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

Silver Bells

1.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style.
In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas.
Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile,
And on every street corner you hear:

chorus
Silver bells, silver bells.
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring.
Soon it will be Christmas day.

2.
Strings of street lights, even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures.
Hear the snow crunch. See the kids bunch.
This is Santa’s big scene.
And above all this bustle you hear.

chorus
Silver bells, silver bells.
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring.
Soon it will be Christmas day.

VOCABULARY
1. When is Christmas Day? _____________________

2. There are two verses and one chorus in this Christmas song.
In the first verse, two words rhyme.
a. What word rhymes with “style”? ____________________

What words rhyme in the second verse?
b. _____________ rhymes with “green.
c. _____________ rhymes with “bunch”

In the chorus, there’s only one rhyme.
d. What words rhyme? _______ and _________
What’s another word that you can think of that rhymes with “d”? __________

3. What are the colors of Christmas? ___________ and ______________

4. The street lights “blink”. What does “blink” mean? ______________________
5. What does “Hear the snow crunch” mean?
_______________________________________________________________
6. What does it mean when it says, “See the kids bunch”?
________________________________________________________________
7. What’s a synonym for a “stop light”? ________________________________
8. Who is Santa? __________________________________________________

9. What does “bustle” mean? _____________________________________

GRAMMAR

There is a There’s a feeling of Christmas in the air.
1. What is the singular subject that goes with “is”? __________
2. Write your own “There is” sentence.
_______________________________________________________________________

There are There are Christmas lights everywhere.
What is the plural subject that goes with “are”? __________
4. Write your own “There are” sentence.
___________________________________________________

One rule. . . whatever subject is closest to THERE, determines the IS or ARE.
For example, There is a pencil and some pens on the desk.
There are some pens and a pencil on the desk.

You write two sentences like the examples above.
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Teacher Held World Record

Edna Parker, 1893-2008

VOCABULARY
1. certified a. officially recognized b. jailed c. insured

2. a nursing home
a. a hospital
b. a huge house
c. a place where people live who need constant care

3. centenarian
a. a pet doctor b. a 100-year-0ld person c. 100 cents

4. childhood sweetheart
a. a boyfriend or girlfriend you had when you were very young
b. a valentine
c. a husband or wife

5. hired hands
a. dirty fingers
b. employees on a farm
c. factory workers

6. chores a. breakfast b. shouting c. household jobs

7. outlived (past tense)
a. lived longer than others b. lived outside c. died

8. survivors
a. pizza
b. a small portion of food
c. family members who live after the person dies

9. the meeting “took place” a. was at b. sat down c. led

10. lofty age a. left turn b. very old c. young

11. move in with “relatives”
a. family members b. friends c. teachers

12. “convalescent” center
a. a place to recover, for people who need constant care, before going back home
b. b. a cemetery
c. c. a school

13. a “fellow” resident
a. an apartment house
b. a person who lives in the same place
c. a saleswoman

14. Guinness World Records
a. the world series
b. a book that lists things or people that are the biggest/the longest/the strangest/
. . . that did the most unusual things in the world
c. music Cds

15. another “feat”
a. your other foot
b. something else you are able to do
c. a pair of shoes

16. aggregate age
a. the combined number b. a young person c. an old person

17. commended (past tense) a. remembered b. praised c. forgotten

18. starch
a. food such as rice or potatoes
b. soap to wash clothes
c. a strong smell

19. lard a. fat from pork b. to give money c. a lovely dinner

20. quipped (past tense)
a. put on a costume b. said as a joke c. questioned

21. her diet a. weight loss b. coke c. the food she eats

22. credited (past tense)
a. gave money b. got a loan c. gave the reason for

23. longevity a. a long life b. a long road c. a long time

24. retained a. returned b. threw out c. kept

25. a sense of humor
a. the ability to smell
b. the ability to make people laugh
c. the ability to sense danger

26. evident a. doubtful b. finished c. obvious
GRAMMAR
SUPERLATIVES are comparisons that use “THE” plus an adjective + EST
e.g. He is THE BEST dancer in the show.
She is THE PRETTIEST girl in the class.
This is THE MOST EXPENSIVE dress I have ever bought.

1. Can you find 7 superlatives in the article?
A .___________________________________________________________________
B .___________________________________________________________________
C .___________________________________________________________________
D .___________________________________________________________________
E .___________________________________________________________________
F .___________________________________________________________________
G .___________________________________________________________________

Now you write a sentence using ANOTHER superlative. (Don’t use any superlative that is an example or A-G.)

H .___________________________________________________________________

2. The verbs in this article are mainly in the past tense.
How many can you find? ______
How many present-tense verbs can you find? ________
How many verbs use modals? _________
How many future tenses can you find? ___________

CONVERSATION
Talk to your partner. Then write your answers in complete sentences.
1. Who was Edna Parker? _____________________________________________

2. Where did she live? ______________________________________________

3. How old was she when she died? _______________________________________

4. What are “supercentenarians?” ________________________________________

5. How many children did she have? Tell me about her family? Who are her survivors?

6. Benjamin Franklin said, “EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE, MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE.” What do you think this saying means?





________________________________________________________________________

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Defined - Thanksgiving: thanks-giv-ing (thanks'giv'ing) n. 1. a) a giving of thanks b) an expression of this; esp., a formal, public expression of thanks to God 2. [T-] a) a U.S. holiday on the fourth Thursday of November: it commemorates the Pilgrims' celebration of the good harvest of 1621 b) a similar Canadian holiday on the second Monday of October .

A Brief History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States. It is celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday in November. On this day, families gather together, and many people say prayers of thanks for the year’s blessings. In many homes, a big dinner of roast turkey and dressing is served. Thanksgiving is traditionally a harvest festival. Similar festivals are celebrated in many parts of the world to give thanks after the year’s crops have been safely harvested.
A small ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620. The passengers spent 66 days in the hold of the ship arriving on November 21.

Most of them were Puritans who had been persecuted for their religious beliefs in England. One month later, on December 26, all 102 passengers set foot on land and began to establish the colony of Plymouth. The Pilgrims, as these people came to be called, had borrowed money from a group of English merchants to cross the Atlantic Ocean. They planned to start a settlement in the Virginia Colony in America, but during the long voyage, storms blew their crowded little vessel off course.

After sailing for more than two months, the Mayflower finally reached land near what is now Provincetown on Cape Cod. This part of the American coast, called New England, had been explored several years earlier by an Englishman named Capt. John Smith. The Pilgrims followed Smith's maps and sailed across Cape Cod Bay to the mainland coast of Massachusetts.
They founded the Colony of Plymouth in December 1620. Most of the Pilgrims had suffered terribly from the long voyage. They immediately began to build shelters, but soon they were overcome by a general sickness. Through the course of the winter 46 died, nearly half their original number. Some who became ill on the voyage and who were too sick to be moved stayed on the Mayflower, which was anchored in Plymouth Harbor for the winter.

The Mayflower had been a cargo ship and had to be refitted to handle the Pilgrim passengers. It had three masts and a double deck. No one is sure of what happened to the original Mayflower after it returned to England the following April. A replica of the original Mayflower was built in England in the mid-1950's. This ship, Mayflower II, sailed across the Atlantic in 1957 to commemorate the Pilgrims’ voyage. It is now anchored in Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts.
The first American Thanksgiving probably took place in New England. It was celebrated by the Pilgrim settlers, who established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts in 1620. The Pilgrims had struggled bravely through a grim winter with a great deal of sickness and very little food.
The following spring, friendly Indians helped the settlers plant corn; and in the autumn, the first crop was harvested. Governor William Bradford proclaimed three days of prayer and thanksgiving. The Pilgrims gave a huge feast and invited the Indian Chief, Massosoit, and 90 of his people.

