PREVIEW ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.

Step Inside a Real Haunted House (B2)

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Work with a partner, group, or your teacher. Do the activities below together.

PART 1 Discuss the questions below with a partner/your teacher.

1 What type of house is pictured in the image to the right?

2 Would you ever stay in a house like this overnight as a guest?

Why or why not?

3 Why might some people like visiting houses like these?

4 What do you think are some strange attributes of the house

or supernatural events that might occur in houses like these?

PART 2 Describe/Name the objects in the images below. Then discuss the topic below.

1 2 3

Imagine and describe a supernatural event that could occur with each of the above
objects inside a haunted house.

Read the short text about “The Gun That Won the West”, which you will also hear
PART 3
about in a video. Then answer the questions below.

“The Gun That Won the West” is a special name for a gun model in America. It is
manufactured by a company called Winchester Repeating Arms. It was a popular gun
model for gunmen in the West in the 1800s. Although it is known as one of the most
legendary guns of all time, some people believe that the gun carries bad karma.

1 What do you think bad karma means in this context?

2 What kind of connection do you think this gun could have to a haunted house?
STEP INSIDE A REAL HAUNTED HOUSE Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
Step Inside a Real Haunted House (B2)
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PREVIEW DISCUSSION: Read the discussion topic

below and discuss it with your partner or teacher.

What do you think could cause a house to

become “haunted”?

VIEWING ACTIVITY

PART 1 Choose true or false according to the information in the video.

0:01 1 TRUE FALSE The Winchester Mystery House is located in San Francisco.

0:10 2 TRUE FALSE The house has a unique Victorian style.

0:40 3 TRUE FALSE Sarah lived in the Winchester Mystery House her whole life.

1:06 4 TRUE FALSE People believe the house is haunted by Sarah’s husband.

1:30 5 TRUE FALSE The house manager has solved the mysteries of the house.

PART 2 Discuss/Write short answers according to the information in the video.

0:20 1 What “unfortunate things” happened to Sarah in her life? What did Sarah do after?

0:50 2 What are some of the strange attributes of the house?

1:14 3 What strange things have happened to guests or employees in the house?
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 1
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
Step Inside a Real Haunted House (B2)
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PART 1 Discuss the questions below.

1 Do you believe in ghosts/supernatural events like the ones described in the

video? Why/why not? Have you ever had a supernatural experience?

2 Would you spend a night in the Winchester Mystery House? Why/why not?

3 Are there any places known to be haunted in the area where you live?

PART 2 Discuss the questions about the vocabulary terms as used in the sentences below.

1 The Winchester House is a mansion with over 160 rooms covering six acres.

• What do you think a mansion is?

• What are some things a mansion might have compared to normal houses?

2 Sarah Winchester was also a spiritualist who visited a medium

to try and understand why her husband and daughter died.

• What do you think a medium does?

• For what other reasons might someone visit a medium?

3 One strange attribute of the house is that the lights sometimes flicker.

• What do you think flicker means?

• In what other situations might a light flicker?

4 Guests have seen actual physical manifestations while staying in the house.

• What do you think a manifestation means?

• How would you react if you saw a manifestation of a spirit?

PART 3 Read the sentences from the video below and then answer the question.

“
1 Sarah Winchester had a series of unfortunate things happen to her.”
2 A lot of the guests have had very strange things happen to them.”

Why do you think ...had (past simple) was used in the first example, and then ...have
had (present perfect) was used in the next example?
 POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 2 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
Step Inside a Real Haunted House (B2)
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PART 1 Study the difference between the past simple and the present perfect below.

PAST SIMPLE Sarah Winchester had a series of unfortunate things happen to her.

We use the past simple to refer to...

- Actions or events that happened at a specific time. The exact time that it happened is
important, although we don’t always express it. Sarah had a series of unfortunate things
happen to her and they are finished — we do not expect them to continue.

EXAMPLE I had an experience with a ghost (last year / when I was 10, etc.).
*We have a specific time in mind (and it’s finished).

PRESENT PERFECT A lot of guests have had very strange things happen to them.

We use the present perfect to refer to...

- Something that happened in the past, but the exact time it happened is not important
- Something that started in the past and it continues/could continue until the present time

EXAMPLES I have had a few experiences with ghosts in my life.

*Only your experience is important — not the time it happened.

I have had a few nightmares about the haunted house since visiting it.
*These nightmares started in the past and they could still continue.

PART 2 Write the correct past simple or present perfect form according to the context.

EX I went to a haunted house yesterday. I had (have) fun there.

1 The lights (flicker) a few times in my house since I moved in.

2 We (not take) many photos of the Winchester House yesterday.

3 Last night I (see) a physical manifestation while staying in the

haunted house!

4 I (not have) any supernatural experiences with ghosts in my life.

5 Overnight, I (get) really scared when footsteps in the house

(wake) me up!

6 The medium (tell) Sarah why her husband (die).

7 My brother (have) a fear of ghosts since childhood.

8 The Winchester Mystery House (make) a lot of money from tourism.

POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 3 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
Step Inside a Real Haunted House (B2)
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IMAGE TASK (PAST SIMPLE / PRESENT PERFECT):

Create sentences describing haunted experiences for the images. Use the present perfect
simple in the first image and the past simple for the second image. See the example.

EX 1 2

(PAST SIMPLE) Last night, (PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE) (PAST SIMPLE)

my door suddenly opened!

ROLE PLAY TASK:

Work with your partner/teacher and take one of the roles below.

STUDENT A: YOU BELIEVE YOUR HOUSE IS HAUNTED

• Imagine the house where you live is haunted. You visit a medium.
• Tell the medium about your haunted experiences. Use either the past simple or present
perfect with the following time phrases. Then ask the medium their thoughts.

Last night, ... | Since moving into the house, ... | When... | A few times, ...

STUDENT B: MEDIUM

• Imagine someone who lives in a haunted house comes to visit you.

• Tell your visitor your thoughts. Use the past simple and present perfect.

LESSON REFLECTION:

Discuss the topics below about the lesson.

1 What did you learn from this lesson?

2 What new vocabulary, expressions, or grammar did you use?
3 What did you enjoy about the lesson?
4 What did you find difficult about the lesson?
5 What would you like to remember about today's lesson?