Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter: Expressing Preference with Prefer

Grammar Reference:

Expressing preference:

We use prefer to say we like one thing or activity more than another. We can use a prepositional phrase with to when we compare two things or actions:

Examples:

I prefer tea to coffee.

We prefer going by ferry to flying.

We don’t use than after prefer:

She prefers books to magazines.

Not: She prefers books than magazines.

She’s not keen on coffee. She prefers to drink tea. (or She prefers drinking tea to coffee.)

I. Make guesses to express preferences. Use the words in column one and decide the correct order of preferences:

1. HISTORY - MEN / LEGENDS

Ex: History prefers _______________________ to ______________________.

2. HISTORY - NOBILITY / BRUTALITY

_______________________________________________________________ .

3. HISTORY - QUIET DEEDS / SOARING SPEECHES 

_______________________________________________________________ .

II. Discuss with a partner. What you prefer? Follow the examples.

1. Fruit / Meat

Ex: I prefer meat to food.

2. Dancing / Singing

3. Hot / Cold Weather

4. Watching / Playing Sports

5. Hotels / Camping

6. Brazilian / American Music

7. Traveling by car / Plane

8. Comedies / Thrillers

9. Movies / Theater

10. TV / Video Games

Answer key:

Ex: I

History prefers legends to men.

It prefers nobility to brutality.

It prefers soaring speeches to quiet deeds.

Ex: Answers will vary.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER

WORKSHEET 

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

R.I.P.D. - Verbs of Perception

Great film. Funny and thrilling. This scene is awesome, perfect for verbs of perception.

The verb of perception (see, watch, notice, hear, listen, smell, feel) are followed by bare infinitive or by -ing form (present participle).

• If we want to say that we heard or saw the whole action from beginning to end, we usually use bare infinitive

I saw him sign the cheque.
• If we want to say that only saw or heard part of the action, we use -ing form

I saw the consultant waiting in reception.
(I saw consultant. He was waiting in reception.)

I. Watch the movie segment. Then write sentences with the verbs of perception provided below to make the sentence logical and meaningful, according to the segment. What did he see someone/something do (ing) the moment he died? Use the following verbs of perception. You MUST use all of the given verbs. Follow the example:

SEE / NOTICE / WATCH / HEAR / LISTEN / SMELL / FEEL

1. PIECES OF WOOD / FALL 

Ex: He saw pieces of wood falling.

2. people / shoot at one another

3. the barn / burn

4. a helicopter / fly

5. a bird / fly fast

6. a big airplane / fly close to him

7. something / pull him into the clouds

8. a woman / try to tell him he was dead.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - R.I.P.D.

Answer key:

Answers may vary, but here are some possible answers. Make sure the students use different verbs of perception. 

1. PIECES OF WOOD / FALL 

Ex: He saw pieces of wood falling.

2. He saw pieces of wood falling.

3. He watched some people shooting at one another.

4. He saw the barn burning.

5. He watched a helicopter flying.

6. He noticed a bird flying fast.

7. He watched a big airplane flying next to him.

8. He felt something pulling him into the clouds.

9. He listened to a woman trying to tell him he was dead.

The Money Pit: Causative Verbs

This is a classic comedy that was forgotten by the media and public. This couple of newly weds buy this beautiful house, which is a lemon. Nothing works; it's falling apart. It is excellent for practicing causative verbs - make, let, get, have. Pre-teach some occupation vocabulary (carpenter, plumber, etc) and the students will be able to practice this grammar point in a contextualized manner.

Watch the movie segment and choose the best verb to complete the sentence, according to the segment. Then decide how to complete the blanks, using the given words.

1. The garage is dusty.
They will have / make / get / let ………………… (someone/clean) it.

2. The mattress isn’t firm enough .
Anna will have / make / get / let ………………… (Walter / replace) it.

3. Old wires burned the doorbell.
They will have / make / get / let ………………… (an electrician / fix) it.

4. The front door fell off the house.
They will have / make / get / let ………………… (a carpenter / repair) it.

5. The plaster ceiling came down in the bedroom .
Anna had / made / got / let ………………… (Walter/ fix) it.

6. The plumbing system is not perfect
they will have / make / get / let ………………… (a plumber / unblock) it.

7. She was extremely upset about the house.
Walter had / made / got / let ………………… (Anna/ try) to enjoy it.

8. She was attacked by a wild animal.
The animal had / made / got / let ………………… (Anna/ run) madly around the house.

9. The roof was leaking.
They will have / make / get / let ………………… (someone/ replace) the tiles.

10. They couldn’t make the rain stop.
They had / made / got / let ………………… (the rain/ fall) on their heads.

The correct verb choices are in bold.
Correct patterns:

