Past Perfect Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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• put on an act
• bad rap
• prolific
• domestic violence

• mess up
• beat up
• stick by
• second chance

• therapy
• clean slate

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Everyone makes mistakes. But when celebrities mess up, the whole world hears about it.

Chris Brown made a huge mistake when he beat up his girlfriend at the time, Rihanna. And some people think he shouldn’t be forgiven for that. But many of Chris Brown’s fans have stuck by him. They think he deserves a second chance.

Now Brown has a new album out, F.A.M.E., which stands for “Fans Are My Everything.” He is thanking his fans for being loyal to him despite his faults. Find out if Jason and Marni are ready to forgive Chris Brown.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Jason

Marni:  So, I am kind of surprised that Chris Brown’s new album has debuted at number one.

Jason:  Yeah. It seems like he kind of got a clean slate after he cried on stage during the Michael Jackson tribute show.

Marni:  Yeah. Now I’m a little skeptical that he was really showing his true emotions, or if he was sort of putting on an act so people would think that he was a little more sensitive.

Jason:  Oh wow!

Marni:  I know! Isn’t that…

Jason:  It hadn’t even occurred to me that he would cry on purpose.

Marni:  Yeah, you know, I just feel like he got such a bad rap, and I think deservedly so, for what happened between he and Rihanna. And now, you know, he’s trying to rebuild his career and rebuild his life. And I do believe in second chances, so I hope that he has put his past behind him and he’s able to redeem himself and really have a prolific career.

Jason:  I mean, he’s so young. He was like 19 when that domestic violence incident went down. And now he’s 21, which is still so young.

Marni:  Right. It’s very young.

Jason:  I think he…I mean, I’m not a huge fan of his, but I could see why some people stuck by him. I don’t think he’s reached his full potential yet. And he has really good dance moves.

Marni:  Sure, yeah.

Jason:  Are you a fan of second chances in general.

Marni:  I am, I am a believer in second chances. Sometimes I think it’s hard due to circumstances, in this instance being domestic violence. But I think that stems from history, and if he went through therapy...People do deserve a second chance.

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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