The custom of observing a special harvest thanksgiving day spread throughout the other colonies in the following years. After the American Revolution, the various states continued the custom, each one naming its own day for giving thanks. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday in November. The present date was established by Congress in 1941.
http://www.celebratelove.com/thanxhistory.htm

VOCABULARY

1. A brief history -- “brief” means a. long b. short c. interesting
2. “national” is a word that refers to a. the world b. the state c. the nation/country
3. “blessings” are
a. good luck b. good food c. good things you have or have gotten
4. “dressing” (as used in this reading) means
a. clothing b. dresses
c. a side dish (food) usually made from bread and herbs and baked in the oven
5. “traditions” are
a. things that people in the culture consider important and that they do year after year
b. something new we do c. something we trade for something else
6. a “harvest” is a. a time when food is picked from trees or taken from the ground
b. a big supermarket c. a big university
7. “in the hold of a ship” “in the hold” is
a. in a jail
b. the space in a ship below the lower deck, in which cargo is stowed [put] c. the lifeboats of a ship
8. “Puritans” were a small sect [group] of Protestants [Christians] who were “persecuted” [didn’t feel they could practice their religion freely]
9. What’s a synonym for “vessel” in this reading?
a. a dish b. a ship c. a part of the body that blood flows through
10. a “colony” was a settlement where the people came to live
11. “shelters” are a. places to live b. cars c. trees
12. a “replica” is a. a copy of something b. something to eat c. an answer to someone
13. “to commemorate the Pilgrims’ voyage” is
a. to remember the trip b. to write about the trip c. to stop the trip
A PILGRIM is a person who goes on a pilgrimage. A “pilgrimage” is a trip someone takes usually for religious reasons.
14. the “settlers” means a. people who make a place their home
b. Indians c. businessmen
15. “a grim winter” “grim” means a. good b. difficult/terrible c. hot
16. “a great deal” means a. a bargain b. a big purchase c. a lot of
17. a “custom” is a. something we do very rarely b. something we never do
c. something special we do in our culture; a holiday tradition

CONVERSATION
[First give short answers to your partner. Then write your answers in complete sentences.]

1. When do we celebrate Thanksgiving? ____________________________________
2. What do we call the people who came to this country who were looking for religious freedom? _____________________________________________________________
3. How long were these people on the ship called the Mayflower.

4. Where did they land? a. on the west coast in California b. on the east coast in New England c. in the south in Florida

5. What did they call the colony they settled in? ________________________________________________________________________
6. What year did they come here? ___________________________________________
7. What does “give thanks” mean? _________________________________________
8. How do you give thanks for the things you have?
_______________________________________________________________________

The Miser

Once there was a man who loved money more than anything else in the world. He hated spending it and was also afraid of losing it or having it stolen by thieves. One day he decided to change all his money into gold, but he was so afraid that somebody would find it that he buried it in his yard.
Every two or three days he would go out to his yard and dig up the gold so he could look at it. Then he would bury it again because he never intended to spend it. One day he came out to the yard and discovered that somebody had learned about his secret and had dug it up. His gold was gone and the hole was empty.
He moaned and groaned and began to tear his hair. A neighbor, seeing that he was overcome with grief came over and said, “You really haven’t lost anything. Why don’t you just bury a big rock and pretend it is gold? Since you never planned to spend it anyway, the rock will be as good as gold for you, and you can dig it up and bury it any time you want to.”
VOCABULARY
1. What is the definition of “a miser”?
A “miser” is a person who ________________________________________________.
2. Please pronounce these words with the sound of “ise” or “ize”
a. a high-rise building
b. a big prize
c. What size do you wear?
c. a wise woman
d. He’s a miserly man
3. f v + es

thief thieves
leaf leaves
knife knives
life lives
wife wives
half halves
self selves
shelf shelves
wolf wolves
but belief beliefs
chief chiefs

a. I thought I saw a thief steel the money. The police found two thieves.
Choose two singular “f” words and write a sentence with the singular and another sentence with the plural for both.
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________________________
e. _______________________________________________________________
4. “to moan” is a verb. “to groan” is also a verb. Let’s hear you moan and groan.

5. He “began to tear his hair.” means
a. He got a haircut. b. He was very angry. c. He cried.
6. “He was overcome with grief.”
a. He was extremely sad. b. He came over and cried. c. He hates to be sad.

GRAMMAR
1. MORE THAN used with a noun or pronoun.
“He loved money more than anything else in the world.”
a. I love you more than anyone else in the world.
b. He ate more food than anyone else at the party.
c. He drank more [wine, beer, alcohol] than he should have.
d. I did more homework last night than I have done all semester.
Can you write a sentence with MORE THAN and a NOUN or PRONOUN
e. _______________________________________________________________
2. HATE and LOVE and LIKE and ENJOY
“He hated spending it.” [You can say, “He hated to spend it. or
She loves to spend her money on shoes.]
BUT. . . when LIKE or LOVE means ENJOY, use ____ING
a. I love eating chocolate.
b. I like studying English.
c. He enjoys reading.
d. My nephew hates doing his homework.
Please try to write a sentence with HATE and another with LOVE/LIKE/ or ENJOY.
e. _______________________________________________________________
f. _______________________________________________________________

3. SO + adjective (or adverb) + THAT clause
“He was so afraid (that) somebody would find it that he buried it in his yard.”
a. I was so tired that I couldn’t eat dinner.
b. The bus was so late that she decided to walk to school.
c. My friend walked so slowly that she missed thee bus.
Please try writing your own example:
d. _______________________________________________________________
4. ANYTHING, ANYWAY, ANY used with NEGATIVE ideas
“You really haven’t lost anything.”
“Since you never planned to spend it anyway.
a. I don’t have any sisters./ money. (plural or non-count nouns)
b. He doesn’t know anything about it.
Now, you try writing two sentences using ANYTHING, ANYWAY, or ANY
c. _______________________________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________________________
5. ANY TIME, ANY PLACE ANYWHERE, ANYONE
“You can bury it any time you want to.”
You try writing sentences using all four words from above.
a. ANY TIME ____________________________________________________
b. ANY PLACE _______________________________________________________
c. ANYWHERE ___________________________________________________
d. ANYONE _______________________________________________________
6. AS (ADJECTIVE) /or adverb AS means something is the same as the other thing
“as good as gold” “The rock will be as good as gold.”
a. as tall as He is as tall as his father.
b. as hungry as I am as hungry as a wolf.
c. as well as He drives as well as I do.
d. as slowly as He walks as slowly as a tortoise
Now, you write a sentence using as ________ as
e. _______________________________________________________________
7. Give me some advice like this: “Why don’t you just bury a big rock?
a. Why don’t you write a letter to your mom? b. Why don’t you get up earlier?
c. ________________________________________________________________
8. How many past-tense verbs can you find? (simple past, present perfect, past perfect)
Subjects verbs (infinitive)
1. a man was to be
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.

9. What verbs are used with MODALS
Subjects verbs (infinitive)
a.
b.
c.
d.

CONVERSATION Work with a partner and talk about the answers to these questions.
a. Who are the characters in this story?
b. What did the man bury? and why?
c. What advice did the neighbor give the miser?
d. What does “the rock will be as good as gold for you.” mean? ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse

One day, the city mouse went to visit his country cousin. The country mouse was very pleased to have his city cousin visit, and he gave his cousin the very best food – beans, cheese, and bread. But the city cousin turned up her nose and said, “My poor cousin, how simply you eat and live! Come to the city with me to see the good life.” So the two of them set off for the bright lights of the city.
They arrived in the evening, and immediately the city mouse took her country cousin to the dining room in the big house where she lived.
The room was empty, but the table was loaded with leftovers. The two
mice busily sampled the cakes and jam and all the other fine food.
Suddenly as they were eating, the door opened and in came the servants to clear the tables. With them came two huge dogs to eat the scraps. The mice barely escaped through a hole in the wall. The country mouse immediately asked his city cousin to show him the way home.
“Why are you going home so soon? asked the city mouse.
The country mouse answered, “Beans and bread in peace are better than cake and wine in fear.”
VOCABULARY
1. What’s the plural of “mouse”? _________________
2. “The city mouse went to visit his country cousin.” “country” means
a. a nation b. rural area; countryside c. the city
3. “The country mouse was very pleased. “pleased” means
a. pretty b. said “Please.” c. happy
4. “the city mouse turned up her nose. . .” “turned up her nose” means
a. smiled b. showed that she didn’t like something c. blew her nose
5. “the good life” means
a. poverty b. comfortable living c. good friends
6. “set off for the bright lights of the city.” “set off” means
a. began a journey b. turned off the lights c. sat down
7. “loaded with leftovers” “loaded” means
a. not very much b. loud c. filled with
8. “leftovers” means
a. lots of food
b. the food that remains after you’ve eaten
c. the best food
8. “to eat the scraps” “scraps” means a. leftovers b. the best food c. bread
9. “barely escaped”
a. almost didn’t; hardly; scarcely b. left with no clothes on c. left
GRAMMAR
1. “The country mouse was very pleased to have him visit.”
HAVE + PRONOUN/NOUN + BASE FORM OF THE VERB
e.g. a. Sally always has her students write sentences.
b. The candidates will have (or had) their supporters vote on November 4th.
Now, please write your own example of this grammatical construction.
c. _____________________________________________________
2. “how simply you eat and live”
ADVERBS MODIFY VERBS
e.g. a. She drives slowly. Her husband drives fast.
b. He writes beautifully.
c. She cooks very well.
d. The police carefully watched the criminals.
e Find three other adverbs used similarly in the story? Please write the sentence on the line. _______________________________________________
f. __________________________________________________________
g. ________________________________________________________ Now, please write your own sentence using an adverb modifying a verb.
h.


3. “How simply you eat and live!”
You can use HOW to show surprise. It is NOT a question, so the subject and verb are in regular order.
a. How nice you look.
b. How thin you are now!
Now, please write your own HOW sentence.
c. ______________________________________________________
4. “in the big house where she lived.”
WHERE can introduce a clause following a place.
WHERE is NOT a question word here.
a. I live in San Francisco where there are two beautiful bridges.
b. I’d like to go back to the place where I was born.
Now, please write your own sentence using a WHERE clause.
c. ___________________________________________________________
5. Write all the past tense verbs, the subjects and infinitives in this story (15)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.

CONVERSATION
1. Who are the characters in this story?

2. Which mouse visited the other mouse?
_____________________________________________________________
3. What food did the country mouse feed his city cousin?


4. What made the country mouse want to go home? _____________________________________________________________
5. What did the country mouse mean when he said, “Beans and bread in peace are better than cake and wine in fear.”
____________________________________________________________

The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg

One day a farmer was collecting eggs from the nests of his geese. In one of the nests, he found a heavy, yellow egg. He took it home and tried to break it open, but it wouldn’t break. He took it to the market where he learned that it was gold.
The next day, the same thing happened, but he observed very carefully and saw which goose had laid the egg. For the next several days, this wonderful goose continued to produce golden eggs; and the farmer sold them, becoming richer and richer.
However, as he steadily grew richer, he became greedier; and he thought that if he could get all the eggs inside the goose in one day, he could then retire and would never have to work again. So he killed the goose by opening it up, yet he found nothing.
The moral of this story is this: He who is greedy is never satisfied.
VOCABULARY
1. “he observed very carefully” “observed” means
a) watched b) listened c) killed

2. “For the next several days” “several” means
a) one more day b) three or four days c) seven days

3. “he steadily grew richer. . . .” “steadily” means
a) slowly b) quickly c) little by little

GRAMMAR

A. Find all the subjects and past-tense verbs. Then write the infinitives.
1. a farmer was collecting (past continuous) to collect
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
19.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.


B. Find any verbs that are used with modals (would, could, can, will, may, might, must or the negatives wouldn’t, couldn’t can’t won’t may not, might not, must not)

1.
2.
3.
4.



C. There is one sentence that uses the past perfect tense:
“The next day, the same thing happened, but he observed very carefully and saw which goose had laid the egg.



__________to lay__________________
present past present perfect past perfect
I lay laid have/has laid had laid
You lay
He/She/It lays
We lay
You lay
They lay

“ to lay” takes an object Look at these examples.

a. I always lay my keys on the table.
b. He laid his jacket on the bed.
c. That chicken has never laid a brown egg.

d. Please write your own sentence using lay.
__________________________________________________

past perfect tense
expresses an activity that was completed before a particular time in the past
e.g. I had eaten when Bob came.
1 2
two things happened in the past, one before the other.
the first one that happened is in the past perfect.

He saw the goose that had laid the golden egg.
2 1

e. Please try writing a sentence using the past perfect of any verb.

____________________________________________________

D. IF introduces conditional clauses [what would or could be possible.]
“If he could get all the eggs inside the goose in one day,
he could then retire and (he) would never have to work again.

f. Is there something your could do IF something else could or would be different?
If I could . . .
or
If my husband/wife/mother/sister etc. could ______, then what would or could happen?

Please write your own sentence:

E. “In one of the nests. . .” The prepositional phrase that follows ONE is always plural. For example One of the students, one of my books, one of her classes
and if these phrases are used as the subject of a sentence, such as this:
One (of the students) has a cold today.

Please write your own sentence using ONE and a phrase that follows.


F. Find all the descriptive adjectives in the story and tell what nouns they modify.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

CONVERSATION
1. What kind of eggs was the farmer collecting?
_______________________________________________________________

2. What was so unusual about one of the eggs?
_______________________________________________________________
3. What did the farmer do to get more eggs? and Why did he do this?
_______________________________________________________________
4. How would you describe this farmer?
_______________________________________________________________
5. What does “He who is greedy is never satisfied.” mean?

_______________________________________________________________

Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near a forest. Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One morning, Little Red Riding Hood asked her mother if she could go to visit her 1. grandmother as it had been awhile since they'd seen each other.

"That's a good idea," her mother said. So they packed a nice basket for Little Red Riding Hood to take to her grandmother.

When the basket was ready, the little girl put on her red cloak and kissed her mother good-bye.

"Remember, go straight to Grandma's house," her mother cautioned. "Don't
2. dawdle along the way and please don't talk to strangers! The woods are dangerous."

"Don't worry, Mommy," said Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll be careful."
But when Little Red Riding Hood noticed some lovely flowers in the woods, she 3. forgot her promise to her mother. She picked a few, watched the butterflies flit 4. about for awhile, listened to the frogs croaking and then picked a few more.

Little Red Riding Hood was enjoying the warm summer day so much, that she
5. didn't notice a dark shadow approaching out of the forest behind her...
Suddenly, the wolf appeared beside her.

"What are you doing out here, little girl?" the wolf asked in a voice as friendly as 6. he could muster.

"I'm on my way to see my grandma who lives through the forest, near the
7. brook," Little Red Riding Hood replied.

Then she realized how late it was and quickly excused herself, rushing down the 8. path to her grandma's house.

9. The wolf, in the meantime, took a shortcut...

10. The wolf, a little out of breath from running, arrived at Grandma's and knocked lightly at the door.

11. "Oh thank goodness, dear! Come in, come in! I was worried sick that something had happened to you in the forest," said Grandma thinking that the knock was her granddaughter.

12. The wolf let himself in. 13. Poor Granny did not have time to say another
14. word, before the wolf gobbled her up!

15. The wolf let out a satisfied burp, and then
16 . poked through Granny's 17. wardrobe to find a nightgown that he liked. He 17..added a frilly sleeping cap, and for good measure, 18. dabbed some of Granny's perfume behind his pointy ears.

A few minutes later, Red Riding Hood knocked on the door. The wolf jumped
20. into bed and pulled the covers over his nose. "Who is it?" he called in a cackly voice.

"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood."

"Oh how lovely! Do come in, my dear," croaked the wolf.

21. When Little Red Riding Hood entered the little cottage, she could scarcely recognize her grandmother.

22. "Grandmother! Your voice sounds so odd. Is something the matter?" she asked.

23. "Oh, I just have a touch of a cold," squeaked the wolf adding a cough at the 24. end to prove the point.

"But Grandmother! What big ears you have," said Little Red Riding Hood as she edged closer to the bed.

"The better to hear you with, my dear," replied the wolf.

"But Grandmother! What big eyes you have," said Little Red Riding Hood.

"The better to see you with, my dear," replied the wolf.

"But Grandmother! What big teeth you have," said Little Red Riding Hood her 25. voice quivering slightly.

26. "The better to eat you with, my dear," roared the wolf, and he leapt out of the bed and began to chase the little girl.

Almost too late, Little Red Riding Hood realized that the person in the bed was not her grandmother, but a hungry wolf.

She ran across the room and through the door, shouting, "Help! Wolf!" as loudly as she could.

27. A woodsman who was chopping logs nearby heard her cry and ran towards the cottage as fast as he could.

28. He grabbed the wolf and made him 29. spit out the poor grandmother who 30. was a bit frazzled by the whole experience, but still in one piece.

31. "Oh Grandma, I was so scared!" sobbed Little Red Riding Hood. "I'll never speak to strangers or dawdle in the forest again."

"There, there, child. You've learned an important lesson. Thank goodness you shouted loud enough for this kind woodsman to hear you!"

The woodsman knocked out the wolf and carried him deep into the forest where he wouldn't bother people any longer.

32. Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother had a nice lunch and a long chat.





VOCABULARY
1. awhile a. a short time b. a few weeks c. a long time

2. dawdle a. to walk in a line b. to stop and spend time wastefully c. to run away

3. flit about a. moved quickly from place to place b. landed on flowers c. flew

4. croaking a. eating b. jumping c. frog talk

5. shadow a. a reflected image b. an old man c. an animal

6. muster a. to shout b. to make happen c. to talk

7. brook a. a tree b. a big river c. a small stream

8. path a. a way or track to walk on b. a hike c. a forest

9. a shortcut a. a short haircut b. a quick way to get somewhere c. a small apple

10. “a little out of breath”
a. having bad breath b. having a difficult time c. very tired and breathing heavily

11. “thank goodness”
a. thank you b. another way to say “Thank God” c. thank Little Red Riding Hood

12. “The wolf let himself in.”
a. He opened the door himself. b. The grandmother opened the door.
c. Little Red Riding Hood opened the door.

13. “Poor Granny.”
a. Grandmother had no money b. We feel sorry for the grandmother
c. Grandmother’s first name is “Poor.”

14. “gobbled her up” a. made a turkey noise b. ate her up c. jumped on her

15. a burp
a. a big sneeze b. a big yawn c. a release of air making a sound from the mouth

16. “poked through” a. looked b. grabbed c. separated

17. wardrobe a. friends b. books c. clothes

18. frilly a. ornamental addition b. special c. ugly

19. “dabbed some perfume” a. bought b. put a small amount c. dropped
20. the covers a. sheets and blankets b. pillows c. hats

21. the little cottage a. a small house b. a small dog c. a small car

22. “odd” a. even b. different and strange c. low

23. “I just have a touch of a cold.”
a. I’m a little sick. b. I have the flu. c. Don’t touch me.

24. “to prove the point”
a. to point with your finger
b. to make certain you know why
c. to do a cross-word puzzle

25. quivering a. walking b. staying quiet c. shaking

26. leapt (leaped) a. lived b. jumped c. stayed

27. a woodsman
a. a wooden puppet b. a person who cuts trees c. a man who likes wooden furniture

28. grabbed a. ate him b. took him with his hands c. chopped his head off

29. “spit it out” a. to eject from the mouth b. to sit alone c. to go outside

30. frazzled a. freed b. frozen c. worn out or in a nervous condition

31. sobbed a. cried b. laughed c. yelled

32. a chat a. a computer b. a talk c. the Internet

GRAMMAR

When two people are talking, this is called a dialogue. Their real words are quoted.
For example,

a. Sally told her class, “Please sit down so we can talk. Take out your pens and pencils
and listen carefully.”
b. The class began on time. Then Sally said, “Don’t smoke and only eat healthy food.”

In the two sentences above, SIT DOWN, TAKE OUT, DON’T SMOKE and EAT are all commands – when someone tells others what to do.

In reporting these commands without quotation marks, the two sentences would read like this:

aa. Sally told her class TO SIT DOWN so they could talk. She told them TO TAKE OUT their pens and pencils and (TO) LISTEN carefully.

bb. Then Sally told them NOT TO SMOKE and TO ONLY EAT healthy food.

Find all the commands in the LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD story.
page 1 1. Go straight
2.
3.
4.
page 2 5.
page 3 6.
page 4 7.

Now you write these commands in reported speech. For example:

1. Little Red Riding Hood’s mother cautioned her daughter TO GO STRAIGHT to Grandma’s house.

2. __________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________________

6. __________________________________________________________________________

7. __________________________________________________________________________


8. From the story when Little Red Riding Hood is talking to the wolf, she uses a statement of surprise, GRANDMOTHER, WHAT BIG EARS YOU HAVE.
WHAT BIG EYES YOU HAVE.
WHAT BIG TEETH YOU HAVE.

Using WHAT with plural nouns is NOT a question, but a statement of fact, surprise, or a compliment.

You try to write a sentence using WHAT (+ plural noun).


9. Do the same with a singular noun, such as WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE this is.

You try writing a sentence with WHAT A (+ singular noun) .

_____________________________________________________________________________
10. Here’s a rule to follow when WRITING family member names.
Capitalize the family member names EXCEPT when they are preceeded by possessive adjectives.
Mother my mother
Father her father
Grandma your grandmother your grandma
Grandpa his grandfather his grandpa
Uncle Bob our uncle
Aunt Sue their aunt
Cousin Leonard my cousin

Example:
Mother came to visit last week. My mother came to visit last week.

You write two sentences like the example.



11. HOW late is it? “Then she realized HOW late it was.
If your sentence has a “WH” word in the middle, make certain your subject and verb are in regular order. WHAT time is it? I don’t know WHAT time it is.
WHO is she? I know WHO she is.
WHERE does he live? She doesn’t know WHERE he lives.

You write two sentences: One sentence, a question.


Second sentence using I know, I don’t know, I understand, I don’t understand and a WH word.

______________________________

CONVERSATION Talk to your partner. Then write your answers.

1. Who are the five characters in this story?


2. Where was Little Red Riding Hood going?


3. What did she take to her grandmother’s house?



4. What do you think was in the basket?


5. How did the wolf try to fool Little Red Riding Hood? What did he do to make her think that he was the grandmother? (Tell me at least three thing.)



6. Who saved Little Red Riding Hood?



7. What was the important lesson that Little Red Riding Hood learned?



8. Who can you trust?



Gati©2008
______________________________________________

The Fox and the Crow

One day a hungry fox was walking through the woods. He saw a crow sitting in a tree enjoying a tasty piece of cheese.
“Ah, my dear crow,” said the fox. “What a magnificent bird you are! I can see that your body is beautiful, your feathers are fine, and your color is wonderful. I only wish I could listen to your lovely voice.”
Hearing such talk, the crow felt very proud. She opened her mouth and cawed in her loudest voice. As she opened her mouth to sing, the cheese fell to the ground where the fox was waiting under the tree.
“You tricked me,” said the crow angrily.
“I did, indeed, silly crow. Thank you, thank you for this delicious cheese. You have the worst voice I’ve ever heard and you are the most stupid bird I’ve ever met. Remember something,” said the fox. “I said many things about your shiny feathers and your singing voice, but I never said anything about your brain.”
The moral of the story is this: Don’t trust flatterers.

VOCABULARY
1. “What a magnificent bird you are! “magnificent” means
a. wonderful b. marvelous c. beautiful

2. From this list of adjectives, what are the nouns?
a. happy happiness
b. proud ______________
c. beautiful ______________
d. shiny ______________
e. tasty ______________
f, silly ______________

3. “You tricked me.” “tricked” means
a. made me laugh b. fooled me c. told me the truth

4. “I did indeed. . . “ “indeed means
a. the right thing b. a funny thing c. for sure; certainly

5. “brain” is a synonym for what word? _____________________

6. What is a “flatterer”
a. someone with a flat head
b. someone who overpraises you
c. someone who is really fat

7. “trust” means a. to believe b. to trick c. to feel good

GRAMMAR

1. WISH + that clause with WOULD or COULD
or WOULD/COULD HAVE + past participle
[Don’t use WILL/WON’t or CAN/CAN’t.]
“I wish I could listen to your lovely voice.”
I wish that we could have gone to Disneyland.
Please write your own sentences
a. I wish______________________________________________________________

b. He wishes __________________________________________________________

c. When I was young, I wished ___________________________________________

2. WHAT A (noun). . . ! tells others your are excited about something.
“What a magnificent bird you are! Note the order of the subject and verb.
Try writing your own WHAT A . . . sentence.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Find all the ADJECTIVES used in this story and tell what NOUNS they modify.

article adjectives (the a)
1. the fox
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
descriptive adjectives
1. hungry fox
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those)

1.





possessive adjectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

SUPERLATIVES

12. a. single-syllable adjectives
loud soft big cold
add THE or possessive adjectives MY, YOUR, HIS, HER, OUR, THEIR

her loudest voice the softest bed the biggest ball the coldest weather

Please write your own sentence:


13. adjectives ending in “y”
add THE and change the “y” to “i” and add “est

the craziest man in town my happiest moment the laziest person in the class

Please write your own sentence:


14. 2+ more syllables
add THE + MOST + adjective

the most stupid mistake I ever made the most beautiful dress in the world

Please write your own sentence:


CONVERSATION (Please talk to your partner. Then write your answer in a complete sentence.)
1. Who are the two characters in this story? _________________________________________
2. Why did the crow drop her cheese? ___________________________________________
3. What does the moral mean: “Don’t trust flatterers.”
____________________________________________________________________________

The Peacock and the Crane

A peacock was teasing a crane about the dullness of her plumage. “Look at my brilliant colors” she said, “and see how much finer they are than your ugly feathers.”

The crane replied, “I am not denying that yours are far brighter than mine; but when it comes to flying, I can soar into the clouds whereas you are confined to the earth like any plain chicken.

The moral of the story is this: Looks aren’t everything.



VOCABULARY
In the first paragraph . . .
1. “A peacock was teasing a crane” “tease” is a verb, and it means
(a) was talking to (b) was making fun of (c) was testing
2. “the dullness of her plumage” “dullness” is a noun and means
(a) beauty (b) fluffiness (c) lacking in color
3. “plumage” means
(a) feathers (b) plums (c) body
4. “see how much finer they are. . .” “finer” is an adjective and means (a) more beautiful (b) very thin (c) much thinner

In the second paragraph. . .
5. “I am not denying” “deny” is a verb and it means
(a) not saying “no” (b) not doing anything (c) not telling the truth
6. “I can soar” “soar” is a verb and it means
(a) I am sour (b) I can fly (c) I can swear
7. “you are confined” “confined” means
(a) confused (b) foolish (c) cannot leave
8. “like any plain chicken” “like” means
(a) The peacock likes chicken. (b) Both the peacock and the chicken can’t fly. (c) The crane likes the peacock.
In the moral .
9. “Looks aren’t everything.” “Looks” is a noun and means
(a) Your appearance (b) Your eyes (c) You’re good-looking


GRAMMAR
A. Read the story again and identify the subjects, verbs, and tenses.
SUBJECTS VERBS TENSES INFINITIVE
1. peacock was teasing past progressive to tease
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
B. Comparisons of adjectives using MUCH
single-syllable adjectives big bigger than bright brighter than
fast faster than
small smaller than
I have a bigger apartment than you do.
I have a MUCH BIGGER apartment than you do.
She runs FASTER THAN her brother.
She runs MUCH FASTER THAN her brother.
14. Please write a sentence using MUCH + a single-syllable adjective



15. Comparison of MUCH + adjectives ending in y
Mary is much prettier than Brenda.
Her father was much angrier with his daughter than his mother was.
Please write a sentence using MUCH + an adjective ending in y

16. more beautiful than
more unusual than
Mary is much more beautiful than her sister
Her wedding dress is much more unusual than any I have ever seen.
Please write a sentence using MUCH MORE + a 2- or-more-syllable adjective

17. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
MY book or books OUR apartment
YOUR pen or pens YOUR keys
HIS car/s Her jacket/s Its leg/s THEIR child or children
MY OUR
YOUR YOUR
HIS / HER / ITS THEIR
Now, please write a sentence showing you can use a possessive adjective
____________________________________________________________
18. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS take the place of possessive adjectives and their nouns. For example: Your book is harder than my book.
YOURS is harder than MINE.
MINE OURS
YOURS YOURS
HIS/HERS/ITS THEIRS
Now please re-write the same sentence as you did above but replace the possessive adjective and noun with a possessive pronoun.
______________________________________________________________
CONVERSATION
1. What two kinds of birds were talking in this story?


2. Which of the two birds has the most beautiful feathers?


3. Which of the two birds cannot fly?


4. Please explain what “Looks aren’t everything” means.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Crow and the Pitcher

One day a thirsty crow found a pitcher with some water in it, but there was so little water that she could not reach it with her beak. She tried as hard as she could but she was unsuccessful. It seemed as though she would die of thirst.

Finally she hit upon a clever plan. She began dropping pebbles into the pitcher; and with each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it reached the brim, and the clever bird was able to quench her thirst.



The moral of the story is this: Necessity is the mother of invention.



VOCABULARY

In the first paragraph. . .
1. a “beak” is a bird’s (a) foot (b) feathers (c) mouth

2. to “die of thirst” means
(a) to be dead (b) to be really thirsty (c) to be deathly ill

In the second paragraph . . .
3. “She hit upon a clever plan” means
(a) She was very intelligent.
(b) She used a hammer.
(c) She thought about or came up with a solution.

4. “At last it [the water] reached the brim.” “brim” means
(a) the edge or rim of the vessel
(b) the bottom of the pitcher
(c) the water overflowed

5. “to quench her thirst” “quench” means
(a) to be thirsty
(b) to stop by satisfying
(c) to pour water into a glass

GRAMMAR

Write down fourteen subjects, their verbs, and tenses the infinitive
1. CROW FOUND past TO FIND
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.





15. There is / was introduces a singular subject
for example: (1) THERE IS A PEN on my desk.*
(2) THERE WAS A PEN on my desk yesterday.
.
NON-COUNT NOUNS are also singular
(3) THERE IS SOME WATER in the pitcher.


(a) so little [singular noun]
THERE IS SO LITTLE TIME to do my homework.

(b) so much [singular noun]
THERE WAS SO MUCH SALT in the food (that) I couldn’t eat it.

*[With THERE sentences, try also using a prepositional phrases.]
(c) Now you write a sentence using SO LITTLE


(d) Now you write a sentence using SO MUCH


16. There are / were introduces a plural COUNT NOUNS assubject
COUNT NOUNS are plural.

for example: THERE ARE PENS on my desk.
THERE WERE SOME PENS on my desk yesterday.

(a) so few (plural noun)
THERE ARE SO FEW PEOPLE here today.
(b) so many (plural noun)
THERE WERE SO MANY WOMEN waiting in line that they had to
open up another

(c) Now you write a sentence using SO FEW


(d) Now you write a sentence using SO MANY

SUPPLEMENTARY GRAMMAR

1. “She began dropping pebbles into the pitcher.”

Words such as begin,
start,
stop,
continue,
finish,
end up,
keep on are often followed by an ING word.
Try writing two of your own sentences using two of these words. You can change them to past tense or future or present perfect if you want to.





2. to rise is a verb that does NOT take an object. It just needs a subject.
For example:
(a) Everyone, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

RISE in the above example means ____________________.

(b) The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
RISES means __________________________________

(c) I rose at 6:30 this morning.
RISE means ___________________________________

(d) Gas prices are always rising.
ARE RISING means ________________________________

Please write your own sentence using RISE, ROSE, or HAVE/HAS RISEN
(e) ________________________________________________________



CONVERSATION
Talk with your partner and then write answers in complete sentence.

1. What kind of bird is in this story? ___________________________________

2. What did she find? _____________________________________________

3. What was the problem? __________________________________________

4. What was the solution. __________________________________________

5. What does this sentence mean? Explain what you think in your own words.
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” means _______________________________________________________________

The Fox - folksong

THE FOX as sung by Burl Ives



1.
The fox went out on a chase one night
Prayed to the moon to give him light
For he’d many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o, town-o town-o,
For he’d many a mile to go that night before he reached the town -o
2.
He ran 'til he came to a great big pen
Where the ducks and the geese were kept therein
Said, “A couple of you gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town o, town o, town-o
Couple of you gonna grease my chin before I leave this town-o.”
3.
He grabbed the gray goose by the neck
Threw a duck across his back
He didn't mind the quack, quack quack
And the legs all dangling down-o, down-o, down-o
He didn’t mind the quack, quack quack and the legs all dangling down-o.
4.
Then old mother Flipper Flopper jumped out of bed
Out of the window she cocked her head
Cryin' ,“John, John the grey goose is gone
and the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
Cryin’,“John, John the grey goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o”
5.
Then John he ran to the top of the hill,
blew his horn both loud and shrill.
Fox, he said, “I’d better flee with my kill
or they’ll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o/
Fox, he said, “I’d better flee with my kill or they’ll soon be on my trail-o.
6.
Well, the fox he came to his cozy den
There were the little ones, eight, nine, ten
They said, “Daddy, better go back again
'cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
They said, “Daddy, better go back again cause it must be a mighty fine town-o.
7.
Well, the fox and his wife without any strife
Cut up the goose with a carving knife
They never had such a supper in their life
and the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
They never had such a supper in their life and the little ones chewed on the bones-o.


VOCABULARY

Verse 1
1. “a chase” is (a) for some cheese (b) with his fox friends (c) on a hunt
2. “For he’d many a mile to go” “for” means what? __________________

Verse 2
3. “ ’til ” is short for “until [a preposition]. Can you use this word in a sentence?

4. “gonna” is slang, a sort of street talk (often used in songs and casual conversation)
It means “is or are going to . . .”

“A couple of you gonna [are going to ] grease my chin.” This means
(a) I’m going to eat you.
(b) shave my whiskers
(c) get oil on your clothes

Verse 3
5. “grabbed the gray goose”
“grabbed” is the past tense of the verb “to grab”. “Grabbed” means
(a) ran around
(b) ate
(c) held onto

6. “the legs all dangling down” “dangling” means
(a) stopping
(b) hanging
(c) throwing

Verse 4
7. “she cocked her head” means
(a) She bent her head sideways
(b) She cooked dinner
(c) She looked straight ahead

8. Who is old mother Flipper Flopper? and Who is John?


Verse 5
9. John “blew his horn both loud and shrill” “shrill” means
(a) a quiet sound
(b) a loud high sound
(c) thrilled
This is a common usage: She has a shrill voice.


10. “they’ll soon be on my trail” means
(a) people will go to jail
(b) people will come after me
(c) people will drive their car

11. “I’d better flee” means
(a) I must leave in a hurry
(b) I must kill you
(c) I must stay and eat

Verse 6
12. “The fox came to his cozy den.” “cozy” means
(a) crazy
(b) dark
(c) comfortable

13. “It must be a might fine town.” “mighty fine” means
(a) very strong
(b) very nice
(c) really small

Verse 7
14. “The fox and his wife without any strife” “strife means
(a) got married
(b) did not argue
(c) divorced his wife

GRAMMAR
15. In each verse, please underline every subject with one line, the verb with two lines and next to each verse, tell what tense the verb is.

16. RHYMES are words that have the SAME SOUNDS.
Some rhymes are “perfect rhymes”, as in VERSE 1 “light rhymes with “night”
Some rhymes are “sort of rhymes” as in VERSE 2
“pen” sort of rhymes with “therein” and “chin”,
but “therein” and “chin” are perfect rhymes

17. In VERSE 3, “neck” sort of rhymes with _______________ and ___________ ,
but “quack” rhymes with _____________________

18. In VERSE, “bed” rhymes with _______________ .
and _______________ sort of rhymes with ______________

19. In VERSE 5, “hill” rhymes with _______________ and ______________.

20. In VERSE 6, “ten” rhymes with with _______________ and ______________.
21. In VERSE 7, ”strife” rhymes with with _______________ and ______________.

22. In VERSE 5, “I’d better flee” and in VERSE 6, “Daddy, [you’d] better go back again” HAD BETTER means MUST and is used with the base form of the verb.
Here are sme examples:
(a) He’d better pay me back by tomorrow, or I’ll be very angry.
(b) I’d better go to school now, or I’ll be late.
(c) You’d better do your homework, or you won’t learn the lesson.
(d) Now, please write your own sentence using HAD BETTER.


