Accidental Inventions

TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions
Activity Type Introduction

Grammar and Speaking In this past simple and past continuous activity, students take
Activity: gap-fill, asking on the role of famous inventors and find out about accidental
and answering questions inventions in order to practice the two tenses.
from prompts, freer
practice (group work) Procedure
Divide the students into groups of five. Give each student an
Focus inventor card and a copy of the worksheet. If you have some
groups of four, give a strong student two cards.
Past simple and past
continuous Explain that each student is going to take on the role of a famous
inventor, who invented something by accident. The students' task
is to find out how the other inventors in their group accidentally
Aim created their inventions. In order to do this, they must ask questions
To practice the past to each inventor in their group to find out what happened.
simple and past
continuous by taking To begin, students fill in the gaps on their inventor card, explaining
on the role of a famous what happened, using the past simple or past continuous form of
inventor and finding the verbs in brackets.
out about accidental
inventions. When the students have finished, check the answers by going
over the correct verb forms for each text, e.g. 1. were trying, etc.
Preparation Character cards - Answer key
Make one copy of the ou were trying to find a cure for headaches when you
1. Y
inventor cards for each mixed wine and cocoa and made a tasty syrup, which
group of five. Also, tasted good when drunk with ice.
make one copy of the our servants were boiling water when some leaves fell in
2. Y
worksheet for each the pot. It smelt delicious so you tasted some.
student. ou were growing bacteria in your lab when you saw some
3. Y
mould in the cup. You then noticed that the mould was not
growing next to the bacteria.
Level ou were stirring chemicals with a stick when you noticed
4. Y
Intermediate (B1) a lump at the end of it. When you tried to remove it, it
started a fire.
ou were working in a restaurant when a customer said
5. Y
Time that her chips weren't crispy enough, so you sliced a potato
very thinly and fried it.
30 minutes
Next, draw the students' attention to the chart on the worksheet
and elicit the two questions they need to ask to complete the
chart:
What is your name?

How did you accidentally create your invention?
(continued on the next page)
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TEACHER’S NOTES
Activity Type Procedure continued

Grammar and Speaking Have the students write their own information in the chart.
Activity: gap-fill, asking
and answering questions Students then go around their group asking the questions and
from prompts, freer noting down the answers for each inventor in the chart.
practice (group work)
Remind the students that when they explain what happened, they
need to change their text into the first person, e.g. 'I was trying
Focus to find a cure for headaches when I mixed wine and cocoa...'
Past simple and past
continuous When the students have finished, they use the information in the
chart and inventions from a box to complete sentences, indicating
what each invention was, who invented it, and how.
Aim
Students must write the verbs in brackets in the sentences in the
To practice the past past simple or past continuous form.
simple and past
continuous by taking Finally, check the correct answers with the class.
on the role of a famous
inventor and finding Exercise B - Answer key
out about accidental
inventions. 1. P enicillin was invented after Alexander Fleming noticed
something strange while he was observing the growth of
mould near bacteria.
Preparation 2. M atches were invented by John Walker, who was stirring
Make one copy of the chemicals, when the stick he was stirring with suddenly
inventor cards for each caught fire.
group of five. Also, 3. T ea was invented by Shen Nong, who smelt something nice
make one copy of the while he was watching his servants boil water.
worksheet for each 4. C oca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton, who combined
student. two ingredients while he was searching for a medical cure.
5. Crisps were invented by George Crum, who was working as
a chef, after a customer's complaint about their meal caused
Level him to prepare potatoes in a different way.
Intermediate (B1)
Time
30 minutes

PAST SIMPLE VS. PAST CONTINUOUS
1. John Pemberton
You .......................... (try) to find a cure for headaches when
you .......................... (mix) wine and cocoa and .......................... (make) a tasty syrup,
which .......................... (taste) good when drunk with ice.
2. Shen Nong
Your servants .......................... (boil) water when some leaves
.......................... (fall) in the pot. It .......................... (smell) delicious, so you
.......................... (taste) some.
3. Alexander Fleming
You .......................... (grow) bacteria in your lab when you
.......................... (see) some mould in the cup. You then .......................... (notice)
that the mould .......................... (not / grow) next to the bacteria.
4. John Walker
You .......................... (stir) chemicals with a stick when you .......................... (notice)
a lump at the end of it. When you .......................... (try) remove it, it
.......................... (start) a fire.
5. George Crum
You .......................... (work) in a restaurant when a customer
.......................... (say) that her chips .......................... (not / be) crispy enough,
so you .......................... (slice) a potato very thinly and .......................... (fry) it.

PAST SIMPLE VS. PAST CONTINUOUS
A. Ask questions to the other inventors in your group and complete the chart with
their answers.
Name How they accidentally created their invention
B. Use the information in the chart and the inventions from the box to complete the
sentences below. Write the verbs in brackets in their past simple or past continuous
form.
Coca-Cola matches penicillin tea crisps
1. .......................... was invented after Alexander Fleming .......................... (notice)
something strange while he .......................... (observe) the growth of mould near bacteria.
2. .......................... were invented by John Walker, who .......................... (stir) chemicals,
when the stick he .......................... (stir) with suddenly .......................... (catch) fire.
3. .......................... was invented by Shen Nong, who .......................... (smell) something
nice while he .......................... (watch) his servants boil water.
4. .......................... was invented by John Pemberton, who .......................... (combine)
two ingredients while he .......................... (search) for a medical cure.
5. .......................... were invented by George Crum, who ..........................
(work) as a chef, after a customer's complaint about their meal
.......................... (cause) him to prepare potatoes in a different way.

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TEACHER’S NOTES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions

Activity Type Introduction

Preparation Character cards - Answer key

What is your name?

(continued on the next page)

Note: This resource can be edited using a PDF editor.

Teach-This.com © 2021 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions

Activity Type Procedure continued

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WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions

You .......................... (try) to find a cure for headaches when

which .......................... (taste) good when drunk with ice.

Your servants .......................... (boil) water when some leaves

.......................... (fall) in the pot. It .......................... (smell) delicious, so you

.......................... (taste) some.

You .......................... (grow) bacteria in your lab when you

that the mould .......................... (not / grow) next to the bacteria.

.......................... (start) a fire.

You .......................... (work) in a restaurant when a customer

Teach-This.com © 2021 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Accidental Inventions

Name How they accidentally created their invention

Coca-Cola matches penicillin tea crisps

1. .......................... was invented after Alexander Fleming .......................... (notice)

2. .......................... were invented by John Walker, who .......................... (stir) chemicals,

3. .......................... was invented by Shen Nong, who .......................... (smell) something

nice while he .......................... (watch) his servants boil water.

4. .......................... was invented by John Pemberton, who .......................... (combine)

two ingredients while he .......................... (search) for a medical cure.

5. .......................... were invented by George Crum, who ..........................

(work) as a chef, after a customer's complaint about their meal

.......................... (cause) him to prepare potatoes in a different way.

Teach-This.com © 2021 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

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