In this lesson, we are listening to a ghost story and learning some prepositional phrases
lesson plan, B1
Penpal
Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Why?
Warm up!
Look at the pictures and try to guess what the story about ghosts is hidden here
Read the sentences
Check your ideas, and match the words with their definitions
Say, "I guess we’ll starve tonight" (sarcastically)
Tell them, "This is the third time this week — what happened?"
Talk about solutions like a shared shopping list
5. Your partner was supposed to buy groceries but came home empty-handed. Do you…
Looking at the scrawling that could hardly be described as writing.
Inside the house, I quickly composed a response.
I moved into a new house in a small suburb.
Walking inside, I scrutinized it.
I found the usual bills, statements and junk mail. But among them was another crisp white letter.
I responded as any adult would to accommodate a small child.
The next day, I went to fetch the morning paper.
I assumed it was some kid in the neighborhood playing a practical joke.
The kid’s prank was beginning to weigh on my nerves.
The letter seemed plain, a standard 4” x 8” white letter.
Complete the gaps with the words above
Say, "I guess we’ll starve tonight" (sarcastically)
Tell them, "This is the third time this week — what happened?"
Talk about solutions like a shared shopping list
5. Your partner was supposed to buy groceries but came home empty-handed. Do you…
played a practical joke | scrutinized | suburb | weigh on my nerves | crisp | plain | fetch | compose a response | accommodate | scrawling
  1. They moved to a quiet _________________ near the city.
  2. He wore a _________________ white T-shirt.
  3. She _________________ the letter to check if it was real.
  4. I couldn’t read the note because of the messy _________________.
  5. He _________________ by putting salt in her coffee.
  6. He opened a _________________ new envelope.
  7. She tried to _________________ her friend’s schedule.
  8. I’ll _________________ the newspaper from the front yard.
  9. He sat down to _________________ to the strange letter.
  10. The strange noise at night started to _________________.
  1. They moved to a quiet suburb near the city.
  2. He wore a plain white T-shirt.
  3. She scrutinized the letter to check if it was real.
  4. I couldn’t read the note because of the messy scrawling.
  5. He played a practical joke by putting salt in her coffee.
  6. He opened a crisp new envelope.
  7. She tried to accommodate her friend’s schedule.
  8. I’ll fetch the newspaper from the front yard.
  9. He sat down to compose a response to the strange letter.
  10. The strange noise at night started to weigh on my nerves.
You have read some excerpts from the story
Listen to the story, check your ideas, and answer the questions
What do you think will happen next?
About a month ago I moved into a new house in a small suburb of California. It was nice, rather upscale for its price. It even had a pool.
One day when I went to get the mail, I found a strange letter addressed to my house. It seemed plain, a standard 4” x 8” white letter. Oddly, though, there was no return address.
Walking inside, I scrutinized it thoroughly. When I opened it, a paper from inside fell out gracefully and landed on the table.
“Hello, who are you? Please write back.”
I laughed. Looking at the scrawling that could hardly be described as writing, I assumed it was some kid in the neighborhood playing a practical joke. I decided I would humor him or her. Taking the paper, I wrote a response on the back of the letter.
“Hi, I’m John, and I’m an adult who works at the local Social Security bureau. May I ask your name?”
I slipped the letter back into the envelope and tucked it away into the mail box again.
The next day I heard the mail man arrive. Walking out to the box, I found the usual bills, statements and junk mail. But among them was another crisp white letter.
When I opened it, there was the same paper, neatly folded into thirds.
“Hello, John. My name is Chris, and this is my street. I used to have a cat, and I like writing. How old are you? Please write back.”
I responded as any adult would to accommodate a small child.
“Hi, Chris. What happened to your cat? I’m about 33 years old. Could I ask why you’re writing to me?”
Again, I threw the letter back into the box, leaving the red flag up.
The next day, I went to fetch the morning paper. But this time the red flag was down. I walked up to the box and looked inside. There, by itself, was yet another white envelope. “It’s too early!” I thought to myself. “The mail man isn’t even making his rounds yet!”
“Hello, John. My cat died in our swimming pool. It’s made me very sad. I’m writing to you to ask why you are living in my house. Please write back.”
Inside the house, I quickly composed a response. The kid’s prank was beginning to weigh on my nerves.
“Hi, Chris. What do you mean your house? Did you live here at one time and move?”
I placed the response letter in the box and began to walk away. That’s when I heard a loud metallic thud.
