Bike— Part 1 Report

Suggestion: Answer the question directly and use the correct verb. “Hopped back” is not appropriate here; you should say “had a bike” or “rode a bike.” Add one specific detail, such as who gave you the bike or where you used to ride it.

Example: Yes, I had a bike when I was a child. My parents bought it for me when I was about eight, and I often rode it around my neighborhood with my friends.

Suggestion: Begin with a clear answer to the question, such as “Yes, I think bikes are quite popular.” Then provide a reason and use correct tense and grammar: “When I was a child, there were a lot of children riding bikes.” Use a linking word such as “because” to connect your explanation logically.

Example: Yes, I think bikes are quite popular in my country because they are affordable and convenient. When I was a child, there were many children riding bikes in my neighborhood, and people still use them for exercise and short journeys today.

× Yes, I hopped back when I was a child.

✓ Yes, I had a bike when I was a child.

The verb hopped does not express possession and does not answer the question appropriately. Use had, the past-tense form of have, to describe owning a bike in the past.

× Probably because when I was a child there's a lot of kids riding their bike.

✓ Probably because, when I was a child, there were a lot of kids riding their bikes.

Use there were instead of there's because the noun phrase a lot of kids is plural. Use there were to describe the existence of something in the past.

× Probably because when I was a child there's a lot of kids riding their bike.

✓ Probably because, when I was a child, there were a lot of kids riding their bikes.

The phrase when I was a child refers to the past, so the verb must be in the past tense. Were is the past-tense form used with the plural subject a lot of kids.

× Probably because when I was a child there's a lot of kids riding their bike.

✓ Probably because, when I was a child, there were a lot of kids riding their bikes.

The plural noun kids refers to multiple people, and each person may have a bike, so bikes is more appropriate than the singular bike. Use plural nouns when referring to multiple items.