ESLSongs

Practice the past simple (especially irregular verbs) in your ESL class with this song, Because you loved me by Celine Dion. The 14 irregular verbs which appear in these song lyrics are: stood, made, brought, found, held, let, saw, were, was, could, gave, lost, said & had.

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I’ll be forever thankful baby
You’re the one who held me up
Who never let me fall
You’re the one who saw me through, through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ’cause you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I’m grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don’t know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘cause you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You’ve been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ‘cause you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple, then listen to the song to check your answers

For all those times you ¹_______________ (stand) by me
For all the truth that you ²_______________ (make) me see
For all the joy you ³_______________ (bring) to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I ⁴_______________ (find) in you
I’ll be forever thankful baby
You’re the one who ⁵_______________ (hold) me up
Who never ⁶_______________ (let) me fall
You’re the one who ⁷_______________ (see) me through, through it all

Chorus
You ⁸_______________ (be) my strength when I ⁹_______________ (be) weak
You ¹¹_______________ (be) my voice when I couldn’t speak
You ¹²_______________ (be) my eyes when I couldn’t see
You ¹³_______________ (see) the best there ¹⁴_______________ (be) in me
(You) lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You ¹⁵_______________ (give) me faith ’cause you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you ¹⁶_______________ (love) me

You ¹⁷_______________ (give) me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand, I could touch the sky
I ¹⁸_______________ (lose) my faith, you ¹⁹_______________ (give) it back to me
You ²⁰_______________ (say) no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I ²¹_______________ (have) your love, I ²²_______________ (have) it all
I’m grateful for each day you ²³_______________ (give) me
Maybe I don’t know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

Chorus

You ²⁴_______________ (be) always there for me
The tender wind that ²⁵_______________ (carry) me
A light in the dark, shining your love into my life
You’ve been my inspiration
Through the lies you ²⁶_______________ (be) the truth
My world is a better place because of you

Chorus