Definitely, Maybe: Restrictive Relative Clauses

This is the opening titles scene of this really nice romantic comedy. Ask your students to pay attention to what people are doing during the main character's (Will's) walk from his office to his daughter's school. Because there are several characters performing different activities, it is great for the students to practice the use of relative (restrictive) clauses.

Definitely Maybe: 3’28


I. Match the two activities the same character(s) is (are) performing.

(1) A man sells fruit for a living on the street.

(2) A man was wearing very big earphones.

(3) An elegant woman was walking her dog.

(4) Many children and parents were arguing.

(5) A girl was shouting madly at her mother.

(1) He was reading a magazine.

( ) He prevented Will from being run over by a truck.

( ) She was wearing a fur coat.

( ) They were talking about the sexual education class.

( ) She thought her mother had lied to her.

The sentences are in the order of the correct matching. Mind mixing up the sentences before you prepare the students' exercise sheets:

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which a lot of peole are performing different actions at the same time.

- Have students match 2 activities (or the character's physical characteristics or clothing, for example) the same character is performing.

- Have them write restrictive relative clauses combining both sentences.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD

The Ultimate Gift: Conjunctions - Because / So / Since

This movie has a touching message and is a dramatic comedy. The main character has to go through several tasks in order to become a better person and receive an ultimate gift as inheritance. This scene is perfect to practice the use of conjunctions, in this case contrasting the use of so x because and since.

I. Discuss the following questions with a partner.

1. Should the man always pay the check when he takes his girlfriend to a restaurant? Why (not)?
2. What would you do if you invited someone for dinner in an expensive restaurant and you found out you didn’t have money to pay the check?

3. Would you ask for expensive dishes in a restaurant to impress your girlfriend (boyfriend) even if you couldn’t spend a lot?

4. What would you do if someone invited you to go to a very expensive restaurant and he asked you to pay the check?

5. What would you do if you found out you didn’t have money to pay for the dinner you have just finished eating?

II.Watch the video segment and combine both sentences with so, because or since.

The waiter was amazed.
The young couple had ordered pricey wine and lobster.
1. (Because) …………………………………………………………………………………..

Jason’s credit card was declined by the charge card company.
The waiter told Jason about it.
2.(So) ………………………………………………………………………………………….

Jason’s credit card was declined twice.
Jason gave the waiter another credit card.
3. (Since) ………………………………………………………………………………………

Jason wanted to move in to his girlfriend’s place.
Jason’s place was being remodeled.
4. (So) …………………………………………………………………………………………..

Jason was switching bank accounts at the moment.
Jason asked his girlfriend to pay the check.
5.(Because) …………………………………………………………………………………….

Jason didn’t have money to pay the check.
Jason’s girlfriend left him alone in the restaurant.
6. (Since) …………………………………………………………………………………….

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which the characters have to make decisions because of unexpected events.

- Write sentences with both the causes and their consequences.

- Ask students to combine both sentences with because/so/since.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE ULTIMATE GIFT

WORKSHEET

The Devil Wears Prada: Dangling Modifiers

This is the opening scene of this funny movie with excellent characters. I left the answers to the exercises on the blog post just to help you out, but of course you'll have to delete this information when you prepare the students' exercise sheets. This is the opening scene of the movie, with a great song. I prepared a lesson plan to practice dangling modifiers with visual input to contextualize the topic.





These ladies are the main characters:




















Andrea and Miranda

A. Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1. How should people behave in a job interview?
2. What should they wear?
3. What is the perfect boss like?
4. How would you deal with an extremely impolite boss if the job was very good pay and extremely important for your career? Justify your answer.


Watch the movie segment and decide whether the following sentences have dangling modifiers. Write (C) if the statement is correct and (W) if it is wrong.

1 - After getting dressed, Andrea kissed her boyfriend goodbye. (C)


2 - Going to her job interview, the waitress handed Andrea a bagel for breakfast. (W)


3 - While eating a sandwich, she took the subway to work. (C)


4 - Surprised by the message the taxi driver sent, a lot of things had to be done in a hurry. (W)


5 - After asking if someone had eaten an onion bagel, Andrea checked whether her breath was fine. (W)


6 - Before reaching her office, nobody but her assistant talked to Miranda. (W)


7 - While going to her office, the employees avoided walking or staying where Miranda was. (W)


8 - Sitting in the waiting room, Miranda called Andrea for the interview. (W)



Now revise the dangling modifiers and write a possible correction.



