Teachers Materials in English 6
Q1-W5-Day 1 to Day 5
Day 1
Figurative language is when you use a word or phrase that does not have its normal
everyday, literal meaning. Writers can use figurative language to make their work more
interesting or more dramatic than literal language which simply states facts.
Figurative language is commonly found throughout spoken and written English, and it’s
important to understand what it is and when you’re hearing it. In the simplest terms figurative
language is language that is used to convey something that is different from the literal
dictionary definition of the word. Figurative language is most commonly used in poetry, and is
often used in both fiction and nonfiction writing. It is also used when people speak, just think
idioms.
An Idiom is an expression that takes on a figurative meaning when certain words are
combined, which is different from the literal definition of the individual words. For example,
let's say I said: 'Don't worry, driving out to your house is a piece of cake.' We would understand
that the expression 'piece of cake' means that it's easy. Normally, we obviously wouldn't
associate the word 'cake' when it is on its own as anything other than dessert. But in this
context, it's a well-known idiom.
Examples of Idioms
"Kick the bucket"
"Spill the beans"
The meaning of these expressions is different from the literal meaning or definition of the
words of which they are made. Their meaning are however used figuratively. They mean
respectively:
"to die "
"to tell people secret information"
Common Idioms
The examples below demonstrate how you can't really deduce the meaning of these
expressions without knowing what they mean. The next time someone says they're feeling
"under the weather," you'll know it has nothing to do with weather patterns, but rather that
they're feeling quite ill.
1. Getting fired turned out to be a blessing in disguise. - Getting fired (normally a negative
event) turned out to be a good thing.
2. These red poppies are a dime a dozen. - These red poppies are very common.
3. Don't beat around the bush. - Just say what you really mean.
4. After some reflection, he decided to bite the bullet. - After some reflection, he decided
to do the undesirable thing he was avoiding.
5. I'm going to call it a night. - I'm going to bed.
6. He's got a chip on his shoulder. - He's holding onto a grudge or grievance that's making
him very angry or callous.
7. Would you cut me some slack? - Don't be so hard on me.
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8. Don't cut any corners. - Don't take any shortcuts and produce shoddy work.
9. She let things get out of hand. - She lets things get out of control.
10. I'm going back to the drawing board. - I'm going to start over.
11. Hang in there. - Stick with it.
12. Don't jump the gun. - Don't do something before the allotted time.
13. He decided to let her off the hook. - He decided to release her from her responsibility.
14. He missed the boat. - He missed out on an opportunity.
15. I go out for walks once in a blue moon. - I go out for walks very rarely.
16. Pull yourself together, man! - Calm down.
17. She seriously rubbed me the wrong way. - I did not like her at all.
18. There he is, speak of the devil. - There he is; we were just talking about him.
19. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. - My patience has finally run out.
20. Well, she's got the best of both worlds. - She's receiving benefits from both of her
current situations or opportunities.
21. Why are you so bent out of shape? - Why are you so upset?
22. I'm feeling under the weather. - I'm feeling sick.
23. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. - We'll solve that problem when the time
comes.
24. I'm sorry but I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. - I'm sorry but I just can't
seem to understand.
25. Wow, you can say that again. - I totally agree.
Idioms Around the Globe
1. Americans aren't unique in their use of idioms. Where there's language, there's
figurative language. That is, people are going to play on words and come up with
quippy, new expressions. Let's take a look at some of our global neighbors' idioms:
2. In Armenian, "stop ironing my board" means stop bothering me.
3. In French, "when chickens have teeth" means something's never going to happen.
4. Also in French, "I have other cats to whip" means I have other things to do.
5. In German, "to tie a bear to someone" means you've tricked them.
6. Also in German, "an elephant made out of a fly" means to make a big deal out of
nothing.
7. In Italian, "not all doughnuts come with a hole" means you don't always get what you
want.
8. Also in Italian, "to treat someone with a fish in their face" means to disrespect someone.
9. In Japanese, "my cheeks are falling off" means the food is really delicious.
10. Also in Japanese, "to have dumplings instead of flowers" means you've chosen
something useful over something decorative.
