Writing

A-Complete the text about Jodi with the words in the box

Are- drink- from- nurse- name’s- number- singer

Hi. My ………………………………… Jodi Westrum. I’m ………………………the Usa. I’m a

……………………… My phone……………………………is 501 889 48599. My favorite
foods……………………..pasta, chocolate and bread. My favourite…………………….is coffee and
my favorite………………………………..is Ricky Martin.

B- Write about yourself using Jodi’s description as a guide

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C- Describing people

 When you describe someone's physical appearance you start with the general
features& height, build, age) and move on to the more specific ones, such as
hair, eyes, nose, etc. You can also add a description of the clothes the person
likes to wear. For example: Laura is a tall, slim woman in her early twenties.
She has got red hair, green eyes and freckles. She usually wears smart suits.-
 When you describe someone's personal qualities you should support your
description with examples and/or justifications. E.g. Wayne is very shy. For
example, he finds it difficult to make new friends.

 You can also describe someone's personality through their

mannerisms by:
a) Referring to the way they speak e.g. He speaks in a soft voice as if he were
whispering.
b) Describing the gestures they use e.g. She constantly uses her hands when she
speaks.
c) Mentioning a particular habit they have. E.g Jason always bites his nails when he is
nervous.
Note: When you mention someone's negative qualities you should
use mild language (seems to, can be rather, etc). For example, instead of saying Paul is
lazy, it is better to say Paul can be rather lazy at times.
 1-Write a description of your favorite singer using the Lady Gaga’s description as reference

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Describing a city or town

1) Before you start describing the city you live in, read the text “The Athens of South America”.

I live in a huge and contemporary city

in the centre of Colombia. The city is
called Santa Fé de Bogotá and is
located in the department of
Cundinamarca. Besides, it is the
capital city of Colombia which means
that is the largest and most populous city of my country. The city is surrounded by high mountains,
rivers and amazing landscapes.
The weather is frequently cold. It includes rainy, windy and cloudy days.

I reside in the north of the city, in a pleasant neighborhood in front of a small park.
The city centre is the most expensive and noisiest place here. It is also the most dangerous one after
midnight. People are always running and rushing for their jobs, school and other duties. Traffic and
public transportation is awful too. TransMilenio is the main public transport, but most of the time it
is unsafe, crowded or really slow. For that reason, I prefer to take a taxi or drive my car.

My city also accounts with a variety of excellent universities like Universidad Nacional and
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, as well as some important libraries. For this reason, many people
identify Bogotá as “The Athens of South America” for its growing education and culture.
In addition, Bogotá has 160 shopping malls. However, the most notable malls are: Centro Andino,
Santafé and Centro Mayor. Though, if you like quiet spaces you can visit the historical area. There
are interesting places full of history and culture such as La Casa de la Moneda, the elegant and big
Colon Theater, the Monserrate sanctuary, or the old neighborhood of La Candelaria. You can take
photographs, watch different plays or go for a walk. Also, you can eat typical food such as tamales
or changua. If you prefer modern places, you can go and drink a cup of coffee at the modern Hard
Rock Café in Atlantis Plaza mall.

Finally, I love my city a lot because there are many places to visit, and activities to do that you do
not know where to start. I consider that it is the best place to live and I would never move from
here!

Adjective Modern-new, huge,beautiful-elegant,tall-big,quiet,fancy-rich,dangerous,fantastic

s
Opposites Old, tiny, ugly, short/small, noisy, plain/poor, safe, terrible/horrible/awful
Mall - restaurantbank - public / private school – factory-station-shop-café - church –
hospital –university store- library-gym– building – park – bank – house – square –
Places swimming pool - club – salon – drugstore / chemist’s – hotel – traffic light –
disco/bar- playground – flower shop – supermarket / grocery store- movie theater –
zoo- airport- football stadium etc...
Location In front of, between, behind, next to, over, beyond, under, on the right/left,at the
top/bottom
Other Unc.(Crime,danger,pollution,traffic)Count.(Robbery,politicians,people,buses,cars)
words

2) In two paragraphs, create a description of your city. Use some of the vocabulary from the chart
to guide your writing and make us of connectors. For instance: also, in addition, but, therefore,
however, as a result, in conclusion.
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D- Daily routines

Complete the text with the Present Simple of the verbs in brackets.

Dr. Mary’s daily routine.

Dr. Mary Smith decided to become a veterinarian when she was just five years old. Her parents
bought her a toy poodle, which she named Pepi. From that point on she was an animal lover.
Now, she is vet and treats animals when they are ill.

Complete the text about her daily routine

Dr. Mary Smith _____________________ (like) her job very much because she _____________________
(love) animals. Her daily routine _____________________ (be) different from her husband’s. She
_____________________ (get up) at 7.45 every day. Then she _____________________ (go) to the
bathroom and she _____________________ (have) a shower.

Then she _____________________ (get dressed) and _____________________ (have) breakfast

with her family. Then she _____________________ (leave) home and _____________________ (go) to
work by car. At nine o'clock she _____________________ (arrive) at the veterinarian clinic.
During the morning she _____________________ (treat) animals and in the afternoon she
_____________________ (operate) on some animals. At half past twelve she _____________________
(go) to a little restaurant and _____________________ (have) lunch. After lunch she
_____________________ (phone) to her husband, and then she _____________________ (go) back to
the clinic.

Before going back home, she _____________________ (go) to the gym.

She _____________________ (arrive) home at 6 o'clock. First she _____________________ (kiss)

her husband and children and then she _____________________ (read) the newspaper. Before
 dinner she _____________________ (lay) the table. At 8.30 they all _____________________ (have)
dinner. After dinner she _____________________ (do) the washing up. Then she
_____________________ (watch TV) or _____________________ (read) a book. She _____________________
(go) to bed at midnight.

 Write a similar description of your daily routine. Use linkers such as

“then, after,besides”
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How to write an informal email/letter?



During this year we will learn to write different text types, including stories, articles, journal entries, descriptive texts,

among others. But today we will learn how to write an informal email/letter.

In order to write an informal email or letter, you have to consider the following steps:

 Greeting: we begin an e-mail with a greeting. It could be Dear, Hi, or Hello… If it’s a letter, write the date on the top

right corner. If it’s an email, include From: / To: / Subject:

 The introduction is the first paragraph. Here we mention the reason for writing, we ask about our friend’s health, we

thank her/him for his previous email/letter, etc.

 The body is the most important part of an email. Here we write the main subject(s) of our email. For example, if we

need to cancel something; we talk about our school/family/holidays, etc. When we talk about two subjects, we write

two body paragraphs; when we talk about three, we write three paragraphs, and so on.
 The conclusion is the last paragraph. Here we write our closing remarks: we say good bye, ask the other person to

write back, send her/him love, etc.

Here you have some common expressions that you can use when writing an email:

Greetings Introduction Conclusion

– I hope you’re well.- Thanks

for your email.
– It was great to hear from
you.
– Dear – That’s all for
Tom,- Hi now.- Lots of love.-
Sarah, – I have some news. I’m Best wishes.
– Hello writing to tell you about my – I look forward to
Jenny, last holidays hearing from you.

Still not sure? Take a look at the following example to clarify you doubts!
TASK: You have just moved to a new city that you like very much. Write an email to your friend telling them about your

life in this new city. Tell them about the first places you visited in the city when you arrived, where they are located, and

where you are planning to go next weekend. Write between 70-100 words.

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How to Write a Perfect Paragraph  
I. Topic Sentence 

What is the topic sentence? The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. 

What does it do? It introduces the main idea of the paragraph. 

How do I write one? Summarize the main idea of your paragraph. Make clear what your paragraph 
will be about.  

Example:
Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. First, Canada has an excellent health 
care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada 
has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well‐trained teachers and are encourage
d to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. 
Canadian citie have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a 
desirable place to live.  

II. Supporting Details 

What are supporting sentences? They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a 
paragraph.  

What do they do? They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph. 

How do I write them? You should give supporting facts, details, and examples.  

 Example: Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. First, Canada has an excellent 
health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, 
Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well‐trained teachers and are e
ncouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently ma
naged. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is 
a desirable place to live.  
 

III. Closing Sentence 

What is the closing sentence? The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph.  

What does it do? It restates the main idea of your paragraph.  

How do I write one? Restate the main idea of the paragraph using different words.  

Example: Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. First, Canada has an excellent 
health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, 
Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well‐trained teachers and are 
encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently man
aged. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a 
desirable place to live.   

Punctuation

 Punctuation Marks

Punctuation marks are signs such as periods, commas and question marks.

They are used in sentences to make the meaning clear.

 Period / Full stop

 Put a period at the end of a sentence.

Tim lent me his skateboard.

 comma
 Put a comma between items in a list.

You need paper, scissors and glue.

 Put a comma after yes and no.

“Do you like football?” “Yes, I like it very much.”

 You also put a comma before or after the name of the person you are speaking to.

Hello, Mr. Carter.

Miss Lee, can I borrow a pencil, please?

  Commas are used before please and thank you.

Could you pass me that pencil, please?

“Would you like some more orange juice, David?” “Yes, please.”

 A comma is also used between the parts of a place name.

Chicago, Illinois

Tower Bridge, London

 Question mark
 Write a question mark at the end of a question, instead of a period.

Can you hear me, children? Didn’t you read the sign?

 Exclamation mark
 Use an exclamation point at the end of a sentence that shows a strong feeling such as
surprise or fear. An exclamation point is used instead of a period.

What a silly thing to do! Help! A monster!

 You can also use exclamation points with strong orders.

Sit down! Don’t touch that knife!

 Exclamation points are usually used after interjections.

People often use just one or two words to express a sudden feeling such as fear, happiness,
surprise or anger, or in greeting somebody. These short expressions are called interjections. Here
are some examples:

Hello! Ouch!

Good morning! Hurray! Oh dear! Happy Birthday!

 Apostrophe
 Use an apostrophe with s to show who something belongs to.

This is Michael’s room.

 You also use an apostrophe to show where one or more letters are missing in a
contraction.

I’m (= am) the boy who lives next door.

She’s (= is) my best friend.

  Quotation marks “ ”
 Use quotation marks around the exact words that someone says. You put the mark “ at
the beginning of the words, and the mark ”at the end.
 Use a comma before the last quotation mark, to separate the words from the rest of the
sentence.

“This bike is mine,” said Susan.

“I would like some apple juice, please,” said the little boy.

 Suppose the exact words that someone says come after the rest of the sentence. In this
case put a period before the last quotation mark.

Dad said, “Come inside and have lunch.”

“John,” said Mom, “please turn your music down.”

 Put question marks and exclamation points in the same place as periods, before the last
quotation mark.

Sam said, “Can I borrow your pencil?”

“Don’t do that!” said Mom.

 Colon
 When you are reading a playscript, notice the colon between the name of a character and
the words that they speak.

Jack: What have you got in the bag?

Maggie: My swimming suit.

 Capital Letter
 Use a capital letter as the first letter of the first word in a sentence.

Dogs have wet noses.

 You also use a capital letter for the first letter of the first word in direct speech.

Sam said, “This is my brother.”

 The word I is always written as a capital letter.

I’m really pleased with your work.

 Use a capital letter to begin the names of people and places.

John Australia the Sphinx

  You also use capital letters after the initials in someone’s name.

T.K. Lee

 The days of the week and months of the year begin with a capital letter.

Monday January July

 The names of holidays and special celebrations also begin with a capital

letter.

Valentine’s Day, Veterans’ Day

Memorial Day, Thanksgiving

 Capital letters are also used in the titles of books, films and plays.

Star Wars

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

 Nationalities and languages also begin with a capital letter.

Australian German

 You also use a capital letter for the first letter in words and phrases that you use for saying
hello and goodbye.

Good morning.

Have a nice day.

Exercise 1

Put the correct punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.

1. Sally is my sister’s friend

2. What time is it

3. Don’t speak to your mother like that

4. Good morning Did you sleep well

5. Oh dear Did he hurt himself

Exercise 2
Rewrite the following sentences by putting commas and apostrophes in the correct places.

1. This food is delicious isnt it?

2. Hello David. Have you seen Toms new bike?

3. “Good morning children” said Miss Lee.

4. I cant speak French very well.

Exercise 3

Put capital letters in the correct places as you rewrite these sentences.

1. have you seen mr. chen?

2. can I help with the cooking, mom?

3. we went to paris for a holiday.

4. “do you like my new car?” asked uncle david.

5. we visited new york and saw the statue of liberty.

9 Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words used to link words, phrases or clauses.

Some common conjunctions are and, but and or.

 Other Words for and

Dad washed the car. He polished it.

Dad not only washed the car, but he also polished it.

They visited Sydney. They also visited Hong Kong and Tokyo.

They visited Sydney, as well as Hong Kong and Tokyo.

 Other Words Used for but

Grandpa is old but very fit.

Although Grandpa is old, he’s very fit.

The weather was sunny but cold.

Even though the weather was sunny, it was cold.

 Other Words for or

The movie wasn’t funny. It wasn’t interesting.

The movie was neither funny nor interesting.

You can do your homework now. You can do your homework after dinner.

You can do your homework either now or after dinner.

 Conjunctions of Time

The conjunctions before, after, since, until, when, while, as and as soon as are used to say when
something happens.

 Conjunctions of Place

The conjunctions where and wherever are used to talk about places.

 Conjunctions of Reason

The conjunctions because, since, as and in case tell why someone does

something.

 Conjunctions of Purpose

The conjunctions so, so that and in order to tell what the purpose of something is.