1 Writing Skills worksheet
Name
A text message to a friend
1 Read Ben’s message to his penfriend.
Complete the sentences.
0 The weather is hot in Florida.
1 Ben usually with friends on
Saturdays.
2 This , Ben is staying at home.
3 The weather in London is
4 Ben wants to go to a because
the team he likes is playing.
5 Ben is for Matt.
08:26 AM
Ben Saunders
Hi Matt !
How are you? It’s hot here
in Florida right now.
I often hang out with my
friends on Saturdays at the
beach but today I’m studying at
home. We’re having a cookout in my
backyard this evening. I know it’s
still cold in London. Is it snowing?
What do you usually do when it’s
cold?
I’m very excited about your visit next
week. My brother and I are planning
fun things for us to do. Do you like
soccer? I’m asking because my
favorite team is playing when you
are here. There’s a great amusement
park that we can go to one day. My
dad says you can use his bike so I
can take you on a tour of the city.
My friends want to meet you so
we’re having a party the evening you
arrive. I hope that’s OK.
Send me any questions you have.
See you soon.
Ben
Metro Second Edition 1 Writing Skills worksheet 1
Class 

Date 
2 Imagine your penfriend is coming to visit
you. Write a mind map to organize your ideas
about what to include in your message.
Activities I
usually do
Activities I’m
. planning to do
Weather
Questions
3 Imagine your penfriend is coming to visit
you. Write a text message using your mind
map. Write a check mark in the Active writers
tip box as you complete each step.
Active writers
Using words to connect sentences.
Active writers use the words and, but, because
and so to connect sentences. They use:
• and to connect similar information.
On Sundays, I see my relatives and go to a
soccer game.
• but to contrast information.
I like sports, but I don’t like gaming.
• because to give reasons.
Sunday is my favorite day because I get
up late.
• so to talk about the results of actions or
situations.
It’s very hot, so we go to the beach.
When you write your message, don’t forget to:
• use and, but, because, and so.
• use the simple present or the present
progressive correctly.
• ask about your penfriend’s usual
activities.
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2 Writing Skills worksheet
Name

Class 

Date 

Profile of an actor Robert

1 Read the profile. Choose T (true) or F (false). Pattinson
Correct the false statements.
Robert Pattinson is an
0 Robert Pattinson was born in
English actor. He was
the U.S. T F 
born in London on May
He was born in the U.K.
13, 1986. When he was
1 He could play two instruments
when he was younger. T F four years old, he could
play the guitar and the piano. He was in a

band when he was a teenager. The band’s
2 He wasn’t in a band when he
was younger.  T F name was Bad Girls.
 In 1999 he was in a local theater club and
3 There were three Twilight Saga his first acting role was in a musical. He was
movies. T F a quiet boy, but he could act very well. He
 couldn’t go to college because he was in
4 He was in a lot of different the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
styles of movies. T F at the time. His first big acting role was as
 Edward Cullen in Twilight, a fantasy movie.
5 He plays Batman in the action A star was born, and he was in all five of the
movie. T F Twilight Saga movies.

He was then in a lot of different types of
movies, like science fiction, action, and
2 Look up information about your favorite
movie star. Write a mind map to organize comedies. He is also Batman in the action
your ideas about what to include in the movie The Batman.
profile of your chosen star.

Early Interesting
Born  life  fact 
Active writers
First Current Using words to connect sentences.
 movie  movie
Active writers use words like when to connect
sentences.
3 Using your mind map, write the profile of The word when can go at the beginning or in
your movie star. Write a check mark in the the middle of a sentence.
Active writers tip box as you complete each I could play the guitar when I was 10.
step. If when is at the beginning of the sentence,
we use a comma to separate the two parts of
the sentence.
When I was 13, I was on the school basketball
team.

When your write your profile, don’t forget to:

• use when to connect sentences.
• use was / were to talk about past events.
• include an interesting fact or piece of
information.

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3 Writing Skills worksheet
A biography
1 Read the biography. Match the phrases 1-5 to
the answers a-f.
0 The country where she grew up. e
1 The place where the family went on
vacation.
2 The country where she learned Spanish.
3 The month she sailed to England.
4 The time she spent on the river
expedition.
5 The year she got married.
a May d ten weeks
b 2016 e England
c South Africa f Mexico
2 Look up information about an explorer. Write
a time line to organize your ideas about what
to include in the biography of your chosen
explorer.
Important events in ’s life
3 Using your time line, write the biography of
your chosen explorer. Write a check mark in
the Active writers tip box as you complete
each step.
Metro Second Edition 1 Writing Skills worksheet 3
Name
Class 

Date 
A life of adventures
Laura Bingham was born and grew up in England. Her
family spent many adventure vacations in South Africa
when she was younger. She said she always wanted
‘a life like no other’. She wrote a list of everything she
wanted to do in her life. After she left college, she
decided to travel the world and to complete everything
on her list.
She went to Mexico where she taught English. Before
she went to Mexico, she didn’t speak Spanish but after
four months she was at intermediate level. In May
2014 she sailed in a special boat back to England,
which took two months.
In 2016 she cycled across South America to raise
money for children there. Two years later, she
participated in an expedition to find the start of the
Essequibo River in Guyana. She learned to kayak, and
the exploration took ten weeks.
She got married to another explorer, Ed Stafford, in
2016 and they have had three children.
Active writers
Showing the chronological order of events
Active writers use the words before and after to
show the order of events.
These words can go at the beginning or in the
middle of a sentence.
If we write them at the beginning of the
sentence, we use a comma to separate the two
parts of the sentence.
Before I lived in Brazil, I couldn’t speak Portuguese.
I couldn’t speak Portuguese before I lived in Brazil.
They lived in Mexico City after they lived in Lima.
After they lived in Lima, they lived in Mexico City.
= First, they lived in Lima. Then they lived in
Mexico City.
When your write your biography, don’t forget to:
• use before and after to show the
order of events.
• include the important events in
his or her life.
• use past time expressions.
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4 Writing Skills worksheet
Name

Class 

Date 

An essay My digital life

1 Read the essay My digital life. Then read the by Katy D
answers and write the questions. My online life yesterday
0 When did Katy write her new blog? was a good example
of all the reasons I use
Yesterday morning.
devices.
1  I usually write a blog once a week, so yesterday
She had 50 comments. morning I wrote a new blog on my tablet and
I posted it online. After 30 minutes there were
2 
50 comments!
Because she didn’t have time. Then I downloaded some new games apps on
3  my phone. I didn’t have time to play them, so
I want to try them today. I had a big project at
In the afternoon.
school to finish so I looked up a lot of information
4  on my laptop and I made notes in the afternoon.
A history documentary. Of course, I always message my friends, so I
replied to and sent messages during the day.
5 
Then, in the evening, I streamed a history
No, she didn’t. She never shares personal documentary to help me with a presentation.
photos. I didn’t post any pictures because I’m pretty
sensible and I never share personal photos.
2 Think about the reasons why you use digital Digital devices are very useful, they are fun to use,
devices. Draw a mind map to organize your and they help us in our work and play.
ideas about what to include in your essay.

Why I use digital devices

Active writers
Using time phrases
Introduction
Active writers use a variety of time phrases
at the beginning or end of a sentence.
Reason 1 Time phrases like yesterday go at the
Example beginning or end.
Yesterday, I didn’t write my blog.
Reason 2
I read the sports news yesterday.
Example Frequency adverbs go before a main verb,
I never share pictures of my family.
I usually message my friends after school.
Reason 3
but after the verb be.
Example
It’s always fun to chat with friends.

When you write your essay, don’t forget to:

• use time phrases and frequency adverbs.
• include examples of reasons for your
Conclusion actions.
• include an opening phrase and a closing
phrase.
3 Using your mind map, write an essay about
the reasons why you use digital devices.
Write a check mark in the Active writers tip
box as you complete each step.

