expansion activities

Expansion Activities

written by Maria Spelleri

Advanced Level

Azar Grammar Series: Understanding and Using English Grammar, 3rd edition

Expansion Activities are interactive tasks and games that focus on the grammar covered in the

tables of contents of the Azar textbooks or any comparable syllabus. You may download,

reproduce and adapt the material to suit your classroom needs. Expansion activities are available

as Word documents or PDF files.

Chapter 1—Overview of Verb Tenses

A Tense Discovery

Chapter 2—Past Tense

Who is this baby?

Story in a Bag

Chapter 3—Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Songs

Chapter 4—Future Tense

Fortune Teller

Chapter 5—Adverb Clauses of Time

Creative Time-Clause Conversations

Chapter 6—Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb matching

Chapter 7—Nouns

Noun recall

Chapter 8—Pronouns

Analyzing Authentic Pronoun Use

Chapter 9—Modals, Part I

Modal Scenarios

Chapter 10—Modals, Part II

Name that Sound!

Get a Clue!

Talking about History's Mysteries

Chapter 11—The Passive

Design a Park Brochure

Avoiding Responsibility

Chapter 12—Reported Speech Forms in Noun Clauses

Message Relay

Chapter 13—Adjective Clauses

Identifying Adjective Clauses in Authentic Text

Chapter 14—Gerund and Infinitives, Part I

Unusual Jobs

Chapter 15—Gerund and Infinitives, Part II

Getting Things Done

Chapter 16—Coordinating Conjunctions

A Hands-On Demonstration for Avoiding Run-On Sentences

Chapter 17—Adverb Clauses

Kinesthetic Clause Building

Chapter 18—Reduction of Adverb Clauses

Rewriting a Text

Chapter 19—Connectives that Express Cause and Effect, Contrast, and

Condition

Silent Review of Connectives and Their Patterns

Mad Libs with Connectives

Chapter 20—Conditional Sentences and Wishes

Chain of Conditions

Expansion Activities Understanding and Using English Grammar, 3rd Edition

Chapter 1: Overview of Verb Tenses

Activity: A Tense Discovery

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Materials needed: A selection of three or four written articles and/or professional essays

that provide a variety of verb tense usage -- enough photocopies of each for the class. (To

help gather the articles, ask students to bring in a “serious” news or magazine story a few

days before. Longer magazine articles work better than many news stories. If fifteen

students bring in articles, you’ll have a nice collection from which to find the best ones to

use. Additionally, if the students choose the writings, they will have more interest in the

content and the level will be right for them.)

Description: Prepare the articles for the students by underlining the verb structures or

bracketing the paragraphs you want the students to pay attention to. This saves time

because students don’t have to read the entire article, which may be multi-paged. Use a

numbering system so that you and the students can easily refer to a particular sentence or

passage. Do this with 2-4 articles, depending on the variety of verb tenses you find in

each article, and then photocopy enough for the class.

Divide the students into groups of 4-5 and pass out the first article.

Instruct the students to pay attention to the verb forms and to identify

which verb tense is being used in each situation. More advanced

students can discuss why a specific tense is needed. Encourage students

to discuss the time/meaning relationship in the targeted areas and to

draw from their knowledge of verb tense rules, referring to their

textbook charts as needed.

To have a whole-class conclusion to this exercise, each group should appoint a scribe.

Using the numbering system on the article, the groups can record their answers to report

to the class.

Students enjoy seeing the connection between the grammar learned in class and its

authentic application. You can see the great “a-ha!” moment on their faces when they

make that connection on their own.

Note: Students will mistakenly select a few present and past participial modifiers,

gerunds, infinitives, etc., thinking they are verbs. Plan how you will handle that. One way

is to remind students by writing on the board before they begin: “An -ing word is NOT a

verb if there is no helping verb with it. To + an action word is not a verb.”

Also, to save class time, assign the article for homework. Students can read the article

and consider the underlined verb tenses, preparing themselves for group discussion in the

next class.


Chapter 2: Past Tense

Activity: Who is this baby?

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: A baby picture of each student, writing supplies, tacks or blue tack

Description:

It’s a lot of fun to see baby pictures of adults you work or study with -- especially if

those pictures are goofy or impossibly adorable. In this activity, students like the baby

picture angle so much that they forget they are involved in past-tense writing practice.

Each student should bring in a baby picture of herself or himself, the cuter or sillier the

better. The pictures should be of a very young baby (a year old or less) so it isn’t easy to

match the adult face with the baby one. Instruct the students not to let anyone see their

photos.

Working alone, students write sentences about themselves as a baby and toddler, being careful not to reveal

their identity in their writing. You can set a minimum number of sentences. Encourage the students to write

about things that are unique to themselves.

I was born in my grandfather’s house.

My favorite toy was a yellow duck.

I had no hair until I was two years old.

My mother called me “Mouse.”

I loved spinach.

Etc.

Remind students not to refer to countries or languages so they won’t reveal their identity.

When the students are done writing, tape each student’s baby picture to the top of her or his writing and clearly

number the writing. Display the written work on a bulletin board or use blue tack and put them up all over the

room at eye level.

3

……

……

……



Activity: Who is this baby?

Page 2 of 2


Students now number a paper with as many numbers as there are displayed writings. They mill around the room

reading the “infant bios,” looking at the pictures, and trying to guess the identity of each baby. For example,

when a student thinks she knows the identity of the student in display #5, she will write the student’s name on

her own paper next to #5.

When everyone has finished, the class can compare their guesses as a group. As long as the baby pictures are

from a young enough age, and as long as the student hasn’t revealed his current physical characteristics,

ethnicity, language, etc. in the writing, there will be many mistaken guesses -- sometimes even girls for boys

and vice versa, resulting in a lot of laughs.

Encourage relaxed discussion! This wrap-up time is a great opportunity to get students to practice forming past-

tense questions and responses to each other as they question each other about the writings, asking for

clarification or more information. (Did you really say “Picasso” for your first word? Why?)

Culture Note: Obviously, students need access to baby photos. This activity will not work with visiting

students or with some students from refugee backgrounds, so consider your class make-up before suggesting

this activity.



Activity: Story in a Bag

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Plastic or paper bags filled with random, unrelated

items. Some unusual items always make the activity more interesting. Plan

on one filled bag per group, and place 4-6 students in each group. Each

bag should contain 6-8 items. (4 or 5 students should have 6 items; 6

students should have 8 items.)

Description: Each group of students gets a different bag filled with

objects. Each group develops an oral story that incorporates all of the items in the bag.

The story should be told in past tenses, simple and progressive. This task takes lots of

discussion and cooperation, as well as lots of creativity!

Here’s an example of a bag that contains a mix of common, yet unrelated items:

1. A book of matches from a New York restaurant

2. A screwdriver

3. A pair of gloves

4. A toy car

5. Plastic vampire teeth

6. A Band-Aid

7. A key

8. An interesting rock

It always helps juice the students’ creativity if you put in an item that alludes to travel

such as a map for some far-off place, a postcard, a souvenir, even an exotic spice.

You can find menus for restaurants around the world, tour itineraries, and tourist

maps to distant cities and museums online. Students love the exotic international

aspect that they find in their bag.

First, place the students in groups. (Do not give out the bags yet!)

Then, introduce the activity like this:

“You are going to create a story in the oral tradition. This is the kind of story that

humans passed from one generation to the next before most people could read or

write. Your story will have one or more characters who want to do or achieve

something. They may have a problem to solve or a goal to reach. However, like in all

good stories, they will face some obstacle. Eventually, however, they will overcome

this obstacle and reach their goal (or maybe not!). Everyone in the group will

contribute to the story, and everyone in the group will have to relate part of the story

to the class.”



