Mary and Max: Present Perfect x Simple Past

This is a marvelous Australian animated movie for adults. A bit sad, though. It is about two very unlikely pen pals. There are several scenes for grammar practice. This one is perfect to contrast the use of the simple past and the present perfect tenses.



A. Read the sentences taken from a letter Max is writing Mary and try to guess whether you should complete the blanks with the simple past or the present perfect tenses of the given verbs.



1. I ____________ (choose) the same numbers for nine years. 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12.


2. I _____________ (have) many different jobs during my life.


3. My first job ______ (be) collecting subway tokens in the subway.


4. I __________ (work) at the frisbee printing machine in my third job.


5. In my fourth job, I _____________ (get - neg) paid much but ________ (get) free cookies and coffee.


6. _____________ (you - ever - be) hang gliding?


7. _____________ (you - ever - be) a communist?


8. _____________ (you - ever - be) attacked by a crow or a similar large bird. When I __________ (be) nine, a crow _________ (attack) me on my way to school.



9. I _________________ (teach) myself to read two pages at once.



10. I have to go now. I __________ (tell - neg) you about my 7th job, in a condom factory.



11. I _______________ (eat - never) sweetened condensed milk.



12. I ________________ ( use - never) a condom.



B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.

C. Work in pairs.


1. Have you ever had a pen pal? Why (not)?


2. Is it a good idea to have pen pals? Explain it.


3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having pen pals?


4. Do pen pals have to like the same things? Why (not)?


5. Are pen pals real friends? Or it just a fantasy?



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MARY & MAX


Answer key:

A.

1. have chosen 2. have had 3. was 4. worked 5. didn't get / got 6. have you ever been 7. have you ever been 8. have you ever been / was / attacked 9. have taught 10. haven't told 11. have never eaten 12. have never used

Julie & Julia: Modal Verbs for Strong Advice or Obligation - MUST - Giving Instructions

A. Match the two parts of the sentences below.


1. You make sure

2. You hold

3. You protect

4. You cut



( ) only the onion

( ) the knife like this

( ) the other hand

( ) that the egg is fresh


B. Now connect both parts of the sentences and write sentences, using modals for strong advice or obligation.


1. ..................................................

2. .................................................

3. .................................................

4. .................................................


C. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.





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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - JULIE & JULIA

Answer key:

A. 4,2,3,1


B.


1. You must make sure that the egg is fresh


2. You must hold the knife like this


3. You must protect the other hand.


4. You must cut only the onion.

Saturday Night Fever: Simple Present

This is a great classic, extremely tacky, that the students are not very familiar with. They usually love the scene and have fun with the song. It's a revival! I like sharing classics with the students, sometimes the only opportunity they have to watch them.










A. Make a list of 5 things you do before you go out dancing Saturday nights.


Ex:

I take a hot shower.

I wear a beautiful dress.

1. ........................................

2. .......................................

3. .......................................

4. .......................................

5. .......................................


B. Share your list with a partner and ask him/her if he/she does what you have on your list.

Ex:


S1: Do you take a hot shower?

S2: Yes, I do


S1: Do you wear a beautiful dress?

S2: No, I don't. I wear pants.



C. Watch the movie segment and write down 5 activities Tony Manero does before he goes dancing Saturday night.




Ex:


1. Tony dries his hair.

2. .........................................

3. .........................................

4. .........................................

5. .........................................



D. Ask each other if you perform Tony's activities before you go dancing.


Ex:

1. Do you dry your hair?


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Love Happens: Past Modals for Regrets

A. Watch the movie segment about a man describing how his son died. Check the alternatives that he mentioned.

1. ( ) They stopped by the construction site to pick up some blueprints.

2. ( ) He left his son in the car.

3. ( ) The boy stayed in the car until his dad came back.

4. ( ) The boy left the car and fell off the scaffold.

5. ( ) He lost his job.

6. ( ) His wife left him.

7. ( ) Nobody said anything to support him during the therapy.

B. Now rewrite the items above, using past modals for regrets. Decide if you will use affirmative sentences, according to the information presented in the segment.

1. ...........................................................

2. ..........................................................

3. ..........................................................

4. ..........................................................

5. .........................................................

6. .........................................................

7. ..........................................................

C. Talk to a partner:

1. What's your opinion about this kind of therapy? Does it actually help or worsen the problems?

2. Would you join one if you were facing the same kind of problem? Explain it.

3. What should he do to overcome this situation?


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LOVE HAPPENS

Answer key:

A.

Only #3 is not to be marked.

B.

1. They souldn't have stopped...

2. He shouldn't have left ...

3. The boy should have stayed...

4. The boy shouldn't have left

5. He shouldn't have lost ...

6. His wife shouldn't have left...

7. Somebody should have said something...

Once Upon a Time in America: Used To

This activity was taken from an unforgettable classic. It is a wonderful movie with a brilliant story and saga. It's one of my all times favorite. I took advantage of the scene that shows New York in the beginning of the century to practice USED TO in a contextualized way.

Watch the video segment and observe how different New York used to be in the beginning of the century. Pay close attention to the following people and objects.

Cars - Street vendors - Streets - Cameras - Women

Clocks - Police Officers - Buildings - Clothes - Kids
Read the examples and write down your own sentences, using the given cues. Make sure you choose a suitable verb to complete the sentences.

Ex:

The kids/ on the streets. The kids used to play on the streets.
Cars/ uncomfortable. The cars used to be uncomfortable.
Street vendors/ bread. Street vendors used to sell bread.

1 – Streets/ crowded ______________________________________

2 – Cameras/ practical _____________________________________

3 – Women/ dark clothes ___________________________________

4 – Police officers/ elegant uniforms ____________________________

5 – Buildings / dirty _______________________________________

6 – Streets / smoky _______________________________________

After viewing:

Talk to a partner. Discuss the following questions:

1 - How do you compare the New York depicted in the segment and the city nowadays?

2 - Which one is better and why?

3 - Would you like to live in New York nowadays? Why?

4 - Would you like to have lived in New York in the beginning of the century? Why not?

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

How to prepare your own video segment:

• 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” .

Agora: Used To

This is a very interesting movie about a woman scientist that was ahead of her time, developing scientific studies that were proven right centuries before the first astronomers came up with the theories we believe in nowadays. I used this scene to practice the use of USED TO and its negative form.

A. Watch the movie segment and complete and read the sentences below.

Then complete them with used to or didn't use to, according to the segment.

1. Ordinary people ___________ (think) the world was a gigantic chest.

2. They _________ (believe) that heaven was on top and the earth was on the ground.

3. They _____________ (claim) that the earth was round.

4. They __________ (question) why people on the bottom didn't fall off and the ones on the sides didn't slideoff.

5. They __________ (feel) intrigued why the the sun changed size from summer to winter.

6. The scientists in the movie _________ (believe) that the earth was the center of the universe.

7. They also _________ (imagine) that the sun traveled around the earth.

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B. Work in pairs:

1. What are some of the things that we believe in nowadays that you believe might be proven wrong in the future?

2. what are your current viewpoints about these issues?

- Intelligent life in other planets

- living in mars

- comets or asteroids destroying our planet in the future

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - AGORA

1. used to think 2. used to believe 3. didn't use to claim 4. used to question 5. used to feel 6. didn't use to believe 7. didn't use to imagine

Big Fish: Too x Either

This marvelous movie is fantastic for activities because it is full of complete micro stories completely contextualized. This one I used for a basic grammar point, contrasting the use of TOO and EITHER.

I. Answer the questions about Ling and Ping, the Siamese Sisters. Decide which alternative is better, according to the movie segment. Then answer the questions, using too or either.

1. Ling can / can't sing. What about Ping?

.....................................................

2. Ling has / doesn't have two arms. What about Ping?

....................................................

3. Ping is / isn't wearing a blue dress. What about Ling?

...................................................

4. Ling is / isn't wearing a red rose in the hair. What about Ping?

...................................................

5. Ling was / wasn't very happy about the performance. What about Ping?

..................................................

6. Ping was / wasn't surprised to see the soldier. What about Ling?

..................................................

7. Ling is / isn't going to help the soldier. What about Ping?

................................................

8. Ping is / isn't beautiful. What about Ling?

................................................

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BIG FISH

Answer key:

1. can - She can sing too.

2. has - She has two arms too.

3. isn't - She isn't wearing blue either.

4. is - She is wearing it too.

5. wasn't - She wasn't happy either.

6. was - She was surprised too.

