Lesson 2: Past Experiences



Lesson 2	PAST EXPERIENCES

LET'S PLAY A DETECTIVE GAME Lead-in Activity Game

A picture is a thousand words. Look at the following picture and answer the questions below.

Εικόνα

1. Where?

Is this person in London or Athens?
Is this person at the Post Office or Police Station?

2. What?

This man has done something wrong. What? Do you have any ideas?

Find out more in the rest of this lesson!

WHAT JACK SMITH SAYS Listening Activity Reading Activity

You are watching a crime series on TV. The title of tonight's episode is "The Alibi". In this episode the scene takes place at the Police Station in Central London. It is Tuesday, 5th May.

Yesterday there was a bank robbery at twenty past four in the afternoon. The policeman is interrogating Jack Smith about the robbery.

Read the following sentences about what Jack Smith said he did between 3.30 and 5.00 pm. Jack Smith often changes his mind!!

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He says he left the restaurant where he works at 3:30 pm.
First he says he got back to the restaurant at 4:00, then he agrees it maybe was 5:00.
First he says he stayed in his boss's brother's office for 45 minutes; then he agrees it maybe was only a couple of minutes.
First he says he had a chat with his girlfriend in his boss's brother's office, then he says he stayed with her for a long time out of the office, maybe for 1 hour.

Then listen to the conversation between the policeman and Jack Smith.

Are all the above sentences correct?

ROLE-PLAY

In pairs, one of you is the policeman and the other Jack Smith. Match and act out the questions and answers.

1. Where were you during the afternoon of May 4th		a. I left at 3.30.
2. What time did you leave the restaurant?		b. We went to a café.
3. Why did you go out ?		c. I left some documents.
4. What time did you get back to work?		d. I went out to buy some doughnuts.
5. What did you do in the office of the boss's brother?		e. I was out of the restaurant.
6. Where did you and your girlfriend go?		f. I got back at 5.

LISTENING: SUE'S VERSION OF THE STORY Listening Activity

The police are interrogating Jack's girlfriend, Sue Adams. Listen to the conversation and put the events in the correct order, according to what she says.

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....... Then he suggested going out for a cup of coffee.
....... He didn't say anything, he just told me he was tired.
....... He was a bit silent while we were there.
...1.. Jack turned up at my office at about half past three.
....... I asked him what the matter was.
....... He rushed out of the café.
...2.. He looked concerned about something, so I was worried about him.
....... We went to his favourite café opposite my office.
....... It was a quarter to four!!!
....... Suddenly, he said that he had to leave.

WRITING: JACK AND HIS GIRLFRIEND'S VERSION Writing Activity

Compare and contrast the two versions and fill in the chart below.

The same	Different

GROUP WORK: GIVE YOUR OWN ENDING

What do you think really happened? Does what Sue Adams say support Jack's alibi? Is Jack innocent or guilty after all? Decide in groups and explain your arguments to the other groups.

Simple Past – Negatives and Questions

Read and study the following sentences and learn how we can ask and answer questions in the past.

Can you guess who he is: El Greco or Theophanis the Greek?

Εικόνα

Where was he born? He wasn't born in Hania and he lived in Russia for 40 years.
Was he a playwright? No, he was a painter!
What did he paint? He painted religious images in churches and portable icons.
Did he live in Crete all his life? No, he lived in Novgorod, in Volotov and in Moscow.
Did he paint in a Byzantine style? Yes, his pictures are famous for the peaceful look on their faces and their heavenly characteristics. His pupil Andrei Roublev was also a great Byzantine painter.

Mount Athos

SPEAKING & LISTENING: ANOTHER WITNESS Speaking Activity Listening Activity

Mrs White is being interrogated by the police about a bank robbery in London. Work in pairs and use the pictures. What do you think Mrs White said to the policeman?

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Εικόνα

Now listen to the cassette and see if you were right.

MRS. WHITE'S STORY: DIFFERENT ENDINGS Writing Activity

The teacher will now provide you with information for different endings to the story.

Write a short passage describing what happened.
Then read your passage out to the class.
Discuss the different endings and decide which is the most likely to happen.

Εικόνα

Mrs White