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5 Writing Skills worksheet
Name

Class 

Date 

A review 3 What does Marco tell us to try at the café?


1 Read Marco’s review and choose the correct
answer. 4 Where is the market?

What can’t you do at the market? 

a Eat dishes from all over the world. 5 Who can’t you see at the market very often?

b Buy food and learn how to cook it. 

c Have a meal or a hot drink.

3 Think of a great place to eat in your town or
city, such as a street food market or an area
with good restaurants. Draw a mind map to
organize your ideas about what to include in
The Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles a review.

Place Kinds of food

Name

My family visited this market when we were on
vacation in Los Angeles. You can buy food from
all over the world there to cook at home, and
you can also eat a great meal at the market − or
just have a coffee.
There are over 100 restaurants and food stores
at the market, so it’s difficult to decide where to
go, but we had lunch at The Olive Tree Café. They
serve Italian food, including a lot of delicious
meat dishes. They also make great pizza, and
their cakes are amazing − try them!
The market is near Pan Pacific Park and it’s open
every day from 10 a.m. until late. It’s a very
famous market, but you don’t see Hollywood
stars there very often these days.
Review by: Marco Levin 1 day ago
2 Read the review again. Answer the questions.
0 When did Marco visit the market?
When he was on vacation in Los Angeles.
1 How many different restaurants and places
to buy food are there?

2 What kind of food does The Olive Tree Café
serve?

Things you
Things you like
don’t like
4 Using your mind map, write a review of a
great place to eat in your town or city. Write
a check mark in the Active writers tip box as
you complete each step.
Active writers
Adding information
Active writers use also to add information.
Also goes after the verb be, but before other
verbs.
That restaurant makes delicious pasta. Their
pizzas are also really good.
This café sells great coffee, and they also
make nice cakes.
When you write your review, don’t forget to:
• use Marco’s review as a model to
help you.
• use also to add extra information.
• check your spelling and grammar.

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6 Writing Skills worksheet
Name

Class 

Date 

Florence
Understand
Florence is a beautiful town located in the Tuscany region of Italy. Tourists
who enjoy art and history love this interesting, small city. It’s easy to see all
the famous attractions, to eat well, and to learn about the culture.
Weather
Summer is very hot and sunny. Spring is the best time to visit because the
days are warm and there aren’t as many tourists.
See and do
You should visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its famous
large, red roof. For great views of the city, Piazzale Michelangelo is a large
square on a hill; or climb up to the church of San Miniato al Monte. It’s great
to explore the Boboli Gardens or the San Lorenzo market, and you should
walk in the beautiful, old streets. There are 80 museums to choose from, so
tourists are never bored!
Eat and drink
Florence’s famous dish is Bistecca alla Fiorentina. It’s a delicious, large, beef
steak with salt, pepper, and lemon. You should try an ice cream. It’s perfect
to keep you cool after a day exploring.

A travel guide 3 Write a Wiki entry about your town or city

using your mind map. Write a check mark in
1 Read the Wiki entry about Florence. Correct the Active writers tip box as you complete
the words in bold. each step.
0 Summer is cool. hot
1 Fall is the best time to go.
Active writers
2 The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore has Ordering adjectives
a large, red door.
Many adjectives can be used to describe a noun.
3 Piazzale Michelangelo is a park.
When more than one adjective goes before a
4 There are a few museums. noun, they should be in the following order.
5 Bistecca alla Fiorentina is a burger.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Opinion Size Shape Age Color Noun
2 Think about your town or city. Write a mind beautiful big city
map to organize your ideas about what to
include in a Wiki entry about your town or city. fantastic modern shopping
mall
A Wiki entry about a town
When you write your Wiki entry, don’t forget to:
• use a variety of adjectives.
Understand • write the adjectives in the correct order.
• include interesting and useful facts.

