English Experience Press Grammar Zappers
English Experience Press Grammar Zappers
English Experience Press Grammar Zappers
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Grammar lessons which make te
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Grammar
Zappers!
Mark Fletcher
● Prepositions
● Irregular Past
Grammar Zappers is designed for teachers with limited preparation time who want to
provide lively, motivating language skills lessons to introduce, test or revise the use of
Prepositions; use of The Past Tense; use of The Present Perfect / Past Tenses; and use of The Present
Simple / Continuous Tenses.
Grammar Zappers
by Mark Fletcher
Illustrated by Mark Fletcher
Copyright © English Experience
Telephone/Fax: (44) 1303 238880
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.brainfriendly.co.uk
ISBN 1 898295 08 5
PRINTED BY HYTHE PRINTERS LTD., HYTHE , KENT
Conditions of sale permit the photocopying / printing of these masters for student use.
It is not permitted to subsequently use copies to generate further copies for resale.
Grammar
Zappers!
Contents
Page
Walter’s Royal Thursday (Prepositions)
1B Text
2A / B Memory Map
3A Picture Cards
3B Gap Text
Full Teaching
Notes included
SESSION 1
1. T reads text dramatically, using humour, mime, props etc.
Ss listen and get the general theme. (5 minutes)
2. T distributes photocopied text and reads through again. Ss follow text, underlining any especially interesting language or
anything not understood.
Methodology Enrichment
This stage is very effective as a Suggestopedic Active Concert.
T. reads to classical music, matching the reading to the music, and allowing pauses to
emphasise the key language. (This is how the text is presented on the cassette)
3. Comprehension. Ss work in pairs/small groups - going through text, checking what has been underlined and helping one
another.
T available as required. (5 minutes)
4. Picture game. T cuts up and distributes one set of 12 pictures to each group of 3 or 4 students. Ss work on a table or
Teaching Notes Page A
5. Each S takes 3 or 4 pictures, finds a line in the text which matches it, and writes that line on the back of the picture.
(The pictures have been drawn to illustrate lines containing the target language). Correct order and lines are given in the
Cut Out Pictures section overleaf.
(5 minutes)
6. In the same small groups, Ss take turns to read out the lines they have written on their pictures. Everyone underlines
the 12 lines in the text as they hear them. (10 minutes)
7. A ‘milling’ exercise. In their small group, or around the whole class, Ss exchange picture cards and, as they do so, read
out the line on the back. The idea is to get so familiar with the 12 lines that the cards can be handed around with
minimum need for checking. (5 minutes)
9. T distributes copies of the Memory Maps and reads through text again. This time Ss follow on the Memory Maps and add
words as necessary. (5 minutes)
10. Ss work on their own looking through the Memory Maps, trying to recreate the text accurately, and checking with the text.
With a strong group, a more dynamic way to do this is to work in threes. One ‘prompter’ has the text, and the other two Ss work
from the Memory Maps.(15 minutes)
11. Consolidation - Ss sit quietly just listening as T reads through text again. (10 minutes)
Methodology enrichment
This step is best done as a Suggestopedic concert. Ss sit quietly. T. reads with a gentle Baroque music background.
13. Divide into ‘acting’ groups of 4 or 5 Ss (the story texts have up to 8 parts so Ss may take more
than one part). Allow time for Ss to study text and pick out their own lines. Groups read through
once for practice and then again imaginatively and dramatically, using props etc. Encourage fun and creativity.
( A strong group could practice and try without the text). (20 minutes)
Hot Chestnuts
Ex. 1 Do/Does questions - 5 Is/Are questions - 10
Ex. 2 a) She’s a writer: She writes a thriller every year: She’s working on a new book: She’s going out to dinner.
b) He likes to practice in the mountains: He’s playing at ‘the Bear’ tonight;
He’s travelling from town to town; He’s much too busy to sleep.
c) They’re learning to ski; They’re complete beginners; There are lots of chestnut trees in their garden.
Ex. 3 Where do you live? Where are you staying? What are you doing in Lenk?
Who are you waiting for? (Why are you looking through the binoculars?)
Is Enrico coming to Lenk? Do you often come here?
How long are you staying? What are you doing tonight?
Number 1: went to a very large country.../saw the most beautiful building in the world/didn’t sell many fondue sets.
Number 2: ...gave a demonstration/said the research staff could produce take-aways / sent a fondue set to the President.
