SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR LEVEL 2-WRITING

Contents
1. REVIEW OF PARAGPAPH STRUCTURE .......................................................................................................... 2
2. FROM PARAGRAPH TO SHORT ESSAY ....................................................................................................... 15
3. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY (PART 1).......................................................................................................................... 29
4. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY (PART 2).......................................................................................................................... 40
5. IN-CLASS ESSAY WRITING 1 – DESRIPTIVE ESSAY .......................................................................... 48
6. NARRATIVE ESSAY (PART 1)............................................................................................................................. 53
7. NARRATIVE ESSAY (PART 2)............................................................................................................................. 62
8. NARRATIVE IN-CLASS ESSAY .......................................................................................................................... 73
9. OPINION ESSAYS (Part 1) ....................................................................................................................................... 78
10. OPINION ESSAYS (Part 2) ....................................................................................................................................... 88
11. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS (Part 1) .................................................................................. 94
12. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS (Part 2) ............................................................................... 103
13. IN-CLASS ESSAY: OPINION AND COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS .................. 110
14. CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAYS (Part 1) ........................................................................................................ 113
15. CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAYS (Part 2) ........................................................................................................ 121
16. REVISION ...................................................................................................................................................................... 126

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WRITING 1

I.REVIEW OF PARAGPAPH STRUCTURE

A. PRE-WRITING
Group work – Game about food

B. WHILE-WRITING
1. Definition

A paragraph is a group of sentences about a topic. A typical paragraph begins with a

topic sentence, which introduces the topic the supporting sentences that follow support the
idea in the topic sentence with explanations, reasons, and other details. The concluding
sentence brings the paragraph to an end.

2. Formatting a Paragraph

 Leave one-inch margins on the left and right side of the page.
 Indent the first sentence. The rest of the sentences follow each other so that the
paragraph looks like a square with a little space taken out of the corner.
 Double-space your paragraph.

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Task 1: Identifying the elements of a student paragraph

a. Read the paragraph. Then label the floating elements of paragraph. Use the words in
the box.

a. double spacing b. margin c. indent

The Ice-Man
1
Whenever I remember my experience in the Mexican Air Force, I
think of my flight instructor because he taught me how to fly

2
afighter jet. His nickname was Ice-Man, because he was always
calm. This was a positive characteristic because he had to teach
3 studentsnot to panic in a dangerous situation. For example, one
time, I madea big mistake while we were flying in the clouds.
Most instructorswould take control and fix the situation, but not
Ice-Man. He justgave instructions to fix the problem. I corrected
the mistake and gotconfidence in my abilities. I will always
remember his quiet, clearvoice and the black aviator glasses that
he wore. He was a specialperson in my life, and I hope that
someday I can see him again andthank him for helping me to
realize my dream of flying solo andbecoming a real pilot.

b. Answer the questions about the paragraph above. Give reasons for your answers.

1. Highlight the topic sentence. Does the topic sentence help you understand what
theparagraph will be about?
2 How many supporting sentences does the paragraph have? Underline them.
3. Do all the supporting sentences relate to the topic sentence?
4. Highlight the concluding sentence. Does the concluding sentence make the paragraph feel
finished?

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Task 2 Reading a student paragraph

Read the paragraph. What is the risk that the boy takes?

The Coconut Tree

When I was a boy and first learning about the world, I took a big risk. I was playing in the
yard outside of my family's house with my friends. It was a hot day and we were resting in the
shady side of our house. One of my friends dared me to climb the coconut tree in our yard. I looked
at the tree. It was mature and very tall, but a little bit curved. I had seen men climbing these trees,
and it looked easy, but I had never tried before. I wanted to show my courage, so I said I would.
The tree was scratchy, but I found places for my feet and hands and soon I was near the top. But
then the tree began to move in the breeze. Suddenly I fell. There was a great pain in my arm. My
friends ran to tell my mother who took me to the hospital. I had a broken arm, and one of my ribs
was broken. I felt bad for a long time after that. And the worst part was that every day I had to
walk past the coconut tree and remember my foolish risk.

Task3: Analyzing the student paragraph

a. Answer the questions about the paragraph above

1. Underline the topic sentence. Is it the first or second sentence? .............................

2. Is the first sentence indented?......................................

3. How many supporting sentences are there? Which are they?......................................

4. What is the concluding sentence?

b. Respond to the paragraph by answering the following questions

1. Where was the writer?.................................................................

2 Who was he with?........................................................................

3 What was the consequence of the risk he took?.......................................................

4 Have you ever done something risky? What?..........................................................

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3.The Topic Sentence

An effective paragraph contains a good topic sentence. A successful topic sentence has the
following features

 It introduces the topic, or what the paragraph will be about. It also contains an idea or
opinion about the topic. This idea is called a controlling idea about the topic.
Topic Controlling idea

Certain types of insects can benefit a garden

 The topic sentence must not be a simple fact or detail. Instead, it must contain a specific
idea. The idea or opinion must not be too general, or the topic sentence will be unclear.

There are approximately 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. (Fact, not topic sentence)

Smoking is bad. (idea too general for a topic sentence)

Smoking advertisements are a harmful influence on children. (specific idea)

 The topic sentence usually appears as the first or second sentence of a paragraph. Here it
is the second sentence.
Have you ever noticed that closets are getting bigger and rooms are getting smaller?
Changes in popular culture can be seen in changes to the typical family home

 The topic sentence implies the purpose of the paragraph: to explain rate, compare,
describe, tell cause or effect, demonstrate or arguer tell steps in a process.
My sister's personality is completely different from mine. (shows comparison)

Smoking results in thousands of smoking-related deaths each year (tells cause and effect)

Task 4: Identifying topics and controlling ideas

Highlight the topic and underline the controlling idea inthe topic sentences below

1. The painting Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh is fascinating in many ways.

2. My first driving lesson was a disaster.

3. The process of getting a driver's license has several steps.

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4. My ability to speak English has changed my life in several important ways.

5. Some computers games involve the player in physical activity.

6. Cloudy weather affects certain people in negative ways.

Task 5: Identifying purpose in topic sentences

Identifying the purpose of the paragraph that follows logically from each topic sentence
below.

1. Almost anyone can get a good grade if they follow these instructions.

a. express an opinion b. tell steps in a process c. narrate a story

2. There are three major causes of obesity in children.

a. compare two subjects b. explain causes /effects c. describe a topic

3. I will always remember a fishing trip that I took with my father when I was12 years old

a. compare two subjects b. explain causes /effects c. narrate a story

4. I believe that students should not own credit cards.

a. tell steps in a process b. explain causes /effects c. express an opinion

5. Owls are different from hawks in several significant ways.

a compare two subjects b. describe a topic c. express an opinion

6. My dog, Sparky, is my best friend.

a. tell steps in a process. b. describe a subject. c. narrate a story

Task6: Predicting paragraphs from controlling ideas

Highlight the topic and underline the controlling idea of each topic sentence below. Then
with a partner, predict what the rest of the paragraph will discuss.

1. Immigrating to the United States from Vietnam was difficult for my parents.

Prediction: A narrative about the writer’s parent’s journey from Vietnam to the U.S

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2. Cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms for several reasons.

Prediction: __________________________________________________________

3. Cancún Restaurant has the best seafood in town.

Prediction: __________________________________________________________

4. Training for the marathon is a complicated process.

Prediction: ___________________________________________________________

5. Taking the TOEFL is a hardship for many students.

Prediction: _____________________________________________________________

Task 7: Identifying effective topic sentences

Read each pair of sentences. Write TS next to the sentence that is more effective. Prepare to
explain your choice.

1. ________ a. An English-English dictionary is the best choice for English learners.

________ b. Many English learners use dictionaries.
2. ________ a. The grains of rice should not stick together.
________ b. Persian rice is only considered authentic if it is made in the following way.
3. ________ a. The Internet has changed the way students do research for term papers.
________ b. The Internet is changing students' lives.
4. ________ a. A college degree is important.
________ b. Having a college degree has many positive effects on a person’s life.

Task 8: Writing effective topic sentences

A. Rewrite each topic sentence so it has both a topic and a controlling idea. Write the
revised topic sentence in the left-hand column of the chart. The first one is done for you.

1. Topic Sentence: I have an older brother.

Revise topic sentence: My older brother is a Topic: My older brother

great soccer player. Controlling idea: is a great soccer player.
This paragraph will be about: why he is a

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great soccer player. For example, maybe he

has a lot stamina. He might be good at
passing the ball. Or he might be very
effective team player.
2. Topic Sentence: There is a beach near my house.

Revise topic sentence: Topic:

Controlling idea:
This paragraph will be about:
3. Topic Sentence: Many teenagers go shopping.

Revise topic sentence: Topic:

Controlling idea:
This paragraph will be about:
4. Topic Sentence: Hurricanes hit Florida every year.

Revise topic sentence: Topic:

Controlling idea:
This paragraph will be about:

4. Unity within a Paragraph

Effective writing must have unity.

A paragraph has unity when sentences support one single idea:

 The paragraph must have one controlling idea in the topic sentence. Otherwise, the
paragraph loses focus.
 The supporting sentences must support, demonstrate, prove, or develop the main idea in
the topic sentence. If they do not, they will be irrelevant or off-topic and destroy the unity
of the paragraph.
 The concluding sentence should restate the idea in the Topic sentence to reinforce the
main idea for the reader.

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Task 9: Recognizing unity in supporting sentences

Read the following topic sentences. Put a tick next to each sentence below that supports the
topic sentence.

1. There are several reasons why online courses are increasing in popularity.

a. Online courses are flexible in terms of time.

b. Online courses have been available since the 1990s.

c. Online courses are more convenient for students who live far away from the campus.

2. Childhood diabetes has many possible causes.

a. Obesity is a major cause of diabetes.

b. Children who eat too much sugar can get diabetes.

c. Children with diabetes need constant medical care.

3. The best way to reduce traffic in our city is to build a metro subway system.

a. Pollution is very bad in our city.

b. Widening the freeways has not solved the problem of traffic congestion.

c. A metro subway system would encourage people to take public transportation.

4. I am afraid of dogs because I had a scary experience with one when I was ten.

a. My children are not allowed to have a pet dog.

b. My neighbor owned a collie dog that ran around the neighborhood without a leash.

c. The dog bit me.

5. Scenic Beach is my favorite picnic spot because of its beauty.

a. It is a quiet narrow beach covered with oyster shells.

b. One time I had an interesting experience there.

c. The Olympic Mountains rise straight up out of the water on the other side of the channel.

