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Blackadder
A course for Upper-Intermediate Students by David Nicholls
A new approach to learning English, this is a series of lessons based on the episodes of the hit
UK TV show Blackadder. Lessons include grammar explanations, exercises, vocabulary tasks
and discussion questions. They are ideal for self-study and classroom use.
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A general election
rotten
Eligible (to vote)
A tory
A lunatic
fair
A toff
A pleb
A slob
A policy
An ace
A judge
A toddler
disgraceful
Very expensive
Honest and just
A process of voting
A posh/upper class person
A common person
Suitable and qualified
A member of the conservative party
A lazy and messy person
A political plan or strategy
The best card in the pack which can mean
1 or 11 in pontoon
A man who makes decisions in court about
punishments
Corrupt or spoilt
A teenager
dangerous
An adolescent
treacherous
priceless
shameful
A child between 1 and 3
A madman
Now use the words in the left column in the following sentences (in the correct forms)
I intend to destroy that utter ____, the prince of Wales.
There are ____ at the top, ____ at the bottom, and me in the middle making a fat pile of cash.
This man may just be the ____ up our sleeve.
You could appoint him a high court ____
Our slogan will be a ____ candidate for a ____ borough
I think its ____ that we have to win this election, because we paid for this seat.
Get out you nauseating ____ !
These are ____ times!
Ive just broken a ____ turnip
Grammar
PRESENT PERFECT
We use this tense with unfinished periods, and with past actions which have present results.
This year alone he HAS SPENT 15 000 on banqueting.
A major crisis HAS ARISEN in your affairs.
PAST SIMPLE
We use this tense of we know when an action happened, or if it has finished and has no relation
to the present.
Past simple or present perfect?
1) I ____ ____ out of socks again. I cant find any! (run out of)
2) How long ____ you ____ in this borough? (live)
3) I ____ Baldrick the Lord, yesterday. (make)
4) I ____ just ____ a priceless turnip (break)
5) On one occasion he entered the House of Commons and ____ ____ in the speakers chair
(pass out)
Discussion Questions
1) Who do you think should be eligible to vote?
2) What legislation has recently been introduced in Russia? Are you against any of it?
3) Do you ever run out of socks? What do you regularly run out of?
4) If you were an MP, what would your minimum bribe level be?
5) We have a House of Commons and a House of Lords, in our political system. Do you also
have two houses in Russian Politics?
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Answers
1) A General Election
2) Virtually no one.
3) Napolean Bonapart (the evil dictator), his old Geography master, and the utter slob, the
Prince of Wales.
4) Not at first. He doesnt understand that they want to bankrupt him.
5) The Politicians are equally split (divided) on whether to strike the Prince from the civil
list. So he plans to bribe one tory politician by appointing him a high court judge.
6) He dies
7) It was a borough (voting district) with very few voters living there, so they could be easily
bribed to vote for the peer who would pass it on to his son.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_and_pocket_boroughs
8) 1
9) To buy the land of the constituency Dunny on the world.and even though its a
tuppence ha'penny kind of place, there are many other expenses also like window tax,
food for the animals
10) Fraud and sexual deviance (hes going to be an MP )
11) He would buy a turnip in the countryside
12) Because he is a substitute for the previous returning officer, who brutally stabbed himself
while shaving.
13) 16472
14) Someone in his service who has done good work against the evil Pitt
15) Baldrick.
A general election
rotten
Eligible (to vote)
A tory
A lunatic
fair
A toff
A pleb
A slob
A policy
An ace
A judge
A toddler
A process of voting
Corrupt or spoilt
Suitable and qualified to vote
A member of the conservative party
A madman
Honest and just
A posh / upper class person
A common person
A lazy and messy person
A political plan or strategy
The best card in the pack which can mean
1 or 11 in pontoon
A man who makes decisions in court about
punishments
A child between 1 and 3
disgraceful
An adolescent
treacherous
priceless
shameful
A teenager
dangerous
Very expensive
1) I have run out of socks again. I cant find any! (run out of)
2) How long have you lived in this borough? (live)
3) I made Baldrick the Lord, yesterday. (make)
4) I have just broken a priceless turnip (break)
5) On one occasion he entered the House of Commons and passed out in the speakers chair
(pass out)
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A masterpiece
pointless
renowned
valuable
A pseudonym
A plot
A patron
A syllable
A manuscript
cunning
A flaw
A quiz
famous
A different name which you give yourself
The story of a novel or film
Without reason or purpose
A papery thing tied up with string
crafty
A competition
A work of art
Worth a lot of money
A sponsor
A part of speech
A mistake
Now use the words in the left column in the following sentences (in the correct forms)
Dr Johnson wrote the ____ masterpiece which became the first dictionary.
