Angels & Demons: Passive Voice

I like both the movie and the book. The story is farfetched, but well told and interconnnected. The scene I selected is perfect for the students to practice the passive voice.





I. Read the sentences below and write them in the passive voice.



1. A cardenal must destroy the Ring of the Fisherman immediately following the Pope's death.

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

2. Someone seals the papal apartment for nine days of mourning.

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

3. People know this period as sede vacante.

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

4. The preferiti are offering prayers.

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

5. A modern world threatens the ancient traditions.

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


II. Now watch the segment and check your answers:

Answer key:

1. The Ring of the Fisherman must be destroyed immediately following the Pope's death.
2. The papal apartment is sealed for nine says of mourning.
3. The period (is) known as sede vacante.
4. Prayers are being offered by the preferiti.
5. The ancient traditions (are) threatened by a modern world


III. Game:

Work in small groups to see who makes more correct guesses about how a new Pope is chosen. Decide if the following sentences are True or False. They are requirements to become a Pope.

1. ( ) One must be a Cardinal to be elected Pope.

2. ( ) Cardinals are RARELY appointed before age 50. Cardinals 80 and over cannot vote for Pope, and no one over 79 has EVER been elected Pope.

3. ( ) The person who would be Pope must speak at least 3 languages: Latin, Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German are especially good for a potential Pope to know.

4. ( ) 120 cardinals must participate in the selection.

5. ( ) The basic requirements are that no pope over 80 can be elected, and a two-thirds plus one majority must select the new pope.

6. ( ) If this majority cannot be reached, voting must occur for several days with two votes taking place in the morning and in the evening. If four days of voting does not result in the 67% majority, then the candidate with the majority of votes becomes the new pope.

7. ( ) When the old pope passes away, no autopsy is performed as this is considered desecration.

8. ( ) Official voting for the new pope is done in a process called conclave, from the Latin cum clavis. This means “with key,” and essentially means that the voting is secret.

9. ( ) Cardinals are locked into a room, specifically the Sistine Chapel. If the electoral process takes more than a day, the cardinals have lodging at St. Martha’s house and have no contact with the outside world.

10. ( ) All ballots are burned and if the vote has elected a new pope, this burning causes white smoke to float above the Vatican, signifying the world has a new pope. If the vote is unsuccessful, chemical is added to the burning ballots to cause gray smoke to appear. This signifies a vote without an election.


IV. Underline all the passive voice structures in exercise III.


Answer Key:


III.
All are true, except number 1. It is an informal requirement, but not official.

WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ANGELS & DEMONS



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.

Tangled & Rio: Simple Present

Both movies are wonderful. Both have scenes that show daily acitities, so I prepared this fun activity to make students practice the simple present tense in a challenging and exciting manner.



I. Watch the segments below only once. Then work in groups and decide who performs the following activities every morning. Write R if it is Rapunzel (Tangled) or L if it is Linda (Rio).

( ) Sweep the floor at 7 a.m


( ) Read a book

( ) Paint

( ) Play the guitar

( ) Wake up at 7:15 am

( ) Brush her teeth

( ) Have breakfast

( ) Knit

( ) Bake a pie

( ) Solve a puzzle

( ) Play chess

( ) Feed her pet

( ) Open the store

( ) Make candles

( ) Brush her hair



Tangled:








Rio:

II. Now rewrite the sentences above in the simple present tense:

Ex: Rapunzel sweeps the floor at 7:00 am.


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

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

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



III. Now write down two sentences that Rapunzel doesn't do in the morning and two sentences about what Linda does not do in her typical morning.


Ex: Rapunzel does not swim.


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

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

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

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


III. Divide the class into pairs. Give Student 1a list with Rapunzel's activities. Give the other student a list with Linda's activities. Each student mimes their main character's activities and his/her partner has to say the correct sentences.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - TANGLED

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - RIO


Answer key:

R - Rapunzel - Tangled

She sweeps the floor at 7 a.m.
She reads a book.
She paints
She plays the guitar
She knits
She bakes a pie
She solves a puzzle
She plays chess
She makes candles
She brushes her hair
She sings



L - Linda -Rio

She wakes up at 7:15 am
She brushes her teeth
She has breakfast
She feeds her pet
She opens the store

Frantic: Questions - Simple Past

This is an excellent thriller with an intriguing story. I used the scene that the husband, Dr. Walker, asks several questions to the hotel clerk who works where he is staying at. He is working out during his break time. Dr. Walker's wife mysteriously disappeared while he was in the shower in the hotel room and he is looking for clues to solve the puzzle.

A. Before watching the segment, put the questions below in the correct order.

1. you/ did/ her/ see

_______________________ ?

2. did/ what/ say/ she

_______________________ ?

3. she / seem/ to know /him / did

_______________________ ?

4. did/ talk/ they

_______________________ ?

5. anything else/ did / notice / you

_______________________ ?

6. what / this man / did / look like

_______________________ ?



B. Now match the questions above with the answers the hotel clerk gave.




( ) She asked me to send up toilet articles.

( ) Yes, I spoke to her.

( ) I noticed she had wet hair.

( ) I didn't hear what they were saying.

( ) He had his arms around her.

( ) Tall, well-dressed, mustache, dark skin


C. Watch the movie segment now and check if your answers are correct.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FRANTIC


Answer Key:

A.
1. Did you see her?
2. What did she say?
3. Did she seem to know him?
4. Did they talk?
5. Did you notice anything else?
6. What did this man look like?

B.
2, 1, 5, 4, 3, 6

The Untouchables: Prepositions

This classic is full of very interesting scenes to practice grammar. The director, Brian de Palma, is one of my favorite movie makers, because the way he uses the camera provides us, teachers, with plenty of material for our classes. This scene, for example, shows the same apartment several times and there is little language used, so it is a must for beginners. It is always very difficult to find movie scenes for beginners, so this one is precious. I used it to practice house and decoration vocabulary and prepositions as well.


Watch the movie segment for the first time and decide in which room of the apartment the objects below are located. Write the words below next to the object in exercise A.






KITCHEN (K) - BATHROOM (B) - DINING ROOM (D) - CORRIDOR (C)

A.


1. white curtains:

2. transparent curtains:

3. a white oven:

4. a mirror:

5. a sink:

6. a picture:

7. a large table:

8. some jars:

9. a dishtowel:



Answer key: 1.B, 2. K/D, 3. K, 4 . B, 5. B, 6. D/C, 7. D, 8. D, 9. K



B. Watch the segment again and then complete the blanks with one of these prepositions:


ON - IN - OVER - UNDER - THROUGH - AT - BEHIND - IN THE MIDDLE OF - BETWEEN


1. He keeps a bottle of whiskey ______ the white oven.


2. The mirror is ___________ the bathroom wall.


3. The mirror is ______ the sink.


4. There are some cookie jars ________ the dining room shelf.


5. There are some stairs _________ the kitchen door.


6. There is a dishtowel hanging _____ the kitchen wall.


7. The intruder is looking ________ the window glass.


8. The owner of the house lives _________ the first floor. He lives _______ Racine Avenue. His apartment is __________ 1634 Racine Avenue, Chicago.


9. There is a table and chairs _________ the dining room.


10. The men see each other _________ the corridor.



1. in, 2. on, 3. over, 4. on, 5. behind, 6. on, 7. through, 8. on / on / at, 9. in the middle of / in, 10. in

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE UNTOUCHABLES

The Time Traveler's Wife: 2nd Conditional

I had very little expectations about this movie, but it is amazingly pleasant and creative. The whole idea is very interesting and the gripping beginning is just great. I used two scenes from the movie to have students practice the 2nd conditional in an imaginative, contextualized way.

I. Work with a friend. Write down your answers to the questions:

1. Would you like to time travel? Why (not)?

I ______________________ because ______________________.

2. What would the consequences of time travel be?

If people could time travel, _________________________________.

3. Would you change anything about your past?

If I could change anything about my past, I _________________ .

4. What about history? Would you change anything? What would you do to change it?

If I could change anything in history, I ___________________-.

II. Watch the 1st segment and talk to a friend about the questions that follow.

1. What happened in the segment?

2. Why did he decide to go back in time to talk to himself as a child?

3. What do you think will happen next?

III. Watch the 2nd segment now. Then answer the questions. Write down your answers and use the 2nd conditional.

1. If you could go back in time, would you choose the person you wanted to marry and make her love you? Why (not)?

If I ______________________, I ______________________

2. Would you do what he did if you were the main character of the movie? Why (not)?

If I ______________________, I _______________________

3. Would life be better or worse if people could travel in time? Why?

If people __________________, _________________________

IV. Rank the periods that, If you could time travel, you would visit first, second, or never. Justify your answer.

1. Prehistoric Age

2. 0 BC - Jesus Christ era

3. 1800's

4. A few years ago

5. The 60's

6. 20 years in the future

7. 100 years in the future.

8. 500 years in the future.

9. Choose a time period.

V. Prepare a speech to share with the rest of the class. Follow the model below. Make sure you use the 2nd conditional.

I I could travel across time , first I ______________________________ because ____________. Second, I _____________________ because ____________, and finally I _____________________ because _____________. However, I _____________ (never) because_______________.



WORKSHEET

movie segment download - part 1
movie segment download - part 2

Before Sunset: 3rd Conditional

This excellent activity was provided by Vera Babat, from Uruguay. Here are a few words she provided us with about herself. Thanks for your contribution.

Our institute's web is www.infusionenglish.edu.uy

I'm a psychologist with 12 years experience teaching teenagers and young adults. I love preparing lessons using authentic materials.

Love films that make students think as it's a great chance to think critically on certain issues.

Before Sunset | starring Ethan Hawk /Julie Delpy

Just listen to the Waltz and write the lyrics down. Don’t freak, it’s not that difficult. What do you think the situation is?

Now complete the lyrics with your notes and listen again in case you’ve missed anything. Then, compare your version with the subtitles! Finally you can enjoy the image!

Let me sing you a waltz

________ _____ ____________ , ______ _____ ______ _____________

Let me sing you a waltz

About this _______-______ ____________

You were, for me, that night

Everything I _____________ ______ ______ ____ ___________

But now you're gone

You are _____________ gone

_________ _______ ________ to your island of rain

It was for you just a one night thing

But you were much more to me, ___________ _____ _____ __________

I don't care what they say

I know _________ ______ _______ _____ _______ that day

I just want another try, I just want another night

Even if it ____________ __________ _

_______ ___________

You meant for me __________ ___________ ____________ anyone I’ve met before.

One single night with you, little Jesse, is ___________ ____ __________ __________ __________________

I have no bitterness, my sweet

I'll never forget this one night thing

Even tomorrow ______ ___________ ___________,

my heart ________ __________ _______

_____ ___________ ____ ______

Let me sing you a waltz, Out of nowhere, out of my blues... Let me sing you a waltz ... About this lovely one night stand

Let’s see who they are. Discuss: what do you think would have happened if they had both gone to Vienna that December?

Watch this scene on a boat; write down the sentences in which they discuss how different their lives would have been.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, make at least four sentences on your own. Consider these points

her grandmother

not exchanging phone numbers

she not showing up in Vienna

his book

his wife getting pregnant

the way he thought about responsibilities

getting down of the car

to the deli on his wedding day

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Predict the ending. What do you think might happen? What would you do if you were them?

Watch the ending. Describe briefly the plot, its style and your personal opinion on the movie.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is the sequel of “Before Sunrise”. Read this extract of the review on the movie “Before Sunset” written by Peter Travers for Rolling Stone Magazine.

In 1995's Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American traveling in Europe, had one night of sex and conversation in Vienna with Celine (Julie Delpy), the French beauty he met on a train. To some, the film was meandering and talky. To others (me included), the film was bliss, a rebel experiment by the two actors and director Richard Linklater (Slacker, School of Rock) to create life as it happens -- screw the Hollywood gloss.

Before Sunset picks up nine years later. Jesse, now a best-selling author, is giving a reading at a bookstore in Paris. Celine, now an environmental activist, walks in. The conversation continues for ninety minutes, in real time, before Jesse must catch a plane home to his wife and son. Linklater follows the lovers -- who had promised to reunite in Vienna in six months and never did -- from cafe to park to boat to Celine's apartment. Those who hungered to see more of these two will be mesmerized. There is something uniquely unforgettab

le in the way Linklater, Hawke and Delpy (equal collaborators on the script) find nuance, art and eroticism in words, spoken and unspoken. The actors shine. Hawke is funny and touching as Jesse describes the harsh truths of his seeming success. Delpy likewise shows the toll of diminished expectations on the still-luminous Celine. But in each other's presence, the two rediscover a frisky youthfulness. Delpy scores a tour de force as Celine re-creates a Nina Simone concert that leaves Jesse entranced. You will be, too. Before Sunset casts a spell only a fool would want to break.

(Posted: Jun 16, 2004)

Now, based on your short description and on the review, write for homework a review on the movie for a magazine. If you need further help, you can rent this movie as well as “Before Sunrise” and watch them with subtitles in English!

You can also visit this website for a good review on this movie and also to learn more on how it was shot. Visit: http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/spring2004/features/paris_day.php

Good luck!

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BEFORE SUNSET

TEACHER’S

Before Sunset (starring Ethan Hawk / Julie Delpy)

AIM: IF CLAUSES, MODALS AND MODALS PERFECT. + FILM REVIEWS AND LISTENING.

SHOW FROM 1:08:30 TILL 1:12:55

PUT THE SUBTITLES OFF!

DON’T GIVE THEM THE WORKSHEET YET.

Just listen to the Waltz and write the lyrics down. Don’t freak, it’s not that difficult.

Now complete the lyrics with your notes and listen again in case you missed anything.

Compare your version with the subtitles!

Let me sing you a waltz

Out of nowhere, out of my thoughts

Let me sing you a waltz

About this one night stand

You were, for me, that night

Everything I always dreamt of in life

But now you're gone

You are far gone

All the way to your island of rain

It was for you just a one night thing

But you were much more to me, just so you know

I don't care what they say

I know what you meant for me that day

I just want another try, I just want another night

Even if it doesn't seem quite right

You meant for me much more than anyone I've met before

One single night with you, little Jesse, is worth a thousand with anybody

I have no bitterness, my sweet

I'll never forget this one night thing

Even tomorrow in other arms, my heart will stay yours until I die

Let me sing you a waltz

Out of nowhere, out of my blues

Let me sing you a waltz

About this lovely one night stand

WHY DO YOU THINK SHE MIGHT HAVE WRITTEN THAT SONG FOR HIM?

Let’s see what the situation is. PLAY FROM 0:1:40 TILL 0:12:35

ELICIT ALL KINDS OF SENTENCES USING IF CLAUSES.

WOULD YOU HAVE GONE? DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD HAVE GONE TO VIENNA IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR HER GRANDMA’S DEATH? WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED?

WRITE QUESTIONS AND THEIR SENTENCES ON BOARD.

Let’s see what they think about what their lives would have been like if they had met each other in Vienna that December. Take notes on what they say!

WATCH FROM 0:46:24 TILL 0:53:17

Now, make at least four sentences on your own. Consider these points

her grandmother

not exchanging phone numbers

she not showing up in Vienna

his book

his wife getting pregnant

the way he thought about responsibilities

getting down of the car to the deli on his wedding day

WRITE THEM ON BOARD. ANALYZE STRUCTURE AND DISCUSS IF CLAUSES.

Watch the ending. WATCH FROM 1:12:55 TILL 1:16:37. What do you think might happen? What would you do if you were them? Describe briefly the plot, its style and your personal opinion on the movie.

WHAT DO YOU CALL A PIECE OF WRITING ABOUT A MOVIE THAT IS PUBLISHED ON A MAGAZINE? DISCUSS MAIN CHARACTERISTICS, LAYOUT, REGISTER, ETC.

Read this extract of the review on the movie “Before Sunset” written by Peter Travers for Rolling Stone Magazine

In 1995's Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American traveling in Europe, had one night of sex and conversation in Vienna with Celine (Julie Delpy), the French beauty he met on a train. To some, the film was meandering and talky. To others (me included), the film was bliss, a rebel experiment by the two actors and director Richard Linklater (Slacker, School of Rock) to create life as it happens -- screw the Hollywood gloss.

Before Sunset picks up nine years later. Jesse, now a best-selling author, is giving a reading at a bookstore in Paris. Celine, now an environmental activist, walks in. The conversation continues for ninety minutes, in real time, before Jesse must catch a plane home to his wife and son. Linklater follows the lovers -- who had promised to reunite in Vienna in six months and never did -- from cafe to park to boat to Celine's apartment. Those who hungered to see more of these two will be mesmerized. There is something uniquely unforgettable in the way Linklater, Hawke and Delpy (equal collaborators on the script) find nuance, art and eroticism in words, spoken and unspoken. The actors shine. Hawke is funny and touching as Jesse describes the harsh truths of his seeming success. Delpy likewise shows the toll of diminished expectations on the still-luminous Celine. But in each other's presence, the two rediscover a frisky youthfulness. Delpy scores a tour de force as Celine re-creates a Nina Simone concert that leaves Jesse entranced. You will be, too. Before Sunset casts a spell only a fool would want to break.

(Posted: Jun 16, 2004)

READ AND COMMENT.

Now, based on your short description and on the review, write for homework a review on the movie for a magazine. If you need further help, you can rent this movie as well as “Before Sunrise” and watch it with subtitles in English!

For advanced students: e-mail this link: http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/spring2004/features/paris_day.php for a more in-depth review and interview on this movie.

The Purple Rose of Cairo: Reported Speech

This is one of my all-times favorite. This scene is great to practice reported speech.




Watch the segment and check who says these lines in.

T - Tom

R - Rita

C - Cecilia



1. ( ) I was in an Egyptian Tomb

2. ( ) I'll wait for that glass at the Copacabana

3. ( ) It's nothing, I'll be OK.

4. ( ) Draw my bath.

5. ( ) I can't wait to get out of these clothes.

6. ( ) I am very impressed.

7. ( ) You've been here all day.

8. ( ) This is the fifth time you're seeing this.

9. ( ) Come here quickly

10. ( ) Who are you?

11. ( ) I'm free.

12. ( ) What's going on?


Now rewrite the sentences above, using reported speech:

Example:

1. Tom said (that) he was in an Egyptian tomb.

2...........................................
3..........................................
4..........................................
5..........................................

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO



Answer key: 1. T 2. T 3. R 4. R 5. R 6. T 7. T 8. T 9. R 10. T and C 11. T 12. C



2. ( T ) Tom said he would wait for that glass at the Copacabana.

3. ( R ) Rita said it was nothing, She would be OK.

4. ( R ) Rita told the maid to draw her bath.

5. ( R ) Rita said she couldn't wait to get out of those clothes.

6. ( T ) Tom said he was very impressed.

7. ( T ) Tom said she had been there all day.

8. ( T ) Tom said that was the fifth time she was seeing that.

9. ( R ) Rita told Tom to come there quickly

10. ( T and C) Tom (Cecilia) asked Cecilia (Tom) who she (he) was?

11. ( T ) Tom said he was free.

12. ( C ) Cecilia asked what was going on.

Greenberg: Simple Past x Past Continuous

Although this movie is not a master piece, it has great moments and the story is appealing. Stiller has one of his best dramatic roles in his career, though. I used this beautiful scene to practice contrasting the use of the simple past x past continuous.



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









1. When Roger _________ (enter) the bar, Florence ________ (sing) a song in the bar.


2. Roger ________ (listen) to Florence singing when Gina _________ (order) four beers.


3. Gina ___________ (introduce) herself while she ____________ (wait) for the bartender to bring beer.


4. They ___________ (talk) to each other when Gina _________ (invite) him to sit with her friends.


5. Florence ___________ (talk) to with her friends when she _________ (wave) to Roger.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - GREENBERG

Answer key:

1. entered / was singing
2. was listening / ordered
3. introduced / was waiting
4. were talking / invited
5. was talking / waved