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6. Train stations are interesting places to visit.

a. The architecture of each train station is often connected to the history of a city.

b. The passengers are frequently more interesting to watch than other types of travelers.

c. Trains are a good alternative for people who are afraid of flying.

7. The world of dinosaurs is very familiar to the general population.

a. Scientists believe that the birds of today are descended from dinosaurs.

b. Every year, new movies and TV shows about dinosaurs are produced.

c. Children study dinosaurs and play with dinosaur toys from an early age.

Task10: Editing for unity

Read the paragraph. Underline the sentences that are irrelevant. The first one is done for
you. Find three more.

I love to watch the pelicans in Galveston. I usually go in the winter. The weather is not warm
enough for swimming, so I usually do not see many people on the beach.Pelicans are not
elegant, but they are interesting to watch. They remind me of prehistoric birds from my school
textbook on dinosaurs. I studied dinosaurs a lot when I was young, and I am very fond of
them. The pelicans have large grayish-brown wings that bend sharply when they are flying,
and their beaks are long, so their faces look peculiar and old. My brother also really likes
pelicans. They are also graceful in their own way. A flock of pelicans will fly along the
coastline just outside the waves, and when they see a good fishing spot, they stop, then turn
and dive straight down into the water. Sometimes there is an oil rig or a cargo ship in the
water, too. Sometimes several pelicans will fish in the same spot for a while before moving
down the beach and away from sight.

5. Coherence in a Paragraph

Coherence in a paragraph means that the ideas have a logical flow the relationship between
the sentences is clear and one idea connects to the next. One way to achieve coherence in a
paragraph is to use a pattern of organization, such as time order, spatial order, or order of
importance.

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Task 11: Reordering for coherence

Read the sentences from a narrative paragraph. Some of the sentences are out of order.
Number the sentences from 1-10 to show logical time order. Then compare your answers
with a partner.

a. My family hugged me and cried because I had been gone so long.

b. I will never forget one day when I had to travel alone on the subway.

c. I was pregnant, and I had to go to an appointment at the hospital.

d. When my appointment ended, I got on the subway to go home.

e. That was why my surroundings looked unfamiliar.

f. My appointment was at 1:00 p.m.

g. Suddenly I looked up and did not know where I was.

h. I was exhausted and fell asleep on my way home.

i. Then I realized that I had fallen asleep.

j. It took me five more hours to get back to my home.

C. POST-WRITING
Task 12: Developing unity

Write two or three supporting sentences for each of the following topic sentences. Then
exchange books with a partner and check your partner's sentences for unity.

1. Joining a sports team can provide many benefits.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

2 My first day in my new school was full of surprises.

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___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

3. A road trip is the best way to see the United States.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Many people do not realize that packing a suitcase requires skill and planning.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

1. He / been talking / teacher/ one hour.

____________________________________________________________

2. The teacher/ been explaining/ difficult lesson.

____________________________________________________________

3. They / been planting/ potatoes/ the school garden.

____________________________________________________________

4. Quang/ been looking/ words/ dictionary.

____________________________________________________________

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5. Eric/ been study/ mathematics.

____________________________________________________________

6. We/ been/ study/ English/ since September.

____________________________________________________________

7. It been/ rain/ since nine o’clock.

____________________________________________________________

8. They/ been play/ table-tennis/ an hour.

____________________________________________________________

9. They been/ swim/ river/ two hours.

____________________________________________________________

10. The children/ been watching/ new film since afternoon.

____________________________________________________________

Task 2

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. My teacher ______________ me to take this examination. (courage)

2. Recently health foods have increased in ______________. (popular)
3. The old lady hid all her ______________ under the floor. (save)
4. Your money will be refunded if the goods are not to your
complete ________________.(satisfy)
5. The council has promised to deal with the problem of ______________ among young
people. (employ)
6. Tung had eaten so much, so he had to ______________ his belt. (loose)
7. The dictionaries are with the other ______________ books. (refer)
8. He was very ______________of the work he had done. (pride)
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9. There is a ______________ of 10% in the amount of money available for buying new
books. (reduce)
10. He is interested in the ______________ of old buildings. (preserve)
11. Saucepans are sold in the ______________ goods department. (house)
12. ‘Friends of the Earth’ is concerned about the ______________ of the natural
environment. (conserve)
13. . Thousands of people have been made ______________ by the war. (home)
14. . He wouldn’t listen to her repeated ______________, so in the end she went. (refuse)
15. The teacher gave his students ______________ to leave the classroom. (permit)
16. They said ‘good bye’ to each other just because of some minor ______________.
(understand)
17. He is old. He’s getting forgetful, and his ______________ often makes a lot of
trouble. (forget)
18. This table may break under a lot of ______________. (press)
19. Dr. Jones is a well-known ______________. He has written several novels, one of
which was about the historical meeting between the great leaders at Yalta in 1945.
(history)
20. The car is a complete write off. It is quite ______________. (repair)
21. The Saigon GiaiPhong is a ______________ newspaper. (day)

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WRITING 2

I. FROM PARAGRAPH TO SHORT ESSAY

A. PRE-WRITING

Game: family members

B. WHILE-WRITING
1. The Paragraph and the Short Essay
A short essay is longer than a paragraph, but like a paragraph it has three basic parts: an
introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

 Introduction: the introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of a short essay. It

contains a topic sentence and thesis statement.
 Body paragraph: A short essay has at least one or two body paragraphs. These develop
the idea presented in the introduction.
 Conclusion: The concluding paragraph is the final paragraph and summaries the
idea(s) presented in the short essay

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Compare the similar ways that a paragraph and a short essay function.

Paragraph Short Essay

The topic sentence statesthe topic. The introductory paragraphstates the topic.

The topic sentence states the controlling The thesis statement statesthe controlling idea.
idea.
The supporting sentences of the body The paragraph supports the idea in the thesis
paragraphs support the idea in the topic statement.Each body paragraph has atopic
sentence. sentence.

The concluding sentencesummarizes the The essay conclusionsummarizes the idea in the
idea in thetopic sentence. Thesis statement.

Task 1: Comparing a paragraph and an essay. Which is more interesting?

Paragraph Short Essay

My uncle Patricio is one of the most INTRODUCTION
interesting people in my family. He is old and My family is full of happy, crazy, and
has a wrinkled brown face. On his arm, there talented people. My aunt Margarita has a yard
is a tattoo. Patricio has an intriguing history. full of orphaned pets. My brother José is an
He and my mother were born in a small expert tailor, and my mother loves to
village in the mountains. When he was experiment in the kitchen. However, I think
seventeen, he left home to explore the world. the most interesting is my mysterious uncle.
Now he fixes air conditioners in Los Angeles, BODY PARAGRAPH 1
and during the winter months, he sometimes Patricio is an elderly man now with white
comes to visit us and play the accordion. I hair sticking up all over his head. Beneath his
love spending time with my uncle Patricio messy hair, he has a wrinkled brown face and
because he has an interesting look and a powerful dark eyes that show many emotions.
mysterious past. Someday I hope that he will Patricio is tall and skinny, and he wears
tell me more about his life. baggy pants and a plaid shirt. He has a tattoo

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Paragraph Short Essay

of a heart on his arm. The heart has the word
Rosa written across it in red and black letters,
but he has never told me who she is.
BODY PARAGRAPH 2
Patricio has an intriguing history. He and my
mother were born in a small village in the
mountains. When he was seventeen, he left
home to explore the world. On one trip, he
went to Siberia to look for gold. On another
trip, he went to Alaska to work on a fishing
boat. Now he fixes air conditioners in Los
Angeles, and during the winter months, he
sometimes comes to visit us and play the
accordion.
CONCLUSION
I love spending time with my uncle Patricio.
He has an interesting look and a sad and
mysterious past. He is also a talented
musician. Someday, I hope that he will tell
me about Rosa and how he got the tattoo with
her name.
Task 2: Analyzing the paragraph and short essay

Answer the questions about the paragraph and short essay.

1. What information is included in the short essay introduction that is not in the topic sentence
of the paragraph? _____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Write the topic and controlling idea of body paragraph 1 in your own words.

__________________________________________________________________________

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3. What new details have been added to body paragraph 1 in the essay?
___________________________________________________________________

4. Write the topic and controlling idea of body paragraph 2 in your own words.

___________________________________________________________________

5. What additional details have been added to body paragraph 2 in the essay?

___________________________________________________________________

6. What information is included in the essay conclusion that is not in the concluding sentence
of the paragraph?

2. Short Essay Organization

An effective essay must have the following elements

Introduction

 A hook is an opening sentence that attracts the reader's attention.

 The sentences after the hook give background information necessary to understand the
topic.
 The last sentence in the introduction, the thesis statement, is very important because it
gives the topic and the controlling idea of the entire essay.

Body Paragraph

 An essay has at least one body paragraph in which the writer develops the thesis statement
from the introduction. The body paragraph begins with a topic sentence, followed by
supporting details.

Conclusion

 An essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes or restates the main idea in the thesis
statement.

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Task3: Understanding thesis statements.

a. Read the short essay. The thesis statement is missing. Choose the best thesis statement
from the list underneath. Discuss your choice with a partner.

Imagine having a job that fits your class schedule. You do not have conflicts with studying
because you only work at night and on the weekends. In addition, you can work in a beautiful
room with paintings on the walls, candlelight, and beautiful music playing in thebackground.
__________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
First, restaurant work is a great job for a student because the hours are different. Most
restaurants are busiest during the weekends in the evening. Since students have to go to class
during the week and during the day, a restaurant job gives them time for class.
The second reason why restaurant work suits students is that the student can eat at the
restaurant. Students are short on time. They don’t want to go shopping, cook, or clean up, so
they need to get meals in a hurry. It is perfect if they can eat at work.
Students can make money, eat, and still have time for class if they work in a restaurant.
For this reason, many eating places are staffed by students. It's a great job for those who need to
work while they are in college.

a. A restaurant job is a convenient choice for a college student for several reasons.

b. Many restaurants hire college students.

c. A college student can make a lot of money working in an expensive restaurant.

b. Now read this short essay. The thesis statement is missing. Write a thesis statement on
the lines provided. Make sure your thesis states a topic and a controlling idea. Compare
your answer with a partner.

I have many wonderful memories of my childhood in El Salvador, but I have one memory that
still makes me shiver when I think about it. I lived with my grandmother in a house in the
country, and I had many cousins to play with. The neighbors all knew me, and we children always
felt safe. ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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My scary experience happened when I was about ten. I was playing hide and seek with some
children from the neighborhood when my cousin and I discovered a dark abandoned warehouse.
We were happy because we thought that no one would find us there. We went inside There were
boxes, and everything was covered with dust. Suddenly my cousin ran away. I thought she was
hiding, so I laughed and called her name, but she did not answer. I started to hide too, but at that
moment, I smelled a terrible odor. I looked in the corner, and a big shape was moving. It was
dark, and I couldn't see very well, but I knew it was big. I ran outside as fast as I could. My
cousin was outside, and we ran back to our house as fast as we could.
I still do not know what was in the warehouse. My grandmother said she thought some thieves
had been hiding there. She said it was a lucky thing that they didn't see me. Her words made me
more afraid I thought, "what if they had caught me?" After that, I decided to stay away from that
dark warehouse. I learned to be very careful and never go into empty buildings again, no matter
what!
3. The sentence

A sentence contains at least one subject (a noun or a phrase) and a verb, and expresses a
complete idea. The verb expresses the action of the sentence, and the subject tells who or
what completed the action. A simple sentence may contain more than one noun or verb.

Subject Verb
My dog runs.
My dog runs and chases squirrels. (two verbs)
My dog and cat run after squirrels. (two nouns in subject)
A complete sentence must contain at least one main clause. A main clause contains a subject
and a verb, and expresses a complete idea.

The Simple Sentence

A simple sentence, shown below, contains one main clause.

Subject My dog
Verb runs after squirrels.
The Compound Sentence

A compound sentence has two main clauses, separated by a comma and a conjunction, or by a
semicolon.

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Main Clause Conjunction Main Clause

My dog runs after squirrels, the squirrels run away.

My dog terrifies the squirrels, and they stay high in the trees.
so
My dog chases them every day, but he has never caught one.
or
The squirrels climb trees, they sometimes run throughfences.

My dog is very clever; Ø he can do many tricks.

Task 4: Identifying clauses

Read the sentences. Then count how many clauses there are in each sentence.

1. The fish were hungry.

2. The fish were hungry, and they ate the food quickly.
3. 1 love to go to the park, so I try to go every weekend.
4. The bus takes a long time, but it is less expensive than a car.
5. Computers are very important today; they can do many things.
6. I want to marry a man with a good education and an honest character.

Run-on Sentences

A run-on sentence is not a correct sentence. In a run-on-sentence, important punctuation is

missing between the clauses. The sentence “runs on" too long and confuses the reader.
You can correct run-on sentences with a period, a comma and conjunction, or a semicolon.
My dog runs fast he likes to chase animals in the park. (INCORRECT)

 My dog runs fast. He likes to chase animals in the park.

 My dog runs fast, and he likes to chase animals in the park.

My dog is difficult to take care of still I love him very much. (INCORRECT)

 My dog is difficult to take care of; still, I love him very much.
 My dog means a lot to me; he is my best friend.
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Task 5: Correcting run-on sentences with conjunctions

The following sentences are run on sentences. Rewrite them as complete sentences by
adding the conjunctions and, or, so, or but.
1. I am busy with work I am studying

___________________________________________________________________
2. Almost everyone in her neighborhood speaks her language she does not have to use English

___________________________________________________________________
3. Credit cards are convenient they are also dangerous.

___________________________________________________________________

4. I did not have experience I tried to get a job.

___________________________________________________________________

5. Every time I travel, either I take a suitcase I take a backpack.

___________________________________________________________________

6. My lucky number is seven my favorite color is red.

___________________________________________________________________

Task 6: Correcting run-on sentences with punctuation

Read the sentences, if the sentence is correct, write C. If the sentence is incorrect, write I
and add correct punctuation, using a comma, semicolon, or period. Check for proper
capitalization.
Ex: I went to the store with my friend Rachel. weWebought milk.

1.______We brought the groceries through the back door after we got hack
2.______ I noticed that there was a little dirt on the floor the DVD player was
missing nothing else was gone.
3.______We called the police after we realized there had been a robbery.
4. ______ The police arrived immediately and inspected the whole apartment.
5. ______They took statements later that afternoon they found the robbers andRachel’s DND
player.

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Task7: Editing a paragraph

Read the paragraph and edit as necessary. Correct the run-on sentences. There are six
mistakes.

I am the middle child in my family I wish I were not sometimes. My brother and sisters have an
easier life than I do. My older brother is very responsible he is like a third parent my sisters and I
have to do what he tells us if our parents are not home. He also has more freedom than we do. He
can go out on the weekends and stay out late we have to be at home by 10:00 p.m.. While my
brother has more freedom than I do, my sisters have an easier life. They are twins they get a lot of
attention from our parents. My parentsdon't often spend time with me they spend most of their
time with my sisters. Because I am not the oldest, I do not have the same power as my brother, but
I do not get the extra attention either. As a result, I think the middle child is not lucky at all.
Dependent Clauses

A dependent clause is a clause that is not a complete sentence by itself. It has a subject
and a verb, but it does not have a complete idea. A dependent clause often starts with a
subordinating conjunction like because, before, since, when, after, or while. A dependent
clause must always be attached to a main (or independent) clause to make one complete
sentence. The dependent clause can come before or after the main cause without changing the
meaning, but the punctuation is different.

When I talk to my friend, she likes to tell me about her adventures.

Dependent clause Main clause

My friend likes to tell me about her adventures when I talk to her.

Main clause Dependent clause

Task 8: Identifying dependent and main clauses

Underline and label the clauses. Write M underneath the main clause in clause sentence.
Write D underneath the dependent clause.

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1. When I was growing up, everything was less expensive.

D M
2. I guess things have changed since I was younger.

3. I was sad when we left my country.

4. When I am older I want to have a big house with a patio and a swimming pool.

5. After you understand the meaning of a word, you can practice writing sentences.

6. It is only dangerous when the roads are wet.

7. Because the tide went out, the jellyfish were stranded on the beach.

8. My country was invaded many times before we formed our current government.

POST-WRITING

Task 9: Identifying topics and controlling ideas

Circle the topic and underline the controlling idea in the topic sentences below.

1. Pizza is easy to make if you follow these steps.

2. If you compare a Mini-Cooper with a Volkswagen Bug, you will find several important
differences.

3. There are several ways to reduce stress.

4. Not getting enough sleep can have negative effects on a student.

5. One of my backpacking trips was almost my last.

6. A good journalist musthave special talents and skills.

Task 10: Editing a paragraph

Read the paragraph. Draw a line through the sentences that are irrelevant. There are five
irrelevant sentences.

When I want to eat steak, I go to my favorite restaurant, Saltgrass Steakhouse, because I

always have a good experience. I love walking through the big heavy wooden doors because the spicy

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smell of grilled meat makes my mouth water. The hostess knows my family, and she always gives
us a good seat where we can watch the other customers and enjoy the cowboy decorations on the
walls. The service is friendly and efficient. On the other hand, the cook is often grumpy. He yells at
the waiters sometimes. The waiters always bring crayons and paper for my daughters. I always
order the rib-eye steak because the grilled meat is tender and seasoned with delicious spices. After
dinner, we talk and enjoy the atmosphere. It is not good to eat there every day because the beef has
a lot of fat. All red meat has a lot of fat, and it can cause problems such as high cholesterol. I like
to eat at Saltgrass Steakhouse once a month, but I would eat there more often if I had the money.
It has the best steak in the city.

Task 11: Identifying thesis statements

Read the short essay. The thesis statement is missing. Choose the best thesis statement from
the list following the short essay.

A good party game that is simple and fun for everyone is zombie tag. Children love it and so do adults because
there is no fancy equipment and anyone who can jump can participate.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Zombie tag follows the same basic procedure as regular tag with a few additional rules. First, decide on the
boundaries. It is a good idea to play outside in a backyard or in a park. Then choose one person to be It. It must
then "tag" another player, and then the tagged player becomes It. Finally, in zombie tag all players must keep their
arms at their sides and their ankles together. This means that they must jump instead of nun, and they must tag
with their shoulders or hips rather than their hands. If a player does not keep his ankles together or his arms at his
sides, he is cheating and must sit out for five minutes.

In conclusion, zombie tag is a good party game for all ages because it requires no equipment and is easy to
play. People usually have a good time because they have to keep their bodies straight and hold their arms at their
sides and this makes them look funny when they jump, so they laugh a lot.

a. I often play zombie tag with my friends at birthday parties.

b. Zombie tag is easy to play if you follow the steps below.
c. Zombie tag is different from regular tag in two important ways.

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Task 12: Correcting run-on sentences with punctuation

Read the sentences, if the sentence is correct, write C. If the sentence is incorrect, write I
and add correct punctuation, using a comma, semicolon, or period. Check for proper
capitalization.
1. My father decided to go to dental school he was at the top of his class.

2. My writing has improved a great deal but I still need to work on my grammar

3. When I am an industrial engineer I want to design kitchen appliances.

4. Secretaries play a very important role in an office, without them many businesses could not
function.

5. I have never been afraid of snakes I think they are beautiful.

6. We lived in Malaysia after we got married.

Task 13:Editing a paragraph

Read the paragraph and edit as necessary. There are six mistakes.
The memory of summer at my grandmother’s house Ayutta, Thailand, always makes me happy. I loved
this house very much because it was a beautiful and spacious place all the members of my family could gather
together and enjoy nature. The house was located on a quiet stretch of river under a clear blue sky. It was a
traditional, waterfront, Thai-style home it was built from teak wood. The tall, green trees around the house
provided shade along the riverbank. Inside the house, there were many rooms my uncle's and my aunt's families
could all come together at the same time. When we woke up, we could hear the sound of singing birds We children
always rushed outside to breathe fresh air, and dig our toes into the sand. In the afternoon, we played in the shade
of the trees, swam in the river, and dug in the gardens. The adults watched us from the patio they could see us and
we could see them. This home was the center place of my family I like to think about it when I feel lonely.

II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

1. New methods/ be/ experiment/ now.

____________________________________________________________

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2. Science/ be/ generously introduce/ life/ their country/ at the moment.

