Lady in the Water: Included Questions

I must admit that this is the weakest Shyamalan's movie, in my opinion, but this scene is just perfect to practice included / embedded questions.



Read the following questions and decide who asked them
in the segment you will watch. Write ( S ) if Story asked
it, and ( C ) if Cleveland did it.

1) ( ) Did you pull me out?

2) ( ) Where are you from?

3) ( ) Is that an apartment?

4)( ) Do you feel an awakening?

5)( ) Why am I not stuttering?

6)( ) Where did you learn that?

7)( ) Why are you scared?

8)( ) Are you okay?


Now rewrite the sentences above, asking the same questions politely by saying Do you know… ? or Can you tell me… ?

EX: 1) Can you tell me if you pulled me out?

2) Can you tell me where you are from? -->


Answer Key:


A.
1. S 2 C 3 C 4S 5C 6C 7C 8C 9C


B. Answers may vary:


3. do you know if it is an apartment
4. Can you tell me if you feel an awakening?
5. I'd like to know why I'm not stuttering
6. Can you tell me where you learned that?
7. Do you mind telling me why you are scared?
8. Can you tell me if you are okay?



How to prepare your own video activity:



• Select a scene in which several questions are asked

• Choose questions whose verb tenses suit your class

• Ask the students to identify the characters who said them in the segment.

• Ask the students to rewrite the questions politely, using indirect questions.



Watch the movie segment here:

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LADY IN THE WATER

The Pursuit of Happyness: Simple Past x Past Continuous

This movie has a great message and the story is touching. My opinion is that the film is too down in the mouth, but the last 5 minutes are uplifting. Not my cup of tea, but most people really enjoyed it. The scene, though, is perfect for practicing the contrast between the simple past and the past continuous tenses.






Watch the movie segment and fill in the blanks with the simple past or the past continuous form of the verbs in parentheses.

1) Chris _________________ (cook) burgers for breakfast when his landlord ________________ (knock) on his door.

2) The police ______________ (arrest) Chris when he ________________ (paint) the house.

3) Chris _______________ (pay) some parking tickets when the officer __________ (tell) him he was supposed to spend the night in jail.

4) When Chris __________ (call) his ex-wife, she _____________ (work) hard.

5) When he _______________ (enter) the elevator, he _____________ (try) to button up his jacket.

1) He __________________ (wait) in the waiting room when the secretary _________ (call) out his name.

2) When he ___________________ (walk) through the office, businesspeople _______________ (talk) on the phone, _______________ (speak) very loudly, and _______________ (work) a lot.

3) The Board _____________ (wait) for Chris when the secretary ___________ (announce) him.

Answer Key:

1. was cooking / knocked
2. arrested / was painting
3. was paying /told
4. called / was working
5. entered/ was trying
6. was waiting / called
7. walked / were talking - speaking - working
8. was waiting / announced

How to prepare your own video activity:
Grammar Goal: Simple Past x Past Continuous

• Select a scene in which the characters’ actions are interrupted during the segment.
• Prepare an exercise in which the students have to identify when to use the target structures.
• Make sure the students know when to use both verb tenses before they actually do the exercise.

WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Casino Royale: Simple Past x Past Perfect

In my opinion, this is one of the best 007 movie. I used this scene to have students practice the use of the past perfect x simple past tenses.






Watch the video segment and write ( 1 ) in the parentheses of the action that took place first and ( 2 ) in the parentheses of the action that happened later.

Ex:
( 1 ) James Bond took a plane to the Bahamas.
( 2 ) He drove across the island to the hotel.

a)
( ) He crouched to tie his shoe string.
( ) He gave his car keys to the bellboy.

b)
( ) Two guys gave Bond their car keys by mistake.
( ) Bond crashed their car in the parking lot.

c)
( ) He threw the car keys away.
( ) He entered the hotel lobby.

d)
( ) He made a reservation at the hotel
( ) He saw the images of the parking lot in the surveillance room.

Now fill in the blanks of the exercise below with the simple past or the past perfect forms of the verbs in parentheses. You may use "already" if it is applicable.

a) When he _____________ (drive) across the island to the hotel, James Bond ___________ (take) a plane to the Bahamas.

b) When Bond _________________ (crouch) to tie his shoe string, he ______________ (give) his car keys to the hotel bellboy.

c) Two guys _____________ (give) Bond their car keys by mistake when he ____________ (crash) their car in the parking lot.

d) Bond _________________ (throw) the keys away when he ______________ (enter) the hotel lobby.

e) When he ____________ (make) a reservation at the hotel he ________________ (see) the images of the parking lot in the surveillance room.