23. “They never had SUCH A supper in their life” [lives]
SUCH A or SUCH AN is used with a noun
SUCH is used with plural and non-count nouns

For example, singular:
I read such an interesting book last weekend!
I read such a good book last weekend that I want to recommend it for you to read.

plural:
I saw such good movies in the theater that I have to buy the DVDs
They had such good food at the wedding that I wanted to write a thank-you note to the bride.

(a) Please write your own SUCH A/AN sentence.


(b) Try writing a sentence using SUCH


CONVERSATION (Talk to your partner)
1. What did the fox do? __________________________________________________
2. What did John do? ____________________________________________________
3. How many little foxes were in the den? What did they want their daddy to do? Why?



4. Do you think John and Mother Flipper Flopper should be angry at the fox or do you think the fox has the right to feed his family? Discuss what you think with your partner.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gati ©2008

The Fox and the Grapes

One day a hungry fox saw some beautiful grapes. They were hanging in great bunches from the vine, but they were high above the ground. The fox wanted to eat some so badly that he jumped and jumped, but he could not reach them. Angrily he walked away and said, “They may look beautiful, but I am sure that they are sour inside.

VOCABULARY
1. In this story, what does “great” mean? ______________

2. What’s a “bunch of grapes”? (a) a delicious dessert (b) grapes all together on a single stem (c) grape juice

3. What does “sour” mean? (a) very painful (b) very sweet (c) bitter
The word “sour” has two syllables. It rhymes with “hour” and “flower”.
Name one fruit that is always sour. _________________

GRAMMAR
1. Please look at the story and tell me the subjects, verbs, and what tenses?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)

2. Look at these phrases and write two sentences, one singular and one plural.
singular plural
a bunch of grapes bunches of grapes
a cup of coffee cups of coffee
a lb. of apples 5 lbs. of apples
a glass of water glasses of water
a bag of rice bags of rice
a bottle of wine bottles of wine
a dish of cereal dishes of cereal
a piece of paper/chalk pieces of paper/chalk/pizza/pie/cake
a piece of pizza/pie/cake
a box of cookies boxes of cookies
a herd of cattle (cows) herds of cattle
a flock of sheep flock of sheep
a pair of glasses/jeans/pants/shoes pairs of glasses/jeans/pants/shoes

a.

b.________________________________________________________________

3. “badly” is an adverb. Adverbs tell about (modify) VERBS, ADJECTIVES,and other ADVERBS. What does “badly” tell about in this sentence? The fox wanted to eat some grapes badly. ________________________________________
What does “angrily” tell about in this sentence? “Angrily he walked away and said . . .”
_______________________________________________________________
4. SO (adjective or adverb) THAT
examples:
a. I am SO cold THAT I have to put on a jacket.
b. I was SO tired THAT I couldn’t eat dinner.
c. He always drives SO fast THAT he gets a lot of tickets.
d. She drives SO slowly THAT people always honk their horns.
e. Mary did SO well on her test THAT she is going to UC Berkeley in the Spring.

Can you write a sentence with SO . . .THAT?


CONVERSATION
Talk to a partner. Why do you think the fox said that he was sure the grapes were sour? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Tortoise and the Hare

A hare was always making fun of a tortoise for his slow manner. One day, the tortoise challenged the hare to a race, and the hare quickly agreed.

They began, and soon the hare left the tortoise way behind. Midway through the race, though, she became bored and began to snack on some tasty grass. The noonday sun was high in the sky, and the hare grew quite warm. Seeing she was far ahead, she found a shady spot and went to sleep, thinking she could always catch up to the tortoise.

Meanwhile, the tortoise plugged along in his slow way, passing and then overtaking the sleeping hare.

The hare overslept and awoke from her nap realizing that the tortoise had passed her by. She then took off at full speed; but even though she ran as fast as she could, she could not catch up, and the tortoise reached the finish line first and won.

The moral of this story is this: Slow and steady wins the race.








VOCABULARY

1. “ to make fun of “ (in Paragraph I) means (a) to have a lot of fun (b) to tease (c) to make a joke

2. The tortoise challenged the hare to race with him.
He said, (a) “I want you to eat lunch with me.”
(b) “I want to eat you.”
(c) “Let’s see who is the fastest runner.”

3. “midway” means (a) in the middle of the road (b) in the middle of the race (c) middle age

4. “to snack” means (a) to eat something between meals (b) to get sick after eating (c) to eat a snake

5. In paragraph 2 where it says “grew quite warm,” what is a synonym for “quite”? _____________________________

6. What does “grew” mean in the verb phrase “grew quite warm”? _______________________________________

7. “shady” means (a) sunshine (b) dirty (c) not in the sun

8. What’s a synonym for “spot” in the phrase “a shady spot”? ________________________________________

9. “catch up” means (a) a tomato sauce we use on hamburgers (b) to sing with other people
(c) when someone is no longer behind or later than others

10. In paragraph 3, “meanwhile” means (a) at the same time something else is happening (b) the definition or meaning
(c) many things

11. “The tortoise plugged along in his slow way.” means (a) stopped along the way (b) kept going slowly
(c) went back to the beginning slowly

12 “overtaking” means (a) talking it over (b) jumping and hopping (c) going past

13. In paragraph 4, “to oversleep” means (a) to sleep over at someone’s house (b) to pull blankets over your head
(c) to sleep past the time you’re supposed to get up

14. What does this sentence mean? “She took off at full speed.”
(a) She ran as fast as she could. (b) She ate until she was full. (c) She took off all her clothes.

GRAMMAR
Please write every subject, verb, and what tense
1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25. Choose three past tense verbs and write your own sentences.
a.
b.
c.

26. “quickly” is an adverb. “quick” is an adjective
Write two sentences using both words. _________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

27. “quite” is another word for “very” or “really” and is used with an adjective. For example, “I feel quite tired.”
Write your own sentence using “quite.” _____________________________________________________

28. “as fast as” is a way to use an adjective to compare two things or people or ideas that are the same.
For example, She is as tall as I. This means we are the same height.
He is as bad at English as I am. This means his Engish is the same as mine.
Her building is as big as mine. Both buildings are the same size.

You write a sentence using “as (adjective) as” ________________________________________________







CONVERSATION

1. Who are the main characters in this story? ________________________________________________
2. Who was behind? Why? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What did the tortoise win? ______________________________________________________________
4. Please explain what “Slow and steady wins the race” means?



5. Can you give a personal example when this statement was true for you or for someone you know?


_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Potluck weddings aren't so bad

“Dear Abby” is a daily advice column. Readers who have problems write to Abby for advice, and Abby advises them. She gives advice on how to solve the problems. She also includes readers’ opinions about her advice.

There are other columnists who give advice. “Miss Manners” gives advice on how to be polite and how to act in social situations. “Beth” gives teenagers advice on teen problems.

One important note is this: People who write their letters to Abby never sign their real names. Instead, they sometimes sign the place they live in along with a made-up name referring to the problem.

Potluck weddings aren’t so bad is from the San Francisco Chronicle is a “Dear Abby” from Thu., July 17, 2008.

(1) Look at the headline: POTLUCK WEDDINGS AREN’T SO BAD.

(2) Ask yourself, “Are there any new words? What are they?
Do you know what a “potluck” is? What is a “potluck”? _______________________________________

(3) Is this headline a complete sentence? _______ What’s the verb? What’s the subject? ________ _______

(4) This headline sounds like a conversation? Try this with a partner.

A: I think potluck weddings are a bad idea.
B: You think they’re a bad idea?
A: I sure do.
B: In my opinion, potluck weddings aren’t so bad. I think they’re a good idea.
A: Why do you say that?
B: Potluck weddings can save the bride and groom a lot of money.
A: Maybe you’re right.


