Burlesque: Simple Past x Present Perfect

I love Cher and this movie. Tho movie has great dancing and musicals. It is worth seeing, for sure. The opening scene is wonderful to contrast the use of the simple past and present perfect tenses.




I. Watch the movie segment and decide if the activities refer to to her past - finished actions - (PA) or if they are still in progress in her present days unfinished actions - (PR).


















1. ( ) Practice on the bar stage

2. ( ) Pack her bags

3. ( ) walk away from her hometown

4. ( ) buy a one-way ticket to Los Angeles

5. ( ) travel by bus to LA

6. ( ) look for auditions in LA

7. ( ) stay in a small hotel room

8. ( ) have a hard time with the auditions

9. ( ) be happier in LA than in her hometown


II. Rewrite the sentences below in either the simple past or present perfect tenses. Mind whether the actions are finished or unfinished to justify your choices.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BURLESQUE

Answer key: ITEMS 1 - 5 - PAST
                  ITEMS  6 - 9  - PRESENT


II.

When she lived in her hometown,


1. She practiced in a bar stage
2. She packed her bags
3. She walked away from her hometown
4. She bought a one-way ticket to LA
5. She traveled to LA by bus

 Now that she is in Los Angeles,


6. She has looked (has been looking) for auditions in LA
7. She has stayed in a small hotel in LA
8. She has had (has been having) a hard time with the auditions
9. She has been happier in LA than in her hometown

Frantic: Questions - Simple Past

This is an excellent thriller with an intriguing story. I used the scene that the husband, Dr. Walker, asks several questions to the hotel clerk who works where he is staying at. He is working out during his break time. Dr. Walker's wife mysteriously disappeared while he was in the shower in the hotel room and he is looking for clues to solve the puzzle.

A. Before watching the segment, put the questions below in the correct order.

1. you/ did/ her/ see

_______________________ ?

2. did/ what/ say/ she

_______________________ ?

3. she / seem/ to know /him / did

_______________________ ?

4. did/ talk/ they

_______________________ ?

5. anything else/ did / notice / you

_______________________ ?

6. what / this man / did / look like

_______________________ ?



B. Now match the questions above with the answers the hotel clerk gave.




( ) She asked me to send up toilet articles.

( ) Yes, I spoke to her.

( ) I noticed she had wet hair.

( ) I didn't hear what they were saying.

( ) He had his arms around her.

( ) Tall, well-dressed, mustache, dark skin


C. Watch the movie segment now and check if your answers are correct.





WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FRANTIC


Answer Key:

A.
1. Did you see her?
2. What did she say?
3. Did she seem to know him?
4. Did they talk?
5. Did you notice anything else?
6. What did this man look like?

B.
2, 1, 5, 4, 3, 6

Greenberg: Simple Past x Past Continuous

Although this movie is not a master piece, it has great moments and the story is appealing. Stiller has one of his best dramatic roles in his career, though. I used this beautiful scene to practice contrasting the use of the simple past x past continuous.



I. Watch the movie segment and then fill in the blanks with the simple past or the past continuous form of the verbs in parentheses:









1. When Roger _________ (enter) the bar, Florence ________ (sing) a song in the bar.


2. Roger ________ (listen) to Florence singing when Gina _________ (order) four beers.


3. Gina ___________ (introduce) herself while she ____________ (wait) for the bartender to bring beer.


4. They ___________ (talk) to each other when Gina _________ (invited) him to sit with her friends.


5. Florence ___________ (talk) to with her friends when she _________ (wave) to Roger.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - GREENBERG

Answer key:

1. entered / was singing
2. was listening / ordered
3. introduced / was waiting
4. were talking / invited
5. was talking / waved

Duplicity: Simple Past

I love this segment because I used it to teach grammar kinesthetically. I hope you like this daring activity.

A. Watch the movie segment. Then work in small groups. Think about the story that took place before the scene. Write a short paragraph (or sentences) in the past tense saying what happened before their fight in the airport.

B. Now write down the dialog that you imagine they had at the airport, the scene of the movie segment. Use the simple past tense.


C. Role-play (or read) your dialog to the class.


D. Have a narrator say what happened after the scene. Use the simple past tense.


E. Vote for the best performance.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DUPLICITY

This activity does not require a worksheet.

