Theseus has beaten two bad men so far. Tonight’s enemy isn’t a man at all.
Theseus: The Road to Athens · B1
Labour Three: The Wild Sow
The present perfect with yet and so far, the past continuous, the passive, the first conditional, used to, verb patterns, relative clauses and reported speech: the B1 toolkit, for a village terrified of a monstrous pig.
🐗 Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are Theseus.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
MARCOS
A pig! Please tell me it’s a pig.
The story
After the old stories of Theseus
While Theseus was walking along the coast towards Crommyon, he saw black smoke over a village. The farmers told him that a giant wild sow had destroyed their fields, and that two men from the village had been killed.
A boy called Lykos told Theseus that his father used to fish in the river every day, but now nobody dared to go near it. The village blacksmith made Theseus a spear, and refused to take any money for it.
Lykos said that he had seen an old woman with the sow: Phaea, who lived at the edge of the village. The sow wasn’t as big as a horse, but it was close.
If Theseus doesn’t help the farmers, the sow will destroy the whole village. So Theseus goes out to hunt it.
The present perfect
MARCOS
So far, Theseus has beaten two bad men. Has he found the sow yet?
SOPHIA
have / has + past participle for a time that isn’t finished: so far, this week, ever, yet. yet at the end of questions and negatives; already in positive sentences.
Past continuous and the passive
DEMETRIA
While Theseus was walking, he saw smoke. And two men were killed by the sow.
SOPHIA
Past continuous (was / were + -ing) for the background, past simple for the event. The passive (be + past participle) when the person receives the action: they were killed.
First conditional; used to
PHILO
If Theseus doesn’t help, the sow will destroy the village. And Lykos’s father used to fish there.
SOPHIA
First conditional: if + present, will + verb. used to + verb for a past habit that has stopped.
Verb patterns; who and which
DEMETRIA
The blacksmith refused to take money. Phaea is the old woman who lives at the edge of the village.
SOPHIA
Some verbs take to + verb: refuse, want, decide, promise. And relative clauses: who for people, which for things.
As… as; reported speech
MARCOS
The sow wasn’t as big as a horse. But nearly!
SOPHIA
And reported speech: “I have seen her” → Lykos said that he had seen her. After a past reporting verb, the tense moves back.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| have / has + past participle (yet, so far) | unfinished time | He has beaten two men so far. |
| was / were + -ing + past simple | background + event | While he was walking, he saw smoke. |
| be + past participle | the passive | Two men were killed. |
| if + present, will + verb | first conditional | If he doesn’t help, the sow will destroy the village. |
| used to + verb | past habit, now stopped | His father used to fish there. |
| said that + backshift | reported speech | He said that he had seen her. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. Theseus ___ three villages so far.
2. While the farmers ___, the sow attacked.
3. The fields ___ by the sow.
4. If you ___ the spear, you will win.
5. Lykos’s father ___ fish in the river.
6. Have you finished your spear ___?
B · Write
Write the missing words.
7. The blacksmith decided Theseus a spear. (make)
8. Phaea is the woman owns the sow.
9. The boar wasn’t as fast a horse.
10. “I have seen it.” → He said that he seen it.
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “Theseus has killed the sow yesterday.”
12. “If the sow comes back, the farmers will run.”
13. “The village was attack by the sow.”
Now play Labour Three yourself, and hunt the sow of Crommyon!Play the gamebook →