Mr Bean narrative tenses

Past Perfect and Past Continuous

Task 1: Mr Bean in Hospital

Try to combine the pairs or groups of sentences below into one true sentence about the short film you are going to see. To do so you will need to guess which thing happened first or if they happened at the same time, and so maybe change tenses, change the punctuation and/ or add words such as adverbs. You cannot change the word order of the sentences (so that you have to use more complex grammar to make the sentences correct). The sentences are in the same order as the film.

1. They couldn’t open the ambulance doors. Mr Bean parked behind it.

• The girl queued. Mr Bean threw her doll.

• The men started fighting. Mr Bean pinched one of the men’s bottoms.

• Mr Bean took a number ticket. He sat down.

• The old man walked towards the chair. Mr Bean ran around the table and sat down.

• Everyone saw Mr Bean’s hand in the teapot. They laughed.

• Mr Bean tried to steal his ticket. The old man woke up.

• Mr Bean turned the number display over. The receptionist talked on the phone.

• The number 25 came up. He took the ticket with number 52 on it.

1. Mr Bean slept. His number was called. He dropped his ticket on the floor.

1. Mr Bean threw his ticket away. He got his hand stuck in the bin. He took a ticket with his teeth.

Watch the video to check, then check as a class.

Work together to explain what happened as if to someone who didn’t see the video, first with the sentences above and vocabulary below to help, then with no help. Use past tenses.

Other useful vocabulary to explain what happens in the film

to follow                                   padlock                        wheelchair       

ticket dispenser            receptionist                              walking stick

plaster (cast)                           sling                                        neck brace

bandage                                  impatient                                 giggle

compare                                  suspicious                               saucepan

clipboard                                 cheer                          felt tip (= colouring) pen

search                         black eye                                 angry

Task 2: Goodnight Mr Bean

Useful vocabulary for describing what happens

Check you know the meaning and pronunciation of the words below before the video starts.

• duvet
• pillow
• pant
• calculator
• TV commercial (= TV advertisement)
• lose count
• drawer
• sigh
• meow
• bark (= woof)
• eyebrow
• teddy (bear)
• yawn
• lump/ lumpy
• lie on your back— lie on your stomach
• snap your fingers (= click your fingers)
• cardboard box
• tick (tock)
• electric toothbrush
• vibrate/ vibration
• cheeks
• water pistol
• growl
• sink/ washbasin
• squirt
• spit
• broom handle
• suffocate

When your teacher stops the video, take turns making one sentence about what happened in that section until there is nothing more that any of you can add. Make sure you use the right tense if you fill in details about things that happened before or things that happened at the same time.

Are there any words above which you couldn’t use when you were describing what happened? Check with the rest of the class when those things happened in the film

Task 3: Mr Bean Goes to the Swimming Pool

Useful vocabulary for describing what happens

Check you know the meaning and pronunciation of the words below before the video starts.

Queue

Shout

Stamp

Finger tips

Stare

Point

Splash

Slide

Lifeguard

Whistle

Ladder

Scared

When your teacher stops the video, take turns making one sentence about what happened in that section until there is nothing more that any of you can add. Make sure you use the right tense if you fill in details about things that happened before or things that happened at the same time. Then predict what happens next, discussing how things were actually different next time the video is stopped.

Task 4: Do It Yourself Mr Bean

Do the same, but with no help!

Task 5

Choose a film, book or fairytale that you and your partner(s) know well, and work together to tell the story with past tenses (including using the right past tense when filling in details your partner forgot to mention)

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Related pages

Narrative tenses page

Mr Bean videos page