Who Moved My Plant? (something, anyone, nobody)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Who Moved My Plant?

Something was different.

A2 · 60 minutes

Coming home

Task In pairs. Answer the questions.

Look at your keys (or think of them). How many are there? What does each key open?

1

You get home after work. What do you do first?

2

Did you ever lose your keys or lock yourself out? What happened?

3

Before you read

Task Nadia gets home after work. Some things in her flat are not in the right place. Who was there? Choose one.

A

B

a thief

her neighbour

C

D

her landlord

her cat

Tuesday evening

Task Read the story. Was your guess right?

When Nadia opened her front door after work, something was different. Her shoes were under the chair, not by the door. Someone moved the sofa a little. And her big green plant wasn't anywhere in the living room.

"No, nothing. Is something wrong?"

"Yes! Somebody was in my flat!"

Nadia went back upstairs and opened the balcony door. There was her plant, next to a note.

She looked everywhere inside, but she didn't see anybody. Nothing was broken. Nobody in the building had a key to her flat. So who was it? She went downstairs to her neighbour, Mrs Okafor.

Hi Nadia! The plumber and I fixed your heater today. Your plant was in front of it, so I put it outside in the sun. I moved your shoes too: they're under the chair. Sorry, I forgot to text you! Pavel (your landlord)

"Did anyone come to my flat today?" Nadia asked.

"I don't know. Everyone upstairs was at work."

Nadia laughed. Nobody in the building had a key, but Pavel did!

"Did you hear anything?"

Talk about it

Task In pairs. Answer the questions, then tell the class.

1

What three things were different in Nadia's flat?

2

Why did Pavel come to the flat?

3

Why was the plant on the balcony?

4

You're Nadia. What do you say to Pavel?

Find the words

Task Find eleven words like something in the story. Write each word in the right box. Then complete the empty boxes. Every person box has two words, -one and -body. Complete them.

person

thing

place

some-

any-

no-

every-

Look again

Task Look again at the story. Which is correct? Then choose the rules.

1

__________ moved the sofa a little.

Anyone

Someone

2

She didn't see __________.

anybody

nobody

3

__________ in the building had a key to her flat.

Anybody

Nobody

4

Everyone upstairs __________ at work.

was

were

In a sentence with not, we use __________.

Nobody, nothing and nowhere already mean "not". We use them __________.

After everyone and everything, the verb is __________.

some-

any-

no-

with not

without not

singular (is, was, knows)

plural (are, were, know)

Say it

Task Listen and repeat. Then say the lines to a partner.

1

something

anything

nothing

everything

2

nothing

nobody

3

someone

anyone

no one

everyone

4

Is something wrong? – No, nothing.

Grammar reference

Positive, negative, question

One "not" only

Positive – some-: Someone moved the sofa.

Negative (not) – any-: She didn't see anybody.

Question – usually any-: Did anyone come to my flat? It's the same rule as some / any.

She didn't see anybody. = She saw nobody. Not: She didn't see nobody. As the subject, use no-: Nobody had a key. (not Anybody didn't have a key). One-word answers use no-: What did you hear? – Nothing.

The verb

Spelling

Offers

always singular: Everyone was at work.

Everybody knows.

Nothing is wrong.

no one = two words. All the others are one word: someone, anything, everywhere.

Offers and requests use some-, like Would you like some tea?: Would you like something to drink?

Can someone help me?

Careful the adjective comes after: something wrong, somewhere quiet (not wrong something). nothing sounds like but, not like no.

Right or wrong?

Task Nadia tells her story at work. Three sentences are right. Find the four wrong ones and fix them.

1

I didn't want to go nowhere that evening.

2

I called a friend, but nobody answered.

3

Anybody didn't call me all day.

4

At first I thought something terrible happened.

5

Everybody in my office know the story now.

6

Pavel didn't tell nobody about the visit.

7

There wasn't anything missing from my flat.

On the stairs

Task Mrs Okafor meets Pavel on the stairs. Write one word in each gap.

O

Mrs Okafor Pavel! Nadia says ________ (person) was in her flat yesterday. Was it you?

Pavel It was in front of the heater, and there wasn't ________ (place) for it in the living room. So I put it on the balcony.

P

Pavel Yes, it was me! I knocked, but ________ (person) answered.

P

O

Mrs Okafor She says her sofa moved too.

O

Mrs Okafor Of course. Everybody on the second floor ________ (was / were) out.

Pavel Yes, sorry. We moved it a little to get to the heater. And the plumber put his tools ________ (place): on the sofa, on the chair, on the floor! But we didn't take ________ (thing), of course.

