Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Games, activities and teaching ideas > Looking for a song which includes lots of negation    

Looking for a song which includes lots of negation



FrauSue
France

Looking for a song which includes lots of negation
 
Hello everyone!
 
I teach English to some intermediate-level adults. We �ve recently discussed negation (of verbs in different tenses, and of nouns with "any" and "no"). I want to do a song with them that includes examples of negation but I �ve got no inspiration! Ideally I �d choose something from the 60s or 70s that most of them know. No rap or modern pop, please!
 
Do any of you have some ideas?
 
Thank you!
 

27 Nov 2015      





yassuke555
Costa Rica

How about "I don �t want to miss a thing" from Aerosmith?
That �s a pretty good song, here are the last 2 stanzas wich have the most negative statements.

 
I don �t want to close my eyes
I don �t want to fall asleep
�Cause I �d miss you baby
And I don �t want to miss a thing
�Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do
I �d still miss you baby
And I don �t want to miss a thing

I don �t want to miss one smile
I don �t want to miss one kiss
I just want to be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I just want to hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time

27 Nov 2015     



Gi2gi
Georgia

Well, this is not from the 60s or 70s but I love it :)


"No Fear Of Heights"  By Katie Melua

I never walked near the edge
Used to fear falling
I never swam far from shore
Never tried the secret door

But when you give me love
When you give me love

I have no fear of heights,
No fear of the deep blue sea,
Although it could drown me,
I know it could drown me

I didn�t wander in the woods
Used to fear the darkness
I didn�t like getting deep
I was scared of what I couldn�t keep

But when you give me love
When you give me love

I have no fear of heights,
No fear of the deep blue sea,
Although it could drown me,
I know it could drown me

No fear of the fall
No fear if it�s with you that I fall
�cause nothing could break us,
No, nothing could break us, now

27 Nov 2015     



yassuke555
Costa Rica

Another good one would be "Don´t Bother Me" from The Beatles.
 
 
"Don �t Bother Me"

Since she �s been gone
I want no one
To talk to me
It �s not the same
But I �m to blame
It �s plain to see

So go away and leave me alone
Don �t bother me

I can �t believe
That she would leave
Me on my own
It �s just not right
Where every night
I �m all alone

I �ve got no time for you right now
Don �t bother me

I know I �ll never be the same
If I don �t get her back again
Because I know she �ll always be
The only girl for me

But till she �s here
Please don �t come near
just stay away
I �ll let you know
When she �s come home
Untill that the day

Don �t come around leave me alone
Don �t bother me

I �ve got no time for you right now
Don �t bother me

I know I �ll never be the same
If I don �t get her back again
Because I know she �ll always be
The only girl for me

But till she �s here
Please don �t come near
Just stay away
I �ll let you know
When she �s come home
Untill that the day

Don �t come around leave me alone
Don �t bother me
Don �t bother me
Don �t bother me
 

27 Nov 2015     



kwsp
United States

50 Years Ago: �Satisfaction� Became the Rolling Stones� First No. 1 Hit. On May 6, 1965 Mick Jagger wrote the lyrics in 10 minutes while resting near a hotel pool In Clearwater, Florida.
                                          "(I Can �t Get No) Satisfaction"
I can �t get no satisfaction
I can �t get no satisfaction
�Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can �t get no, I can �t get no
When I �m drivin � in my car
And that man comes on the radio
And he �s tellin � me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can �t get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that �s what I say
I can �t get no satisfaction
I can �t get no satisfaction
�Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can �t get no, I can �t get no
When I �m watchin � my TV
And that man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be
But he can �t be a man �cause he doesn �t smoke
The same cigarrettes as me
I can �t get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that �s what I say
I can �t get no satisfaction
I can �t get no girl reaction
Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can �t get no, I can �t get no
When I �m ridin � round the world
And I �m doin � this and I �m signing that
And I �m tryin � to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back later next week
Cause you see I �m on losing streak
I can �t get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that �s what I say
I can �t get no, I can �t get no
I can �t get no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction

Writer(s): Jagger Mick, Richards Keith Copyright: Abkco Music Inc., Emi Music Publishing Ltd., Allen Klein Music Publishing S.r.l., Westminster Music Ltd., Edizioni Musicali Mario Aromando S.r.l. 

27 Nov 2015     



EstherLee76
Peru

"We don �t need no education" from ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL by Pink Floyd.

28 Nov 2015     



almaz
United Kingdom

Dawn Penn �s original rocksteady version of You Don �t Love Me from 1967?
 
 
 
 
There �s also her dancehall version (You Don �t Love Me (No, No, No)) from 1994. 
 
 
Alex 
 

28 Nov 2015     



Jayho
Australia

She�s not there - originally by The Zombies in 1964, reaching no 12 in UK and No 2 in US and Canada.  It had a highly successful cover by Santana in 1977.
 
It was written by The Zombies founding member about his ex-fianc� who called off their wedding and broke his heart.
 
 
"She �s Not There"

Well, no one told me about her
The way she lied
Well, no one told me about her
How many people cried

But it �s too late to say you �re sorry
How would I know? Why should I care?
Please don �t bother trying to find her
She �s not there

Well, let me tell you �bout the way she looked
The way she acts and the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she �s not there

Well, no one told me about her
What could I do?
Well, no one told me about her
Though they all knew

But it �s too late to say you �re sorry
How would I know? Why should I care?
Please don �t bother trying to find her
She �s not there

Well, let me tell you �bout the way she looked
The way she acts and the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she �s not there

But it �s too late to say you �re sorry
How would I know? Why should I care?
Please don �t bother trying to find her
She �s not there

Well, let me tell you about the way she looked
The way she acts and the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she �s not there

28 Nov 2015     



Tapioca
United Kingdom

I never knew that about �She �s Not There � Jayho, thank you!
 
My suggestion is not 60 �s or 70 �s but it has the feeling of that era and it has plenty of negation!
[Chorus]
They tried to make me go to rehab
I said, "no, no, no"
Yes, I been black
But when I come back, you �ll know, know, know
I ain �t got the time
And if my daddy thinks I �m fine
He �s tried to make me go to rehab
I won �t go, go, go

I �d rather be at home with a Ray
I ain �t got seventy days
�Cause there �s nothing, there �s nothing you can teach me
That I can �t learn from Mr. Hathaway

I didn �t get a lot in class
But I know we don �t come in a shot glass

[Chorus]

The man said, "why do you think you here?"
I said, "I got no idea."
I �m gonna, I �m gonna lose my baby
So I always keep a bottle near
He said, "I just think you �re depressed."
This, me, yeah, baby, and the rest

They tried to make me go to rehab
But I said, "no, no, no"
Yes, I been black
But when I come back, you �ll know, know, know

I don �t ever want to drink again
I just, oh, I just need a friend
I �m not gonna spend ten weeks
Have everyone think I �m on the mend
 
Amy Winehouse 1983-2011
 

28 Nov 2015     



FrauSue
France

Wow! Thank you to everyone for these ideas.
 
I ended up using "Not Guilty" by The Beatles because it included not, no, don �t, won �t, I �m not - a nice variety. There are two or three of these that I will definitely keep for next time I do this topic, especially if I do it again with younger learners.
 
I decided to avoid "We don �t need no education" and  "I can �t get no satisfaction" because I spent a big chunk of the lesson explaining to my class that double negatives are usually incorrect!

1 Dec 2015