Mastering Articles Through Games and Activities Marcus Burt - Study English in Canada [email protected]1. Sound is what determines which article is used, not the letter that a word begins with. Observe the examples below: a unicycle, a uniform, a unicorn a European, a euro, a eulogy a one-hit wonder, a one-time offer an hour, an heir, an honest man an uncle, an umpire, an ultimatum an event, an elbow, an earthquake an ocean, an ounce, an office a horse, a hospital, a house Bring it to life with Article Ball! 2. Use a with letters that are preceded by a consonant sound. He’s a B student His name begins with a K. Use an with letters that are preceded by a vowel sound. He got an F on his test. Her name begins with an A. Read the letters aloud. Write a before the letters that begin with a consonant sound, and an before the letters that begin with a vowel sound. __ A __ B __ C __ H __ I __ J __ O __ P __Q __ W __ X __ Y
Transcript
Mastering Articles Through Games and Activities Marcus Burt - Study English in Canada
1. Sound is what determines which article is used, not the letter that a word begins with. Observe the examples below:
a unicycle, a uniform, a unicorn
a European, a euro, a eulogy
a one-hit wonder, a one-time offer
an hour, an heir, an honest man
an uncle, an umpire, an ultimatum
an event, an elbow, an earthquake
an ocean, an ounce, an office
a horse, a hospital, a house
Bring it to life with Article Ball!
2. Use a with letters that are preceded by a consonant sound.
He’s a B student His name begins with a K.
Use an with letters that are preceded by a vowel sound.
He got an F on his test. Her name begins with an A.
Read the letters aloud. Write a before the letters that begin with a consonant sound, and an before the letters that begin with a vowel sound.
__ A
__ B
__ C
__ D
__ E
__ F
__G
__ H
__ I
__ J
__ K
__ L
__ M
__ N
__ O
__ P
__Q
__ R
__ T
__ U
__ V
__ W
__ X
__ Y
__ Z
Copyright 2011. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
User, 2011-10-13,
Handout
Initialisms vs. Acronyms
Initialisms AcronymsHe is an NBA player.She is an FBI agent
He is not a NASCAR driver.She is not a FEMA agent.
Use a with numbers that are preceded by a consonant sound.
They found a 1-dollar bill. I have never tried a 12-year old whiskey.
Use an with numbers that are preceded by a vowel sound.
She got an 18 out of 20 on her quiz. I saw an 80-year old man feeding pigeons.
Bring it to life with Article Bingo!
3. Do not pluralize number-noun adjectives
He won the world championship twenty times.
Right: He’s a twenty-time world champion boxer.Wrong: He’s a twenty- times world champion boxer.
We watched a movie that was two hours long.
Right: We watched a 2-hour movie.Wrong: We watched a 2- hours movie.
Bring it to life with Adjective Number Survey!
4. Use the definite article when a noun has previously been mentioned.
I bought a ring. The ring was expensive.I’m looking at some chairs. The chairs look comfortable.My teacher gave me some homework. The homework was hard.
Bring it to life with Indefinite/Definite Listen!
5. Use the definite article with nouns that have a clear association to a previously mentioned noun.
I have a TV, but the screen is broken.Frank lit a cigarette. The tobacco tasted cool and fresh. Sue watched a soccer game last night. The fans went crazy when the home team scored a goal.
Bring it to life with Definite Association!
6. Use the in specially created names and formal titles
Ivan the Fool isn’t very clever, but he is quite lucky!Richard the Lionheart only spoke French.
Name + the + Adjective Name + the + NounElizabeth the SecondHenry the EighthEdward the MagnificentMichael the BraveAlfred the Great
Peter the HermitWilliam the ConquerorStan the ManBob the ButlerFrank the Tank
Bring it to life with Give the Face a Name and Name Your Classmates!
7. Use the definite article with the names of institutes, bridges, motels, hotels, zoos, buildings, theaters, museums, universities that have the word of in their name, companies that have the word Company in their name.
I would love to spend just one night in the Ritz Carlton Hotel.The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum.Have you ever been to the Phoenix Zoo?
Don’t use the definite article with the names of parks, stadiums, hospitals, universities, companies, malls, gardens, names that contain the word House, and names that contain the word Hall.
Jeff has a membership at Hart House.Everybody wants to go to Harvard University.Millennium Park is Chicago’s newest park.
Bring it to life with Racking It Up!
8. Do not use the with ordinal numbers and sequence words when describing the steps taken to do something.
First, put toothpaste on your toothbrush. Second, put the toothbrush in your mouth. Last, brush your teeth.Learning is quite simple. First, open a book. Next, read. Last, repeat as often as necessary.
