Hancock: Past Continuous x Simple Past

Check out this activity to practice simple past x past continuous. I recommend it for adults because of the language used. Tell me how you like it by adding a comment, please

Before watching the segment:

Discuss the following questions with a partner:

1) Would you like to be a Super Hero? Why (not)?

2) What super powers would you like to have?

3) Which of the super powers you mentioned would you consider the
most important one?

4) How different would your life be if you had this super power?

5) Would you keep your super powers a secret? Why (not)?

Watch the movie segment and fill in the blanks with the simple past or past continuous form of the verbs in parentheses.


1) Hancock _____________ (sleep) on the bench when a boy _________ (wake) him up.


2) A young lady ____________ (walk) on the street when Hancock ________ (touch) her back.


3) Several birds ________ (hit) him when he ____________ (fly) with a bottle of liquor in his hand.


4) Hancock __________ (fly) and ___________ (drink) when he _______ (hit) a traffic sign.


5) Hancock _________ (try) to persuade the foreigners to surrender when they _____ (shoot) him.


6) Hancock ___________ (throw) their car at the building when he _________ (fly) and _________ (carry) their car around the city.



After watching the segment:

Discuss the following questions about the segment:

1) What’s the matter with Hancock’s super powers?

2) Would you like to be Hancock? Why (not)?

3) What advice would you give him?


How to prepare your own video activity:





• Select a scene in which the characters’ actions are interrupted during the segment.


• Prepare an exercise in which the students have to identify when to use the target structures.

. Prepare pre and post viewing questions to activate schemata.






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