If I Had a Hammer Lesson

IF I HAD A HAMMER (by Pete Seeger and Lee Hayes)

If I had a hammer,
I’d hammer in the morning
I’d hammer in the evening
All over this land

I’d hammer out danger,
I’d hammer out warning,
I’d hammer out love
Between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

If I had a bell,
I’d ring it in the morning,
I’d ring it in the evening
All over this land

I’d ring out danger,
I’d ring out warning,
I’d ring out love
Between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

If I had a song,
I’d sing it in the morning,
I’d sing it in the evening,
All over this land.

I’d sing out danger,
I’d sing out warning,
I’d sing out love
Between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land.

Well, I’ve got a hammer,
And I’ve got a bell,
And I’ve got a song to sing
All over this land

It’s the hammer of justice;
It’s the bell of freedom;
It’s the song about love
Between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land.

It’s the hammer of justice;
It’s the bell of freedom;
It’s the song about love
Between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land.





1. What is a synonym (in the song) that means “danger”? ______________
2. In this song, who are “my brothers and my sisters”? ______________
3. In this song, what does “land” mean in “all over this land”?
______________________________________________________________
4. What is the “hammer of justice”?_______________________________
5. What is the “bell of freedom?__________________________________

6. “If I had” = if + past tense means IT IS NOT TRUE
for example, If I had a new house = I don’t have a new house
If I had a million dollars = I don’t have a million dollars

Tell me something that you wish you had . . .
a. If I had ___________________________

7. Following this clause, you should use WOULD or COULD + BASE form of the verb.
For example, If I had a million dollars, I would/could buy a new car.
Tell me something you wish you had, and what would or could you do?
a. _________________________________________________________________________

8. Use an “if” clause with a past tense verb and continue the sentence with a WOULD or COULD clause.
For example, If I went to China in the summer, I would be able to see the Olympics.
If I ate cake for breakfast every day, I would get very fat.

You write your own sentence.
a. ________________________________________________________________________

9. When you use “be” with “if”, use “were” (for every person – I, you, he, she, we, they, Sally my mother).
For example: If I were taller, I could reach the top shelf.
If my brother were here, I would ask him to help me.

You write your own sentence.
a. ___________________________________________________________________________