Bring it to life with Figuring it out!
Suggested reading for teachers who would like to learn more about articles:
Three Little Words, by Elizabeth Claire The Article Book, by Tom ColeAnd of course; from yours truly…. Mastering Articles Through Games and Activities, by Marcus Burt
Follow me at http://[email protected] View my blog at http://www.masteringarticles.blogspot.com Check out my book at http://www.masteringarticles.com
Mastering Articles Games and Activities Master Sheetsby Marcus Burt
Copyright 2011. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
Article Bingo Student Word ListUFOATMH3unicorneuphemismA80one-hit wonderSAABunitNBA playerEuropean18singerF-20hourunionLuserJPEGMC1eunuchSDS card
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. What is the longest game you have ever played? (hour)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. What is the longest race you have ever run? (kilometer)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. What is the largest meal you have ever had? (course/dish)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. What is the most expensive meal you have ever eaten? (dollar)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5. What is the longest flight you have ever taken? (hour)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6. What is the oldest wine you have ever drunk? (year)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7. What is the longest book you have ever read? (page)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8. What is the heaviest weight you can lift? (pound/kilogram)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9. What is the longest essay you have ever written? (word)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10. What is the longest vacation you have ever taken? (day/month/year)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11. Describe the largest class you have ever been in. (person)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12. How long should the perfect telephone conversation be? (minute/hour)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13. How long is the longest holiday in your country? (day/month)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14. What is the most expensive thing you own? (dollar)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15. How big is your house in Canada? (bedroom)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16. How long does it take to drive from your hometown to the nearest foreign country? (minute/hour)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17. Is it alright to date older or younger people? What age gap is acceptable? (year)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18. What is the longest English word you can think of? How many letters is it? (letter)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey Sheet
Name Answers
Indefinte/Definite Listen
1. I found a bag under a tree. I was curious, so I opened a bag. Inside a bag, I found a diary, a lot of money, and some pictures. I counted a money, almost $1 000 000! I sat down and leaned my back against a tree. I opened a diary and started reading. A book belonged to a poor old woman. She once owned a house, but a fire burnt a house down. She lost everything in a fire. She had insurance, but it took a long time for her to collect insurance. When she finally collected insurance, she received $1 000 000. She really needs money in a bag. She has a granddaughter, and a granddaughter needs a life-saving operation. An operation will cost $1 000 000. An old woman wrote that she wanted to use money to help a granddaughter. I started looking at pictures in a bag. Pictures were of an old woman and a granddaughter. I didn’t know what to do. I thought to myself “I have an opportunity to improve my life greatly. However, if I take an opportunity I will be doing something that is wrong. Should I keep money or try to find an old woman?” What do you think I did?
2. I had a terrible day yesterday. I had a reservation at a restaurant for an important meeting. When I got to a restaurant I received a text message; a meeting had been cancelled. Since I was hungry, I decided not to cancel a reservation and eat at a restaurant anyway even though a meeting was cancelled. I sat down at a table, saw a waiter and motioned for him to come over. A waiter slowly made his was to me and then asked me what I would like to order. I told a waiter that I would like a hamburger with french fries and a glass of water. A waiter said that it would take 10 minutes, and left my table. I ended up waiting 50 minutes. When a waiter returned with my order, I was really angry. A hamburger was cold, french fries were burnt, and he forgot water. I told a waiter that I wanted an apology, but an apology he gave me was unacceptable. I didn’t even eat a hamburger that a waiter brought me. In a way, I am thankful. Imagine what would have happened if a meeting hadn’t been cancelled.
3. Frank bought a new house. A new house is in a great neighbourhood. There is a movie theater and a supermarket nearby. A movie theater always has a fine selection of movies and a supermarket is open 24 hours a day which is quite convenient. Next to a supermarket there is a furniture store. Frank bought a bed from a furniture store when he arrived in town. He was happy because he bought a bed for a good price. Across the street from a furniture store there is a great library. A library is pretty modern, they have brand new computers that are free to use. Since computers are free to use, it is best to go to a library in the afternoon when there are fewer people there. There is also a small art gallery which has some famous paintings. Frank plans to visit an art gallery to look at paintings once he gets settled in. A neighbourhood also has a fine park where people like to relax or play sports. A park is one of the most popular places in town. Frank really likes a neighbourhood he lives in.
Definite Association
Name a pizza topping Name a flower that you would find in a flower store
1. steering wheel2. cd player/radio3. seat belt4. mirror5. air conditioner
Name a part of a fish Name something a computer has1. fins2. eyes3. scales4. gills5. tail
1.monitor/screen2. hard disk/hard drive3. CPU4. mouse5. keyboard
Definite Association Follow up
Using the vocabulary from the Definite Association game, fill in the blanks.
