Pick Yourself Up

From the Film: Swing Time 1936 (Lyrics by: Dorothy Fields / Music by: Jerome Kern)

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers
[She: I can’t teach you anything.]
(He)
Please teacher, teach me something,
Nice teacher, teach me something.
I'm as awkward as a camel, that's not the worst,
My two feet haven't met yet,
But I'll be teacher's pet yet,
'Cause I'm gonna learn to dance or burst.

(She)
Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start All over again.

Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son!

Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.




(He)
I'll get some self-assurance
If your endurance is great.
I'll learn by easy stages
If you're courageous and wait.

To feel the strength I want to,
I must hang on to your hand,
Maybe by the time I'm fifty
I'll get up and do a nifty.
[All right I’ll show you again.
Remember, three steps to the left, three steps to the right and turn.[
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
[No one can teach you to dance in a million years.]

VOCABULARY

1. From the song, fill in the words that have the same or similar meanings.
I’m as awkward as a camel.
a. I can’t dance very well. I’m clumsy and unable to move like a dancer.
I’m ________________.

I’m awkward, and that’s not the worst (of it).
I am MORE THAN awkward. My left foot doesn’t know what my right foot is doing.
(My two feet haven’t met yet.)



2. Superlatives as nouns.

1. the worst the fattest the heaviest the most expensive
the best
the farthest

Examples: a. He is the worst driver I know. (adjective + noun)
aa. He’s the worst and I’m the best. (noun)

b. This is the heaviest backpack I have ever carried. (adjective + noun)
bb. Mine is the lightest and yours is the heaviest. (noun)

From the song:

3. teacher’s pet noun But I’ll be the teacher’s pet
a. The teacher like James the best. He is the _________________________ .

4. I’m going to dance or burst. verb
a. He was chewing bubble gum. He blew a big bubble and then it burst. (boom!)
b. The balloon burst.
c. I’m going to learn English or _______. (fall down, collapse without any strength),

5. Don’t lose your confidence. Noun also self-assurance
a. She believes in herself and her abilities. She has _________________________.
b. I have ___________________ in myself.

c. Adjectives: confident and self-assured.
She feels ______________ and she is _______________________ .
d. I feel ________________ and I ______________________________ .

6. If you slip, you might hurt yourself. verb
a. The floor was wet and I ___________________________ .

7. a pleasant trip trip has two meanings here:
a. a journey (noun) and
b. a fall (noun) to fall (verb)
c. It was an awful __________. I _____________ on the sidewalk.

8. to fall: to fall down; to fall from power (like a King or politician)
a. George Bush was once a powerful man, but he ______________ from power.

9. Work like a soul (noun) / inspired (adjective).
A soul = a person
a. Every person has rights. Every living _______________ can live a good live.
b. He made me feel enthused, thrilled, exhilarated. I was ________________ .

10. Take a deep breath.
a. The doctor told me to _____________________________________.
b. When you are nervous and worried, stop and __________________________

11. If your endurance is great, you can continue for a long time.
a. I have a lot of ____________________. I can walk five miles and not get tired.

12. I’ll learn by easy stages. (noun)
a. English is difficult, so I must learn it step by step. Little by little I will learn it.
b. When you learn to dance, you also learn it ___________________________ .

13. strength (noun)
a. The quality of being mentally and physically strong is to have strength.
b. He has ________________ in his arms.

14. I’ll get up and do a nifty [first-rate, very good move, turn, dance step]. (adjective)
a. You look quite ________________________________
b. She did a _________________ dance step.

15. NOUNS ADJECTIVES

Confidence confident
Self-assurance self-assured
Strength strong
The worst bad worse than
Courage courageous
Inspiration inspired

YOUR TURN:
Write a sentence using each of these words:
1. Confidence
____________________________________________________________________
2. confident
____________________________________________________________________
3. self-assurance
____________________________________________________________________
4. self-assured
___________________________________________________________________
5. strength

6. strong
____________________________________________________________________

7. the worst
____________________________________________________________________
8. worse than

____________________________________________________________________
9. courage
____________________________________________________________________
10. courageous

____________________________________________________________________

IDIOMS
1. Sick and tired You’ll be sick and tired.
a. I don’t want to answer the telephone during dinner. I’m _____________________
of those bothersome phone calls.
b. I’m __________________________ of waiting for late busses. I’m going to call
the MUNI office and complain.

2.You’ll be a man, my son.
a. I know it is difficult when things go wrong, but you will learn a lot.from difficult circumstances. These difficult things will help you grow up. _______________________________________________

2. What words rhyme with what?

a. worst rhymes with burst
b. _________________ rhymes with __________________
c. _________________ rhymes with __________________
d. _________________ rhymes with __________________
e. _________________ rhymes with __________________
f. _________________ rhymes with __________________
g. _________________ rhymes with __________________
h. _________________ rhymes with __________________

GRAMMAR
1. Find all the verb commands. Circle them within the song. Then write them in a list.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

CONVERSATION

1. Who is teaching whom to do what?

____________________________________________________________________

2. What advice does the woman give the man? (Use an infinitive in your answer.)
She tells him
___a._________________________________________________________________

___b._________________________________________________________________

___c._________________________________________________________________

___d._________________________________________________________________

___e._________________________________________________________________

___f._________________________________________________________________

___g._________________________________________________________________

3.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again is an English proverb.
The meaning is similar to the refrain of the song:
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

What does it mean to you?

Pres. Obama's Inaugural Speech 1-20-09

January 20, 2009
(SOURCE PHOTO NEW YORK TIMES & TEXT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE 20/01/2009)
President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address

Inaugural Address
By President Barack Hussein Obama

“. . . We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”
http://zebrambizi.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/president-barak-obamas-inaugural-address/

GRAMMAR

1. Please write down every verb you see in the excerpt of President Obama’s Inaugural Speech. Also tell me what the SUBJECT of each VERB is. Make a √ under the tense.
SUBJECT VERB Present Tense Past Tense Present Perfect base form
a. We remain √ to remain

b. ___________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________
e. ___________________________________________________________
f. ___________________________________________________________
g. ___________________________________________________________
h. ___________________________________________________________
i. ___________________________________________________________
j. ____________________________________________________________


2. to pass Present tense Past Tense past participle
pass/es passed passed
Examples:
a. I want to pass my {citizenship, driver’s license, typing,______________ test.
b. I never pass any tests the first time I take them.
c. She always passes her tests with “A”s.
d. He passed the math test, but he didn’t pass the English test.
e. I have not passed my driving test yet.
YOUR TURN
f. (pass or passes)
_______________________________________________________
g. (passed) ________________________________________________________

3. must is a modal. Use modals with base form verbs (but NOT with infinitives!)
“Must” means It is necessary or essential.
Examples:
a. We must pick ourselves up. We must dust ourselves off. We must begin again.
b. I must learn English grammar before I can speak the language well.

YOUR TURN What is essential or necessary for you to do? Answer with MUST.

______________________________________________________________________


2
VOCABULARY

Find words in the story and fill in the blanks with the word (using good grammar – nouns, verbs, adjectives).

1. I don’t want to go back to China. I want to ________________ here.

2. He is a rich man. He is ____________________.

3. May went to the market, did her laundry, and cooked lunch – all before noon. She was very _____________________________ .

4. The economy is bad. People have lost their jobs. There is a _____________ in the country.

5. She always has new and good ideas. She’s very creative and _______________ .

6. All the merchandise they sell comes from China. I like their ________________ .

7. The hotel provides meals in your room (room service), does your laundry, and shines your shoes. We like their ______________________ .

8. We are able to do a lot of things. We even have the _________________ to do more.

9. I believe as I have always believed. I’m going to do as I have always done. I’m not going to change and do something else. I’m going to __________________ .

10. Some streets are wide and others are ______________________. (So are shoes.)

11. There is no question that I will come to your party. I will ____________ be there.

12. She fell down but wasn’t really hurt, so she ______________ herself ______
and walked home.

13. He fell down and got his clothes dirty. He then stood up and ____________
himself _______.

14. You can make yourself a better person. You can redo your image so people see
you differently. You can ___________ yourself.



15. Prefix “un” means NOT and makes the adjective negative
undiminished unpleasant unnecessary
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3


CONVERSATION (Please talk to your partner first. Then write your answers in complete sentences.)

1. What is the President’s full name? ____________________________________

2. What’s his wife’s name? ___________________________________________

3. In the picture, why is he raising his right hand? ________________________________________________________________

4. What is he doing with his left hand? ________________________________________________________________

5. This is an excerpt from what speech? ________________________________________________________________

6. When did he give this speech? ________________________________________________________________

7. Where did he give this speech? ________________________________________________________________

8. Why did he give this speech? ________________________________________________________________

9. Why did President Obama say, “We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off,
and begin again the work of remaking America”?