Splice: Simple Past x Past Perfect

I. Watch the movie segment and write 1 next to the activity that was performed first and 2 next to the second one.


1.

( ) She looked at the ceiling.

( ) She stuck her tongue out of her mouth.



2.

( ) She opened the suitcase.

( ) She saw herself in the mirror.


3.

( ) She played with toys.

( ) She wore the crown.


4.

( ) She looked at the picture.

( ) She closed the suitcase.


5.

( ) She saw the cat.

( ) She fetched the cat.


6.

( ) She held the cat tenderly in her arms.

( ) She ran with the cat in her arms.


II. Fill in the blanks with either the simple past or the past perfect forms of the verbs in parentheses. Remember that the action that took place first should be in the past perfect form and the most recent one in the simple past.


1. She _______ (look) at the ceiling when she ______ (stick) her tongue out of her mouth.

2. She ________ (open) a suitcase when she _____ (see) herself in the mirror.

3. When she ______ (play) with the toys, she ______ (wear) a crown.

4. She _______ (look) at the picture when she ______ (close) the suitcase.

5. She ______ (see) the cat when she ______ (fetch) it.

6. When she _____ (hold) the cat tenderly in her arms, she ______ (run) with it in her arms across the barn.


III.

1. Describe her to your partner. Is she human? Why (not)?

2. What are some of her human characteristics?

3. Which ones are not?


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SPLICE


Answer Key:

I.

1 1,2
2 1,2
3 2,1
4 1,2
5 1,2
6, 2,1

II.

1. She had looked at the ceiling when she stuck her tongue out of her mouth.

2. She had opened a suitcase when she saw herself in the mirror.

3. When she played with a toy, she had worn a crown.

4. She had looked at a picture when she closed the suitcase.

5. She had seen the cat when she fetched the cat.

6. When she held the cat carefully in her arms, she had run with it in her arms.

Dear John: Passive Voice with Simple Present, Simple Past and Present Perfect

This is an effective tearjerker which I liked a lot. This scene is full of passive voice structures, perfect for review on passive voice with mixed verb tenses.

A. Read the script of the first scene from the movie Dear John. The paragraph is in the passive voice. either the simple present tense, simple past or the present perfect tenses. Fill in the blanks with the passive voice of the given verbs. Decide which of the two tenses you will use, depending on the context.



Glossary:

punch out: hit someone or something hard and repeatedly

rim: to be round or along the edge of something

bevel: to give something a sloping edge

stamp: to make a mark

mint: to produce something new





1. I’m eight years old again, on a tour of the US Mint, listening to the guide explain how coins ______________ (make). How they _______________ (punch out) of sheet metal. How they ______________ (rim) and ______________ (bevel). How they _________ (stamp)and __________ (clean). And then how each and every coin _________ (personally / examine) just in case one has slipped through with the slightest imperfection.



2. I am a coin in the United States Army. I __________ (mint) in the year 1980. I ____________ (punch out) from sheet metal, I __________ (stamp) and ___________ (clean), my edges _____________ (rim) and _______________ (bevel).


B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.








WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DEAR JOHN


Answer key:


1. are made/ are punched out/ are rimmed and beveled/ are stamped and cleaned/ is personally examined

2. was mint/ have been punched out/ have been stamped and cleaned/ have been rimmed and beveled

Mary and Max: Present Perfect x Simple Past

This is a marvelous Australian animated movie for adults. A bit sad, though. It is about two very unlikely pen pals. There are several scenes for grammar practice. This one is perfect to contrast the use of the simple past and the present perfect tenses.



A. Read the sentences taken from a letter Max is writing Mary and try to guess whether you should complete the blanks with the simple past or the present perfect tenses of the given verbs.



1. I ____________ (choose) the same numbers for nine years. 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12.


2. I _____________ (have) many different jobs during my life.


3. My first job ______ (be) collecting subway tokens in the subway.


4. I __________ (work) at the frisbee printing machine in my third job.


5. In my fourth job, I _____________ (get - neg) paid much but ________ (get) free cookies and coffee.


6. _____________ (you - ever - be) hang gliding?


7. _____________ (you - ever - be) a communist?


8. _____________ (you - ever - be) attacked by a crow or a similar large bird. When I __________ (be) nine, a crow _________ (attack) me on my way to school.



