All chapters contain multiple grammar quizzes and vocabulary sections, so we did not list them in the descriptions of the chapters below. The vocabulary sections are presented in several different ways: fill in the blanks, multiple choice, etc. Certain sections, like the DETECTIVE section, often encourage students to discover the grammar rules on their own, after they have been presented with "clues." Sections like YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ encourage good deduction skills or critical thinking. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS allows students to speak English to their partner. The "edge" and/or embarrassment of speaking is reduced because students role-play the characters found in the mystery story. The TABLES OF CLUES, found throughout the book, present clear grammar tables, many of which have to be completed by the students themselves. Dialogues between the characters, such as OFF THE RECORD WITH EDWARDS AND RILEY, allow students to experience naturally spoken English. These dialogues, which are actually an integral part of the mystery, double as entertaining grammar quizzes (circle the correct word, fill in the blank) and springboards: students are often asked to act out the dialogue with a partner, interview the characters, write a newspaper article for the Twisted Times, write a letter to one of the characters, write a follow-up dialogue, etc. The theory behind the book is to encourage active student participation in the learning process, all spurred on by the mystery, which is embedded everywhere.
Chapter 1 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 1 of the audio CD). Subject pronouns. READING COMPREHENSION (true or false questions).
Chapter 2 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 2 of the audio CD). Simple present tense of the verb be. Match exercise. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. TABLE OF CLUES 1 & 2: Contractions with the verb be. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. USE THE CLUES (crossword puzzle). TABLE OF CLUES 3: Contractions with not and contractions with be + not. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD (vocabulary scramble).
Chapter 3 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 3 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD: Find the hidden vocabulary words. TABLE OF CLUES 4: Simple present tense of verbs other than be. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. Mystery of the "s." (third person). TABLE OF CLUES 5 & 6: Third person spelling rules for verbs ending in "o" (do/does), "ch" (touch, touches), etc. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ (highly challenging quiz). WHERE'S THE ERROR? (Find the errors). USE THE CLUES (crossword puzzle). TABLE OF CLUES 7: Simple present tense of the verb have. Match exercise.
Chapter 4 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 4 of the audio CD). YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ (highly challenging riddle). TABLE OF CLUES 8: Simple present tense of the verb do. TABLE OF CLUES 9: Forming the present tense negative of verbs other than be. TABLE OF CLUES 10: Yes/No question formation for verbs other than be and affirmative or negative short answers. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Ask questions and tell answers).
Chapter 5 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 5 of the audio CD). Multiple Meaning Words. Numbers from one to one million. Cardinal and ordinal numbers. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ (challenging number exercise and riddle). Writing and saying out loud the days, months, years, with the proper use of in and on. WHERE'S THE ERROR? (Find the errors). WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (What year were you born?). USE THE CLUES (crossword puzzle).
Chapter 6 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 6 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION: (true or false questions). TABLE OF CLUES 11: Forming a question using the verb be with affirmative and negative short answers. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Ask questions and tell answers). TABLE OF CLUES 12: Possessive adjectives. Match exercise. SOME GOOD ADVICE - FIND THE MNEMONIC DEVICE (her vs. she). The Twisted Times: Newspaper article about the mystery. Frances Leeds Reported Missing For (To, Two) Hours! The student must circle the correct possessive adjectives and other words.
Chapter 7 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 7 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD (vocabulary scramble). Prepositions of place with humorous graphics that illustrate common prepositions of place. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Ask the eyewitness: Where is the black cat in relation to the house? The black cat is outside the house.) REFERENCE TABLE 1: When do you use in, on, and at? REFERENCE TABLE 2: more prepositions. To: as a preposition, as part of the infinitive. NEWS ALERT ABOUT FRANCES: The Twisted Times junior reporter speaks to the townspeople. Circle the correct prepositions in her speech!
Chapter 8 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 8 of the audio CD). TABLE OF CLUES 13: Forming Plural Nouns. DETECTIVE: Deduce the spelling rules in the table. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ (challenging quiz about plurals). USE THE CLUES: (crossword puzzle: Give it a whirl and make the words plural). TABLE OF CLUES 14: Irregular Plural Nouns (men, etc.) Count Nouns and Noncount Nouns. When to use how many and how much. REFERENCE TABLE 3: Examples of noncount nouns (bread, etc.). EDWARDS PURSUES THE CLUES (Detective Edwards investigates. Edit the paragraph. Write a letter to Frances.)
