The Ant and the Cricket

The Ant and the Cricket Adapted from Aesop
1.
A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter had come.
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! What will become,” says the cricket, ”of me?”
2.
At last, by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow.
3.
Says the ant to the cricket, “I’m your servant and friend,
But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.
But tell me, dear cricket, did you lay nothing by
When the weather was warm?” Quoth the cricket, “Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.”
“You sang, sir, you say?
Go then,” says the ant, “and dance winter away!”
4.
Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have but two.
Aesop was a Greek storyteller who lived around 550 BCE (Before the Common Era).

[The term BC is short for "Before Christ". Historical dates before the birth of Christ become smaller as they approach the theoretical but non-existent Year Zero. Historical dates after the birth of Christ are classified as AD, short for the Latin phrase Anno Domini, or "in the year of our Lord". Contrary to popular belief, AD does not stand for "After Death". Modern scholars believe the actual birth of Christ would fall around 7 to 4 BC, which renders the actual year of 1 AD relatively meaningless historically.
The Gregorian solar calendar that counts days as the basic unit of time, grouping them into years of 365 or 366 days. It is also divided into twelve months of irregular length.]

He told fables. Fables are talking-animal stories that usually end with a moral. These life lessons help us think about life’s problems and how we can face them.

Verse 1 Make a check____usage __________________tense _______
NOUNS singular/plural subject/object verb present/past infinitive

1. a cricket √ √ began √ to begin
2. months √ √
3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________

10. ____________________________________________________________________

11. ____________________________________________________________________










Verse 2 Make a check____usage __________________tense _______
NOUNS singular/plural subject/object verb present/past infinitive

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2..__________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________

10. ____________________________________________________________________

11. ____________________________________________________________________

12. ____________________________________________________________________

13. ____________________________________________________________________

Verse 3 Make a check____usage __________________tense _______
NOUNS singular/plural subject/object verb present/past infinitive

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2..__________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________

10. ____________________________________________________________________

11. ____________________________________________________________________

12. ____________________________________________________________________
Verse 4 Make a check____usage __________________tense _______
NOUNS singular/plural subject/object verb present/past infinitive

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2..__________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________


Verse 1 Verse 2
Infinitives
1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.

Verse 1 subject verb object (of verb) (of prep) (of infinitive) possessive
PRONOUNS
1. he √ found
2. His √
3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________
Verse 2 subject verb object (of verb) (of prep) (of infinitive) possessive
PRONOUNS

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5, ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7.____________________________________________________________________
Verse 3 subject verb object (of verb) (of prep) (of infinitive) possessive
PRONOUNS
1. ____________________________________________________________________

2..__________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________
Verse 4 subject verb object (of verb) (of prep) (of infinitive) possessive
PRONOUNS
1. ____________________________________________________________________

2..__________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________




descriptive ADJECTIVES tell about nouns
Verse 1
1. a silly young cricket
2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5, ____________________________________________________________________
descriptive ADJECTIVES tell about nouns
Verse 2
1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________
descriptive ADJECTIVES tell about nouns
Verse 3
1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________
descriptive ADJECTIVES tell about nouns
Verse 4
1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________











Some rhymes are perfect rhymes, like sing and spring.
Others are “almost rhymes” like home and come.

What are the rhymes in each of the verses of this story-poem?
VERSE 1
1. food rhymes with _____________
2. see rhymes with _____________ and __________________


VERSE 2
1. bold rhymes with _____________
2. ant rhymes with _____________
3. rain rhymes with _____________
4. borrow rhymes with _____________ and ___________________

VERSE 3
1. friend rhymes with _____________
2. by rhymes with _____________
3. light rhymes with _____________
4. gay rhymes with _____________ and ___________________

VERSE 4
1. wicket rhymes with _____________
2. true rhymes with _____________


Work with a partner to rewrite the story in simple sentences, verse by vers.e
VERSE 1
___________________________________________________________________


VERSE 21
.___________________________________________________________________


VERSE 3
___________________________________________________________________


VERSE 4
.___________________________________________________________________



sgati©2009

Thirty Days Hath September

Thirty days hath* September, [*hath is an old way to say has or have]
April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
except February alone
which has four and twenty-four
till leap-year gives it one day more.

1. CONVERSATION
Please answer the questions in complete sentences.
a. What do September, April, June, and November have in common?

____________________________________________________________

2. Questions that ask about things in common can be answered with BOTH or ALL.
For example,
a. Q: What do you and your husband have in common?
A: My husband and I have an interest in travel in common. We both like to travel.

b. Q: What do you and your classmates have in common?
A: We all are studying English.

c. Q: What do you and your partner have in common?
A: ________________________________________________________________

3. What does “all the rest” refer to in this poem?
_____________________________________________________________

4. Use the only with a noun, for example, the only meal, the only book,
the only student I am the only student from Japan in this class.
Your turn. You write a sentence with the only.
___________________________________________________________

5. What is different about February?
________________________________________________________________________



6. How often does “leap year” come?
________________________________________________________________________

7. GRAMMAR Count and non-count nouns

count nouns singular plural
a/an/one book books
a/one child children
an/umbrella umbrellas


non-count nouns singular
coffee
rice
furniture
homework
news
advice

ALL THE . . . = ALL OF THE
e.g. All (of) the restaurants in Chinatown are expensive.
We ate all the rice in the refrigerator.


8. all the (all the + a noun non-count or plural )

Your turn. Please write all the + count noun
a. ________________________________________________________________

all the + non-count noun
b. _______________________________________________________________

or all my/your//his/her/our/their (all my + a noun non-count or plural )
all my + count noun
c. _______________________________________________________________

all my + non-count noun
d. _______________________________________________________________



9.Find the subjects and verbs in the rhyme. Underline the subjects with one line.
Underline the verbs with two lines.

10. What is “it” in the last line? ___________________________________

11. Choose has or have for the following sentences:

a. September, April, June, and November ___________________ _______ days.

b. All _________________________ __________ 31 days.

c. February ____________ ______ days.

d. In leap-year, February __________ ______ days.

12. Is the poem a mnemonic [a memory help]? ____yes _____no
13. If yes, why? ____________________________________________________



14. Knuckles

1 There is also a mnemonic [a memory help].
2 Count on the knuckles of one's hand to remember the numbers of days of the months.
3 Count knuckles as 31 days, depressions between knuckles as 30 (or 28/29) days.
4 Start with the pointer knuckle as January,
5 6 Count one finger at a time towards the pinky knuckle (July), saying the months as you go.
7 Then jump back to the pointer knuckle (now August) and continue for the remaining months.


sgati©2009

The Best Things in Life are Free

The moon belongs to everyone.
The best things in life are free.


The stars all shine for everyone.
They're shining there for you and me.


The flowers in spring;




The sunbeams that shine –
They’re yours; they’re mine.



And love can come to everyone.
The best things in life are free.





1. VOCABULARY Circle the meaning.
Moonbeams
(a) rays of light from the moon (b) kinds of candy (c) the Chinese calendar

2. RHYMES are words that have the same vowel sounds. e.g. see and tea

What words rhyme in the song?
a. ______________rhymes with free.
b. spring rhymes with _______________ .
c. shine rhymes with ________________ .


3. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS replace the noun with a pronoun.

Possessive adjectives Possessive pronouns

my book/s mine
your book/s yours
his book/s his
her book/s hers
its leg/s its
our books/s ours
your book/s yours
their book/s theirs

In the song, “They’re yours; they’re mine.”
Yours and mine refer to ____________________________________

4. IRREGUAR SUPERLATIVES (compared to all others)
the best
adjective comparative superlative
good better than the best
bad worse than the worst
far farther than the farthest

Your turn. Please write your own sentences using the superlative.

a. the best ________________________________________________________

b. the worst ________________________________________________________

c. the farthest ________________________________________________________



5. Work with your partner and find . . .
TENSE
SUBJECTS and VERBS; PRESENT/PAST SINGULAR/PLURAL INFINITIVE
a. moon belongs √ √ to belong
b. things are √ √ to be
c._____________________________________________________________________

d. _____________________________________________________________________

e. _____________________________________________________________________

d. _____________________________________________________________________

e. _____________________________________________________________________

f. _____________________________________________________________________

g. _____________________________________________________________________

h. _____________________________________________________________________

i. _____________________________________________________________________

j. _____________________________________________________________________


6. PREPOSITIONS (a group of words consisting of a preposition and an object)
e.g. with my friend behind the big desk on top of it for him

How many prepositional phrases can you find?
a. to everyone
b.
c.
d.

sgati©2009

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?

Please write in complete sentences.
1. What was the bear’s name? _______________________________________

2. Did he have any hair? _________________________________________

3. Was he fuzzy? ________________________________________________

GRAMMAR Tag Questions
Look at the verb (present or past tense) in the sentence to know what tag question to use. Affirmative in the main sentence, negative in the tag question or negative in the main sentence, affirmative in the tag question.

For example: With the verb TO BE
a. Your name is Sally, isn’t it?
b. He is your brother, isn’t he?
c. I’m not late, am I?
d. You weren’t here yesterday, were you?
Now, please write one tag question for TO BE in the PRESENT TENSE and one tag question for the PAST TENSE 4.__________________________________________________________________
5.__________________________________________________________________
With other verbs: TO HAVE
e. Your sister doesn’t have a car, does she?
f. You didn’t have dinner yet, did you?

TO GO
g. He never goes to church, does he?
h. He never went to church, did he?

TO EAT
i. He always eats breakfast at 7 a.m, doesn’t he?
j. He didn’t eat breakfast yet, did he?