P

Pavel ________ (thing) was wrong with her heater, so I came with the plumber.

P

O

Mrs Okafor But you didn't text her!

O

Mrs Okafor And the plant?

Pavel I know. She knew ________ (thing) about it. I feel terrible!

P

Spot the difference

A

Task Student A: describe picture A and ask about room B. Student B: answer from your list. Find six differences. Use something, nothing, somebody, nobody, everywhere or anywhere in each sentence.

In A there's something on the sofa.

In B there's nothing.

Your home

Task Write three sentences about your home. Use something or nothing, somebody or nobody, and everywhere or not … anywhere. Two are true and one is false. Read them to your partner. Your partner guesses the false one.

There's something very old in my kitchen.

Nobody uses my balcony.

I looked everywhere for my keys this morning.

Homework

Task A Complete the second sentence so it means the same. Use the word in brackets. Write two or more words in each gap.

1

I didn't buy anything at the market.

NOTHING

I __________ at the market.

2

There wasn't anybody in the park.

NOBODY

There __________ in the park.

3

I didn't go anywhere on Sunday.

NOWHERE

I __________ on Sunday.

4

I heard nothing from my neighbours.

ANYTHING

I __________ from my neighbours.

5

All the people in my building are friendly.

EVERYONE

__________ friendly.

Homework

Task B Read Mrs Okafor's note to Nadia. Answer each question with one word: a word like nobody or everything, or a name. Spell it carefully. Then write two more sentences about the box: one with something and one with anything.

Dear Nadia,

On Saturday morning there was a big box by the front door of our building. I didn't see the person with the box, and the neighbours didn't see them. I looked for a name on the box: on the top, on the sides and on the bottom. There wasn't one. I opened it carefully. There were old books inside and a few cups. My flat is very small, and there isn't any free space for the box. Can you keep it in your flat until Monday? Then I can call Pavel.

Mrs Okafor

1

Who saw the person with the box?

2

Where did Mrs Okafor look for a name on the box?

3

What did she find on the outside of the box?

4

Where can Mrs Okafor keep the box in her flat?

5

Who can she call on Monday?

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

BEFORE YOU READ / TUESDAY EVENING

Who was there? C: her landlord, Pavel (with a plumber).

LOOK AGAIN

Which is correct? 1 Someone; 2 anybody; 3 Nobody; 4 was

The rules with not: any- · nobody, nothing, nowhere: without not · after everyone / everything: singular (is, was, knows)

TALK ABOUT IT

1 Her shoes were under the chair (not by the door); the sofa moved a little; her plant wasn't in the living room.

2 To fix her heater, with a plumber.

3 It was in front of the heater, so Pavel put it outside in the sun.

4 Open.

RIGHT OR WRONG?

Right 2, 4, 7

Wrong 1 I didn't want to go anywhere that evening (or: I wanted to go nowhere); 3 Nobody called me all day; 5 Everybody in my office knows the story now; 6 Pavel didn't tell anybody about the visit (or: told nobody)

FIND THE WORDS

From the story something, someone, somebody · anywhere, anybody, anyone, anything · everywhere, everyone · nothing, nobody

The empty boxes somewhere · nowhere · everything

The -body / -one twins everybody (next to everyone) · no one (next to nobody)

The full grid some-: someone / somebody, something, somewhere · any-: anyone / anybody, anything, anywhere · no-: no one / nobody, nothing, nowhere · every-: everyone / everybody, everything, everywhere

ON THE STAIRS -one and -body are both right in every person gap

1 somebody / someone

2 nobody / no one

3 was

4 Something

5 anywhere

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

ON THE STAIRS (CONT.)

6 everywhere

7 anything

8 nothing

HOMEWORK (A) use the word given; the -one / -body twin isn't the answer here

1 bought nothing

2 was nobody

3 went nowhere

4 didn't hear anything

5 Everyone in my building is (not just Everyone is: the sentence must mean the same)

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE possible sentences; There's nothing = There isn't anything

1 In A there's something on the sofa. In B there's nothing (on it).

2 In A there's somebody on the balcony. In B there's nobody on the balcony.

3 In A there are books everywhere. In B all the books are on the shelf (there aren't any books on the floor).

4 In A there's nothing on the wall. In B there's something on the wall: a clock.

5 In A the plant is by the window. In B it isn't anywhere in the room: it's on the balcony.

6 In A there's nothing under the table. In B there's something under the table: a pair of shoes.

HOMEWORK (B)

1 Nobody (or: No one)

2 Everywhere

3 Nothing

4 Nowhere

5 Pavel

Two more sentences open, e.g. There's something old in the box. There isn't anything new in it.