Saturday, October 12, 2024

Model Text for Relative Clauses: Mike, the luckiest guy I know.

(TESOL Materials--Relative Clauses)

Slideshow: slides, pub
Worksheet 1: Questions and model text: docs, pub
Worksheet 2: Noticing activity: docs, pub

[Notes: This is a lesson created around a video on relative clauses from oomongzu oomongzu Youtube channel.  I'm not 100% happy with it, but so far it was the best model text on relative clauses I could find.  (If someone knows a better text that contextualizes relative clauses, let me know.)  The video is a bit on the long side, has some questionable humor, and also possibly contains some sentences that aren't technically relative clauses.  As someone pointed out in the comments, sentences like "He was my friend when we were at school" is an adverb clause, not a relative clause.  I got around this problem by just choosing to ignore sentences that I don't think are good examples of relative clauses.  (I also stop the video at 3:56, and don't use their explanation.  I do my own clarification activities instead.)
The staging of this lesson is as follows:  
Lead-in: slide 1: show the picture, and try to elicit the word "lucky" from the students.  (The word comes up on the animation.  Slide 2: Show the 3 pictures of lucky people, and ask the students to explain why each person is lucky.  Slide 3: Students talk to a partner: Who is the luckiest person you know? Why?
Gist Task: Slide 4.  Play the video.  (Only the story part, not the grammar explanation part).  Ask students: Why is Mike the luckiest person I know?
Noticing Activity: Slide 6.  Display sentences: Mike's mother is a loving woman.  ​A loving woman makes him breakfast in bed every morning.  Get students to combine the sentences.  If they need help, play the relevant part of the video for them.  Give out noticing worksheet.  Students combine sentences, and then check their answers by listening to the story again.  To save time, the teacher can read out the story instead of listening to the video again. (The story on the noticing worksheet is an abbreviated version of the story.)
Clarification of Meaning is slides 8-12.  Check that the students understand what the relative pronoun refers to in each case.
Clarification of Form is slides 13-26



1. What does Mike’s mother make him every morning? 

 

 

2. Where does Mike work? 

 

 

3. What was Mike’s lifelong dream? 

 

 

4. What does Mike do every morning? 

 

 

5. Who did Mike ask out? 

 

 

6. Who did Mike marry? 

 

 

 

1. What does Mike’s mother make him every morning? 

 

 

2. Where does Mike work? 

 

 

3. What was Mike’s lifelong dream? 

 

 

4. What does Mike do every morning? 

 

 

5. Who did Mike ask out? 

 

 

6. Who did Mike marry? 

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/Dea5xzWypVQ?si=xB1I5U3oQ4Z6QgXI 

This is Mike. Mike is the luckiest guy I know. We used to play together at the playground where we made friends with our older kids. 

Mike's mother is a loving woman who makes him breakfast in bed every morning. Mike has a great job. He works at the top modeling agency in town, which he loves. 

Mike is the luckiest guy I know. 

One day Mike was walking to work when he found a million dollars on the ground. The very next day Mike quit his job and took a holiday to Hawaii which was his lifelong dream. Unfortunately, on his holiday Mike accidentally cut his finger when he was having dinner. Mike had to be hospitalized. Mike is the luckiest guy I know. 

When Mike returned home from his holiday, he was broke. He had spent all the money that he had found. One day when Mike was jogging in the park, which he does every morning, he came up with a great idea. So the very next day, Mike planted a tree which grows money in his backyard. Mike is the most ingenious guy I know. Now that Mike's a trillionaire, there's only one thing that was missing in his life: a soulmate. So, the next day Mike went out and asked out the first girl that he saw. Barbara, who was the lucky girl, immediately said yes. It was a match made in heaven. Mike and Barbara were a perfect couple. Mike was a cool guy and Barbara, whose personality was fun and outgoing, was the perfect match. 3 Days later, Mike married Jessica, his new girlfriend. Jessica gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who grew up to be a handsome young lad and they lived happily ever after. 


Combine these two sentences into one sentence: 

1. Mike's mother is a loving woman.  A loving woman makes him breakfast in bed every morning. 

 

2. He works at the top modeling agency in town.  He loves working at the top modelling agency in town. 

 

3. Mike quit his job and took a holiday to Hawaii. Taking a holiday to Hawaii was his lifelong dream. 

 

4. He had spent all the money. He had found the money. 

 

5. One day when Mike was jogging in the park he came up with a great idea.  Mike goes jogging in the park every morning. 

 

6. Mike planted a tree in his backyard.  The tree grows money. 

 

7. Barbara immediately said yes.  Barbara was the lucky girl.   

 

8. Barbara was the perfect match.  Barbara’s personality was fun and outgoing. 

 

9. Jessica gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.  The baby boy grew up to be a handsome young lad. 

 


This is Mike. Mike is the luckiest guy I know.  

(1)_________________________________________________________. Mike has a great job. (2)__________________________________________. 

Mike is the luckiest guy I know. 

One day Mike was walking to work when he found a million dollars on the ground. The very next day (3)_____________________________________________________. Unfortunately, on his holiday Mike accidentally cut his finger when he was having dinner. Mike had to be hospitalized. Mike is the luckiest guy I know. 

When Mike returned home from his holiday, he was broke. (4)______________________________________________________ . (5)________________________________________________________ . So the very next day, (6)________________________________________. Mike is the most ingenious guy I know. Now that Mike's a trillionaire, there's only one thing that was missing in his life: a soulmate. So, the next day Mike went out and asked out the first girl that he saw. (7)___________________________________________. It was a match made in heaven. Mike and Barbara were a perfect couple. Mike was a cool guy and (8)________________________________________________________. Three Days later, Mike married Jessica, his new girlfriend. (9___________________________________________________ and they lived happily ever after. 

 


Answers: 

This is Mike. Mike is the luckiest guy I know.  

(1)Mike's mother is a loving woman who makes him breakfast in bed every morning. Mike has a great job. (2)He works at the top modeling agency in town, which he loves

Mike is the luckiest guy I know. 

One day Mike was walking to work when he found a million dollars on the ground. The very next day (3)Mike quit his job and took a holiday to Hawaii which was his lifelong dream.  

Unfortunately, on his holiday Mike accidentally cut his finger when he was having dinner. Mike had to be hospitalized. Mike is the luckiest guy I know. 

When Mike returned home from his holiday, he was broke. (4)He had spent all the money that he had found. (5)One day when Mike was jogging in the park, which he does every morning, he came up with a great idea. So the very next day, (6)Mike planted a tree which grows money in his backyard. Mike is the most ingenious guy I know. Now that Mike's a trillionaire, there's only one thing that was missing in his life: a soulmate. So, the next day Mike went out and asked out the first girl that he saw. (7)Barbara, who was the lucky girl, immediately said yes. It was a match made in heaven. Mike and Barbara were a perfect couple. Mike was a cool guy and (8)Barbara, whose personality was fun and outgoing, was the perfect match. Three Days later, Mike married Jessica, his new girlfriend. (9)Jessica gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who grew up to be a handsome young lad and they lived happily ever after. 

No comments:

Post a Comment