Past Perfect Continuous - Upper Intermediate Teens

Lesson notes:

• This is only the receptive side of the grammar focus to introduce the past perfect continuous, the productive skills need to be added for the students to practice using the language themselves.
• The story about Aznar's drink-driving speech could be skipped, I'm using it because it was a famous story in Spain this year, something that everyone was talking about at the time.
• Perhaps the theme of a car accident would be a bit gruesome or upsetting for some. Sometimes the more striking the story the better it sticks in their heads, but I wouldn't use it if I knew that the topic had affected someone in the class.
• The format is a bit all over the place, the original time line was clearer (the "now" should be on the right) and match the definitions were separated left and right.

Match the words that have a similar meaning


Astonishing Propaganda

Campaign To keep away from

At risk He continued talking and he said

To harm someone To hurt another person

He went on to say To be given a prize

To be awarded Very surprising

Avoid In danger



Read the text and answer the following questions:

What is the government campaign slogan?
Where did Aznar make this speech?
Name three activities that Aznar wants to be able to do “in peace”





Aznar slams government drink-drive campaign

José María Aznar launched an astonishing attack on the government's campaign to control drink-driving last night in Valladolid.

Referring to the DGT's recent 'We can't drive for you' campaign, Mr Aznar said: "And who told you I want you to drive for me? Let me drink in peace: I'm not putting anyone at risk and I'm not harming anyone."

The former Spanish president made his comments during an acceptance speech after being awarded a medal of honour by the Castilla y León Wine Academy.

He went on to say: "I don't like anyone telling me I can't drive fast, eat hamburgers, or avoid one thing or another, and now they're telling me I can't drink wine."


Discuss these questions with a partner:

Do you agree that people should be allowed to drink and drive?
Why do you think the campaign slogan is “we can’t drive for you”?
Do you think that the journalist is in favour or against Aznar’s comments and why?




Match the words or phrases that have a similar meaning

Twice Carried out

Legal limit Outdoor lamp in the street

Spin (spin span/spun spun) Two times

Performed The maximum that the law allows

Street light To rotate rapidly


Read the newspaper article below and answer true or false:

The accident happened at the weekend

Henry and Joanne had been drinking before they got into the car

One person survived the accident

They crashed into another car.

The legal blood-alcohol limit for any driver is 0.08

____

Teen Had Been Drinking, Police Say

A 17-year-old motorist who died on Saturday in a crash that also killed one of his teenage passengers had been drinking before the accident happened. Reports show that he had a blood-alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit for driving, Montgomery County police said yesterday.

Henry Irvine was driving a 2004 Pontiac GTO when the car spun out of control and crashed into a street light near Burtonsville, police said. The crash killed Irvine and a passenger, Joanne Moore, also 17 and from Laurel. Moore had not consumed any alcohol that night.

Toxicology tests performed by the Maryland medical examiner's office showed that Irvine's blood-alcohol level exceeded 0.16, police said. For drivers 21 and older, the legal limit is 0.08. For drivers younger than 21, any level of alcohol in the blood is illegal.

A third passenger in the car, Mary Kathleen Collins, 16, has been in a critical condition since Saturday at Maryland Hospital in Baltimore, police said.

Find one example of the following forms in the text:

Present

Past simple

Past continuous

Present perfect

Past perfect simple

Past perfect continuous




Which action started in the past and is still happening in the present?

Which actions happened before the accident?

Which actions are extended (long) actions and which happen in a moment?





Focus on the headline of the article:
Teen Had Been Drinking, Police Say




­­­ He had been drinking > Now
________________I__________________I________

The accident happened


The past perfect continuous is used to describe an action that takes place repeatedly or during an extended period of time before another (past simple) action happens.