Chapter 9 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 9 of the audio CD). LISTENING PRACTICE: Listen to the mystery story and fill in the blanks without looking at the story. TABLE OF CLUES 15: Simple present tense of have compared to have got. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Play the role of the parrot). DON'T STIR UP THE DUST - JUST KNOW THAT HAVE TO IS LIKE MUST (exercise on have to and has to). YOU MUST PAY A VISIT TO THE THEATRE: The students play the characters in the skit using must, and then they must create their own dialogue based on the skit.
Chapter 10 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 10 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD (vocabulary scramble). READING COMPREHENSION: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? (Put events in order.) Present progressive tense or present continuous tense. TABLE OF CLUES 16: Forming the Present Participle. DETECTIVE: Deduce the rules for forming present participles. CHALLENGE: Is it the simple present tense or the present progressive? DETECTIVE: You find the grammar rules for forming a negative and a question in the present progressive. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Ask questions and tell answers). IF HE IS NOT BOOING, THEN WHAT IS HE DOING? (Look at the picture and write what he is doing).
Chapter 11 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 11 of the audio CD). Information questions (Use of what, where, who, why, when, how). TABLE OF CLUES 17: Simple past tense of be. Match exercise. TABLE OF CLUES 18: Forming Negatives and Contractions for the past tense of be. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. TABLE OF CLUES 19: Forming past tense yes/no questions and short answers for the verb be. Complete the table. USE THE CLUES (crossword puzzle). WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Let's see how fast you can color the past!): Color the portrait. Then ask your partner the information and yes/no questions you created. Have your partner answer in the past tense.
Chapter 12 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 12 of the audio CD). LISTENING PRACTICE: Fill in the blanks as you listen to the story. TABLE OF CLUES 20: Forming the regular past tense for verbs except be. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. TABLE OF CLUES 21: Regular past tense verbs. TABLE OF CLUES 22: Irregular past tense verbs. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Old tongue twister using the past tense.)
Chapter 13 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 13 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION (true or false questions). TABLE OF CLUES 23: Forming the past tense negative for verbs except be. Negative contractions. DETECTIVE: You find the grammar rules. TABLE OF CLUES 24: Forming a past tense question for verbs except be. Yes/no questions and answers for verbs other than be. DETECTIVE: You find the grammar rules. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Ask and answer past tense yes/no and information questions.) The Twisted Times: Newspaper article about the mystery. Contents Of Frances's Note Revealed! The student must circle the correct past tense verb.
Chapter 14 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 14 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION: It's still no waltz when they're all false! (Rewrite each false statement so that it correctly reflects the story.) DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules for the past progressive tense or past continuous tense. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Follow directions: color the picture; write the colors; create past progressive yes/no and information questions; ask your partner the questions you created).
Chapter 15 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 15 of the audio CD). The modal auxiliary can. Cannot and can't. TABLE OF CLUES 25: The present tense uses of the modal auxiliary can: ability, asking for and giving permission, asking for assistance. DETECTIVE: Fill in the TABLE OF CLUES 25 based on the examples given. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Role-play the parrot and Mr. Treasure. Mr. Treasure will make Polly's sentences negative using cannot and can't.) TABLE OF CLUES 26: The past tense uses of the modal auxiliary could: ability and permission. Could not and couldn't. DETECTIVE: Fill in the TABLE OF CLUES 26 based on the examples given. Write a paragraph. CAN YOU SING LIKE A BIRD AND FIND THE RIGHT WORD? (Circle the correct can, can't, could, couldn't in the conversation between Detective Edwards and Mr. Treasure.) The modal auxiliaries must and have to. TABLE OF CLUES 27: When to use must (necessity, obligation) and have to, when making a statement, a negative, a question. DETECTIVE: Find the grammar rules. TABLE OF CLUES 28: Other uses of the modal auxiliary must (command or warning, probably or certainly). Difference between must not and mustn't. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Read the sentences and tell whether must is being used to express necessity, warning, certainty. HERE'S A NEW FEATURE - YOU PLAY THE TEACHER! (Read each situation to the class and have them them give a logical response to the situation, using must.)