____________________________________________________________

3. Mr. White/ going/ have/ his new house/ build.

____________________________________________________________

4. He/ have/ house/ paint/ every year.

____________________________________________________________

5. Miss. Brown / not have/ radio/ repair/ yesterday.

____________________________________________________________
6. All dinner/ eaten/ before/ conversation/ finished.

____________________________________________________________

7. When he/ come/ cinema/ all tickets/ be/ sold.

____________________________________________________________

8. Christmas cards/ be send/ your family/ yet?

____________________________________________________________

9. Anna/ be given/ a ride/ school/ Tom/ tomorrow.

____________________________________________________________

10. They/ be / tell/ story/ their grandmother/ when/ visit/ her/ last week.

____________________________________________________________

Task 2

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. Detroit is renowned for the_____________ of cars. (produce)

2. If you make a good_____________ at the interview, you will get the job. (impress)
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3. Teaching and medicine are more than ___________, they're professions. (occupy)
4. My history teacher has a vast _____________ of past events. (know)
5. You are never too old to go to college and gain some_____________(qualify)
6. My greatest_____________ was graduating from the university. (achieve)
7. The weatherman said there is a strong _____________ of rain today. (possible)
8. Some old laws are no longer _____________(effect)
9. Athens is _____________for its ancient buildings. (fame)
10. He was caught shoplifting so now he has a_____________ record. (crime)
11. Despite her severe _____________she fulfilled her goals in life. (disable)
12. Being _____________ is the worst thing that can happen to someone. (employ)
13. If you buy presents in the summer your _____________can be very high. (save)
14. Due to the pilot's_____________, the copilot managed to land safely. (guide)
15. It's important to also see the less………………… sides of the job. (desire)
16. I was surprised at his _____________to give up. (refuse)
17. Children are by nature_____________ of danger. (aware)
18. She is always_____________ towards her parents. (respect)
19. The hospital has the best medical _____________and fast ambulances. (equip)
20. You can relax in the comfortable_____________ of the hotel. (surround)

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WRITING 3

I.DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY (PART 1)

A. PRE-WRITING

Game: Opposite adjectives

B. WHILE-WRITING
1. Brainstorming ideas
In this unit, you will write a three-paragraph descriptive essay about a food you feel strongly
about - theone you really like or dislike.

Task 1: Brainstorming ideas

Think of a food you really like or dislike. On a separate piece of paper, write down
your ideas about this food in a word web, like the one below. Think about the food's taste,
smell, appearance, preparation, any sounds you associate with it, or the context in which you
eat it.

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Task 2: Brainstorming vocabulary

a. Think about the food you want to write about. Add two more words to each set to describe
the food. Then circle the words you would like to use in each set.

1. Taste: salty, sour, bitter, sweet, juicy, ________________________________

2. Touch: soft, hard, chewy, tough, crunchy ____________________________

3. Smell: sweet, comforting sharp, strong, faint, ________________________

4. Sight: small, big, temping smooth, ___________________________________

b. On a separate piece of paper, practice writing these words in sentences. Use your dictionary
for help.

2. Descriptive organization
In a descriptive essay, a writer uses details to tell how a subject looks, sounds, smells, tastes,
or feels. The essay should make the reader feel like responding to what he or she is reading.
Introduction
• The hook introduces the object or event of description.
• The middle sentences provide the background.
• The thesis statement tells why the object or event of description is important to the
writer.
Body Paragraphs
• Most of the description is in the body paragraphs.
• Adjectives and adverbs make the experience more vivid.
• The scene is often described with prepositions and prepositional phrases that specify

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location or position in space.

• Comparisons, such as similes, can make the writing more descriptive, familiar, and
expressive.
Conclusion
• The conclusion gives the writer’s final opinion about the description.

Task 3: Reading a student essay

Read the essay. According to the writer, where can you get the best pizza?
The Best Pizza in Town and Maybe the World

I have suffered a great deal because of a terrible addiction to pizza. Basically, I enjoy pizza too much. In fact, I

enjoy it so much, I won’t share it, not even with my mother. People in my hometown of Cabimas, Venezuela, laugh

at me and call me the Pizza King of Cabimas, but it is a name that I am proud of. I have eaten pizza in many

places, and none is as good as the pizza of Cabimas.

The best place to eat pizza in Cabimas is at Papa's. Customers have to wait in line to get a table but the wait

is worth it. Once they are seated, pizza-lovers can choose from many varieties of pizza, such as pizza with shrimp

and smoked oysters or pizza with pine nuts and garlic, but my favorite is the sausage and pepperoni. First of all, it

is big. When the waiter puts it down in front of me, I feel happy because I will get enough to eat. It smells of garlic,

oil, and spices. And it looks delicious too. The sauce oozes out from under a layer of rich melted cheese. The best

part is the first bite. I sink my teeth into a slightly crunchy crust, thick tomato sauce and gooey cheese, and I am in

heaven. I can eat two of these pizzas in one night, even though I know I will have a stomachache afterwards.

Now that I am in the United States, I am trying different kinds of pizzas here. I have never seen so many

different pizza restaurants! I want to try them one by one. So far, some of them are delicious, but I am convinced

that the best pizza in the world is still at Papa's restaurant a couple of blocks from the house where I grew up.

Task 4: Examining the student essay

a. Respond to the essay by answering the questions below.
1. What is the main idea of the introduction?
a. how the author has suffered c. the author's addiction to pizza
b. pizza d. the author's hometown
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2. Which paragraph has the most descriptive details?

3. The conclusion ends with a(n)
a. description
b. restatement of the main idea in the introduction.
c. story
d. invitation
b. Examine the organization of the essay by answering the questions below. Then compare
your answers with a partner.
1. What is the author's thesis statement about pizza?
___________________________________________________________________
2. What words or phrases does the author use to describe the pizzas?
___________________________________________________________________
3. What words or phrases does the author use to show how he feels when he eats pizza?
___________________________________________________________________
4. What is the author's final comment about pizza in the conclusion?
___________________________________________________________________
Task 5: Completing an outline
Look back at the essay. Then, fill in the missing information in the outline below.
Introduction
Topic: Pizza in Cabimas.
Hook: I’m addicted to pizza.
Background information: don’t share pizza with anyone, called Pizza king, and tried pizza in
many places.
Thesis statement:
1.____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph
Detail: places to eat pizza, Papa’s types of pizza
2. ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Words or phrases: gooey, cherry, rich melted, cheese, stomachache, big, spices, crunchy crust
Conclusion
Final opinion: 3.
______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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3. Prepositional Phrases in Descriptive Writing

A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition + a noun phrase or pronoun.

prepositional phraseprepositional phrase

The boat slowly sank with the water level until it rested on the bay floor.
Prepositional phrases are important in descriptive writing. They show the position, location,
or direction of objects in space and time. We can also use prepositional phrases to show
manner or attitude.
• Prepositional phrases that show position and location:
The boat slowly sank with the water level until it rested on the bay floor.
• Prepositional phrases that show direction:
We took the boat out to his underwater oyster park.
The idea was to float the boat over the fence walls.
• Prepositional phrases that show time:
at six in the morning in that sweet moment on Sunday
• Prepositional phrases that show manner or attitude:
I stood up in defiance. He pulled back in horror.

Task 6: Identifying prepositional phrase

Look at the following sentences. Circle the prepositional phrases.
1. The idea was to float the boat over the fence walls.
2. The boat settled on dry ground.
3. We could walk around the park.
4. He held an oyster in his rough fist.
5. I tipped the shell back into my mouth.
6. It tasted of the future.

4. Adding Details to Sentences

Details tell what something looks like, or how it sounds, feels, tastes, or smells. We can use
nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs to add details. The more specific the details are the

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more effective and interesting the writing will be. Clear, specific details allow the reader to
create a picture in his or her mind of what is being described. Compare the general sentences
below with ones that have specific details.
General Sentences
Sentences with Specific Details

The crabs were good. The crabs were tender and sweet with a salty taste.
He bought some fruit. He bought some sweet, juicystrawberries.

She walked to the door. She tiptoed to the door.

She walkedto the door. She walked quickly and silently to the door.

Task 7: Adding specific details

Rewrite the general sentences below with more specific details. Use adjectives, nouns,
verbs, and adverbs.

General With Specific Details

1. He bought a vegetable 1. He bought some bright green spinach.

2. We returned from the store.

3. I entered the room.

4. My friend cleaned the spinach.

5. We put the spinach in the pan.

6. Our guests enjoyed the dinner

5. Similes

Descriptive writing may use similes to make something seem more familiar or more creative.
Similes make ideas easier to understand, and they can also express feelings. Similes are often
used in literature and poetry. Look at the famous examples below:

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The sun was like a glowing ball of fire. (Shakespeare)

I was young and easy... and happy as the grass was green. (Dylan Thomas)

My love is like a red, red rose. (Robert Burns)

Simile Structure

- A simile can use the preposition like+ noun or noun phrase.

E.g.: The stars looked like diamonds.

- A simile can also use as... as+ noun or noun phrase. This kind of simile also uses an
adjective.

E.g.: He is as clever as a fox.

Task 8: Identifying similes

Match the first half of each sentence with the second half.

1. The house a. smelled sweet like honey

2. The ocean b. is as solid as a rock
3. The cold wind c. sparkles like a diamond.
4. Their friendship d was as fast as a bullet.
5. The train e. cut sharply like a knife.
6.The air f. was as huge as a castle.

Task 9: Writing similes

Fill in the blanks below to make your own similes with LIKE or AS

1. My best friend………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The place where I grew up ……………………………………………………….……………………
3. My home……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. My favorite music …………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Coffee ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. TV like or as…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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C. POST-WRITING
Writing topic: Write a three-paragraph descriptive essay about a food you feel strongly
about - one you really like or dislike.
Task:
- Complete the outline then cross-check with your peer.
- At home, write the essay on an A4 paper and submit to your teacher on the next
writing section.
OUTLINE
I. Introduction
1. Hook
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Background sentences:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. Thesis statement
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph
Topic sentence
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Descriptive details
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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Conclusion
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1

Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
1. Are/ exercises/ correct/ the teacher?

are the exercises corrected by the teacher

____________________________________________________________

2. Is / report/ made/ monitor?

is the report made by monitor

____________________________________________________________

3. Lesson/ explain/ by/ teacher/ yesterday.

____________________________________________________________

4. The floor/ sweep/ every day.

the floor is sweep every day

____________________________________________________________

5. The book/ put/ bookcase/ tomorrow.

the book will put bookcase tommorrow

____________________________________________________________
6.The exercises/ do/ class/tomorrow.

____________________________________________________________
the exercises

7. He has/ praise/ teacher.

he has praised the teacher

____________________________________________________________

8. He have never/ beaten/ table-tennis.

he have never been beaten in table tennis

____________________________________________________________

9. Be/ cultural activities/ develop/ long time ago? are cultural activities develop long time ago
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____________________________________________________________

10. When he/ come/ home/, his room had/ clean.

when he came hom, his room was having clean

____________________________________________________________

Task 2

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. Mary looks worried about something. She looks ________

worried at everything. (worry)
creative
2. Artists must be_______________, otherwise they just repeat what they see or hear. (create)
3. Why are you so________________
critical of his work? He's just doing his best. (critic)
4. Have you made up your mind? We need to know your_______________as
decision soon as
possible. (decide)
directly
5. He's too shy to look people________________when he talks to them. (direct)
decorations
6. Have they put the Christmas________________ yet? (decorate)
additives
7. They put too many unnecessary________________ in food. (add)
honestly
8. I ______________ think that there's no point in arguing with him. Just ignore him. (honest)
9. Extraterrestrial life has not been ________________proved
scientifically yet. (science)
10. Why don't you call the ________________if
electrician the lights don't work? (electric)
entertainment
11. Music and television are forms of ________________(entertain)
12. The concert didn't live up to our________________(expect)
expectation
responsibility
13. The electric company admitted their________________ for the blackout. (respond)
14. Did you use to have ________________
allowance as a child? (allow)
fashionable
15. I don't like those trousers, no matter how ________________ they are. (fashion)
expectancy
16. Life ________________ varies according to country and gender. (expect)
17.If you have any problems finding things, just ask Roger. He is very________________
helpful ,
and will tell you where to find what you want. (help)
18. Sarina is only my half-sister because we have ________________mothers.(differ)
different
impatient
19. This queue hasn't moved in five minutes. I'm getting a bit ________________! (patient)
20. The gang robbed three banks in the same city and all at about the same time.
surprisingly
Not________________they were caught by the police during the fourth attempt.(surprise)

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WRITING 4

I. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY (PART 2)

A. PRE-WRITING

Game: Writing funny similes

B. WHILE-WRITING
1. Essay feedback and correction
- Put students in pairs to peer-check and give comments/ suggestions.
- Teacher provides help if needed.

Editor's Checklist
Put a check () as appropriate. Write answers in complete sentences in the
lines provided.
1. Does the essay have three paragraphs?
2. Does the introduction include a hook to get the reader's attention? Does it
also include background information?
3. Does the body paragraph contain enough descriptive details?
4. What other description do you think the writer could add?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………....
5. Did the writer use similes to make the writing more descriptive? Are the
similes used correctly?
6. Did the writer give a final opinion in the conclusion?

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2. Using Adjectives in Descriptive Writing

Adjectives are words that describe nouns-people, places, and things. Adjectives appear in
different positions in the sentence.

 Adjectives usually come after an article and before a noun.

We sat in the roaring sun.
 Adjectives can also occur after some stative verbs such as appear, be, become,
feel, look, seem. Use “and” to separate two adjectives that follow a verb. Separate
more than two adjectives with commas and the word and
I was hungry.
He became thoughtful.
He was sick and tired.
We were excited, nervous, and anxious.

Task 1 Identifying adjectives

Read the following sentences. Highlight the adjectives and underline the nouns they
describe.
1. The beachwas quiet and still.
2. Many crabs were walking slowly on the white sand.
3. The traps looked like round cages.
4. There were some small, fragrant fish in the trap.
5. The fishy smell made the crabs hungry.
6. I smelled the strong smell of the dark, oily fish.
7. The meat was white, pinkish and tender.
8. It tasted sweet.

3. Formation of Adjectives

 Adjectives may be formed from verbs. Many of these adjectives are formed by
adding -ing to verbs.
Entertain - entertainingexcite - exciting
(an entertaining film) (an exciting novel)

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 The past participles of verbs can function as adjectives.

break broken excite excited
(a broken arm) (an excited child)
 Nouns may also function as adjectives when they are used to describe or modify
other nouns. They are called noun modifiers.
A store that sells shoes→ a shoe store

Describing feelings

 Some adjectives ending in -ed and -ing can be used to talk about feelings and
emotions, for example, interesting, interested, boring bored, confusing, confused.
 The adjectives ending in -ed (past participles) describe how people feel about
something
The interested students listened to the story (=The students felt interest.)
 The adjectives ending in -ing describe the noun that causes the emotion or feeling
 The students heard an interesting story. (=The story caused interest.)

Task 2: Describing feelings

Circle the correct adjective in each sentence.
1. The movie was very (bored / boring).
2. The audience was very (confused / confusing) by the story.
3. As a student, I found the class very (interested/interesting).
4. The speaker was very (excited/exciting) by the topic.
5. The children were (tired/ tiring) by the game.
6. The new tastes were (stimulated /stimulating) to the chef.
4.Order of Adjectives
Adjectives appear in a particular order, according to their function, as shown below:
Quality / Purpose/
Opinion Size Age Shape Color Origin Material Kind
Interestinghuge old round blue Mexican wooden picnic
Boringsmall new square white European ironwedding
We put out huge plates of Mexican food out on the wooden picnic table.

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My mother had a beautiful, small, antique, Tahitian pearl necklace that she wore
for special occasions.
Rosa and Pablo bought gold wedding rings.

Task 3: Using adjectives in the correct order

a. Rewrite the sentences placing the adjectives in the correct order
1. It was a (metal/new/ fantastic) sculpture.
2. They walked down the (old/elegant/ marble) staircase.
3. The museum had (wooden /entrance/beautiful) doors.
4. There were (blue/huge/bright) lights to mark the entrance.
5. The food was served in (simple / tiny) portions on (small /dinner/modern) plates.
6. The women wore (velvet / new / stunning) dresses.
b. Add two adjectives for each of the sentences.
1. It was a _____________________________________________________ car.
2. They lived in a ______________________________________________house.
3. The house was located on a ____________________________________street.
4. She enjoyed the _________________________________ movie.
Task 4:Editing a paragraph
Read the paragraph and correct the order of the adjectives as necessary. There are eight
mistakes.
I love Saturday night dinner at my family's house. We leave at two in the afternoon, and take the drive long to
my parents' house. They live on a narrow dirt road. In summer we have to close the windows to the car so that the
dust doesn't come in. It is a large, wooden, white house, with a red, old, big door. There is a kitchen spacious
where everyone helps prepare the dinner. Everyone in my family gathers for dinner on Saturday night, all my
sisters and brothers and their children. The thing I love the most about the house is walking into the dining room
after we finish preparing the dinner. The old, beautiful table is set with a lace, white tablecloth and round, huge
platters of food. Then everyone sits down in the big, comfortable chairs to enjoy the dinner. We talk and cat for
hours and enjoy our family. Everyone feels happy, relaxed and full. Late at night, we finally say goodbye until the
next Saturday.

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C. POST-WRITING

Task 5: Identifying prepositional phrases

Circle the examples of prepositional phrases.
1. On Saturday we walked to the pizza restaurant in Cabimas.
2. The pizzas that came out of the oven looked delicious.
3. We watched with excitement as the waiter brought the pizza to our table.
3. My favorite pizza comes with sausage and mushrooms on top.
4. The cheese on top of it is hot, and the crust crunches in your mouth when you bite it.
5. There are four chairs around each table.
6. There are few tables outside the restaurant.

Task 6: Identifying adjectives

Read the following sentences. Circle the adjectives and underline the nouns they describe.
1. The table was long and narrow
2. It had tall, straight chairs on each side
3. It gave the dining room an elegant feeling
4. Small candles decorated each place.
5. In front of each chair was a delicate lace napkin.
6. Each napkin sat on top of a shiny dinner plate
7. The guests arrived in beautiful clothing and full of lively conversation.
8. The evening was filled with the warm energy of close friends.

Task 7: Using adjectives

Rewrite the sentences. For each sentence, use all three adjectives given.
1. The (enormous / wild/ exciting) jungle was filled with life.
2. The (ancient stone /huge) temples could be seen for miles.
3. The gray/tall rough) steps led to the top.
4. A (spectacular/ vast/ green) view could be seen in every direction.
5. People marveled at the (amazing / ageless tropical) landscape.
6. In their amazement, they forgot their (modern/ shiny small) cameras.

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Task 8:Correcting order of adjectives

Read the following sentences. If the sentence is correct, write C. If the sentence is
incorrect, write I and rewrite the sentence correcting the mistakes.
1. The thing 1 like most about visiting my parents is sleeping in my bed old.
2. Katerina's baby was small and beautiful.
3. Sebastian enjoyed the meal gourmet.
4. They painted the house an antique lovely grey.
5. There were fourteen people seated in the old dining room.
6. Montreal is a city with a history rich.

II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1:

Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

1. We/ discuss/ many things/ when/ headmaster/ come/in.

____________________________________________________________

2. When/ teacher/ come in/ Lam/ clean/ board.

____________________________________________________________

3. Dick/ listen/ classical music/ when/ friend/ arrive.

____________________________________________________________

4. They/ work/ garden/ when/ rain.

____________________________________________________________

5. When / telephone/ ring/ I/ read/ novel yesterday.

____________________________________________________________
6. We/ watch television/ when/ father/ make/ us/ phone call.

____________________________________________________________

7. When/ father/ enter/ room/ Lan/ clean/ floor.

____________________________________________________________

8. It/ rain/ when/ we/ get/ school.

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____________________________________________________________

9. Tom/ talk/ another boy/ when/ I/ see/ this morning.

____________________________________________________________

10. When/ bell/ ring/ I / have lunch.

____________________________________________________________

Task 2

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. We had a very ________ evening in London last week. (enjoy)

2. He fell off his motorbike, but his _______ were not serious. (injure)

3. The family managed to get out of the burning house, but they lost nearly their
________(possess)

4. He says he has no _______ of resigning. (intend)

5. The crowd showed it _______ by shouting insults the players. (approve)

6. Dozens of _______ are injured on the city roads every year. (cycle)

7. The company is not taking any new ______this year. (employ)

8. Kate is studying to become a _______ . (law)

9. Motor – racing is an extremely _____ sport. (risk)

10. The duty of the police is the _____ of law and order. (maintain)

11. We have to keep our costs as small as possible. We have so many _____ trying to take our
customers away. (compete)

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12. Our tomatoes are ______ nicely: they will be ready to eat in about a week. (ripe)

13. He is very anxious about the _____ of his passport. (lose)

14. This organization is concerned about the ______ of the rain forest. (destroy)

15. Television is one the cheapest forms of _______. (entertain)

16. I was annoyed at his ______ to co – operate. (refuse)

17. Look at this picture of Bill and his father: you can see the ______ clearly, can’t you?
(like)

18. Switzerland and Australia are both _______ countries. (mountain)

19. My brother lives in an attractive ______ part of Paris. (reside)

20. He said good morning in a _______ way. (friend)

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WRITING 5

I. IN-CLASS ESSAY WRITING 1 – DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

A. PRE-WRITING
Activity: Sensory descriptions
For each subject listed below, fill in details for each of the five senses. Be sure to use
details that really appeal to the senses. Your goal is to help the reader actually feel, see, smell,
taste, or hear what you are describing. When you have finished, pick your favorite subject and
include your details in a descriptive paragraph. Be prepared to share!
Senses
TOUCH SIGHT SMELL TASTE SOUND
Subject
A haunted
house
A baking
cookie

Kimchi

The mall

B. WHILE-WRITING
Task 1
Write a sentence that describes each of the following words in sensory,
descriptive terms. Try to use at least 2 adjectives. Then note whether you are
describing the word through sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.
1. stone
E.g.: I picked up a smooth, shiny stone. (touch/sight)
2.milk
___________________________________________________________________
3. wrapping paper
___________________________________________________________________
4.sunlight
___________________________________________________________________
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5. crowd of people
___________________________________________________________________
6. coin
___________________________________________________________________
7.French fries
___________________________________________________________________
8. voice
___________________________________________________________________
Task 2
In-class essay writing (40 minutes)
B. POST-WRITING
- Peer check
- Whole class review of a descriptive essay
- Teacher collecting of all writing sheets and marking at home.
II. EXAM PRACTICE
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

1. If I/ have enough money/ I would/ bought/ new/ house.

____________________________________________________________

2. If/ flood / not/ take place/ the field would/ produced/ more wheat.

____________________________________________________________

3. If/ they/ borrow/ enough money/, they would/ enlarged/ farm.

____________________________________________________________

4. If he not been ill/ he/ mend/ fence.

____________________________________________________________

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5. If / epidemics/ not happened/ people/ sell/ more cattle.

____________________________________________________________
6. If/ I / think over/ I would not/ done/ it.

____________________________________________________________

7. If you/ not rescued/ boy/, he/ drown.

____________________________________________________________

8. If / there had/ more sugar/ cake/, it/ taste/ better.

____________________________________________________________

9. There /would / been four extra tickets/ if/ you/ not/ come/ along

____________________________________________________________

10. The train would/ left/ if I/ delay/ catch/ bus/ railway station.

____________________________________________________________

Task 2

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. There are ___________________ways you can reach the conference hall, but the tram
service in this city is excellent and is probably your best option. (vary)

2. You have to go in there and______________________them! Without your encouragement

and enthusiasm, I don't know what we would do. (energy)

3. We are sorry to say that there hasn't been much _____________ in your grandmother's
condition. (improve)

4. It's _________________to do a degree course in only two years, but you would need to
work very hard. (possible)

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5. Your friend was a _______________________host last night. I can't wait to meet her
again.(delight)
6. You're not wearing those shoes for the trek today. They are totally _____________Go and
put some boots on.(suit)

7. That was one of the most uncomfortable __________________I have ever been on. The
turbulence was awful.(fly)

8. This letter is full of________________ Can you type it again please? (spell)

9. When you start work in this restaurant, good hygiene is of the highest ____________
(important)

10. We won eleven of our chess matches but then lost the _______________which was so
disappointing. (twelve)

11. Do you have any extra cushions? This hard chair is pretty_______________!
(comfort)

12. How can I begin to explain what we do here in the company? Well____________ we are
the people you come to if your windows are scratched and you want them to look new again.

(basic)

13. I can't decide between the cake and the ice cream. What a difficult ___________________
(choose)

14. Coming to work on the bus must be ________________than using that old bicycle of
yours. (easy)

15. The customs officer asked me to open my suitcase and, most _______________to show
him the contents of my handbag too. But he was very polite. (pleasant)
16. It was freezing at work today. The __________________broke down and we were all
working in our sweaters and overcoats! (heat)

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17. I went to the doctor as I was very concerned about a small red _______________on my
hand but he said it was nothing to worry about at all. (grow)

18. She wasn't an ________________ girl at school but she didn't have too many friends.
(popular)

19. The height of Mt. Everest is increasing by a few centimeters every year due to
____________changes. (geology)
20. The best thing about the apartment is its _______________location, very close to all the
stores and amenities you will ever need. (center)

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WRITING 6

I. NARRATIVE ESSAY (PART 1)

A. PRE-WRITING
Formative experiences are experiences that shape how we see the world and what type of
person we become later in life. In groups of 3-4 students, list 3 important events in your life
and get prepared to talk about them.

LIFE-TIME EVENTS YEAR

B. WHILE-WRITING
Task 1 Reading about the topic

US. President and humanitarian Jimmy Carter wrote the following narrative passage. It
describes his childhood experience "mopping cotton on his father’s farm during the 1930s”.
To kill insects that ate cotton plants, Carter's Family covered each cotton plant with molasses
mixed with poison.

Breaking Ground to Be a Man

Mopping cotton was a terrible job. The molasses attracted swarms of flies and
honeybees. They covered the barrel, and followed us through the field. I usually wore short pants
and never underwear or a shirt during the warm months, but for this job I preferred to protect my
legs with long pants. My pants quickly became covered with the poison, and stuck uncomfortably
to my legs. In fact, everything about me was sticky. With time, my pants dried, and the sweet,
sticky poison turned to hard sugar, so that at night my stiff pants wouldn't fold, but stood up
alone in a corner or against the furniture. They were covered with poison, so they had to be washed
separately from the other clothing. For this reason, we didn't change them every day. It was terrible
to put them back on in the mornings.
-Child farm worker, 1930-
1. molasses: a thick sugar syrup
2. swarm: a large group that is in motion (usually insects)
3. barrel: a round wooden container used for storage

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Task 2 Understanding the text

Write T for true or F for false for each statement.

1. Carter wore shorts when he mopped cotton.

2. The poison turned from a liquid to a solid on his pants.

3. Carter folded his pants every night before he went to sleep.

4. Carter washed his pants with his other clothes.

Task 3 Responding to the text

Write your answer for each question in full sentences. Then discuss your answer with a
partner.

1. Carter wrote: "I preferred to protect my legs with long trousers.” Why was this
necessary?__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Was this a comfortable job? Why or why not? How do you think Carter felt about it?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. Why do you think this was an important formative experience for him?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

4. Have you ever had a difficult job or task? What was it?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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1. Narrative Organization

A narrative is a story. It has an introduction that engages the reader's interest, a body that
gives details about the main event or action in the story, and a conclusion that describes the
outcome.

Introduction

 The hook gets the reader’s attention.

 The middle sentences introduce an event (the action of the story) by providing

background information about the people, the place, and the time.

 The thesis statement prepares the reader for the action that follows.

Body Paragraphs

 The body paragraphs describe what happened in the story.

 They include details that bring the story to life.

 They often use time order to explain the event.

Conclusion

 A conclusion describes the outcome of the event.

 It often ends with a comment by the writer about what the event showed or taught.

Task 4 Reading a student essay

Read the essay. What was the writer's embarrassing incident?

An Embarrassing Incident
Where I grew up, the rules for family life are very strict. I had five brothers and five sisters,
and we spent a lot of time with our relatives. My parents taught us we should respect grandparents
more than anyone in the world because grandparents had lived the longest. They had more
knowledge about life, and no matter what they said, even if it did not make sense, they were right.
We were taught that to hug or kiss grandparents was disrespectful and that we should greet them
by kissing their hand. I was young, and I thought that everyone lived and thought just as I did.

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Well, I soon found out this is not true.

One day, an American friend invited me to her birthday party. I was very excited but at the
same time very nervous. I wanted her family to like me, and I wanted to use my best manners.
Slowly, I walked up to the house and rang the bell. My friend came running out with a big smile,
telling me she was happy that I came. Then she let me in and introduced me to her parents. They
smiled and said hello. Later she said, "Come here. I want you to meet my grandfather. "I followed
her into the living room where her grandfather was sitting. She introduced us, and he reached out
his hand. He was going to shake hands, but I thought he was expecting me to kiss his hand, so I
did. He pulled his hand away and looked at me in a strange way as if he did not like what I had
done. Everyone else in the room looked at me, and my friend started laughing. I was very confused.
I sat down and tried to figure out what had happened. Just then, a little boy ran to my friend's
grandfather and jumped on his lap. The little boy started to hug and kiss the grandfather. When I
saw this, I got up and took the little boy by the hand and said, "NO." I guess I said it pretty
loudly because the room became very silent and all eyes were on me.
The next day at school my friend asked me why I kissed her grandfather's hand and why I
told the little boy to get away from his grandfather. I explained my customs to her and she
explained hers to me. Finally, I learned that good manners are not always the same in different
countries. Fortunately, my friend and I stayed very good friends.
a. Respond to the essay by answering the questions below in full sentences.

1. What background information do you learn about the writer? Why is this information
important to understand the story?

___________________________________________________________________________

2 What is the main event or action in the story?

___________________________________________________________________________

3. What does the writer learn?

___________________________________________________________________________

b. Examine the organization of the essay by answering the questions below. Then
compare your answers with a partner.
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1. Underline the hook. Is it one sentence or two?

_________________________________________________________________________

2. Underline the sentences that give background information. What do you learn from this
information?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Underline the thesis statement. Is it one sentence or two?
4. Reread the body paragraph. Circle one or two details that you like.
5. Circle any words that help you visualize the event more clearly.
6. Reread the conclusion. Underline the sentences that explain what learned.
7. Rewrite the author's conclusion in your own words.
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Showing Sequence in Narrative Essays

In narrative essays, we use time expressions to make the chronological sequence of events
clear.

 We use connectors (time adverbs) such as then, finally, or eventually to link

sentences within a paragraph.
 We use subordinating conjunctions to link clauses within a sentence.

Time Adverbs
We use time adverbs such as afterward, after that, eventually finally, later, later on, now,
then, and suddenly as connectors. These connectors usually appear at the beginning of a
sentence. When they do, they are immediately followed by a comma.
Warning:“Then” is an exception. It is not followed by a comma.
Our train was running late. Finally, it arrived. We got on board the train. Then we realized
that we did not have money for the fare.

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3. Subordinating Conjunctions

We use subordinating conjunctions such as soon as, before, after, when, and while in
complex sentences as connectors. Complex sentences contain a main (independent) clause
and a dependent clause.

 The main clause expresses the principal and independent idea of the sentence. The
dependent clause about the main idea (for example, where or when it happened)
but would be meaningless without the main idea. Dependent time clauses tell us
when something happened, expresses additional information
 Subordinating conjunction establish the time the dependent time clause and the
main clause in the sentence The subordinating conjunction starts the dependent
clause, but the clauses can come in either order. We use a comma when the time
clause comes before the main clause time clause.

