ESLSongs

Practice the present simple in your ESL class with this song, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton.

There are 20 different examples of the present simple (affirmative, negative and interrogative) in this song: It’s / she puts on / (she) brushes / she asks / do I look…? / I say / you look / we go / everyone turns / do you feel / I feel / I see / you just don’t realize / I love / I’ve got / I give / she helps / I tell / I turn out

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

It’s late in the evening; she’s wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, “Do I look all right?”
And I say, “Yes, you look wonderful tonight.”

We go to a party and everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady that’s walking around with me.
And then she asks me, “Do you feel all right?”
And I say, “Yes, I feel wonderful tonight.”

I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don’t realize how much I love you.

It’s time to go home now and I’ve got an aching head,
So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, “My darling, you were wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight.”

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Listen to the song, and put the verbs into their correct form; the present simple (affirmative, negative & interrogative), the present continuous & the past simple

It’s late in the evening; she ¹__________ (wonder) what clothes to wear.
She ²__________ (put) on her make-up and ³__________ (brush) her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, “ ⁴__________ (look) all right?”
And I say, “Yes, you look wonderful tonight.”

We ⁵__________ (go) to a party and everyone ⁶__________ (turn) to see
This beautiful lady that’s walking around with me.
And then she asks me, “ ⁷__________ (feel) all right?”
And I say, “Yes, I feel wonderful tonight.”

I feel wonderful because I ⁸__________ (see) the love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all is that you just ⁹__________ (realise – negative) how much I love you.

It’s time to go home now and I’ve got an aching head,
So I give her the car keys and she ¹⁰__________ (help) me to bed.
And then I ¹¹__________ (tell) her, as I turn out the light,
I say, “My darling, you ¹²__________ (be) wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you ¹³__________ (be) wonderful tonight.”