Answer Key:

A.

I. 1,2
II. 2,1
III. 1,2
IV. 2,1

B.

1. drove / had taken
2. crouched / had given
3. had given / crashed
4. had thrown / entered
5. made / had seen

How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Simple Past x Past Perfect
• Select a scene in which there is a sequence of events.
• Prepare an exercise in which the students have to decide which action took place first.
• Students write 1 or 2 in the exercise parentheses, according to the order of the events in the segment
• Students fill in the blanks of the exercise with either the simple past or the past perfect form of the verbs in parentheses.









WORKSHEET
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CASINO ROYALE





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNNLUPU4JWo&feature=youtu.be

Urban Legend: Past Modal Verbs – Should have + Past Participle

This is an average movie with several sequels that did not meet my expectations. Because this scene is full of wrong choices and regrets, I used it to practice the use of past modals expressing regrets. Check out your audience first. Too sensitive students may not like it.

Urban Legend: (Total 4’28)
Check only the items in which the main character's decisions were wrong.

1) The girl traveled alone by car on a stormy day. ( )

2) She filled up the gas tank at a desolate gas station. ( )

3) She used a credit card to pay for the gas. ( )

4) She left the car to go to the gas station store. ( )

5) She didn’t listen to what the gas station worker had to say. ( )

6) She used pepper spray to get rid of the gas station worker. ( )

7) She left the gas station in a hurry. ( )

8) She didn’t check the backseat. ( )

Now rewrite the sentences expressing regrets.

Ex:

1 -The girl shouldn’t have traveled alone by car on such a rainy day.

2 - She shouldn’t have filled up the gas tank at a desolate gas station.

.

How to prepare your own video activity:

.
• Choose a movie segment in which the characters do not act properly or regret their actions

• Prepare a checklist of the things he/she did or did not do

• Students check the characters' wrong choices or decisions

• Students write sentences expressing regret - should (not) have done

.

Watch the movie segment here:

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD
WORKSHEET

Fracture: Simple Past

This is a great movie, but a bit farfetched. If you like police stories, you will love it. I used the crime scene to practice the simple past tense.

Witness – Imagine you are the witness to a crime. Fill in the
blanks of the following exercise with past tense of the verbs in
parentheses. Use affirmative or negative sentences, depending
on the information presented in the movie segment.

1) Ted’s wife, Sally, _______________ home (drive).

2) She _________________ the front door (unlock).

3) She ________________ her jacket (take off).

4) She _______________ her husband was in the house (notice).

5) They _______________ each other (hug).

6) They _______________ each other (kiss).

7) Ted _______________ his wife in the head (shoot).

8) Gardeners _______________ a gunshot (hear).

9) Ted__________________ the bullet cases on the floor. (pick up).

10) One of the gardeners _______________ on the door (knock).

11) Ted _________________ the door for the gardener (open).

12) Ted ________________ the windows a few times (shoot).

13) Ted _______________ his wife (drag).

14) He _________________ his shirt (take off).

15) He ___________________ his shirt (burn).

16) He __________________ his face (wash).

17) He _________________ the police (call).

18) The gardener _________________ Ted clean the house (help).

Now pretend you are a witness. Report all the steps you have seen to an officer, your partner.
Make sure you use the following expressions:

First / Second / Then / After that / Later /Next

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FRACTURE

WORKSHEET


How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Simple Past
• Choose a segment in which a crime takes place.
• Prepare an exercise sheet with the steps the outlaw took to commit the crime.
• Leave blanks for students to complete with the simple past of the verbs in parentheses
• Ask students to report the crime they saw to a police officer.
• You may show the scene twice, if necessary.

Premonition: Past Modals – Speculation/ Impossibility Speculation – Might/Could + Have + Past Participle

I just love this movie, which was not such a great blockbuster. The story is clever and I was intrigued by the plot throughout the movie. Although a bit shocking, the scene is perfect to speculate about what happened to the characters. So I used it to practice the use of past modals for speculation.

Watch the video segment and guess what might have happened
to the characters. Check the options you believe are possible
explanations for the characters’ current situation.

 

( ) Jen took too many tranquilizers in the previous night.

( ) Her daughter had a domestic accident.

( ) Jen hurt her daughter.

( ) Jen’s daughter hurt herself.

( ) Jen’s husband, Jim, didn’t die.

( ) Jim died in a car accident.

( ) Jen hit her head on the floor and can’t remember anything.

( ) One of the children was attacked by a mad dog.

Now rewrite these sentences using past modal verbs to express
probability/ possibility/ impossibility.

