Read the guidelines below for writing a personal profile.

Does Tom follow them?

1. Give specific information about yourself. Don’t be vague.

2. Be positive. When you write a personal profi le, it’s very important
3. Think about who you are writing to and give them to think about who
you are writing to and whether you appropriate information. need to
use formal or informal language. You also need.
4. Think about who you are writing to and use an to think about what type
of information the reader will be appropriate style: formal or informal.
Interested.
5. Keep your profile brief and use short rather than long sentences.
6. Structure your information in clear paragraphs.

1A Read the personal profi le. Is it formal or informal?

1 Read the stages for planning a personal profi le and

Hi, everyone! My name’s Tom Woodford. I’m 25, although everyone put them in the order that you would do them.

says that I look younger! I’m from a small village in north-east a) Write a rough fi rst dra . England, but I live in Newcastle now.
I’m a qualifi ed electrician and am currently working as part of a maintenance team in a big b) Write down the points you are
going to talk about. offi ce. However, what I really want is to get a degree in business c) Check your work and correct any
mistakes. studies and accountancy. I think it will open up a lot of doors for d) Decide in what order you are going to present
me professionally. the points.
I ’m married with two young kids, Ryan, who’s three, and T essa, e) Check through your fi rst dra . Have you included
who’s one. My wife’s name is Gloria. In my free time I like playing the right type of information? Is it presented in a
basketball and riding fast motor bikes! The problem is, with a young logical order? family, a full-time job, and now this
online course, I don’t think I’m f) Think about who you are writing to and what type going to have much time for any
hobbies in the near future! of information they will be interested in. I hope to get to know the rest of you a bit better as

we do the g) Make notes on each point.

online degree preparation module together. Good luck to everyone! And remember: Yes we
can! h) Write your fi nal dra .

4 A Look at the expressions in the box below. What two

B Complete the table. constructions can each expression be followed by?

4 A Look at the expressions in the box below. What two

B Complete the table.

I like I’m keen on I’m really
constructions can each expression be followed by?
into I love
I’m crazy about

Name
Age
Where he lives now
Work
B Ambitions Write fi ve sentences about what you like/like doing using the
Family expressions in the box above.

Who is he writing to?

5 You are joining an internet dating site. Write your own personal profi le (160–200 words).

Plan your writing

• Think about who you are writing to. What information
will the reader be interested in? Your location? Your
appearance? Your personal possessions? Your job?
Your hobbies? Your academic qualifi cations? Decide
what areas you are going to write about, and in what
order.
Check your writing
• Is your profi le brief and written with short sentences?
• Is the information clearly ordered in paragraphs?
• Have you checked your grammar and spelling?
• Did you fi nd any mistakes?