WHO’S AT MY DOOR

I woke up to the sound of a knock on my door. I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I felt a little nervous. I opened the door slowly and saw a man standing there. He was tall and wearing a suit. He asked if I had seen a lost dog. I told him I hadn’t, but I would keep an eye out. He thanked me and left. I closed the door, but the knock had left me wondering—who was he, and why was he looking for the dog?

Individual Sentences

  1. I woke up to the sound of a knock on my door.
    Pattern: S + V + Prep Phrase + O + Prep Phrase

  2. I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I felt a little nervous.
    Pattern: S + Aux + V + O, Conj + S + V + Adj

  3. I opened the door slowly and saw a man standing there.
    Pattern: S + V + O + Adv + Conj + V + O

  4. He was tall and wearing a suit.
    Pattern: S + V + Adj + Conj + V + O

  5. He asked if I had seen a lost dog.
    Pattern: S + V + O + S + V + O

  6. I told him I hadn’t, but I would keep an eye out.
    Pattern: S + V + O + S + Aux + V, Conj + S + V + O

  7. He thanked me and left.
    Pattern: S + V + O + Conj + V

  8. I closed the door, but the knock had left me wondering—who was he, and why was he looking for the dog?
    Pattern: S + V + O, Conj + S + V + O + V + O

Who Are You Talking To?

Just an example of how this phrase would be said in different environments:

Phrase: "Who is knocking at my door?"

  1. Casual: "Hey, who’s knocking at your door?"

  2. Intimate: "Sweetie, do you know who’s knocking at the door?"

  3. Formal: "Could you tell me who is knocking at my door?"

  4. Business: "Can you inform me of who is knocking at my door?"

  5. Writing: "Who is knocking at my door? Please explain."

Key Vocabulary

  1. Knock – A sound made by striking a door or surface.

  2. Expecting – Awaiting or anticipating something to happen.

  3. Suit – A formal outfit, usually consisting of a jacket and trousers.

  4. Nervous – Feeling uneasy or anxious.

  5. Wondering – Thinking or questioning about something.

Comprehension Questions

Refer back to the story if you need to answer the following questions.

  1. What sound did the narrator hear?
    Sentence: ________________.

  2. Who was standing at the door?
    Sentence: ________________.

  3. What did the man ask about?
    Sentence: ________________.

  4. How did the narrator feel when the door was knocked on?
    Sentence: ________________.

  5. Why did the narrator wonder about the man?
    Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

  1. The narrator heard a knock on the door.

  2. A man in a suit was standing at the door.

  3. The man asked if the narrator had seen a lost dog.

  4. The narrator felt nervous.

  5. The narrator wondered who the man was and why he was looking for the dog.

Speaking Activity

Practice placing stress on the bolded words to change the message of the sentence.

  1. I woke up to the sound of a knock on my door. (Emphasizes what woke the narrator up)

  2. I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I felt a little nervous. (Emphasizes what was not expected)

  3. He asked if I had seen a lost dog. (Emphasizes the action of asking)

  4. I closed the door, but the knock had left me wondering. (Emphasizes what caused the wondering)

Writing Activity

Unscramble the Sentences:

  1. I / knocking / door / at / was / the.
    Sentence: ________________.

  2. anyone / expecting / I / wasn’t.
    Sentence: ________________.

  3. was / a / suit / wearing / he.
    Sentence: ________________.

  4. keep / eye / I / out / would / an.
    Sentence: ________________.

  5. left / me / wondering / knock / had / the.
    Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

  1. I was knocking at the door.

  2. I wasn’t expecting anyone.

  3. He was wearing a suit.

  4. I would keep an eye out.

  5. The knock had left me wondering.

Create Activity

Follow the sentence pattern and build sentences with the following words:
Words To Use: knock, door, nervous, suit, wondering

  1. S + V + O.
    Sentence: ________________.

  2. S + V + Adj + O.
    Sentence: ________________.

  3. S + V + O + Prep Phrase.
    Sentence: ________________.

  4. S + V + O + Adv.
    Sentence: ________________.

  5. S + Aux + V + Adj.
    Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

  1. The knock startled me.

  2. The man was nervous.

  3. I answered the door slowly.

  4. He knocked loudly.

  5. It was very strange.

Grammar Activities

Multiple-Choice Questions:

  1. What did the man ask about?
    a) A missing cat
    b) A lost dog
    c) A stolen wallet

  2. How did the narrator feel when they heard the knock?
    a) Excited
    b) Nervous
    c) Happy

  3. Who was at the door?
    a) A friend
    b) A stranger in a suit
    c) A neighbor

  4. What did the man do after speaking to the narrator?
    a) He stayed and chatted
    b) He left
    c) He entered the house

  5. What did the narrator do after hearing the knock?
    a) Opened the door quickly
    b) Felt nervous and opened the door slowly
    c) Ignored the knock

Answers:

  1. b) A lost dog

  2. b) Nervous

  3. b) A stranger in a suit

  4. b) He left

  5. b) Felt nervous and opened the door slowly

Natural Dialogue

Me: Who’s knocking at your door?
Friend: I don’t know, it’s a man in a suit.
Me: What did he want?
Friend: He asked about a lost dog.
Me: Did he leave?
Friend: Yes, he thanked me and left after I said I hadn’t seen it.