lee Kee's help. 'Forget' in the past becomes 'forgot'. I'll say a sentence using this word. Say it again with Lee Kee after me. 'I forgot to meet my friend.'

LEE KEE: 'I forgot to meet my friend.'

RUTH: Let me remind you of some of the past tense irregular verbs we've been practising today. I asked Lee Kee to tell me of some irregular past tense verbs that she knew. She said that 'to say' in the past tense becomes 'said'. And 'to come' becomes 'came'. I'll say a sentence for each of these. Why don't you say it again after me with Lee Kee? 'I said that I couldn't do it.'

LEE KEE: 'I said that I couldn't do it.'

RUTH: 'All of my family came to my house.'

LEE KEE: 'All of my family came to my house.'

RUTH: That's right. Maybe you could have some conversations with your friends using the past tense. In this simple game let me show you what I mean. Lee Kee, will you help me with it? Lee Kee, did you enjoy yourself at the birthday party?

LEE KEE: Yes Ruth, I enjoyed meeting all my friends.

RUTH: Did you take any photos at the party?

LEE KEE: No! I forgot to take my camera with me. I felt really upset.

RUTH: Did you have any birthday cake?

LEE KEE: Yes Ruth. It was a beautiful chocolate cake. But I'm sorry I haven't kept any for you!

RUTH: I hoped you understood the game that Lee Kee and I were playing. I was asking Lee Kee questions that made her answer me in the past. Maybe you could ask your friend about somewhere they've visited or a party they went to. If they haven't been or done anything lately, make something up. One of you takes the turn at being the teacher and asking the questions, the other has to answer the questions in the past. Then maybe you could change over, a different person asking the questions. You don't have to just use irregular past tense verbs; this is good practice for any past tense verb.

RUTH: That's all we have time for today. Next week, we'll be taking our last look at irregular past tense verbs. There will be another true story. Lee Kee will be back with me then. We do hope that you will join us for another 'Say It Again' programme. Goodbye from Lee Kee and me.

BOTH: Goodbye.