Grammar
- Great Typo Hunt
Jeff Deck came across a ‘’no tresspassing sign’’ that has bothered him for years – double s in trespassing! The sign had been taunting passers-by with that loathsome extra s for who knew how long. (…) I stared at that no trespassing,...
- Modal Verbs
I’ve been thinking about writing this article for quite some time now and, at some point, I even decided to experiment and spend a day at work listening to people speak English only just to try and catch as many modal verbs as possible. I advise...
- Anchorage - Michelle Shocked - Song Exercise For Past Simple
A short song exercise for elementary to pre-intermediate learners to practise basic Past simple forms. Michelle Shocked is an American singer-songwriter, who was born in Dallas, Texas in 1962. Her first US success came with her 1988 debut album...
- Britishisms
A year or so ago, the BBC website published a rather silly article, where they invited readers to write in with the Americanisms which annoyed them most. The BBC published these without any comment, causing a bit of a stir in the (mostly American)...
- Song Lesson - These Boots Are Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra
Written by Lee Hazlewood and recorded by Nancy Sinatra, this record was released in February 1966 and was a Number One hit in the US and UK Pop charts. There have been many cover versions in a range of styles: metal, pop, rock, punk rock, country,...
Grammar
Song - 'America' from 'West Side Story'
America is one of the greatest songs ever from possibly the greatest musical ever, West Side Story.
A distinctive characteristic of this song is its rhythm, which mixes 6/8 time with 3/4 time (see Wikipedia link below). Some cover versions see fit to remove this feature, in my opinion totally ruining the song.
"In the 1961 film version of the musical, Anita (played by Rita Moreno) sings in favor of the United States, while Bernardo responds to her praises with corresponding criticisms satirizing latent racism in American society, especially towards Puerto Ricans"- Wikipedia
The song uses a lot of rhyme, both at the end of lines and internally (inside the lines). Use this to help you to choose the right answers to fill the gaps. Then listen to the video to check.
America from West Side Story
Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
money · population · heart · sunlight
natives · hurricanes · sink · pipe
natives · hurricanes · sink · pipe
| ANITA (spoken) | Stop it | |
| BERNANDO (spoken) | She's given up Puerto Rico, and now she's queer for Uncle Sam | |
| ANITA (spoken) | Oh, no! That's not true | |
| ANITA | Puerto Rico . . . | |
| My (1) 's devotion | ||
| Let it (2) back in the ocean | ||
| Always the (3) blowing | ||
| Always the (4) growing | ||
| And the (5) owing | ||
| And the (6) streaming | ||
| And the (7) steaming | ||
| I like the island Manhattan (I know you do) | ||
| Smoke on your (8) | ||
| And put that in! |
boom · charge · bloom · zoom
credit · clean · fee · room
credit · clean · fee · room
| GIRLS | I like to be in America! | |
| O.K. by me in America! | ||
| Ev'rything free in America | ||
| BERNANDO | For a small (1) in America! | |
| ANITA | Buying on (2) is so nice. | |
| BERNANDO | One look at us, and they (3) twice. | |
| ROSALIA | I have my own washing machine. | |
| INDIO | What will you have, though, to keep (4) ? | |
| ANITA | Skyscrapers (5) in America, | |
| ROSALIA | Cadillacs (6) in America, | |
| CONSUELO | Industry (7) in America. | |
| GUYS | Twelve in a (8) in America! |
slamming · fight · all-white · housing
bright · accent · terrace · alright
bright · accent · terrace · alright
| ANITA | Lots of new (1) with more space. | |
| BERNANDO | Lots of doors (2) in our face. | |
| ANITA | I'll get a (3) apartment. | |
| BERNANDO | Better get rid of your (4) . | |
| ANITA | Life can be (5) in America. | |
| GUYS | If you can (6) in America. | |
| GIRLS | Life is (7) in America. | |
| GUYS | If you're (8) in America. | |
| DANCE | ||
| GUYS | la-la-la-la-la America | |
| ... America | ||
| la-la-la-la-la America | ||
| ... America |
choose · crime · pride · shoes
side · boat · I'm · time
side · boat · I'm · time
| GIRLS | Here you are free and you have (1) . | |
| GUYS | Long as you stay on your own (2) . | |
| GIRLS | Free to be anything you (3) . | |
| GUYS | Free to wait tables and shine (4) ! | |
| BERNANDO | Everywhere grime in America, | |
| Organized (5) in America, | ||
| Terrible (6) in America. | ||
| ANITA | You forget (7) in America. | |
| DANCE | ||
| BERNANDO | I think I'll go back to San Juan. | |
| ANITA | I know a (8) you can get on. | |
| GIRLS | bye bye! BERNANDO - uh-huh | |
| BERNANDO | Everyone there will give a big cheer! | |
| ANITA | Everyone there will have moved here. | |
| ALL | Ole! |
Idiom
In the introduction there's a line about a pipe. This has intentionally mixed up a particular idiom and is 'a rude way of telling someone that they must accept what you have just said, even if they do not like it' (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary). See if you can complete the idiom by entering the remaining words in the right order.
smoke and it pipe in your
Put that
Now enjoy the video
Answers
Printer friendly post
You can make a teacher copy with answers by clicking on 'Show All'. Make sure you 'Clear All' before printing student copies. I strongly recommend doing a Print Preview first. You might want to change your margins and you probably won't want to print every page. The song goes from Pages 2 -5
Links
- America - Wikipedia
- West Side Story - Wikipedia
loading...
- Great Typo Hunt
Jeff Deck came across a ‘’no tresspassing sign’’ that has bothered him for years – double s in trespassing! The sign had been taunting passers-by with that loathsome extra s for who knew how long. (…) I stared at that no trespassing,...
- Modal Verbs
I’ve been thinking about writing this article for quite some time now and, at some point, I even decided to experiment and spend a day at work listening to people speak English only just to try and catch as many modal verbs as possible. I advise...
- Anchorage - Michelle Shocked - Song Exercise For Past Simple
A short song exercise for elementary to pre-intermediate learners to practise basic Past simple forms. Michelle Shocked is an American singer-songwriter, who was born in Dallas, Texas in 1962. Her first US success came with her 1988 debut album...
- Britishisms
A year or so ago, the BBC website published a rather silly article, where they invited readers to write in with the Americanisms which annoyed them most. The BBC published these without any comment, causing a bit of a stir in the (mostly American)...
- Song Lesson - These Boots Are Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra
Written by Lee Hazlewood and recorded by Nancy Sinatra, this record was released in February 1966 and was a Number One hit in the US and UK Pop charts. There have been many cover versions in a range of styles: metal, pop, rock, punk rock, country,...