Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Restrictive Relative Clauses

This is one of my favorite animated movies ever. The original idea for the movie is fantastic and it carries a noble, enriching message. I used it to practice restrictive relative clauses.


I. Match the machines Flint Lockwood invented with what they can or can't do.


1. Spray-on shoes

2. Remote control television

3. Hair un-balder

4. Flying car

5. Monkey thought translator

6. Ratbirds

7. A machine



( ) It translate thoughts

( ) it turns water into food

( ) It can't fly

( ) they can fly

( ) it can walk

( ) they don't get off

( ) it grows too much hair


II. Now combine both parts, using restrictive relative clauses. Start the sentences with the given sentence:

He invented...

Ex: 1. He invented spray-on shoes that don't get off.

2 ....................................................

3 ....................................................

4 ....................................................

5 ....................................................

6 ....................................................

7 .....................................................



III. Work in small groups. Think about 3 perfect inventions. Then write a relative clause saying what it can do.

Ex: We are going to invent a machine that can do the homework for us.

Answer key:

5, 7, 4, 6, 2, 1, 3


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MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD

American Beauty: Restrictive x Unrestrictive Relative Clauses

This is probably the best scene of this controversial movie. It is perfect to practice relative clauses, both defining and non-defining clauses. For the blog, I left the sententence out of order, but the correct matching has the same colors.




A. Watch the segment and match the two activities the same character(s) is (are) performing.

1. A man was shot
2. A couple was hugging each other on their bed
3. A beautiful blonde girl was putting on makeup in the bathroom
4. Carolyn was carrying a gun in the rain
5. A man had blood stains on his white shirt
6. Jenny was his beloved daughter



She heard a gunshot
They were surprised by the loud sound of a gunshot
She hid the gun inside her closet
He took off his wet shirt as soon as he got home
His whole life flashed in front of his eyes
She used to wear fairy clothes when she was a child



B. Combine both sentences by writing either restrictive or unrestrictive relative clauses. Mind punctuation.



C. Check which sentences you can leave the relative pronoun out.



Ex: 1 . The man whose life flashed in front of his eyes was shot.



Answer Key:

Correct matching:
3
2
4
5
1
6
Ex: 1 . The man whose life flashed in front of his eyes was shot.

2. The couple who was surprised by the loud gunshot was hugging each other on their bed.
3. The beautiful blonde who heard the gun shot was putting on some makeup in the bathroom.
4. Carolyn, who hid he gun in the closet, was carrying it in the rain.
5. The man who had blood stains on his shirt took it off as soon as he got home.
6. Jenny, who used to wear fairy clothes when she was a child, was his beloved daughter.




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Definitely, Maybe: Restrictive Relative Clauses

This is the opening titles scene of this really nice romantic comedy. Ask your students to pay attention to what people are doing during the main character's (Will's) walk from his office to his daughter's school. Because there are several characters performing different activities, it is great for the students to practice the use of relative (restrictive) clauses.

Definitely Maybe: 3’28


I. Match the two activities the same character(s) is (are) performing.

(1) A man sells fruit for a living on the street.

(2) A man was wearing very big earphones.

(3) An elegant woman was walking her dog.

(4) Many children and parents were arguing.

(5) A girl was shouting madly at her mother.



(1) He was reading a magazine.

( ) He prevented Will from being run over by a truck.

( ) She was wearing a fur coat.

( ) They were talking about the sexual education class.

( ) She thought her mother had lied to her.

The sentences are in the order of the correct matching. Mind mixing up the sentences before you prepare the students' exercise sheets:

How to prepare your own video activity:

- Select a scene in which a lot of peole are performing different actions at the same time.

- Have students match 2 activities (or the character's physical characteristics or clothing, for example) the same character is performing.

- Have them write restrictive relative clauses combining both sentences.








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