Ex:

1 - Jen might have taken too many tranquilizers in the previous night.

2 - Her daughter might have had a domestic accident.

.

How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Past Modals – Speculation/ Impossibility

• Select a segment in which the viewer cannot predict what happened before the scene actually takes place.
• Prepare an exercise with several possible (or impossible) explanations for the puzzle.
• Ask students to rewrite the same sentences, using the grammar point – Might/ Could/ Can’t/ Must + have + past participle.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PREMONITION

The Island: Can (be allowed to), Can’t (not allowed to), have to (obligation), don’t/doesn’t have to (not necessary).

This is a great movie with an interesting idea about cloning. Because this scene shows what the clones are allowed (or not) to do, I sused it to practice modals.



Watch the movie segment and decide what the characters are (not)
allowed to do and what they have/don’t have to do. Fill in the blanks
with can /can’t /have (has) to or don’t (doesn’t) have to.

















1) Those people _____________ walk around the building.

2) They _________________ leave the building.

3) They __________________ wear identification bracelets.

4) They _______________ wear bright colored suits.

5) They _______________ work out together.

6) They __________________ swim in the pool.

7) They ___________________ wear swimsuits.

8) Monitors _________________ wear black clothes.

9) They _______________ sunbathe in tanning booths.

10) They __________________ wait in lines to have breakfast in the cafeteria.

11) They ___________________ to write their names before entering the cafeteria.

12) Lincoln Six Echo _______________ eat bacon.

13) Lincoln Six Echo ________________ pay for his food.

14) Jordan Two Delta __________________ stay too close to Lincoln Six Echo.

15) They _________________ have classes at the same time.

16) The students _________________ read books out loud together.

Now write sentences saying what you can (not)/ have to / don’t have to in your English class.

Ex:
I don’t have to speak all the time.

I can help my friends

I can’t speak Portuguese in class.

How to prepare your own video activity:
Grammar Goal: Can/ Can’t (permission/prohibition), have to (obligation/ don’t/doesn’t have to (not necessary).
• Select a segment in which the characters are supposed to perform several tasks.
• Ask students to observe what the characters have to do.
• Prepare a worksheet for students to fill in the blanks with the correct modal verb.
• Check whether the sentences make sense.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE ISLAND

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep: "Passive Voice"

This movie is for children and it somehow "explains" the Loch Ness monster's story. It's not a masterpiece, but it is good entertainment.



Watch the movie segment and complete the sentences with the
simple past tense of the verbs in parentheses. Write affirmative
or negative verb forms according to the information in the movie.

EX :

The kids caught (catch) two employees kissing each other in the kitchen.

1) The dog __________________ (chase) the water horse around the house.

2) The dog __________________ (hurt) the water horse.

3) The water horse accidentally _______________ (hit) an expensive vase.

4) The man _______________ (drop) a statue.

5) The carpet ___________________ (scare) the water horse.

6) The animals _________________ (break) several valuable items.

7) The dog ________________ (spill) soup on the guests.

8) The water horse __________________ (grab) a fish with its mouth.

9) The boys ____________________ (find) the water horse in the garden.

Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice.

EX:
Two employees were caught kissing each other in the kitchen.


How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Passive Voice
• Select a segment in which a lot of action takes place.
• Prepare an exercise with sentences in the active voice for the students to fill in the blanks with the correct verb form.
• Ask the students to rewrite the same sentences in the passive voice.


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE WATER HORSE

WORKSHEET

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv-ws7ON5pI&feature=youtu.be A peer of mine said that he had used a slides presentation with links to my passive voice activities. I was sent the link and came across this really cool and thorough class on passive voice. I'm glad Simon Friend used my blog for his video activities. His slides are effective, fun and constructive. Thanks Simon Friend for these really cool slides. Thanks for linking my site to it.

The Holiday: "Determiners" (A/An/Some/Any)

This movie is a must for those who like romantic comedies!!

Check the items that you can see in the movie segment:

( ) Spaghetti ( ) Pop corn ( ) sandwiches
( ) TV ( ) Ties ( ) Hat
( ) Bed ( ) Pillows ( ) Scarf
( ) glasses ( ) Pencil ( ) Notebook
( ) Suitcase ( ) Dog ( ) Cat
( ) Bananas ( ) Kiss ( ) Department store
Now complete the sentence using a, an, some, any, and the vocabulary above:

Ex:

I can see some spaghetti, some pop corn, a TV, …

I can’t see any sandwiches, …

How to prepare your own video activity:

.

