Watch grammar video and make exercises in your book. 

Past Continuous and Past Perfect Continuous 

Read this opinions about graffiti and make ex.3a,b.

A.     Four years ago I knew two things about graffiti: that it was all criminal and that it was ugly. I was right it was ugly but I was wrong about it being all criminal. Most of it is done by kids of every race and social group from big cities to small towns. Today I’m a member of Together Against Graffiti (TAG) group aimed at bringing people together to fight against this kind of so called street-art.

B.     In the past ten years graffiti seems to have become more about leaving your mark, and less about art or political statement. Most of it is unreadable anyway. I say make it illegal if it’s not saying anything of interest!

C.     Graffiti as a public service! Oh please - the majority of graffiti you see is not art, but tags scribbled on someone else's property - trains, walls, tubes or buildings. 6 weeks service cleaning trains or public toilets should do the trick.

D.     I am a mural artist and have also been involved with graffiti art. Most of my graffiti-style work has been done on large canvases in my town centre. Spray paint is the most fun to use because it is fast, rustic, colourful and loud. I would like to suggest the following: a) fight vandalism (especially taggers); b) provide gallery space and public places for graffiti artists and encourage trouble-makers to participate by providing materials and guidance.

E.      There are two different types of graffiti artists, with two very different aims. One is the ‘bombers’, who just tag everything to get their name up. Then there’s the real artists who spend more time doing pieces that have artistic merit and are pleasing to the eye. The authorities, however, call both types of graffiti vandalism. But the latter is not vandalism, but art with the street as a canvas. There are, of course, legal parks where pieces can be put up, but the point of graffiti is taking over spaces that have been closed off. So having little corners or large walls for creation is against the whole philosophy.

F.      If walls were set up throughout Britain, and everyone was encouraged to use them (all ages, classes, etc) then graffiti could become a democratic form of cultural expression that need not trouble anyone. It would be cheap public art.

G.     Graffiti should be banned. The creation of graffiti is dangerous. Graffiti artists climb to high places to draw on highway signs or billboards. To get to these high places, the graffiti artist has either got to climb to the high place or in some cases, hang down from high places to draw their picture or make their inscription. This is taking an unnecessary risk. The artist may believe that their life is not in any danger, but if there is one wrong move, the artist can lose his life. 

Discuss the questions from ex.1. Use this script for help. 

What is Art?

What are the forms of art? When you think of art, what do you think of? Paintings, statues? What else?

Is there a size limit to art? What’s the largest piece of art you can imagine? How small is the smallest?

Is art defined by its materials? We're all used to thinking of paintings as art. Or bronze sculptures. But art can be made from all kinds of materials. Try to think of some. Various kinds of paint and metal, wood, plastics... it can even be an old shoe or a newspaper. What about putting different materials together?

Does art have to be understandable? Is it necessary for it to actually look like something, such as a woman, or a vase of flowers? Does art have to be realistic? Is it better if it is realistic?

What about abstract art? Do you know what that means? What is abstract art about? Can art describe feelings?

Is all art good art? Who decides, and how is it decided?

Does art have to be beautiful? What about a piece that looks truly ugly to you? Is it still art? Sometimes the artist is trying to shock the viewer, or to make you feel uncomfortable. Why would an artist want to do that? Perhaps to make people see things in a new way?

Does art have to “say” something? Communicate some feeling, idea, a record of fact, another way of looking at something? Just try to think of an example of art that does not communicate anything... can you?

Make up a project about gallery you choose yourself. You can use smore, popplet or wikiwall.

Copy the link of your project and insert into table