Blackadder uses the ____ Gertrude Perkins.
I think I can see the ____ in this plan.
I won a prize last night in the ____
I have a ____ plan
Baldrick, what have you done with the ____ ?
Grammar
Unreal conditionals
Discussion Questions
1) Who do you think is the cleverest man in Russian history? And the greatest writer?
2) Who is the best female Russian writer?
3) Would you like to write a novel? What would it be about?
4) Do you have a favourite dictionary?
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Answers
1) He will become best friends with the cleverest person in England, Dr Samuel Johnson
2) He sent him his novel
3) Yes he has sent him his novel, and unfortunately he has even written back to refuse to
publish it.
4) The dictionary
5) He uses words which dont exist so that he thinks he has missed some words out in his
dictionary.
6) Edmund A butlers tale. Blackadders book! He has read it!
7) He puts it on the fire.
8) No, he doesnt.
9) Impersonal pronoun (NOT TRUE!) and doesnt really mean anything.
Dr Johnson wrote the renowned masterpiece which became the first dictionary.
1) If anyone lost the dictionary, I would tear off his head with my bare hands and feed it to the
cat (lose/tear).
2) I wish I were a writer (be)
3) If I had been (were) Prince George, I would have sacked Blackadder. (be/sack)
4) I would write a detective story if I were a writer (write/be)
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A boil
Very dirty
To pop over
Treason
A bet
To stick s.t on
filthy
To appear or arrive
To blush
Strange or odd
peculiar
To turn up
To dissuade or discourage
To torture
sick
queasy
dishonour
dishonesty
deceit
Shame or disgrace
Now use the words in the left column in the following sentences (in the correct forms)
Baldrick, why are you wearing a fake ____ ?
I decided to ____ ____ my friends house for a cup of tea.
Blackadder made a ____ with the French, that he could rescue an aristocrat.
____ the kettle ___ Baldrick.
The food here is ____ !
Guy Fawkes was arrested for ____ and executed.
Even if he did ____ ____ , the guards would be woken by the scraping noise of his massive
swollen head.
What if I stay for the first few minutes, and leave if Im feeling ____ ?
The symptoms of the suicide pills are extremely ____
Its a story of heroism which I ____ from telling myself
Grammar
Discussion Questions
What is the stereotype of a French aristocrat, in Russia?
What are your thoughts about heroes from French history, like Napoleon, or the Scarlet
Pimpernel, or Joan of Arc?
Which famous French people do you like? Why?
Have you made any bets recently?
What kind of French food have you tried? Do you like it?
Are there any Russian historical heroes who you admire?
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Answers
1) Because of the Scarlet Pimpernel
2) The abused are always kicked downwards. Blackadder kicked the cat, the cat jumped on
the mouse and the mouse bit Baldrick on the bottom.
3) To express his admiration for the Scarlet Pimpernel
4) They bet him a thousand guineas that he cant go to France, rescue an aristocrat, and
present him at the French embassy ball.
5) His father has just died, and so he must go to the funeral
6) To put him off going to France.
7) He will use his brain. They will hide at their house (in the kitchen) for a week, and then
pay a French noble from the caf to come with them to the embassy.
8) He has been murdered and turned into pate by the evil revolutionaries.
9) Attempting to pervert revolutionary justice.
10) Suicide pills
11) The Scarlet Pimpernel turns up (it is one of the French nobles from the start), and
Blackadder poisons him with a suicide pill.
12) They were struck by a tidal wave at Dover, had to swim to France, then they were
captured taken to Paris, condemned to death, and hung from the Bastilleetcetc..
13) The other French noble. He tries to tell Prince George about Blackadders dishonesty, but
gets poisoned like his friend, by Blackadder.
A boil
Very dirty
To pop over
Treason
To dissuade or discourage
A bet
To stick s.t on
filthy
Very dirty
To blush
peculiar
Strange or odd
To turn up
To arrive or appear
To torture
queasy
dishonour
Shame or disgrace
deceit
dishonesty
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A play
To be connected to
A suspicion
To be tired of
Oppressed masses
A recital of a performance
disease
A dramatic work
To overthrow
An illness
To be fed up with
An intuition or doubt
sensitive
thick
To pop in
A rehearsal
To stick s.t on
Traitors
To blow up
To explode
stupid
To roar
To drop by
Now use the words in the left column in the following sentences (in the correct forms) which
were in this episode.