The He-Toad and the She-Toad

A tree toad loved a she-toad
who lived up in a tree.
He was a two-toed tree toad,
but a three-toed toad was she.
The two-toed tree toad tried to win
the three-toed she-toad's heart,
For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground
That the three-toed tree toad trod. (1)

But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. (2)
He couldn't please her whim. (3)
From her tree toad bower (4)
With her three-toed power,
The she-toad vetoed him. (5)
_______________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY
a tree toad = any frog that spends a major portion of its life in a tree
(Toads usually have 4 front toes, and 5 back toes.)

1. trod (v) = past tense of tread [pronounced like “red”]
The two-toed tree toad loved the ground that the three-toed tree toad trod.
(a) drove
(b) jumped
(c) walked on, walked over, or walked along.

We often say that when someone is in love, he loves the ground his lover (she) walks on.

2. tried in vain = to try but end in failure
For example: He looked for her in vain but he never found her.
(a) in the closet
(b) without success; ending in failure
(c) win the lotto

3. whim (n) = a sudden desire (She had a sudden whim to take a midnight walk.
They went to Hawaii on a whim.)

“He couldn’t please her whim.”
(a) She kept changing her mind.
(b) He was not happy with her.
(c) She had another frog friend.

3. bower (n) = She looked at the he-toad from her bower
(a) a pretty flower
(b) a shaded leafy place
(d) water

4. vetoed (v) = past tense of to veto
(a) rejected; said “no”
(b) voted
(c) cut her toe

GRAMMAR

1. Notice when you tell about something, you start with “a” .
A tree toad loved a she toad.

2. Then you can say “He” or “She” or “The” (“It”).
He was a two-toed tree toad.
The two-toed tree toad loved the ground she walked on.

When you tell about something. You start with “A”.
For example: a. I have a sister. She lives in Hong Kong.
b. We went to a movie. It was good.
c. She saw a house she wanted to buy, but the house was too expensive.
YOUR TURN: d. (Write a sentence with “a” )
_______________________________________________________________________

e. (Tell me more about “d” above.)
________________________________________________________________________


CONVERSATION

1. What is this poem about?
________________________________________________________________________

2. How did the story end?


3. Who do you think is more powerful in love, a man or a woman? Tell me why.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Gati©2009

The Stolen Car

Mr. Smith left his car outside his apartment one night, as usual; but when he came down the next morning to go to his office, he discovered that the car wasn’t there. He called the police and told them what had happened, and they said that they would try to find the car.
When Mr. Smith came home from his office that evening, the car was back again in its usual place in front of his house. He examined it carefully to see whether it had been damaged and found two theater tickets on one of the seats and a letter which said:
“We’re very sorry. We took your car because of an emergency.”
Mr. And Mrs. Smith went to the theater with the two tickets the next night and enjoyed themselves very much. When they got home, they found that the thieves had taken almost everything that they had had in their apartment.

CHINESE PROVERB (saying): Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
VOCABULARY
Choose the meanings of the words. Then try using the words in your own sentences.
1. .as usual (He left his car outside his apartment, as usual.)
a. sometimes b. never c. usually
YOUR TURN ______________________________________________________
2. came down v. (When he came down, he discovered the car wasn’t there.
3. discovered v. (He discovered that the car wasn’t there.)
a. noticed or learned b. .took a picture c. drove the car awa
4. examined v. (He examined it carefully.)
a. went to the doctor for a check-up b. picked it up c. observed carefully; inspected
5. damaged adj. (Had it been damaged?)
a. hurt b. touched c. painted

GRAMMAR
1. Prepositional phrases (preposition + object) How many can you find in the story?
a. outside his apartment..
b. down the next morning.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
2. Reflexive pronouns.
Myself Yourself Himself /Herself/ Itself Ourselves Yourselves Themselves
Use these words only when the subject refers back to itself. For example:
a. I never have any help when I do my homework. I always do it myself.
b. She lives by herself. (She lives alone. No one lives with her.)
c. They built their home themselves. (No one helped them.)
YOUR TURN Write 2 sentences, one singular and one plural.
a. __________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________


3. PAST PERFECT TENSE (HAD + past participle)
There are two past actions. Circle which past action happened first.
a. He told them what had happened.
b. He examined the car to see what had been damaged.
c. When they got home, they found the thieves had taken everything.
d. Everything that they had had in their apartment was gone.
YOUR TURN Underline the past perfect verbs. Then circle the first past action.
e. He had never seen an elephant until he went to the zoo.
f. I had eaten already, so I wasn’t hungry.
g. She hadn’t ever been to an American wedding until her sister got married.
f. ____________________________________________________________
CONVERSATION (Talk to your partner and then write the answer to the questions in complete sentences.)
1. What happened to Mr. Smith’s car? What did Mr. Smith do about it?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Who returned the car and what did they leave for the Smiths?

3. What did Mr. Smith find on one of the seats in the car?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. What do you think the Chinese proverb means and what life lesson can you learn from this story?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
sgati©2009

The Train Trip

Six people were traveling in a compartment on a train. Five of them were quiet and well-behaved, but the sixth was a rude young man who was causing a lot of trouble to the other passengers.
Finally this young man took his two heavy bags and got out at a station. None of the passengers helped him, but one of them waited until the rude young man was very far away. He then opened the window and shouted to him, “You left something behind in the compartment!” Then he closed the window again.
The young man turned around and hurried back with his two bags. He was very tired when he arrived, but he shouted through the window, “What did I leave behind?”
As the train began to move again, the passenger who had called him back, opened the window and said, “a very bad impression!.”
VOCABULARY (Choose the correct answer.)
1. a compartment n. (Six people were traveling in a compartment on a train.)
a. a kitchen b. A separate room, section, or chamber c. an automobile
2. well-behaved adj. (Five of them were quiet and well-behaved.
a. rude b. polite c. nice-looking
3. bags n. (He got out with his two heavy bags.)
a. boxes b. notebooks c. luggage
4. impression n. (You left a very bad impression.)
a. An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of an experience
b. Finger prints
c. A flower garden
5. What are the opposites of these words? Look at the story and write the words.
a. noisy (adj.) ____________________
b. polite (adj.) ____________________
c. shut (v.) ____________________
d. light (adj.) ____________________
e. near (preposition) ____________________
f. opened (v.) ____________________
g. whispered (v.) ____________________

GRAMMAR
The verb to be can be used with ING verbs
For example: I am studying now. (present continuous tense)
Yesterday I was doing my homework when the telephone rang. (past continuous)
1. What past continuous verbs are used in this story? a________________________________ b.______________________________________
YOUR TURN:
a. Please write a present continuous sentence.
_____________________________________________________________________
b. a past continuous verb
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Please circle and number the 17 past tense verbs in the story.

3. PAST PERFECT TENSE
This is a past tense, but it is used when there are two past actions, one happened before the other. The first action is the PAST PERFECT. For example:
a. As the train began to move again, the passenger who had called him back, opened the window and said, “a very bad impression!.”
b. I hadn’t seen my friend for two years. Then I saw him when he came to San Francisco on vacation. [PAST PERFECT is used when you know the past story.]
YOUR TURN. Try to write a PAST PERFECT sentence.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





CONVERSATION (Talk to your partner and then write complete sentences for your answers.)
1. How many people were traveling in the same compartment on the train?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How was the sixth passenger different from the other five?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. What did the young man leave behind?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think the man who shouted from the window did the right thing? Please explain why or why not? What would you have done?



sgati©2009

The Second-Hand Store

Jim walked into a store that had a sign outside: SECOND-HAND CLOTHES BOUGHT AND SOLD. He was carrying an old pair of pants and asked the owner of the store, “How much will you give me for these?
The man looked at them and then said rudely, “Two dollars.”
“What!” said Jim. “I had guessed they were worth at least five.”
“No,” said the man. “They aren’t worth a penny more than two dollars.”
“Are you sure?” asked Jim.
“Very sure,” said the man.
“Well,” said Jim, taking two dollars out of his pocket. “Here’s your money. These pants were hanging outside your store with a price tag that said $6.50, but I thought that was too much money, so I wanted to make sure how much they were really worth.”
Then he walked out of the store with the pair of pants and disappeared before the surprised store owner could think of anything to say. A SAYING: HE,WHO LAUGHS LAST LAUGHS BEST.
VOCABULARY
1. second-hand adj. [second-hand clothes]
(a) use both hands
(b) used
(c) inexpensive
2. sign n. [A store had a sign outside.]
(a) to write your signature
(b) stop
(c) a display to identify or advertise a place of business or a product
3. rude adj. (He’s a rude man.)
(a) insulting, bad-mannered, impolite
(b) bright red
(c) a long road

