The Adventures of Tin Tin: Developing Different Grammar Points Exercises with the Same Movie Segment

This post will show you how you can develop several activities - 10 to be precise -  for different grammar points, using the same movie segment. If you choose a segment that shows a series of events, it is much easier, Here are several activities based o the same segment of The Adventures of Tin Tin. 

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Present Perfect

I.                    Watch the movie segment. Pay attention to the activities the characters have performed during that day. Remember, the day is not over yet. Write T if Tin Tin performed the activity, C if The Captain  did it, and  S if Snowy performed it.

 

1.       ( ) Read the plane manual

2.       ( ) Fly a plane

3.       ( ) Drink alcohol

4.       ( ) Go out of the plane

5.       ( ) Be hit by lightning

6.       ( ) parachute from the airplane

7.       ( ) Have the hair cut by the propeller

II.                  What has happened to Tin Tin, the Captain and Snowy today? Rewrite the items above, using the present perfect tense.  You may write negative statements too.

EX: Tin Tin has read the plane manual.

1.       ____________________________________________ 2.       ____________________________________________ 3.       ____________________________________________ 4.       ____________________________________________ 5.       ____________________________________________ 6.       ____________________________________________ 7.       ____________________________________________

III.                Make a list of 6 things that you have done today.

EX: I have brushed my teeth.

1.       ____________________________________________ 2.       ____________________________________________ 3.       ____________________________________________ 4.       ____________________________________________ 5.       ____________________________________________ 6.       ____________________________________________

IV.                Share your list with a partner and check what both of you have done so until this moment.

Answer key:

1.       T        2.  T       3. S and C      4. C       5. C      6. C       7. T

The Adventures of Tin Tin

CAN

I.                   

Watch the movie segment and write who can perform the following actions, according to the segment. Write T if Tin Tin performed the activity, C if The Captain  did it,  P if the prisoners performed it, and NO if none of them performed the activity.

1.       ( ) Fly a plane

2.       ( ) Speak English

3.       ( ) Fix the plane during a flight

4.       ( ) Land a plane easily

5.       ( ) parachute

6.       ( ) Count on friends

II.                  Rewrite the sentences below, saying what the characters can or can’t do. You may add – Very well  or BUT not very well.

EX: Tin Tin can fly a plane, but not very well.

III.                Make a list of three  things that you can do very well, three things that you can do, but not very well, and three things that you can’t do.

EX:

I can do very well	I can do, but not very well	I can’t do
I can sing very well.	I can swim, but not very well.	I can’t speak German.

  

Answer Key:

1.       T

2.       T and C

3.       N

4.       N

5.       P and C

6.       T

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Passive Voice

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

1.       ( ) Tin Tin flew the plane

2.       ( ) The Captain and Snowy drank alcohol during the flight

3.       ( ) The plane took the passengers into a thunderstorm.

4.       ( ) Tin Tin landed the plane easily.

5.       ( ) Snowy and The Captain helped Tin Tin.

6.       ( ) The propeller trimmed Tin Tin’s hair.

7.       ( ) The fall killed the Captain.

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  plane was flown by Tin Tin. 1.       ____________________________________________ 2.       ____________________________________________ 3.       ____________________________________________ 4.       ____________________________________________ 5.       ____________________________________________

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Simple Past x Past Perfect

I.                    Watch the movie segment and decide which action took place first. Write 1 for the first activity and 2 for the second activity.

 

1.        (    ) Tin Tin read the manual.

 (    ) Tin Tin started the engine.

2.       (     ) The Captain saw the thunderstorm.

(     ) They flew over a ship.

3.        (    ) The Captain and Snowy drank all the alcohol.

 (    ) They ran out of gas.

4.       (    ) The plane crashed on the desert.

(    ) The prisoners parachuted from the plane.

5.       (    ) Snowy tried to save Tin Tin.

(    ) The propeller stopped working.

II.                  Now complete the blanks with either the simple past or the past perfect tenses, according to the movie segment.