9. I _________________ (teach) myself to read two pages at once.



10. I have to go now. I __________ (tell - neg) you about my 7th job, in a condom factory.



11. I _______________ (eat - never) sweetened condensed milk.



12. I ________________ ( use - never) a condom.



B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.








C. Work in pairs.


1. Have you ever had a pen pal? Why (not)?


2. Is it a good idea to have pen pals? Explain it.


3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having pen pals?


4. Do pen pals have to like the same things? Why (not)?


5. Are pen pals real friends? Or it just a fantasy?



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MARY & MAX

Answer key:

A.

1. have chosen 2. have had 3. was 4. worked 5. didn't get / got 6. have you ever been 7. have you ever been 8. have you ever been / was / attacked 9. have taught 10. haven't told 11. have never eaten 12. have never used

Sex and the City: Past Continuous x Simple Past

Activity provided by Carina Fragoso. Visit her handy site teachercarinafragozo.blogspot.com for really great ideas.
ENGLISH IN BRAZIL.
Thanks Karina for sharing such an effective activity.

Movie Activity

Before watching the video:


1. Fill in the blanks using words from the Box:

her - affected - examined - their - American - focused

Sex and the City is an _________ cable television series. Set in New York City, the show _______ on four women (Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda), three in ______ mid-thirties and one in _____ forties. The series specifically ________ the lives of big-city professional women in the late 1990s/early 2000s and how changing roles and expectations for women ________ the characters.


Watching the video:



2. Carrie is a writer and her boyfriend Big has bought an apartment for them. She is thinking about selling her apartment to help him pay the new one. Based on the following scene, write T for true and F for false (10min-14min):





a) ( ) Big doesn’t want to get married to Carrie.


b) ( ) Carrie is surprised because he asked her to get married.


c) ( ) Carrie got Botox.


d) ( ) Samantha is disappointed because Carry is getting married.



3. Carrie’s boyfriend didn’t get married with her because he didn’t feel ready. He left her at the church. Based on the following scene, answer the questions (51min-55min):







a) Why did Big stop the car?
_______________________________

b) What was Carrie feeling?
_______________________________

c) Why didn’t Carrie say she felt he was strange?
_______________________________

d) Where were they going on honeymoon?
_______________________________



4. The girls decide to take the honeymoon that Carrie had booked. Based on the following scene, write T for true and F for false (57min-1h):






a) ( ) The receptionist was waiting for the girls.


b) ( ) Carrie thinks everything was a bad dream


c) ( ) Carrie didn’t sleep a lot.


d) ( ) Charlotte was afraid to eat the food because they were in Mexico.



After watching the video:


Based on the scenes we watched in class, write an ending for the story using the Simple Past and the Past Continuous.


Ex: Carrie found another boyfriend and she decided to travel to Brazil. When she was going to the airport, ...


WORKSHEET




Adapted from Wikipedia.

The Lovely Bones: Simple Past x Past Continuous

You can't miss this film. A great story, great acting, and amazing ending. Although the movie is suitable for adults only, this scene can be used with students of all ages.



I. Work in groups. Read the activities below and guess which activities the character in the movie did NOT do while smoking cigarettes BEFORE VIEWING THE SEGMENT. You have to choose 4 activities. The winner is the group who guesses most activities.

1. ( ) Vacuum the house
2. ( ) Drink whiskey
3. ( ) Water the plants
4. ( ) Sweep the flo0r
5. ( ) Put a mask on someone's face
6. ( ) Break some eggs on someone's hair.
7. ( ) Do the laundry
8. ( ) Sleep
9. ( ) Kick the dog
10. ( ) Read a book
11. ( ) Dance
12. ( ) Talk on the phone
13. ( ) Kiss the children



II. Watch the segment now and check your guesses. Which group is the winner?


III. Now write affirmative and negative sentences about the activities in exercise I. What did she do while she was smoking?

Ex:

1. She vaccumed the house.
2 ................................................
3 ................................................

WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD


Answer Key:

The incorrect items in exercise I are 9, 10, 12, 13

Mr Bean's Holiday: Wh - Questions with Simple Past

Mr. Bean is always funny and great for grammar practice because there are always a lot of actions to be described. I used this scene to have students practice asking questions in the simple past tense. By the way, the scene is memorable. I love it!










