Cars: Comparatives of Adjectives and Nouns

I have said many times that I just love animated movies. Cars was a turning point in animation. The movie is great and this scene is perfect for comparatives. I also use it for the practice of USED TO, but this is something for another post. I hope you like this one.

A. Read the features below and compare the same city before and after the construction of Interstate 40. Write B if the adjectives or nouns are more evident in the city before the construction of the interstate 40 years ago or A if it applies to the city after the construction of the Interstate.

1. ( ) visitors

2. ( ) cars

3. ( ) busy

4. ( ) rich

5. ( ) jobs

6. ( ) crowded

7. ( ) empty

B. Now write comparative sentences about the city in the past and nowadays. Pay attention whether the items are adjectives or nouns when you write the sentences.

Ex:

1. In the past the city had more visitors than nowadays.

Nowadays the city has fewer visitors than in the past.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CARS

Answers:

2. In the past the city had more cars than nowadays.

Nowadays the city has fewer cars than in the past.

3. In the past the city was busier than nowadays.

Nowadays the city is less busy than in the past.

4. In the past the city was richer than nowadays.

Nowadays the city is less rich than in the past.

5. In the past the city had more jobs than nowadays.

Nowadays the city has fewer jobs than in the past.

6. In the past the city was more crowded than nowadays.

Nowadays the city is less crowded than in the past.

7. In the past the city was less empty than nowadays.

Nowadays the city is emptier than in the past.

Crazy Heart: Past Modal for Speculation and Regrets

This movie has great music and touching acting. The scene the little boy disappears is perfect for modals for speculation and regrets. I used it for a production, not controlled exercise.

A. Watch the movie segment and write sentences using past modal verbs.

I. Write down 3 sentences saying what might have happened while the boy was lost.



Ex: The boy must have hidden himself somewhere.

1. _____________________

2. _____________________

3. _____________________

II. Write down 3 sentences saying what the main character should not have done.

Ex: He shouldn't have left the boy unattended.

1. ______________________

2. _____________________

3. _____________________

III. Write down 3 sentences saying what he should have done.

Ex: He should have kept an eye on the boy all the time.

1. _______________________

2. _______________________

3. _______________________

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CRAZY HEART

Answers will vary.

The Uninvited: Narratives - Simple Present

This film and scene are a bit scary. Make sure your audience is ready for this kind of material. It is great, though, and very easy to understand. The students can easily perform the assigned tasks and practice writing a narrative, using the simple present tense.



I. Work in pairs:


1. Do you dream every night?

2. Do you remember your dreams?

3. Which kind of dream do you remember with more details? Dreams or nightmares?

4. Do nightmares have meanings?


II. Complete the paragraph with the verbs provided below. You may repeat the verbs. This paragraph is a teenager's description of a nightmare she had in the previous night.

BE - WANT - HEAR - GO - RUN - FEEL (neg)

I _____ at a party, but all I _________ to do is get home. And then I _____ my mother's bell. I ________ to find her. She __________ alone. She ________ not supposed to be alone. I ______ up to the house to find my dad. There _____ something wrong. It ______ safe. There ______ something evil in the house.

III. Now watch the segment and check your answers.

(Segment without subtitles)

IV. Now write a short paragraph narrating a nightmare or a dream of yours. Use the simple present tense to describe it.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE UNINVITED

Answer key: am, want, hear, go, is, is, run, is, doesn't feel, is.

9:Imperative Forms

I. Half the students leave the classroom and wait outside (or close eyes) - Students A.









II. The students who stay in the classroom - Students B - work individually.





Students B - Watch the movie segment and make a list of all the actions that the main character performs in the order they take place.



Ex:



1. He opens his eyes




III. Invite the other students back into the classroom (or sts open their eyes). Each student chooses one of the Students B, who had stayed in the classroom.





IV.



Students B - Give the commands and Students A role play the action.



Ex: Lie on the floor, open your eyes, etc

V. Students A and B watch the segment to check the similarities in the performance.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - 9

Surrogates: To Be Able To

This movie rocks. I love the original idea of the conflict it proposes. You must see it. I used this wonderful scene to talk about the future and what people will be able then.


A. Work in small groups:


1. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Explain it.

2. In what fields of science will the future present major changes? Why?

3. Imagine life 20 years from now. Make a list of 5 things that you believe people will be able to do that we cannot nowadays.


a. .............................................................

b. .............................................................

c. .............................................................

d. ............................................................


B. Now watch the movie segment from the science fiction Surrogates. The scene shows a couple going shopping. Watch it carefully and say what consumers will be able to do when they go shopping 20 years from now. Write at least 3 sentences.







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

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

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

C. Discussion.

1. Do you think this is a possible vision of the future? Why (not)?
2. Is this vision of the future optimistic or pessimistic? Why?
3. Would you like to live in this kind of future?
4. How do you think life will be like in 20 years?

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SURROGATES

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Count x Non Count Nouns

This is a fantastic animated movie and its ecological message is subtle, but highly effective. It's also very funny.

A. Watch the movie segment TWICE and check the items that you can see OR that the characters say in the snippet. First, check that you understand all the words.

( ) EGGS
( ) TOAST
( ) ORANGE JUICE
( ) BACON
( ) CHEESEBURGERS
( ) CHICKEN
( ) WAFFLES
( ) FALAFELS
( ) JELLYBEANS
( ) AVOCADO
( ) PIZZA
( ) DOUGHNUTS
( ) BLT
( ) PIE
( ) FISH
( ) CRÈME BRULÉE



B. Now write down the food items under the correct column - COUNTABLE or NON-COUNTABLE.

ATTENTION:

Some nouns can be both countable or non-countable. Choose the column according to the information in the segment.

COUNTABLE X NON-COUNTABLE

EGGS                -          RANGE JUICE

C. Talk to a partner and say what you usually have for breakfast. Then say which foods in exercise A do you like and dislike.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS


Answer Key:
Count:

EGGS, TOAST, CHEESEBURGERS, WAFFLES, FALAFELS, JELLYBEANS, DOUGHNUTS, BLT
Non-Count:
ORANGE JUICE, BACON, CHICKEN, AVOCADO, PIZZA, PIE, FISH, CRÈME BRULÉE

The Karate Kid: Cleft Sentences

It is great to have a movie segment to have students practice the use of cleft sentences, because it contextualizes the grammar point, allowing students to meaningfully emphasize the information presented in the segment.






Cleft sentences are used to help us focus on a particular part of the sentence and to emphasize what we want to say by introducing it or building up to it with a kind of relative clause. Because there are two parts to the sentence it is called cleft (from the verb cleave) which means divided into two. Cleft structures include the reason why, the thing that, the person/people who, the place where, the day when and what-clauses which are usually linked to the clause that we want to focus on with is or was.

I. Rewrite the sentences below, using the information presented in the movie segment. Make sure you start your sentences with the given cues, using cleft sentences. Pay attention to the cues in bold.

1. The story is about a Princess and the boy she loves.

No, it isn't a Princess who loves the boy. It ____________________





2. The Goddess and the boy can stay together a single week.


No, it isn't a single week they can stay together. It ______________________




3. The boy promised to be in her house later that day.


No, what _____________________________




4. The audience was amazed by the fragile puppets.


What _________________________________




5. What did you like (dislike) about the movie segment.

What __________________________________



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE KARATE KID




Answer key:

1. No, it is the Goddess who loves a boy.


2. No, it is a single night that they can stay together.


3. No, what he promised was to be at her audition.


4. What amazed the audience were the fragile puppets.


5. What (answers will vary) I liked about the segment was the romantic love story.

Spirit - Stallion of the Cimarron: Dialog Writing

A. This movie is about Spirit, a wild mustang. Watch the segments and, in small groups, write down the dialog you imagine took place in the scenes. Imagine that the horses are speaking English! Use your imagination and be creative.

*Note to the teacher:

Pause the segments when the slide of a heart shows up. Have the groups write down the dialogs, following the instructions for each part as shown below, before you play the next segments, and pause again on the heart slides.

















Scene 1. Write down the dialog between Spirit and his mother.


Scene 2. Write down the dialog between Spirit and the other horses.


Scene 3. Write down the dialog between Spirit and the other horses.

Scene 4. Write down the final dialog between Spirit and his mother.

B. Now role play your dialogs, but you are people now, not horses. If possible, don't read the dialog, just act it out (if you prefer, you can be horses, not people, but the dialogs have to be in English, of course!!).

C. Extra Activity:
Write a short narrative/paragraph about the scene.



THERE IS NOT A WORKSHEET FOR THIS ACTIVITY FOR IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE TASK


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - SPIRIT, STALLION OF THE CIMARRON

Puss in Boots: Comparatives & Superlatives

I simply love this movie. One of the best animated films ever. Unforgettable. I used it to practice contrasting comparative and superlative forms

Watch the movie segment and decide which adjectives better apply to Puss in Boots or Kitty Softpaws.

Puss and Kitty

SEXY / FAST / PROVOCATIVE / CHARMING / TALL / CONFIDENT

Write sentences comparing Puss and Kitty, using the adjectives above.

Ex: Kitty (Puss) is sexier than Puss (Kitty).


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

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

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

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

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



Now decide which adjectives best apply to either Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws, Humpty Dumpty or the Golden Goose

Humpty Dumpty, Kitty and Puss

Golden Goose

FUNNY / STRONG / SHORT / FAMOUS / UGLY / FAT / ELEGANT / TALENTED

Write sentences comparing Puss, Kitty, Humpty Dumpty and Golden Goose.


Ex: Humpty Dumpty is the funniest character.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - PUSS IN BOOTS

Dear John: Passive Voice with Simple Present, Simple Past and Present Perfect

This is an effective tearjerker which I liked a lot. This scene is full of passive voice structures, perfect for review on passive voice with mixed verb tenses.

A. Read the script of the first scene from the movie Dear John. The paragraph is in the passive voice. either the simple present tense, simple past or the present perfect tenses. Fill in the blanks with the passive voice of the given verbs. Decide which of the two tenses you will use, depending on the context.



Glossary:

punch out: hit someone or something hard and repeatedly

rim: to be round or along the edge of something

bevel: to give something a sloping edge

stamp: to make a mark

mint: to produce something new





1. I’m eight years old again, on a tour of the US Mint, listening to the guide explain how coins ______________ (make). How they _______________ (punch out) of sheet metal. How they ______________ (rim) and ______________ (bevel). How they _________ (stamp)and __________ (clean). And then how each and every coin _________ (personally / examine) just in case one has slipped through with the slightest imperfection.



2. I am a coin in the United States Army. I __________ (mint) in the year 1980. I ____________ (punch out) from sheet metal, I __________ (stamp) and ___________ (clean), my edges _____________ (rim) and _______________ (bevel).


B. Watch the movie segment and check your answers.








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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - DEAR JOHN


Answer key:


1. are made/ are punched out/ are rimmed and beveled/ are stamped and cleaned/ is personally examined

2. was mint/ have been punched out/ have been stamped and cleaned/ have been rimmed and beveled

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.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Double Comparatives

I believe I was lucky enough to find such a pertinent segment to practice double comparatives, a grammar point we often have to teach, but I had never managed to find the right scene. The movie is sensational! I strongly recommend it.

GRAMMAR TIP:


Double comparatives are used to describe a cause-and-effect process. Remember: When BE is used in double comparatives, it is often omitted.


A. Before watching the segment, match the cause with its effect.



1. We ask the machine to make more food.


2. The machine emits more radiation.


3. We make bigger food.





( ) These molecules could over-mutate more.


( ) The food is better.


( ) The machine takes more clouds




B. Now connect both sentences, using double comparatives. Make all the necesary changes to make it correct. There are more than only one possible answers.



1. __________________


2. __________________


3. __________________




C. Now watch the segment and check your answers:

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

Answer key:

A. 2, 3 ,1


B.


1. The more we ask the machine to make, the more clouds the machine takes in

2. The more radiation it emits, the more these molecules could over-mutate.

3. The bigger, the better

Avatar: Order of Adjectives

Avatar is a revolutionary movie with wonderful visual effects and a great story. I simply loved it and used the Na'Vis physical characteristics to practice the use of order of adjectives.


A. Watch the movie segment from the movie Avatar and put the adjectives below in the correct order. The scene shows the Na'Vis, the people who inhabit Pandora, and their relationship with nature. Take a look at the chart below to choose the correct order.

Types of adjectives:


Opinion: It explains what you think about somethig (other people may not agree with you). Examples: silly, beautiful, horrible, stupid)


Size: A size adjective tells how small or big something is. Examples: large, enormous, tiny, little.


Age: It tells you how young or old something or someone is. Examples: primitive, ancient, new, young, old.


Shape: It describes the shape of something. Examples: round, rectangular, flat, square.


Color: It describes colors. Examples: yellow, reddish, pale, pink, turquoise.


Origin: It describes where something comes from. Examples: lunar, French, eastern, Brazilian.


Material: It describes what something is made of. Examples: metal, cotton, paper, marble.


Purpose: It describes what something is used for. These adjective often end with ...ing. Examples: sleeping (bag), roasting (tin), frying (pan).

1. Na'Vis are a race of (extraterrestrial / intelligent/ tall) humanoids who inhabit the (dense / lush / jungle) moon of Pandora.


2. Na'Vis have a (blue / bright / smooth) skin, accentuated with (thin/darker/cyan) stripes.


3. Their bodies have feline-like characteristics, such as (long/elegant/sweeping) tails, (beautiful/pointed /blue) ears, and (golden/large/ hypnotic) eyes.


4. They have a (v-shaped/upper/ wide) back.


5. They have developed a (evolved/ nervous/ complex) system.


6. They make use of (primitive/ effective/ wooden/ killing) weapons, such as a bow and arrows.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - AVATAR



Answer key:


1. (intelligent/tall/extraterrestrial) / (dense/lush/jungle)

2. (smooth/bright/blue) / (thin/darker/cyan)

3. (elegant/long/sweeping) /(beautiful/pointed/blue) / (hypnotic/large/golden)

4. (wide/v-shaped/ upper)

5. (complex/evolved/nervous)

6. (effective/primitive/wooden/killing)

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