Worksheets for songs from Mary Neve

EFL/ESL worksheets & lesson ideas for four songs from Mary Neve

NOTE FROM MARY:

It has been a year since I emailed you about your wonderful site. I am finally sending you a few things.

Pink Floyd “Learning to Fly” for prepositions (please scroll to next box)
John Michael Montgomery “I Swear” for adverbs and adjectives (and a second that looks for adjectives only)
Beatles “I’m so Tired” and “Think for Yourself” for pronouns and adjectives

Each are the gapped style, and a few have questions on the lyric sheet that ask students to identify very specific aspects of the part of speech. For example, the pronoun songs ask the students to find reflexive and indefinite examples after they have filled in the missing lyrics.

I am using these with freshmen high school students at a public high school in Wisconsin to help them learn parts of speech. They are always asking when we get to do another one. Some are actively seeking songs to use. If they can come up with something, I will forward it as well!

Please feel free to give out my email address. I would love to connect with anyone who is doing this on their own so we can share.

Mary Ortner Neve, English Teacher, Tomah High School, Tomah , Wisconsin, U.S.

LEARNING TO FLY

sung by Pink Floyd

(Gilmour, Moore, Ezrin, Carin) 4:53

_______ the distance, a ribbon _______ black

Stretched _______ the point

_______ no turning back

A flight _______ fancy

_______ a windswept field

Standing alone my senses reeled

A fatal attraction holding me fast, how

Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

<>()<>

Can't keep my eyes _______ the circling skies

Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I

<>()<>

Ice is forming _______ the tips

_______ my wings

Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought _______everything

No navigator to guide my way home

Unladened, empty and turned _______ stone

<>()<>

A soul _______tension that's learning to fly

Condition grounded but determined to try

Can't keep my eyes _______ the circling skies

Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

<>()<>

Friction lock - set.

Mixture - rich

Propellers - fully forward

Flaps - set - 10 degrees

Engine gauges and suction - check

<>()<>

Mixture set _______ maximum percent - recheck

Flight instruments...

Altimeters - check both

(garbled word) - on

Navigation lights - on

Strobes - on

(to tower): Confirm 3-8-Echo ready

_______ departure

<>()<>

(tower): Hello again, this is now 129.4

(to tower): 129.4. It's to go.

(tower): You may commence your takeoff, winds over 10 knots.

(to tower): 3-8-Echo

<>()<>

Easy _______ the brakes. Take it easy. Its gonna roll this time.

Just hand the power gradually, and it...

<>()<>

_______ the planet _______ a wing and a prayer,

My grubby halo, a vapour trail _______ the empty air,

_______ the clouds I see my shadow fly

_______the corner _______ my watering eye

A dream unthreatened _______ the morning light

Could blow this soul right _______ the roof _______ the night

<>()<>

There's no sensation to compare _______ this

Suspended animation, A state _______ bliss

Can't keep my eyes _______ the circling skies

Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

THE ANSWER KEY

I Swear
Sung by John Michael Montgomery

Exercise 1: Adjectives

Verse 1
I see _______ questions in _______ eyes
I know what's weighing on _______ mind
But you can be _______ I know _______ part
'Cause I'll stand beside you through _______ years
You'll _______ cry _______ _______ tears
And though I'll make mistakes
I'll never break _______ heart

Chorus:

I swear
By _______ moon and stars in _______ sky
I'll be there
I swear
Like _______ shadow that's by _______ side
I'll be _______
For better or worse
Till death do us part
I'll love you with _______ beat of _______ heart
I swear

Verse 2

I'll give you everything I can
I'll build _______ dreams with _______ _______ hands
We'll hang _______ memories on _______ wall
And when there's silver in _______ hair
You won’t have to ask if I still care
'Cause as time turns _______ page
My love won’t age at all

Repeat chorus 2 times

THE ANSWER KEY

I Swear
Sung by John Michael Montgomery

Exercise 2: Adverbs & Adjectives

I swear
By _______ moon and stars in _______ sky
I'll be _______
I swear
Like _______ shadow that's by _______ side
I'll be _______
For better or worse
Till death do us part
I'll love you with _______ beat of _______ heart
I swear

Verse 2

I'll give you everything I can
I'll build _______ dreams with _______ _______ hands
We'll hang _______ memories on _______ wall
And when there's silver in _______ hair
You wo_______ have to ask if I _______ care
'Cause as time turns _______ page
My love wo_______ age at all

Repeat chorus 2 times

THE ANSWER KEY

I'm So Tired

Lennon/McCartney

Directions: For each of the following categories, list each pronoun or adjective from the lyrics that matches it. There may be more than one answer or no answer. Please request the worksheet & answer key from Mary as Musical English Lessons International cannot print the lyrics of this song in full.

1^st person singular __________

1^st person singular possessive _________

2^nd person singular __________

3^rd person singular __________

Indefinite __________

Reflexive __________

Relative __________

Demonstrative __________

Intensive __________

Interrogative __________

Think for Yourself

Lennon/McCartney

1. 1^st person singular __________

2. 1^st person plural __________

3. 1^st person plural possessive __________

4. Reflexive__________

5. relative__________

6. 2^nd person __________

7. Indefinite__________

8. demonstrative (acting as an adjective) __________

9. 2^nd person possessive__________

10. Interrogative

LEARNING TO FLY

sung by Pink Floyd

(Gilmour, Moore, Ezrin, Carin) 4:53

Key to exercise, showing the prepositions in phrasal context

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to guide my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone

A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Friction lock - set.
Mixture - rich
Propellers - fully forward
Flaps - set - 10 degrees
Engine gauges and suction - check
Mixture set to maximum percent - recheck
Flight instruments...
Altimeters - check both
(garbled word) - on
Navigation lights - on
Strobes - on
(to tower): Confirm 3-8-Echo ready for departure
(tower): Hello again, this is now 129.4
(to tower): 129.4. It's to go.
(tower): You may commence your takeoff, winds over 10 knots.
(to tower): 3-8-Echo
Easy on the brakes. Take it easy. Its gonna roll this time.
Just hand the power gradually, and it...

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer,
My grubby halo, a vapour trail in the empty air,
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

There's no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, A state of bliss
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Bibi's Comment:

Rich in vocabulary, the lyrics are extremely unusual, as they end with the pronoun 'I' . Poetic licence allows words to be omitted, as per the following example.
- Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, though I might be
The prepositions can be pre-taught in their phrasal context, then the song could be used as a fun test. Bingo, or a competitive quiz, would be a good way of presenting and reinforcing these.

I Swear
Sung by John Michael Montgomery

THE FULL LYRICS ANSWER KEY

I see the questions in your eyes
I know what's weighing on your mind
But you can be sure I know my part
'Cause I'll stand beside you through the years
You'll only cry those happy tears
And though I'll make mistakes
I'll never break your heart

I swear
By the moon and stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear
Like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there
For better or worse
Till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
I swear

I'll give you everything I can
I'll build your dreams with these two hands
We'll hang some memories on the wall
And when there's silver in your hair
You won't have to ask if I still care
'Cause as time turns the page
My love won't age at all

Repeat chorus 2 times