theme 5 A3B

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• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Theme 5: Story time

Scan the text "Canterbury Tales" on page 73 of your textbook. What happened in the 1380s and 1390s?

Who was Boccaccio?

1. a renowned Italian poet
2. Chaucer's employer and friend
3. the translator of the Canterbury Tales

Who was William Caxton?

1. a renowned Italian poet
2. Chaucer's employer and friend
3. the publisher of the Canterbury Tales

What is "estates satire"?

1. a medieval Italian story about pilgrims and monks
2. a stereotypical portrayal of characters, based on social class
3. the depiction of fairy-tale people in exotic places

tale  = verhaal 

pilgrim = pelgrim, 

bedevaartganger

engage in  = zich bezighouden met

interaction = interactie

character = personage

Book of the Week 

The Canterbury Tales tells the story of a group of pilgrims who engage in a tale-telling contest. We get to read the interactions between the characters, and the tales they tell each other. There are serious tales, but also very funny ones. We highly recommend this work to anyone with a taste for classic literature.

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in the late 1380s and early 1390s, after his retirement as a civil servant. In his professional life, Chaucer was able to travel from his home in England to France and Italy. There, he had the chance to read Italian and French literature. Some experts claim that he met the famous Italian poet Boccaccio during this period.

Chaucer’s decision to write in English, his mother tongue, rather than in the Latin of so many of his educated colleagues, was something of a risk, and a big break with learned tradition. The risk paid off, as his work became enormously popular. More manuscripts of the tales have survived than of almost any other work of this time period. The Canterbury Tales was still going strong when the fi rst printers made their way to England. William Caxton published the fi rst printed version of the tales in 1476.

retirement = pensioen

literature = literatuur

mother tongue = moedertaal

educated = geleerd

break = breuk

learned = geleerd

enormously = enorm

manuscript = manuscript

to survive =  overleven

One of the things that makes The Canterbury Tales fun to read is the great (and often absurd) detail in which the narrator describes each of the pilgrims. We learn, for example, that the cook has a pustule on
his leg that very much resembles one of the desserts he cooks. For many of his portraits, Chaucer relied on a medieval tradition of ‘estates satire’, a collection of stereotypes about people based on what occupation they had or what social class they belonged to.

Since The Canterbury Tales is a story about a storytelling competition, many of the questions it asks are about stories: What makes for a good story? Why do we tell stories? Why should we tell stories? And as the pilgrims tell their stories, they turn out not to be talking about fairy-tale people in far-off lands – they recount the experiences of fl esh-and-blood people.

postule =  puist

portrait = portret

to rely on = vertrouwen op

collection = verzameling

based on = gebaseerd op

far-off = ver weg

recount = vertellen

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech 

(de indirecte rede)

Je gebruikt de indirecte rede om te vertellen wat iemand anders heeft gezegd. De directe rede is dus als iemand zelf iets zegt.

FOR EXAMPLE:

DIRECT SPEECH: John: "I am going home".

INDIRECT SPEECH: John said (that) he was going home.

Wat heb ik veranderd aan de zin om er indirecte rede van te maken?

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech 

(de indirecte rede)

FOR EXAMPLE:

DIRECT SPEECH: John: "I am going home".

INDIRECT SPEECH: John said (that) he was going home.

Je gaat als het ware 1 stap terug op de tijdlijn:

present simple --- past simple

present continuous --- past continuous

present perfect --- past perfect

past simple --- past perfect

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech 

(de indirecte rede)

Zet de volgende zinnen in de indirecte rede:

Samantha: "I have a nice car".

Mr. Jones: "I am doing the dishes".

Jayden: "I have lived here for 10 years."

Sahin: "Our neighbours moved last year."

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech 

(de indirecte rede)

Zet de volgende zinnen in de indirecte rede:

Samantha: "I have a nice car". Samantha said that she had a nice car.

Mr. Jones: "I am doing the dishes". Mr. Jones said that he was doing the dishes.

Jayden: "I have lived here for 10 years." Jayden said that he had lived here for 10 years.

Sahin: "The neighbours moved last year." Sahin said that the neighbours had moved last year.

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech 

(de indirecte rede)

LET OP: vaak moet je het persoonlijk voornaamwoord, bezittelijk voornaamwoord en/of tijdsaanduiding aanpassen:

Samantha: "I have a nice car". Samantha said that she had a nice car.

Mr. Jones: "I am doing the dishes". Mr. Jones said that he was doing the dishes.

Jayden: "I will do it right now." Jayden said that he would do it straight away.

Sahin: "Our neighbours moved last year." Sahin said that their neighbours had moved last year.

We are going to watch a clip about a girl who wants to be a writer.

Who would like to be a writer? 

ASSIGNMENT: note three sentences that Lucy says. Later, we'll do an exercises with the sentences you chose.

While watching, fill in this grid 

(ex. 16 on page 14 of your activity book)

THE SEVEN STORIES

There are only seven stories in the world. I used to think there were a lot less/ a lot more/more books than that, based on visits to blockbuster films and my school reading list, but my high school Creative Writing teacher, Mrs Post, corrected my ignorance. She said that all plots are a variation of one or more of seven basic themes: overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy, and rebirth.

THE SEVEN STORIES

Mrs Post gave us the assignment to read a book and write a review of it. In this review we were supposed to make it a difference/clear/sure which of the seven themes were in the book. A simple assignment as it may seem, it seemed to be exciting/turned out to be quite difficult/was quite tedious after all. Why? Because I found out that the book I read contained more than one basic plot. Actually, all the seven stories in the world were in it!

Mrs Post gave us the assignment to read a book and write a review of it. In this review we were supposed to make it a difference/clear/sure which of the seven themes were in the book. A simple assignment as it may seem, it seemed to be exciting/turned out to be quite difficult/was quite tedious after all. Why? Because I found out that the book I read contained more than one basic plot. Actually, all the seven stories in the world were in it!

THE SEVEN STORIES

Mrs Post gave us the assignment to read a book and write a review of it. In this review we were supposed to make it a difference/clear/sure which of the seven themes were in the book. A simple assignment as it may seem, it seemed to be exciting/turned out to be quite difficult/was quite tedious after all. Why? Because I found out that the book I read contained more than one basic plot. Actually, all the seven stories in the world were in it!

I had heard a lot about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Luckily, I hadn’t seen the film, so I could start reading it with an open mind. For those of you who don’t know/like/watch The Hunger Games, here’s a short outline:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated/deserted/liberated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called The Hunger Games: a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change, but one thing is certain: you have to kill or be killed.

THE SEVEN STORIES

Mrs Post gave us the assignment to read a book and write a review of it. In this review we were supposed to make it a difference/clear/sure which of the seven themes were in the book. A simple assignment as it may seem, it seemed to be exciting/turned out to be quite difficult/was quite tedious after all. Why? Because I found out that the book I read contained more than one basic plot. Actually, all the seven stories in the world were in it!

After I had read the book, I couldn't care less/didn't know/started to wonder which of the seven basic plots were in the book. The first, overcoming the monster, was quite difficult/far-fetched/obvious. Although there are some real monsters in the arena, you could also regard the government as one. They are the initiator of The Hunger Games and cause all the hardships Katniss has to face. So for me it was clear that The Hunger Games has to do with overcoming some sort of monster. 

From rags to riches, so from being really poor to being rich/rich to being poor/unimportant to being influentual, is also a theme I was able to spot in the book. At first Katniss is penniless, but after winning The Hunger Games she can have everything she wants. She gets a house, and is rewarded with a large sum of money. 

THE SEVEN STORIES

Mrs Post gave us the assignment to read a book and write a review of it. In this review we were supposed to make it a difference/clear/sure which of the seven themes were in the book. A simple assignment as it may seem, it seemed to be exciting/turned out to be quite difficult/was quite tedious after all. Why? Because I found out that the book I read contained more than one basic plot. Actually, all the seven stories in the world were in it!

Plot number three, the quest, was an obvious one. Katniss has to battle the other contestants in order to stay alive. More or less the same goes for story number four. Katniss goes on a voyage, because she has to leave her village for the TV show, and returns a hero.

Then for numbers five and six. Although I didn’t expect to have a good laugh while reading this book, on several occasions I had. Despite the pain, the suffering, and the brutality, there are a lot of comical notes in the book. And as far as tragedy is concerned, this theme is not at all/not clearly/quite obviously present in the book. You get to know the contestants throughout the story, but most of them kick the bucket sooner or later.

THE SEVEN STORIES

Mrs Post gave us the assignment to read a book and write a review of it. In this review we were supposed to make it a difference/clear/sure which of the seven themes were in the book. A simple assignment as it may seem, it seemed to be exciting/turned out to be quite difficult/was quite tedious after all. Why? Because I found out that the book I read contained more than one basic plot. Actually, all the seven stories in the world were in it!

Six down, only one to go: rebirth. If you take this literally, it’s quite hard to find this theme in the book. Figuratively speaking Katniss is reborn several times in The Hunger Games. It often looks like she is going to be defeated, but she manages to survive every single time. When she goes off to the games, she is sure she won’t get any support from/leave/return to her village. But what happens in the end? She wins the games and goes home a hero!

So, are there only seven stories in the world? As far as I’m concerned there are infinite possibilities by combining the stories. Really good stories though, like The Hunger Games, have all the stories combined into one. 

Valentijn	Lode	Eline	Rijk	John	Theo
Mark	Amber	Tim	Nina Bond	Roos

Ik ga met de volgende leerlingen nog even verder, de rest zie ik vrijdag weer!

Indirect speech

turn these sentences into indirect speech

1. Firemen: 'We have extinguished the fire in your kitchen.' 
2. Brandon: 'I don't want to hurt your feelings.'
3. Our guests: 'Your restaurant is the best in town!' 
4. My teacher: 'Can you hand in your stories tomorrow?' 
5. The author: 'I spent almost five years writing this story.' 
6. The reporter: 'A disaster has taken place in Japan.'
7. I: 'Could you show me the story you've been working on?' 
8. Grandma: 'I forgot my books at your house.'

Indirect speech

answers

1. The firemen said they had extinguished the fire in our kitchen.
2. Brandon said he didn't want to hurt my feelings. 
3. Our guests said that our restaurant was the best in town! 
4. My teacher asked if we could hand in our stories tomorrow. 
5. The author: 'I spent almost five years writing this story.' 
6. The reporter: 'A disaster has taken place in Japan.'
7. I asked if you could show me the story that you'd been working on.
8. Grandma said that she had forgotten her books at our house.

	PAST PERFECT
HOW?	had + voltooid deelwoord
WHEN?	iets is in het verleden EERDER dan iets anders gebeurd. De gebeurtenis die eerder was, staat in de past perfect , de andere gebeurtenis in de past simple : When we entered the cinema, the film had already started . als je de indirecte rede gebruikt. Als dat wat iemand eerder heeft gezegd in de present perfect of past simple stond, gebruik je voor de indirecte rede de past perfect: Rachel: "I haven't read the book". --- Rachel said that she hadn't read the book. Luca: "I didn't do my homework". --- Luca said that he hadn't done his homework.
WORDS?	after, before, when, as soon as

PAST PERFECT: what is the correct form?

Fill in the correct verbs, choose between the past simple and the past perfect.