The Burglar Who Stayed for Breakfast — Narrative Tenses (B1 Grammar)

B1 - narrative tenses

Breakfast?

PICTURE

"Next time you're tired," the judge added, "sleep at home."

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Past simple · past continuous · past perfect — telling a story

Reading

Speaking

LEAD-IN

Theft

Discuss in pairs.

1. What are some common ways criminals steal things?

2. Are there any parts of your town /city that are particularly dangerous for thefts?

3. Are the police in your country good at catching thieves?

PICTURE

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BEFORE YOU READ

The four paragraphs of this true-crime story are in the wrong order.

1. Read all four paragraphs on the slide.

2. Put them in the order the story should be told: 1, 2, 3, 4.

3. Which paragraph gives you the biggest clue about the order? Why?

4. A ____ B ____ C ____ D ____

PICTURE

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READING

The burglar who stayed for breakfast

A) When officers arrived at 7.40, they found the kitchen light on and the back door still open. Vane hadn't heard a thing: he was lying on the sofa under the family's blanket, snoring, while the television was quietly playing a cookery programme. On the table next to him were two empty beer bottles, a plate of half-eaten chicken, and — helpfully — his own wallet, complete with ID.

B) It had started as a professional job. Earlier that night, Darren Vane, 34, had broken into a house in a quiet suburb while the owners were visiting relatives. He had entered through a bathroom window, had disconnected one of the two security cameras, and had collected jewellery, a laptop and a games console by the back door, ready to carry to his car.

C) In court, the judge struggled to keep a straight face while the prosecutor was reading out the details. Vane's lawyer explained that his client had been awake for nearly two days before the burglary, which, she argued, explained his decisions. The judge agreed that it explained them — but noted it didn't excuse them, and gave Vane twenty months. "Next time you're tired," he added, "sleep at home."

D) But at around 3 a.m., something went wrong — or rather, something smelled good. While he was searching the kitchen for car keys, Vane found the remains of a roast chicken in the fridge. He decided he deserved a break. He ate the chicken, opened a beer, and sat down "for five minutes". The owners came home at 7.30 the next morning. Their bags were still in the hallway when they called the police: a stranger's van was parked outside, and a stranger's shoes were by their sofa.

COMPREHENSION

Number these events in the order they ACTUALLY happened.

____ Vane fell asleep on the sofa.

____ Vane broke in through a bathroom window.

____ The owners left to visit relatives.

____ The police found Vane's wallet.

____ Vane found the chicken while searching for keys.

____ The judge sentenced Vane to twenty months.

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Three past tenses, three jobs

a) While he was searching the kitchen, Vane found the remains of a roast chicken.

b) He ate the chicken, opened a beer, and sat down.

c) Earlier that night, he had broken into a house. / Vane hadn't heard a thing.

d) He was lying on the sofa... while the television was quietly playing.

1. In (b), the actions happen one after another. Which tense tells the main events of a story?

2. In (a), which action was longer and already in progress? Which action interrupted it?

3. In (c), paragraph A describes 7.40 a.m. — but had broken in happened hours before. Which tense jumps back to an earlier past?

4. In (d), two long actions happen at the same time. Which tense, and which linking word?

5. Compare: When the police arrived, Vane escaped vs When the police arrived, Vane had escaped. In which sentence do they catch him?

THE RULES

Complete the rules

Complete each rule with past simple, past continuous or past perfect.

• ________ : the main, finished events of the story, in sequence.

• ________ : sets the scene; longer actions in progress, often interrupted by the ________, and simultaneous actions with while.

• ________ (had + past participle): an action that happened before another past action.

CAREFUL

Storytellers move between all three: scene (continuous) — event (simple) — flashback (perfect). Listen for that pattern in any good story.

PRACTICE

Complete with the past simple, past continuous or past perfect.

1. The alarm ________ (not ring) because Vane ________ (disconnect) it earlier.

2. The owners ________ (realise) something was wrong when they ________ (see) the van.

3. While the prosecutor ________ (read) the details, everyone ________ (try) not to laugh.

4. He ________ (be) exhausted because he ________ (not sleep) for two days.

5. I ________ (drive) home when I ________ (notice) my front door was open.

6. By the time we ________ (get) to the party, most people ________ (already leave).

7. She ________ (not recognise) her old street because everything ________ (change).

8. What ________ you ________ (do) at midnight last night?

STORYTELLING

"The moment I realised..."

Tell a partner a true story. Then partners retell the best story to the class in the third person.

• ...I'd made a huge mistake.

• ...I was in the wrong place.

• ...I'd been lied to.

• Set the scene with the past continuous, tell the events in the past simple, and include at least two past perfect flashbacks.

PICTURE

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TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

PARAGRAPH ORDER B → D → A → C

EVENT ORDER 1 The owners left. 2 Vane broke in. 3 Vane found the chicken. 4 Vane fell asleep. 5 The police found the wallet. 6 The judge sentenced him.

GRAMMAR FOCUS 1 Past simple. 2 was searching = longer, in progress (past continuous); found = the interruption (past simple). 3 Past perfect. 4 Past continuous, with while. 5 The first one — in the second he was already gone.

RULES past simple · past continuous / past simple · past perfect

PRACTICE 1 didn't ring / had disconnected

2 realised / saw

3 was reading / was trying

4 was / hadn't slept

5 was driving / noticed

6 got / had already left

7 didn't recognise / had changed

8 were you doing