Chapter 16 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 16 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION (true or false questions). TABLE OF CLUES 29: The present tense modal auxiliary should. (Forming a statement, negative, question, short and long answer). Write a follow-up to the situation using should or shouldn't. TABLE OF CLUES 30: The present tense modal auxiliaries may and might. (Statement, negative, question.) Write a follow-up using either, may, may not, might, or might not. TABLE OF CLUES 31: The present tense modal auxiliary would like. (Contraction with would, negative, question, answer.) WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Role-play: Detective Edwards interviews Mr. Warbly, the cook, who responds using would like.)
Chapter 17 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 17 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD (vocabulary scramble). READING COMPREHENSION: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? (Put events in order.) TABLE OF CLUES 32: Descriptive adjectives and their proper order. DETECTIVE: The student must find the mnemonic device for the order of adjectives according to size, age, shape, color, etc. IT'S WORTH A QUARTER TO FIND THE ORDER. (Apply the order discovered.) MR. OLDSMERRY REMAINS POISED DESPITE ALL THE NOISE! (Miss Riley, the Twisted Times reporter, overhears a conversation between Mr. Oldsmerry and Mrs. Warbly. Complete the conversation by writing in your own adjectives.) RILEY PURSUES THE CLUES: Edit the paragraph for adjectives that are out of order or misspelled. Write a letter to the little boy named Witts.
Chapter 18 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 18 of the audio CD). TABLE OF CLUES 33: Forming regular comparative adjectives. DETECTIVE: Find the spelling rules and complete the table. YOU PLAY THE TEACHER: Compare Mr. Warbly and Miss Riley. (Write sentences using comparative adjectives.) TABLE OF CLUES 34: Irregular comparative adjectives. (Positive adjective, comparative adjective, examples.) POLLY IS RELENTLESS - CAN YOU CORRECT HER SENTENCE? (Write the correct comparative adjective.) IT'S AS SIMPLE AS A WINK, AND NOT AS DIFFICULT AS YOU THINK! TABLE OF CLUES 35: Comparisons with as ... as, not as ... as, less ... than. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Challenging quiz requiring extrapolation.
Chapter 19 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 19 of the audio CD). Click here to see this Chapter. Rhyme introduction (epitaph). READING COMPREHENSION: (Answer the questions.) TABLE OF CLUES 36: Forming regular superlative adjectives. DETECTIVE: Find the spelling rules and complete the table. Exercises on positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives. TABLE OF CLUES 37: Irregular superlative adjectives. Based on the cues, create your own sentences using positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives. The Twisted Times newspaper article: Bottom of Frances's Note Found! (Secret code.) Miss Riley interviews Detective Edwards. Circle the correct adjectives.
Chapter 20 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 20 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION: (true or false questions). IT'S NOT SHODDY TO LEARN THE PARTS OF THE BODY! (ballet dancers). TABLE OF CLUES 38: Objective case pronouns. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: between you and (me, I)? Circle the correct pronouns. Exercise using previously learned subjective case pronouns and newly learned objective case pronouns. NEWS ALERT ABOUT FRANCES! The Twisted Times junior reporter, Margaret McGavin, talks to the townspeople about evidence that Detective Edwards has found. Circle the correct subject or object pronouns.
Chapter 21 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 21 of the audio CD). TABLE OF CLUES 39: Forming possessive nouns. DETECTIVE: Find the spelling rules and complete the table. Stroll through Oldsmerry's antique shop and write the correct possessive nouns. TABLE OF CLUES 40: Possessive pronouns. DETECTIVE: Compare possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns, object pronouns, and subject pronouns. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Role-play Polly with your partner and provide the proper possessive pronouns.) OFF THE RECORD WITH EDWARDS AND RILEY: Dialogue between Detective Edwards and Miss Leeds, Frances's mother. Essential clues to Frances's disappearance provided. Circle the correct words: possessive pronouns, subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive adjectives, their, there, they're, it's, its. Write a summary of the conversation.
Chapter 22 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 22 of the audio CD). Rhyming epitaph. Write a short thriller using the new vocabulary words. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Explain the expression found in the story. TABLE OF CLUES 41: Ways to express the future tense (Will, be going to, present progressive, simple present tense). TABLE OF CLUES 42: The simple future tense with the modal will and when to use it (predict the future, make a promise, etc.) Affirmative, contraction with will, negative, yes/no questions and answers. Make questions and long yes/no answers using will and won't. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Have your partner respond to the situation or request - predict the future, etc.) TABLE OF CLUES 43: The future using be going to. Predicting the future and plans or intentions. DETECTIVE: Complete the table. Exercise: form yes/no questions and answers using be going to. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? 1. Have your partner tell you four things that she/he plans to do tomorrow. 2. Predict events based on visual evidence. 3. Make up your own situations and present them to your partner.
Chapter 23 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 23 of the audio CD). The future using the present progressive tense. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Look at Mr. Warbly's calendar and have your partner tell you what Mr. Warbly is doing on each day. The future using the simple present tense. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Look at the timetable of next week's events. Have your partner answer your questions in the simple present tense, based on the timetable. When expressing the future, time expressions (when, before, after, etc.) are in the simple present tense. WHERE'S THE ERROR? (Rewrite the sentences so they are correct.) OFF THE RECORD WITH EDWARDS AND RILEY: Underline all the future tense sentences in this conversation, which reveals a coded message written by Frances! Can you figure out what the code says? Then interview Miss Riley yourself and transcribe it.
Chapter 24 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 24 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION: (true or false). USE THE CLUES: Crossword puzzle using the new vocabulary words. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Challenging question (Student must explain and write about the irony found in the story.) TABLE OF CLUES 44: Reflexive and intensive pronouns. Exercise: Circle the correct reflexive pronoun. TABLE OF CLUES 45: Forming adverbs of manner. DETECTIVE: Complete the table starting from a positive adjective. Write in the spelling rules for forming an adverb. The adverbs well, hard, and fast. Position of adverbs of manner. Exercise: Fill in the blanks with the correct adjective and its corresponding adverb. Exercise: Write a story using adverbs of manner. TABLE OF CLUES 46: Adverbs of frequency. (Never to always.) YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Rhyming jingle to help remember the position of adverbs of frequency. Exercise: Unscramble the sentences (word order). WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Based on Mr. Treasure's schedule, have your partner tell you how often (adverb of frequency) his parrot does things. Then make up your own questions based on the chart, and present them to your partner. DETECTIVE EDWARDS MEETS MR. FOB: The mystery unfolds in this conversation between Detective Edwards and Mr. Fob, an expert on codes. Circle the correct words and show the correct position of the adverbs. Write a summary of the conversation.
Chapter 25 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 25 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD: Unscramble the new vocabulary words. Exercise: Match the word with its meaning. READING COMPREHENSION: Write the answer to these challenging questions about the story. Explanation of the present perfect tense. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Name the differences between the simple past and present perfect. TABLE OF CLUES 47: Forming the present perfect tense. have + past participle. Contractions, negatives, yes/no short questions. WHERE'S THE ERROR? (Rewrite each sentence correctly.) TABLE OF CLUES 48: Past participles of irregular verbs. Find the MNEMONIC DEVICE (saw vs. seen). TABLE OF CLUES 49: Uses of the present perfect tense. (duration, general life experiences, etc.) CHALLENGE: 1. Explain the differences in meaning between these simple past tense and present perfect sentences. 2. Decide whether the sentences require the simple past or present perfect. RILEY PURSUES THE CLUES: Conversation between Miss Riley and Mr. Oldsmerry, the antique storeowner, about the missing boy. New, puzzling information about the boy's father. Circle the correct words.
Chapter 26 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 26 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD: Circle the hidden vocabulary words. Write a paragraph using the new vocabulary words. LISTENING PRACTICE: Listen to the mystery story and fill in the blanks without looking at the story. Present perfect progressive or continuous tense. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Study these sentences and name two differences between the present perfect tense and the perfect progressive tense. TABLE OF CLUES 50: Forming the present perfect progressive. have/has + been + present participle. Contractions, negatives, yes/no questions with short answers. Exercise: Change the sentences to the perfect progressive and compare their meaning to the present perfect. Learn this humorous dialogue between Polly and Longfeather and then present it to the class. Then write your own follow-up dialogue. HEED THESE WORDS - DON'T USE STATIVE VERBS! REFERENCE TABLE 4: Stative verbs. WHERE'S THE ERROR? Rewrite the sentences. TABLE OF CLUES 51: Comparison of when, why, and how to use the present perfect as opposed to the perfect progressive. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Choose and speak the correct option.
Chapter 27 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 27 of the audio CD). READING COMPREHENSION: It's still no waltz when they're all false! (Rewrite each false statement so that it correctly reflects the story.) TABLE OF CLUES 52: Gerunds vs. Infinitives. (Outlines when to use the gerund and when to use the infinitive.) WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (Role-play Polly and say her sentences while providing the correct gerund or infinitive.) REFERENCE TABLE 5: Verbs followed by the gerund and/or infinitive. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Does the given word function as a noun (gerund), verb, or adjective? ON THE JOB WITH EDWARDS AND FOB: Conversation between Detective Edwards and Mr. Fob, as they decide to to search for clues in the old, sealed manor. Circle the correct gerunds or infinitives. Dramatically act out the dialogue with your partner.
Chapter 28 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 28 of the audio CD). Explanation with examples of when to use the past perfect tense. TABLE OF CLUES 53: Forming the past perfect tense. Complete the table. had + past participle, negative, yes/no questions with short answers. A PEEK AT LAST WEEK: Look at Miss Riley's schedule from last week, and complete the sentences, using the past perfect. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? (A conversation between Mrs. Pince-Nez and Mr. Treasure. Have your partner complete the conversation out loud using the simple past and the past perfect.)
Chapter 29 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 29 of the audio CD). USE THE CLUES: (crossword puzzle using the new vocabulary words). WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF FRANCES'S DISAPPEARANCE? (Write a paragraph using the new vocabulary words.) YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Read between the lines of the mystery, and answer these questions. Imperative mood. Find four sentences in the story that are in the imperative mood. FOLLOW THESE COMMANDS. (Classroom activity.) FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. The auxiliary let. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Walk Miss Riley's dog: Suggest, order, politely request the dog to do certain things. Some orders may include you: let's. Board game using the imperative: You fell into a hole! Go back 2 spaces!
Chapter 30 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 30 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD: Unscramble the new vocabulary words. READING COMPREHENSION: Challenging multiple choice questions. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Extrapolation. 1. Answer this challenging question. 2. Draw a picture depicting this expression. 3. Take a guess. TABLE OF CLUES 54: Forming the future progressive tense. Complete the table. will be + present participle. Contraction, negatives, yes/no questions with short answers. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Ask your partner to respond out loud to the detective's schedule for next week, using the future progressive tense. TABLE OF CLUES 55: Avoiding double negatives. Rewrite Polly's sentences, using one negative. OFF THE RECORD WITH EDWARDS AND RILEY: Conversation between Detective Edwards and Miss Riley. New, important clues revealed about Frances. 1. Circle the correct words (covers all grammar learned up to this point in the book). 2. Write a newspaper article for the Twisted Times about the missing Witts family. 3. Act out the dialogue with your partner.
Chapter 31 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 31 of the audio CD). IF YOU ACT OUT THIS SKIT, THEN YOU ARE A HIT! (Memorize your part and act it out with feeling. Notice the rhythm!) IF YOU'RE THE WHIZ, THEN TAKE THIS QUIZ: Challenging multiple choice. Answer the challenging questions. TABLE OF CLUES 56: Conditionals compared. (Comparison of the zero conditional (present real conditional), first conditional (future real), second conditional (unreal), third conditional (past unreal). A. The zero conditional or present real conditional. Explanation and mnemonic device that helps understand when to use the zero conditional. DETECTIVE: You find the tense in each clause. You determine where the comma goes. THERE'S NO DRAMA IF YOU CORRECTLY PUT THE COMMA! Circle the correct verb and then ad the missing commas. B. The first conditional or future real conditional. Mnemonic device that helps understand when to use the first conditional. DETECTIVE: What verb structure do you use in each clause? IF YOU CORRECTLY PUT THE COMMA, THERE'LL BE NO DRAMA! Rewrite the sentences in the first conditional. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Part A: Read each of the following situations to your partner. Have your partner decide whether the situation would best be described by the zero or first conditional. Then have your partner say his sentence out loud, using if or when, a main clause, and the verbs in parentheses. Part B: Have your partner answer your questions out loud using the first or second conditional.