Number 3:...had business meetings in the sauna/drove north/watched the Northern Lights.
Number 4:...made a lot of phone calls/travelled long distances / explained about fondues.
Number 5: ...flew south/ate fondue with fishy stew/danced all night.
Number 6:...tried to cook/didn’t feel well/slept under the stars.
Number 7: ...took some free samples/looked for a fantastic animal.
Great Escape
Ex. 1 a)10 b)7
Ex. 2 One of the snails has just arrived in Edinburgh.
So far the snail has read six Shakespeare plays.
Since ten o’clock the snail has drunk another two litres of wine.
The snail hasn’t come down Nelson’s Column yet.
Ex. 3 One snail bought some wine in Folkestone. One gave rides at Stonehenge.
One climbed Nelson’s Column in London. One read the works of Shakespeare in Oxford.
Ex. 4 Q1 How long has Dr Bauer had the snails?
Q2 When did Dr Bauer arrive in England?
Q3 How many has London Zoo bought?
Q4 Why did London Zoo decide to buy the snails?
Q5 What did the snail do at Stonehenge?
Q6 Why did the snail go into the shop?
Teaching Notes Page C
Lady Brrr. I’m frozen. Can I have some chestnuts please? One of them is carrying a trumpet!
Monica Certainly. Where are you from? Musician 1 Beautiful afternoon ... but it’s getting colder.
Lady I’m from England. I’m visiting Lenk on holiday. Musician 2 Yes. It may snow later.
Monica Is this your first visit? Monica They’re talking about the weather.
They must be English too.
Lady Yes it is. I’m staying at ‘the Lion’ for a week.
Musician 1 Two bags of chestnuts please.
Monica Do you enjoy winter sports?
Monica Here you are.
Lady Well ... to be honest, I don’t, Why are you carrying a trumpet?
but my husband loves it here.
Musician 2 We’re jazz musicians on tour.
Monica Where is your husband? Is he skiing? We’re travelling from town to town
this winter, and playing in clubs
Lady No. He’s up the mountain painting another picture. and bars.
I like to practice in the mountains.
Monica Is he an artist?
Monica Be careful not to start an avalanche!
Lady No. He works in a frozen food factory Where are you playing tonight?
but he paints pictures in his spare time.
His favourite colour is white. Musician 1 We’re staying in Lenk for three nights
and playing at ‘The Bear’.
Monica What do you do while your husband is You must come and hear us.
painting?
Monica I will. Do you like here?
Musician 1 Oh yes. We’re having a very good time.
We ski all day and play jazz all night.
SIDE 4A
Monica When do you sleep? Mother Can I take a photo of you?
I’m studying photography at night school.
Musician 2 Sleep? We don’t sleep. I take hundreds of pictures a year.
We’re much too busy to sleep! ‘Bye.
Monica Certainly. I’m sure you’re taking lots of
Monica I recognise the girl over there. pictures here.
The one looking through binoculars.
Excuse me. You’re Hilary Hollywood, aren’t you? Mother Smile please. Say ‘cheese.’
(click). Thank you.
Hilary That’s right. I’m waiting for my boyfriends to arrive.
Child 1 It’s starting to snow again.
Monica Boyfriends?
Monica And it’s time for me to close the stall.
Manuel from Spain is coming by train, and There are so many places I want to see.
Jean from France - he loves to dance
and Irish Mike is coming by bike! Father You must come and visit us Monica.
But Enrico from Rome is staying at home - There are lots of chestnut trees in our
he’s getting married today. garden.
You can open an English branch of your
Monica Can I have your autograph please? business!
Hilary With pleasure. An autograph for a hot chestnut. Monica I know ‘a change is as good as a rest’
‘Fair exchange is no robbery.’ but for my holiday .....
sight seeing’s best!
Monica Some more people are getting off the ski lift.
They’re looking in this direction.
Yes. They’re coming over here.
That’s strange, they’re all standing in a line.
Father Is this the queue? Hot chestnuts for three,
and, do you sell tea?
Monica I don’t sell drinks, I’m afraid, but here are the chestnuts.
Are you on holiday here?
Mother Yes, We’re staying with friends, and learning to ski.
We’re complete beginners - but it’s fun.
Child 1 I fall over every ten seconds
but it doesn’t matter, I enjoy it.
Child 2 We come from the South of England, near the sea.
It doesn’t often snow there.
SIDE 4B
Grammar Zappers!
SIDE 5A
Lady Brrr. I . . . . . frozen. Can I have some chestnuts please? Monica Here . . . . . two more customers.
One of them . . . . . a trumpet!
Monica Certainly. Where . . . . . you from?
Musician 1 Beautiful afternoon - but it’s
Lady I. . . . . from England. I . . . . . Lenk on holiday. getting colder.
Monica . . . . . this your first visit? Musician 2 Yes. It may snow later.
Lady Yes it is. I . . . . . at “the Lion” for a week. Monica They . . . . . about the weather.
They must be English too.
Monica . . . . . you . . . . . winter sports?
Musician 1 Two bags of chestnuts please.
Lady Well ... to be honest, I . . . . . ,
but my husband . . . . . it here. Monica Here you are.
Why . . . . . you . . . . . a trumpet?
Monica Where is your husband. . . . . . he . . . . . ?
Musician 2 We . . . . . jazz musicians on tour.
Lady No. He. . . . . up the mountain . . . . . another picture. We . . . . . from town to town this winter,
and . . . . . in clubs and bars.
Monica . . . . . he an artist? I . . . . . to practice in the mountains.
Lady No. He . . . . . in a frozen food factory Monica Be careful not to start an avalanche!
but he . . . . . pictures in his spare time. Where . . . . . you . . . . . tonight?
His favourite colour is white.
Monica What . . . . . you . . . . . while your husband . . . . .? Musician 1 We . . . . . in Lenk for three nights
and . . . . . at “The Bear”.
You must come and hear us.
Monica I will . . . . . you . . . . . it here?
Musician 1 Oh yes. We . . . . . a very good time.
SIDE 7A
We . . . . . all day and . . . . . jazz all night.
Monica When . . . . . you . . . . . ? Mother Can I take a photo of you?
I . . . . . photography at night school.
Musician 2 Sleep? We . . . . . sleep. I . . . . . hundreds of pictures a year.
We’re much too busy to sleep! ‘Bye.
Monica Certainly. I’m sure you . . . . . lots of
Monica I . . . . . the girl over there. pictures here.
The one looking through binoculars.
Excuse me. You’re Hilary Hollywood, . . . . . you? Mother Smile please. Say “cheese.” (click). Thank you.
Hilary That’s right. I . . . . . for my boyfriends to arrive. Child 1 It . . . . . to snow again.
Monica Boyfriends? Monica And it’s time for me to close the stall.
I . . . . . to England in the Spring.
No. 1 Because they don’t like cheese very much, No. 3 I spent a lot of time quite naked -
and not many of them drink alcohol. talking to customers, you understand.
Chairman Did you stay in one place Chairman I’m sorry. I don’t understand at all.
or did you travel around? You’re selling cheese and not strip tease!
No. 1 I started my journey in the capital No. 3 Let me explain.
which is in the north of the country. We often had business meetings in the sauna
I had time to do some sight seeing. It’s a popular place for recreation.
I saw the most beautiful building in the world, The people I met thought fondue was just right
and I took a lot of photos. for a long, dark, snowy winter’s night.
At the weekend I drove north through the forests.
Chairman Very interesting, but did you sell any fondue there? I watched the northern lights for hours.
I sent Father Christmas a sample pack.
No. 1 Just a moment, please. Unfortunately, he sent it back.
Then I went south, where it was much hotter.
Chairman How long were you there?
Chairman How many fondue sets did you sell altogether? When did you get back?
No.1 Well . . . I did my best but . . . No.3 I was only there for four days.
I came back by reindeer on Wednesday.
Chairman Please tell us. We haven’t got all day.
Chairman You went to the other side of the world, didn’t you, Four?
No. 1 Not many I’m afraid. How long did you stay?
Six in the north and seven in the south. When did you get back?
Chairman Thirteen! In a country of six hundred million people! No. 4 Yes. It was a twenty-hour flight.
Number Two. Did you have more success? When I got there I made lots of phone calls
and travelled long distances across the country.
SIDE 8A
Chairman Were the people friendly?
No. 4 Oh yes. Very open and friendly. No. 5 Not that I can show you . . .
I explained to them about fondues but I came home with a heart full of memories.
but I didn’t do much business, I’m afraid.
No. 6 Can I tell you about my trip now?
Chairman Why not? Didn’t they like the idea? I arrived back yesterday after a most interesting journey.
No.4 They’re great meat eaters, you see, - Chairman Why was it interesting? How did you travel?
and I had to drink a lot of beer there too!
I spent two weeks travelling around No. 6 I went part of the way by land rover
and got back three days ago. and part of the way on an animal.
Look I bought this souvenir.
Chairman What sort of animal was it?
Chairman Be careful!
Number 4 went to
Eng
................................................... ................................................
Number 5 went to
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Egypt
Russia ex a
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Number 6 went to In
Number 2 ...................... Number 6 ....................
................................................... .................................................
And what about Number 7 ?
.................................................. .................................................
No. 7 My journey was quite short.
It was enjoyable, but next time I’ll go in summer.
Chairman What was the weather like?
Number 3 ...................... Number 7 ....................
No. 7 Damp and chilly most of the time - ................................................... ................................................
but that was good for business.
These people eat strange things like haggis, ................................................... ................................................
so a fondue was no problem for them!
I took some free samples
and on my first day there
they decided to eat fondue for breakfast.
It was a great success.
After that we went for a very long walk Number 4 ......................
and looked for a fantastic animal in a lake.
....................................................
Chairman Did you find it?
....................................................
No. 7 One of my guides said he saw it -
but he was the one
SIDE 10A
Grammar Zappers!
SIDE 10B
(ring ring)
Duty Officer Duty Officer. Can I help you? Dr. B I put them to bed in my caravan last night.
Unfortunately I forgot to lock the door.
Dennis Officer. An enormous snail has just gone
down our street. Reporter The Chief Inspector of Police has just joined us.
Let’s get the latest on the situation from him.
Duty Officer Don’t panic Sir. Give me the details.
How big was the snail? Chief of So far we’ve found four of these snails.
When did you see it? Police One has got on to the roof of a train and
What colour was it? is travelling to Edinburgh.
We’ve seen another one in a library in Oxford.
Dennis I saw it about five minutes ago. One has reached Stonehenge -
It was about two metres high - and it was pink! it’s asleep in the stone circle.
The fourth has now arrived in Trafalgar
Duty Officer Really, Sir? Square.
Do you often see enormous pink snails?
Dennis Certainly not. I’ve never seen one before.
Duty Officer Very well, Sir. I’ve made a note of your call.
My other phone is ringing. Goodbye.
Police station ... a huge pink snail?
Thank you Madam. Someone has already reported it.
I’ll send an officer to investigate at once!
TV NEWS
Announcer Good afternoon. Here is the one o’clock News .
The Americans have landed on Mars.
The price of oil has come down by fifty per
cent, but our main story today is even stranger.
Several enormous pink snails have invaded Britain!
SIDE 12A
Dr. B But there are five snails!
Hasn’t anyone seen the fifth one?
Reporter What did you do when the snail came in?
Reporter So. A mystery. Where is the fifth snail?
And, - one more question Dr. Bauer. Shopkeeper I asked if it was old enough to buy alcohol.
Why are the snails pink? It didn’t say ‘No’, so I sold it a bottle.
Dr. B That’s easy. They live on red wine. Reporter With me now is the Director of London Zoo.
I hope they’ve all had some today. You have some exciting news I believe.
A reporter is telling the story of one of the snails. What does she say?
Example:12 o’clock (already) “Here is the 12 o’clock News. One of the giant snails has A3 The zoo has bought two.
already arrived in London.”
Q4 .....................................................
Make other news reports: A4 Because they had hundreds of calls from the public.
5 o’clock (just)
9 o’clock (so far) Q5 .....................................................
10 o’clock (since) A5 It gave rides to visitors.
Midnight (yet)
Q6 .....................................................
Exercise 3 A6 Because it wanted to buy some wine.
Connect the places and what happened - and then tell the story. Q7 .....................................................
Example : ‘One snail went to Edinburgh and Glasgow by train.’ A7 A pink snail? No I haven’t.
Edinburgh/Glasgow
Folkestone
Stonehenge
London
Oxford
SIDE 14A
Grammar Zappers!
SIDE 14B
Picture Stories, Please ! ISBN 1 898295 46 8 ACE Advanced Checking of English ISBN 1 898295 23 9
Illustrated news stories with activities Championship ‘tennis’ against the English Language.