1. Yesterday I ordered a pizza with everything on it, but the onions were missing.
2. I walked into a flower store and asked the clerk where ___ ______ were.
3. Fred wants to ride his bike, but ___ ______ is/are broken.
4. Ginger went to the library yesterday. ____ ______ was/were really old.
5. Erica was at the supermarket. ___ _____ was/were at the back of the store.
6. John walked into the bathroom. ___ _____ was on the floor.
7. Alex and Katrina visited the zoo last weekend. They loved ___ _______.
8. I went to a nightclub last night. ___ _____ was/were great!
9. Chantelle dropped by an electronics store yesterday. The sales clerk told her not to look at ___ ______ because they were going to have a sale the following week.
10. I bit into my sandwich. ___ _____ tasted funny.
11. Sue left the restaurant because ___ ____ was/were dirty.
12. I ate at a Japanese restaurant two weeks ago. Everything was great, except ___ ______.
13. Max went to the gym yesterday. Nobody was using ___ _______.
14. Min checked out a music store. ___ ______ were overpriced.
15. My teacher needs to repair his car. ___ _____ isn’t/aren’t working properly.
16. Ron caught a fish yesterday. ___ _____ was/were deformed.
17. I have a computer, but ___ _____ is really old.
Racking it up
$100:
__ Central Park
$200:
__ Canadian Institute for the Blind
$300:
__ Yankee Stadium
$400:
__ Brooklyn Bridge
$500:
__ Sunnybrook Hospital
$600:
__ University of Toronto
$700:
__ Seaside Motel
$800:
__ International House
$900:
__ Carnegie Hall
$1000:
__ Harvard
$1100:
__ Hilton Hotel
$1200:
__ Walt Disney Company
$1300:
__ World Trade Center
$1400:
__Odeon Theater
$1500:
__ Chamber Hall
Miss a Turn Miss a Turn Miss a Turn
$100:
__ Yorkdale Mall
$200:
__ Gate House
$300:
__ Apollo Theater
$400:
__ Golden Gate Bridge
$500:
__ Sunnybrook Hospital
$600:
__ Arrowhead Stadium
$700:
__ Toronto Zoo
$800:
__ National Palace Museum
$900:
__ Lincoln Park
$1000:
__ Institute for Advanced Learning
$1100:
__ Samsung
$1200:
__ Coca Cola Company
$1300:
__ Statue of Liberty
$1400:
__International Peace Gardens
$1500:
__ Four Seasons Hotel
Bankrupt Bankrupt Bankrupt
Figuring it out
1. How to lose a guy/girl on the first date.2. How to overcome shyness.3. How to remember names easily.4. How to keep your marriage from getting boring.5. How to determine if someone is lying.6. How to raise teenagers.7. How to make new friends.8. How to break up with someone without hurting them.9. How to make your house safe for toddlers.10. How to comfort a child who is scared.11. How to live successfully with roommates/housemates.12. How to help a child/teenager who is being bullied at school.13. How to make your country a better place.14. How to quit a job.15. How to become a movie star.16. How to prepare for a job interview.17. How to keep your child focused on schoolwork.18. How to lose weight.
Game Instructions
Article Ball: (preparation) Take 15 pieces of paper, and from the list below, write one different word on the center of one different piece of paper so that you are left with 15 sheets of paper with one different word written on them.
unitenvelope
one-hit wonder
utensileuphemism
ounce
upstartelastic
hospital
umpireodorhonor
euro one-way street hourglass
Crumple the first piece of paper into a tight ball, then wrap the remaining pieces of paper around the ball until you have one very large paper ball. (Group Class Activity) Throw the ball to one student and ask him to unwrap one piece of paper from the ball. Once the student has done so, ask him to read aloud the word written on the piece of paper with its correct article; for example, if the paper has honor written on it, ask your student which article goes with that word. If your student gives the word an incorrect article provide him with the correct article and an explanation of why he is wrong. Ask the student with the ball to throw it to a student of his choosing in class. Whoever the student throws the ball to must unwrap one piece of paper from it and follow the same steps as above. Students continue throwing the ball to different students in class until there are no more papers left in the ball. Make sure every student has at least one opportunity with the ball.
Article Bingo: (preparation) Photocopy the Article Bingo Board and the Student Article Bingo Sheet so that each student in your class has their own individual copies (Class Activity) Hand out one Article Bingo Board and one Student Article Bingo Sheet to each student in your class. Ask your students to write different words from their Student Article Bingo Sheet into every individual square on the Bingo Board. Students should have no more than 24 words written on the Bingo Board as it is made up 24 squares. Once the entire sheet has been completed, students individually, around the class, read out one of the words, with its corresponding article, that they have written down. If the student uses the correct article he/she, along with any other student who has written down the same word, may mark his paper with an X. Students who make mistakes should be corrected and allowed to mark their papers with an X. The first student to have three horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines wins the game.
Number Adjective Survey: Cut up the Survey Questions into strips. Hand out the Survey Sheet to all of the students in your class. Have your students write the names of everyone in the class on the Survey Page. Then hand out one to two Survey Question strip(s) per student. Each student will have a different question(s). Tell your students that they are going to be doing a survey. Ask your students to stand up and have them ask each person in class the question(s) from the question strip that they have been given. Students write down the person’s answer on the Survey Question sheet. Encourage your students to use nouns as adjectives. For example, A: What is the longest book you have ever read. B: The longest book I have ever read was 1000 pages long. Teacher: A thousand pages long? B: The longest book I have ever read was a 1000 page book.Encourage your students to ask further questions; for example, what sort of book was it, what was the name of the book, was it good, etc, etc? Once the students have finished interviewing
everyone, take up the surveys as a class. Who has read the longest book? Who has run the longest race?
Indefinite/Definite Listen: This game requires two call bells. Divide your class into two teams. Give each team a call bell. Tell your students that you are going to read them two sentences where the definite article has been omitted. Tell them to ring the bells you have given them when the definite article should have been used but wasn’t. Read the following sentences to your students slowly and clearly:
Yesterday I bought an apple, a banana, and chocolate. An apple was 70 cents, a banana was 35 cents, and chocolate was $1.
Your students should have rung their bells when they heard the nouns in the second sentence: The apple was 70 cents, the banana was 35 cents, and the chocolate was $1. Ask them why they rang their bells. They should respond that the nouns apple, banana, and chocolate were already mentioned in the first sentence. Tell your students that you are going to read them three stories (on page 130). In each story, the definite article has been omitted. Tell them to ring their bells when the indefinite article should have been used but wasn’t. Each correct ring earns a point. When a student rings his bell incorrectly, his team loses a point. The team with the most points wins. Make sure every student has an opportunity to ring the bell.
Indefinite/Definite Listen answers: 1. I found a bag under a tree. I was curious, so I opened the bag. Inside the bag, I found a diary, a lot of money, and some pictures. I counted the money, almost $1 000 000! I sat down and leaned my back against the tree. I opened the diary and started reading. The book belonged to a poor old woman. She once owned a house, but a fire burnt the house down. She lost everything in the fire. She had insurance, but it took a long time for her to collect the insurance. When she finally collected the insurance, she received $1 000 000. She really needs the money in the bag.. She has a granddaughter, and the granddaughter needs a life-saving operation. The operation will cost $1 000 000. The old woman wrote that she wanted to use the money to help the granddaughter. I started looking at the pictures in the bag. The pictures were of the old woman and the granddaughter. I didn’t know what to do. I thought to myself “I have an opportunity to improve my life greatly. However, if I take the opportunity I will be doing something that is wrong. Should I keep the money or try to find the old woman?” What do you think I did?
2. I had a terrible day yesterday. I had a reservation at a restaurant for an important meeting. When I got to the restaurant I received a text message; the meeting had been cancelled. Since I was hungry, I decided not to cancel the reservation and eat at the restaurant anyway even though the meeting was cancelled. I sat down at a table, saw a waiter and motioned for him to come over. .The waiter slowly made his was to me and then asked me what I would like to order. I told the waiter that I would like a hamburger with french fries and a glass of water. The waiter said that it would take 10 minutes, and left my table. I ended up waiting 50 minutes. When the waiter returned with my order, I was really angry. The hamburger was cold, the french fries were burnt, and he forgot the water. I told the waiter that I wanted an apology, but the apology he gave me was unacceptable. I didn’t even eat the hamburger that the waiter brought me. In a way, I am thankful. Imagine what would have happened if the meeting hadn’t been cancelled.
3. Frank bought a new house. The new house is in a great neighbourhood. There is a movie theater and a supermarket nearby. The movie theater always has a fine selection of movies and the supermarket is open 24 hours a day which is quite convenient. Next to the supermarket there is a furniture store. Frank bought a bed from the furniture store when he arrived in town. He was happy because he bought the bed for a good price. Across the street from the furniture store there is a great library. The library is pretty modern, they have brand new computers that are free to use. Since the computers are free to use, it is best to go to the library in the afternoon when there are fewer people there. There is also a small art gallery which has some famous paintings. Frank plans to visit the art gallery to look at the paintings once he gets settled in. The neighbourhood also has a fine park where people like to relax or play sports. The park is one of the most popular places in town. Frank really likes the neighbourhood he lives in.
