Imagine – John Lennon (9th Oct 1940 – 8th Dec 1980) – Notes

Activity types: Vocabulary, listening for specific words, gap fill, text analysis, discussion

Level: Intermediate/Post-Intermediate

Grammar Focus: Word Formation; Second Conditional

• Notes: Imagine is the title song of John Lennon’s 1971 second solo album. The song became an
anthem for anti-war movements, and is considered one of the greatest songs ever written. In the
book Lennon in America, by Geoffrey Giuliano, Lennon commented that Imagine was “anti-
religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it's sugar-
coated, it's accepted.”
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1. Give each student a folded copy of the worksheet and ask them to work on Activity 1,
individually or in pairs/groups. They have to try to form new words according to the
instructions. Do not correct at this stage.
In a weak class or at a lower level you can use this as a dictionary training activity.

KEY:
1. BROTHERHOOD 9. IMAGINATION
2. DREAMER 10.KILLER
3. EASILY 11.MANHOOD
4. GREEDY 12.NEEDY
5. HARD 13.PEACEFUL
6. HEAVENLY 14.POSSESSION
7. HELLISH 15.RELIGIOUS
8. HUNGRY 16.WONDERFUL

2. Play the song. Ask students to listen for the words from the previous activity and tick them
as they hear them. The words can be in any form (e.g. singular/plural, etc.).

KEY: See complete version of the song

3. Feedback, then students unfold the page and fill in the gaps with the missing words, based
on their answers to the previous activity and context.

4. Play the song again. Students check their answers in pairs or in groups, then correct in
open class and sing together!

GRAMMAR FOCUS: Word Formation. Students elicit how they can form words in English by
adding suffixes (-y, -ly, -er, -ful, -hood, etc.). Sometimes spelling changes can occur (easy-
easily; hunger-hungry). Some words may not change (wonder can be a noun or a verb,
hard can be an adjective or an adverb).

TEXT ANALYSIS: What kind of world did John Lennon imagine? Read the lyrics and discuss
his views on religion, war, property and poverty. Make examples. What is the effect of
repeated words throughout the song such as no, nothing and not?

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

Students can compare the world imagined by John Lennon and the world they live in.
You can also encourage students to use the second conditional by asking questions such as: “If
John Lennon was alive today, what would he think of 9/11 in U.S.A.? Would he campaign
against racism and any form of discrimination? Would he campaign for the environment?
Would he support the present world leaders? Would he be a politician himself? Would he own
any properties? Would he be pro European Union?”

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only

Activity © Tune into English 2010 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples
 Imagine – John Lennon 
Activity 1. Word formation: Write the words, then listen to the song and check.

1. BROTHER (noun) – (abstract noun) __________botherhood_________________________

2. DREAM (noun/verb) – (concrete noun) _________________________________________
3. EASY (adjective) – (adverb) __________________________________________________
4. GREED (noun) – (adjective) __________________________________________________
5. HARD (adjective) – (adverb) _________________________________________________
6. HEAVEN (noun) – (adjective) _________________________________________________
7. HELL (noun) – (adjective) ___________________________________________________
8. HUNGER (noun/verb) – (adjective) ____________________________________________
9. IMAGINE (verb) – (noun) ____________________________________________________
10.KILL (verb) – (noun) _______________________________________________________
11.MAN (noun) – (abstract noun) ________________________________________________
12.NEED (noun/verb) – (adjective) _______________________________________________
13.PEACE (noun) – (adjective) __________________________________________________
14.POSSESS (verb) – (noun) ___________________________________________________
15.RELIGION (noun) – (adjective) _______________________________________________
16.WONDER (noun/verb) – (adjective) ____________________________________________

____________________________________FOLD___________________________________

Activity 2. Complete the song

__________ there’s no _________

It’s _________ if you try
No _________ below us
Above us only sky
_________ all the people
Living for today

__________ there’s no countries

It isn’t _________ to do
Nothing to ________ or die for
And no ________ too
________ all the people
Living life in ________

You may say I’m a ________

But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

_______ no ________
I ________ if you can
No ________ for ________ or ________
A ________ of ________
________ all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say I’m a _________

But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only

Activity © Tune into English 2010 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples

Imagine – John Lennon - Complete

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only

Activity © Tune into English 2010 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples