Before reading

The Canterville
Ghost
Retrouvez la version audio
et le lexique sonorisé sur :
www.editions-larousse.fr/canterville

Fiche pédagogique A1
Contenu de l'ouvrage

À l’attention des enseignants de 5ème,

Selon le niveau de vos classes, vous pouvez utiliser

le travail pédagogique proposé après un trimestre de 5ème.

Les fiches photocopiables permettent une meilleure

compréhension de l’histoire et proposent un travail sur
des compétences grammaticales ciblées ainsi que sur
le lexique et la prononciation.
CECRL : A1
Avec des élèves de bon niveau, le travail peut être
réalisé en autonomie, après un temps d’explication et
de découverte du livre en classe. Les activités Before
L’ouvrage The Canterville Ghost permet
reading peuvent donc être abordées à ce moment d’aborder les points suivants :
précis.

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

Compétences lexicales
Avec des élèves de niveau moyen, voire faible, il est Le vocabulaire de la famille
souhaitable de guider les élèves en classe tout au Le vocabulaire de la maison
long de la lecture afin qu’ils ne se découragent pas Le vocabulaire du corps humain
et acquièrent des méthodes de lecture. Ainsi, les Des verbes d’action
activités proposées, le lexique en version papier et/
ou numérique, ainsi que la version audio du livre
permettent aux élèves d’aller vers plus d’autonomie. Compétences grammaticales
Fiche proposée:
Les fiches sur les compétences grammaticales sont - Fiche 1 : WILL
proposées de manière indépendante. L’enseignant sera
donc libre de les utiliser en fonction de ses objectifs. En reconnaissance :
- Présent simple
Les activités After reading et Play time permettent de
- Prétérit simple
résumer l’histoire, de revoir le vocabulaire de façon
ludique et de travailler la prononciation.

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Before reading
Worksheet 1
1. Write the words in the right place:

• stairs
• upstairs/downstairs
• door
• window
• living-room
• study
• steps (front door)
• (bed) room
• hallway
• house

2. Read the forum and answer the questions:

2nd October
Hi guys! Looking for a short story to read. Any ideas? Don’t really
know what to choose ;)
My teacher recommended The Canterville Ghost. Have you read it?
Is it gripping?
Simon, 12 yrs old, from London

3rd October
Hi Simon! I read The Canterville Ghost last year. It’s a great ghost

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

story with lots of humour and suspense. You should definitely read it.
You’ll love it!
Trish, 13 yrs old, from Liverpool

4th October
Hi everyone! Trish’s right. It’s hilarious and moving. I loved it!
Don’t remember well, but I think the author is Orson Wilde, right?
I remember it was published in 1887.
Liam, 13 yrs old, from London

4th October
Hey Jacob, his first name is Oscar, not Orson ;). He was a very famous
Irish writer.
Mia, 14 yrs old, from Oxford

Who wrote The Canterville Ghost?.............................................................................................................................

What nationality was he? ..................................................................................................................................................

What year was the book published?.........................................................................................................................

It is a novel a comic strip a short story

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Reading activities
Worksheet 1
Pages 4 to 8

1. Match the speech bubbles to the correct characters:

My name’s I’m called My name’s Lord

I’m Mr Otis
Mrs Umney Washington Canterville.

I work at Can- I am one of Mr I come from the Mr and Mrs

terville Chase. and Mrs Otis’ s USA and I am a Otis bought my
I take care of children. rational man. house.
the house.

Pages 4 to 8

2. Unscramble the words and match them to the correct picture:

STOGH: The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

....................................................

LODOB:
....................................................

NAIST:
....................................................

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Reading activities
Worksheet 1
Pages 4 to 8

3. Tick þ the correct answer(s):

Mr and Mrs Otis are moving to:

  

How many children do they have?  2  3  4

What is the name of the house? .................................................................................................................................

Who sells the house? (Write their/his name on the line below the picture)
  

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

............................... .................................... .......................................................

