Chapitre 2 · Semestre 1 · Unité 1
Humour
Units 1 – 5
Theme: Humour
Humour makes people laugh and helps them relax, reduce stress and communicate. It exists in all cultures, but what is funny in one culture may not be funny in another.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| joke | a short funny story |
| pun | a joke based on words with two meanings |
| sense of humour | the ability to understand and enjoy funny things |
| sitcom | a situation comedy on TV |
| cartoon / caricature | a funny drawing |
| stand-up comedian | a person who tells jokes on stage |
| sarcasm / irony | saying the opposite of what you mean, often to criticise |
| hilarious / amusing | very funny / funny |
| to burst out laughing | to start laughing suddenly |
Grammar: gerund or infinitive?
| Followed by the gerund (-ing) | Followed by the infinitive (to + verb) |
|---|---|
| enjoy, avoid, mind, finish, keep, consider, suggest, can't stand, look forward to | want, decide, hope, plan, agree, refuse, promise, afford, learn |
| after prepositions: interested in watching, good at telling jokes | after adjectives: happy to see, easy to understand |
Some verbs change meaning:
- I stopped to laugh (I stopped in order to laugh) / I stopped laughing (I no longer laughed).
- Remember to call me (don't forget) / I remember calling him (a memory).
Function: expressing likes and dislikes
- Likes: I love… / I'm fond of… / I'm keen on… / I really enjoy…
- Dislikes: I can't stand… / I hate… / I'm not keen on… / I don't mind… (neutral)
All these are followed by a noun or a gerund: I'm fond of watching comedies.
Writing: narrating a funny story
- Use past tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect);
- Organise events with time markers: one day, then, suddenly, after that, finally;
- End with the funny ending (punchline).
Exercise 1 — Gerund or infinitive
- My father enjoys (tell) ________ jokes.
- We decided (watch) ________ a comedy.
- She is interested in (draw) ________ cartoons.
- I can't afford (buy) ________ tickets for the show.
- They suggested (go) ________ to the theatre.
Voir le corrigé
- telling 2. to watch 3. drawing (after a preposition) 4. to buy 5. going
Exercise 2 — Likes and dislikes
Complete with an expression of like or dislike and the correct form of the verb: 1) I ________ (watch) sitcoms, they make me laugh. 2) He ________ (hear) sarcastic remarks, they hurt him.
Voir le corrigé
- I love / really enjoy / am fond of watching sitcoms.
- He can't stand / hates hearing sarcastic remarks.
Summary — Humour
- Vocabulary: joke, pun, sense of humour, sitcom, cartoon, sarcasm, hilarious, to burst out laughing.
- Gerund after: enjoy, avoid, mind, finish, suggest, can't stand, look forward to, prepositions.
- Infinitive after: want, decide, hope, plan, agree, refuse, afford, adjectives.
- stop / remember + gerund or infinitive = different meanings.
- Likes/dislikes + noun or gerund: I'm fond of…, I can't stand…
- Writing: past tenses + time markers + punchline.