7. is - She is going to help him too.

8. Answers will vary.

Mary and Max: Questions

I love this movie. This scene is perfect to practice questions with basic learners.

1. Match the first part of the sentence with its complement.



1. My name is

2. I'm

3. My favorite color is

4. My favorite food is

5. I have

6. My mother likes

7. My father likes

8. I can't




( ) draw ears but I'm good at teeth.

( ) eight years old, three months and nine days.

( ) smoking, cricket and sherry.

( ) playing in his shed with dead animals.

( ) brown.

( ) a rooster called Ethel.

( ) Mary Daisy Dinkle.

( ) sweetened condensed milk and chocolate.


B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.







C. Now write the questions to the answers above .

Ex:


1. What's your name?

2. .........................................

3. ........................................

4. .......................................

5. .......................................

6. ......................................

7. ......................................

8. .....................................


D. Now interview your friend, asking the questions in exercise C.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MARY AND MAX



Answer key:

A.

1. My name is Mary Daisy Dinkle.

2. I am eight years old three months and nine days.

3. My favorite color is brown.

4. My favorite food is sweetened condensed milk and chocolate.

5. I have a rooster called Ethel.

6. My mother likes smoking, cricket and sherry.

7. My father likes playing in his shed with dead birds.

8. I can't draw ears but I am good at teeth.


B.

1. What's your name?

2. How old are you?

3. What's your favorite color?

4. What's your favorite food?

5. What's your pet's name? / What is your rooster's name?

6. What does your mother like?

7. What does your father like?

8. What can you do?

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief: Zero Conditional

This movie is great, especially because of the references made to Greek mythology. Many teens started learning about it while watching it. This scene reveals a few characteristics of Medusa. I used it to practice the Zero Conditional because it deals with general truths about the myth.

Remember:

The structure of a zero conditional sentence

A zero conditional sentence consists of two clauses, an “if” clause and a main clause (In most zero conditional sentences you can use when or if and the meaning will stay the same.):



The zero conditional is used to talk about things which are always true — such as scientific facts and general truths:




I. Watch the movie segment and complete the condition with general truths about Medusa.

MEDUSA

1. If someone looks into Medusa's eyes, .................................................................



2. If someone sees Medusa but they don't look into her eyes, ............................................



3. If someone looks at Medusa's reflex in the mirror, .............................................



4. If someone doesn't manage to keep he eyes closed when approached by Medusa, .................................


II. Think about a folklore character of your country. Write a brief description of his traits or features and write two Zero Conditional clauses saying what is true about them. Follow the example in exercise I.

Ex:

If a werewolf bites you, you become a werewolf too.


1 ...............................................

2 ...............................................


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PERCY JACKSON

A Christmas Carol: Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

I could never expect this movie to be so good. It is animated, but it seems to be so real... Besides, it is a classic tale that everyone should learn about. I must admit it is scarier than many children can bear, but it has been approved for all audiences. I enjoyed it immensely.

A. Watch the movie segment that takes place on Christmas Eve. Read the sentences below and decide if you are going to use affirmative or negative modal verbs, according to the information in the segment. Choose the correct modal verb according to the purpose in parentheses.










1. We ___________ (find) lots of poor children playing on the streets on Christmas eve. (modal for ability)



2. The government __________ (provide) children with a good meal for free on Christmas eve.
(present or future possibility)



3. Sometimes the population ___________ (help) homeless people because it's difficult for them to take care of their own family. (present impossibility)



4. Scrooge ___________ (assist) the choir singers because he is a rich man. (advisability)



5. A gambler hit a little boy. Adults __________ (respect) all the children. (necessity)



6. __________ adults _________ (tell) children Santa Claus doesn't exist? (advisability)



7. How __________ the government _________ (assist) poor children? (present possibilty or ability)



B. Now rewrite the sentences in exercise A, using passive voice statements.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Answer key:
A.
1. can find

2. could (might) provide

3. can't help

4. should assist

5. have to (must) respect

6. Should adults tell

7. can the government assist


B.
1. Children can be found ...

2. Children could (might) be provided with ...

3. Homeless people can't be helped by the population ...

4. The choir singers should be assisted ...

5. All the children hast to (must) be respected...

6. Should children be told that ...


7. How can children be assisted by the government?

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.

Planet 51: Passive Voice with Simple Present

Happy 2012!!! Hope you enjoy the activities planned for 2012. Remember to share yours too. Email them to claudioazv@gmail.com and your credits and pictures are added as well.


Planet 51 is amazingly funny. I laughed so much that I almost cried during the movie. It is attractive to children and to adults, too. Rent the movie! You'll love it. I took advantage of the opening scene to practice passive voice in the simple present tense.

A. Watch the movie segment and check the activities that the inhabitants of Planet 51 perform on a typical afternoon.







1. ( ) They wear strange clothes



2. ( ) They play tennis.



3. ( ) They drive flying cars.



4. ( ) They read the newspaper.



5. ( ) Boys ride flying bicycles.



6. ( ) They walk their pets.



7. ( ) Workers sweep the street.



8. ( ) Children play hopscotch.



9. ( ) They make barbecue.



10. ( ) They sell candy.

B. Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice. Decide if the sentence is affirmative or negative according to the information in the snippet:



Ex:



1. Strange clothes aren't worn.



2 ...............................................



3 ...............................................



4 ...............................................



5 ...............................................



6. ..............................................



7. ..............................................



8. ..............................................



9. ..............................................



10. ............................................




C. Now read the activities in exercise A and ask your partner if they perform those activities on a typical Sunday afternoon.



EX:



1.



S1: Do you wear strange clothes?



S2: No, I don't.


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PLANET 51

Answer key:

A. Students should NOT check items 1, 2, 5, 9, 10


B.


2. Tennis isn't played.


3. Flying cars are driven.


4. The newspaper is read.


5. Flying bicycles aren't ridden.


6. Pets are walked.


7. The streets are swept.


8. Hopscotch is played.


9. Barbecue isn't made.


10. Candy isn't sold.

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 Tooth Fairy: In Case x In Case of

This is a good wholesome movie. I had a fun time watching it. I used this great scene to have students practice contrasting the use of In Case and In Case Of.



The legend of the Tooth Fairy is about a fairy that gives a child money or gifts in exchange for a baby tooth that has fallen out. Children typically place the tooth under their pillow at night. The fairy is said to take the tooth from under the pillow and replace it with money once they have fallen asleep.



A. Read the inventions made for the Tooth Fairy. Look at the invention's name and make a guess about when or why use it. Make sure you complete the sentence with in case and in case of.

Ex:



Magic Generator Wand:



You may use it in case you need to make someone disappear.


You may use it in case of an emergency.



1. Invisibility Spray




You may use it in case __________________




You may use it in case of ________________




2. Shrinking Paste




You may use it in case _____________



You may use it in case of ___________





3. Dog Bark Mints




You may use it in case ______________



You may use it in case of ______________




4. Amnesia Dust


You may use it in case ________________



You may use it in case of _______________





B. Now watch the movie segment and complete the sentences, using the information in the segment.








1. I would use the invisible spray in case ____________



2.You may use the shrinking paste in case _____________



3. You may use the dog barks mint in case of _______________



4. You may use amnesia dust in case _______________


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - TOOTH FAIRY

Possible answers

B.


1. you don't want anybody to see you.


2. you want to shrink 6 inches


3. attacks of cats, mailmen, dogs that come after you.


4. you want the kid to forget everything for the last few seconds

Dinner for Schmucks: Present Continuous

The opening scene of this movie is memorable and perfect for beginners to practice the present continuous tense. The instructions of the game are simple, but you had better model it, instead of giving the instructions in written form.





Game:

I. Divide the class into groups of 3 students. Watch the movie segment and take notes of all the leisure activities the mice are doing in that afternoon.





II. Get together with your group and write down as many sentences as you can, saying what the mice are doing. You have 10 minutes to do it.





III. Read all your sentences to the class. Every sentence with both correct grammar and information, according to the segment, scores 1 point. The winner is the group that scores most points.


IV. You may watch the segment again to check whether the leisure activities are correct.


OR

I. Cut the sentences into slips and place them in a box.

II. students take turns to pick up a sentence and mime it to their own group. The group has 15 seconds to guess the correct sentence and score a point.

V. Talk to a partner:


1. Which activities you saw in the segment do you like to do in your leisure time?

2. Which ones don't you like to do?



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MOVIE SEGMENT - DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS