Shall We Dance? & Save the Last Dance: Similes x Metaphors

Both movies are great. Shall We Dance? has Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez at their best and Save the Last Dance is absolutely amazing, with great songs. Both talk about kinds of music and these scenes are perfect to contrast similes and metaphors, about which many people, even teachers, have doubts.

A. Remember the difference between SIMILES and METAPHORS:


A simile - or to be like something - is to retain a difference which means one can never fully substitute for the other. On the other hand, a metaphor actually is a substitution - it is an equation in principle. Typically, if it needs further explanation, it's probably a simile; if it makes instant sense, it's most likely a metaphor. The simile is always poetic, while the metaphor always has the ring of truth. They are similar, but different in essence.

Simile - Basic Rule: If it uses the words "is like" or "is as", it is usually a simile; if it uses the word "is", without "as" or "like", it is usually a metaphor .

B. Before watching the first movie segment from the movie "Shall We Dance?", try matching the first part of the sentence with the simile or metaphor in the second column.

1. The rumba

2. The rumba

3. You have to hold her

4. Let her go

5. Put her back

6. Then finish

( ) like the skin of her thigh is your reason for living.

( ) like she's ruined your life.

( ) is the dance of love.

( ) like your heart's being ripped from your chest.

( ) is a vertical expression of a horizontal wish.

( ) like you're going to have your way with her, right there on the dance floor.

C. Now watch the segment and check your answers. Identify which items are similes and metaphors.

Answer key: 3, 6, 1 (or 2), 4, 2 (or 1), 5
Metaphors are: 1 and 2

D. Now repeat the process with the next segment from the movie Save the Last Dance. Make a guess matching the first part of the sentence with the simile or metaphor.

1. Hip Hop is

2. Be strong

3. Sit

4. Slouch a little bit

( ) like you're chilling

( ) like you're a nasty bitch

( ) like an attitude

( ) like a tree

E. Now watch the movie segment and check your answers. Identify which items are similes or metaphors

Answer Key: 3, 4, 1, 2 - All are similes.

F. Think about the most popular dance or music in your country and write 2 similes and 2 metaphors describing it.

Ex: SAMBA.

Samba is like a volcano in the heart. (Simile)

Samba is a ferocious animal in the shape of dance. (Metaphor)

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SHALL WE DANCE

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SAVE THE LAST DANCE

Ice Age: Possessive Adjectives

Ice Age is one of my favorite animated movies. This scene is great and I used it to practice the use of adjective pronouns, not for beginners, but basic learners. I hope you enjoy it!






A. Watch the movie segment about an eskimo family that is attacked by a group of sabre-tooth tigers. Then complete the blanks with adjective pronouns.


My - Your - His - Her - Its - Our - Their








1. The eskimo tribe lived in the woods. The sabre-tooth tigers invaded __________ territory.


2. The eskimos had some dogs. They barked to warn _________ owners about the dangerous tigers.


3. Kinu, the eskimo, used ___________ spear to fight the tiger and protect ________ family.


4. Jana, the eskimo mother, held __________ baby before Diego, the tiger, attacked it. She would never leave _______ child behind.


5. The tiger grabbed ____________ necklace, but it didn't grab ___________ baby.


6. ________________ husband could not help her because of the tigers. Kinu wanted to help _______________ wife and child, but she ran away with _________ baby.


7. The dogs defended ______________ owner from the tigers.


8. The tigers were unhappy with Diego because of __________ incompetence to get the baby.


9. Kinu found _________ wife's necklace. _______________ friends followed him to look for _________ wife and child.


10. Did you like the segment? What's __________ opinion about it?



11. I (liked/didn't like) it. In ___________ opinion, the segment is (great / terrible / fantastic / etc).



Answer Key:

1. their
2. their
3. his / his
4. her / her
5. her / her
6. her / his / their
7. their
8. his (its)
9. his / his / his
10. your
11. my



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ICE AGE

Battle for Terra: Compound Nouns with Some, Any, No, Every

As you know, I could spend days watching animated movies. This is a 3D movie with a great message for kids. I think adults understand the movie better than children, though. I used this segment to practice compound nouns with some, any, no, every in a contextualized way. Hope you like it.

A. Watch the movie segment and describe what you saw to a partner.






B. Now do the following exercise. Circle the correct alternative.



1. Humans exhausted every natural resource. There was anything / nothing / something left .


2. Colonies were established on the neighboring planets, Venus and Mars. Two centuries later, war was declared and something / anything / everything was destroyed.