Time clause Main clause

After our parents left the hotel, we went into the street.
While we were unpacking, the light went out.
Time clause Main clause
We went into the street after our parents left the hotel.
The light went out while we were unpacking.

Task 5 Using subordinating conjunctions in time clauses

Combine each pair of sentences into one complex sentence. Use the subordinating
conjunctions in parentheses to clarify time relationships.

1. We went to the movies. We ate lunch at a restaurant. (after)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. We waited a long time for the bus. It arrived. (before)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. They saved enough money. They took a great vacation. (as soon as)

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___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

4. She thought carefully about which dress to buy. She bought the red one. (before)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

5. I listened to the radio. I prepared dinner. (while)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

6. She worked very hard for many years. She retired. (then)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

7. I was very surprised. You knocked on my door. (when)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

8. He had a cup of coffee. He got up in the morning. (as soon as)

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

C. POST-WRITING
- Review the organization of a narrative essay.
- Instruct and assign homework with the following topic.
Topic: Write a narrative essay of about 200 words about the most memorable event in
your high school.

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II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1

Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
1. Lam’s father/ use/ drink/ too/ coffee last year.

____________________________________________________________

2. Tom/ use/ go/ class/ late.

____________________________________________________________

3. These girls/ use/ get/ late.

____________________________________________________________

4. This man/ use/ drink/ too/ beer.

____________________________________________________________

5. Boy/ use / play / streets.

____________________________________________________________
6. We / use / talk/ class/ but/ we/ not now.

____________________________________________________________

7. He/ use/ play/ tennis/ Sunday.

____________________________________________________________

8. We/ use / play/ football/ when/ we/ sixth grade.

____________________________________________________________

9. Father/ use / stay/ late/ some years.

____________________________________________________________

10. They/ use/ walk/ work/ every morning/ month.

____________________________________________________________

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Task 2.

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

(0) COMMONLY

An Incredible Vegetable
Garlic, a member of the Lilliaceae family which also
includes onions, is (0) ____________ used in cooking all COMMON
around the world. China is currently the largest
(1) ______ of garlic, which is particularly associated PRODUCT
with the dishes of northern Africa and southern
Europe. It is native to central Asia and has long had
a history as a health-giving food, used both to prevent
and cure (2) ___________ In ancient Egypt, workers
ILL
building
the pyramids were given garlic to keep them strong,
while Olympic athletes in Greece ate it to increase
their resistance to infection.
The forefather of antibiotic medicine, Louis Pasteur,
claimed garlic was as (3) ______ as penicillin in treating EFFECT
infections. Modern-day (4) ______ have proved that SCIENCE
garlic can indeed kill bacteria and even some
viruses, so it can be very useful for people who have
coughs and colds. In (5) ___________, some doctors
ADD
believe
that garlic can reduce blood (6)________ ______ PRESS
The only (7) ______ to this truly amazing food is that the ADVANTAGE
strong and rather (8) ______ smell of garlic is not the SPICE
most pleasant!

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WRITING 7

I. NARRATIVE ESSAY (PART 2)

A. PRE-WRITING

Game: Story telling with 2 conjunctions “after”, “before” and “while”

B. WHILE-WRITING
1. Essay feedback and correction
- Put students in pairs to peer-check and give comments/ suggestions.
- Teacher provides help if needed.
Editor’s Checklist
Put a check () as appropriate.
 1. Does the introduction include a hook to get the reader's
attention and background information?
 2. Does the introduction have a thesis statement that
briefly describes the action that will follow?
 3. Does the body paragraph have a clear topic sentence?
 4. Does the body paragraph include details that explain the
events? Which is the most interesting detail?
 5. Does the essay include time expressions, such as time
adverbs and subordinate conjunctions?
 6. Does the conclusion explain the outcome, or what you
learned from the experience?

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2. Using the Past Continuous in Narrative Essays

In a narrative, you often need to describe actions in progress, or to describe background

actions.

 To form the past continuous use was, were and the base form of the verb + ing.

 Use the past continuous to talk about activities that were in progress at a specific time

in the past. The activities began before the specific time and may also have continued

after that time.

E.g.: At three o'clock we were walking home from school. My friend was riding his bicycle.

 Also use the past continuous to describe background actions.

E.g.: The sun was going down and the children were still playing on the grass

WARNING:

We don't usually use stative verbs (be, know, own, mean, seem, understand, love, believe, etc.)

in the past continuous. We use the simple past instead.

E.g.: I didn't know John then.

I wasn't knowing John then. (WRONG)

Affirmative Statements Negative Statements

SUBJECT WAS/ VERB+ SUBJECT WAS/ VERB+ ING
WERE ING WERE+NOT
I was She wasn’t
working working
They were We weren’t
The sun was Shining They wasn’t Shining

Task 1 Identifying background action

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Read the paragraph below and underline all the verbs that describe background actions.

My Wedding
I will always remember my wedding day. It was beautiful. I woke up and looked outside.
The sun was shining, and the birds were singing. It was as if they were talking to me, telling
me to get up. In reality, the circle radio was playing and my brothers were arguing in the
hallway but it still felt romantic. My dress was hanging on the closet door. My mother was
cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and the coffee was brewing. My father was talking on the
phone to his brother, and they were discussing who the better chess player was. This was a
constant argument between the two of them, but I knew my father was just trying to distract
himself because he was feeling nervous.

Task 2: Using the past continuous to describe actions in progress

Complete the following sentences using the past continuous.

I. I'm sorry I wasn’t home yesterday afternoon; I was walking my dog in the park

2. When my uncle visited in 2004, _______________________________________________

3. Last week was very busy, my roommate and I had many tests and assignments to complete.
While I _____________________________________________ she ____________________

4. I'm sorry I couldn't talk last night. When you called, we ____________________________

5. I'm so tired! Last night, my sister and I __________________ until two in the morning.

6. I didn't hear the doorbell. The radio ______________ too loudly.

Task3Setting the scene with background details

Continue the stories below. Give background actions using the past continuous to help
set the scene. Use the sample paragraph in Task 1 as a model.

1. It was an ordinary day at school _______________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Suddenly, the fire alarm went off.

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2. It was a cold and rainy night. _________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

And then someone knocked at the door.

3. Past Time Clauses

Past time clauses can be used to describe the relationship between two or more events

 Past time clauses are dependent clauses. They must be attached to a main (or
independent) clause.

 Past time clauses can contain verbs in the past continuous or simple past, and usually
begin with subordinating conjunctions such as before, when, while, and after.

 The past time clause can come before or after the main clause however, if the past
time clause comes first, separate it from the main clause with a comma.

4. Simultaneous activities

To describe two simultaneous activities in the past, use the past continuous in both the time
clause and the main clause. Use the subordinating conjunctions when or while.

time clause main clause

When I was sleeping, the children were watching TV

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Interrupted Activities

To describe an interrupted activity, use the past continuous in the time clause, and the simple
past in the main clause. Use the subordinating conjunctions when or while

time clause main clause

While I was waiting for a bus, I heard a crash

main clause time clause

He fell in love with her when he was living in Paris
Events in Sequence

To describe a sequence of events, use the simple past in both the time clause and the main
clause, and use subordinating conjunctions such as before, after, when, or as soon as to
indicate the order of events.

main clause time clause

I walked past my sister before I recognized her

time clause main clause

As soon as I heard the news, I ran into the street to tell my friends
Task4 Practicing time clauses

Read the following sentences. Write S (simultaneous) if the sentence involves two
simultaneous actions. Write I (interrupted) if the sentence involves one action
interrupting another. Write SQ (sequence) if the sentence involves two actions
happening in sequence.
1. My dog was eating its dinner while my cat was playing with a toy

2. We learned to read the alphabet before we learned to write the letters.

3. After we saw the movie, we went out for a hamburger.

4. Petra was flying into the airport while her daughter was having a baby.

5. Aaron called Veronica as soon as he saw Jacob.

6. Martin was sleeping when he received the call.

Task5: Editing a paragraph

Read the paragraph and edit as necessary. There are nine mistakes.
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My Vacation in the Mountains

People go to the mountains on vacation for two reasons: to ski and to enjoy
the view. My family doesn't ski but we wanted to enjoy the view! In pictures, the
mountains were always beautiful. The flowers were blooming, the sun was shining,
and the people were smiling; however, our trip to the mountains was a disaster. As
soon as we were arriving at our destination, the sun disappeared. It was rain. I We
were stay in a friend's small apartment. My father went to the window in the living
room every day and checked the sky. Every day it was the same: rainy and cloudy.
One day, while he was look at the clouds, a little sun began to shine through. He saw
the sun as soon as we were jumping in the car. We drove to the Jungfrau Mountain
so we could take the tram to the top and enjoy the view. We eagerly got on the tram.
It began to climb to the top of the mountain. However, while the tram was climbing, it
becoming cloudy. The tram arrived at the top of the mountain, and we got out. We
were in the middle of a cloud. I thought it was exciting, but my father didn't. We drove
back in silence. Our last day we went to the airport and then were getting on the
plane. Just as the plane was taking off, the sun was beginning to shine again.

C. POST-WRITING
Task6: Using time adverbs and subordinating conjunctions

Rewrite the sentence(s) as either one or two correctly punctuated sentences. Use the
words in parentheses.

1. The day of my brother's birthday was very exciting first we went to the store to buy all the
ingredients we came home and prepare the food for the party. (then)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

2. We went to the store to buy all the ingredients. We came home and prepared the food for
the party. (before)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________

3. In the beginning, writing was difficult is easier (now)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

4. Writing became easier for him. He started doing it more frequently. (after)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

5. When I was a child, I used think I would never learn to play baseball but I was wrong I
become good at it. (eventually)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

6. I used to think I would never learn how to play baseball. I was a child (when)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

7. I never enjoyed eating vegetables when I was young. I started to like the taste. (later on)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

8. I was young I never enjoyed eating vegetables (when)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________

9. I was afraid of the water until we moved to a house near a lake. I learned how to swim
(after that)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

10. I wasn't afraid of the water. I learned how to swim. (as soon as)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

11. The movie was long and boring. Sebastian thought it would never end. It did. (finally)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

12. Sebastian was watching the long and boring movie. He had the feeling that it would never
end. (while)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Task7: Reviewing the simple past and past continuous

Write the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

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Last Saturday was an exciting day for me. It was my birthday. I worked until eight
o'clock as usual. As I…………(walk) to the bus stop, I ………..(look) for my younger
brother. But that day he wasn't there. I………. (think) it was strange, but
I………(imagine) he was out with his friend. When I……….. (arrive) at my house,
I…………(notice) all the lights were turned off. While I……… (look for) my front door
keys, I………(hear) a noise and suddenly all the lights came on. All my friends and
family were in my house. When I opened the door, they all yelled “Surprise!". It was a
surprise birthday party for me, and I never suspected a thing!