My blood went cold. Inside the mail box laid another white letter. I picked it up, opened it, and read its contents.
“Hello, John. No, I still live here. How long will you be staying? Please write back.”
  1. Where did the narrator move about a month ago?
  2. What did the narrator say about the new house?
  3. What unusual thing did the narrator find when getting the mail one day?
  4. How did the narrator respond to the first letter?
  5. What information did Chris share in the second letter?
  6. What happened to Chris's cat, according to the third letter?
  7. Why did the narrator feel uncomfortable while reading the third letter?
  8. What was written in the final letter?
  1. To a new house in a small suburb of California.
  2. It was nice, rather upscale for its price, and it even had a pool.
  3. A strange plain white letter addressed to the house, with no return address.
  4. He laughed and thought it was a child playing a joke, so he wrote back introducing himself as John and asked for the sender’s name.
  5. Chris said he used to have a cat, liked writing, and asked how old John was.
  6. The cat died in the swimming pool.
  7. Because Chris asked why John was living in his house, which was creepy and confusing.
  8. “Hello, John. No, I still live here. How long will you be staying? Please write back.”
Let's discuss!
Prepositions
Underline them and match with the rules
Find these prepositions in the text
Here are some prepositional phrases
Finish them using the prepositions and check your ideas
Say, "I guess we’ll starve tonight" (sarcastically)
Tell them, "This is the third time this week — what happened?"
Talk about solutions like a shared shopping list
5. Your partner was supposed to buy groceries but came home empty-handed. Do you…
Arrive ___ (a specific place)
Wait ___ (someone/something)
Depend ___ (someone/something)
Ask ___ (something)
Listen ___ (someone/something)
Look ___ (something)
Happen ___ (someone/something)
Write ___ (someone)
Laugh ___ (someone/something)
Weigh ___ (someone’s mind / nerves)
Spend ___ (something)
Belong ___ (someone)
Arrive at (a specific place)
Wait for (someone/something)
Depend on (someone/something)
Ask for (something)
Listen to (someone/something)
Look at (something)
Happen to (someone/something)
Write to (someone)
Laugh at (someone/something)
Weigh on (someone’s mind / nerves)
Spend on (something)
Belong to (someone)
complete the following prepositions
Say, "I guess we’ll starve tonight" (sarcastically)
Tell them, "This is the third time this week — what happened?"
Talk about solutions like a shared shopping list
5. Your partner was supposed to buy groceries but came home empty-handed. Do you…
Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions
Say, "I guess we’ll starve tonight" (sarcastically)
Tell them, "This is the third time this week — what happened?"
Talk about solutions like a shared shopping list
5. Your partner was supposed to buy groceries but came home empty-handed. Do you…
  1. I usually arrive _____ the train station at 8:30 a.m.
  2. Please don’t make me wait _____ you again - we’re already late!
  3. You can always depend _____ me if you need help.
  4. She left early _____ purpose to avoid the traffic.
  5. What exactly happened _____ him at the party? He seemed really upset.
  6. I forgot her birthday - that’s been weighing _____ me all week.
  7. The car went _____ control on the icy road.
  8. The train was right _____ time, not even a minute late.
  9. Who’s _____ charge _____ organizing the event this year?
  10. The printer is _____ order again. We need to call someone to fix it.
  11. How much money did you spend _____ that new phone?
  1. I usually arrive at the train station at 8:30 a.m.
  2. Please don’t make me wait for you again - we’re already late!
  3. You can always depend on me if you need help.
  4. She left early on purpose to avoid the traffic.
  5. What exactly happened to him at the party? He seemed really upset.
  6. I forgot her birthday - that’s been weighing on me all week.
  7. The car went out of control on the icy road.
  8. The train was right on time, not even a minute late.
  9. Who’s in charge of organizing the event this year?
  10. The printer is out of order again. We need to call someone to fix it.
  11. How much money did you spend on that new phone?
Let's speak!
Complete them with the prepositions and discuss
Here are some thought-provoking and slightly provocative questions
imagine time!
Step-by-step instruction:

Take a dice
You will roll it five times.
Each roll will give you a different part of your spooky story:
1st roll – Who is the main character?
2nd roll – Where does the story happen?
3rd roll – When does it take place?
4th roll – Who are they with?
5th roll – Why are they there?
Check the tables for each roll
Use the information to create a short scary story.
Use at least 3 new words and 3 prepositional phrases.
Use your imagination and the dice to create a creepy story!