Writing Practice UNIT 3

A biography
Before writing
tip When researching your biography, select important and interesting facts. Then decide what order to put them
in (usually the order in which they happened).

1 Put the paragraphs in the correct order to complete a biography.

a John then went on to work at Pixar with Steve Jobs and Ed Catmull. Together they made the first full-length
computer animated film in 1995 and 1 until / since then, Pixar has made many more. John has won numerous
awards including Oscars, and Emmys. He is currently in charge of creative direction for three animation studios at
Walt Disney and Pixar.
b I really admire John Lasseter. He is a really original scriptwriter and has written, directed and produced many
popular animated films like Toy Story, Cars and Frozen. He has been responsible for some of my favourite films. It
is because of him that I want to be an animator too.
c John Lasseter was born in California 2 in / on 1957. His father sold car parts and his mother was an art teacher.
As a child he loved watching cartoons, and 3 for / during high school he decided to be a film animator. He went
to university to study animation. After he graduated, he got a job at the Disney Studios. He worked there as an
animator 4 since / until his contract was terminated because he started to make a film using computer technology.
After that, he joined Lucasfilm, where he worked 5 for / since three years.

2 Circle the correct options in the text in Exercise 1.

3 Read the model text and note the teacher’s comments.

1
Start by saying who the person is and why that 2
You don’t need to repeat the subject
person is well-known. Other people may not know. here as it’s the same as the first verb.

4
Break up long BETHANY HAMILTON
sentences with
commas. 1
Bethany Hamilton is a world-famous professional surfer. Bethany
was born on 8 February 1990 and 2 grew up in Hawaii. 3 She started 3
This paragraph
surfing as a child and at the age of 8 won her first competition. When deals with her
5
Add adverbs
she was 13 4 , a shark bit off her left arm while she was out surfing, (very) early life and
to create more
and she nearly died. She was in hospital for a week, but 5 incredibly, achievements.
connection with
the reader. one month after the attack, she was back on a surfboard.
6
Everyone thought she would give up her surfing dream, but Bethany
6
The attack was
was 7 determined and stuck to it. She learned to surf with one arm really a ‘before’
7
Include information and ‘after’ for
about the person’s 8
(she has never used an artificial one), and won her first national
Bethany. So it
character if relevant. title in 2005. Bethany 9 has been a professional surfer since 2007. Her makes sense
best-selling autobiography, Soul Surfer, was made into a film in 2011. to have a new
She 10 married Adam Dirks in 2013, and they live in Hawaii with their paragraph here.
8
Use brackets
family. It lists her main
for incidental
achievements.
information. Include 11
Since her attack, Bethany has achieved many goals, and is an
interesting facts to inspiration to many people, including 12 me. I admire her because she 12
Don’t forget
make people think.
has never let losing her arm stop her from doing what she wanted. If to say why you
she can do so much with only one arm, we have no excuse! admire/chose
this person.

9
Include a variety of tenses.
In a biography we see past,
present perfect (as here)
and present tenses.
10
Include something about the 11
Include a summarising
subject’s personal life as well as sentence about the person
their career. in the last paragraph.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2019 Shape the Future 1 – 1

Writing Practice UNIT 3

tip
While writing
Make sure the tenses you use match the
preposition of time you use with them.
4 Find and correct a verb tense in each sentence.
1 During the attack and the trip to hospital, Bethany
has lost over 60% of her blood.
2 In 2004, MTV has published her book, Soul Surfer.
Write!
Step 1
Here are three exam questions. Choose one to
write. Before you start writing, look at Steps 2–5.
• Write a biography of someone you would like
to meet.
• Write a biography of someone you would like
to be.
• Write a biography of a famous person you admire.

Step 2
Write two ideas for each paragraph in column A.
Then, add extra information to at least four of
3 Bethany has never been on television until the
these ideas in column B. Add important words
shark attacked her.
and phrases for each idea in column C.
B Extra C time words /
A Main idea
information tenses
Facts and what
4 On 4 August 2017, Bethany has been inducted into they are famous
the Surfer’s Hall of Fame. for:
1
2
Early life:
1
5 Bethany’s friends and family run a charity to help 2
young people for the last ten years. Achievements
and awards:
1
2

6 Since she became a professional surfer, Bethany Step 3

had made several surfing documentaries.
5 Look at the sentences from Exercise 4 and answer
the questions.
1 Which paragraph (1, 2 or 3) of the biography would
you put each sentence in?
Decide how to order the ideas you have and
what you will put in each paragraph.
Think of ideas for the final paragraph: what can
you say to conclude the biography?
Why do you admire this person? OR Why would
you like to meet / be them?
Step 4
Write your biography (120–150 words).

2 Which three sentences would be the best ones to
add to the biography of Bethany?
Step 5
Look at the model text and the teacher’s notes
for ways to improve your essay.
Reread your biography when you have finished
and check:
• spelling
• punctuation, especially commas
• paragraphing
• the use of correct time expressions and verb tenses.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2019 Shape the Future 1 – 2