Professor Plumb Murder Mystery Activity -- Past Modals for Specualtion

For a high-intermediate grammar class, I used the power point presentation and the worksheet that follows to create a context in which students can use modals plus the present perfect to talk about past speculations. Students listen to the power point, which tells a murder mystery story. While they listen, they take notes on the four suspects in the case. After they've taken notes, they write sentences that make speculations about "who done it." Lively class discussion follows. I used this over the past two days in class, and it was really fun. I suggest dividing it into two days to leave students wondering who the real murder is. Enjoy! If you use it, let me know how it works. I'd love to get feedback. P.S. As an expansion activity, I used www.polleverywhere.com to create online polls. Each poll contained a modal plus present perfect sentence that speculated about the murder mystery. Students could vote whether they agreed or disagreed with the speculative statement via text message or email on these polls. Students enjoyed being allowed to use their phones in class! I highly recommend this as an expansion activity.

Past modals murder_mystery from blueparachute.

Professor Plumb Murder Mystery Activity.docx

Beginning Grammar Jeopardy Game

Jeopardy -- Beginning Level Grammar Review from blueparachute

This is a Jeopardy Power Point that I've used in Beginning Grammar classes as a review. It's fun! Try it! You can use the template below to create your own version of the game.

Jeopardy template from blueparachute

Confused vs confusing

View more presentations from Kyle Hildebrandt.

Learning the difference between past participles used as adjectives and present participles used as adjectives can be difficult. Remember, with -ing adjectives, the subject CAUSES a feeling. With -ed, or past participle adjectives, the subject RECEIVES a feeling. This power point helps to explain this difference visually.

English Grammar -- Passive Voice -- Quarterbacks and Receivers

There Have Been Vs. There Has Been

Pronunciation Power App

Many of my students have started using their iPhones and other such smartphones to study English. I have made a little worksheet attatched below that gives step by step instructions on how to download a free Pronunciation Power App from the iTunes store. I've recommended it to many of my students who have been struggling with particular sounds in English and it seems to be a fun, easy way to focus on improving pronunciation in these areas. Enjoy!

Pronunciation Power App for iPhone