VOCABULARY (words and expressions)

(1) “I had to laugh” doesn’t have anything to do with “funny” and “laughing.” It really means –“Ha, you’re kidding. How can you think that? I disagree with her.”

(2) What word from the article means “to pause” or “not to do something right away.” _______________________________

(3) “a potluck” is (a) dutch treat (b) lucky money (c) a party for which every guest brings something (usually food) .

(4) “Wedding clothes” is the same as “wedding ________________.”
For work, we wear work clothes or work ________________
For swimming, we wear “swim wear” or swim clothes or swimming _______________
For school, we wear school clothes or school ________________

For example, Party dresses and high-heel shoes are not proper school attire.
Bathing suits are swimming attire.
Jeans and T-shirts are proper work attire.

(5) a. “Let your hair down.” = Don’t be so proper. Don’t follow all the rules. Relax and enjoy yourself.

b. “Get with the program.” = Come on. Do what everybody else is doing.

c. “a hoot” = a lot of fun (and a little bit different from the ordinary kind). “The wedding was a hoot.
but

d. another meaning . . . “I don’t give a hoot.” = I don’t care about that. It’s not interesting to me at all.

(6) What idiom in the story means “to help do something”? ________________________________

(7) “In today’s economy” = (a) in our house (b) the amount of money we have to spend nowadays (c) today I went shopping


(8) We say, “do dishes” (or “do the dishes”. We also use “do” when we say “do laundry,” “do gardening,” “do homework,” “do shopping,” and “do the cooking,“ and “do ____________________”
Please write two sentences, using these expressions: ______________________________________________________________

In Abby’s response “Dear Quaker Girl,”
(9) Potluck weddings “have become the norm” means (a) morning weddings (b) normal or common (c) Norman’s wedding

GRAMMAR

(1) hesitate about ( ing noun)
She hesitated about attending the wedding.

or hesitate to do something (to = infinitive)
She hesitated to say anything bad.

You write a sentence using hesitate .

______________________________________________________


CONVERSATION
1. Have you ever been to a potluck? What did you bring?

__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What kind of people get married at the courthouse?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the usual Western wedding attire for the bride and groom?

4. What is the usual wedding attire for the bride and groom in your native country?
______________________________________________________________________________________

5. How would you feel if the bride asked you to bring food and help do the dishes at the wedding?
(insulted? comfortable? uncomfortable? happy to do it? )

I_______________________________________________________________. #2 & #3 DEAR ABBY

VOCABULARY
(1) “have the good sense” means
a. have a lot of cents
b. be a good senator
c. capable of knowing what to do

(2) “spend a fortune” means
a. fortune cookies are good
b. pay a lot of money
c. feel lucky

(3) “lavish” is an adjective. It describes the wedding reception as
a. inexpensive’
b. fancy and expensive
c. lovely

(4) “practical” means
a. useful
b. perfect
c. practice

#4 DEAR ABBY
VOCABULARY
(1) What do we call the place where the reception takes place? the _______________________

(2) In a formal wedding, who usually gives the rings to the bride and groom, and how does he deliver them to the couple?
_________________________________________________________________________
(3) What are the gifts that the couple gives to the guests? ________________________________________

CONVERSATION
1. What’s the difference between a close friend and a casual acquaintance?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you think having a POTLUCK WEDDING is “a money issue” or do you think the couple wants to “share their values” with their guests?

3. What’s the Mexican wedding tradition regarding guests paying for things?



____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#5 DEAR ABBY
VOCABULARY
1. What is a “catered” wedding?
a. you pay someone to make the food
b. a terrible wedding
c. a wedding in a chapel


#6 DEAR ABBY
CONVERSATION

“cheap is a word when describing things means either “inexpensive” or “made of poor quality materials.”

“cheap” is a word when describing people means that they are people who don’t like to spend money.
They are “thrifty” and “frugal.”

(1) Do you think that a bride and groom who have a potluck wedding are “cheap”? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(2) What is your opinion of elaborate (expensive) weddings? Could you afford an expensive wedding?

If you are married, what was your wedding like?

If you are not married, what kind of wedding would you like?

The Hares and the Frogs

THE HARES AND THE FROGS

Some hares gathered together to complain about their unhappiness. They complained about the dangers that they were always exposed to from their enemies -- men, dogs, birds and bears, and they talked about their lack of strength and courage. They said that all their enemies were always killing and devouring them. Because they were so unhappy, they were determined to end their lives; so they rushed to a neighboring pond, intending to drown themselves.

On the bank of the pond were a number of frogs, who, hearing the noise of the hares, leaped into the water and hid themselves there.

Then one of the older, wiser hares cried out, “Stop, friend hares. Take heart. Don’t let us destroy ourselves because here are creatures who are afraid of us and who must be more timid than we are.”

The moral of this story is this:
“There are always others worse off than you are.”






I Vocabulary
1. What’s a word that means “rabbits”? _________________
2. “unhappy “ is an adjective. What’s the non-count noun? _______________
3. “dangerous” is an adjective. What the plural (count) noun? _________________
4. “strong” is an adjective. What’s the non-count noun? ____________________
5. “courageous” is an adjective. What’s the non-count noun? ________________

6. Please write the singular nouns for these plural nouns.
a. _____________________ enemies
b.______________________ men
c. ______________________ dogs
d. ______________________ bears
7. What word means to eat up greedily? _to____________________
8. What word means “strong-minded” and “persistent”? ________________________
9. What phrase means “to commit suicide”? _________________________________
10. In this story, what is another word for “shore”? ____________________________
11. Is “a number of frogs” (a) a lot or (b) a few ?
12. What idiom means “to feel confident or courageous “ _______________________
13. What word mean “shy” ? ______________
14. What’s another word (a synonym) for “creatures”? ____________________
15. When someone doesn’t have as much as you do, they are ________________ than you.

II. Grammar
1. What’s the plural of “myself”? ____________________________
2. What’s the plural of “himself” or “herself” ? ___________________________







3.Comparisons of adjectives are made in English by telling what is different.
Write two sentences using the comparative under each picture.

1. one-syllable adjectives ADD ER + THAN
short and tall
Bob Joe
a.__________________________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________________________

2. adjectives ending in “y” CHANGE THE “Y” to “i” and add “er” + “than”.


pretty and ugly
Betty Martha
a.__________________________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________________________



3. 2 or more syllable adjectives ADD MORE + ADJECTIVE + THAN
beautiful and expensive
the necklace the ring

a.__________________________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________________________

4. You must memorize some irregular comparisons.
adjective comparison
good better (than)

bad worse (than)

far farther (than)

a.__________________________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________________________








5. Please finish these sentences.
a. My brother is older than (I/me).
b. Cindy is heavier than (they/them).
c. Brittany is more beautiful than (she/her).
d. My children are (younger/more young) than her children.
e. That cat is (dumber/more dumb) than that dog.
f. Her sister is (intelligenter, more intelligent) than her brothers.
g. Her new dress is (prettier/ more pretty) than her old one.
h. He is 5 years (old/older) than his sister.

6. Please write your own sentences.
a. a single-syllable comparison
______________________________________________________________________
b. a “y” adjective
______________________________________________________________________
c. a 2- or 3-syllable adjective


IV. Conversation

1. What animals were very unhappy? and why?


2. Who were their enemies and what did they do to them?

3. What did they decide to do about this terrible problem?

4. What creatures made them change their minds? Why?


5. Please explain this sentence:
“There are always others worse off than you are.”