Is the house in a big city?  Yes, it is  No, it isn’t

There are ghosts in the house:  True  False
Does Mr Otis believe in ghosts?  Yes, he does  No, he doesn’t
What about you?...............................................................................................................
Do you believe in ghosts?  Yes, I do  No, I don’t
Are you afraid of ghosts?  Yes, I am  No, I’m not

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Reading activities
Worksheet 1
Pages 4 to 8

4. Match the picture to the correct sentence:

It is sunny There’s a flash

It is rainy It is windy
and warm of lightning

What is the weather like when they approach the house?

 It is a nice and warm evening  It starts to rain  There’s a flash of lightning

5. Match the verbs that mean the same thing:

to appear in the form of a ghost to rub
to be missing to remove
to clean with a sponge and with pressure to spill
to eliminate /to take something off, to haunt

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

to assassinate to murder
to cause a liquid to fall out of a glass, bottle… to disappear

6. Complete the text with the following words:

A strange mystery
In the library, there is a …………………. on the ………………………. . It is ……………………….. !
Mrs Otis is horrified and she wants to ………………………. it. Mrs Umney says it is Lady Eleanore
de Canterville’s …………………….. : her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, …………………………
her in the library and he …………………………. nine years after the murder.

disappeared - remove – floor - murdered – blood (x2) – stain

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Reading activities
Worksheet 1
Pages 4 to 8

7. Tick þ the correct answer:

Who removes the stain at first?
 the housekeeper, Mrs Umney  Mrs Otis  Washington

What happens when the stain disappears?

 A ghost appears
 There’s a flash of lightning.
 The sky clears up and becomes sunny

How does Mrs Otis react at that moment? She…

  

What is the problem with the stain?

 Nobody can clean it
 Washington can clean it but the stain comes back every day
 Only a ghost can clean it

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

Do you think there is a ghost in the house?
 Yes, I think so  No, I don’t think so.

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Reading activities
Worksheet 2
Pages 9 to 12

1. Tick þ the correct answer and fill in the blanks:

Who wakes Mr Otis up?
 the ghost of Simon de Canterville
 the ghost of Eleanore de Canterville
 his children

Can you find three things that show that the ghost looks scary?
- He is ........................................................................................
- His eyes are .......................................................................
- He has chains around  his neck  his feet  his hands  his head

What does Mr Otis give to the ghost?

  

Why?
 because the ghost is very thirsty
 because the ghost’s chains are too noisy

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

 because the ghost wants to cook dinner

Who are the two figures who open the door?

 Two dogs
 Mr Otis’s children
 Two aristocrats

Do you think Mr Otis and his children are scared of the ghost?
 Yes, they are very terrified
 No, they aren’t terrified at all.

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Reading activities
Worksheet 2
Pages 9 to 12

2. Tick þ the correct answer (s):

The ghost
 The ghost is discouraged and he goes back to his room
 The ghost is very angry and fights with Mr Otis and his children
 The ghost is very angry and wants to take his revenge

Pages 9 to 12 Worksheet 3

3. Crossword puzzle:
Write the English verbs in the puzzle. Use the French verbs to help you.

3 4

5 6

7 8

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

9

10

Across è Down ê
5. grogner, gémir 1. oser
6. apparaître 2. briser, fracasser
8. pendre 3. traiter
9. frapper, heurter, toucher 4. rire
10. huiler 7. jeter

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Reading activities
Worksheet 3
Pages 13 to 16

1. Tick þ the correct answer:

Which scary costume does the ghost choose to scare the children?

  

Find the word that means: “sans tête”: .....................................................

2. Match the French to the English word:

sans enfants jobless
sans emploi homeless
sans abri childless

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

3. Draw the time on the clock:
What time is it when the ghost approaches the children’s room?

 a.m.  p.m.

Is the ghost’s revenge successful?  Yes, it is  No, it isn’t

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Reading activities
Worksheet 3
Pages 13 to 16

4. Tick þ the correct answer:

Why must the ghost stay in bed?

  

Why does the ghost catch a cold?

 Because he went out and didn’t put his coat on
 Because the twins played a trick on him
 Because he is a sensitive old ghost

Find the English expressions

- être trempé jusqu’aux os : ...........................................................
- éclater de rire : ....................................................................................
- se préparer : ..........................................................................................
- faire un excès : .....................................................................................

