An unlucky man.

My cousin Charlie got told off by his teacher, so was in a really bad mood when he started the football game. His mood got worse. They got hammered by the opposing team . Then he got bitten by a dog! On punching the referee, he got sent off and as a result, got expelled!

But he managed to find a job. He worked hard for one month, then he got paid, went down the pub and got drunk! He then drove home, got stopped by police and got sent to prison for 6 months.

On getting out, he decided to emigrate to the United states. He went to New York. He was a bit green. He got ripped off by everyone he met. He went to New York because he was looking for excitement. He found it. On the first day he got mugged, he got beaten up, he got stabbed, and finally he got shot. On the way to the hospital he got knocked down. But it turned out that the driver of the car which had knocked him down was a farmer. He felt sorry for Charlie, so he gave him a job on his farm.

On his first day, while he was looking after the sheep, he got stung by a wasp. When he went to get some medicine, he unfortunately left the gate open. The farmer and his wife got trampled in the stamped of sheep, cows, donkeys, horses, rabbits...

My cousin Charlie ______ by his teacher so was in a really bad mood when he started the football game. His mood got worse. They ______ by the opposing team. Then he ______ by a dog! Then he ______in a fight with some other players. On punching the referee, he _____ and as a result, ______from the school!

But he managed to find a job. He worked hard for one month, then he ______, went down the pub and ______! He then drove home, ______by police and ______for 6 months.

On getting out, he decided to emigrate to the United states. At the airport he ______by the customs officer for drugs. He went to New York. He was a bit green. He ______ by the taxi driver who charged him100 dollars for a ten minute taxi-ride. He went to New York because he was looking for excitement. He found it. On the first day he ______in a lift for three hours. When he finally got out, he decided to go for a stroll around Central Park and he ______by a man who took his wallet, he ______, (i.e punched and kicked) he ______with a knife, and finally he ______ with a gun On the way to the hospital he ______by a car. But it turned out that the driver of the car which had knocked him down was a farmer. He felt sorry for Charlie, so he gave him a job on his farm.

On his first day, while he was looking after the sheep, he ______ by a wasp and he ______by an escaped tiger! When he went to get some medicine, he unfortunately left the gate open. The farmer and his wife ______in the stamped of sheep, cows, donkeys, horses, rabbits...

Work with a partner: Invent a story about how unlucky you have been in your life! Try to use as many expressions as you can!

When I was younger I….. And I remember one time when I….. And then I ………..

Reply to you partner as they tell their story:

I’m sorry to hear that! You poor thing! Really? How terrible. That’s awful!

Teacher’s notes.

  1. Tell the students the story. Do not give them the worksheet! get them to make of note of the expressions with get as they come up in the story. Explain the meaning as you go along.
  1. Repeat the story, the students just listen.
  1. In pairs, the students try to retell the story (more or less) using the expressions they have written down (They will be in the same order as the story!).
  1. Hand out the worksheet. In pairs, the students look at the gapped version and try to remember the expressions. Don’t let them write anything in the gaps so they can use it again for revision.
  1. Finally, the students try to invent their own story of their unlucky life, trying to use as many of the expressions as they can.