Charlie Chaplin: He Was Five When His Mother's Voice Stopped… So He Sang
At five, Charlie Chaplin went on stage when his mother couldn't sing, and people laughed. He grew up poor in London, went to America and made the Tramp — and his films without words made the whole world laugh. Learn five A1 words with the true story of Charlie Chaplin.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
A little boy stood on a stage.
His mother could not sing.
So the boy sang, and the people .
This is the story of Charlie Chaplin.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. When something is , you .
The past is .
The people .
. You wear a on your head.
He had a small black .
. You wear a on your foot.
His were very big.
. A is a story you watch at the cinema.
He made many .
. Something makes you .
The Tramp was very .
Now, one pattern: didn't.
We use didn't to say no in the past.
His had words?
No. His didn't have words.
Ready? Let's begin.
Charlie Chaplin was born in London in 1889.
His family was very poor.
His mother was often ill.
When he was five, his mother sang on a stage.
Her voice stopped.
So little Charlie sang!
People threw money.
He picked it up, and the people .
At seven, he went to a school for poor children.
Life was hard, but he didn't give up.
In 1910, he sailed to America.
Could he make the whole world ?
In 1914, he made a new man, the Tramp.
He had a small black and a .
His were very big!
The Tramp was very .
didn't have sound then.
His didn't have words.
But people everywhere understood them.
They didn't need words to .
He made many .
He wrote the music too.
In 1972, people clapped for him for twelve minutes!
He died in 1977.
Let's review. The people .
He had a small black .
His were very big.
He made many .
The Tramp was very .
And remember: his didn't have words.
Charlie Chaplin's story teaches us: everyone in the world can together.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
laugh verb
to make a happy sound because something is funny (past: laughed)
“The people laughed.”
hat noun
you wear it on your head
“He had a small black hat.”
shoe noun
you wear it on your foot
“His shoes were very big.”
film noun
a story you watch at the cinema (US: movie)
“He made many films.”
funny adjective
it makes you laugh
“The Tramp was very funny.”
walking stick noun
a thin stick that helps you walk
“The Tramp had a walking stick.”
actor noun
a person who plays a character in a film or on a stage
“Charlie Chaplin was a famous actor.”
moustache noun
hair that grows above a man's mouth
“The Tramp had a small moustache.”
Grammar in the story
didn't + verb
We use it for: to say no about the past
- His films didn't have words.
- He didn't give up.
- They didn't need words to laugh.
From the story
- His films didn't have words.
- They didn't need words to laugh.
Find it in the story 6 times
Your turn
His films have sound.
Life was hard, but he didn't up.
People didn't words to laugh.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: What makes you laugh? Do you like old films? Do you know any films without words?
After you watch: Write three sentences about yesterday with didn’t. For example: I didn’t watch TV. I didn’t eat meat. I didn’t go to work.
Think about it: Charlie Chaplin’s films didn’t have words, but people everywhere laughed. Why do you think laughter is the same in every country?