get + someone + to verb
make, have, let + someone + verb

help + someone + verb or to verb

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE MONEY PIT

The Bucket List: Possessive Pronouns with Gerunds

This is a great movie with touching messages. Although the story seems to be sad, the film itself is uplifting. This scene in particular is funny and exciting. I took advantage of such a thrilling scene to have students practice the construction of possessive pronouns before gerunds.

A. Talk to a partner:



1. Have you ever gone skydiving? Would you like to do it? Why (not)?

2. What was the most exciting adventure you have ever had? Tell your friend about it?

3. Do you prefer to have vacation time in a place to practice extreme sports and/or enjoy nature, or would you rather travel to the city in order to enjoy its night life? Explain it.

4. Are you braver than you used to be when you were younger or are you less courageous nowadays? Why do you think so?


B. Watch the movie segment and choose the best way to complete the sentences below.












Carter and Edward

1. Their/ They/ Them getting ready to jump was extremely awkward.
2. One of Carter's concern was his/ he/ him/ missing the chance to see his wife again.

3. Edward disliked Kyle's / Kyle making comments about Edward's second wife.

4. Edward supported Carter's / Carter jumping off the plane.

5. Carter was really concerned about the parachute's/ parachute not opening.

6. Their/ Them/ They having a few months of life made them experiment new adventures before dying.
7. Edward's instructor was desperate with his/ he/ him singing while they were skydiving.

8. Edward and Carter seemed to have enjoyed their/ their/ they diving.

C. Complete these sentences. Use pronouns / possessive ('s) before gerunds in your answers.

1. One interesting thing in the scene was ………………………………………………………….
2. The funniest moment of the segment was ………………………………………………………..
3 . ………………………………………………………………………………………….….. was amazing.


D. Individually, make a list of 10 things you would like to do before you die. Don't show it to anyone.


E. Work in groups of three students now. Share your list with a friend and come up with a final one with 10 things the three of you would like to do before you die. You have to negotiate and convince your partners because only 10 activities are possible.



F. Share your list with your classmates.

Answer Key:
Their / His / Kyle's / Carter's / Parachute's / Their / His / Their




WORKSHEET


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE BUCKET LIST

Legally Blonde: Verb Patterns - Verb + Gerund or Infinitive

This is one of the best scenes from comic movies I have seen. I like how far fetched, but appealing it is. The answers are on the worksheet. Make sure you pre-teach court vocabulary (judge, attorney, lawyer, court, defendant, prosecutor, witness, etc).

Watch the video segment and circle the best verb for each sentence, according to the information presented in the segment. Then decide which form (gerund / infinitive / obj + gerunds or infinitive) of the words in parentheses is best.

1) The attorney refused/ wanted/ planned _____________ (accept) being replaced on the case by a Law student.

2) The defendant decided/ imagined/ claimed __________ (fire) her attorney on trial day.

3) Elle hates/loves/ avoids ___________ (wear) extravagant clothes .

4) The judge finally refused/ denied/ resolved ___________ (proceed) with the trial.

5) Elle's friends couldn't help / pretended / finished __________ (talk) about the court room in front of everyone.

6) The judge told/ asked/ begged ___________ (the ladies - take) a seat.

7) The witness explained/ urged / swore ______________ (tell ) the truth.

8) The witness claimed / showed / intended _________ (be) in the shower during the murder.

9) The witness denied / insisted/ warned __________ (hear) the gunshot.

10) The judge forbid/ prohibited/ let ______________ (Elle - make ) her final point.

11) The witness admitted / proved/ avoided ___________ (kill) her father by mistake.

12) Finally, the judge prohibited / allowed / pretended _________ (the witness - go) free.

How to develop your own video activity:
- Select a scene in which several people have to defend their arguments - like a trial, for example.

- Prepare sentences with the characters' argumentation, offering the choices of different verbs so you can check listening comprehension too.

- The students choose the correct verb and decide if the following verb is in the infinitive or gerund form.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - LEGALLY BLONDE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I_GYgGjxFM