Possible answer key:


Ex:
1 - Correct
2 - Going to her job interview, Andrea bought a bagel for breakfast.
3 - Correct
4 – Surprised by the message the taxi driver sent, Emily had to do a lot of things in a hurry.
5 – After being asked if someone had eaten an onion bagel, Andrea checked…
6 – Before reaching her office, Miranda didn’t talk with anyone but her assistant.
7 – While going to her office, Miranda made her employees avoid walking…
8 – Sitting in the waiting room, Andrea was called for the interview.


How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene with a lot of actions
- Prepare sentences about the sentences with dangling modifiers
- Some of the sentences should be correct
- Students watch the segment and decide how to correct the wrong sentences






WORKSHEET

Hitch: Imperative Forms

This is a great, funny scene for the students to practice imperative forms. The lesson plan below provides them with plenty of opportunities for free communication, controlled oral practice and writing as well. Hitch, the character played by Will Smith, gives lots of advice using the grammar point and the topic is extremely familiar to everyone, especially teens. I hope you like it.

A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:

1. How do you feel when you go on a first date with someone?

2. What are the basic rules you follow on a first date?

3. What are the signs that your date is not interested in you?

4. What do you do when you observe that?


B. Give 3 (three) pieces of advice to someone who is going on a first date to the
following places. Don’t repeat them. Make sure you use imperative forms.


To a photograph exhibition

1. ……………………………………………………………….....

2. ………………………………………………………………….

3. ………………………………………………………………….

To a night club

1. ………………………………………………………………….

2. ………………………………………………………………….

3. …………………………………………………………………


To the movies

1. ………………………………………………………………….

2. ………………………………………………………………….

3. ………………………………………………………………….
C. Read the alternatives below and guess which ones are recommended on a
first date according to Hitch, the counselor.

1. When you go to a photograph exhibition on a first date…

a. Be the real you
b. Give her plenty of space
c. Stay next to your date when she lingers on a picture.
d. Maintain visual contact all the time.
e. Try to be as funny as possible.
2.When you go to a night club…

a. Dance all the time.
b. Walk a little when you leave the club.
c. Ask her/him what she thought about the show.
d. Look at her mouth when you are talking to each other
e. Listen to what she is saying and respond.



Answer Key:

C. Correct items:
1. a,b,d
2. b,c,e

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - HITCH

I Am Legend: Future Perfect

This segment is excellent for the students to practice the future perfect tense. The segment is thought-provoking and chilling. The students have to use their imagination to predict the future.

Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1 - Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Justify your answer.

2 - Do you think mankind will ever discover a cure for cancer?

3 - Will human beings be free from diseases in the future? Why (not)?

4 - What would a city like New York look like if all of its inhabitants had to evacuate it in a hurry?

5 - What would you do if you and your best friend could be alone in New York for a week, without any other inhabitants around? Would you enjoy this experience? What would you do there?

Now imagine that NY City had to be completely evacuated because of a very destructive virus. Check what you believe would happen to NY if such situation did happen.

( ) The streets would become extremely filthy.

( ) People would abandon their cars everywhere.

( ) Wild animals would escape from the zoo to look for food around the city.

( ) Animals would take control of the city.

( ) Some people would hide in the buildings to steal stores and banks.

( ) Life in NY would become a complete chaos.

( ) Power would go off.

( ) People wouldn't drive their cars because of the lack of gas.

( ) Buildings would be destroyed by the angry population.


Now watch the movie segment and pretend you are the main character in the movie, the one played by Will Smith. Imagine that you could have warned Dr. Alice Krippin about the consequences of her unfortunate discovery. Tell her what will have happened to NY within three years from now (by the year 2012) if she tests her discovery on human beings.

Ex:

By the year 2011, NY streets will have become completely filthy.

People will have abandoned their cars everywhere.

Wild animals will have escaped from the zoo to look for food around the city.


How to develop your own video activity

- Select a scene that takes place in the future, preferably with a pessimistic view of the future.

- Ask the students to observe the changes that will have taken place on Earth.

- The students write sentences with will + have + past participle.


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - I AM LEGEND


WORKSHEET

Kangaroo Jack: Wish / If Only

This is a funny scene that takes place in Australia. My students had a great time watching it and doing the grammar exercises.

A. Talk to a partner about the following questions:

1 - What would you do if you ran over an animal in the middle of the road? Justify your answer.
2 - What do you know about Australia? Share what you know with your partner.
3 - Are you an adventurous person? Tell your partner about one great adventure of yours.
4 - Have you ever been to a safari? Would you like to go on one? Why (not)?

B. Watch the movie segment and fill in the blanks with the simple past tense of the verbs in parentheses. Use either either affirmative or negative forms, according to the segment.

Charlie, the kangaroo and Louis

1. Charlie _________________ (drive) too fast on such a dangerous road.

2. They __________________ (pay) attention to the wild animals on the road.

3. Charlie _________________(run over) a kangaroo.

4. Louis ________________ (put) on his jacket on the kangaroo.

5. Louis __________________ (check) what was in the pockets.

6. They _________________ (kill) the kangaroo.

7. They _________________ (crash) their car into a rock.

8. Charlie _________________ (be) kicked by the kangaroo.

9. The kangaroo __________________(hop) away with their money.



C. Rewrite the sentences above using wish and if only to express regrets.


Ex: 1. Charlie wishes he hadn't driven too fast on such a dangerous road.
2. If only they had paid attention to the animals on the road.

How to prepare your own video activity.
- Select a scene in which the characters regret their actions.
- Prepare an exercise in which the students have to decide whether they use affirmative or negative sentences about their wrong choices.
- Ask students to rewrite the sentences using the grammar goal.


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - KANGAROO JACK
WORKSHEET

100 Feet - 1st Conditional

This segment is about a woman who killed her violent husband and is now in house arrest. The segment shows police officers telling her about how her ankle bracelet works and its misuse consequences. For this blog, I'm writing the matches in the correct order, but you should mix the second column up when you prepare the exercise sheet for your students.

Ask your students to do the matching exercise before they watch the segment:


Before viewing:


Disscuss the following questions with a partner:


1 - What are the advantages and disadvantages of house arrest?
2 - Do you agree with this procedure of the law? Why (not)?
3 - Is it an effective way to rehabilitate prisoners? Why (not)?

Match the condition and the consequence of the following actions.



Conditions:

1 - She passes the 100 perimeter space.
2 - The alarm continues for more than 3 minutes.
3 - She breaks the house arrest rules.
4 - She has any violation.
5 - She attempts to remove the electronic ankle bracelet or tamper with the base unit.
6 - They get a blackout or something.


Consequences:


( 1 ) The alarm activates.
( ) A signal is automatically sent and a car is seen immediately.
( ) She goes back to jail.
( ) It automatically adds 10 years to her sentence.
( ) An alarm automatically alerts the police.
( ) The base unit still works.


Now watch the segment and decide whether your guesses were correct.


Now rewrite the couple of sentences, using the 1st conditional:
Ex:
1 - If she passes the 100 feet perimeter, the alarm will activate.



MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 100 FEET

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Flashbacks of a Fool: Paired Conjunctions - Both... And, Neither... Nor, Either... or, Not only... but (also)...

This is a fantastic scene that shows the first date of these two teenagers, Joe and Ruth, who lived the 80's to its extreme and loved David Bowie and Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music.


Watch the movie segment and write YES if the activity or item is true according to the segment and NO if it is not.


1. Ruth and Joe would like to drink? (___________ red wine; ___________white wine)

Ruth and Joe would like to drink either red or white wine.

2. (Ruth ___________ and  Joe ____________ ) are wearing make up.
................................. wearing make up.


3. (Joe ___________; Ruth ________________) laid on the carpet.

.................................... laid on the carpet.


4. (Joe ____________Ruth ____________) liked William Burroughs's books.

................................... liked William Burroughs's books. ( )


5. Ruth likes listening to (David Bowie _____________; Bryan Ferry ____________).

Ruth thinks it is great to listen to ..........................................
 

6. (Ruth _______________; and Joe _____________) imitated Bryan Ferry's (___________ singing _______________ dancing)
 
Not only... imitated Bryan Ferry's .........................

Answer Key:
2. Both Joe and Ruth are / not only Joe but (also) Ruth…
3. Both Joe and Ruth / not only Joe but (also) Ruth …
4. Neither Joe nor Ruth…
5. Either David Bowie or Roxy Music.
6. not only Ruth but Joe... / both singing and dancing.


 
How to prepare your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which two or more people are performing several actrivities.
- Choose activities both or neither one perform.
- Have students write sentences with the target language.