There are tremendous rumblings in Prussia, although that might ____ ____ ____ ____ with the
sausages
My ____ were first aroused by his use of the words Death to the stupid Prince!
Tell me about these oppressed masses. What are they so ____ ____ about?
The working man is poised to ____ us.
Im ____ ____ ____ you treating me like I am a bit thick (a thicky)
All my actors ____ ____ on their way to rehearsal.
I thought they just ____ ____ a silly hat and got drunk.
All great orators ____ before commencing their speeches.
Grammar
Discussion Questions
What do you think about the American and French revolutions? Why did they happen? What
were the consequences of these events?
What about the Russian revolution?
Do you believe that some wealth must be redistributed? How?
Do you often go the theatre? Do you have any favourite plays or actors?
Can you tell me about any plots to kill historical figures?
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Answers
1) Because he doesnt like the actors, and he has to go to with Prince George who doesnt
understand that its not real.
2) He thinks Blackadder was the target.
3) Because these are revolutionary times, with revolutions in America and France.
4) He wants two actors to teach him how to use his voice, before he makes a sensitive
speech at his Fathers birthday.
5) Because they want to work with the Prince, for the prestige.
6) Because they believe that the word Macbeth will bring them bad luck if anyone says it,
and so they must do a little ritual to exorcise the bad spirits.
7) He must practice his roar.
8) The Prince insulted him, and so he left to get a job for Napoleon in Sardinia.
9) He hears the actors rehearsing their play, and thinks they are really plotting to kill the
Prince.
10) They are arrested as traitors for their plot to kill the Prince.
A play
A dramatic work
A suspicion
An intuition or doubt
To be connected to
Oppressed masses
disease
An illness
To overthrow
To abolish or overcome
To be fed up with
To be tired of
sensitive
thick
Stupid
To pop in
To drop by
A rehearsal
A recital of a performance
To stick s.t on
Traitors
To explode
To blow up
To roar
There are tremendous rumblings in Prussia, although that might have something to do with the
sausages
My suspicions were first aroused by his use of the words Death to the stupid Prince!
Tell me about these oppressed masses. What are they so worked up about?
The working man is poised to overthrow us.
Im fed up with you treating me like I am a bit thick (a thicky)
All my actors pop in on their way to rehearsal.
I thought they just stuck on a silly hat and got drunk.
All great orators roar before commencing their speeches.
Blackadder
Amy and Amiability
Comprehension:
1) Why is Blackadder upset?
2) What solution does Baldrick suggest?
3) Why is the Shadow only half way to becoming the next Robin Hood?
4) How does Blackadder think he will solve his money problems?
5) What does Blackadder suggest that the Prince do to solve his own money problems?
6) Why has the newspaper got a large hole in it?
7) What happens when the Prince serenades Amy?
8) Why does Blackadder call the wedding off?
9) Why cant Blackadder find a horse?
10) Why does Blackadder kiss Baldrick?
11) Who is The Shadow?
12) How does George find 10 000 pounds?
13) Whats Blackadders plan for getting his money back?
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A bachelor
Stare at s.t
Throw up
A rumour
Vomit
gossip
Disaster
rogue
scoundrel
A precious stone
A jewel
crisis
The loot
Untie / tie up
A reward
An accomplice
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1) Want to do (+ to + infinitive) promise, threaten, offer
2) Tell s.o to do (object + to + infinitive) ask, warn, advise, order, persuade
3) Congratulate s.o on doing (object + preposition + gerund) accuse s.o (of), thank s.o (for),
praise s.o (for)
4) Avoid doing (+ gerund) deny, admit, regret, suggest, recommend
5) Insist on doing (+ preposition + gerund) apologise for,
6) Say that (+ that + clause) promise, insist, suggest, deny, admit, regret
7) Tell s.o that assure, persuade, convince, warn, advise (NOT ask)
Put the following sentences into reported speech, using the reporting verbs.
Why dont you become a highwayman?
Baldrick suggested
Im rotten stinking stony broke
The prince admitted
Then theres only one solution youll have to marry
Blackadder advised
Oh that is a lie! The Prince has fine manners
Blackadder insisted
Never ask for directions in Wales, Baldrick
Blackadder warned
No, there is no-one here. It was just the wind
Blackadder denied
Youre so brave
Amy praised
Father, you did nothing to defend my honour!