Pages 13 to 16

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

5. Put the characters in the right order:
The ghost wants to punish:
The twins
1 Washington
Mr and Mrs Otis
Virginia

6. Tick þ the correct answer:

What time is it when the ghost goes to Washington’s room?
 It is about 12 a.m.  It is about 12 p.m

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Reading activities
Worksheet 3
Pages 13 to 16

1. Read the summary and place the words at the right place:

The ghost goes to Washington’s room to punish him. On his way to Washington’s room, he
……………… a ghost. He is so ………………….. that he runs back to his room and ………………
under his bedclothes.
The following day, he has a brilliant idea: he wants to go back to see the ghost. He thinks a second
ghost will help him to ………………….. the Americans.
When he arrives at the place, he is very discouraged. It was not a ghost but a stupid ………………...
The twins ………………….. him again!

tricked - doll - scared - meets – hides – beat

Pages 17 to 20 Worksheet 4

1.  inish the sentences or match the beginnings of the sentences

F
to their endings:
The ghost… goes back to their ordinary life
The Otis family… doesn’t appear any more
Virginia… has an admirer
The Duke of Cheshire… feels blue
is in love with Virginia

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

2. Tick þ the correct answer(s):
Who becomes friends with the ghost?
 Virginia  The Duke of Cheshire  The boys

What does the ghost want?

 to die  to pray  to be at rest

Who can help him?

 The boys  Virginia  The Duke of Cheshire

11/20
Reading activities
Worksheet 4
Pages 17 to 20

3. Crossword puzzle:
Write the English verbs in the puzzle. Use the French verbs to help you.

3 4

5 6 7

10

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

Across è Down ê
3. organiser 1. mener, emmener
6. grogner, gémir 2. prier
9. abandonner 4. passer (du temps)
10. vouloir dire, signifier 5. effrayer
7. révéler
8. marmonner

4. Tick þ the correct answer:

Virginia decides to help the ghost:  True  False
Virginia follows the ghost to a secret room:  True  False

12/20
Reading activities
Worksheet 5
Pages 21 to 23

1. Tick þ the correct answer:

The Duke of Cheshire is very worried because:
 Virginia is dead
 Virginia has disappeared
 Virginia called the police

Where was Virginia?

 She was at the police station
 She was imprisoned and the ghost saved her
 She was in a secret room with the ghost

2. Find the English words in the text and write them under the pictures:

............................................................. ............................................................. ............................................................. .............................................................

3.  ind the past tense (préterit) forms of the following English verbs.
F

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

Then, match them to the French verbs:
be (plural): _ _ _ _........ pardonner
give: _ _ _ _................ être
leave: : _ _ _ _............. donner
forgive: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..... laisser

4. Explain in French:
How did Sir Simon de Canterville die? You can explain in French.
................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................

13/20
Reading activities
Worksheet 6
Pages 24 to 27

1. Tick þ the correct answer(s):

Who is being buried (=enterré)?
 Mrs Umney  Sir Simon de Canterville  Lord Canterville

Who comes to the funeral?

 Mrs Umney  Sir Simon de Canterville  Lord Canterville  The Otis family

Will the ghost come back to Canterville Chase?

 Yes, he will  No, he won’t

2. Find the English words in the text and write them under the pictures:

............................................................. ............................................................. ............................................................. .............................................................

3.
The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016
Tick þ the correct answer:
What is the strongest?
 Love
 Life
 Death

Virginia and the Duke get married and they live happily ever after
 True  False

14/20
After reading activities
Worksheet 1
1. Who is who?
She has known the ghost for fifty years. Mr Otis
He is discrete and helpful. Virginia
He is very much in love with Virginia. The Duke of
Cheshire
He is tired of working in this house. He would like to die at last. Sir Simon’s ghost
He never panics and he is rational. Washington
They are clever and playful. The twins
She is sensitive and helpful. Mrs Umney

2. Read the sentences and put the story in chronological order:

The children play a trick on the ghost: he gets soaked to the bone.
Washington cleans the stain but it always comes back.
1 Mr and Mrs Otis, an American couple, buy a house in England.
Virginia meets Sir Simon’s ghost and helps him die.
At night, a ghost tries to scare Mr Otis and his children, but it doesn’t work.
The children play a second trick on the ghost: they use a doll to scare him.
 t the end of the story, Virginia and the Duke of Cheshire get married and visit
A
the Ghost’s grave one more time.

