Big Earthquake in Japan

May 15, 2026, 12:02
JapanScience

Introduction

A strong earthquake hit the coast of Japan on Friday evening.

Main Body

The earthquake happened at 20:22. It was 50 kilometers east of Ofunato. It was 43 kilometers deep in the ground. The government sent emergency messages to five areas. The earthquake was strong, but it did not cause a tsunami. The government told people to stay calm. No people died and no buildings broke.

Conclusion

The government is still watching the area.

Learning

πŸ•’ Talking about the Past

In this news story, we see words that tell us things already happened. This is the key to A2 English.

The 'Magic' Word: -ed Most words just add -ed at the end to move from 'now' to 'yesterday'.

  • Happen β†’ Happened
  • Watch β†’ Watched

The Rule Breakers Some words are rebels. They don't use -ed. You just have to memorize them:

  • Hit (Now) β†’ Hit (Past) β†’\rightarrow It stays the same!
  • Is (Now) β†’ Was (Past) β†’\rightarrow The word changes completely.
  • Do (Now) β†’ Did (Past) β†’\rightarrow Used for 'did not'.

Quick Map Present β†’\rightarrow Past Send β†’\rightarrow Sent Tell β†’\rightarrow Told

Vocabulary Learning

strong
having great power or force
Example:The earthquake was very strong.
coast
the land next to the sea
Example:The town is on the coast.
Japan
a country in Asia
Example:I visited Japan last year.
Friday
the day after Thursday
Example:We have a meeting on Friday.
evening
the time after the afternoon and before night
Example:We went out in the evening.
happened
took place
Example:The accident happened yesterday.
deep
far below the surface
Example:The well is very deep.
ground
the surface of the earth
Example:The ball hit the ground.
government
the group of people who run a country
Example:The government announced new rules.
emergency
a sudden dangerous situation
Example:They called for emergency services.
messages
written or spoken information
Example:She sent a text message.
areas
parts or regions
Example:The park covers many areas.
cause
make something happen
Example:The rain caused flooding.
tsunami
a large sea wave caused by an earthquake
Example:The tsunami destroyed the village.
calm
peaceful and quiet
Example:He stayed calm during the test.