The city/
Eat and drink Weather
town

Useful adjectives See and do

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7 Writing Skills worksheet
Class trip to Barceloneta Beach
Saturday May 2
Every student at our school goes on one volunteer
trip each year. The 8th grade class volunteered to join
the Barcelona beach clean-up group.
A report
1 Read the report. Answer the questions.
0 When was the school trip?
Saturday May 2
1 How did the class get to the beach?
2 What did the students put the trash in?
3 How many people were there in each group?
4 How long was the beach clean-up?
5 What did the organizers do with the
collected trash?
2 Think about a volunteer trip. Write a mind
map to organize your ideas about what to
include in your report.
A report about a volunteer trip
Date, class,
destination
Metro Second Edition 1 Writing Skills worksheet 7
Name
Class 

Date 
First, we took the subway to Barceloneta because
it’s faster and easier than the bus. The beach is the
oldest and the best loved beach in Barcelona, so
everyone wants to take care of it.
Then we walked to the beach where we met the
organizers at 11 a.m. They gave us big, plastic bags
and rubber gloves. After that, they divided us into
teams of four and showed us what part of the beach
to go to.
My group collected a lot of plastic bottles. We also
found children’s toys and shoes! After one hour
we went back to the meeting point. Our group had
the biggest bag of trash. Finally, we separated the
rubbish into different bags for the organizers to take
it to the correct place – not on the beach!
The project is a really good idea because it teaches
us to clean up after we enjoy the beach.
3 Write the report about a volunteer trip
using your mind map. Write a check mark in
the Active writers tip box as you complete
each step.
Active writers
Using pronouns to avoid repetition
Active writers often use pronouns to avoid
repeating a word or phrase.
The 8th grade class volunteered. …
First, we took the subway ...
When your write your report, don’t forget to:
• use pronouns.
• say why the trip was interesting / fun.
• include the adverbs first, then, and next
or after that.
What you did Transportation
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8 Writing Skills worksheet
Name

Class 

Date 

A blog post 2 Read the Active writers tip. Find the

correct sentences in Alia’s blog and correct
1 Read Alia’s blog post. Answer the questions. sentences 1-5.
0 When did Alia go to Arizona?
She went to Arizona in the winter vacation.
1 How did she and her friend travel to the Active writers
Checking your grammar
mountains?
 Good writers check their writing and correct their
2 What did they get before they had their mistakes. Here are some common mistakes:
lesson? 0 Missing pronoun
us
 … her family took skiing near Flagstaff,
^
Arizona.
3 How long did they spend skiing?
1 Missing parts of a verb

An instructor waiting for Stacey, her little
4 What did Alia find exciting about the sister, and me.
experience? 2 Missing punctuation
 … Stacey said: It’s great fun!
5 How did Alia feel at the end of the day? 3 Missing preposition
 I wasn’t very good skiing …
4 Incorrect adjective
… I felt exciting.
5 Wrong linker
… my legs were hurting, because I felt
great.

3 Plan a blog post about an exciting trip. Draw

a mind map to organize your ideas about
what to include in the post.
While I was staying with my friend Stacey during Where and when was it? How did you
the winter vacation, her family took us skiing How did you get there? get there?
near Flagstaff, Arizona. It was a one-hour drive
into the mountains from their home in Sedona.
Who was with you?
When we arrived at the ski center, I felt excited.
An instructor was waiting for Stacey, her little How did you Why was it an
sister, and me. She helped us to get skis and feel? exciting experience?
helmets, and then we went up to the learners’
ski area. This was my first time on skis, so I was
4 Using your mind map, write your blog post.
a little worried, but Stacey said: “It’s great fun!”
Write a check mark in the Active writers tip
She was right.
box as you complete each step.
We had a 90-minute lesson with our instructor
and then we spent another two hours on the
snow with Stacey’s parents. I wasn’t very good
at skiing, but I wasn’t scared. In fact, I had a When you write your blog post, don’t forget to:
fantastic time. It was exciting to go down the • Use your mind map from exercise 4.
mountain so fast! When we arrived home that • Use Alia’s blog post as a model
night, I was tired and my legs were hurting, but I to help you.
felt great.
• Check your blog post for mistakes.
By Alia

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