Our oceans are vast, full of tropical fish of all sizes, beautiful reefs, various plants, and a whole lot more. The ocean has a remarkable ecosystem unlike any other ecosystem that we know of. People who learn to scuba dive or go snorkeling see an underwater world so different from life above water that it looks like another planet.
Is there anything to be afraid of in the ocean? Well, sure. There are sharks, of course, and a few other creatures that might bite or sting you if you get in the way. But most marine animals won’t hurt people. They’re afraid of us and just want to be safe. If you don’t know how to swim, that’s a problem, but if you do, the ocean is an amazing world to explore.
Jeff is afraid of swimming in the ocean, and Marni is trying to change his mind. Find out why in today’s English lesson about snorkeling.
Marni: My last vacation, which… now, let me tell you, was a long time ago… one of the best things that I did that I’d never done before was go snorkeling.
Jeff: Oh, man.
Marni: Isn’t it incredible?
Jeff: I really want to. I’ve never gone before.
Marni: You haven’t?
Jeff: No, I’m scared of the ocean.
Marni: Oh, no! Oh, it’s amazing. You just see this vast ecosystem underwater that you’ve never seen before. It’s just remarkable. All the reefs, and all the different tropical fish…
Jeff: I love marine life. My little sister, she’s a marine biologist.
Marni: Really?
Jeff: Yeah. And she knows how to scuba dive. And snorkel, obviously. I’m really jealous, but I’m scared.
Marni: And you’ve never done it? You’re really that scared?
Jeff: Yeah.
Marni: Oh. You’ve got to try it. It’s just so extraordinary. You just feel like you’re on another planet. It’s so peaceful and relaxing.
Jeff: It seems like it, yeah.
Marni: I think you should try.
Jeff: I’m going to try and work my way up to it.
Marni: Yeah. I absolutely think it’s worth it, because it’s like nothing else you can experience on earth.
Jeff: This is encouraging.
Marni: Good, good.
Jeff: Thank you.
Marni is truly excited to talk about her experience with snorkeling. She loved seeing the ocean this way, because there’s a lot going on underwater. All of the different fish and the reefs make the ocean seem like another planet to Marni. It was an amazing experience for her.
Jeff appreciates how incredible it would be to see all the marine life in the ocean. Unfortunately, he’s afraid to swim in it. Even though his sister’s job is all about the animals found in the sea, Jeff isn’t comfortable with the idea of snorkeling. One day he hopes to try it, but he’s just not ready yet.
Have you ever been snorkeling? What was it like? Would you like to snorkel again?
Past Perfect Tense
On her vacation, Marni tells Jeff about something she did that “I’d (I had) never done before.” Snorkeling! She uses the past perfect tense.
The past perfect tense in English is composed of two parts: the past tense of the verb to have (had) + the past participle of the main verb. For example, “We had decided…,” “She had given…,” or, “I hadn’t asked…”
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one event happened before another in the past. For example, “John had gone out when I arrived in the office,” or, “He was very tired because he hadn’t slept well.”
Just is used with the past perfect to refer to an event that was only a short time earlier than before now. For instance, “She had just left the room when the police arrived,” or, “We had just started the picnic when it began to rain.”
Which is correct, “They had eaten quickly because they were hungry,” or, “They have eaten quickly because they were hungry”?