1.       Tin Tin _____________ (read) the manual when he ____________ (start) the plane.

2.       The Captain ____________ (see) the thunderstorm after they ____________ (fly) over a ship.

3.       The Captain and Snowy ______________ (drink) all the alcohol when they __________ (run) out of gas.

4.       When the plane ______________ (crashed) on the desert, the ___________________ (parachute) from the plane.

5.       Tin Tin  _____________(try) to help Tin Tin when the propeller ____________ (stop) working.

 Answer Key:

1.       Tin Tin had read (read) the manual when he started (start) the plane.

2.       The Captain saw (see) the thunderstorm after they had flown (fly) over a ship.

3.       The Captain and Snowy had drunk (drink) all the alcohol when they ran (run) out of gas.

4.       When the plane crashed (crashed) on the desert, the prisoners had (already) parachuted (parachute) from the plane.

5.       Tin Tin  had tried (try) to help Tin Tin when the propeller stopped (stop) working.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

3rd conditional

I.                    Watch the movie segment and decide if the statements below are True or False.

1.       ( ) Tin Tin didn’t know how to fly a plane

( ) He had to read the manual to learn how to fly.

2.       ( ) The Captain and Snowy drank all the alcohol from the bottle.

( ) They didn’t have any alcohol to fill in the fuel tank.

3.       ( ) The plane went straight into the thunderstorm

( ) The plane fell.

4.       ( ) Snowy and the Captain tried to save Tin Tin.

( ) Tin Tin didn’t die.

II.                  Now complete the blanks with the conditional forms of the given verbs, according to the information presented in the segment.

1.       If Tin Tin ____________ (know) how to fly a plane, he ___________ (have) to read the manual to fly it.

2.       If the Captain and Snowy _____________ (drink) all the alcohol from the bottle, they _______________ ( have) enough  fuel to fill in the tank.

3.       If the plane ______________ (go) straight into the thunderstorm, it  ______________________  (fall).

4.      

If Snowy and the Captain _______________ (try) to save Tin Tin, ______________________.

 Answer Key:

1.       If Tin Tin had known (know) how to fly a plane, he wouldn’t have had (have) to read the manual to fly it.

2.       If the Captain and Snowy hadn’t drunk (drink) all the alcohol from the bottle, they would have had (have) enough fuel to fill in the tank.

3.       If the plane hadn’t gone (go) straight into the thunderstorm, it  wouldn’t (mightn’t) have fallen (fall).

4.       If Snowy and the Captain hadn’t tried (try) to save Tin Tin, he would (might) have died.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Comparatives / Superlatives

I.                    Complete the chart with the adjectives in the chart that best describe each character.

YOUNG  - INTELLIGENT – FUNNY -  COURAGEOUS – THIN – CONFIDENT – HEAVY - SKILLED

TIN TIN	SNOWY	CAPTAIN
	Ex: FUNNY

II.                   Now write 3 sentences comparing the characters above:

Ex: Tin Tin is thinner than the Captain

1.       _______________________________________________

2.       _______________________________________________

3.       _______________________________________________

III.                Now compare one of the characters with the other ones.

EX: Tin Tin is the most intelligent character in the segment.

1.       ________________________________________________

2.       ________________________________________________

3.       ________________________________________________

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Past Modals for Regrets

I.                    Watch the movie segment. Check the statements that you think were bad ideas.

1.       ( ) Tin Tin flew a plane without receiving instructions.

2.       ( ) Tin Tin  flew into a severe thunderstorm.

3.       ( ) Tin Tin didn’t check whether there was enough fuel to fly a plane.

4.       ( ) The Captain drank all the alcohol from the bottle.

5.       ( ) Snowy was not wearing a seat belt.

II.                  Now write sentences expressing regrets, using the information above:

Ex: Tin Tin shouldn’t have flown a plane without having received any instructions. 2. _____________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________________________ 5. _____________________________________________________________________

III.                Work in pairs. One student is the Captain and the other one is Tin Tin. Try to convince your partner about everything that he did that shouldn’t have been done.  Imagine you are having the conversation right after the accident.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Modals for Speculation (Present and Past)

I.                    Watch the movie segment. Talk to a partner and decide if the statements below are True or False.

1.       ( ) Tin Tin has flown other planes before.

