The Monkey Chase (Caveman Text)

Caveman Text - The Monkey Chase - Level: Pre-Intermediate

Caveman Texts are a way to encourage students to transcend English which sounds like a primitive caveman. Give them the text and tell them to provide the necessary tenses, articles, and other necessary words.

Ask your students to rewrite this text more naturally. It will force them to pay attention to the details that make English sound natural. More than one variation are possible. You'll find a standard interpretation below the Caveman Text.

The Monkey Chase

AFTER WINTER COME WE HAVE BIG PROBLEM! MONKEYS START COME INTO OUR CAVES AND TRY STEAL OUR FOOD.

PROBLEM START EARLIER THIS YEAR. BRAVE WARRIOR GUNT GO OUT TO HIS GARDEN AND SEE MONKEYS EAT FROM ALL HIS BERRY BUSHES. HE YELL AND SCARE THEM AWAY, BUT THEY COME BACK IN WINTER.

SO WE DECIDE CHASE MONKEYS FAR AWAY UNTIL NEVER RETURN. WE GET OUR SPEARS AND WHEN MONKEYS COME NEAR CAVE WE SUDDENLY START CHASE THEM.

WE RUN AND RUN, CHASE MONKEYS AWAY FROM CAVES. WE NO LIKE BAD MONKEYS WHO EAT BERRIES OF GUNT.

NOW MONKEYS GONE AND LIFE ALMOST QUIET. NOW WE THINK ABOUT CHASE AWAY OUR CHILDREN.

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Here is a more natural interpretation of Oog's beautiful self-expression (your students' may differ):

The Monkey Chase

After [the] winter came we had a big problem! Monkeys started coming / [to come] into our caves and tried to steal our food.

The problem started earlier this year. The / Our brave warrior Gunt went out to his garden and saw [some] monkeys eating from all his berry bushes. He yelled and scared them away, but they came back in [the] winter.

So we decided to chase the monkeys far away until they'd / [they would] / could never return. We got our spears, and when the monkeys came near the cave we suddenly started chasing / [to chase] them.

We ran and ran, chasing the monkeys away from the caves. We don't like the / those bad monkeys who ate / eat Gunt's berries.

[Now the monkeys are gone ] / [Now the monkeys have gone] and life is almost quiet. Now we're thinking about chasing away our children.


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