Girl, Interrupted: Short Answers and Questions with There + to be

Angelina Jolie's amazing acting makes this movie stand out others. This scene is perfect topractice the verb there to be in a contextualized way. My students enjoyed it a lot!




A. Talk to a partner. Check the items that you think there is in a psychiatric institution.


( ) Several floors
( ) an art room
( ) a living room
( ) a gym
( ) phones
( ) a nurse's station
( ) a swimming pool
( ) classrooms
( ) a TV room
( ) bedrooms
( ) a post office

B. Now watch the segment about Susanna's (Winona Rider) first day at the institution. Check the items that you can find there.

C. Now ask questions using the items in exercise A. Make sure you use Is there... and Are there... in your questions. Your partner should answer with Yes, there is or No, there aren't.

Ex:
S1: Are there several floors there?
S2: Yes there are.


S2: Is there an art room there?
S1: Yes, there is.

D. Think about an ideal hospital. In your opinion, what is there and what isn't there in an excellent hospital? Use there is (not) or there are (not) to describe it.

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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - GIRL, INTERRUPTED

Yes Man: Short Answers

This is a great scene because it shows how motivational seminars can be ridiculous. I chose this scene to practice a very simple grammar point - providing short answers. In this case, with the simple present and simple past tenses, can and there to be. Basic learners might not understand everything said in the segment, but I'm sure they will manage to answer all the proposed questions.





Watch the movie segment and ask a friend the following questions. Take turns asking the questions. Answer them with short answers:


1) Do all participants have a red bag?

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

2) Is Carl excited about the seminar?

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

3) Is Terrence the presenter?

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

4) Does the word YES control the external side of people, according to Terrence?

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

5) Did Terrence invite YES into the participants' lives?

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

6) Did Carl believe the YES story in the beginning of the scene?

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

7) Is there anyone new to the seminar?

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

8) Can people say the word NO in the seminar?

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


9) Can people say YES in the seminar?

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

10) Does Carl say NO to life?

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



11) Is Carl comfortable during the scene?

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

12) Does Carl have a girlfriend?

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

13) Did Carl lose the love of his life?

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

14) Did Carl accept the challenge?

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

15) Are the participants happy about Carl's final decision?

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

16) Do you believe in Terrence's ideas?

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


B. Write down 3 questions about the segment and ask them to a partner. Make sure you write yes/no questions.

1 ................................................... ?
2 ................................................... ?
3 ................................................... ?

Answer Key:


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A.

1. Yes, they do.
2. No, he isn't.
3. Yes, he is.
4. Yes, it does.
5. Yes, he did.
6. No he didn't.
7. Yes, there is.
8. No, they can't.
9. Yes, they can.
10. Yes, he does.
11. No, he isn't.
12. No, he doesn't.
13. Yes, he did.
14. Yes, he did.
15. Yes, they are.
16. Answers will vary.



How to develop your own video segment.

- Choose an attractive scene in which several things can be observed.
- Prepare some yes/no questions about the segment.
- Have students take turns asking each other the questions.
- Ask students to write down 4 different yes/no questions about the segment.
- Students ask and answer each other questions.

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