Creative Copying

Students listen to proverbs or idioms and write their own adapted versions by replacing key words while keeping the original structure.

Procedure

1. Explain that you will dictate short sentences (proverbs, idioms, cliches). Students write their own adapted versions, keeping the structure but replacing one or more words or phrases.
2. Demonstrate with an example: "A change is as good as a rest" — ask students to suggest versions replacing "change" and "rest."
3. Dictate each sentence, allowing time for students to write adaptations. They can write the original first then adapt, or adapt directly.
4. After dictating all sentences, allow 2-3 minutes for checking and completing any unfinished adaptations.
5. Students work in small groups to select their most effective sentences and read them to the class.
6. Display the most striking sentences on the classroom wall or publish on a class website.

Tips

• Good source sentences: "There's no place like home," "Variety is the spice of life," "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"
• Variation: indicate on the board which specific words should be replaced (underline them)
• Pair work version: one student brainstorms replacements for word A, the other for word B, then they combine to make as many good sentences as possible
• Also works with lines of poetry