Now, please write one tag question for ANY VERB in the PRESENT TENSE and one tag question for the PAST TENSE 6.__________________________________________________________________
7.__________________________________________________________________
Use CAN and CAN’T as modals.
k. You can’t check books out without a library card, can you? (This is NOT allowed. permission)
l. He can get to school in a half hour, can’t he? (This is something he is able to do. ability)

Your turn. 8. ___________________________________________________________

Use WILL and WON’T as modals
m. You’ll be back in an hour, won’t you?
n. He won’t be going to China for New Years this year, will he?
o. My teacher will correct all our sentences, won’t she?
Your turn. 9. ___________________________________________________________

10. NOUNS (common and proper nouns)
common
people

______________________________________________________________________
places

______________________________________________________________________
things

______________________________________________________________________
ideas



Proper nouns = nouns that are capitalized
people

______________________________________________________________________
places

______________________________________________________________________
things

______________________________________________________________________
ideas

11.What are the nouns in the poem?
Make a check √. Common Proper
a.
b.
c.
12. Verbs (action or being)
Tense (time) Make a check √. Present Past
a.
b.

13. Adjectives (describes a noun or pronoun; common and proper adjectives)
a.

14. Pronouns (takes the place of a noun;
Make a check √. can be used as a subject object possessive
a.

15. Adverbs (adds and tells about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs;
a. in this case, “NOT”

sgati©2009

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Chorus
We wish you a merry Christmas (3) and a happy New Year.

1. We want some figgy pudding, * * (3) so bring some out here.
2. We’d all like some cake and candy, (3) so bring some out here.
3. We won’t go until we get some (3) and a cup of good cheer.

Chorus
We wish you a merry Christmas (3) and a happy New Year.

Good tidings to you, wherever you are.
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy New Year.

GRAMMAR
1. Wish, followed by a noun
For example, I wish you a Merry Christmas/ a happy birthday/ a good day.
Now you write your own wish + a noun sentence.
______________________________________________________________

2. Hope can be followed by a that clause
For example, I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas
Now you write your own hope + that clause sentence.
______________________________________________________________

3. WANT is a good verb;
so, too, can you use WOULD LIKE (It’s a little more polite).
For example, I want a cup of coffee.
I would like a cup of coffee. I’d like a cup of coffee.


4. “a cup of good cheer” is referring to a glass of liquor or some drink (usually alcoholic) to be lifted together for wishes of good luck or good life or good health.


5. “Good tidings” means good news; good information.
There can also be sad tidings from someone.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-figgy-pudding.htm
**
It's amazing what a brief mention in one Victorian-era Christmas carol can do for an obscure little dessert called figgy pudding. Every year, thousands of people around the world become curious about the figgy pudding mentioned in the secular English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Apparently, the party-goers mentioned in the lyrics refuse to leave until they get some figgy pudding from their host. This must be some seriously good pudding.

There are numerous recipes for figgy pudding, from a traditional steamed version similar to modern bread pudding to a pastry-covered blend of figs, dates, fruits and spices. Nearly all figgy pudding recipes call for three or four hours of steaming.


If you’d like to see a recipe for figgy pudding, go to this address:
http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/bldes108.

Here We Come A-Caroling

Here we come a-caroling
among the leaves so green.
Here we come a-wandering,
So fair, to be seen

Love and joy come to you,
and to you glad Christmas, too,
and God bless you and send you a Happy New Year,
and God send you a Happy New Year.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

You’d better watch out! 1.
You’d better not cry.
Better not pout.
I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making a list,
and checking it twice;
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice. 2.
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping.
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
so be good for goodness sake! 3.

O! You’d better watch out!
You’d better not cry.
Better not pout. 4.
I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

VOCABULARY

1. “watch out” means a. be careful b. tell the time c. walk outside
2. What does “gonna” mean? _____________________________

3. “for goodness sake” is a nice way to say “for God’s/Christ/Pete’s sake meaning
“I am surprised” or “annoyed” or in this case “for a good reason –
For example, A: I just won the lottery.
B: For goodness sake.

C: I lost my keys again.
D: You lost your keys again? For goodness sake!

E: Don’t lose your keys again.
F: I know. It’s a bad idea.
E: For goodness sake, put them in your pocket.

4. “pout” (verb) means a. to shout b. to pound your fists on the table
c. to show displeasure by thrusting out the lips
GRAMMAR

A. Use a command with BETTER, meaning MUST or SHOULD.
For example, I’m tired. I’d better go home now.
I’m going to school. I’d better not be late.
She had better do her homework or the teacher will be angry.
You’d better not drive without insurance.

You try your own sentence with HAD BETTER.
1. __________________________________________________________________

B. Present Progressive tense is used to say what is happening NOW. It is also used to tell what is happening in the FUTURE.
For example, a. “Santa Claus is coming to town.” [This will happen soon.]
Can you find any other Present Progressive tense verbs?
b.
c.
d.
e.

Now you write your own present progressive sentences
f. (NOW) ____________________________________________________
g. (FUTURE) ____________________________________________________

C. Present Perfect tense tells about something that started in the past and continues to the present (and may even continue on into the future). It’s a past tense and gives you the feeling of SINCE or ALREADY or NOT YET or FOR (a certain period of time.
For example, You have been bad for a whole week.
You have been a good girl since yesterday.
I have not eaten lunch yet.
He has taken level 5 already.
Now you try to writing a present perfect sentence.
1. (has/have been) _______________________________________________
2. (has/have + another verb’s past participle)
__________________________________________________________________

CONVERSATION
1. Who is Santa Claus?

2. What kind of list is he making?

________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?

© Gati 2008