.
• Select a scene in which one can see several count/non-count nouns

• Prepare a list with nouns for students to check as they appear in the movie segment

• Ask students to write sentences with the grammar point

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE HOLIDAY

Charlie's Angels: "Superlatives"

The TV series used to be one of my favorites when I was a teen, but the movie was disappointing. However, it was a huge blockbuster. Comparing the Angels is fun - and the scene is great!



Watch the video segment and choose the adjectives from the list below that best
describe the following characters and write them under the characters' pictures.

Adventurous Funny Short Beautiful

Aggressive Chubby Brilliant Ugly

Crazy Elegant Tall Intelligent

Clumsy Strong Ridiculous Hot

Natalie

Dylan

Alex

Now write sentences using the superlative form of the adjectives:
Ex:

(Adventurous) – Alex is the most adventurous of all.
(Funny) – Dylan is the funniest of all.

How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: Assessing Superlatives

- Select a scene in which you can compare several people
- Choose adjectives that describe the characters
- Prepare a chart for students to fill in with adjectives that describe the main characters
- Select the adjectives you want to assess
- The students write sentences using superlatives





WORKSHEET

The Village: Modal Verbs (Possibility: Might/ Must)

I loved this movie although many people didn't. I like the way the director wraps up the movie, explaining how legends come up. I used the scene to practice modals for speculation.




Watch the video segment and come up with 2 possible directions for the story. Write 2 sentences using might/must + verb to say what might happen to the characters in the movie.



Ex:

Part 1: a) He might see a stranger in the village.
b) He might get hurt.

Part 2: a) _____________________________________
b) __________________________________________

Part 3: a) _____________________________________
b) __________________________________________

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which several unexpected events will take place
- Pause the segment on several thrilling spots
- Tell the students to use their imagination to predict what might happen next
- Have them write at least 2 different versions for the continuation of the scene
- Repeat the process a few times
- Check whether the students are good guessers.

WORKSHEET

Elizabethtown: "Simple Past"

One of the best romantic comedies ever. The soundtrack is fantastic. I love this scene and girls think it is sooooo romantic... In this scene, the main characters spend the whole night talking to each other over the phone and they perform several activities while doing it. It is perfect for the students to practice of the simple past tense.



Make a list of the things you usually do while you are talking over the cell phone:
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________


Watch the movie segment. Pay attention to the activities the main characters performed while they were talking to each other over the phone. Write ( D ) if Drew was the one who performed the following tasks and ( C ) if it was Claire. Write ( B ) if both of them did it.


1 .( ) Open the gate

2. ( ) Make dinner

3. ( ) Change clothes

4. ( ) Go to the bathroom

5. ( ) Polish one's nails

6. ( ) Do the laundry

7. ( ) Look at pictures

8. ( ) Listen to music

9. ( ) Dance

10.( ) Drink beer

11.( ) Turn off the lights

12.( ) Drive a car

13.( ) Put on some lipstick

14.( ) See the sunrise


Now write sentences about Claire and Drew, using the simple past tense.

Ex:
While they were talking on the phone,
1. Claire opened the gate________________________________

2. ________________________________________________


Now write a list of the things they didn't do while they were talking to each other on the phone:

Ex: Drew didn't watch TV.

Claires didn't play tennis.

How to prepare your own video activity:


• Select a segment in which the characters perform several different activities while they are talking over the phone (or any other activity)

• Prepare an exercise in which the students are supposed to identify who perform them

• Ask the students to write down sentences about the characters, using the simple past tense

Watch the movie segment here:





WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ELIZABETHTOWN

Saw: Past Modals Speculation – Might/Could/Can't + Have + Past Participle

This is one the scariest movies I have ever seen, but the scene isn't. It is, in fact, great to practice past modals for speculations for the main characters have no idea of how they got to that place.



Watch the video segment and guess what might have happened to the characters.


Check the options you believe are possible explanations for the characters to be in such a place.


( ) They were drugged before taken to that room.

( ) Adam was kidnapped while he was sleeping.

( ) Adam had his kidney removed.

( ) A stranger took Lawrence, the doctor, to that place.

( ) A serial killer planned a horrible death for the characters.

( ) Adam and Lawrence went there because they wanted to.

Now rewrite them, using past modal verbs to express probability/ possibility/ impossibility.

Ex:

They might have been drugged before taken to that room.

Adam can’t have had his kidney removed.

A serial killer must have planned a horrible death for the characters.

How to develop your own video acyivity:


• Select a segment in which the viewer cannot predict what happened before the scene actually takes place

• Prepare an exercise with several possible (or impossible) explanations for the puzzle

• Ask students to rewrite the same sentences, using with the grammar goal





WORKSHEET

The Phantom of the Opera: "Used to"

I love the film, the musical, the play, the soundtrack, everything about the Phantom. I cried all the time watching it. Teens don't like it that much, but adults do. Because the scene takes place in Paris centuries ago, I used it to practice the use of "used to".


