Speaking English #4: Talking About The Past

The film focuses on the narrative of Colin Groves, a visitor from New Zealand, who experiences a series of events centered around losing and subsequently finding his wallet. It highlights the nuances of English grammar, specifically the use of past and present perfect tenses, through the recounting of Colin’s day.

On a Saturday morning, Colin goes shopping, visiting various departments to buy a suit, shoes, and other items, and pays for these in cash except for the suit, which he purchases with a check. Despite being careful, he accidentally drops his wallet in a friend’s car due to it slipping out of his pocket along with his handkerchief.

The film then traces Colin’s realization of the missing wallet and his attempts to locate it, initially suspecting it was left in the store or lost on the way home. However, the wallet is eventually found under the car seat where it had fallen. The resolution provides relief to Colin and his friend, and the film concludes by emphasizing the importance of where one keeps their wallet.

Throughout the narrative, the film uses Colin’s experiences to illustrate various English grammar structures, particularly focusing on how the present perfect and past tenses are used to describe actions that have ongoing relevance or are completed, respectively. The film serves as both a storytelling medium and a grammar lesson, pointing out common mistakes and the correct usage of tenses in everyday English.

We digitized and uploaded this film from the A/V Geeks 16mm Archive. Email us at footage@avgeeks.com if you have questions about the footage and are interested in using it in your project.