3. There was something / nothing / anything the survivors could do. Travel to another galaxy and find another planet everywhere / somewhere / nowhere in another system.




4. The human asked Mala to do anything/ something / nothing for him. To repair his spaceship.




5. They eventually shook hands, a demonstration that anybody / somebody / everybody can be friends even if they don't have something / anything / nothing in common.




6. Mala is a Terrean. She is not human but there is something / nothing / anything about her that resembles a human being. She has two eyes and one mouth, for example.




7. According to the segment, there is life nowhere / somewhere / anywhere in other galaxies.




8. What's your opinion? Is there life somewhere / nowhere / anywhere in outer space?




WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BATTLE FOR TERRA

Answer key:



1 Nothing
2 Everything
3 Something / somewhere
4 Something
5 Everybody / anything
6 Something
7 Somewhere
8. Anywhere

Ratatouille: Determiners A, An, Some

Ratatouille is a great animated movie. This scene is perfect for beginners. The language is very easy and the scene is funny. It is ideal to practice the use of determiners - a, an, some - and the students may write a recipe, if their level allows.

The final worksheet was developed by my reader, Alexandra Duarte from Portugal. She inserted this activity of mine into her own class plan and shared it with us. Thanks, Alexandra, for sharing and developing such great activities.

Alexandra Duarte has been an EFL teacher for about 20 years, most of them at MartinhoÁrias Secondary School in Soure / Portugal. For the last 3 years she has been involved in adult teaching.

http://www.clubeinglesoure.blogspot.com/

A. You can see these items during the movie segment. Match the vocabulary and the words. Add a/ an/ some before the nouns.

Ex: A tomato

1. Tomato

2. Carrots

3. Omelet

4. Eggs

5. Spaghetti

6. Wine

7. Onion

8. Egg

9. Cucumber

10. Soup

B. Now watch the movie segment and write the instructions to make the soup, using some of the words from the previous exercise. First, decide which verbs correspond to the pictures below:

1. Slice

2. Pour

3. Stir

4. Break

Recipe:

First, pick up ________________.

Then stir the _________ in a bowl.

Next, put __________ into a pan.

After that, pour ____________ into a glass.

Next, slice ________________.

Then break ________________.

Don't forget to slice ____________.

Put everything in the pan to make ___________.

Answer Key:

B.
1. a tomato
2. some eggs
3. some spaghetti
4. some wine
5. an onion
6. an egg
7. some cucumbers / a cucumber
8. some soup




WORKSHEET - 1

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RATATOUILLE



The next worksheet was developed by my reader Alexandra Duarte, a reader from Portugal. She inserted this activity of mine into her own class plan and shared it with us. Thanks, Alexandra, for sharing and developing such great activities.



WORKSHEET - Alexandra Duarte.

Alexandra Duarte has been an EFL teacher for about 20 years, most of them at MartinhoÁrias Secondary School in Soure / Portugal. For the last 3 years she has been involved in adult teaching.

Avatar: (The) Other (s), Another

This is an overwhelming movie. The visual effects are spectacular and it has a great plot. I used this scene to have students practice a grammar point many course books neglect addressing, the use of (the) other (s) and another. It is a great scene and the students love it.

An Ikran is a predator who lives in mountainous territory on Pandora. Na'vi warriors, Pandora's humanoids, attempt to bond with an Ikran, a dangerous and required ritual of their people.

A Na'vi riding an Ikran

A. Watch the movie segment and complete the blanks with OTHER, THE OTHER, OTHERS, THE OTHERS, or ANOTHER.

1. Two Na'Vis walked on the edge of a cliff to reach the sanctuary of Ikrans. The first one was Jake Sully. ____________ one was Neyitiri.



2. In the sanctuary, there were many ikrans. Some of them were resting on the mountain. ________ were flying around, and _________ were hatching eggs.



3. Jake Sully tried to lasso the first ikran, but it flew away. Then he chose ________ ikran to lasso.



4. When he finally chose his ikran, _____ ikrans did not interfere with their fight. Some flew away, ________ just observed their fight.



5. While Jake Sully was trying to control his chosen ikran, Neyitiri supported him. __________ warrior did the same thing, but _______ Na'Vis just observed him.



6. Jake Sully finally managed to fly his ikran. Neyitiri flew ________ one.



7. There were four Na'Vis in the scene. Jake Sully, Neyeriti and two _______ warriors. Neyetiri and two of of the Na'Vis were happy about his success, but ________ one wasn't happy at all, because he was jealous of Jake's accomplishment.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - AVATAR

Answer key:

1. the other

2. others /(the) others

3. another

4. the other /others

5. another / the other

6 another

7. other / the other

Surrogates: Passive Voice with Future Tenses

The original idea of the movie plot is amazing. I liked the movie from the very beginning, which is intriguing and perfect for this activity I planned in order to teach passive voice with future tenses, the grammar point I'm teaching my Thomas Prime 8 students this week.





A. Watch the movie segment. The segment takes place in the year 2024 and talks about what will happen from today until 2024. The movie starts 14 years ago, 2010. Take a look at the timeline of the scientific developments that took place in the next 14 years and rewrite the sentences you saw in the segment in the passive voice.

B. Rewrite the sentences from the movie in the passive voice.


2011



1. In 2011, monkeys will operate mechanical arms with nothing but their thoughts.

In 2011, _______________________ with nothing but their thoughts.


2. Physically disabled people are going to operate fully synthetic bodies.

__________________________________.


2014



3. We are going to see this more and more.

__________________________________ more and more.


4. We will witness an event of evolutionary significance.


___________________________________.


2018



5. Over 98% of the world population will use a surrogate in all facets of their daily lives.


___________________________________ in all facets of their daily lives.


6. We are going to see crime rates record lows.


__________________________________.



2021



7. By 2024, a minority will have opposed surrogates.


By 2024, ____________________________.


8. Many people will have seen this as the invasion of the inhuman.


____________________________ as the invasion of the inhuman.


9. They will have established surrogacy-free zones in major cities around the country.


__________________________________ in major cities around the country.



2024



10. People had predicted that surrogates would solve all their problems.


People had predicted that ______________________.


11. They had believed that one day the future was going to bring nothing but happiness.


They had believed that one day _______________________.


B. Discuss the following questions in pairs.

1. What's your opinion about the segment. Do you think it will actually happen in the future?

2. Do you think that surrogates are a good idea? Explain it.

3. Would you like to have a surrogate for you and your family? Why (not)?

4. If you would, what would you use it for?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having surrogates among us?

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SURROGATES

Anwer key:

1. mechanical arms will be operated by monkeys

2. fully synthetic bodies are going to be operated by physically disabled people.

3. this is going to be seen

4. an event of evolutionary significance will be witnessed

5. a surrogate will be used by 98% of the world population

6. crime rates record lows are going to be seen

7. surrogates will have been opposed by a minority

8. this will have been seen

9. surrogacy-free zones will have been established

10. all their problems would be solved by surrogates

11. nothing but happiness was going to be brought by the future 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.

Monsters Vs Aliens: Superlatives

I love animated films, I have said this dozens of times. This one is not different. I love the characters and the story. Because there are 5 monsters being described in this scene, I used it to practice superlative form of adjectives.





A. Make a list of 6 different adjectives you consider to be interesting for a monster
Ex: Strong, ugly, etc


B. Listen to all of the students' list of adjectives and write them all on the board. In pairs, select 8 adjectives you consider to be the most interesting ones for a monster.


C. Watch the movie segment and match the characters and their characteristics:



1. Ginormica

2. B.O.B. (Bicarbonate Ostylezene Benzoate):

3. Dr. Cockroach

4. The Missing Link

5. Insectosaurus


( ) Due to her exposure with the meteorite's radiation, she is very strong and tall and has a resistance to energy attacks.

( ) He was an insect transformed by nuclear radiation into a monster with the ability to shoot silk out of his nose.

( ) A 20,000-year-old fish-ape animal, who was found frozen.

( ) A brilliant scientist who, in an experiment to have the abilities of a cockroach, became a giant cockroach's head and some personality characteristics of the cockroach, but gained the ability to climb up walls and great resistance to physical damage.

( ) An indestructible gelatinous mass created from a tomato. His greatest strength is his ability to eat any substance and to be indestructible.


Answers: 1,5,4,3,2

D. Now write sentences comparing all the monsters, using the adjectives you have selected in exercise B.


Ex:

Ginormica is the strongest monster.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MONSTERS VS ALIENS

Eden Lake: Prepositions and Giving Directions

It is difficult to find segments to practice giving instructions or directions. This snippet, though, is appropriate because the opening scene shows a couple driving to a hotel, so I thought of having this visual input to practice this grammar point. The movie, however, is nothing special. The scene is appropriate for all ages, but the movie itself is scary and for adults only.