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

On the first day, Mrs Otis notices a blood stain on the floor in the library.
The ghost is very depressed because he is not a good ghost any more. He wants to die.
A funeral is organized for Sir Simon, who died in terrible conditions.
Lord Canterville, the owner, tells Mr and Mrs Otis that there is a ghost in the house.
The ghost is furious and decides to take his revenge.

15/20
Practice time!
Worksheet 1
WILL
Lis les exemples, coche et complète :

“I will pray for you.”

“I’ll show you.”
He will paralyse them with fear.
“I won’t sleep until we have found Virginia.”

Les mots en gras font référence à  du passé  du présent  du futur

WILL est un  verbe  auxiliaire modal
Il est suivi  d’un verbe conjugué  d’un verbe à la base verbale
Il reste identique à toutes les personnes:  vrai  faux
Quelle est la forme contractée de WILL ? ............................................
Quelle est la forme négative de WILL ? .................................................. .
C’est la contraction de .................................... + ...............................................

Connais-tu d’autres façons d’exprimer le futur en anglais ?

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................................................

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

Your turn!
Find the English translations of the following sentences in the text.

Mr and Mrs Otis seront les suivants.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Vite ou ce sera trop tard !

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Demain j’appelerai la police.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Je prierai pour toi.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

16/20
Play time!
Worksheet 1
Brainstorming
game
Be the first to complete the mind map! Find the words linked to the words below.
Put your hand up when you have finished.

Weather

The body

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

Death

17/20
Play time!
Worksheet 1
Word search -
Puzzle
Find the English words in the grid:

L B E U G D S S N O G S G W C
M I U N B R T P N S D K KANKLE
O SBLOOD BONE
BOTTLE BUCKET CHAIN
K V G C O N A E I K B Y UCOFFIN
L F DOLL FLOOR
N R I H K B I C O E V F TGHOST GRAVE HOPE
L NLIGHTNING
JEWEL
U D P A T E N T D L R M GNOISE
I XPILLOW RAIN
SIN SKELETON SKY
G A S E W N T R E E I F HSPECTRE
P D SPIRIT STAIN
B H T R J C I E T T B S IWRIST
O N
P O O Q C H F N C O T A O O D
D L T S I A Q K G N M L I O D
T O Y T T I T F K C B S L N C
Z J F C L N X I O T E L I H R
L E W E J E S F R E S A N O O
G R A V E I F I Y I R I B P O
B M R T R I Q G N X P P R E L
D K Y N N A N K L E M S A W F

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

ANKLE FLOOR RAIN
BLOOD GHOST SIN
BONE GRAVE SKELETON
BOTTLE HOPE SKY
BUCKET JEWEL SPECTRE
CHAIN LIGHTNING SPIRIT
COFFIN NOISE STAIN
DOLL PILLOW WRIST

18/20
Play time!
Worksheet 1
Crossword
puzzle
Write the English verbs in the puzzle. Use the French verbs to help you.
1

2 3

5 6

10 11 12 13 14 15

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

16 17

18

Across è Down ê
2. enlever 12. (se) cacher 1. effrayer 11. hanter
5. mener, emmener 14. renverser 3. assassiner 13. s’évanouir
7. tremper 16. frotter 4. fermer à clé 14. passer
9. prier 17. pardonner 6. disparaître (du temps)
10. punir 18. jeter 8. prévenir, avertir 15. rire
17. couler

19/20
Play time!
Worksheet 1

Pay attention to your pronunciation.

“rub” rhymes with:

 my  tube  club

“laugh” rhymes with:

 giraffe  low  log

“lead” rhymes with:

 tea  speed  beat

“sin” rhymes with:

 die  in  mean

“spill” rhymes with:

 peel  until  slip

“shoot” rhymes with:

 row  wound  fruit

The Canterville Ghost - Read in English, Harrap’s School © Larousse 2016

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