Surrogates: Passive Voice with Future Tenses

The original idea of the movie plot is amazing. I liked the movie from the very beginning, which is intriguing and perfect for this activity I planned in order to teach passive voice with future tenses, the grammar point I'm teaching my Thomas Prime 8 students this week.

A. Watch the movie segment. The segment takes place in the year 2024 and talks about what will happen from today until 2024. The movie starts 14 years ago, 2010. Take a look at the timeline of the scientific developments that took place in the next 14 years and rewrite the sentences you saw in the segment in the passive voice.

B. Rewrite the sentences from the movie in the passive voice.

2011

1. In 2011, monkeys will operate mechanical arms with nothing but their thoughts.

In 2011, _______________________ with nothing but their thoughts.

2. Physically disabled people are going to operate fully synthetic bodies.

__________________________________.

2014

3. We are going to see this more and more.

__________________________________ more and more.

4. We will witness an event of evolutionary significance.

___________________________________.

2018

5. Over 98% of the world population will use a surrogate in all facets of their daily lives.

___________________________________ in all facets of their daily lives.

6. We are going to see crime rates record lows.

__________________________________.

2021

7. By 2024, a minority will have opposed surrogates.

By 2024, ____________________________.

8. Many people will have seen this as the invasion of the inhuman.

____________________________ as the invasion of the inhuman.

9. They will have established surrogacy-free zones in major cities around the country.

__________________________________ in major cities around the country.

2024

10. People had predicted that surrogates would solve all their problems.

People had predicted that ______________________.

11. They had believed that one day the future was going to bring nothing but happiness.

They had believed that one day _______________________.

B. Discuss the following questions in pairs.

1. What's your opinion about the segment. Do you think it will actually happen in the future?

2. Do you think that surrogates are a good idea? Explain it.

3. Would you like to have a surrogate for you and your family? Why (not)?

4. If you would, what would you use it for?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having surrogates among us?

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Anwer key:

1. mechanical arms will be operated by monkeys

2. fully synthetic bodies are going to be operated by physically disabled people.

3. this is going to be seen

4. an event of evolutionary significance will be witnessed

5. a surrogate will be used by 98% of the world population

6. crime rates record lows are going to be seen

7. surrogates will have been opposed by a minority

8. this will have been seen

9. surrogacy-free zones will have been established

10. all their problems would be solved by surrogates

11. nothing but happiness was going to be brought by the future

Monsters Vs Aliens: Superlatives

I love animated films, I have said this dozens of times. This one is not different. I love the characters and the story. Because there are 5 monsters being described in this scene, I used it to practice superlative form of adjectives.

A. Make a list of 6 different adjectives you consider to be interesting for a monster

Ex: Strong, ugly, etc


B. Listen to all of the students' list of adjectives and write them all on the board. In pairs, select 8 adjectives you consider to be the most interesting ones for a monster.

C. Watch the movie segment and match the characters and their characteristics:

1. Ginormica

2. B.O.B. (Bicarbonate Ostylezene Benzoate):

3. Dr. Cockroach

4. The Missing Link

5. Insectosaurus

( ) Due to her exposure with the meteorite's radiation, she is very strong and tall and has a resistance to energy attacks.

( ) He was an insect transformed by nuclear radiation into a monster with the ability to shoot silk out of his nose.

( ) A 20,000-year-old fish-ape animal, who was found frozen.

( ) A brilliant scientist who, in an experiment to have the abilities of a cockroach, became a giant cockroach's head and some personality characteristics of the cockroach, but gained the ability to climb up walls and great resistance to physical damage.

( ) An indestructible gelatinous mass created from a tomato. His greatest strength is his ability to eat any substance and to be indestructible.

Answers: 1,5,4,3,2

D. Now write sentences comparing all the monsters, using the adjectives you have selected in exercise B.

Ex:

Ginormica is the strongest monster.

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Eden Lake: Prepositions and Giving Directions

It is difficult to find segments to practice giving instructions or directions. This snippet, though, is appropriate because the opening scene shows a couple driving to a hotel, so I thought of having this visual input to practice this grammar point. The movie, however, is nothing special. The scene is appropriate for all ages, but the movie itself is scary and for adults only.

I. Watch the segment and choose the correct alternative according to the segment.

1. When they left, they turned left / turned right / went ahead.


2. They went straight ahead / turned left/ turned right on the highway.


3. On a small road, they passed on/ under / in front of a bridge.


4. They drove for a long time on/ in/ through another highway and turned left /right on the exit.

5. At/ Behind/ Near the traffic light, they turned left / right.


6. The Beer, Bed and Breakfast is on their left/right.


7. Another car turned left / right before them and parked in / under / for the space.

8. They couldn't park, so they left and turned left / right .

II. Talk to a partner. Think about 3 different places in your city. Tell him/her how to get from where you are to these places.



III. Describe your neighborhood to your friend. Say where the bakery, grocery store, pet shop, bus stop, restaurant and others are.

EX. The bakery is across from my building.



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The Stepford Wives: Participial Adjectives as Noun Modifiers

This remake of The Stepford Wives is not as good as the original movie, but it has great moments like the one I used to have students practice participial adjectives that are used as noun modifiers. My students had a blast watching it and this dry grammar point became attractive to them.



A. Rewrite each sentence containing an underlined object pronoun, using a participial adjective as a noun modifier.

1. The guests were invited to join the square dance. They started dancing in the ballroom.

Ex: The invited guests started dancing in the ballroom.


2. The ballroom was decorated. It had 4th of July thematic ornaments.

3. Some guests were extremely excited. They were dancing happily.

4. A man spun the blonde lady very enthusiastically. She couldn't stop turning around in circles.

5. The guests were intrigued. They couldn't stop looking at that odd scene.

6. The hostess, the players and the guests were surprised by her behavior. They stopped what they were doing to watch the scene.

7. The lady got hurt when she fell on the floor. She seemed to have a serious health problem.

B. Work in pairs:

1. Describe the scene.

2. What do you think happened to the beautiful blonde lady?

3. Why did that happen?

4. What would you do if you were one of the guests?

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Answer key:

1. The invited guests

2. The decorated ballroom

3. The excited guests

4. The spun lady

5. The intrigued guests

6. The surprised hostess, players and guests

7. The hurt lady

Star Trek - The Future Begins: Possessive ('s)

This is the best Star Trek movie ever. I'm not a fan of the saga, but this segment is the beginning of the whole story, so I got to understand who the characters are and I really enjoyed the movie. I think it is excellent, indeed. This scene is full of visual input with few dialogs, so beginners will enjoy it. I used it to practice writing possessives - 's. It is a very simple task and they managed it well. It was really motivating. I hope you like it.

A. Watch the movie segment and complete the blanks with the words in parentheses. Don't forget to use possessives ('s) too. Make the necessary changes.

1. The boy, James, is driving his .................................. (mother / boyfriend /car).

2. He is .................. (Johnny / friend).

3. Johnny is ........................... ( friend / James)

4. The ......................... (vehicle /police officer) can fly.

5. The ............................ (mask / officer) is unusual.

6. The ................. ( full name / boy) is James Tiberius Kirk.

Answer Key:

1. mother's boyfriend's car

2. Johnny's vfriend

3. James's friend

4. police officer's car

5. officer's mask

6. boy's full name

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Freedom Writers: Indirect Questions

Being a teacher, I must recommend this brilliant movie about teaching. It is one of my all time favorites. A must see. I took advantage of this scene to practice the use of indirect and direct questions in an amusing manner.

I. Work in pairs. Interview each other by asking the following questions:


1. Do you have the Snoop Dogg's new album?

2. Have you seen "Boyz in the Hood"?

3. Who lives in the Projects?

4. Do you know anyone who is in Juvenile Hall?

5. Have you been in Juvenile Hall for any length of time?

6. Do you know where to get drugs right now?

7. Do you know anyone in a gang?

8. Are you a gang member?

9. Have you lost a friend to gang violence?

10. Have you lost more than one friend?


II. Now rewrite the sentences above using indirect questions. Follow the model.


1. I want to know how many of you have Snoop Dogg's new album.

2. How many of you ...

3. How many of you ...

4. How many of you ...

5. How many of you...

6. How many of you ...

7. How many of you ...

8. How many of you ...

9. Stand in the line if you ...

10. Stand in the line if you ...



III. Now watch the movie segment from the movie Freedom Writers and check your answers.

IV. Play the game the teacher and students in the segment did. Each student writes down 3 yes/no questions about what he/she'd like to learn about his/her classmates on a piece of paper and give it to your teacher.


V. The teacher draws a line on the floor and asks the students questions saying how many of you... and asks one student to say the same questions using direct speech.



Ex: Teacher: How many of you are suffering from a broken heart now?

The sts who are suffering of a broken heart stand on the line.

Teacher says: Student 1!

Student 1: Are you suffering from a broken heart now?

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The Devil's Arithmetic: Time Clauses with Before, After, When

This movie is very interesting and the Holocaust is dealt with in a different way, mixing reality and fiction. I used the Jewish wedding scene to practice time clauses in a contextualized manner. My students loved it and wanted to see the rest of the movie at home.







A. Watch the movie segment and combine both sentences with before, after, or when.






1. The ceremony starts.

The groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.



2. The groom unveils the bride.

The bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.



3. The bride arrives at the wedding place,

Her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. The ceremony starts.

The bride circles the groom seven times.

5. The groom places the ring on the bride's finger,

The best man and he drink some wine.

6. The groom kisses the bride.

He breaks the wine glass.

B. Talk to a partner:



1. What's your opinion about this kind of wedding? What adjectives would you use to describe it?
2. What went wrong?

3. What do you think will happen next?

Possible answer key:

1. Before the ceremony starts, the groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.

2. After the groom unveils the bride, the bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.

3. When the bride arrives at the wedding place,
her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. When the ceremony starts, the bride circles the groom seven times.

5. After the groom places the ring on the bride's finger,
the best man and he drink some wine.

6. Before the groom kisses the bride, he breaks the wine glass.


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