Make Me Laugh

Lead-in

  • What makes you laugh?
  • Who’s the funniest person you know?

Presentation

Pre

  • Do you prefer like telling or hearing jokes?
  • What jokes do you know?

Top Down

  • Read the jokes and decide which are puns and which are one-liners.
    • A pun is a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.
    • Example: “What do you call a fake noodle?” “An impasta.”
    • Explanation: “Impasta” sounds like “impostor” put it contains the word “pasta” which relates to “noodle“.
    • A one-liner is a joke or a clever and funny remark or answer that is usually one sentence long.
    • Example: Don’t you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.
    • Explanation: 
  1. My wife tells me to stop impersonating a flamingo, so I put my foot down. 
  2. Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it’s a soap opera.
  3. I went to buy some camo pants but couldn’t find any.
  4. What happens when a strawberry gets run over crossing the street? Traffic jam.
  5. I failed math so many times at school, I can’t even count.
  6. I was wondering why the frisbee kept getting bigger and bigger, but then it hit me.
  7. A cheeseburger walks into a bar. The moment he gets there the bartender says, “sorry, we don’t serve food here.”
  8. “You think swimming with sharks is expensive? Swimming with sharks costs an arm and a leg.”
  9. “I used to be addicted to soap, but I’m clean now.”
  10. “What do you call two monkeys that share an Amazon account?” “Prime mates.”
  11. I can’t believe I got fired from the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off.
  12. “I once had a dream I was floating in an ocean of orange soda. It was more of a fanta sea.”

Bottom Up

  • Read the jokes again. Which are in the Present or Past ?

  1. My wife tells me to stop impersonating a flamingo, so I put my foot down. 

  2. Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it’s a soap opera. 

  3. I went to buy some camo pants but couldn’t find any. 

  4. What happens when a strawberry gets run over crossing the street? Traffic jam. 

  5. I failed math so many times at school, I can’t even count.

  6. I was wondering why the frisbee kept getting bigger and bigger, but then it hit me.

7. A cheeseburger walks into a bar. The moment he gets there the bartender says, “sorry, we don’t serve food here.”

8. “You think swimming with sharks is expensive? Swimming with sharks costs an arm and a leg.”

9. “I used to be addicted to soap, but I’m clean now.”

10. “What do you call two monkeys that share an Amazon account?” “Prime mates.”

11. I can’t believe I got fired from the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off.

12. “I once had a dream I was floating in an ocean of orange soda. It was more of a fanta sea.”

  1. My wife tells me to stop impersonating a flamingo, so I put my foot down. 

  2. Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it’s a soap opera. 

  3. I went to buy some camo pants but couldn’t find any. 

  4. What happens when a strawberry gets run over crossing the street? Traffic jam. 

  5. I failed math so many times at school, I can’t even count.

  6. I was wondering why the frisbee kept getting bigger and bigger, but then it hit me.

7. A cheeseburger walks into a bar. The moment he gets there the bartender says, “sorry, we don’t serve food here.”

8. “You think swimming with sharks is expensive? Swimming with sharks costs an arm and a leg.”

9. “I used to be addicted to soap, but I’m clean now.”

10. “What do you call two monkeys that share an Amazon account?” “Prime mates.”

11. I can’t believe I got fired from the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off.

12. “I once had a dream I was floating in an ocean of orange soda. It was more of a fanta sea.”

Post

  • Which joke from the text is the funniest in your opinion?
  • Which would you tell your friends or at work?
  • What other jokes do you know?

Target Language

Conjunctions of time

A short period of time after: after a while

  • She was nervous about her audition, but after a while she managed to pull herself together.

At or during another event: when, while

  • I was taking a shower when you called.
  • She sings while she makes breakfast.

Up to a point in time: until

  • He kept drinking, until he passed out.

Deadlines: by

  • I need this report done by the end of the day.

Conjunctions of time

Immediately after: when, the moment, as soons as 

  • We gave up the competition when we realized there was nothing else we could do.
  • When we realized there was nothing else we could do, we gave up the competition.
  • He knew he would get in trouble the moment he realized he’d forgotten about his wedding anniversary.
  • The moment he realized he’d forgotten about his wedding anniversary, he knew he would get in trouble. 
  • The ceremony started as soon as they arrived.
  • As soon as they arrived, the ceremony started.

Historic Present

Present Simple and Present Continuous can be used to talk about past events. It’s typically used to tell jokes and/or to cause an effect of immediacy in the narrative.

  • How does Moses make tea? He brews it.
  • A horse walks into a bar so the bar tender asks, “why the long face?”
  • What’s the different between a cat and a comma? A cat has claws at the end of paws; A comma is a pause at the end of a clause
  • You will never believe what happened at Jake’s last Saturday. We’re leaving the party, so we say goodbye to everyone and decide to walk our way back home. Suddenly, we hear footsteps approaching us from behind. We immediately turn back and notice there’s a guy holding a knife getting close to us

Controlled Practice

  • Complete the sentences using the vocabulary from the Target Language.

Example: The show was so funny, it had me cracking up the whole time.

  1. He was so funny, I couldn’t ____.
  2. I don’t know why people like Mr. Bean. All he does is ____.
  3. It’s so weird sometimes when out of the blue they start laughing. They must have a lot of ____.
  4. I love that Jake has a good ____. He’s always relaxed and having fun.
  5. I didn’t get it. Was that the ____of the joke? Because if so, it wasn’t funny at all.
  6. Martha said she doesn’t like irony. Perhaps she shouldn’t meet Steve and his ____.
  7. Joey was trying to ____ us ____, but he was laughing so hard, that he didn’t tell us.
  1. He was so funny, I couldn’t keep a straight face.
  2. I don’t know why people like Mr. Bean. All he does is slapstick humor.
  3. It’s so weird sometimes when out of the blue they start laughing. They must have a lot of inside jokes.
  4. I love that Jake has a good sense of humor. He’s always relaxed and having fun.
  5. I didn’t get it. Was that the punchline of the joke? If so, it wasn’t funny at all.
  6. Martha said she doesn’t like irony. Perhaps she shouldn’t meet Steve and his dry humor.
  7. Joey was trying to tell us a joke, but he was laughing so hard, that he didn’t tell us.

Freer Practice

  • Complete the models to tell a story.
    • So I’m walking down the street, minding my own business, when suddenly…
    • I’m looking out the window and the moment I turn around, there it is …
    • There I am, just enjoying a cup of coffee. After a while I get a call. And while I’m on the phone …
    • The other day I heard a strange noise coming from the living room, so I get up to check it out.  As soon as I walk into the room, I see …

Production

  • Use the prompts to make sentences.

Example: I’m going to work after this class.

    • … after a while …
    • When …
    • … while …
    • … until …
    • By …
    • … as soon as …
    • The moment …

Homework

Look at the pictures and try to remember what they represent regarding the Target Language.

Choose the correct option.

Example: Yuna took her shoes off until / as soon as she got home.

  1. Sorry, teacher. I can’t stay when / until the end of class today.

  2. The moment / After a while, I look out the window, I see her standing there, completely covered in chocolate.

  3. When / The moment he lived abroad, he worked in the music industry.

  4. As soon as / After a while, we decided it was best to pay the bill.

  5. By / As soon as the cat saw me, it stopped talking.

  6. I was already late by the time / until I was done getting ready.

  1. Sorry, teacher. I can’t stay when / until the end of class today.

  2. The moment / After a while, I look out the window, I see her standing there, completely covered in chocolate.

  3. When / The moment he lived abroad, he worked in the music industry.

  4. As soon as / After a while, we decided it was best to pay the bill.

  5. By / As soon as the cat saw me, it stopped talking.

  6. I was already late by the time / until I was done getting ready.

Fill in the gaps.

Example: Jane had to stay at work ____ late today. > Jane had to stay at work until late today.

  1. ____ I woke up, I decided to have a cup of coffee and pet my cats.

  2. I stayed at the party ____ I felt extremely exhausted.

  3. We have to finish this project ____ the end of the month.

  4. ____  I got tired of listening to the same band over and over again.

  5. She was taking a shower ____ the turkey was in the oven.

  1. As soon as I woke up, I decided to have a cup of coffee and pet my cats.

  2. I stayed at the party until I felt extremely exhausted.

  3. We have to finish this project by the end of the month.

  4. After a while, I got tired of listening to the same band over and over again.

  5. She was taking a shower while the turkey was in the oven.

Put the sentences in order to make a story.

  • I stayed at the party until I felt extremely exhausted.
  • I was at home feeling bored when a friend invited me to a party.
  • The moment I arrived there, the songs were awesome, I got really excited.
  • As soon as I woke up the next morning, I decided to have a cup of coffee and invite this girl out for dinner.
  • After a while I met an incredible girl, she was super nice and beautiful.
  • I was at home feeling bored when a friend invited me to a party.
  • The moment I arrived there, the songs were awesome, I got really excited.
  • After a while I met an incredible girl, she was super nice and beautiful.
  • I stayed at the party until I felt extremely exhausted.
  • As soon as I woke up the next morning, I decided to have a cup of coffee and invite this girl out for dinner.

Correct the sentences.

Example: Until Ben finished telling the joke, she cracked up. > As soon as Ben finished telling the joke, she cracked up. 

  1. John fell down the stairs as soon as he was a kid.
  2. After the end of the day, we had already finished all of our work.
  3. Barbara had sweets and soda for breakfast. When she got an upset stomach.
  4. I don’t understand why people get so offended by inside jokes. Jokes are great ways to process bad things.
  5. My and my best friend have many senses of humors, which makes my wife upset at times because she doesn’t get them.
  6. Jane can always crack up when telling jokes, which makes them even funnier.
  1. John fell down the stairs when he was a kid.
  2. By the end of the day, we had already finished all of our work.
  3. Barbara had sweets and soda for breakfast. After a while, she got an upset stomach.
  4. I don’t understand why people get so offended by dark humor. Jokes are great ways to process bad things.
  5. My and my best friend have many inside jokes, which makes my wife upset at times because she doesn’t get them.
  6. Jane can always keep a straight face when telling jokes, which makes them even funnier.

Writing

Write a story in the Historic Present using the Target Language.