Activity: Story in a Bag

Page 2 of 2


“When you create this story, use the past tense and the past progressive as your

primary verb tenses. Try to use adverb clauses of time as well (Before, After, When,

As, etc.) to show how things happen chronologically.”

“Usually, in the oral tradition, stories are told over and over again, so that every detail

is easily memorized. However, since we don’t have time for that today, I’m going to

let you take brief, key-word notes on each part of your story so you can remember

what happens when you tell the class your story.”

(By now, students are clamoring “We can make up a story about anything we want?”

and turning their backs on you to start. This is the time to hand out the bags of

objects.)

“If I could just have your attention for one more minute! Please take a bag and empty

it on your desk. These bags will help you create your story because there is a catch --

your story must include each of the objects you see before you. They can be

important parts of the story, or less significant, but each must be mentioned.”

Give the students a good 40 minutes to develop a story and practice telling it around

their group. Then ask each group to come to the front with their objects, place the

objects on a surface, and tell their story. Tell them to hold up each object for the class

to see when they reach its part in the story.


Chapter 3: Present Perfect Tense

Activity: Present Perfect Songs


Materials needed: A recorded song, written lyrics

Description:

Use music to enliven the present perfect and help students practice its

formation. Songs also provide an opportunity for discussing the usage of

the tense. You can find even the most obscure lyrics on the Internet, and

you can buy and download individual songs inexpensively at various

Internet sites. Below are some songs that use the present perfect

extensively.

• Paul McCartney – “My Brave Face” (present perfect and present perfect progressive)

• U2 – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for” (present perfect)

• Brandy – “Have You Ever?” (present perfect question form)

• Foreigner – “I’ve Been Waiting” (present perfect progressive)

• EmmyLou Harris – “You Been on My Mind” (both present perfect and present

perfect progressive, and also a good example of the reduced form used in rapid

speech, as evident in the title)

• Celine Dion – “Have You Ever Been in Love?” (question form)

Lyrics sites – www.lyrics.com; www.azlyrics.com; www.sing365.com

There are many ways to use songs and lyrics to emphasize a grammar point:

• Prepare a cloze exercise featuring the verb tense.

• Read and discuss the meaning of the lyrics and why the present perfect tenses are

used.

• Sing the song, helping the students notice that in rapid speech, the contraction of

have/has in the present perfect is almost inaudible, and in fact, it is sometimes

(incorrectly) left out altogether.

• Write another verse modeled on one that uses the present perfect.


Chapter 4: Future Tense

Activity: Fortune Teller


Materials needed: Slips with students’ names, dramatic props are

encouraged. (See note below.)

Description:

The basis of this activity is for the students to make humorous predictions about the

futures of their classmates. Students are allowed to use all appropriate forms of the future.

Put every student’s name on a slip in a hat or bag. Next, pairs of students pull two names

from the hat or bag.

As a pair, the students will write silly life predictions for the two students whose names

they have pulled. Students should use what they know about a student to help them write

predictions.

For example, student X is crazy about basketball, is always hungry, and does well on

grammar tests. The student pair could write: “In the future, X will win a hot-dog-eating

contest. He will eat 89 hot dogs, and then he’ll ask for dessert. In five years, X will be

hired by the Los Angeles Lakers, and he is going to become their star player.

Unfortunately, his career won’t last long because X’s teammates will get very angry with

him for always correcting their grammar mistakes.”

Each student takes a turn at being the “Fortune Teller,” reading a prediction aloud.

The student whose future is being discussed should be encouraged to respond, agreeing

or disagreeing with his foretold future. Example: “I won’t be playing for the Lakers

because I hate them! I’ll be playing for Chicago.” Then open the floor to the rest of the

class who might have alternate, off-the-cuff predictions for each student. The idea is to

spark as much talk about the future as possible. To encourage discussion, use prompts

like “What do you think you’ll be doing in five years?”

Note: A little drama adds a lot. The more trouble the teacher goes to, the more the

students will get into the activity and have fun while they learn. Bring a shawl or head

scarf, a “magic” mirror, a cup of wet tea leaves, or something that can be used for a

crystal ball. Taking a cue from theater workshops, students can pass the props around to

make their predictions more dramatic.


Chapter 5: Adverb Clauses of Time

Activity: Creative Time-Clause Conversations


Materials needed: Index cards or slips of paper

Description:

Students write creative conversations that can be performed as

simple dialogues or as more developed skits for the class.

Below are examples of vague sentences using adverb time clauses. Write them or your

own sentences on index cards. Pair your students and let each pair select a sentence card.

Students then develop their own dialogues incorporating their cue sentence, which can

come in the beginning, middle, or end of the dialogue. The sentences are purposely vague

so the students can go wildly creative and have fun.

If you have a large class and don’t have time to come up with more sentences, make

some duplicate index cards and compare the different dialogues that develop from the

same cue sentence. Students can change pronouns and demonstratives as needed: it had

disappeared -- they had disappeared; this special talent -- that special talent, etc.

Cue Sentences

By the time I got my camera ready, it had disappeared.

As long as I live, I’ll never do that again!

The next time you hear that noise, you’ll be sure to go inside.

Now, whenever I see him, I hide.

Last night while I was getting ready for bed, it happened again.

Let’s stay here until they leave.

When I went to investigate, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I’ve had this special talent ever since I was a child.


Chapter 6: Subject-Verb Agreement

Activity: Subject-Verb Matching

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Index cards of two different colors

Description:

This is a “mingling” activity that the whole class jumps into at once. The sentences below

allow for 26 participants. For groups larger than that, you’ll probably find it better to

divide into two separate cohorts with two completely different sets of sentences.

If you find yourself having to create more sentences, avoid having people as the subjects

in all but one or two cases. It’s easier to write exclusive matches that way. You’ll

understand when you read the sentences below.

To make this activity easier, use two colors of index cards, one color for the subject and

the other color for the predicate. To make it tougher, use only one color per cohort.

Write half of each sentence on an index card. Mix them well and distribute them to the

class, one per student. Students should read their cards and practice saying their phrases

out loud.

All together, the students stand and begin mingling with each other, trying to find the

second half of their sentence. It’s more fun if students avoid reading their cards and just

“recite” their fragments to each other, and under no condition should they just hold out

their cards for others to read.

When a student thinks he or she has found a match, the two should come to the teacher

for confirmation and then back out of play until all matches have been made.

At the end of the activity, a nice wrap-up would be to put all the correct sentences on the

board, in columns according to number, so students can see why they are singular or

plural.

A lot of my friends from school are coming to my party.

Every teacher, counselor, and coach is interested in the students’ progress.

Gymnastics is an Olympic sport.

My TV, as well as my refrigerator, is broken again.

My stereo and my cell phone are the latest technology.


Chapter 6: Subject-Verb Agreement

Activity: Subject-Verb Matching

Page 2 of 2


Baseball and football have many fans in America.

The Germans have a unique October holiday.

Germany has the second largest population in Europe.

The early morning news has helpful traffic updates.

Einstein’s ideas were revolutionary.

One of the books was on the shelf.

A lot of the books were available in the library.

Writing plays was Wendy’s passion.


Chapter 7: Nouns

Activity: Noun Recall


Materials needed: Numerous household, personal, and classroom

items, some one of a kind, others in pairs and larger quantities, and a

table cloth. (It’s fun to throw in a couple of unusual and unexpected

items. For example, you could add a group of postcards from Africa,

a Halloween mask, and a set of plastic chattering teeth to a rather

banal group of kitchen and personal items.)

Description:

Before the students enter the room, spread all the items on a table, grouping like items

together. Make sure there are enough items and enough variety so students can’t quickly

and easily recall everything. Cover the items with a lightweight table cloth or sheet.

On the board, list quantity words, expressions, and articles that the students are likely to

need when they write about the objects on the table.

Uncover the items on the table. Ask the students to approach the table, circle around it

slowly but without dallying, and return to their seats. Cover the table again.

In pairs, students now write as much detail about the items on the table as they can recall.

One student in each pair can act as the scribe while both come up with complete

sentences like “There are two pairs of scissors on the table. Both pairs have purple

handles. In the middle, there’s a dictionary. The dictionary has a red cover. There are a

few forks next to the dictionary. There are a lot of toothpicks. Most of the toothpicks are

broken. There is a photograph of a house. The house is by the beach.” When the students

have finished writing, pairs of students can compare sentences. Then uncover the table

again. Students have a lot of fun at this point as they compare what they wrote to the

reality. (That’s why it’s important to make it a challenge. Sometimes they’ve added

things that aren’t even on the table!)


Understanding and Using English Grammar, 3rd Edition

Chapter 8: Pronouns

Activity: Analyzing Authentic Pronoun Use

Page 1 of 3


Materials needed: An authentic article with a good selection of pronouns, such as the one

provided below. Except for personal pronouns and many indefinite pronouns, you will have to

pre-highlight or underline the pronouns for the students. To avoid confusion, it would be best for

you to highlight all the pronouns.

Description: Students read the article in small groups and analyze the use of pronouns. Using

their knowledge of pronouns and their grammar text, they can identify antecedents and different

types of pronouns. It’s important to use authentic text not written for ESL/EFL students so

students can see how antecedents are often not directly stated, and other grammar realities. To

keep students focused, you may want to set a list of tasks like --

1. Find a sentence that uses a singular, possessive pronoun. Is it masculine or feminine?

2. What is the antecedent for the plural reflexive pronoun?

Setting the tasks will send them flipping through their grammar books to confirm what they need

to know in order to address the tasks.

The article below features:

- subject personal pronouns

- object personal pronouns

- possessive personal pronouns

- relative pronouns

- an indefinite pronoun

- the word “most” functioning as a pronoun when not in front of a noun

- a reflexive pronoun

- a reciprocal pronoun (each other)

- the word one to indicate a single part of a vaguely defined group



Chapter 8: Pronouns


Page 2 of 3


Exchange Students: Promoting Cross-Cultural Understanding

Washington, D.C. 29 August 2006

Representing nations from Morocco to Bangladesh, some 300 students spent their first day in the United States

at an orientation session outside Washington.

For some, the trip proved a challenge. Israel's bombing of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon

complicated the departure of Lebanese students, including 15-year-old Mohamed.

"We left in a helicopter, because there is no airport [open in Beirut]. We left to Cyprus, then to London, then

here. We had a really tiring flight," he said.

For most, this is their first time away from home. Much of what they encounter is new and unfamiliar. Perhaps

not surprisingly, many students initially clustered together with compatriots to speak their native tongues,

which range from Arabic to Bangla to Urdu. After the initial orientation, they were taken on a tour of

Washington, including stops at the White House and the Jefferson Memorial.

The students' excitement and sense of anticipation was palpable to anyone who saw them. Among a large

contingent from Bangladesh is 16-year-old Faizun.

"It is a lifetime opportunity to come here, to know the [American] culture, to have a close look at the people

here, to live with a host family, attend high school. I think it is really nice. It is awesome, " Faizun said.

The Youth Exchange and Study program, called "YES," is operated by a consortium of non-profit

organizations with the backing and support of the State Department. Launched in the aftermath of the

September11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the program has brought more than 1,000 students, most of them Muslim,

to the United States over the last four years.

From Washington, the youths are sent to host families in dozens of American communities, large and small,

urban and rural, across the nation.



Chapter 8: Pronouns


Page 3 of 3


What do they hope to accomplish during their year in the United States?

"We want to know more about America and its culture, and we want American people to know more about our

culture," said 16-year-old Khalil of Yemen.

But Khalil acknowledges he has some apprehensions about challenges he will face. "I think [I may get]

homesick, and the language [English]. I think it will be difficult at first. But then we will be staying here for 10

months. I think we will improve our English," he said.

Several students said they want to combat stereotypes some Americans may have about Muslims. Seventeen-

year-old Tareq of Jordan said, "Muslims and Middle Easterners are not [all] terrorists. Really. You have to

know that we are people. We can think. We are not animals or something."

What good can person-to-person cross-cultural contact accomplish in a world often torn apart by violence and

prejudice? No one is pretending that student exchange programs can, by themselves, change the world. But

they can and do have an impact, according to an administrator of the YES program, Mary Karam.

"Change happens on a very personal and local level. And this program is one of those opportunities for change,

one of those opportunities to take what is going on globally and bring it to a more personal level -- so that

people can interact one-on-one and really learn about one another, learn about one another's cultures, and make

a difference and move things forward to help build peace in a region that is struggling," said Karam.

Many Americans agree on the need for better understanding among peoples of the world. Margery Silverson of

Maryland was at the Jefferson Memorial when the exchange students arrived. "I do not think they [Muslims]

are all terrorists and I do not think they should think of Americans as greedy and only out for the dollar [to

make money]," she said.

YES administrators say the program can have a lifelong impact on students and their host families. Already,

some students from previous years have returned to visit their American families and applied to go to college

in the United States. Several host families have also journeyed to visit students in their home countries.

Story found at:

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-08/2006-08-29-voa73.cfm



Chapter 9: Modals, Part I

Activity: Modal Scenarios

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Index cards

Description:

In pairs, students are going to develop dialogues using a variety of modal words and

expressions. Write each scenario below on an index card and let each pair of students

choose a random card.

Depending on your students’ abilities, they can create written dialogues or spontaneous

oral role plays based on the confrontational scenarios below. Give students free rein to

take the scenarios in any direction they want, with the only caveat being that they need to

incorporate as many modals from the chapter as they can.

This is a terrific opportunity to point out some language subtleties: how professionals try

to conceal their frustration or anger beneath a veneer of civility by using polite forms, and

how modals can be used to soften criticism, complaints, and bad news. When each group

has finished presenting, find sentences in the productions that you can isolate to show

how using a modal expression makes a difference. For example, in the role play with a

customer and a store clerk, a line might read, “Would you mind asking the manager --

just to be sure?” Ask the students how the mood of the conversation would change if the

speaker said, “Since you’re not sure, go ask the manager.”

You can have two pairs working on the same scenario because each pair will develop it in

different ways.

Scenario 1: A dissatisfied customer is returning an item to the store where it was bought.

The customer feels that the store should take the return. The sales clerk, while being as

polite as possible, doesn’t want to accept the return. (2 roles -- add a store manager if 3

roles are needed.)

Scenario 2: A teacher is talking with a child’s parent. The child never completes the

homework and always falls asleep in class. The teacher thinks the parent should change

some of the child’s habits at home. The parent thinks that the teacher gives too much

homework, and that children should have more fun and less stress from school. (2 roles)

Scenario 3: A neighbor has a large, noisy dog that frequently escapes from its backyard

and roams the neighborhood, barking and chasing people. The dog escaped yet again, and

a neighbor down the street had to sit in his car for five minutes, scared to get out, as the

dog jumped against the car and barked. Finally the dog’s owner came to take it away.

The dog’s owner doesn’t understand how people can be bothered or scared by his dog.

(2 roles)



Chapter 9: Modals, Part I

Activity: Modal Scenarios

Page 2 of 2


Scenario 5: A teenager’s parents have gone away for the weekend.

The teenager disobeys his or her parents by driving their car while

they are gone. While the teenager is driving with a friend, they have

a minor accident that dents the car. The parents are coming home in

the morning. The teens are now very upset and trying to decide what

they should do. (2 roles)

Scenario 6: A teenager who disobeyed his or her parents and drove their car while they

were out of town had an accident with the car. No one was hurt, but the car has body

damage. The teenager’s parents have just arrived home, and it is time for the teen to

speak with them or dad about what happened. (2 roles)

Scenario 7: A business traveler has just arrived at a hotel where he or she is attending an

important conference. The business person is exhausted after flying for eight hours and

needs to freshen up and eat before checking in at the conference. Unfortunately, the hotel

can’t find any reservation and has no room ready for the traveler. (2 roles)



Chapter 10: Modals, Part II

Activity: Name That Sound!

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Recordings of a variety of hard-to-guess

sounds. Many websites offer free sound clips. This includes

some commercial sites that have a small free selection.

This is one of the biggest of the “all free” sites:

http://www.freeaudioclips.com/list.php?subcatid=42&subcat=So

und+FX&cat=10

Some of the best at this site: panting dog, bowling, galloping horse, cereal pouring into a

bowl, cork, hyenas, whale, dental drill, dice, “old-fashioned” movie projector, judge’s

mallet, at a gym, avalanche, biting into an apple, writing on a chalkboard, fishing reel,

coins dropping, air draining from a balloon ….You get the idea! You want to be sure you

use sounds of real activities and not computer cartoon-ish noises that don’t have a real

world reference.

Another good page: http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/noflash.htm. The free ones are

those that are underlined so they show as links. Some nice ones here are: screen door

slam, small waterfall, thunder, meat sizzle, basketball backboard, spray paint, slap, inside

a jet, a donkey, and a dolphin.

You can download a variety of these small sound files to a CD or your hard drive. Or,

you can just bookmark the specific files you want to play live for the class. If you have a

sound-recording program like the free program, Audacity, you can record your own

simple sounds right at your computer -- things like tearing paper, slamming a book shut,

opening a can of soda, pulling masking tape from the roll, etc.

Description:

Students listen to the sounds and try to guess what they are, using modals of certainty in

varying degrees. Format this like a game show with teams. Divide your class into a

maximum of four teams. (You don’t want students to get bored waiting for their turn.)

Game rules: Just like Jeopardy, this game requires contestants to use a special format to

give their answers -- this game requires that contestants use modals of certainty.

When it is each team’s turn, the team listens to the sound and then states, “For 100

points,” or “For 50 points.”

If the team is quite sure of the sound, they may respond with “It must be .…” If the team

is correct, they earn 100 points. However, if they are not correct, they are down -100

points.




Activity: Name That Sound!

Page 2 of 2


If the team is not very sure of the sound, they may respond using may, might, or could.

If they are correct, they earn 50 points. If they are not correct, they are down -50 points.

In either case, the next team gets a shot at either the same sound or the next sound.

Encourage the students to consult with their team members before calling out an answer,

but to consult in lowered voices so the other teams don’t get help.

Keep score on the board under the headings Team 1, Team 2, etc. Don’t worry about

doing the math as you go along. Just write + 100, +50, -50, etc., and add it up at the end.




Activity: Get a Clue!


Materials needed: Internet access for small groups of students. (If

you have no access in the class, students can do this in a lab or on

their own time.)

Description: Students solve short, fun mysteries while practicing

modals of certainty in the past and present.

There is a terrific website called Mystery Net that has several

different formats of short mysteries to read, discuss, and solve.

Mystery Net is accessible at this address: http://www.mysterynet.com/

You can take advantage of its wonderful front-page feature called “Get-a-Clue.”

This little activity presents a mystery in small chunks of 2-4 sentences at a time.

Students read the first clue and use modals of certainty to guess what might have

happened. Then they can click for the next clue which will help them make more guesses.

There are three or four separate clues to read before the solution is given. The story

changes every week.

In addition to the weekly “Get-a-Clue,” there is a monthly feature called “See-n-Solve,”

which has a short-story mystery (this month’s has 470 words). After reading the mystery,

students click on a picture that shows a room or crime scene, and then click on active

parts of the picture to get more clues. This will prompt more conversation and more use

of modals as students try to solve the mystery. If you plan on using this site on an on-

going basis for conversational fun, be sure to start out by having the students read the

short background for the two detectives Amy and Harry Silver.




Activity: Talking About History’s Mysteries

C Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Page 1 of 2

Materials needed: You need to present students with background

information on a topic, either through a mini-lecture during which they take

notes, or by handing out a fact sheet. Be sure to include visuals. One nice

website to help you prepare is www.unmuseum.org. Use the index to search

for whatever topic you are interested in. All but two of the topics below can

be found on this website.

Description: Present the students with background information on one of history’s mysteries.

Some topic ideas are listed below. And on page 2, there is a sample fact sheet about Oetzi the

Iceman, one of history’s mysteries.

After you present your mini-lecture or distribute your fact sheet, divide students in pairs. Write

modals of possibility on the board, and if you have taught the 2nd

and 3rd

conditionals by this time,

write samples of those as well. This activity is perfect for the use of both modals and conditionals.

Based on what they know of the topic, students can discuss and note possibilities, impossibilities,

and conclusions they come up with about the mystery.

The wrap up of this activity can be conducted like an informal debate. For example, one person

might say that Oetzi must have been looking for a new home when he got lost. Ask if any student

wants to refute that claim. A student might say that he would not have been looking for new home

all by himself. He would have stayed with his family or clan.

Sample topics

• Stonehenge

• The Nazca Lines

• The Monoliths of Easter Island

• Atlantis

• The Bermuda Triangle

• The Tunguska Event of 1908

• Loch Ness Monster

• The Death of Oetzi the Iceman

• Bigfoot

• The Oracle of Delphi

Oetzi the Iceman (also spelled Otzi)




Activity: Talking About History’s Mysteries

C Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Page 2 of 2

Oetzi is the name scientists have given to a 5,000-year-old body found frozen in the melting glaciers

of the Italian Alps. He was found in 1991 by a mountain hiker.

At the time of Oetzi’s life, Europe was in the Neolithic Period, a time of pre-history, before written

language existed in Europe. The Neolithic Age was a time when people domesticated animals, used

metal, and grew crops. People lived in permanent, but primitive “houses” in a group -- like a village.

Oetzi was in his 40s when he died. (Older than the average person at that time.)

Oetzi was so well preserved that pieces of his leather and fur clothing, waterproof shoes, and

weapons have been preserved.

Physically, tattoos are visible on his skin, whiskers on his chin, nails on his fingers and toes, and

undigested food was identified in his stomach.

His body had more than 50 tattoos. (Why?)

The food found in his stomach indicates that he ate well -- deer meat and grain.

He carried with him an ax, a knife, and a bow with a quiver full of arrows. His ax was copper -- an

unusual and valuable possession for the time. (Why does he have that?)

He carried with him a fire-starting kit. (But what would he burn in the snow?)

DNA tests show that his clothes have traces of blood from four different people. (Whose? And

Why?)

An x-ray showed that Oetzi had an arrowhead in his back, but the arrowhead was not attached to any

shaft. (Was he shot? Or did he fall backwards?)

He also had two broken arrows in his quiver. (How did they break?)

The vest he was wearing came from a goat that lived in China. (How did he get that?)

His remains had not been destroyed by animals at all. (Why not?)

Some scientists think he was a shepherd because his leg muscles indicate a person who walked a lot.

Other scientists think he was a shaman because of all his tattoos, fine clothes, and unique copper axe.

Information gathered from: http://www.mummytombs.com/otzi/news.htm



Chapter 11: The Passive

Activity: Design a Park Brochure

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Internet for research or printouts from the websites mentioned below,

whatever kind of material you would like students to use for their brochure (foam or poster

boards for blow-ups or regular computer paper for electronic jobs, etc.)

Description:

Frequently using the passive voice, the students design a brochure describing an imaginary place,

Natura National Park. You need to set up this park in the students’ minds by describing it.

For example: this park has all kinds of natural wonders, waterfalls,

mountains, a deep canyon and a rushing river, as well as

archaeological sites and prehistoric fossils. Rangers are available

for tours and information, and there is a lovely gift shop and

museum. Natura Park also has camping facilities and a fun

program for children.

After viewing the example pages from Mesa Verde National Park

in Colorado, students can design their own brochures for Natura

Park. They can incorporate photos copied from online or draw their own. They can take the bare

bones of the description of Natura National Park and add whatever creative details they want --

dinosaur footprints, hang-gliding, a diamond mine, white- water rafting, burial mounds, cave art,

etc.

Display the finished products so students can view each other’s brochures.

Websites with examples for students:

Mesa Verde Park -- About Your Visit

http://www.nps.gov/archive/meve/park_brochure/p02.htm

(The park is located, the visitor center is found, programs are given, religious services are held.)

Mesa Verde Park – Regulation Page http://www.nps.gov/archive/meve/park_brochure/p11.htm

(Bicycling is permitted, pets must be restrained, lanes are not designated.)

Mesa Verde Park- Attractions

http://www.nps.gov/archive/meve/park_brochure/p03.htm

(The station is staffed, tickets may be purchased, dwellings can be seen.)




Activity: Design a Park Brochure

Page 2 of 2


Mesa Verde Park- Historical Architecture

http://www.nps.gov/archive/meve/research/historical_arch_main.htm

(The District was built, it was designed, sandstone was used, the ceiling and roof are supported.)

Here are some useful passive constructions students can use to write about natural formations,

human impact, and available services.

o Can be viewed

o Is located

o Are found

o Was written/was inscribed

o Was placed

o Was left

o Was formed

o Was built

o Was discovered

o Was designed

o Could have been used

o Are offered

o Was recorded

o Have been photographed




Activity: Avoiding Responsibility

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Sample authentic press release found below.

Description: This activity was conceived as a way for students to recognize when people or

authorities are avoiding an expression of responsibility. Culturally, the passive can be used as a

tool that shapes our point of view of an event or situation. This is meaning oriented and goes

beyond omitting the by-phrase simply because the focus needs to be on what happened. As part

of this activity, we can make students aware of the “political” use of the passive and how this

voice is often carefully chosen to deliver a message that goes beyond the lexis of the message.

1. Show students an example of an authentic statement to the press or press

release. You can find passive voice in those that are connected to a negative

event, such as an illegal activity, an accident, a political mess-up.

2. Discuss the use of the passive. What is the purpose of the release? How

does the speaker/writer avoid accepting blame? Why do governments,

corporations, people in authority positions do this?

3. Change the passive parts in the release to active and place them side by side. Ask students,

“As a reader, what feelings do you get when you read both versions? Jot down some adjectives

to describe how you feel about the speaker/writer in each case.”

4. Below is an example of a press release using the passive voice. It is an excerpt of a larger

release from the computer company Hewlett-Packard. The CEO was accused of illegal corporate

activity, and in this excerpt from the press release, students can see her use of the passive to

avoid responsibility. Interestingly, in the second paragraph, the CEO wants to point out the good

things that have happened at the company under her leadership, and she uses the active voice

throughout!

"The recent events that have taken place follow an important investigation that was required after the board of directors tried to find out who was persistently leaking confidential information. These leaks had the potential to

affect not only the stock price of HP but also that of other publicly traded companies. Unfortunately, the investigation, which was conducted with third parties, included certain inappropriate techniques. These went

beyond what we understood them to be, and I apologize that they were employed.

"I am very proud of the progress HP has made over the past 18 months. During the remainder of my tenure as chairman, I look forward to completing the transition that is underway, including expanding the board,

continuing to improve our corporate governance standards and bringing the current issues to resolution."

Found online at: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060912/20060912005958.html?.v=1 (The second line has been simplified from the original obtuse corporate-speak, but all other lines and all cases of the passive are exactly

as in the original.)




Activity: Avoiding Responsibility

Page 2 of 2


5. Below is a fabricated press briefing that uses active voice. Students should try changing it to

passive voice.

6. Ask two students to come to the front and read both versions -- section by section so the class

can hear the difference.

A Press Briefing You Will Never Hear:

(I call this a Press Briefing because editors won’t print passive voice press releases which differ

from the personal statement we saw before from the CEO. Students are more likely to hear the

passive in press conferences than read it in releases.)

Earlier today, our plant manager discovered a chemical leak from one of our storage vats.

The supervisor of the morning shift accidentally opened a pipe.

Employees released a chemical that went into the Northwoods River, and unfortunately,

the chemical has contaminated the river.

Our experts believe* this happened because our factory safety team had not inspected the

pipes for quite some time.

We made a mistake. Our mistake has already killed many fish. We expect* this error will

cause many trees around the river to die also.

Our managers are investigating the situation further and our board of directors is

discussing the situation. I will tell you more as I find it out.

For the moment, we advise you not to swim or fish in the river.

* These constructions can take the “It is + present participle” form. If your students can’t come

up with this on their own, you can supply it.



Chapter 12: Reported Speech Forms in Noun Clauses

Activity: Message Relay

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: One or two short written dialogues for each group of six

students, a place for the re-creators to write -- preferably a board, poster

board, or butcher paper.

Description: The whole class will be moving at once with this challenging

activity.

Divide the class into groups of six. In each group, two students are the conversers, two are the

messengers, and two are the re-creators. The conversers are at the back of the class, and the re-

creators are at the board. The messengers will run back and forth between the two groups.

The conversers perform a short dialogue. Some sample dialogues are below. They have a variety

of tenses and modals in order to practice the skills needed for reported speech, yet are short

enough to be read or memorized with ease.

The messengers eavesdrop on the conversers. Their job is to use reported speech to relay the

conversation to the re-creators. The messengers should listen at least twice to the conversers,

then go across the room to the re-creators and tell them what they overheard, using reported

speech. Messengers shouldn’t write anything down.

The re-creators can jot down what the messengers say on the board. If the messengers forget or

aren’t sure, they need to run back to the conversers to listen again. The rule for conversers is that

they cannot simply repeat a single line of the dialogue or show the messenger a written page.

They must repeat the entire dialogue each time.

The re-creators then need to transform the reported speech into direct speech, trying to accurately

write the original conversation on the board. The messenger students cannot write anything

down. They have to rely on listening skills, and they should relay back and forth across the room

as often as needed to remember the dialogue.

When the first conversation relay and re-creation is complete, the conversers should go up to the

front of the room with the re-creators, and perform their dialogue again, comparing it to the

re-creation. Then, students switch roles within the team and do another dialogue.

Note: If your classroom or your group of students is small, take precautions so the re-creators

don’t easily overhear the original dialogue across the room. If you have a large room, but a small

group of students, there might not be enough distracting noise. You can place the conversers

outside the classroom, and the messengers can go in and out of the door. If you have a small

group of students, you can also use one messenger per group and/or one re-creator.



Chapter 12: Reported Speech Forms in Noun Clauses

Activity: Message Relay

Page 2 of 2


Student 1: I think we can have the party on the 20th.

Student 2: I disagree. The 20th is bad because it’s a Tuesday night.

Student 1: You’re right. It will be hard for people to come in the middle of the week.

Student 2: What do you think about Saturday the 17th

?

Student 1: Can I ask you a question about your family?

Student 2: Sure. What do you want to know?

Student 1: Are both your parents in South America?

Student 2: They were, but they both moved here about five weeks ago.

Student 1: Are you going to the football game on Friday night?

Student 2: No, I’m going to stay home and watch a movie.

Student 1: This will be my first football, so I’m excited about it.

Student 2: I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

Student 1: Did Steve get the job he interviewed for?

Student 2: I don’t know. I haven’t heard.

Student 1: Are you going to ask him?

Student 2: No, I’ll wait for Steve to tell me.



Chapter 13: Adjective Clauses

Activity: Identifying Adjective Clauses in Authentic Text

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: A short story or other text with a sampling of adjective clauses.

Description: In groups of three or four, students look for examples of adjective (relative)

clauses in authentic text. Because it’s not a good idea to read for both comprehension/pleasure

and grammar structure at the same time, read first for pleasure and comprehension, discussing

the story or article details. Students may read for homework and discuss in the next class, or with

shorter readings, they can do everything in class.

During the post-reading discussion, the teacher can, without great emphasis or grammar

terminology, elicit some of the adjective clauses. For example, in The Open Window, the teacher

could say, “In the beginning of the story, Mr. Nuttel is trying to think of something to say to the

niece. What does he want to say?” According to the story, the answer is “something which would

flatter the niece.” This subtle highlighting will flag the structure for the students.

After a thorough discussion of the story, students can look first for the relative pronouns, but

they need to beware that not every use of a specific word is as a relative pronoun. If the students

have already studied noun clauses in Chapter 12, they can use two different colored pens or

highlighters to distinguish between the adjective clauses and noun clauses, some of which begin

with similar words like who and that. When students have highlighted adjective clauses, they

should determine if they are restrictive or non-restrictive and what the clause is modifying. If

they have also noted noun clauses, they can determine what role the clause plays in the sentence:

subject, object, or object of preposition.

Give sufficient time to this grammar-discovery activity. Let the students refer to their grammar

books and discuss within their group. A lot of excellent self-teaching comes out of these

analytical small-group discussions.

As a follow-up in the next class, prepare a cloze exercise with the same text by removing various

clauses and letting the students select them from a box to fill in the blanks. To make it more of a

challenge, leave out the relative pronouns from the adjective clauses so the students will have to

come up with them on their own. Placing the clauses in the text will emphasize their use as

modifiers because the students will have to pay close attention to meaning to complete the

exercise.



Chapter 13: Adjective Clauses

Activity: Identifying Adjective Clauses in Authentic Text

Page 2 of 2


Recommended texts:

Challenging: The Open Window by Saki

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/cgi-bin/version_printable.pl?story_id=OpeWin.shtml

Contains 2 examples of who clauses, 1 whom clause, 4 that clauses, and 3 which clauses, in

addition to a few adjective clauses with a missing pronoun.

High Intermediate: Study Hotel Rooms Have Unseen Guests (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-29-hotel-germs_x.htm

Contains 2 that clauses, 3 who clauses, 3 which clauses, 3 where clauses


Chapter 14: Gerunds and Infinitives, Part I

Activity: Unusual Jobs


Materials needed: None

Description: Students write about the qualities and characteristics employment candidates must

have for unusual jobs. For interaction and better vocabulary development, have students work in

pairs.

Tell the students that these jobs are currently available in your community. They should work

with their partners to imagine the skills and qualities required for each job. Write the following

list on the board. Students will write a profile of the ideal candidate using the following words

and phrases to prompt gerund and infinitive use.

• Skills must include: _____ing, ______ ing, and _____ ing.

• The ideal candidate should enjoy _____ ing.

• The ideal candidate shouldn’t mind ___________ing.

• The ideal candidate must have experience ________ ing

• The ideal candidate will start _________ing immediately.

• The (job title) should agree to __________.

• The (job title) must consent to _________.

• The (job title) should expect to _________.

• The (job title) will be required to ___________.

• The (job title) will need to ____________.

• The (job title) will be permitted to _________.

• The (job title) will be trained to ________.

Job Openings

• Reptile House maintenance at the zoo

• Candy Tester at Goodman’s Candy Factory

• Personal Assistant to a top Hollywood star

• Nanny to two-year-old triplets

• A Human Cannonball in the circus

When everyone is done, share the completed work as a group.


Chapter 15: Gerunds and Infinitives, Part II

Activity: Getting Things Done

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: A copy of the Yellow Pages phone book for each group of students, or

Yellow Pages online.

Description: Students use the Yellow Pages to identify companies and

services to “get things done.”

Tell the students that their Great-Great-Uncle Joe recently died. Uncle

Joe was a world traveler and didn’t spend too much time at home.

Because he had no children, he left them his old mansion. Since he

never spent much time in it, the old place is in bad shape. (There are

links to photos of ruined houses at the end of this activity.) Obviously,

before the students move in, there is a lot of work that needs to be done!

In their groups, students brainstorm what kind of professional help they would like to have with

their fixer-upper project. They may include jobs like landscaping/gardening, building a new roof,

a paint job, new flooring, updated bathroom or kitchen, new furniture, cleaning the

fireplace/chimney, fumigation, animal trapping, and squatter removal, junk removal, and

whatever they imagine. Encourage students to use other verbs besides fix, for example, planted,

cut, repaired, installed, modernized, updated, replaced, put in, delivered, washed, etc.

After this point, there are many things that can be done.

1. Students can make a list of jobs that need to be done using the infinitive with need: The grass

needs to be cut. The roof needs to be replaced. The broken windows need to be taken out.

2. Students can use the Yellow Pages to identify a person or company they can hire to do the

job, creating sentences like I’m having Rick’s Plumbing install a new bathtub. I’m getting Ace

Lawn Mowing to cut the grass. This is a very useful and practical activity because it isn’t the

alphabetical order of the Yellow Pages that’s a problem for students; it’s knowing which index

words things are categorized under in a real phone book.

3. Students can create questions to ask other groups: What are you having done? Who are you

getting to paint the outside of the house?


Chapter 15: Gerunds and Infinitives, Part II

Activity: Getting Things Done

Page 2 of 2


4. Students can create dialogues where they ask advice from a neighboring group, and then

“visit” their neighbors to ask about work they had done.

Example:

A: I need to get my chimney rebuilt. Who should I get to do that?

B: Why don’t you call A+ Safety to rebuild your chimney?

A: Are they good?

B: Sure. I had them fix my chimney after a storm last year.

A: What’s their number?

B: I don’t remember, but it’s in the Yellow Pages under chimney repair.

http://www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=33198

http://flickr.com/photos/46898527@N00/235202009/in/pool-haunted/

http://flickr.com/photos/cityofdust/255265121/in/pool-haunted/

http://flickr.com/photos/gemmamehera/217000042/in/pool-haunted/

http://flickr.com/photos/roundhillguy/245722944/in/pool-haunted/


Chapter 16: Coordinating Conjunctions

Activity: A Hands-On Demonstration for Avoiding Run-On Sentences

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Two different colored electrical wires, 7-10 inches each, (make three sets of

these wires), regular transparent tape, a wire connecter with a bright color. (To prepare the wires,

make sure the plastic coating is cut away 2 inches from one end of each wire. Use a different set

of wires for each part of the demo because once you cut the plastic the ends get bent and tangled

and a little harder to work with. )

Description: A typical writing problem is the incorrect connection of independent clauses. It’s

one thing to teach the rule IC, Coordinating Conjunction IC, and another thing for students to

apply it consistently in their papers. This activity brings visuals to the grammar explanation,

which is often just using words to teach about words. It is especially helpful for tactile/

kinesthetic students.

Bring three students to the front of the class. Give one wire to two students and have the other

student standing by.

Explain to the students:

“Each colored wire represents a single independent clause. To add variety to our writing,

we sometimes want to combine these clauses into a single sentence. However, there are

clause-combining rules that we need to follow in our writing.”

“Let’s say the black wire is ‘Matt was hungry’ and the white wire is ‘He made himself a

sandwich.’ What is something simple we do to connect these two wires, these two

independent clauses?”

(You want to elicit “twist the wires together” or something similar. When someone suggests it,

ask the third student in front of the class to twist the wires together, with the other two students

still each holding one part.)

“Do you think this connection is strong and secure?” (Take the wire from the two students in

front and give it to two other students in their seats.) “Try to separate our two clauses. They

come apart pretty easily, don’t they? So is just pushing the wires together a good way to

combine them?” (Elicit – No.)

“So let’s try another way to make a connection.” (Hand another pair of wires to the students

in the front. Try to elicit that they can be taped together. Someone usually comes up with it!

Bring out the tape and ask a third student to tape the wires together.)


Chapter 16: Coordinating Conjunctions

Activity: A Hands-On Demonstration for Avoiding Run-On Sentences

Page 2 of 2


“What do you think about this connection? Is it a strong one?” (Ask the pair holding the

wires to bring them to seated students and ask the seated students to give them a tug. The wires

will fall apart.)

“So tape was not a good idea either. Let’s try one more thing.” (Bring out the connector and

the final set of wires. As the two students each hold a wire, attach the connector securely. The

teacher should do this -- after a little practice -- because if the student doesn’t do it right, the

wires will fall apart and blow the demonstration! Then bring the connector-attached wires to

seated students and ask them to tug. The wires will not come apart.)

“It looks like we finally have a secure connection for our two wires and our two

independent clauses! Now, let’s see how this relates to our writing.”

You can use the pictures below or have the actual three sets of wires displayed. Relate the first

set to a fused sentence (the clauses are mashed together), the second set to a comma splice ( the

tape represents the “weak” comma), and the third set to the comma + fanboys combination.

Here are photos showing the different wire combinations:


Chapter 17: Adverb Clauses

Activity: Kinesthetic Clause Building

Page 1 of 3


Materials needed: Many pieces of paper cut into thirds to make strips

about 3.5 inches by 8 inches long. You’ll need nearly one paper strip

per word in a sentence, and you’ll probably use 6-10 sentences in the

activity.

Description: The purpose of the activity is to help students identify

clauses, choose subordinating conjunctions, notice the reversibility of

clauses in a sentence, and understand the idea of subordination. They do this by physically

becoming the sentence and moving themselves around, working out the grammar and meaning of

subordinate clauses.

Some possible sentences for the activity:

1. Dave visits the Museum of Art whenever he goes to Boston.

2. The streets flooded because of the heavy rain.

3. The kids went to the park although it was getting late.

4. I’m going to buy the paperback unless the hard-cover book is on sale.

5. The cat curled into a ball and slept once it had finished eating.

6. The babysitter is responsible since the parents are not home.

To prepare, write each word of your sentences on a strip of paper. To save paper and to work

with longer sentences, you can put grammatical units together on a strip, for example, determiner

+ noun, helping verb + verb, the entire prepositional phrase.

Sentence 1 above could be written on slips like this:

To stay organized, keep each cut-up sentence in its own envelope.

To begin, each student holds one word strip and becomes one part of the sentence. Have the

students stand in a horseshoe shape—that way they can all see each other, and the seated

students can see them as well.

Dave visits the Museum of Art whenever

he goes to Boston




Page 2 of 3


For shorter sentences like the samples, it’s fun to let the students unscramble themselves and get

themselves in the right order. When you work with longer sentences, number each card in the

corner so the students can easily arrange themselves. In a class of 20 students, you might have

only 3 or 4 students seated sometimes!

There are several things you can do in any order:

1. To help students identify clauses, ask each subject and verb in the sentence to take a step

forward. Ask students if each set of subjects and verbs has its own complete idea.

Identify the two complete ideas by having the two groups of students separate a little. The

subordinate conjunction will be left in the middle.

2. Have the subordinate conjunction student move to the head of one clause and then the

other. Ask the class if the sentence still makes sense. This will help them with the

relationship of ideas, something fairly easy for time relationships, but more difficult for

cause and effect, contrast, and condition.

3. Once students agree that in most of the cases the subordinate conjunction works when it

heads only one specific clause of the two, have the clauses switch positions so the

subordinate clause comes first in the sentence. Hand out another paper strip with a

comma on it and give to a seated student, asking the student to fit into the sentence.

4. To work with clause relationships and the meanings of various subordinate conjunctions,

write several conjunctions on paper slips, hand them out to a group of students, and ask

the students to line up on one side of the class. Next, have students holding slips of two

clauses that you want to combine form a large horseshoe. Let all the students read the

sentences and choose a subordinate-clause student to come over and join their group. For

more challenge, do this with sentences that can express different relationships, and

discuss the meaning of all the relationships. For example:

• It is snowing. We are going out.

• Even if it is snowing, we are going out.

• Because it is snowing, we are going out.

• Unless it is snowing, we are going out.

• While it is snowing, we are going out.

• The next time it is snowing, we are going out.

• Now that it is snowing, we are going out.




Page 3 of 3


5. To work with the abstract idea of subordination, use the physical symbol of having the

subordinate clause students squat or kneel to show their subordination to the main clause.

Once one group is lower than the other, ask students which clause stands out the most,

explaining that that clause is the one most important to the writer and reader, the one that

the writer wants people to focus on.

You can experiment with the idea of subordination by switching emphasis. For example, what is

the difference in emphasis between “She was rich although she was unhappy.” and “She was

unhappy although she was rich.”?


Chapter 18: Reduction of Adverb Clauses

Activity: Rewriting a Text

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: A text that lends itself to be rewritten with modifying adverbial phrases.

Sample text is from Voice of America: “Edward Hopper’s Simple Paintings Hold Meaning for

Americans.” It can be found at http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2006-09-24-voa1.cfm

Description: Students read an article about the American painter Edward Hopper. In pairs,

students can rewrite the article using modifying adverb phrases. This article works well because

it is biographic and therefore has many instances of the same subject doing multiple actions.

Some excerpts are provided below with ideas for possible rewrites, but it is a long article, and it

has very many rewrite possibilities. Putting students into pairs to do this with one student being

the writer will make this an interactive experience.

Also, if you have computers, it is helpful to format the activity as it is formatted in the example.

It helps students organize their ideas, and eliminates extraneous typing that can lead to increased

errors. It will also help you make corrections if you can easily see what the original was.

Original Text Rewrite using

Modifying Adverb Clauses

In June of 2006, visitors entered the

redesigned Smithsonian American Art

Museum in Washington, D.C. for the first

time. When these people walked into the

building, they saw two simple, colorful

paintings.

Upon entering the redesigned Smithsonian

American Art Museum in June of 2006 for

the first time, visitors saw two simple,

colorful paintings.

Edward Hopper was born in eighteen

eighty-two in Nyack, a small town in New

York state. From a young age, Edward

knew he wanted to be a painter. His

parents were not wealthy people. They

thought Edward should learn to paint and

make prints to advertise for businesses.

Not being wealthy people, his parents

thought he should learn to paint and make

prints to advertise for businesses.

Edward listened to his mother and father.

In nineteen hundred, he moved to New

York City to study commercial art.

Listening to his mother and father, Edward

moved to New York City in 1900 to study

commercial art.

Hopper studied with Henri in New York

City for six years. During those years,

While studying with Henri for six years,

Hopper dreamed of going to Europe.


Chapter 18: Reduction of Adverb Clauses

Activity: Rewriting a Text

Page 2 of 2


Hopper dreamed of going to Europe.

With help from his parents, Hopper finally

traveled to Europe in nineteen-oh-six. He

lived in Paris, France for several months.

He returned again in nineteen-oh-nine and

nineteen-ten.

Receiving help from his parents, Hopper

finally traveled to Europe in 1906. After

living in Paris, France for several months,

he returned again in 1909 and 1910.

At the end of this activity, it’s important to point out to students that modifying phrases are just

another tool in their writing tool belt to help add variety to their papers. Just as they would not

want to begin every sentence with a prepositional phrase, or with a subject and verb construction,

they would not want too large a portion of their writing to be adverbial phrases either. Variety is

the key to interesting and skilled writing.


Chapter 19: Connectives That Express Cause and Effect, Contrast, and Condition

Activity: Silent Review of Connectives and Their Patterns

Page 1 of 2


Materials needed: Create multiple sets of small signs from cut-up poster boards. Each sign

should be about 5 inches wide and as long as needed to fit one pattern rule from below. Write

each rule in black marker so you can easily read the signs when the students are holding them up

from their seats. Make enough signs so that each student or pair of students has a complete set.

Example:

Description: Students often have trouble remembering clause patterns and even more trouble

remembering the different categories of connectives and which categories go with each pattern.

Many teachers have found that reducing clause patterns to their bare basics, giving them the

starkness of a mathematical formula, can help students who have problems with word patterns.

We can summarize clause patterns in this chapter with these rules:

1. IC, Coordinating Conjunction IC

(OR further reduced to IC, FANBOYS, IC, or IC, CC, IC)

2. IC DC

3. DC, IC

4. IC; transition, IC (Make transition lower case to remind students that a capital letter is

not needed after a semicolon.)

5. IC. Transition, IC

6. I…… transition…….C

(transition coming in the middle of a single independent clause)

7. Prepositional Phrase, IC (further reduce as PP, IC)

8. IC Prepositional Phrase

If students memorize these rules, not only does it make it easier to work with their papers, but it

is easy to refer to the rules throughout the entire semester.

IC; transition, IC



Activity: Silent Review of Connectives and Their Patterns

Page 2 of 2


Some things you can do with the sets of rule cards.

1. The teacher reveals one sentence at a time via overhead transparency, computer, or

uncovering sentences on the board. The students quickly read the sentence and hold up

the card that illustrates the pattern rule.

2. Students create sentences following these rules, and reveal their original sentences in

front of the class. The other students hold up pattern cards.

3. The teacher calls out random words from the categories of coordinating conjunctions,

transitions, subordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. Students hold up cards that

show the rule (s) that would use each word or phrase. (Of course, rules 2-3 use the same

group of words, as do rules 4-6 and 7-8.) From the students who hold up the correct

cards, ask two to come to the board and write sample sentences using the word + the rule.

4. Keep one set of the cards in plain view in the classroom until the end of the course.

Number them and refer to them as needed to correct student writing, or to ask students to

connect their ideas using subordinate conjunctions or transition words as they debate,

disagree, and discuss.



Activity: Mad Libs with Connectives


Materials needed: A pre-written “Mad Lib” story frame.

Description: This idea is roughly based on the “Mad Libs” activities. Only here,

the students see the whole story and are not supplying parts at random. Below is

a sample activity roughly based on the activities of Dr. Frankenstein. It reviews

the meanings of connectives of cause and effect and condition. Actually, the

students’ responses will show you whether or not they understand the meaning of

the grammatical structure that goes with each connective.

When you write your own, try putting it in an unusual or goofy frame, so the answers can be

creative or funny. It would be boring to write this about a guy who walked to school because his

car wouldn’t start!

Some other ideas for story frames: a UFO landing, a genie granting someone wishes, an ordinary

person finding out he or she is heir to some throne, a fairy tale that is commonly known, like

Cinderella (with instructions to change the story).

Sample activity:

Even though _______________________________________________________________, Dr.

Frankenstein wanted to build his own monster.

Despite the protests from his fiancé, ________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________.

One night, Dr. Frankenstein _________________________________________________ so that

_____________________________________________________________________________.

The experiment was such a success that ____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________.

Because Dr. Frankenstein wanted to show his monster to the world,

_____________________________________________________________________________.

The monster __________________________________________________________________.

Consequently, _________________________________________________________________.

Dr. Frankenstein had to quickly ___________________________________________________.

Otherwise, ___________________________________________________________________.


Chapter 20: Conditional Sentences and Wishes

Activity: Chain of Conditions


Materials needed: None for the chains, the book If You

Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff.

Description: This quick oral activity uses second

conditional in fanciful hypothesizing. The teacher begins

with a simple second-conditional statement, for example,

“If I had more time, I would write a book.”

The first student then turns the teacher’s result clause into the “if” clause, and creates his or her

own result. For example, the student might say “If I wrote a book, I might get famous.” Then a

second student takes the first student’s result and turns it into a condition. Perhaps this student

might say “If I got famous, I would move to New York City.”

The chain continues around the classroom with each student adding a link.

The same chain activity can be done with the third conditional making the chain more like a

story that is slowly revealed:

If I had not gone out last night, I wouldn’t have gotten locked out of my house.

If I hadn’t gotten locked out of my house last night, I would have answered my phone.

If I had answered my phone, I would have won a prize from the radio station.

A suggestion: The children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. It is

a children’s picture book, and it is a fun way to introduce the first conditional. The story goes

wildly off after a child contemplates what will happen if he gives a mouse a cookie. The mouse

will need milk to go with it, then it will want to look in a mirror to make sure it doesn’t have a

milk mustache, etc. The text also incorporates modals of possibility in some of the results

clauses.

An extra bonus about this book is the use of the first conditional instead of the second. This is a

brainstorm point for your students -- why use the first conditional here instead of the second?

Well, what seems purely hypothetical and impossible from our adult viewpoint (a 2nd

conditional

viewpoint), is in fact entirely possible and very likely to happen from a child’s viewpoint (the 1st

conditional viewpoint).

expansion activities

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