Superman for modals of ability and probability

INSTRUCTION: FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE MODALS YOU HEAR


Five For Fighting
Superman (It’s not easy)


I _________ stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird...I'm more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me

Wish that I __________ cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I'________ never see

It _________ sound absurd...but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I ________ be disturbed...but won't you concede
Even Heroes have the right to dream
It's not easy to be me

Up, up and away... away from me
Well, it's all right... You _________ all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy... or anything...

I ________ stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
inside of me.. inside of me.. inside of me.. inside of me.

I'm only a man in a funny red sheet
I'm only a man looking for a dream
I'm only a man in a funny red sheet
It's not easy, oh..oh..oh
It's not easy to be me.

Practising the future simple

I usually use this song after teaching the future simple 'will + infinitive'.

We use this structure when we make predictions based on our thoughts and experience, and when we make spontaneous decisions, such as when we make offers, refusals or promises.

After teaching the students all of these, I would do a reading text "Promises, promises" from a textbook, New English File, and follow it up with this song as an enrichment activity.

First, the students would listen to the song. This would also be a practice of listening to the main ideas:


I'll Be There For You
Bon Jovi

I guess this time you're really leaving
I heard your suitcase say goodbye
Well as my broken heart lies bleeding
You say true love, it's suicide

You say you've cried a thousand rivers
And now you're swimming for the shore
You left me drowning in my tears
And you won't save me anymore

I pray to God you'll give me one more chance, girl

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you

I know you know we're had some good times
Now they have their own hiding place
I can't promise you tomorrow
But I can't buy back yesterday

And Baby you know my hands are dirty
But I wanted to be your valentine
I'll be the water when you get thirsty, baby
When you get drunk, I'll be the wine

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you

Solo

And I wasn't there when you were happy
I wasn't there when you were down
I didn't mean to miss your birthday, baby
I wish I'd seen you blow those candles out

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you


Then, I would ask them some display questions to deduce the main ideas from them. For example:
1. Who sings this song? (Naturally, some would answer Bon Jovi, but I would wait until someone answers: a man)
2. Who does he sing this song for? (Expected answer: a girl, or his girlfriend, or his wife)
3. What is happening in this song? (Expected answer: the girl is leaving him)
4. How do you know? (Expected answer: I heard your suitcase say goodbye. (Here, I would usually introduce them a bit to the literature stuff like 'personification' - can a suitcase really say goodbye?))
5. Why is she leaving him? (Expected answer: He's never been there for her)
6. How do you know? (Expected answer: I wasn't there when you were happy, I wasn't there when you were down, I didn't mean to miss your birthday...")
7. What is he trying to do? (Expected answer: to stop her from leaving/to give him a second chance)
8. What are the five words that he promises her? (Expected answer: I'll be there for you)
9. What are his other promises? Are they logical? (Eg. When you breathe, I wanna be the air for you - open discussion)
10. What do you predict will happen next? Will she stay with him? Would you? (Open discussion)

Remember to be really patient and allow your students some time to derive their thoughts.

Finally, after they have understood the song, allow them to have some fun - singing the song with you! :)

Bon Jovi to practice listening to mixed tenses

This worksheet is designed for students to listen to three different forms of tenses - the present simple, the present continuous or the past simple. It also tests the students' knowledge on the infinitives - which should come after modals like 'can' or 'will' and the auxiliary 'don't'. It would be especially suitable for the upper elementary or lower pre-intermediate adult students of English.


ALWAYS

This romeo (bleeds/ is bleeding/ bled)
But you can't (see/ be seeing/ saw) his blood
It's nothing but some feelings
That this old dog (kicks/ is kicking/ kicked) up

It's been raining since you (leave/ are leaving/ left) me
Now I (drown/ 'm drowning/ drowned) in the flood
You (see/ are seeing/ saw) I've always been a fighter
But without you I (give/ 'm giving/ gave) up

Now I can't (sing/ be singing/ sang) a love song
Like the way it's meant to be
Well, I (guess/ 'm guessing/ guessed) I'm not that good anymore
But baby, that's just me

And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't (shine/ be shining/ shone)
Till the heavens (burst/ are bursting) and
The words don't rhyme
And I (know/ 'm knowing/ knew)
when I (die/ 'm dying/ died), you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always

Now your pictures that you (leave/ are leaving/ left) behind
Are just memories of a different life
Some that (make/ are making/ made) us laugh,
some that (make/ are making/ made) us cry
One that (make/ are making/ made)you have to say goodbye

What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair
To touch your lips, to hold you near
When you (say/ are saying/ said) your prayers try to understand
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man

When he (holds/ is holding/ held) you close,
When he (pulls/ is pulling/ pulled) you near
When he (says/ is saying/ said) the words you've been needing to hear
I'll wish I (am/ was/ were) him 'cause those words are mine
To say to you till the end of time

Yeah, I will love you baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always

If you (tell/ are telling/ told) me to cry for you
I (can/ could)
If you (tell/ are telling/ told) me to die for you
I (will/ would)
Take a look at my face
There's no price I won't pay
To say these words to you

Well, there ain't no luck
In these loaded dice
But baby if you (give/ are giving/ gave) me just one more try
We can pack up our old dreams
And our old lives
We'll find a place where the sun still (shines/ is shining/ shone)

And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't (shine/ be shining/ shone)
Till the heavens (burst/ are bursting) and
The words don't rhyme
And I (know/ knew) when I (die/ 'm dying/ died), you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always

Corporate look

Love this new layout of the office in Bangsar. So much different than the first time I stepped into it 5-6 years ago.

Breakfast old style

Steamed curry pao - a set of 3 for RM6.50 and a cup of white tea for RM2.50. Location: PappaRich Cyberjaya. A real diversion from my coco crunch or roti kaya, n dutch lady milk breakfast every morning at home.

Demi pembangunan

Agaknya brp lama lagikah dpt aku nikmati pemandangan sebegini sebelum bukit itu digondolkan?