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 3rd Conditional

This is a great movie with a lot of food for thought. This scene is narrated by Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) and it makes the understanding of the message easier. I suggest you have the students write the sentences before they view the segment because they can check their answers when they actually see it. The narrator says all the correct answers in the end of the segment. This is best for younsters and adults.

Before viewing:


A. Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1 - Do you believe in fate? Are things pre-determined to happen? Or is it all just coincidence? Explain.

2 - Do you think we have a specific day to die? Justify it.

3 - Have you ever seen/been in an accident? Describe what happened. How could the accident have been prevented from happening?

"Had any of these things happened differently, the end of Daisy’s afternoon would have been another one"
1. Daisy’s shoelace broke

2. The delivery truck moved moments earlier

3. The package wasn’t wrapped

4. The girl broke up with her boyfriend

5. The man forgot to set the alarm

6. The taxi driver stopped for a cup of coffee

7. The woman didn’t remember her coat

B. Write the sentences above with past unreal conditionals.



Ex. 1. If her shoelaces hadn’t broken,
2. If the delivery truck hadn't moved moments earlier,



Daisy and her friend would have crossed (cross) the street
and the taxi would have driven (drive) by.



C. Watch the segment and check your answers.



WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Legally Blonde: Verb Patterns - Verb + Gerund or Infinitive

This is one of the best scenes from comic movies I have seen. I like how far fetched, but appealing it is. The answers are on the worksheet. Make sure you pre-teach court vocabulary (judge, attorney, lawyer, court, defendant, prosecutor, witness, etc).

Watch the video segment and circle the best verb for each sentence, according to the information presented in the segment. Then decide which form (gerund / infinitive / obj + gerunds or infinitive) of the words in parentheses is best.

1) The attorney refused/ wanted/ planned _____________ (accept) being replaced on the case by a Law student.

2) The defendant decided/ imagined/ claimed __________ (fire) her attorney on trial day.

3) Elle hates/loves/ avoids ___________ (wear) extravagant clothes .

4) The judge finally refused/ denied/ resolved ___________ (proceed) with the trial.

5) Elle's friends couldn't help / pretended / finished __________ (talk) about the court room in front of everyone.

6) The judge told/ asked/ begged ___________ (the ladies - take) a seat.

7) The witness explained/ urged / swore ______________ (tell ) the truth.

8) The witness claimed / showed / intended _________ (be) in the shower during the murder.

9) The witness denied / insisted/ warned __________ (hear) the gunshot.

10) The judge forbid/ prohibited/ let ______________ (Elle - make ) her final point.

11) The witness admitted / proved/ avoided ___________ (kill) her father by mistake.

12) Finally, the judge prohibited / allowed / pretended _________ (the witness - go) free.

How to develop your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which several people have to defend their arguments - like a trial, for example.

- Prepare sentences with the characters' argumentation, offering the choices of different verbs so you can check listening comprehension too.

- The students choose the correct verb and decide if the following verb is in the infinitive or gerund form.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LEGALLY BLONDE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I_GYgGjxFM

The Game Plan: Simple Present

This segment is the beginning of the movie and you can assess the simple present tense in a contextualized manner. The movie is great and very easy for beginners.

Think about a typical morning of yours. Check all the activities that are true for you after you wake up in the morning. After that, ask your partner questions about him/her and check the ones which are true for him/her.

( )You ( ) Your friend ( ) Kingman                         wear slippers

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       turn on the TV

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       have vegetables for breakfast

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                        make fruit juice

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       read the newspaper

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       work out

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       wear a uniform

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                       put on some makeup

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                      wear a helmet

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                      play with the dog

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                     play sports

( ) You ( ) Your Friend ( ) Kingman                      listen to music

Now watch the movie segment and check the ones which are true for Kingman.

Finally, write sentences about Kingman, saying what he does and what he doesn't do in the morning.

Ex: Kingman wears slippers.

Kingman doesn't listen to music.

How to prepare your own video activity:

Select a scene in which the characters’ routines are evident

Choose and prepare a list with a few of the activities the characters perform

Ask the students to check the items whose activities they perform

Students ask a partner questions about the same activities

Students watch the segment and now check what the characters in the movie perform

Students write sentences about the characters in the movie, using the simple present tense

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE GAME PLAN

Robots: Present Continuous

This segment is great for children. Play it from the beginning up to 3'22. Ask your students to watch the segment with attention and decide what the robots are doing during the scene. Tell the students that the list below contains the activities that robots perform everyday. Ask them to check the ones they can see the robots doing during that specific morning.