Definite Association: The object of this game is for students to guess the five most common things that people associate with certain places and items. Divide your students into two separate teams, and choose one team to go first. Select a topic from Definite Associations; e.g. Name a Pizza Topping, and write it, and the numbers 1 through 5 below it, on the board. Give the team one or two minutes to come up with their associations as a group. Once they have finished
coming up with associations, ask one team member for one association. If the student gives a correct association, write it next to its corresponding number on the board. Give each student on the team an opportunity to give an association. If a team gives all 5 most common associations, the team gains one point. If a student gives an association that is not on the Definite Associations Sheet, his answer is considered incorrect and an X is drawn on the board. A team that gets three Xs, loses its turn. When this occurs the students from the opposing team have one opportunity to give one correct association. Give the opposing team 1 minute to come up with an association as a group. After one minute has elapsed, ask one student from the group to give an association. If the opposing team provides one correct association, they gain one point. If the opposing team does not provide a correct association, the team who got the three Xs gets one point. It is now the opposing team’s turn. Follow the same steps as above by selecting a topic from Definite Associations on page _ and writing it; and the numbers 1 through 5 below it, on the board. Continue playing, the team with the most points wins the game. Be sure to take the grammar up with them after the game with Definite Association Follow up. *The author of this book asked his friends and students to name things that they associate with certain items and places. The results are not scientific, and may differ depending on what country you are in. It may be necessary to conduct your own survey so that the game is more engaging to your students.
Give the Face a Name: Go to the Internet and print 6 images of famous people. They should all be quite different from each other in terms of looks, occupations, popularity, etc. Using tape, stick each picture on the walls of your class. Ask your students; individually, in writing, to name the people using nouns or adjectives, e.g. Megan (Fox) the beautiful, or Mike (Tyson) the tank. Once complete, have your students share their names with the class.
Name Your Classmate: In groups of 2 or 3, have your students name the classmates who are in different groups using nouns and/or adjectives. You may even allow the students to name you. Once complete, have your students share the names they have created with the class.
Racking it up: This game can be used to review previously covered material and to learn about the use; or non-use, of the with place names. Photocopy and cut up the Racking it up cards and put them in an empty box or bag. Choose a phrase from the book that you would like to review, e.g. a/the violin has four strings, and draw blanks on the board in place of the letters. Blanks should not be drawn for the article, and should instead be substituted with a circle. Using a/the violin has four strings as an example, it should look like this: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Divide your class into three teams. The object of the game is to guess what the phrase on the board is. To start the game, have one student draw a card from the box/bag. The student who drew the card must verbally give the correct article; e.g. the Toronto Zoo, that is represented by the blank that has been drawn. If the student gives the correct article he may venture a consonant; for example, S. The teacher would then fill in the blanks and award the student’s team the dollar value on the card. The dollar value is multiplied by the blanks the teacher fills in, for example if a student gets two Ss on a $700 card, he will be awarded $1400. The student continues drawing cards until he gives an incorrect article on a card that has been drawn, the student ventures a consonant that is not on the board, or when he draws a bankrupt or miss a turn
card. Students may not venture vowels, they must be bought for $1000. Remember, even if a student picks a vowel or a consonant that is in the circle, it must remain blank. Students may solve the puzzle on the board when it is their team’s turn. Students must give the correct article(s) in the circle to win. If a student solves the puzzle, but gives an incorrect article(s), fill in the blanks but leaves the circle empty. The next team has an opportunity to give the correct article(s). Whichever team gives the correct article(s) wins that round. The correct answer for the violin example would be: a/the. Teams who win a round keep whatever money they have earned during game play. The other teams lose all of their money. The team who has the most money after several rounds of play wins the game.
Figuring it out: Preparation: Photocopy and cut up the Figuring It Out sheet into strips strips. In class: Write the following steps on the board.
First, learn to listen. Second, play lots of games. Third, give less homework. Last, let your students go home early.
Ask your students what the steps you wrote on the board refer to. They may make many interesting guesses. Tell them the above steps are How to be a popular teacher. Hand each student a strip so that each student in your class has one. Ask them not to allow others to see what they have received. Using their strips, have your students work individually to create steps of their own. Once the class has completed their task, have your students stand up and share their steps with their classmates. However, they are not to tell their classmates what the steps they have created refer to, those listening to the steps have to guess. Figuring it out is all the fun.
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