6A  Ralph and the guitar case

Past perfect, Past simple (and Past continuous)

SKELETON STORY CARDS
✄
A B

Ralph woke up His head felt heavy

C D

He looked at the clock. It was raining outside

E F

He sat back down on the bed and Ralph turned off the television and
turned on the television. looked around the room.

G H

He knew that it wasn’t his Then he remembered

I J

Ralph stood up and walked over When he looked inside, he

to the guitar case. couldn’t believe his eyes.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2013 Pearson Education

 6A  Ralph and the guitar case
Past perfect, Past simple (and Past continuous)
EXTRA INFORMATION CARDS
✄
1 2 3 4
what had
and immediately A police officer
happened the
knew something It was 5:30 p.m. was talking about
previous
was wrong. a bank robbery.
evening.

5 6 7 8
He realised that
He got out of bed and he was He had gone to
he had been
and walked over still wearing all his see a variety show
asleep for over
to the window. clothes. at the Apollo Club.
12 hours!

9 10 11 12
In the corner
One of the acts because he had
there was a $300,000
was a hypnotist never played the
guitar case leaning had been stolen
called Magic Mario. guitar in his life.
against the wall.

13 14 15 16
He quickly After the
and people were picked up the show he’d gone
He laid it on the
hurrying home from guitar case and backstage to try to
bed and opened it.
work. ran out of the meet Mario in
door. person.

17 18 19 20
He couldn’t
remember what
He noticed it was and two people had It was full of
Mario and he had
getting dark. been shot. $100 bills!
talked about or how
he’d got home.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2013 Pearson Education

 6A  Ralph and the guitar case
Instructions and Answer key
You will need: one set of cut-up Skeleton story cards (A–J) and one set of
cut-up Extra information cards (1–20) per group/pair

• Divide students into pairs or groups and, if possible, ensure that they
have a large area to work in (on the floor, for example). Give each
pair or group a set of Skeleton story cards (A–J) and ask them to
arrange the cards in alphabetical order in a column in front of them,
with card A at the top of the column.
• Give each pair or group a set of Extra information cards (1–20).
These should be placed face down in a pile in front of them, in
numerical order, with number 1 at the top.
• Students turn over the cards one at a time and try to fit them in a
logical place in the story by placing them either side of the column
of Skeleton story cards. Remind students to focus on the narrative
tenses used and the punctuation. If they cannot fit the card into the
story, they put it back at the bottom of the pile.
• When students have finished, they can move round the room and
compare their stories with other groups.
• Students can write the end of the story for homework.

ANSWER KEY
(There is more than one possible answer.) G He knew that it wasn’t his
A Ralph woke up 12 because he had never played the guitar in his life.
  1 and immediately knew something was wrong. H Then he remembered
B His head felt heavy   3 what had happened the previous evening.
  6 and he was still wearing all his clothes.   7 He had gone to see a variety show at the
17 He noticed it was getting dark. Apollo Club.
11 One of the acts was a hypnotist called
C He looked at the clock.
Magic Mario.
    2 It was 5:30 p.m.
16 After the show he’d gone backstage to try to
  8 He realised that he had been asleep for over
meet Mario in person.
12 hours!
19 He couldn’t remember what Mario and he had
    5 He got out of bed and walked over to the window.
talked about or how he’d got home.
D It was raining outside
I Ralph stood up and walked over to the guitar
13 and people were hurrying home from work.
case.
E He sat back down on the bed and turned on 15 He laid it on the bed and opened it.
the television.
J When he looked inside, he couldn’t believe
  4 A police officer was talking about a bank robbery.
his eyes.
10 $300,000 had been stolen.
20 It was full of $100 bills!
18 and two people had been shot.
14 He quickly picked up the guitar case and ran out
F Ralph turned off the television and looked of the door.
around the room.
  9 In the corner there was a guitar case leaning
against the wall.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © 2013 Pearson Education