( ) They play in the streets.

( ) The ice cream vendor sells ice cream.

( ) They drive cars.

( ) They play soccer.

( ) They work inside the stores.

( ) They swim in the pool.

( ) They feed the chicken.

( ) They listen to classical music.

( ) They take care of the traffic.

( ) They smoke cigarette on the street bench.

( ) They mow the lawn.

( ) They make babies.

( ) Baby robots cry.

( ) They eat in restaurants.

( ) Humans play with the robots

( ) Police robots control the traffic.


Now ask your students to rewrite the sentences above using the present continuous, affirmative or negative statements, according to the information presented. Students have to say what they are (not) doing during that morning.

Ex:
1 - Some robots are playing in the streets.
2 - An ice cream vendor is selling ice cream.

Kinesthetic Game:

Take pictures of your students performing the actions the robots are doing in the segment (or any other action they want). They can’t see each other while you are taking their pictures. Prepare a slideshow with the pictures (you may use an I-Pad to do it). Finally, show the slides and the students have to write sentences saying what their peers are doing:

Ex:

Mariana is driving a car.

Jonas is selling ice cream.

The students who identify most actions and write most correct sentences are the winner.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ROBOTS

WALL-E: Future Will

This movie is one of the best ever. It is creative and critical at the same time. This scene shows people in a future that is so automatized that the inhabitants of the colony don't have to make any effort to get what they need, so everyone is extremely fat! Both adults and kids will enjoy the segment.

Before watching the movie segment:

Discuss the following questions with a partner:


1) What's your opinion about living in a time in which all your activities were performed by robots and machines?

2) Would you like to to have machines do all of your physical activities for you?
3) What would the consequences be if people didn't have to exercise at all during the whole day?

4) Would life be better or worse if you had robots to do everything for you? Explain it.

5) Do you think life in 2642 will be better or worse? Justify your answer.

Now watch the movie segment and write down how different life will be in the future, according to the movie, WALL-E. Write at least 10 sentences describing what people and machines will do in the future and how people's lives will be like, according to the movie. Observe the items below and write sentences about them.

FLOATING ARMCHAIRS - COMMUNICATION - ROBOTS - SCHOOL - MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION - LUNCH TIME - BEAUTY PARLORS - CLOTHES - LEISURE TIME

Ex: People will move around in floating armchairs.

Follow-up questions:

1) Do you think people will be happier in the future, according to the movie?

2) Will the future like it was presented in the movie a possible reality? Why (not)?

3) How do you think life will be like in 2642?

Kinesthetic Game:

Group Work: Make a list of activities of things people will do in the year 2100, but that they don’t (can’t) do nowadays. Write at least 10 sentences. Be creative!

Now act out what you wrote down, whereas the other groups write down sentences, saying what the people you mimed will do in 2100.

Finally, the groups read what they came up with out loud, and you check who got closest to what had originally acted out.

How to develop your own video activity:


Assessing: Will

- Choose a segment in which the future is shown in a way that it is completely different from the present world.
- Prepare brainstorming discussion questions to activate schemata.
- Play the segment and have sts predict the future using "will".
- You may provide the students with key words to observe during the segment.







WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WALL-E

Ratatouille: Passive Voice

This is a very funny scene that adults, teens and children will love. It is perfect for the passive voice practice. The movie is a must!

Meet the characters that are on the scene you will just see:

Colette

Remy

Linguini

Watch the video segment and fill in the blanks of the exercise with the correct verb form of the verbs in parentheses.

1) Remy_____________ (distract) the cyclist.
2) The cyclist ______________ (crash) his bike into a car that was parked on the street.

3) Remy______________ (pull) Linguini's hair in order to move his body.
4) Remy _______________ (command) Linguini's body movements.
5) Remy ______________ (open) Linguini's eyes.
6) Colette _____________ (park) her scooter in front of the restaurant.
7) Linguini _______________ (cook) the food when Colette arrived.

8) Colette _______________ (sharpen) the knives.

9) Because Linguini was sleeping, he _____________ (hear) Colette's story.
10) Colette ____________________ (slap) Linguini's face.

Now rewrite the sentences above using the passive voice.Ex:

1) The cyclist was distracted (by Remy).

How to develop your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which a lot of action takes place.

- Write a few sentences with action verbs using active voice to describe the scene.

- The students rewrite the sentences using passive voice.

WORKSHEET
MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RATATOUILLE



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.