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Reading Worksheet

A Busy Weekend

A2 Present Continuous for Future: Personal Arrangements Social Life and Plans 25 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • Do you usually have a busy or a quiet weekend? What do you normally do?
  • When was the last time you had a very full weekend? What did you do?
  • Do you prefer to plan your weekends in advance or decide on the day? Why?
  • Look at the title 'A Busy Weekend'. What kinds of activities do you think are in the blog post?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
arrangement (n.) a plan that has been agreed with another person Jake has a lot of arrangements this weekend.
confirm (v.) to make something definite; to say that a plan is certain He has confirmed plans for both days.
brunch (n.) a late-morning meal that combines breakfast and lunch The whole family is having brunch together on Sunday.
recipe (n.) a set of instructions for preparing and cooking a dish His sister is cooking a French recipe she has learned.
pick up (phr. v.) to go and collect someone from a place He is picking his sister up from the station at 7pm.
gig (n.) a live music performance Leo's gig is on Sunday afternoon at the Red Lion pub.
Reading Text
Blog Post ~205 words

A Busy Weekend

Jake, 22, is writing to his friend Priya about his plans for the coming weekend. Everything is already arranged.

"Hi Priya! You asked about my weekend — it's completely full! On Saturday morning, I'm meeting my old school friends at a café in town at 10am. We haven't seen each other since Christmas, so I'm really looking forward to it. We're having lunch together afterwards.

In the afternoon, I'm going to the cinema with my brother. We've already bought the tickets, so that's definite. We're watching the new thriller that everyone is talking about.

Saturday evening is busy too. My sister is arriving from Paris at 7pm. I'm picking her up from the station — she's staying for the whole weekend.

On Sunday morning, the whole family is visiting my mum for brunch. My sister is cooking a French recipe she learned while she was living in Lyon. I have no idea what it is, but it smells amazing when she makes it.

In the afternoon, my friend Leo is playing in a band at the Red Lion pub. It's his first public gig, so it's a big deal. My sister, two friends, and I are all going to watch him.

I'm not sleeping much this weekend. But honestly? I'm having a great time already — and it hasn't even started!"

Notice the Grammar

Look at the blog post. Jake uses lots of present continuous forms to talk about the future: 'I'm meeting my friends', 'I'm picking her up', 'My sister is arriving'. Why does he use this form — not 'I will meet' or 'I'm going to meet'? What is special about all these plans?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words.

  1. Who is Jake writing to?
  2. What is the blog post mainly about?
  3. How does Jake feel about his weekend?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers based on the blog post.

  1. What time is Jake meeting his school friends on Saturday?
  2. How do we know the cinema trip is definitely happening?
  3. What time is Jake's sister arriving, and what is he going to do?
  4. Why is Leo's gig a big deal?  a) It is at a very famous venue. b) It is his first public gig. c) A music producer is coming to watch. 
  5. What is Jake's sister cooking on Sunday morning?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given) for each statement.

  1. Jake last saw his school friends at Christmas.
  2. Jake and his brother bought the cinema tickets yesterday.
  3. Jake's sister is staying with him for one night only.
  4. Jake knows exactly what his sister is going to cook on Sunday.
  5. Jake and two friends are going to watch Leo play on Sunday afternoon.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about the words in the blog post.

  1. Jake says Leo's gig is 'a big deal'. What does 'a big deal' most likely mean?  a) Something that is not very important. b) Something that is very important or exciting. c) A business agreement. 
  2. What does 'pick up' mean in the sentence 'I'm picking her up from the station'? Explain in your own words.
  3. Find a word in the blog post that means 'a late-morning meal that combines breakfast and lunch'. 
  4. Jake says he is 'really looking forward to' seeing his school friends. What does 'looking forward to' mean? Give your own definition.
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the present continuous for future.

  1. Find five present continuous sentences Jake uses to describe his weekend plans. Write them.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. Why does Jake use the present continuous (not 'will') for all his plans?
  3. Which sentence is NOT a correct use of the present continuous for future?  a) I'm meeting Jake at 10am on Saturday. b) The sun is shining on Sunday. c) His sister is arriving at 7pm. 
  4. Jake tells another friend about his Sunday plans. Write present continuous for future: (a) 'The family / visit mum / for brunch' (b) 'His sister / cook / a French recipe' (c) 'They / go / to the pub / in the afternoon'
  5. Write four sentences about your own plans for this coming weekend. Use the present continuous for future.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss with a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. Jake has plans with school friends, family, and a friend's gig all in one weekend. Which of his plans sounds the most fun to you?
  2. How important is it to see old friends? Do you find it easy or difficult to stay in touch with people from school?
  3. Jake says he is 'not sleeping much this weekend'. Is a busy social life a good thing, or do you sometimes need time alone? What do you prefer?

Answer Key

A Busy Weekend — A2 — Present Continuous for Future: Personal Arrangements

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. His friend Priya.
  2. Jake's plans for his very busy upcoming weekend.
  3. He is excited and looking forward to it, even though it is very busy.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. At 10am, at a café in town.
  2. Jake says they have already bought the tickets, so it is definite.
  3. She is arriving at 7pm. He is picking her up from the station.
  4. b)
  5. A French recipe she learned while she was living in Lyon.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — Jake says 'We haven't seen each other since Christmas'.
  2. NG — Jake says they have already bought the tickets, but he does not say when they bought them.
  3. F — The blog post says she is staying for the whole weekend — two nights.
  4. F — Jake says 'I have no idea what it is' — he doesn't know the dish.
  5. T — Jake says his sister, two friends, and he are all going to watch Leo's gig.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. To go and collect someone from a place and take them somewhere — Jake is going to meet his sister at the station and bring her home.
  3. brunch
  4. Feeling excited and happy about something that is going to happen in the future.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five present continuous for future sentences from the text, e.g. 'I'm meeting my old school friends at a café at 10am.' / 'We're having lunch together afterwards.' / 'I'm going to the cinema with my brother.' / 'My sister is arriving from Paris at 7pm.' / 'I'm picking her up from the station.' / 'The whole family is visiting my mum for brunch.' / 'My sister is cooking a French recipe.' / 'Leo is playing in a band at the Red Lion pub.' / 'We're all going to watch him.'
  2. Because all his plans are already confirmed and arranged — they are in his diary, agreed with other people. The present continuous for future shows fixed, specific arrangements with definite times and places.
  3. b)
  4. (a) The family is visiting mum for brunch. (b) His sister is cooking a French recipe. (c) They are going to the pub in the afternoon.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: am/is/are + -ing. Look for specific time or day markers that confirm these are future arrangem

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.