11. In Polish, "mustard after lunch" means it's too late to do something.
12. Also in Polish, to "get stuffed with hay" means someone's asking you to go away.
13. In Portuguese, "he who doesn't have a dog, hunts with cats" means you make the most
of what you've been given.
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14. Also in Portuguese, "take your little horse away from the rain" means something's never
going to happen.
15. In Spanish, "a cat in gloves catches no mice" means nice guys always finish last.
16. Also in Spanish, "a lot of noise and no walnuts" means someone's all talk and no action.
It's very important to have a firm understanding of each culture's idioms. The
terminology that one country uses can have a vastly different meaning in another country. For
example, in Finnish, "with long teeth" means you're doing something you don't want to do.
However, in French, to "have long teeth" means you're very ambitious. Quite different, right?
Idioms In the Arts
Similar to various cultures who adopt their own set of idioms, smaller groups of people
do the same. Actors, painters, performers, and writers tend to use their own idioms, almost
bordering on slang, to encourage each other and forge a unique sense of community. Here are
some of the most popular idioms used in the art world:
1. "Break a leg" means good luck.
2. When you encourage someone to "break a leg," you might also want to encourage them
to "knock 'em dead" or do a great job.
3. When you encourage a friend to "sing their heart out" before a performance, you're
encouraging them to give it their all (and have some fun).
4. "Get the hook" means it's time to pull an actor off the stage because he's performing
horribly.
5. If you need to "get the hook," the actor most likely "bombed," meaning he was so
terrible.
6. If an actor "bombed," then they're likely to be "upstaged" by another actor who
performed better.
7. If you're excited to "sink your teeth" into a new book, it means you're really excited to
start reading it.
8. If an artist "breaks new ground," it means his work is important and innovative.
Speakers Tone and Mood
Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject, the characters or the readers, which is
revealed by the author’s diction.
Tone Words
Angry Sad Sentimental
Sharp Cold Fanciful
Upset Urgent Complimentary
Silly Joking Condescending
Boring Poignant Sympathetic
Afraid Detached Contemptuous
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Happy Confused Apologetic
Hollow Childish Humorous
Joyful Peaceful Horrific
Allusive Mocking Sarcastic
Sweet Objective Nostalgic
Vexed Vibrant Zealous
Tired Frivolous Irreverent
Bitter Audacious Benevolent
Dreamy Shocking Seductive
Restrained Somber Candid
Proud Giddy Pitiful
Dramatic Provocative Didactic
Mood is the feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader. It is the atmosphere
created by the author. Some literature makes us feel joyful, solemn, angry, etc. . Mood is often
created by setting.
Review and Short Summary of “ Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
By Judi Barrett
Summary
Module by Kennyi Aouad and Noah Someck
Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs begins with a family eating breakfast at the table one
morning. After a long day, the grandfather of the family tells his grandchildren the tale of the
town Chewandswallow. Citizens are supplied with food from the sky three times a day.
Hamburgers, hotdogs, soup, pie—the sky abounds with more than enough food to satisfy the
townspeople’s needs. However, when the weather becomes too excessive, the town of
Chewandswallow is faced with a difficult decision: Should they stay in their food-ravaged town,
where it is unsafe to step outside, or abandon their homeland and set off for another town?
Deciding to do the latter, the citizens ultimately find another home and become accustomed to
buying food from supermarkets, storing their comestibles in refrigerators, and having rain and
snow fall from the sky. The story ends with the grandchildren going to bed after the story and
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waking up the next day to play outside in the snow as they notice the smell of mashed potatoes
and what appears to be a giant pat of butter on the horizon.
Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion
In the story, the townspeople of Chewandswallow must endure multiple struggles
regarding the burdens of their homeland and having to travel across the sea to a new land. At
first sight, the story may seem to only be about a mysterious and magical town with odd
weather patterns where food falls from the sky. However, when inspected more closely, it is
philosophically rich and entertains multiple questions about freedom, safety, migration, and
adaptation.
The abundance of food appears at first to be a blessing, as people don’t need to grow
their own food, nobody starves (neither people nor animals), and there are almost always
leftovers. In our current world, this would be an incredible solution to one of our biggest
problems: world hunger. But it appears that nothing comes without consequence: having food
fall from the sky three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner limits the people in the town
of Chewandswallow in various ways. Therefore, most of this part of the discussion involves
coming up with the pros and cons of having food fall from the sky and asking the children what
parts about having food fall from the sky they would like and dislike. The pros seem to be more
apparent from the book than the cons, so more time should be allotted to challenging the
children to find some possible cons of the situation.
Having food always fall from the sky could have many great things come from it. The
townspeople seem to never go hungry. In fact, they can eat to their heart’s content.
Additionally, the townspeople don’t need farmers to grow food which makes life a lot easier.
People can walk outside with their plates and silverware and just wait to get food, rather than
spend a large portion of their time preparing meals. This also means that people don’t have to
pay for food either. Maybe people can use this extra time and money to have more fun with
friends and buy more things that they want. But not everything that results from the town’s
weather is good.
Perhaps not being able to choose what they want to eat for their meals may be
frustrating for the townspeople. What if people have allergies to certain foods so that they have
to miss out on certain meals? It would be good to focus on how the townspeople may be
limited in what they can eat, or in other words, how they have limited control over what they
eat. People might get multiple meals in a row where they don’t like what is “served” or they
aren’t able to eat it for health reasons. On top of that, there could be periods of time where
people aren’t getting all the proper or suggested nutrients that they should from the meals that
they are eating. There is a popular saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, what
if apples, or even fruit, only fall about once every month? Or, maybe extremely sugary and
“junky” foods may fall often for certain periods of time. Although it might greatly please one’s
taste buds, it may not be the healthiest thing to have happen. When it rains in the town of
Chewandswallow, it doesn’t just rain rain. It rains things such as soup and juice. But this means
that water never rains from the sky, so the townspeople don’t have access to plain water. Could
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this be bad for one’s health? Additionally, not everyone wakes up at the same time, so if people
wake up too late, they might miss meals. Could this become troublesome? Finally, people could
become hungry between meals. They either have to wait it out until the next meal, or they’d
have to have leftovers. How many people enjoy eating leftovers?
Ultimately, this discussion of weighing the pros and cons can be related to a bigger
theme of safety versus freedom. This is a difficult topic to introduce to kids, so a simpler way to
talk about safety would be to define it as “always having what someone needs, but not
necessarily being able to choose when, where, what, and how they get it.” One could then
define freedom as “being able to choose what one wants and how, when, and where they get
what they want, but also having the risk of not always being able to get enough of it.” Asking a
few questions regarding this broader theme would be a good way to connect the story to
bigger philosophical ideas and finally end this part of the discussion.
When the weather takes a turn for the worse, the people of Chewandswallow find the
food as more of a curse than a blessing and are tasked with a difficult decision of leaving their
homeland. This crisis brings up some good questions about migration: Is it voluntary or
involuntary and what are the causes that influence a group of people to resituate themselves?
The citizens leave their town in order to survive, a scenario that parallels many migrant groups’
circumstances. In order to promote discussion on moving, ask the children if they have ever
moved or know someone who has.
After the migrants sail on their peanut butter sandwiches to a new land, they are
welcomed by the current inhabitants as they become accustomed to their new environment,
where they must buy food from the grocery stores instead of expecting meatballs to hail from
the sky. Furthermore, the new inhabitants must learn how to prepare their own meals, a task
that they were fortunate enough not to have to perform due to their privilege. Here, one must
pay attention to the refugees being openly welcomed by the locals. What are the
responsibilities of the natives to welcome the newcomers and what responsibility do the
newcomers have to conform to the ways of life of their new town? What if the people of
Chewandswallow do not adapt? Would the native inhabitants be justified in expelling the
refugees or refusing to accept any more?
Day 2
Hyperbole
Hyperbole (hi-PER-buh-lee) is language that is obviously exaggerated and not meant to
be taken literally. Writers often use hyperbole for emphasis or to be funny.
Hyperbole: The Best Thing Ever
You can find hyperbole in plenty of English idioms:
She’s asked a million questions.
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You could have knocked me over with a feather.
He’s as quiet as a mouse.
Now I’ve seen everything.