I. Before you watch the movie segment make a guess and choose the answer that will best complete the sentences.






1. He placed a handkerchief on the sidewalk / on a car / under a tree.



2. A DJ / Mr Bean / A boy played the song Boombastic.

3. Mr. Bean put a hat / a lady's cardigan/ a woman's dress on his head.

4. A passer-by / a police officer / a taxi driver/ started filming Mr. Bean with the boy.


5. Mr. Bean carried the boy and placed him on his shoulder / on the ground / in the street.


6. Mr. Bean dubbed "O Mio Bambino Caro" well/ desperately / tragically.


7. The scene took place during the night / in the afternoon / at 5:50 am.




II. Now write wh-questions to the answers you chose in exercise I.


Ex:

1. (on the sidewalk) - Where did he place a handkerchief?

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

4. ___________________________

5. ___________________________

6. ___________________________

7. ___________________________


WORKSHEET

Answer key:

I.

1. on the sidewalk

2. The DJ

3. a lady's cardigan

4. A passer-by

5. on the ground

6. all the alternatives are possible

7. in the afternoon

II.

2. Who played the song Boombastic?

3. What did he put on his head?

4. Who started filming Mr. Bean with the boy?

5. Where did he place the boy?

6. How did he dub "O Mio Bambino Caro"?

7. When did the scene take place?

Up in the Air: Simple Present x Simple Past

This movie is really nice and the scene is perfect to contrast the uses of the simple present and simple past tenses.


I. Work in small groups. Make a list of activities you do every time you travel by plane. Think about what you do during the day until the plane takes off. Make sure you mention the steps you take at home and at the airport too.

Ex:

I make my bags.
I shave.

II. Watch the movie segment and check which of the activities you listed in Exercise I George Clooney's character did that day.


III. Now write 5 sentences saying what he did in the segment that you did not list in exercise II.


Ex: He took off his shoes at the airport.


IV. Now write sentences saying 5 things from your list that he didn't do before traveling.

Ex: He didn't shave.

PLAY THE SEGMENT TWICE.







WORKSHEET

Hachiko - A Dog's Story: Passive Voice with Simple Past

A - Talk to a partner.


1. Do you have a pet? Talk about it.

2. Do you prefer dogs or cats? Why?

3. Is it important to have pets? Why?

4. When are pets helpful in a person's life? Explain it.

5. When are pets harmful to a person?

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having pets?



I. Watch the movie segment and check the alternatives with the actions that you managed to see during the scene.




1. ( ) A Japanese monk put the collar around Hachi's neck.

2. ( ) He put Hachi in a cage.

3. ( ) He took Hachi to a train station.

4. ( ) He fed Hachi.

5. ( ) A couple of guys picked Hachi up at the airport.

6. ( ) The baggage carrier accidentally dropped Hachi's cage on the station platform.

7. ( ) Someone found the broken cage.

8. ( ) Parker found and carried Hachi home.



II. Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice. Make sure you write affirmative or negative sentences according to the information presented in the segment.

Ex:

1. The collar was put around Hachi's neck (by a Chinese monk).





WORKSHEET


Answer key:

I.

All items are to be checked, except 4 and 7.

II.

2. Hachi was put in a cage.

3. Hachi was taken to a subway station.

4. Hachi wasn't fed.

5. Hachi was picked up at the airport.

6. Hachi's cage was accidentally dropped on the station platform.

7. The broken cage wasn't found.

8. Hachi was found and carried home by Parker.

X 2 - X-Men Reunited: Past Continuous x Simple Past

The X-Men series of movies is one of the best cartoon adaptations I know. The mutants have very appealing powers and the story is really clever. I enjoyed it a lot. I used the scenes in which one of the mutants use his power to stop the time to practice both the past continuous tense and the simple past tense in a contextualized, fun way. My students loved it. I hope you do too.




A. Watch the movie segment and write down what the people in the shopping mall were doing when the mutant paused the time. Write down at least five sentences describing them. Make sure you use the past continuous tense.




Ex: A lot of people were walking around the mall.


1. _____________________


2. _____________________


3. _____________________


4. _____________________


5. _____________________





B. Work with a partner and share the sentences you have written. Are there any different activities?





C. Now watch the second segment from the same movie. Now write down at least 5 things that happened while the president was speaking live to the American citizens. Make sure you use the simple past tense.


Ex: The president asked the reporters a question about the incident.


1. _____________________


2. _____________________


3. _____________________


4. _____________________


5. _____________________




D. Now check your sentences with a partner. Did you write the same sentences? Can you think of other activities?


WORKSHEET

The Shawshank Redemption: Simple Past

This is a classic. Perfect for the simple past tense practice.

A. You will see the trial of Mr. Dufresne, accused of murdering his wife and her lover. Read parts of the judge's and Mr. Dufresne's speeches and fill in the blanks with the past tense form of the verbs in parentheses.

J: Judge

D: Mr. Dufresne


J: Describe the confrontation you _______ (have) with your wife.

D: It _______ (be) very bitter. She _______ (say) she ___________ (be) glad I _____ (know) that she ________ (hate) all the sneaking around.

J: And she ______ (say) she ________ (want) a divorce in Reno. What _______ (happen) after you ________ (argue) with your wife?

D: She ____ (pack) her bag.

J: ______ you _______ (follow) her?

D: I _______ (go) to a few bars first. Later, I ______ (drive) to his house to confront them. They ________ (be - neg) home. I __________ (park) in the turnout... and _______ (wait).

J: When they _________ (arrive), you ________ (go) up to the house and _____ (murder) them.

D: I ________ (get) back to the car and ________ (drive) home to sleep it off. Along the way, I __________ (throw) my gun into the Royal River.

J: The police _______ (drag) that river for 3 days and a gun was not found.

B. Watch the segment and check your answers.

C. Talk to a partner.

1. What's your opinion? Is Mr. Dufresne guilty or not guilty of the crime? Justify your answer.

2. What sentence do you think he got?


D. Now watch the second part of the segment with the sentence. Then answer the questions that follow.











1. What was the sentence?

2. Is it a fair sentence? Why (not)?

3. Do you agree with life sentences? Explain it




WORKSHEET

Coraline: Past Perfect x Simple Past

I loved this movie, but I believe many children might have been afraid at certain scenes of this highly creative film. I used it to have students combine sentences with the past perfect and simple past tenses.


A. Take a look at the pair of sentences below. Write 1 next to the action that took place first and 2 next to the one that took place later.




___ Coraline went through a purple tunnel.
___ She entered a beautiful, neat living room.


___ She smelled something good.
___ She saw her other mother cooking in the kitchen.


___ Coraline talked to her other mother in the kitchen.
___ Her father sang her a song.


___ Coraline ate some chicken.
___ She drank some mango milk shake.


___ She went to bed in a comfortable bedroom.
___ She saw and talked to her friends in the picture.


B. Now connect the sentences above using the past perfect tense for the action that took place first and the simple past tense for the action that took place later.

Ex: Coraline had gone through a purple tunnel when she entered a beautiful, neat living room.



WORKSHEET

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which there is a sequence of events.

• Prepare an exercise in which the students have to decide which action took place first.

• Students write 1 or 2 next to the actions, according to the order of the events in the segment

• Students combine both sentgences using the simple past or the past perfect tenses.

What Women Want: Simple Past

This is a great scene. The students usually like it, especially because it is not conventional and unexpected.
Ask a partner if he / she did the following things before going to work or school this morning.



Ex: Did you drink wine?
No, I didn't.
Talk to a partner and decide if Nick (Mel Gibson) performed the following activities before going to work by checking the items.


1. Drink wine



2. Smoke a cigarette


3. Have breakfast


4. Polish the nails


5. Put on some makeup


6. Shave


7. Wax the leg


8. Wear pantyhose


9. Wear socks


10. Dry the hair


11. Trip on the floor


12. Have an accident


13. Take a shower


14. Watch TV





Now write affirmative and negative statements using the information in exercise A.

EX: 1. Nick drank wine.


Now write down which of the activities above you performed today.

Ex. I didn't drink wine.



I smoked a cigarette.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WHAT WOMEN WANT


How to prepare your own video activity:




- Select a scene in which the students can identify a series of activities performed by the actors




- Prepare a checklist with activities that were (not) performed.




- Students write sentences (affirmative and negative) using the past simple tense.