Proverbs Lesson 9

New Vocabulary

absence

a time when you are not in a particular place

fond

to like someone or something

​

​

grow

to increase

​

​

heart

the organ inside your chest that sends blood around your body

​

​

heart

someone’s true feelings

​

​

make

to cause something to happen

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Example:

Jim and Mary were boyfriend and girlfriend. They saw each other every day, but Jim didn’t think about Mary very often. Instead, Jim thought about TV, or his hobbies.

But then, Jim moved across the world to study. He didn’t see Mary for a long time. He started to really miss her.

Now, he thinks about her all the time. He loves her more now than he ever did before. You know what they say: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Example 2

James grew up in America, but he never really liked American fast food. “It’s so unhealthy,” he said.

But then, James spent a year away from America working in the jungle. He started to think of fast food all the time.

He really wanted to eat a hamburger and drink a cold coca-cola. You know what they say: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Talk with a partner:

What do you think the proverb means?

Do you have any similar proverbs in your own language?

Do you agree with the proverb? Why or why not?

worksheet

fonder

the

heart

absence

grow

makes

1. What tense is the main verb in? Why?

The main verb (makes) is in the present simple tense.

Because it is a fact that is true all the time.

2. Why does “makes” have an “s” at the end, but “grow” does not?

“makes” has an “s” because “absence” is an uncountable abstract noun.

Most abstract nouns are uncountable, and will take the 3rd person singular “s”

Love hurts

Jealousy kills

Evil never wins

Justice never sleeps

Success changes people

Misery loves company

​

Why does “grow” not have an “s” ?

The verb make is followed by a bare infinitive.

(An bare infinitive is an infinitive form without “to”).

Infinitive verbs are not marked for tense or subject.

She makes me clean my room.

She makes him clean his room.

Yesterday she made him clean his room.

3. Why does the proverb say “the heart” instead of “a heart” ?

The proverb is referring in general to all people’s hearts.

“A heart” would mean just one person.

4. The adjective “fonder” is in the comparative form. Why? What two things are being compared?

The feelings before and after the absence are being compared.

Can you re-write the proverb using “than” ?

Example:

Absence makes the heart grow fonder than the heart was before the absence.

5. Can you identify the word pattern in sentences with make?

​

​

​

subject

make

object

bare infinitive

adjective

Careful!

In English, verb patterns are different for each verb. Some of them take “to +infinitive” and some of them take the “bare infinitive”.

to+infinitive

bare infinitive

I want you to leave.

I went to find you.

I decided to stay.

I remembered to study.

I love to eat.

​

I heard her sing.

I watched them play.

Let him go.

I bade him come.

Study at home

https://quizlet.com/_3iryfs

Link