It was very funny: fun and funny are not the same word

Objective & content

This Grammar Fix video (about 3 minutes) fixes one mistake: funny used where fun is the right word. Freya and Cody give the rule: funny means it makes you laugh; fun means you enjoyed it, even if nobody laughed. They test it on a joke, a rollercoaster, a clown and a day at the beach. They also show the comparing forms: funnier, funniest, but more fun, most fun. Students repeat two sentences with the hosts, then play a three-round game: which sentence is right?

Pedagogical guide

French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese speakers make this mistake. In their languages one adjective covers both ideas (amusant, divertido, divertente), so they use one English word for both. German, Polish and Dutch speakers already have two separate words, so they rarely make it. Watch for the opposite problem too. Once students learn the difference, some avoid funny even after a joke or a comedian. Round three of the game is built to catch this. The video says the wrong sentence only once. Do the same: give the rule, do not drill the error.

Suggested procedure

1. Before (2 min). Write joke, rollercoaster, clown and beach day on the board. Ask which ones make students laugh and which ones they enjoy.
2. Watch (3 min). Play the video once. Students repeat aloud when Cody says "Say them with me": That joke was funny. This game is fun.
3. Game (3 min). Play the game again. Both sentences are shown and said. Pause at each thinking beat ("Have a think...") and ask the class to vote. After round three, ask why funny is the right answer.
4. After (4 min). In pairs, students say one sentence for each word on the board, with funny or fun, and explain: laughing or enjoying?

Materials & prerequisites

• The video, a screen and sound for the whole class.
• The example words are at about A2 level (joke, clown, party, game, beach). Students need was and is with an adjective.

Assessment & extensions

Students write three sentences about their weekend, using fun at least once and funny at least once. They swap with a partner and check each other's choice of word.