I. Watch the segment and choose the correct alternative according to the segment.









1. When they left, they turned left / turned right / went ahead.


2. They went straight ahead / turned left/ turned right on the highway.


3. On a small road, they passed on/ under / in front of a bridge.


4. They drove for a long time on/ in/ through another highway and turned left /right on the exit.

5. At/ Behind/ Near the traffic light, they turned left / right.


6. The Beer, Bed and Breakfast is on their left/right.


7. Another car turned left / right before them and parked in / under / for the space.



8. They couldn't park, so they left and turned left / right .



II. Talk to a partner. Think about 3 different places in your city. Tell him/her how to get from where you are to these places.



III. Describe your neighborhood to your friend. Say where the bakery, grocery store, pet shop, bus stop, restaurant and others are.


EX. The bakery is across from my building.



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - EDEN LAKE

The Stepford Wives: Participial Adjectives as Noun Modifiers

This remake of The Stepford Wives is not as good as the original movie, but it has great moments like the one I used to have students practice participial adjectives that are used as noun modifiers. My students had a blast watching it and this dry grammar point became attractive to them.



A. Rewrite each sentence containing an underlined object pronoun, using a participial adjective as a noun modifier.

1. The guests were invited to join the square dance. They started dancing in the ballroom.

Ex: The invited guests started dancing in the ballroom.


2. The ballroom was decorated. It had 4th of July thematic ornaments.

3. Some guests were extremely excited. They were dancing happily.

4. A man spun the blonde lady very enthusiastically. She couldn't stop turning around in circles.

5. The guests were intrigued. They couldn't stop looking at that odd scene.

6. The hostess, the players and the guests were surprised by her behavior. They stopped what they were doing to watch the scene.

7. The lady got hurt when she fell on the floor. She seemed to have a serious health problem.

B. Work in pairs:

1. Describe the scene.

2. What do you think happened to the beautiful blonde lady?

3. Why did that happen?

4. What would you do if you were one of the guests?

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE STEPFORD WIVES

Answer key:

1. The invited guests

2. The decorated ballroom

3. The excited guests

4. The spun lady

5. The intrigued guests

6. The surprised hostess, players and guests

7. The hurt lady

Star Trek - The Future Begins: Possessive ('s)

This is the best Star Trek movie ever. I'm not a fan of the saga, but this segment is the beginning of the whole story, so I got to understand who the characters are and I really enjoyed the movie. I think it is excellent, indeed. This scene is full of visual input with few dialogs, so beginners will enjoy it. I used it to practice writing possessives - 's. It is a very simple task and they managed it well. It was really motivating. I hope you like it.





A. Watch the movie segment and complete the blanks with the words in parentheses. Don't forget to use possessives ('s) too. Make the necessary changes.





1. The boy, James, is driving his .................................. (mother / boyfriend /car).

2. He is .................. (Johnny / friend).

3. Johnny is ........................... ( friend / James)

4. The ......................... (vehicle /police officer) can fly.

5. The ............................ (mask / officer) is unusual.

6. The ................. ( full name / boy) is James Tiberius Kirk.

Answer Key:
1. mother's boyfriend's car
2. Johnny's vfriend
3. James's friend
4. police officer's car
5. officer's mask
6. boy's full name



WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - STAR TREK - THE FUTURE BEGINS

The Devil's Arithmetic: Time Clauses with Before, After, When

This movie is very interesting and the Holocaust is dealt with in a different way, mixing reality and fiction. I used the Jewish wedding scene to practice time clauses in a contextualized manner. My students loved it and wanted to see the rest of the movie at home.







A. Watch the movie segment and combine both sentences with before, after, or when.






1. The ceremony starts.

The groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.



2. The groom unveils the bride.

The bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.



3. The bride arrives at the wedding place,

Her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. The ceremony starts.
The bride circles the groom seven times.

5. The groom places the ring on the bride's finger,

The best man and he drink some wine.

6. The groom kisses the bride.
He breaks the wine glass.

B. Talk to a partner:



1. What's your opinion about this kind of wedding? What adjectives would you use to describe it?

2. What went wrong?

3. What do you think will happen next?

Possible answer key:

1. Before the ceremony starts, the groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.

2. After the groom unveils the bride, the bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.

3. When the bride arrives at the wedding place,
her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. When the ceremony starts, the bride circles the groom seven times.

5. After the groom places the ring on the bride's finger,
the best man and he drink some wine.

6. Before the groom kisses the bride, he breaks the wine glass.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC