Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals

Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals contains a series of movie segments and activities to assess or practice grammar points through fun, challenging exercises. Here you will find the movie segments, the lesson plans, printable worksheets with answer key for each activity, and the tips to develop your own grammar activities with the DVDs you have at home. New activities are posted regularly. Teaching grammar with movie segments is inspiring and highly motivating.

Jul 16, 2015

The Adventures of Tin Tin: Developing Different Grammar Points Exercises with the Same Movie Segment

This post will show you how you can develop several activities - 10 to be precise - for different grammar points, using the same movie segment. If you choose a segment that shows a series of events, it is much easier, Here are several activities based o the same segment of The Adventures of Tin Tin.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Present Perfect

I. Watch the movie segment. Pay attention to the activities the characters have performed during that day. Remember, the day is not over yet. Write T if Tin Tin performed the activity, C if The Captain did it, and S if Snowy performed it.

1. ( ) Read the plane manual

2. ( ) Fly a plane

3. ( ) Drink alcohol

4. ( ) Go out of the plane

5. ( ) Be hit by lightning

6. ( ) parachute from the airplane

7. ( ) Have the hair cut by the propeller

II. What has happened to Tin Tin, the Captain and Snowy today? Rewrite the items above, using the present perfect tense. You may write negative statements too.

EX: Tin Tin has read the plane manual.

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________

III. Make a list of 6 things that you have done today.

EX: I have brushed my teeth.

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________

IV. Share your list with a partner and check what both of you have done so until this moment.

Answer key:

1. T 2. T 3. S and C 4. C 5. C 6. C 7. T

The Adventures of Tin Tin

CAN

Watch the movie segment and write who can perform the following actions, according to the segment. Write T if Tin Tin performed the activity, C if The Captain did it, P if the prisoners performed it, and NO if none of them performed the activity.

1. ( ) Fly a plane

2. ( ) Speak English

3. ( ) Fix the plane during a flight

4. ( ) Land a plane easily

5. ( ) parachute

6. ( ) Count on friends

II. Rewrite the sentences below, saying what the characters can or can’t do. You may add – Very well or BUT not very well.

EX: Tin Tin can fly a plane, but not very well.

III. Make a list of three things that you can do very well, three things that you can do, but not very well, and three things that you can’t do.

EX:

I can do very well	I can do, but not very well	I can’t do
I can sing very well.	I can swim, but not very well.	I can’t speak German.

Answer Key:

1. T

2. T and C

3. N

4. N

5. P and C

6. T

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Passive Voice

I. Watch the movie segment and check the alternatives with the actions that you managed to see during the scene.

1. ( ) Tin Tin flew the plane

2. ( ) The Captain and Snowy drank alcohol during the flight

3. ( ) The plane took the passengers into a thunderstorm.

4. ( ) Tin Tin landed the plane easily.

5. ( ) Snowy and The Captain helped Tin Tin.

6. ( ) The propeller trimmed Tin Tin’s hair.

7. ( ) The fall killed the Captain.

II. Now rewrite the sentences above in the passive voice. Make sure you write affirmative or negative sentences according to the information presented in the segment.

EX: 1. The plane was flown by Tin Tin.

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Simple Past x Past Perfect

I. Watch the movie segment and decide which action took place first. Write 1 for the first activity and 2 for the second activity.

1. ( ) Tin Tin read the manual.

( ) Tin Tin started the engine.

2. ( ) The Captain saw the thunderstorm.

( ) They flew over a ship.

3. ( ) The Captain and Snowy drank all the alcohol.

( ) They ran out of gas.

4. ( ) The plane crashed on the desert.

( ) The prisoners parachuted from the plane.

5. ( ) Snowy tried to save Tin Tin.

( ) The propeller stopped working.

II. Now complete the blanks with either the simple past or the past perfect tenses, according to the movie segment.

1. Tin Tin _____________ (read) the manual when he ____________ (start) the plane.

2. The Captain ____________ (see) the thunderstorm after they ____________ (fly) over a ship.

3. The Captain and Snowy ______________ (drink) all the alcohol when they __________ (run) out of gas.

4. When the plane ______________ (crashed) on the desert, the ___________________ (parachute) from the plane.

5. Tin Tin _____________(try) to help Tin Tin when the propeller ____________ (stop) working.

Answer Key:

1. Tin Tin had read (read) the manual when he started (start) the plane.

2. The Captain saw (see) the thunderstorm after they had flown (fly) over a ship.

3. The Captain and Snowy had drunk (drink) all the alcohol when they ran (run) out of gas.

4. When the plane crashed (crashed) on the desert, the prisoners had (already) parachuted (parachute) from the plane.

5. Tin Tin had tried (try) to help Tin Tin when the propeller stopped (stop) working.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

3rd conditional

I. Watch the movie segment and decide if the statements below are True or False.

1. ( ) Tin Tin didn’t know how to fly a plane

( ) He had to read the manual to learn how to fly.

2. ( ) The Captain and Snowy drank all the alcohol from the bottle.

( ) They didn’t have any alcohol to fill in the fuel tank.

3. ( ) The plane went straight into the thunderstorm

( ) The plane fell.

4. ( ) Snowy and the Captain tried to save Tin Tin.

( ) Tin Tin didn’t die.

II. Now complete the blanks with the conditional forms of the given verbs, according to the information presented in the segment.

1. If Tin Tin ____________ (know) how to fly a plane, he ___________ (have) to read the manual to fly it.

2. If the Captain and Snowy _____________ (drink) all the alcohol from the bottle, they _______________ ( have) enough fuel to fill in the tank.

3. If the plane ______________ (go) straight into the thunderstorm, it ______________________ (fall).

If Snowy and the Captain _______________ (try) to save Tin Tin, ______________________.

Answer Key:

1. If Tin Tin had known (know) how to fly a plane, he wouldn’t have had (have) to read the manual to fly it.

2. If the Captain and Snowy hadn’t drunk (drink) all the alcohol from the bottle, they would have had (have) enough fuel to fill in the tank.

3. If the plane hadn’t gone (go) straight into the thunderstorm, it wouldn’t (mightn’t) have fallen (fall).

4. If Snowy and the Captain hadn’t tried (try) to save Tin Tin, he would (might) have died.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Comparatives / Superlatives

I. Complete the chart with the adjectives in the chart that best describe each character.

YOUNG - INTELLIGENT – FUNNY - COURAGEOUS – THIN – CONFIDENT – HEAVY - SKILLED

TIN TIN	SNOWY	CAPTAIN
	Ex: FUNNY

II. Now write 3 sentences comparing the characters above:

Ex: Tin Tin is thinner than the Captain

1. _______________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________

III. Now compare one of the characters with the other ones.

EX: Tin Tin is the most intelligent character in the segment.

1. ________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Past Modals for Regrets

I. Watch the movie segment. Check the statements that you think were bad ideas.

1. ( ) Tin Tin flew a plane without receiving instructions.

2. ( ) Tin Tin flew into a severe thunderstorm.

3. ( ) Tin Tin didn’t check whether there was enough fuel to fly a plane.

4. ( ) The Captain drank all the alcohol from the bottle.

5. ( ) Snowy was not wearing a seat belt.

II. Now write sentences expressing regrets, using the information above:

Ex: Tin Tin shouldn’t have flown a plane without having received any instructions.

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________

III. Work in pairs. One student is the Captain and the other one is Tin Tin. Try to convince your partner about everything that he did that shouldn’t have been done. Imagine you are having the conversation right after the accident.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Modals for Speculation (Present and Past)

I. Watch the movie segment. Talk to a partner and decide if the statements below are True or False.

1. ( ) Tin Tin has flown other planes before.

2. ( ) Snowy likes adventures

3. ( ) The Captain is a trustworthy professional.

4. ( ) Tin Tin is a brave guy.

5. ( ) The prisoners died in the accident

6. ( ) The Captain is an alcoholic.

II. Now rewrite the sentences above, using modals for speculation. Decide which modal you will choose to make the odds plausible.

Ex:

1. Tin Tin might have flown other planes before. OR Tin Tin can’t have flown other planes before.

2. Snowy must (might) like adventures.

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Simple Past x Past Continuous

I. Watch the movie segment and complete the blanks with the simple past or past continuous form of the given verbs.

1. Tin Tin ___________________ (read) the manual when he ___________ (start) the engine.

2. They ____________________ (fly) over a ship when the Captain __________ (see) a severe thunderstorm in front of them.

3. The prisoners _________________ (parachute) from the plane when it _____________ (fall).

4. Snowy _________________________ (try ) to save Tin Tin when the Captain ____________ (land) on the plane propeller.

5. The propeller ___________ (cut) Tin Tin’s hair when the Captain ______________ (save) him.

II. Watch the segment again and check your answers

Answer Key:

1. Was reading / started

2. Were flying / saw

3. Parachuted / was falling

4. Was trying / landed

5. Was cutting / saved

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Asking Questions

I. Before watching the segment, make guesses about the segment you are about to watch.

1. There were __________ people on the plane.

a) 3

b) 4

c) 5

d) 6

2. Tin Tin’s sweater is _______________.

a) blue

b) yellow

c) green

d) red

The Captain drank ________________.

a) A soda

b) An alcoholic drink

c) Coconut water

d) Water

4. They fell _______________________.

a) In the ocean

b) In the lake

c) On a house

d) On the sand

5. ______________ saved Tin Tin.

a) Snowy

b) The Captain

c) The prisoners

d) A pirate

II. Now check your answers by watching the segment. Then write wh-questions to the answers you chose in exercise I

Ex:

1. How many people were there on the plane?

There were four people on the plane.

WORKSHEET PRESENT PERFECT

WORKSHEET MODAL FOR ABILITY CAN

WORKSHEET PASSIVE VOICE

WORKSHEET SIMPLE PAST X PAST PERFECT

WORKSHEET 3RD CONDITIONAL

WORKSHEET COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

WORKSHEET PAST MODALS FOR REGRETS

WORKSHEET PRESENT AND PAST MODALS FOR SPECULATION

WORKSHEET SIMPLE PAST X PAST CONTINUOUS

WORKSHEET ASKING QUESTIONS

WORKSHEET TRANSITION WORDS - WRITING A NARRATIVE

WORKSHEETS FOR ALL THE SEGMENTS

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN

Jul 15, 2015

Mr. Peabody & Sherman: Perfect Infinitive

This is a beautiful scene with a lovely song, Beautiful Boy, by John Lennon. I used it to practice the the perfect infinitive. My adult students loved it and asked me to provide them with the lyrics, so we could all sing along. It was moving.

Mr. Peabody has taken his adopted son, Sherman, to many places in the past with his time machine. He has seen famous people and witnessed important historic moments.

I. GAME:

Watch the movie segment and make a list of the famous people Sherman has seen, and historic moments he has witnessed since he was adopted by Mr. Peabody. Then share it with a partner and complete your lists. The winning group/pair is the one with most correct sentences.

II. Work with a partner.

Select 4 people in history you would like to have known personally.
Those people must be dead.
Both of you have to agree on the 4 selected people.
You must also add at least one question you would like to ask those people.
You must have a different question for each character.

The Perfect Infinitive:

Use the perfect infinitive for events in a period of time that leads up to the present or to a certain point in the past. You can use the perfect infinitive after verbs like seem, appear, and happen.

Ex: Sherman seems to have learned a lot about history.

You can use the perfect infinitive after verbs such as acknowledge, believe, consider, know, say, and think when they are in the passive, and after be supposed to.

You can use the perfect infinitive after would like, love, hate, etc., for events that did not happen.

Ex: Sherman would love to have met Jesus Christ.

Viewpoint - Unit 8

IV. Present your list to the rest of the class and justify your choices by answering the questions that follow:

Use the following structures:

I'd like to have met ______________________________ .

- What contributions is he/she said to have made to history?

- What kind of person is she believed to have been?

- What interesting thing is he/she supposed to have done?

- What one question would you like to have asked him/her?

- How would you like to have spent the day with him/her?

III. Who were the characters most students chose?

IV. Let's sing:

Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monster's gone
He's on the run and your daddy's here

[Chorus:]
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

[Chorus]

Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient
'Cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go
But in the meantime

Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans

[Chorus]

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling Sean

Answer key - Answers will vary.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MR PEABODY AND SHERMAN

POWERPOINT SLIDES

WORKSHEET SOON

Jul 5, 2015

Magic in the Moonlight: Present Continuous

I love Woody Allen. This opening scene is great because no English is spoken, so basic learners can profit from it a lot.

I. Work in pairs:

1. What are some common tricks that magicians usually perform in their shows?

2. What are the most impressive ones?

3. Do you know the name of any famous magician?

4. What's your opinion about this kind of show? Do you enjoy it? Why (not)?

II. Blindfold one student and show the movie segment. All the other students have to write what Wei Ling Soo is doing.

III. Play the segment again and the students act as narrators and read their sentences out loud. The students who had been blindfolded has to act exactly the same way Soo is performing his show.

IV. Write sentences in the present continuous tense, saying how a trick is being performed, Then have one student act out your actions. Take turns with all the students.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT

Jun 25, 2015

Friends: Introductions - Verb to Be - Functional Language

This is a fun, creative activity provided by a reader, Pedro Urbano, Thanks, Pedro, for sharing your great activity with us. I hope you share even more! I do not usually share activities based on TV sitcoms or series, but Pedro helped me with that task. Thanks, Pedro, once again..

I've been teaching English for nine years working with teens, adults, and seniors. Creating songs activities and especially movie worksheets are my features. Today, I'm part of ICBEU teacher team - Manaus (a dream of 13 years that came true), working with teens and adults.

What are they saying? Create a dialog according to the pictures (the pictures are in the worksheet).

Use the questions below. One is extra.

Where are you from? How old are you? Are you Chinese?

1st Watch

Read the questions and check the correct answer.

A. Where is Rachel?

( ) at home ( ) at the airport ( ) at the gym

B. Where are Ross and Julie coming from?

( ) from Los Angeles ( ) from Mexico ( ) from China

C. Where is Julie from?

( ) NY ( ) Los Angeles ( ) Texas

2. Watch the video segment. Check T (true) or F (false).

A. Rachel has a cat in her hand ( )

B. Ross introduces Rachel to Julie ( )

C. Julie is from China ( )

2nd Watch.

Watch the segment again and complete the dialogue with the expressions below.

I’m from New York / Welcome to our country / There you are /This is Julie

Ross: Rachel...

Rachel: Oh..._________________! So...so... How was China, YOU?

Ross: It was great. Oh...what happened?

Rachel: What?

Ross: You’re bleeding

Rachel: Oh.. I am? Oh look at that. Yes, I am. Enough about me. Mr. “Back from the Orient” Come on, I wanna everything...everything!

Ross: Well, where do I start? _______________________. Julie, this is Rachel.

Rachel: Hi.....Oh these are...are....aren’t for you. These are for you: ______________________________!

Julie: Thank you. ___________________________ .

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - FRIENDS

Jun 15, 2015

Just Go with It: Whose - Adjective Clauses

I truly like this scene. Nicole Kidman has a funny part and Jennifer Aniston does a great job in this attractive scene. My students loved it.

GRAMMAR HINT:

Adjective Clauses are adjectives. However, they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Notice:

I know the policeman. His dog bit a man.
I know the policeman whose dog bit a man.
I bought an antique vase. Its value is priceless.
I bought an antique vase whose value is priceless.

Whose is the possessive and is used for both people and things and must be followed by a noun.
Whose + noun can be subject or object
I heard the scientist whose work is attracting interest.
I met the scientist whose work I admire.

I. Watch the movie segment. Match the sentences to write adjective clauses with whose. Follow the examples in the grammar hint.

Hula Girl Contestants

Devlin Adams (Nicole Kidman)

Katherine Murphy (Jennifer Aniston)

1) There is a band. Their players are Hawaiian.

2) Devlin has sexy body. Her flower is orange.

3) The shortest contestant is Katherine. Her skirt is yellow.

4) The audience was thrilled. Their two choices for finalists were excellent.

5) The winner is the new Hula Girl. Her prize is just the applause of the audience.

6) Devlin and her boyfriend lost the competition. Their ball fell first.

II. Talk to a friend:

1. Was the final decision fair? Who was the best candidate in your opinion? Why?

2. Who was the sexiest?

3. Who was the funniest?

4. What's your opinion about this sort of contest? Have you ever participated in one?

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - JUST GO WITH IT

WORKSHEET SOON

Answer key:

1) There is a band whose players are Hawaiian.
2) Devlin, whose flower is orange, has a sexy body.
3) The shortest contestant is Katherine, whose skirt is yellow.
4) The audience, whose choices for finalists were excellent, was thrilled.
5) The winner is the new Hula Girl, whose price is just the applause of the audience.
6) Devlin and her boyfriend, whose ball fell first, lost the competition.

Jun 5, 2015

Rear Window: Verbs of Perception + Gerund or Bare Infinitive

I like showing classics to my younger students so they learn a little more about movies. Hitchcock's Rear Window is a must to all movie lovers.

Some verbs of perception see, look at, hear, listen to, and feel, along with watch and sense can be used with objects followed by other verbs (base form or gerunds, but not infinitives).

Examples:

We heard you leave. (Okay. Emphasis on our hearing.)
We heard you leaving. (Okay. Emphasis on your leaving.)
We heard you to leave. (Incorrect!)

Other examples:

I saw her go. (okay. Focus on my seeing.)
Look at that man run! (okay. Focus on their looking.)
Sylvester listened to the canary sing. (okay, focus on his listening.)
We watched them play basketball. (okay, focus on our watching.)
We watched them playing basketball. (okay, focus on their playing.)
Trudy can feel the wind blowing against her skin. (okay, focus on the wind's blowing.)
Mr. Todd sensed the lion approaching. (okay, focus on the lion's approaching.)

I. Watch the movie segment and complete sentences with one verb of the given verbs of perception and the objects followed by other verbs in parentheses. Use as many verbs as possible. Then decide where the action main focus is.

LOOK AT - SEE - HEAR - LISTEN TO - WATCH - SENSE

Lisa and Jeff

1. He _______________a woman in green _______________ the table for a special dinner. (see)

2. He ____________ Miss Lonelyhearts _______________________ her imaginary guest, but he couldn't understand what she was actually saying. (welcome)

3. He __________Miss Lonelyhearts ____________some wine for herself and her imaginary lover. (pour)

4. They ___________ Ms, Torso, the ballet dancer, ______________with three gentlemen in her apartment building.(entertain)

5. A beautiful lady __________ her husband ___________ a call and left the bed to see what was happening. (make)

6. The woman's husband _____________ (neg) her _______________ into the living room and was surprised by her presence there (come).

7. The couple ___________ a songwriter __________ beautiful music in the studio apartment. (play)

Key - possible answers:

1. Jeff saw a woman in green setting the table for a special dinner.

2. Jeff heard Miss Lonelyhearts welcome her imaginary guest.

3. Jeff watched Miss Lonelyhearts pour some wine for herself and her imaginary lover.

4. Jeff and Lisa saw Ms, Torso, the ballet dancer, entertaining with three gentlemen in her apartment building.

5. A beautiful lady heard her husband making a call and left the bed to see what was happening.

6. The woman's husband didn't sense her come into the living room and was surprised by her presence.

7. Jeff and Lisa heard a songwriter playing beautiful music in the studio apartment.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - REAR WINDOW