2.       ( ) Snowy likes adventures

3.       ( ) The Captain is a trustworthy professional.

4.       ( ) Tin Tin is a brave guy.

5.       ( ) The prisoners died in the accident

6.       ( )  The Captain is an alcoholic.

II.                  Now rewrite the sentences above, using modals for speculation. Decide which modal you will choose to make the odds plausible.

Ex:

1.  Tin Tin might have flown other planes before. OR Tin Tin can’t have flown other planes before.

2. Snowy must (might) like adventures.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Simple Past x Past Continuous

I.                    Watch the movie segment and complete the blanks with the simple past or past continuous form of the given verbs.

1.       Tin Tin ___________________ (read) the manual when he ___________ (start) the engine.

2.       They ____________________ (fly) over a ship when the Captain __________ (see) a severe thunderstorm in front of them.

3.       The prisoners _________________ (parachute) from the plane when it _____________ (fall).

4.       Snowy _________________________ (try ) to save Tin Tin when the Captain ____________ (land) on the plane propeller.

5.       The propeller ___________ (cut) Tin Tin’s hair when the Captain ______________ (save) him.

II.                  Watch the segment again and check your answers

Answer Key:

1.       Was reading / started

2.       Were flying / saw

3.       Parachuted / was falling

4.       Was trying / landed

5.       Was cutting / saved

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Asking Questions

I.                    Before watching the segment, make guesses about the segment you are about to watch.

1.       There were __________ people on the plane.

a)      3

b)      4

c)       5

d)      6

2.       Tin Tin’s sweater  is _______________.

a)      blue

b)      yellow

c)       green

d)      red

3.      

The Captain drank ________________.

a)      A soda

b)      An alcoholic drink

c)       Coconut water

d)      Water

4.       They fell _______________________.

a)      In the ocean

b)      In the lake

c)       On a house

d)      On the sand

5.       ______________ saved Tin Tin.

a)      Snowy

b)      The Captain

c)       The prisoners

d)      A pirate

II.                  Now check your answers by watching the segment. Then write wh-questions to the answers you chose in exercise I

Ex:

1.       How many people were there on the plane?

               There were four  people on the plane.

WORKSHEET PRESENT PERFECT

WORKSHEET MODAL FOR ABILITY CAN

WORKSHEET PASSIVE VOICE

WORKSHEET SIMPLE PAST X PAST PERFECT

WORKSHEET 3RD CONDITIONAL

WORKSHEET COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

WORKSHEET PAST MODALS FOR REGRETS

WORKSHEET PRESENT AND PAST MODALS FOR SPECULATION

WORKSHEET SIMPLE PAST X PAST CONTINUOUS

WORKSHEET ASKING QUESTIONS

WORKSHEET TRANSITION WORDS - WRITING A NARRATIVE

WORKSHEETS FOR ALL THE SEGMENTS

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN

Titanic: 3rd Conditional - Omission of IF

Hindsight: the ability to understand, after something has happened, what should have been done or what caused the event.

I. Work with a partner:

1. What do you know about the Titanic?

2. Why is it such a famous shipwreck?

3. According to the definition of hindsight, what can we understand about the accident, making use of hindsight? Read the chronology and facts below before you answer this question.

II. Read the chronology of the happenings concerning the sinking of the Titanic:

Taken from: http://blog.sensiblesafetysolutions.co.uk/the-titanic-an-accident-waiting-to-happe

• April 11th - Titanic departs on her first Atlantic crossing. Calm clear seas.
• April 12th - Calm clear seas, fine weather. Ice warnings are given by other ships.
• April 13th, 22.30 - Heavy ice warning is given by a passing ship Rappahannock which already reported some damage from ice. In total, Titanic receives 6 such warnings.
• April 14th - Captain Smith delays a scheduled change of course by 30 minutes. Scheduled lifeboat drill was cancelled by the Captain. Reasons are unknown but some people think it was to allow passengers to go to church. Lookouts were sent to the crows nest. Apparently the lookouts had no binoculars. At that time, some ships captains approved the use of binoculars whilst others did not.
• April 14th at 23.40 - Titanic is 5 miles south of where she should have been had she been perfectly on course. Titanic and the iceberg collide some 1,500 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

  The iceberg photograph below may have been the Titanic sinking iceberg taken on the morning of April 15,1912 by a passenger on the German ocean liner SS Prinz Adalbert, unaware of the disaster on the previous night.

