Big Fish: Past Continuous x Simple Past

This is my favorite Tim Burton's movie. I love him as a director and most of his movies are full of resources for movie activities. Big Fish is full of them. This scene is perfect for the students to practice the past continuous and simple past tenses.



I. Watch the movie segment and write down 3 activities people were doing when time stopped.

Ex: A little boy was drinking soda.

1 ......................................................

2 .....................................................

3 ....................................................



II. Now write down 3 things that happened when time moved too fast to catch up while he was in the circus.

Ex:
The girl he fell in love with left without talking to him.
1 ...................................................................
2 ..................................................................
3 ..................................................................

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BIG FISH

Hancock: Past Continuous x Simple Past

Check out this activity to practice simple past x past continuous. I recommend it for adults because of the language used. Tell me how you like it by adding a comment, please






Before watching the segment:

Discuss the following questions with a partner:

1) Would you like to be a Super Hero? Why (not)?

2) What super powers would you like to have?

3) Which of the super powers you mentioned would you consider the
most important one?

4) How different would your life be if you had this super power?

5) Would you keep your super powers a secret? Why (not)?

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


1) Hancock _____________ (sleep) on the bench when a boy _________ (wake) him up.


2) A young lady ____________ (walk) on the street when Hancock ________ (touch) her back.


3) Several birds ________ (hit) him when he ____________ (fly) with a bottle of liquor in his hand.


4) Hancock __________ (fly) and ___________ (drink) when he _______ (hit) a traffic sign.


5) Hancock _________ (try) to persuade the foreigners to surrender when they _____ (shoot) him.


6) Hancock ___________ (throw) their car at the building when he _________ (fly) and _________ (carry) their car around the city.



After watching the segment:

Discuss the following questions about the segment:

1) What’s the matter with Hancock’s super powers?

2) Would you like to be Hancock? Why (not)?

3) What advice would you give him?


How to prepare your own video activity:





• Select a scene in which the characters’ actions are interrupted during the segment.


• Prepare an exercise in which the students have to identify when to use the target structures.

. Prepare pre and post viewing questions to activate schemata.






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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - HANCOCK

The Pursuit of Happyness: Simple Past x Past Continuous

This movie has a great message and the story is touching. My opinion is that the film is too down in the mouth, but the last 5 minutes are uplifting. Not my cup of tea, but most people really enjoyed it. The scene, though, is perfect for practicing the contrast between the simple past and the past continuous tenses.






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

1) Chris _________________ (cook) burgers for breakfast when his landlord ________________ (knock) on his door.

2) The police ______________ (arrest) Chris when he ________________ (paint) the house.

3) Chris _______________ (pay) some parking tickets when the officer __________ (tell) him he was supposed to spend the night in jail.

4) When Chris __________ (call) his ex-wife, she _____________ (work) hard.

5) When he _______________ (enter) the elevator, he _____________ (try) to button up his jacket.

1) He __________________ (wait) in the waiting room when the secretary _________ (call) out his name.

2) When he ___________________ (walk) through the office, businesspeople _______________ (talk) on the phone, _______________ (speak) very loudly, and _______________ (work) a lot.

3) The Board _____________ (wait) for Chris when the secretary ___________ (announce) him.

Answer Key:

1. was cooking / knocked
2. arrested / was painting
3. was paying /told
4. called / was working
5. entered/ was trying
6. was waiting / called
7. walked / were talking - speaking - working
8. was waiting / announced

How to prepare your own video activity:
Grammar Goal: Simple Past x Past Continuous

• Select a scene in which the characters’ actions are interrupted during the segment.
• Prepare an exercise in which the students have to identify when to use the target structures.
• Make sure the students know when to use both verb tenses before they actually do the exercise.

WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS