ECS. Nursery Rhymes

 

Nursery Rhymes: Grammar Focus



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I often use Nursery Rhymes to teach grammar. My students love it! The Rhymes are funny and quite easy to remember, especially if you are not afraid of fooling around and making fun of yourself.

Besides, Nursery Rhymes are also great for pronunciation practice.

  • Relative Clauses
  • Present Perfect
  • Passive Forms
  • Conditionals
  • Comparatives
  • Past Tense / Irregular Verbs

    Pussycat, Pussycat

    Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?
    I've been to London to visit the Queen.
    Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?
    I frightened a little mouse under her chair.


    Passive Forms

    What are little girls made of?

    What are little girls made of?
    Sugar and spice,
    And everything nice,
    That's what little girls are made of
    .

    What are little boys made of?

    What are little boys made of?
    Ships and snails,
    And puppy dog tails,
    That's what little boys are made of.


    Solomon Grundy

    Solomon Grundy,
    Born on Monday,
    Christened on Tuesday,
    Married on Wednesday,
    Took ill on Thursday,
    Worse on Friday,
    Died on Saturday,
    Buried on Sunday:
    This is the end
    Of Solomon Grundy.

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    Conditionals

    Hush Little Baby

    Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
    Papa's going to buy you a mocking bird.

    If that mocking bird won't sing,
    Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring.

    If that diamond ring turns brass,
    Papa's going to buy you a looking glass.

    If that looking glass gets broke,
    Papa's going to buy you a billy-goat.

    And if that Billy-goat runs away,
    Papa's going to buy you another today.

    And all of these things your Papa will do
    Because of the way that he loves you.

    Whether the weather

    Whether the weather is fine,
    Or whether the weather is not,
    Whether the weather is cold,
    Or whether the weather is hot,
    We'll weather the weather
    Whatever the weather,
    Whether we like it or not!

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    Relative Clauses

    I know an old lady who swallowed a fly

    I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a spider that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
    She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a bird. How absurd to swallow a bird.
    She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
    She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a cat. Think of that to swallow a cat!
    She swallowed the cat to catch the bird, she swallowed the bird to catch the spider
    that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
    She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a dog. Oh what a hog, to swallow a dog!
    She swallowed the dog to catch the cat, she swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
    she swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
    She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a goat. Popped open her throat, and swallowed a goat!
    She swallowed the goat to catch the dog, she swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
    she swallowed the cat to catch the bird, she swallowed the bird to catch the spider
    that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
    She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a cow. Don't ask me how, but she swallowed a cow!
    She swallowed the cow to catch the goat, she swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
    she swallowed the dog to catch the cat, she swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
    she swallowed the bird to catch the spider
    that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
    She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly.

    Perhaps she'll die.

    I know an old lady who swallowed a horse.

    She died, of course!

    There was a crooked man

    There was a crooked man
    Who walked a crooked mile.
    He found a crooked sixpence
    Against a crooked stile.
    He bought a crooked cat
    Which caught a crooked mouse,
    And they all lived together
    In a crooked little house.

    This is the house that Jack built.

    This is the house that Jack built.

    This is the corn
    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the rat that ate the corn
    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the dog
    That worried the cat
    that killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the cow with the crumpled horn
    That tossed the dog that worried the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is maiden all forlorn
    That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
    That tossed the dog that worried the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the man all tattered and torn
    That kissed the maiden all forlorn
    That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
    That tossed the dog that worried the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the priest all shaven and shorn
    That married the man all tattered and torn
    That kissed the maiden all forlorn
    That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
    That tossed the dog that worried the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the cock that crowed in the morn
    That waked the priest all shaven and shorn
    That married the man all tattered and torn
    That kissed the maiden all forlorn
    That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
    That tossed the dog that worried the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    This is the farmer sowing his corn
    That kept the cock that crowed in the morn
    That waked the priest all shaven and shorn
    That married the man all tattered and torn
    That kissed the maiden all forlorn
    That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
    That tossed the dog that worried the cat
    That killed the rat that ate the corn

    That lay in the house that Jack built.

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    Comparatives

    A wise old owl

    A wise old owl sat in an oak,
    The more he heard,
    the less he spoke;
    The less he spoke,
    the more he heard;
    Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

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    Past Tense/Irregular Verbs

    Hickory dickory dock

    Hickory dickory dock
    The mouse ran up the clock.
    The clock struck one,
    The mouse ran down
    Hickory Dickory Dock.

    Humpty-Dumpty

    Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,
    Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall.
    All the king's horses, and all the king's men
    Couldn't put Humpty together again.

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