The water temperature on the night of the Titanic sinking was thought to be about 28 degrees Fahrenheit, just below freezing - lethally cold for all those passengers who had been forced to take to the open water to escape the sinking ship. There were insufficient lifeboats to hold all the passengers and crew, they totalled only 20, comprising of 16 wooden, 4 collapsible. Harland And Wolff wanted 64 lifeboats. By the end of 1912, or sometime in 1913. In all likelihood, the iceberg that sank the Titanic was itself doomed to dissolve imperceptibly in the waters of the North Atlantic.

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Lessons/worksheets/titanic.htm

II. Discuss:

What do you think that could have been done to prevent it from happening?

III. Divide the class into four groups. Each group reads about one of the four most important characters of the Titanic disaster listed below. Then reorganize the groups so that each student works with three other students who read about the other characters. Students tell each other about their characters' stories and why they were held responsible for the accident. Finally, they have to negotiate and decide who is the person who had the greatest responsibility for the accident, and be able to justify their answers.  

1-  It was Captain Smith's fault:

 This was Captain E.J. Smith's retirement trip. All he had to do was get to New York in record time. Captain E.J. Smith said years before the Titanic voyage, "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.” If Captain Smith had believed the Titanic was sinkable, the accident might have been more careful with the iceberg lookouts.
 

2- It was the Shipbuilder's fault:

When the ship hit the iceberg, the force of the impact caused the heads of the rivets to break and the sections of the Titanic to come apart. If good quality iron rivets had been used the sections may have stayed together and the ship may not have sunk. About three million rivets were used to hold the sections of the Titanic together. Some rivets have been recovered from the wreck and analysed. The findings show that they were made of sub-standard iron. If shipbuilders had used good quality iron, the head of the rivets wouldn't have broken and the Titanic wouldn't have fallen apart.

3- It was Bruce Ismay's fault:

Bruce Ismay was the managing director of the White Star Line and he was  aboard the Titanic. Competition for Atlantic passengers was fierce and the White Star Line wanted to show that they could make a six-day crossing. To meet this schedule the Titanic could not afford to slow down. It is believed that Ismay put pressure on Captain Smith to maintain the speed of the ship. If he hadn't wanted to show that they could have made the crossing within six days, he would have slowed the Titanic down.

4- It was Thomas Andrew's fault:

The belief that the ship was unsinkable was, in part, due to the fact that the Titanic had sixteen watertight compartments. However, the compartments did not reach as  high as they should have done. The White Star Line did not want them to go all the way up because this would have reduced living space in first class. If Mr Andrews had insisted on making the compartments the  correct height then, maybe, the Titanic would not have sunk.  


IV. Watch the movie segment and discuss the questions: 

 

1. Describe the scene.

2. What were some of the problems that you saw in the segment that should have been dealt with differently, now that you can use hindsight?

3. Why is the use of hindsight so important in the case of the Titanic sinking?  
 
4. What has changed in traveling security after the accident?  

5. Think about a situation (or situations)  in your life in which you would have acted differently if you had had the chance to use hindsight?

IV. Rewrite the following conditions in exercise  III, omitting "IF".

1.
If Captain Smith had believed the Titanic was sinkable, the accident might have been more careful with the iceberg lookouts.

__________________________ 

2. 
If shipbuilders had used good quality iron, the head of the rivets wouldn't have broken and the Titanic wouldn't have fallen apart.

__________________________ 

3.
If he hadn't wanted to show that they could have made the crossing within six days, he would have slowed the Titanic down.

_________________________ 

4. 
If Mr Andrews had insisted on making the compartments the  correct height then, maybe, the Titanic would not have sunk. 

________________________ 

WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - TITANIC


Answer key:

1. Had Captain Smith believed that...
2. Had shipbuilders used good...
3. Hadn't he wanted to show...
4. Had Mr. Andrews insisted on...