Friday, April 24, 2009

In-Class Activity on Apr. 24th: Tom Swifties

Using Adverbs Abundantly -- "Tom Swifties"


After today's Readability Presentation and after taking the last survey of our class (about Alzheimer's & Grammar), we are going to work on our last grammar topic of the semester: the overuse of adverbs!!!!

First task (everyone on his/her own):
Go to the following website and learn what "Tom Swifties" are.


Task 2:


Get together in groups of 3-4. Go to the following webpage. Your group's task is to create a 5-item test for another group that this group has to solve. Get the emails of the other group's members, and email them your quiz. The group that solves most of the 5 items it gets from another group wins!! You need to retype the Tom Swifties that you find on the webpage, but you leave out the last word, i.e., the pun, for the group to fill in the blank. Don't invent them yourself yet!!!

Examples:

1. How do you start a model-T Ford without a battery?" asked Tom _____________ .

(answer: CRANKILY)

2. "I have to wear this cast for another six weeks," said Tom _________________ .

(answer: DISJOINTEDLY)

3. "I'm shocked," said Tom _____________________ .

(answer: ELECTRICALLY)


You should select sentences that people are able to guess when they think hard.

EMAIL me your 5-item quiz (with solutions). Only one per group, please! Indicate your group members names in this email (because you'll all get participation points for the quiz).


Task 3:


Now, invent 1-3 Tom Swifties on your own!!! Publish them as a comment to this blog. If you work in groups, indicate all your names on your blog entry. If you can't finish in class, do it as homework for Monday, Apr. 27th.

7 comments:

Angela Wille said...

"How do you change a wheel," Tom asked tiredly.
"I've had a beer," Tom said soberly.

Angela Wille and Eric Yearian

Shaya Barnett said...

"I'm making my own sidewalk," said Tom concretely.

Shaya Barnett & Courtney Shelby

stephanie schofield said...

"That lion is fierce," Tom roared.
"This backpack is heavy," Tom said lighly.

Dana Stute and Stephanie Schofield

jglodich said...

"I fell down the stairs" Tom said sorely.
"You look like crap in that outfit" Tom said snobbishly.

Liza Tressler and Jordan Glodich

Danielle McCarty said...

"The sun is shining bright today," Tom said radiantly.


Samantha Jolly and Danielle McCarty

Ashley McGillis said...

There is too much carbonation in the champagne Tom said, bubbly.

Ashley, Rosalind, Logan

Chris Lacy said...

"It's a unit of electric current," said Tom amply.

Chris Lacy