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Lesson planB255 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
It Was the Music That Made It: it-clefts
Students learn to use it-cleft sentences to emphasise points when talking about films, then write a short review of a film or series.
It cleft · Films · Entertainment
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Use It-cleft accurately
- Learn and use 8 words and phrases in one set: Talking about films
- Read for detail: a film review
- Writing task: a short review
Stages · 55 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about films and share ideas with the class.
- 5 minVocabulary: Ex. 1
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 10 minAccuracy practice: Ex. 2–3
- 5 minVocabulary: Ex. 4
- 5 minControlled practice: Ex. 5
- 10 minReading: Ex. 6
- 10 minWriting: Ex. 7
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 2 PDFs)Grammar notes
It is / It was + … + who / that
- Use an it-cleft to put the important part of a sentence at the front: The soundtrack made the film. → It was the soundtrack that made the film.
- Use who or that for people, and that for things, times and places: It was Lena who wrote the script. It was at a festival that they first met.
Correcting and contrasting
- It-clefts are useful for correcting someone: It wasn't the director who chose the cast; it was the producer.
- It wasn't until… that… means something happened later than expected: It wasn't until the last scene that I understood the plot.
Watch out
- Always start with It, even when the stressed part is plural: It was the actors who saved the film (not They were the actors who…). The verb after who or that agrees with the stressed part: the actors who were…
- Don't use what after the stressed part: It was the ending that surprised me (not It was the ending what…).
Study tips
- Correct a friend's mistake about a film or a song with an it-cleft: No, it was… who…
- Say what made your favourite film special: It was the… that…
Glossary
- Talking about films8 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Talking about films
Match each word or phrase with its meaning. There is one extra meaning.
Tap an item…
…then its match
2
Find and correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correction.
- a
They were the actors who saved the film.
- b
It was the ending what surprised me.
- c
It was the critics who was wrong about this film.
- d
It wasn't until the end when I understood the plot.
- e
It was Lena which wrote the script.
- f
It were the special effects that made the film popular.
3
Key word transformations
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use the word in capitals and between two and five words, including the word given.
- a
The music made the film special.
IT
made the film special.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- b
Mia didn't write the script; her brother did.
WHO
It was Mia's brother the script.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- c
I only understood the plot at the very end.
UNTIL
It the very end that I understood the plot.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- d
We first saw the film at a small festival.
THAT
It was at a small festival the film.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- e
The critics hated the sequel, not the audience.
CRITICS
It was hated the sequel, not the audience.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- f
The cast's performance surprised me most.
WAS
It that surprised me most.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
4
Word formation
Use the word in capitals to form a word that fits the gap.
- a
Her in the final scene was unforgettable.
PERFORM - b
There was a lot of of the ending, but I loved it.
CRITIC - c
It's an film, but don't expect it to make you think.
ENTERTAIN - d
The spent two years looking for the right actors.
DIRECT - e
The plot was so that I guessed the ending after ten minutes.
PREDICT - f
It was the of music and images that made the opening scene so powerful.
COMBINE
5
One word
Write one word in each gap.
- a
It the special effects that everyone talked about after the film.
- b
It was the actors saved the film, not the plot.
- c
It wasn't the second half that the story got interesting.
- d
It's the soundtrack I remember best.
- e
Which part did you like most? — was the ending, definitely.
- f
It is the director decides who gets each part.
6
Read: a film review
Read the review. Are the sentences true, false or not given?
The Glass Harbour, the second film by director Ana Ruiz, arrives with high expectations after her surprise hit three years ago. Is it worth the wait? Mostly, yes. The plot is simple: a fisherman's daughter returns to her island village to sell the family house, and finds that nothing is quite as she remembers it. It isn't the story that makes the film special, though. It's the cast. Marta Sola, in her first leading role, gives a quiet, careful performance, and it is the scenes between her and her stubborn father that stay with you long after the film ends. The soundtrack, written by a local band, is beautiful but used too often; there were moments when I wished the music would simply stop. And it wasn't until the last twenty minutes that the film really found its pace. Still, there are no special effects and no car chases here, and that is exactly the point. A sequel has already been announced. I'll be first in the queue.
- a
The Glass Harbour is Ana Ruiz's first film.
- b
The writer thinks the plot is the best thing about the film.
- c
Marta Sola has played the main character in a film before.
- d
The soundtrack was recorded on the island.
- e
The writer felt the film was slow for most of its length.
- f
The film was shot in Ana Ruiz's home village.
- g
The writer wants to see the sequel.
7
Write: a short review
Write a film review.
Write a short review (120–150 words) of a film or series you have seen recently. What is the plot about? What made it good or bad: the cast, the soundtrack, a particular scene? Would you watch a sequel? Use at least three it-clefts (It was… that… / It wasn't until… that…). Word box: plot · scene · soundtrack · cast · critic · sequel · performance · special effects Example: It wasn't the plot that kept me watching; it was the cast. It was the scene in the kitchen that made me laugh the most, and the soundtrack is perfect.
Suggested minimum: 120 words
0 words · aim for at least 120
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Fix ItFind the mistake in each sentence, then correct it.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 8 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in one set.
Talking about films
- plot
- the story of a film or book
- scene
- one part of a film that happens in one place
- soundtrack
- the music of a film
- cast
- all the actors in a film or play
- critic
- a person whose job is to give opinions about films, books or plays
- sequel
- a film that continues the story of an earlier one
- performance
- how well an actor plays a part
- special effects
- images or sounds made with computers or other tricks
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