The Devil's Arithmetic: Time Clauses with Before, After, When

This movie is very interesting and the Holocaust is dealt with in a different way, mixing reality and fiction. I used the Jewish wedding scene to practice time clauses in a contextualized manner. My students loved it and wanted to see the rest of the movie at home.







A. Watch the movie segment and combine both sentences with before, after, or when.






1. The ceremony starts.

The groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.



2. The groom unveils the bride.

The bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.



3. The bride arrives at the wedding place,

Her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. The ceremony starts.

The bride circles the groom seven times.

5. The groom places the ring on the bride's finger,

The best man and he drink some wine.

6. The groom kisses the bride.

He breaks the wine glass.

B. Talk to a partner:



1. What's your opinion about this kind of wedding? What adjectives would you use to describe it?
2. What went wrong?

3. What do you think will happen next?

Possible answer key:

1. Before the ceremony starts, the groom unveils the bride to make sure he is marrying the right woman.

2. After the groom unveils the bride, the bride rides a carriage to the go to the wedding ceremony.

3. When the bride arrives at the wedding place,
her mother escorts her to the chupah (or huppah).

4. When the ceremony starts, the bride circles the groom seven times.

5. After the groom places the ring on the bride's finger,
the best man and he drink some wine.

6. Before the groom kisses the bride, he breaks the wine glass.


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My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Transitions x Subordinating Conjunctions

This is one of the best romantic comedies of all times. The cultural conflicts, good humor, and clever plot make it stand out the others. It is full of scenes you can use in your classroom. Here are a few of them, which I used to practice the use of subordinating conjunctions and transitions, the grammar point my Thomas Prime 7 students are learning right now.




I. Watch the first movie segment from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then choose the best conjunction or transition. Next, decide if the sentences contain a subordinating conjunction or a transition word. The 1st scene shows Toula, the young Greek woman, meeting her American fiance's family for the first time.








1. The American family is quite polite, but they don't like talking very much.


The American family is quite polite. Nevertheless / Otherwise, they don't like talking very much.

( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition

The American family is quite polite, although/ since they don't like talking very much.

( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition


2. Toula showed her future parents-in-law her creative, unusual wedding plans, but they didn't seem very excited about them.


Toula's future parents-in-law didn't seem very excited, even though/however her wedding plans were creative and unusual.

( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition


II. Now watch the second segment from the same movie. Now, Ian, the American guy, meets his fiancee's Greek family.

1. Ian got very surprised with his fiancee's Greek family during the dinner party. The reason is that they are noisy and agitated.


Since / Provided that the Greek family is very loud and agitated, Ian got really surprised during the dinner party.


( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition


The Greek family is very loud and agitated. Therefore / However, Ian got very surprised during the dinner party.


( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition



2. The only way for Ian to be happy after getting married is to get some ear plugs.


Unless / If Ian gets some ear plugs, he won't be happy after getting married.


( ) subordinating conjunctions
( ) transition


Ian must get some ear plugs. Consequently / Otherwise, he won't be happy after marrying Toula.

( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition


3. Being accepted by the Greek family depends on Ian's positive reaction to their different behavior.

As long as / Even though Ian has a positive reaction to their different behavior, He will be accepted.


( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition



4. Toula believes that her Greek family will treat Ian well. They don't care if he doesn't know anything about the Greek culture.


Toula believes that her Greek family will treat Ian well unless / even if he doesn't know anything about the Greek culture.


( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition


5. Toula and Ian have very different families. For this reason, their integration will not be very easy.


Toula and Ian have very different families. Nonetheless / Consequently, their integration will not be very easy.

( ) subordinating conjunction
( ) transition



The integration of Toula's and Ian's families will be difficult since / unless they have very different families.


( ) subordinating conjunctions
( ) transition



III. Now watch the 3rd segment from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then connect your ideas, using subordinating conjunctions to connect ideas within a sentence and transitions to connect ideas between sentences.







Ex: (provided that - subordinating conjunction)


Toula's mother will understand spoken English well provided that (as long as, only if or if) someone occasionally translates or paraphrases difficult words.


Ex: (otherwise - transition)


Ian's parents had a few drinks. Otherwise, they would not relax during the dinner party.



1. because (or since) - subordinating conjunction

..............................................................................


2. even though (or although) - subordinating conjunction

..............................................................................

3. therefore (or consequently) - transition

...............................................................................

4. However (or nevertheless) - transition

...............................................................................



Answer key:
I.
1. Nevertheless (transition) and although (subordinating conjunction)
2. Even though (subordinating conjunction)

II.
1. Since (subordinating conjunction) and therefore (transition)
2. Unless (subordinating conjunction) and otherwise (transition)
3. As long as (subordinating conjunction)
4. even if (subordinating conjunction)
5. Consequently (transition) and since (subordinating conjunction)


III. Answers will vary.



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Knowing: Simple Present

A. Watch the segment. It takes place in 1960. Then imagine the same situation in the movie, but nowadays. Make a list of 1o things that you usually do in your free time or about the world, talking about your routine. Your sentences will be placed in a capsule and people will open it in 2060.

Ex:

I listen to music with my I-pod.

I eat pizza every Sunday.


1. __________________________
2. __________________________
3. __________________________
4. __________________________
5. __________________________
6. __________________________
7.__________________________
8. __________________________
9. __________________________
10. _________________________











.

B. Exchange your list with another friend. Check which activities are similar to yours.
.

C. Now imagine you received a capsule from the future, Year 2060. Write three sentences about people's routine in 2060. Use your imagination and be creative:

Ex: We spend our vacation in a house on the moon.

1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________

D. Read your sentences to the class. Do you all have the same idea of the future? Which was your favorite one?


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Mr. Woodcock: Modals for Obligation - Must, Can't

This movie is funny and this opening scene shows the traumatic experience the main character had with his mother's future husband, Mr Woodcock, the teacher. I used it to practice modals for obligation and prohibition.

A. Work in small groups. Make a list of 5 qualities or characteristics a good teacher must (has to) have and which ones he can't have.

He / She MUST:

1 ................................................
2 ................................................
3.................................................
4 ................................................
5 ................................................

He / She CAN'T:

1 ................................................
2 ...............................................
3 ...............................................
4 ...............................................
5 ...............................................

B. Now watch the movie segment. Which of the characteristics you have listed before apply to Mr. Woodcock?

C. Imagine you are talking to Mr. Woodcock now. Tell him what he must (has to) do and what he can't do to become a better teacher.

1 .....................................................
2 ....................................................
3 ....................................................
4 ...................................................
5 ...................................................

D. Talk to a partner:

1. Would you like to have a teacher like Mr. Woodcock? Why (not)?

2. Have you ever had a teacher like him? If so, talk about it.

3. What would you do if your teacher treated you like Mr. Woodcock treated some of his students?

4. Are there teachers like Woodcock?

5. Who is your favorite teacher? Why do you like him / her so much?



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