Chapter 32 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 32 of the audio CD). IT'S NOT ABSURD - FIND THE WORD: Circle the hidden words and then write a short story using the words you found. Match the new vocabulary words with their definitions. DON'T YOU HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THESE ARE EXPRESSIONS? (Circle the best answer that best describes the following expressions that can be found in the story.) YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ. IS IT LITERAL OR FIGURATIVE? (Decide whether the sentence, taken from the story, is literal or figurative. Explain your answer.) The second conditional or the present or future unreal conditional. IF YOU INCORRECTLY PUT THE COMMA, THERE WOULD BE A DRAMA! Circle the correct verb forms in each clause and put the comma where needed. Rewrite the sentences in the second conditional. IF YOU WEREN'T THE WHIZ - THEN YOU WOULDN'T TAKE THIS QUIZ: Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences. One is in the first conditional and the other the second conditional. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Part A: Read each of the following situations to your partner. Have your partner decide whether the situation would best be described by the first or second conditional. Then have your partner say the sentence out loud, using an if clause, a main clause, and the verbs in parentheses. Part B: Imagine yourself as an animal or thing. What kinds of things would you eat if you were a giraffe? Answer the questions out loud using the second conditional.
Chapter 33 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 33 of the audio CD). USE THE CLUES: (crossword puzzle using the new vocabulary words). DETECTIVE: The Third Conditional or the Past Unreal Conditional. Explanation with examples of the notion of opposite meaning in the third conditional. IF YOU HADN'T CORRECTLY PUT THE COMMA, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DRAMA! Circle the correct verb forms and add the missing commas. Rewrite the following sentences in the third conditional. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Read the past tense situations and have your partner respond out loud using the third conditional. Make up three of your own situations and present them to your partner. EDWARDS AND RILEY: Conversation between Detective Edwards, Miss Riley, and Mrs. Pince-Nez. New, extremely important clues revealed about Frances's disappearance. 1. Circle the correct words (covers all grammar learned up to this point in the book). 2. Act out the parts of Detective Edwards, Miss Riley, and Mrs. Pince-Nez. 3. Write a pertinent follow-up dialogue between Miss Riley and Detective Edwards, and read it to the class.
Chapter 34 of the mystery (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play, after listening to track 34 of the audio CD). YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Explain what Henry deduces from the riddles. Write a follow-up dialogue to this Chapter. What do you think is going to happen? SIMILAR MEANING VERBS: The differences between do and make. TABLE OF CLUES 57: When to use do and make. QUIZ YOURSELF: Complete the sentences by writing a form of do or make. The differences between say and tell. TABLE OF CLUES 58: When to use say and tell. QUIZ YOURSELF: Circle the correct form of say or tell. The differences between come and go and the differences between bring and take. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Read the sentences. Where is the possible location of the speaker in each sentence? QUIZ YOURSELF: Circle the correct form of come, go, bring, or take. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Read each situation to your partner. Have your partner answer out loud in a complete sentence using come, go, bring, or take. The differences between look at and watch. QUIZ YOURSELF: Circle the correct form of look at or watch. YOU'RE THE WHIZ - TAKE THIS QUIZ: Explain the difference in meaning between the following two sentences. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Tell your partner one thing you like to watch and one thing you like to look at. Switch places. The differences between lend (loan) and borrow. Rhyming mnemonic device that will help the student remember when to use lend and borrow. QUIZ YOURSELF: Circle the correct form of lend or borrow. WHO DARES OR CARES TO SPEAK IN PAIRS? Create a funny dialogue with your partner using a form of either lend or borrow in each line. Rehearse it and then act it out in front of the class. EDWARDS AND RILEY: Astounding final conversation between Detective Edwards and Miss Riley. Circle the correct words. Then interview the detective yourself about the case. Your interview will appear in the Twisted Times.
Chapters 35-39 (Read silently, out loud, or act out/role-play , after listening to tracks 35-39 of the audio CD). The Twisted Doors mystery thickens with a SURPRISE ENDING and THE TWISTED DOORS GAME! (The game can be also used as a template by teachers to test their students in an entertaining way.)