Watch the video segment and observe how different Paris used to be in 1870. Pay close attention to the following people and objects.

Means of Transportation / Passers-by / Streets / Theater

Actors / Dancers / Musicians / Clothes / Horses


Read the examples and write down your own sentences, using the given cues.

Ex:
People/ elegant carriages. People used to ride on elegant carriages.

Gentlemen/ fancy clothes. Gentlemen used to wear fancy clothes.


Theaters/ crowded. Theaters used to be crowded

1 – A lot of employees/ theater _______________________________________

2 – Musicians/ on the stage _________________________________________

3 – Dancers/ whiskey during the rehearsals_____________________________

4 – Horses/ in the theater __________________________________________

5 – Actors/ operatically ___________________________________________

6 – Singers / rich costumes _________________________________________

How to prepare your own video segment:

Grammar Goal: Used to

• Select a movie segment that takes place in the past

• Costumes, childhood memories, last century towns, historical moments are perfect to assess this grammar goal

• Ask students to observe specific features in the passage

• Prepare an exercise with cues that will help students write sentences with the structures/verbs you want to assess

• Students write sentences, using “used to”





WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

The Incredibles: "Simple Present"

Write the name of the characters that perform the following activities:

Bob (father) Helen (mother) Jack Jack (baby)

Dash (boy) Violet (girl)


1) Kiss Helen ( )

2) Listen to music ( )

3) Play with racing cars ( )

4) Do the laundry ( )

5) Feed Jack Jack ( )

6) Play football ( )

7) Exercise on the train tracks ( )

8) Read fitness magazines. ( )

9) Vacuum the carpet ( )

I. Write down sentences saying what the Parrs do everyday.

Ex: 1 - Bob kisses Helen every morning.
2 - ___________________________
3 - ___________________________

II . Write down 3 things The Parrs don’t do in the morning.

Ex: 1 – Jack Jack doesn’t play soccer.
2 – ___________________________
3 - ___________________________

D. In Pairs, write down what the Parrs do every weekend. Use the actions in exercise A or use other ones from your imagination. Write 10 sentences.

E. choose five students. each one will be either Jack, Helen, Bob, Violet or Dash.

F. read your sentences out loud (Ex: Violet Kisses Jack, Bob exercises in the track, Violet plays tennis…) and the characters perform the activities they hear. They change their activities when the reader assigns the character a new activity.

How to Prepare your own video activity:

• Select a scene in which the characters’ routines are evident

• Identify the characters in the segment

• List some of the activities the characters perform in the segment

• Students write the name of the characters who perform such activities

• Students write complete sentences, using the simple present tense

Watch the movie segment here:

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE INCREDIBLES

Undertaking Betty: There to be

Watch the video segment and fill in the blanks with there is/ there are/ there isn’t/ there aren’t:

















1) ___________ two beds in the couple’s bedroom.

2) ___________ a dresser in their bedroom.

3) ___________ two mirrors over the dresser.

4) ___________ a green telephone in the old lady room.

5) ___________ a TV in her room

6) ___________ a home theater in the house.

7) ___________ two floors.

8) ___________ white cabinets on the kitchen wall.

9) ___________ a swimming pool.

10) ___________ only one table in the kitchen.

11) ___________ an intercom system in the house.

12) ___________ flowers on the window.


Now write sentences using there + to be (affirmative or negative) and cues below:


1) A beautiful garden - There isn’t a beautiful garden in the house.
2) Cats - ______________________________________________
3) Garage - ____________________________________________
4) Stairs - _____________________________________________
5) Cars in front of the house - _______________________________
6) Dogs - _____________________________________________


Discussion these questions. Talk to a partner:

1- Would you like to live in a house like the one in the movie segment? Why/Why not?

2 - Describe your house, using the verb there + to be.

3 - Where would your ideal house be?

4 - What would it look like?

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - UNDERTAKING BETTY (PLOTS WITH A VIEW)

How to prepare your own video activity:

Grammar Goal: There + To Be
• Select a segment in which the scene takes place in an environment (a house, a restaurant, an office, an airport) that can be described, using there is or there are

• Prepare an exercise for the students to fill in the blanks with the grammar goal

• The sentences in the exercise must contain true and false statements

• You may show the segment twice if there are many details to observe

• Students compare their answers after the first viewing

• Students do the written exercise

• Students write sentences about the segment, using the grammar goal.