( rudely adverb The man spoke rudely.
The man rudely said, “Get out of here.”)
4. guess v. (I had guessed they were worth at least five dollars.)
(a) to be certain or to be sure
(b) to be uncertain or not to know for sure
(c) to be a visitor in someone’s house

5. a price tag n. (The price tag said $6.50.)
(a) the store name (b) a piece of paper telling the customer how much the merchandise is. (c) the name of the manufacturer

GRAMMAR
1. Circle and number all 18 past tense-verbs in this anecdote.
2. What are the two past continuous verbs?
a. ____________________________
b. ____________________________
3. There’s one future-tense verb. What is it? ___________________________
4, There’s one past-perfect tense verb. What is it? _______________________
5. What are the three present-tense verbs (all be verbs)
a. ____________________________
b. ____________________________
c. ____________________________
6. There’s one modal and a base form. What is this verb? ________________
7. WANT + infinitive (I wanted to make sure how much they were really worth.)
a. We want to go to a restaurant.
b. The bus driver always wants to see our transfers.
YOUR TURN: . Write a sentence using WANT + infinitive
c. _________________________________________________________
8. too + adjective (This structure gives a MORE THAN, negative idea)
Examples: a. I thought that was too much money.
b. $500 is too much money to spend for a sofa.
c. These pants are too tight for me.
d. too hot
too cold
too tired
too big
YOUR TURN: Write a sentence using too + an adjective.
e. _____________________________________________________________________

9. Find the adjectives for these nouns.
a. ____ ______________ store
b. ___________________ clothes
c. ____ ___________ pair
d. ___________________ pants
e. _____ _____________ tag
10. to be worth (some amount of ) money
a. I had guessed they were worth at least five dollars.
b. How much is your car worth? It’s worth $7000. (singular)
c. How much are these recycled bottles worth? They’re worth 5¢ each.
Read and practice this dialogue:
A: How much is your car worth?
B: I bought it for $15,000.
A: How much is it worth now?
B: It’s only worth $7000.
A: Cars depreciate, and they’re worth much less after you buy them.
B: I know. My car doesn’t run, so it’s not worth a penny. It’s worthless.
YOUR TURN: Write a sentence using be + worth or negative be + worth. examples:
(singular - TV, house, this book, my old typewriter/computer, my used car, my gold ring, this second-hand chair , ______________)
a. ___________________________________________________________________
(plural – these old clothes, these coins, these second-hand pants, ___________________)
b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Put these nouns in the MUCH or MANY column:
clothes, rice, people, music, bad economic news, men, children, coffee, homework
(You can use TOO with MUCH or MANY if you want.)
MUCH + a non-count noun (negative) MANY + plural count noun
_________________________ ________________________
_________________________ ________________________
_________________________ ________________________
12. YOUR TURN: Write three sentences using MUCH and MANY + nouns
a. _______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________

[* a lot of and some can be used for non-count and count nouns.]






PASSIVE VOICE
SECOND-HAND CLOTHES BOUGHT AND SOLD. Second-hand clothes are bought and sold (by the storeowner).
ACTIVE VOICE
The owner buys and sells second-hand clothes.
1 2 3 4 5
infinitive present tense past tense present perfect tense past perfect tense passive voice
(has/have + past participle) (had + past participle) (be + past participle)
1. to buy buy/s bought has/have brought had brought is/are/was/were brought
1. I always buy mushrooms at Safeway.
2. I bought mushrooms at Safeway last week.
3. I have already bought mushrooms for dinner.
4. My husband went shopping and bought mushrooms, but I had already bought mushrooms. I told him to ask me before he goes shopping next time.
5. Mushrooms were bought by my husband.



2. to sell ___________ ___________ ______________ _____________ _______________________

Write an ACTIVE SENTENCE using the verb sell (subject, verb, object) in any tense.

Now, write the same sentence in PASSIVE VOICE using the verb sell ( subject and verb NO OBJECT) in any tense.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. to kill ___________ ___________ ______________ _____________ _______________________
Write an ACTIVE SENTENCE using the verb kill (subject, verb, object) in any tense.

Now, write the same sentence in PASSIVE VOICE using the verb kill ( subject and verb NO OBJECT) in any tense.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. to take (something) ___________ ___________ ______________ _____________ _______________

Write an ACTIVE SENTENCE using the verb take (subject, verb, object) in any tense.

Now, write the same sentence in PASSIVE VOICE using the verb take ( subject and verb NO OBJECT) in any tense.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CONVERSATION Talk to your partner and then write your answers in complete sentences.
1. What was the man’s name in the anecdote (short funny story)? ________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What kind of store did Jim go into?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Did Jim want to buy or sell the pants?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the opposite of “rude”? and Who spoke rudely?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
How much were the pants, according to the price tag?

5. How much did Jim pay the storeowner for the pants?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Who had the last laugh? And why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________ sgati©2009

The Cleverest Son

Once there lived an old man who had three sons. When he grew old and ill and knew that he would soon die, he called all three sons into his room.
He said, “There is no way I can divide the house and farm to support all three of you. The one who proves himself the cleverest will inherit the house and farm. There is a coin on the table for each of you. The one who can buy something that will fill this room will inherit all I own.
The eldest son took his coin, went straight to the marketplace, and filled his wagon full of straw.
The second [middle] son thought a bit longer then also went to the marketplace where he bought sacks and sacks of feathers.
The youngest son thought and then quietly went to a little shop. He bought two small things and tucked them into his pocket.

That night, the father called them in to show what they had bought. The eldest son spread his straw all over the floor, but it filled only one part of the room.
The second son dumped out his sacks of feathers, but they filled only two corners of the room.
Then the youngest son smiled, pulled the two small things out of his pocket, and they soon filled the room.
“Yes,” said the father. “You are the cleverest and have filled my room when others could not. You shall inherit my house and farm.”

QUESTION: What had the youngest son bought, and with what did he fill the room?
ANSWER: He had bought a match and a candle, and they filled the room with light.

VOCABULARY
1. called v. past tense (He called all three sons into his room.)
a. phoned them b. asked them to come into his room c. scolded his sons
2. inherit v. (The one who proves himself the cleverest will inherit the house and farm.)
a. receive the money and/or items of a person (usually a relative) who dies
b. put something inside here
c. sew her clothes
3. the eldest (son) adjective (The eldest son took his coin.)
a. the tallest b. the thinnest c. the oldest
4. tucked v. past tense (He bought two small things and tucked them into his pocket.)
a. inserted b. took c. hid

GRAMMAR
Who clauses Example sentences:
1. An old man who had three sons lived a long time ago.
2. The one who proves himself the cleverest will inherit the house and farm.
3. The one who can buy something that will fill this room will inherit all I own.
4. My husband is the one who earns the money in our family.
5. Her children are the ones who play video games all evening.
YOUR TURN Write two sentences.
6. (the one who) ________________________________________________________
7. (the ones who) ________________________________________________________

8. Find all the future tense verbs. (will or shall + base form of the verb)
a. b. c.
YOUR TURN Write a sentence using a future tense verb.
________________________________________________________________________
9. What does would mean in this clause?
When he grew old and ill and knew that he would soon die . . .
Has he died yet? ____yes ____no
YOUR TURN Please finish these sentences and recall some of your past life.
a. When I was young, I would ______________________________________________
b. When my parents told me to do homework, I would ___________________________
c. On the weekends when I was in _____________(home country), I would _________ ________________________________________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________________________________
10. Circle all the past-tense verbs in the story. How many can you find?

11. Superlatives
Find the three superlatives used in the story. Then tell the adjective that they come from.
a. ________________________ _____________________
b. ________________________ _____________________
c. ________________________ ______________________
one-syllable adjective
big bigger than the biggest I ate the biggest bowl of rice.
two-syllable adjective or adjectives ending in “y”
heavy heavier than the heaviest She picked up the heaviest piece of luggage.
Three or more-syllable adjective
Interesting more interesting than the most interesting
Last night I saw the most interesting TV program.
YOUR TURN Please write your own sentence using the superlative with a noun.
12._____________________________________________________________________

Try writing a superlative without the noun -- the biggest. For example:
There were three books in the store that I liked, and I bought the cheapest.
the least/most expensive.
13. ____________________________________________________________________






CONVERSATION Please talk to a partner and then write complete sentences.
1. How many daughters did the old man have? ___________________________
2. What did the father want to give his sons and why?

3. What was the father’s plan?

4. What did the eldest son buy?

5. What did the middle son buy?

6. What did the youngest son buy?
7. Who inherited the father’s property? Why did he inherit everything? __________________________________________________________________
8. What would you have done if your father had presented you with this same problem? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gati©2009