Where and When to Use Hyperbole
Hyperbole, like metaphors and similes, is a type of figurative language. In fact,
metaphors and similes often incorporate hyperbole. When done right, hyperbole can make
your writing livelier and more engaging for readers. Consider the difference between these two
sentences:
Many people heard Jeremy shouting when the spider landed on him.
The entire tri-state area could hear Jeremy shouting when the spider landed on
him.
Both of these sentences mean that lots of people heard Jeremy. But the hyperbole in
the second sentence places particular emphasis on Jeremy’s volume. Of course it’s impossible
for one person’s shout to travel for hundreds of miles—the point is that Jeremy
was really freaking out about that spider.
Beware the Hyperbolic “Literally”
Sometimes, people use the word “literally” in a figurative sense to amplify an already
hyperbolic statement. But unless your teacher has asked you to go out and, say, harass a cranky
grizzly bear, This homework is literally killing me! is just a hyperbolic way to say that your
homework is harder or more abundant than you’d like. Although this usage is widespread and
even accepted by some dictionaries, it’s generally a good idea to avoid it because many readers
find it annoying. In the example above, you can even get rid of “literally” without sacrificing the
hyperbole: This homework is killing me!
Irony
Definition of Irony
Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended
meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that ends
up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference
between appearance and reality.
Types of Irony
On the grounds of the above definition, we distinguish two basic types of irony: (1) verbal irony,
and (2) situational irony. Verbal irony involves what one does not mean. For example, when in
response to a foolish idea, we say, “What a great idea!” This is verbal irony. Situational irony
occurs when, for instance, a man is chuckling at the misfortune of another, even when the
same misfortune is, unbeknownst to him, befalling him.
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Difference Between Dramatic Irony and Situational Irony
Dramatic irony is frequently employed by writers in their works. In situational irony,
both the characters and the audience are fully unaware of the implications of the real situation.
In dramatic irony, the characters are oblivious of the situation, but the audience is not. For
example, in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, we know well before the characters that they are
going to die. In real life circumstances, irony may be comical, bitter, or sometimes unbearably
offensive.
Common Examples of Irony
Let us analyze some interesting examples from our daily life:
• I posted a video on YouTube about how boring and useless YouTube is.
• The name of Britain’s biggest dog was “Tiny.”
• You laugh at a person who slipped stepping on a banana peel, and the next thing you
know, you’ve slipped too.
• The butter is as soft as a slab of marble.
• “Oh great! Now you have broken my new camera.”
Short Examples of Verbal Irony
1. The doctor is as kind hearted as a wolf.
2. He took a much-needed vacation, backpacking in the mountains. Unfortunately, he
came back dead tired.
3. His friend’s hand was as soft as a rock.
4. The desert was as cool as a bed of burning coals.
5. The student was given ‘excellent’ on getting zero in the exam.
6. The roasted chicken was as tender as a leather boot.
7. He was in such a harried state that he drove the entire way at 20 miles per hour.
8. He enjoyed his job about as much as a root canal.
9. My friend’s kids get along like cats and dogs.
10. Their new boss was as civilized as a shark.
11. The new manager is as friendly as a rattlesnake.
12. The weather was as balmy as a winter day in Siberia.
13. A vehicle was parked right in front of the no-parking sign.
14. The CEO of a big tobacco company said he did not smoke.
15. The fear of long words is called “Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian phobia.”
Day 3
MODALS: Auxiliary Verbs "Can/Could" and "May/Might/Must"
Can
Used to express ability (to be able to do something):
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I can make jewelry.
He can’t speak French.
Can you open this jar?
Used to ask for permission:
Can I use your bathroom?
Can I leave now?
Can I raise the volume?
Used to make requests or suggestions:
Can I have more napkins?
Can I have the bill?
You can take this spot if you like.
You can do whatever you want.
Could (past form of can)
Describes an ability that someone had in the past:
I could swim when I was young.
You could see the boat sinking.
They could tell he was nervous.
Often used in auxiliary functions to express permission politely:
Could I take this jacket with me?
You could borrow my umbrella.
Could you please let me pass you?
Could I get you more water?
Used to express possibility:
All of them could ride in the van.
You could always stay at our house.
Could it be true?
This plan could really work out.
May
Used to ask for formal permission:
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May I come in?
May I say something now?
May I ask one question?
