This is an old nursery rhyme. It’s got great verbs.
Write the infinitives and a gap-fill on the board, like this: bump, couldn’t, jump, pour, rain, snore, wake up.
It’s ________
It’s ________
The old man is ________.
He ________ in bed
And________ his head
And ________ ________ in the morning.
Step 1
Students listen to the song and fill in the blanks.
Step 2
Next, use this as a pattern for students to write their own versions. Choose a subject and start from there. Here’s an example:
She’s crying
She’s whining
The little girl’s upset.
Her best friend said
She wet the bed
And it wasn’t true one bit.
Below is an mp3 of the song and a karaoke version to which students can sing their own words.
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This song was recorded before 1923, and is in the public domain. It means I’m free to record it and publish it on my web site, and you’re free to use it.
