The Second Cup of Coffee

March 23rd, 2012 by Dionna | 3 Comments
Posted in Just for Fun/Miscellaneous, My Family, Video/Interactive Posts

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A little ditty Tom dreamed up at the request of my sister. My sister teaches Spanish at Clemson. She is one of those awesome professors who uses unconventional methods, and she truly loves her work. One of her unconventional methods of choice includes using Kieran as an actor.

She used this video to demonstrate the juxtaposition of the preterite tense (completed past action) with a second use of the imperfect tense (an action in progress – incomplete in the past moment). Two examples from the video are:

Kieran was sleeping when his alarm sounded and woke him up. (in progress action – imperfect; interrupting action – preterite);

Kieran was going to have a second cup of coffee, but the dinosaur drank it instead (unfulfilled past intention – imperfect; actual completed action – preterite).

The students will watch the video then, armed with a list of pertinent verbs, create their own sentences with both the preterite and imperfect to retell how Kieran’s morning coffee adventure went.

Now, wouldn’t you enjoy a professor like that?!

3 Responses to:
"The Second Cup of Coffee"

  1. Sylvia@MaMammalia
    Mar-23-12 at 4:11 pm

    The look on his face when the dinosaur drank the coffee is priceless! Quite the little actor :) And yes, a very cool professor.

  2. Acacia Moore
    Mar-24-12 at 2:23 pm

    LMFAO! Loved it, Dionna. Miss you all, must get together soon!

  3. Tammy
    Mar-26-12 at 6:41 am

    The students absolutely loved this. Tom missed his calling and your eldest definitely has a future in Hollywood if he so wishes.

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