ESLSongs

“How Many Fools” is a song written for English teachers to use in the ESL classroom to practise the interrogative, and more specifically, subject questions and it comes with an easy-to-use worksheet!

The lyrics of this song include the following 10 examples of object questions, and 7 subject questions:

Object questions:

• Why don’t we get back together?
• Did you know I missed you?
• Would you mind if I kissed you?
• What are you going to say to that?
• Is he giving you more than you could ever expect?
• Whose bed will you be sleeping in tonight?
• Will you tell him all the lies you said to me?
• Does he buy your love with things like necklaces and diamond earrings?
• Can you give me just a little space?
• Don’t you understand that?

Subject questions:

• Who’s been keeping you company since you went and left me for someone else?
• Who’s been making you happy?
• How many fools have fallen to their knees and begged you not to go break their hearts?
• How many morons still kiss the ground you walk on?
• Who has touched you like I never did?
• What makes you think that I am that easy?
• Who told you I was with another man?

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Exercise 1: Look at the lyrics of the song below, can you guess the correct question word for each gap?

Hey Giulietta, ¹_____________ don’t we get back together?
You know that opposites attract
Did you know I missed you? Would you mind if I kissed you?
²_____________ are you going to say to that?
³_____________ ‘s been keeping you company since you went and left me for someone else?
⁴_____________ ‘s been making you happy? Is he giving you more than you could ever expect?

⁵_____________ fools have fallen to their knees and begged you not to go break their hearts?
⁶_____________ morons still kiss the ground you walk on as you go on playing your part?
⁷_____________’s been keeping you company since you went and left me for someone else?
⁸_____________’s been making you happy? Is he giving you more than you could ever expect?

And ⁹_____________ bed will you be sleeping in tonight?
Will you tell him all the lies you said to me?
And ¹⁰_____________ has touched you like I never did?
Or does he buy your love with things like necklaces and diamond earrings?

Hey Romeo, I see that you’re still causing trouble
You make me want to grab my mace
I didn’t leave you, it was you who got bored with me
So can you give me just a little space?
And no no no no, no you can’t kiss me
You never were very good at kissing anyway
¹¹_____________ makes you think that I am that easy?
You’re like a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower all day

And ¹²_____________ told you I was with another man?
I’m better off alone, don’t you understand that?
I’ll be sleeping in my own bed tonight
So leave me alone! I want to live my life in peace and quiet!

¹³_____________ fools have fallen to their knees and begged you not to go break their hearts?
(a thousand fools have fallen to their knees and begged me not to go break their hearts)
¹⁴_____________ morons kiss the ground you walk on as you go on playing your part?
(a million morons kiss the ground I walk on as I go on playing my part)

Exercise 2: These are questions from the song. Can you remember which auxiliary verb was used?

• why _____________ we get back together?
• _____________ you know I missed you?
• what _____________ you going to say to that?
• whose bed _____________ you be sleeping in tonight?
• _____________ you tell him all the lies you said to me?
• _____________ he buy your love with things like necklaces and diamond earrings?
• _____________ you give me just a little space?
• _____________ you understand that?

Exercise 3: These are answers to some of the questions in the song. Go back and read the lyrics; can you find the question?

• No, no, no, no, no you can’t kiss me
• Nobody has been keeping me company
• A thousand fools have fallen to their knees
• I’ll be sleeping in my own bed tonight
• Mercutio told me you were with another man

.

This song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3 so inspire your students to greatness in the classroom and practise grammar and vocabulary the fun way with this fun, original song! To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Lyrics

Hey Giulietta, why don’t we get back together?
You know that opposites attract

Did you know I missed you?
Would you mind if I kissed you?
What are you going to say to that?

Who’s been keeping you company since you went and left me for someone else?
Who’s been making you happy? Is he giving you more than you could ever expect?

How many fools have fallen to their knees and begged you not to go break their hearts?
How many morons still kiss the ground you walk on as you go on playing your part?

Who’s been keeping you company since you went and left me for someone else?
Who’s been making you happy? Is he giving you more than you could ever expect?

And whose bed will you be sleeping in tonight?
Will you tell him all the lies you said to me?
And who has touched you like I never did?
Or does he buy your love with things like necklaces and diamond earrings?

Hey Romeo, I see that you’re still causing trouble
You make me want to grab my mace
I didn’t leave you, it was you who got bored with me
So can you give me just a little space?

And no no no no, no you can’t kiss me
You never were very good at kissing anyway
What makes you think that I am that easy?
You’re like a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower all day

And who told you I was with another man?
I’m better off alone, don’t you understand that?
I’ll be sleeping in my own bed tonight
So leave me alone! I want to live my life in peace and quiet!

How many fools have fallen to their knees and begged you not to go break their hearts?
(a thousand fools have fallen to their knees and begged me not to go break their hearts)
How many morons kiss the ground you walk on as you go on playing your part?
(a million morons kiss the ground I walk on as I go on playing my part)

If you enjoyed the song or if you think it will be useful for your students at least, remember this song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3.