Lady Cheapside accused
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Grammar
Second conditional If + past / would + infinitive
We use this form to speak about hypothetical situations in the present
If we were the last 3 humans on Earth, Id be trying to start a family with Baldrick.
Thrid conditional If + had 3rd / would + have + 3rd form
We use this form to speak about hypothetical past actions and their past consequences
Finish the following sentences about the show with your own ideas using 2 nd and 3rd conditional.
If the Prince hadnt played cards
If Blackadder had found a horse
If Baldrick were more intelligent
If Amys father was wealthy
If the Prince hadnt found the biscuit barrel
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Answers
Hes in serious debt.
He suggests becoming a highwayman.
He steals from the rich, but he hasnt got round to giving it to the poor.
He will ask the Prince (his employer)
He suggests that he marries someone wealthy
Baldrick has cut out the picture of The Shadow because he is a fan.
Blackadder pretends to be George (in order to stop him ruining his chances of marriage)
and then beats George up after Amy asks him to hit the imposter.
8) He finds out that Amy and her father are poor.
9) Prince Georges horse has been injured in an accident, his own horse has been eaten, and
its a very bad time of year to hire a horse for a number of different reasons (which
Baldrick lists. Listen carefully!)
10) Because Baldrick complains that he has been carrying him for so long and not even had a
kiss!
11) Amy
12) It was the reward money which Blackadder got for tipping off the authorities about the
Shadow. He found it in the biscuit barrel
13) A game of cards.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
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A highwayman
(stony) broke
a drawback
Tax
A bachelor
Stare at s.t
A rumour
gossip
Vomit
Throw up
Disaster
crisis
scoundrel
rogue
A jewel
A precious stone
The loot
Untie / tie up
A reward
An accomplice
Reporting Verbs
Suggested becoming
Admitted being
Advised the Prince to marry
Insisted that the Prince had fine manners
Warned Baldrick never to ask for directions
Denied anyone being there (or denied that anyone was there)
Amy praised Blackadder for being brave
Accused her father of not defending her honour
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Conditionals
Suggested answers
He wouldnt have lost his money
Baldrick wouldnt have got so tired
He would have a better job
The prince would marry her
Blackadder wouldnt have suggested playing cards
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To turn up
To stand up to s.o
tiring
To flee
To arrive / appear
ravishing
A mask
misery
A disguise
To look forward to
gorgeous
tiresome
To bully
To run away
appalling
To target
touching
Shocking, awful
To aim
Honestly
Frankly
Heart-warming
Now use the words in the left column in the following sentences (in the correct forms) which
were in this episode.
I hate it when McAdder ____ ____.
My Mother told me to ____ ____ ____ homicidal maniacs.
McAdder is the ____ ____ ____ Blackadder.
Prince George spent the night with two ____ young ladies.
Life is a valley of woe filled with pain, ____ , hunger and despair.
Very well Baldrick. We shall hear you out and then ____ you ____
Maybe this disgusting creature is some sort of blessing in ____
Im ____ ____ ____ your impending death.
Oh no, here comes that ____ servant.
Tell me, do you ever stop ____ and shouting at the lower orders?
Ive heard that conditions in your army are ____.
Ready, ____, fire!
Grammar
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Answers
1)
2)
3)
4)
If he had wanted to talk to a vegetable he would have bought one at the market.
He turned up. The other guy was such an idiot that he forgot to.
Blackadders cousin McAdder.
He spent the night with 2 ravishing ladies who were the nieces of the Duke of
Wellington.
5) Wellington is very protective of his relatives. He has challenged the Prince to a duel
because of his actions.
6) Someone could fight the duel instead of the Prince, perhaps even Blackadder.
7) He realises that McAdder could fight the duel instead of himself.
8) Because Wellington is on his way to the Princes house and he must think that
Blackadder is the Prince.
9) Because he sits in their presence.
10) Because McAdder will fight the duel for him.
11) He asks for everything. The money, the castles and some French porn.
12) Kick him in the nuts (balls) and then set fire to the building.
To turn up
To arrive / appear
To stand up to s.o
To flee
To run away
ravishing
gorgeous
misery
A disguise
A mask
To look forward to
tiresome
tiring
To bully
appalling
touching
Heart-warming
To aim
To target
Frankly
Heart-warming
Grammar
Suggested answers
He must have made him angry.
He might have wanted the reward.
McAdder must have been there earlier.
Wellington cant have met the Prince before.
He might have understood that it was dangerous