Used to suggest something that is possible:
She may agree with this plan.
They may not be happy about what happened.
It may shower tonight.
Might (past form of may)
Used to suggest a smaller possibility than may does (actually, might is more common than may
in American English):
He might have finished it.
I might go see a doctor.
I might not come this time.
It might be right.
You might have lost it.
The store might have been closed today.
Must
Used to express something formally required or necessary:
I must complete the project by this week.
The government must provide health care for everybody.
Everyone must save the natural resources of the earth.
The building must have a fire alarm.
You must answer my question right now.
Used to show that something is very likely:
He must be a genius.
You must be joking!
There must be an accident.
She must be very tired.
Day 4
Should vs Must
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The words “should” and “must” are modal auxiliary verbs or simply modals. They
provide information about the function of the main verb following it. Both “should” and “must”
are similar in meaning except that “must” is a much stronger word as compared to “should.”
“Should” is the past tense of “shall.” “Should” is used to denote recommendations,
advice, or to talk about what is generally right or wrong within the permissible limits of society.
For instance:
You should chew your food properly.
We should respect our parents.
You should stop smoking.
You must clean our car regularly.
In all these statements, there is a probability or recommendation of some kind.
“Must” is used to talk about an obligation or a necessity. It is used when people are compelled
to do something. For instance:
You must clean the house as your mom is not well.
Here, it is imperative that you clean the house or else the house won’t be cleaned and remain
untidy.
We must obey the law.
This statement compels us to abide by the law or we will have to face the punishment enforced
by the law.
You must hurry if you have to catch the train.
In this statement, it is emphasized that you certainly have to move quickly as you are
running late. If you do not hurry up, you will miss the train. This sentence is an example of a
compellation for achieving a certain aim.
One must keep his word.
Here again the sentence directs that people are required to or are compelled to do
something (here it is keeping one’s word) by the use of threat or force.
The main difference between the two words “should” and “must” is that “must” is a
stronger word, as mentioned before. The probability of “must” is much more than that of
“should.” For instance:
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You must do your homework now. (It is already late, and if you do not start doing your work
now, you will not be able to finish your work on time. This will lead to punishment or a penalty.)
You should do your homework now. (It is the right time that you start doing your work.)
You must rest. (You are not well, and if you continue working, your health is going to get
worse.)
You should take a rest. (You are tired, and if you do not take a rest, you are going to get sick.)
The synonyms of “should” include: ought, allow, feel, leave, become, suffer, sustain,
allow, etc. The synonyms for “must” are: condition, demand, necessity, requirement, requisite,
obligation, etc.
Day 5
Describe Different Forms and Conventions of Film and Moving Pictures
Acting / Performance
This will also effect the way an audience responds. Elements of performance include
facial expressions, body language and delivery of lines.
Acting, the performing art in which movement, gesture, and intonation are used to
realize a fictional character for the stage, for motion pictures, or for television.
Acting is generally agreed to be a matter less of mimicry, exhibitionism, or imitation
than of the ability to react to imaginary stimuli. Its essential elements remain the twin
requisites enunciated by the French actor François-Joseph Talma in his tribute to the actor
Lekain (1825): “an extreme sensibility and a profound intelligence.” For Talma it is sensibility
that allows an actor to mark his face with the emotions of the character he is playing and to
convey the intentions of the playwright, the implications of the text, and the movements of the
“soul” of the character. Intelligence—the understanding of the workings of the human
personality—is the faculty that orders these impressions for an audience.
The essential problems in acting—those of whether the actor actually “feels” or merely
imitates, of whether he should speak naturally or rhetorically, and of what actually constitutes
being natural—are as old as theatre itself. They are concerned not merely with “realistic”
acting, which arose in the theatre of the 19th century, but with the nature of the acting process
itself.
The ephemeral nature of acting has left it without many practical foundations and only a
few theoretical traditions. In the middle of the 18th century the German critic and dramatist
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing drew attention to this difficulty: “We have actors but no art of
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acting.” In an artistic field where the measures of greatness are traditionally the subjective
reports of witnesses or critics, the understanding of the art has naturally remained in dispute. It
remains as true today as when stated by George Henry Lewes in his On Actors and the Art of
Acting (1875):
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