Task8 Editing a paragraph

Read the paragraph and edit as necessary. There are six mistakes.

Stranger on a Bus
One morning I was wait at the bus stop. I was worried about being
late for school, and I was anxiously waiting for the bus to arrive. It was
late as usual, and I began to think of what I would tell my teacher.
There were several people at the bus stop, and some of them were
complaining. When the bus finally came, we all pushed our way on board.
Someone folded his umbrella and sprayed water on me. I was felt upset,
but fortunately, I got a place next to the window. I had a good view of
the sidewalk. People was hurrying along clutching their umbrellas. Then a
boy on a bike caught my attention. He was riding beside the bus and wave
his arms. I heard passengers behind me shouting to the bus driver, but
he refused to stop until we reached the next bus stop. Still, the boy kept
riding. He was carried something over his shoulder and shouting. Finally,
when we came to the next stop, the boy was running up to the door. I
heard an excited conversation. Then the bus driver stood up and announced,

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"Did anyone lose a briefcase at the last stop?" A woman at the back of
the bus, shouted, "Oh my! It’s mine" She pushed her way to the front and
gratefully took the briefcase. She thanked the little boy with enthusiasm.
After that, everyone on the bus began talking about what the boy had
done, and the crowd of strangers suddenly became friendly.

II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

1. The mayor/ say/ new post office/ open/ next week.

the mayor said that new post office would open next week
____________________________________________________________

2. My friend/ say/ post office/ large brick/ building.

My friend said
____________________________________________________________

3. I think it/ corner/ Main Street/ First Avenue.

____________________________________________________________

4. I believe/ building directory/ just beside/ main entrance.

____________________________________________________________

5. Visitor/ not know/ elevator / end / hall.

visitor doesnt know the elevator in the end of the hall
____________________________________________________________
6. He / forget / you/ pick up/ package/ window marked “General Delivery”.

____________________________________________________________

7. Postman/ say/ they/ just display / rare stamps.

____________________________________________________________

8. I suppose/ new stamps with / special design/ very popular,

____________________________________________________________

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9. She never remember/ I like / collect/ stamps.

____________________________________________________________

10. The children/ learned/ stamp collecting/ interesting.

____________________________________________________________

Task 2.

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

After the recent floods, _____________ (1) (CONSERVE) are calling for beavers to be
reintroduced to Britain. You may wonder how animals that build dams prevent floods when
____________ (2) (SURE) the opposite is true. However, beavers construct dams in upland
areas, creating small pools and _____________ (3) (DIVERT) that retain water and release
water to lowland areas much more ___________ (4) (GRADUAL). Until the 16th century,
extintion
beavers lived wild in parts of Britain, but they were hunted to ___________ (5) (EXTINCT)
various
for their fur. However, recently _____________ (6) (VARY) British wildlife organisations
have applied to reintroduce beavers to the countryside. Along with their potential value in
flood ___________ (7) (PREVENT), they would create wetland habitats and promote
___________
tourist (8) (TOUR). But such measures are ___________ (9)
(CONTROVERSY).Beavers recently reintroduced to Estonia have flooded large areas of
agricultural (10) (AGRICULTURE) land, and this, in turn, has damaged crops.
forest and ___________
As a result, it has been necessary to cull beavers when the population becomes too large.
Many people think it ____________
ethical (11) (ETHIC) to reintroduce a species which will then be
killed.

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WRITING 8

I. NARRATIVE IN-CLASS ESSAY

A. PRE-WRITING
Subordinating Conjunctions

H T D T H X H Z N U N T I L L A

U Z K N N G E B E C A U S E G A

I J A A U C U A S T H O U G H W

N P H O N S S O W C E R O F E B

O T H I Q A A A H H C A A P G U

R T S R A G P H G T E S X P W W

D P F I E V N R C N L N L M H H

E E J U F V E I S U O A E T E E

R R D X B T E O R P M L C V R R

T W D I F C L E F E U S S P E E

H H Z A V O S P R I D N A A A R

A E C D N O Y M W E S I L N S J

T N R G T W R I Q H H A S E I R

T J A H D R A P L I I W Z N S S

D S A N O O S S A R O L J W O S

G T Q G R S A R A F S A E I F C

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B. WHILE-WRITING
Task 1 Write sentences using given words below in order.
Eventually/ later/ meanwhile/ during/ earlier/ once/ second/ soon/ then/ until/ when

E.g.: Eventually I studied for hours and hours the night before the exam. However,
eventually I became so tired I fell asleep at my desk.

1.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

2.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

4.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

5.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

6.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

7.
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_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

8.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

9.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

10.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Task 2
In-class essay writing
C. POST-WRITING
- Peer check
- Whole class review of a descriptive essay
- Teacher collects all writing sheets and mark at home.
II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1

Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
1. He/ complained/ mail delivery/ late.

____________________________________________________________

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2. She told/ we/ post office/ not/ open/ Sunday.

____________________________________________________________

3. She said/ there/ many complaints/ new postmaster.

____________________________________________________________

4. I insisted / I/ tired/ write/ letters.

____________________________________________________________

5. She / thought/ mailman/ afraid / neighbor’s dog.

____________________________________________________________
6. Someone reported / dog / dangerous.

____________________________________________________________

7. He hoped/ someone/ find/ letters.

____________________________________________________________

8. They/ hoped / new postman/ efficient.

____________________________________________________________

9. They believed/ he/ take/ advice.

____________________________________________________________

10. She assumed/ postman/ on time.

___________________________________________________________

Task 2

For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given at the end. The
required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

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Agriculture in Australia

Traditionally, Australia was (1) ________ for producing wheat and FAME

wool, but times have changed in (2)________ years, with many RECENTLY

farmers (3)________ to be more diverse in their ELECT

crop and livestock range. It is now quite common to see farms

likely
with more exotic fruit and vegetables. Farmers are (4)________ to LIKE

sell their produce locally nowadays, but rather to the factories in

the cities. As a result, farms are now large-scale (5)________ PRODUCE

where thousands of tons of crops are cultivated.

Another aspect that is different nowadays is (6)________ . In the IRRIGATE

past, farmers would just flood the fields but now it is common to see

sprinkler (7)________ everywhere. This means that more water SYSTEMATIC

is conserved, which has been helpful with the drought that

majority
has severely impacted the (8)________ of the farms in the MAJOR

southern states of the country.

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WRITING 9

I. OPINION ESSAYS (Part 1)

A. PRE - WRITING

Look at the picture and answer the following questions:

1. How is the child?
2. What is the mother doing?
3. Mini Game:Word Guessing
What is the medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms?
___________
4. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of this medicine?
B. WHILE -WRITING
1. Fact and Opinion

Writers both use facts and opinions to support their position or arguments. They state their
opinions and back it up with facts.
Fact: A truth that is scientifically proven or generally accepted.
E.g.: Antibiotics cure infections
Opinion: One point of view among many.
E.g.: Antibiotic is the most important invention of the twentieth century.

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Task 1
Read each statement, and then determine whether it is a fact or an opinion. Indicate your
responses by writing:
F if it is a fact
O if it is an opinion

1. July 4 celebrates American Independence Day.

2. Mr. Lopez is a good music teacher.
3. The boiling point for water is 212°F or 100°C.
4. Skateboarding is good exercise.
5. Puppies are cuter than kittens.
6. The Elementary Media Center has 432 books about pets.
7. Michael’s Social Studies notebook is in his backpack.
8. Kirsten is wearing a blue sweater today.
9. Independence Day is the most important American holiday.
10. The English test we took on Tuesday was very difficult.
11. It’s too cold in this classroom.
12. There are too many science books in the Elementary Media Center.
13. Three buses transported students on the field trip.
14. Ms. Wilson is the Elementary Media Specialist.
15. My birthday is June 24.
2. Essay Organisation
Opinion Organization
In an opinion essay, the writer tries to convince the reader of a point of view on a
controversial issue (something that people disagree about).
Introduction
The hook introduces a controversial issue.
The hook may be a short story or an anecdote, a quest on. or a surprising statement or fact that
makes the reader want to know more.
The middle sentences explain why the issue is important by giving background information.
This background information explains the issue with details about the history or the people
involved, what they want or how it affects them.
The thesis statement at the end presents the writer’s point of view.
Body Paragraph
The topic sentence has a controlling idea that supports the writer's main argument in the
thesis.

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The following sentences support the topic sentence with reasons, facts, and explanations to
help the reader understand the writer’s point of view.
The body paragraph often includes a statement that describes the opposing opinion. This is
called the counter-argument. The writer then argues against the counter argument. This is
called a refutation. In the refutation, the writer points out weaknesses in the counter-
argument, and shows how his own argument is stronger.
Conclusion
This restates the writer's opinion, but often using different, more persuasive language.
It may also offer a warning, a prediction, or other type of comment that reinforces the writer's
viewpoint.

Task 2
Respond to the essay by answering the questions below.
The Best Medicine

Last week, I noticed that my son had a bad cold. I took him to the pediatrician, and she told
me he had an infection. Then she gave me a prescription for antibiotics. After two days, my
son was happy and healthy thanks to this important medicine. Every day doctors prescribe
antibiotics to help thousands of patients around the world fight infections. I do not like to
think about what might happen if we did not have antibiotics.
Antibiotics are one of the greatest medical inventions in human history for several reasons.
First, infections are frequent. Almost everyone has experienced an ear infection or a sinus
infection. These common illnesses cause pain and discomfort to millions of people around the
world every year. In addition, infections can be life - threatening. For example, sepsis, a
dangerous infection of the blood, is responsible for one out of every one hundred
hospitalizations. The victims are usually very young, old, or weak. Another reason why
antibiotics are important is that they stop an infection from spreading to others. Infectious
diseases can quickly travel from person to person if they are not treated right away.
Antibiotics are the most effective way to control the spread of these serious illnesses.
Recently, many people have argued that doctors prescribe antibiotics too often and that the
bacteria that cause infections are becoming stronger as a result. This may be true; however,
this evidence does not mean that antibiotics are not important. It simply shows that we must
learn to use them wisely.

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Infections can attack anyone at any time. They can also attack entire populations. While many
infections create minor discomfort and suffering, some are quite dangerous. Antibiotics are
the most effective way to treat infections. Without antibiotics, many more people would get
seriously ill, and others would die.

1. Underline the hook. Which of the following strategies is used?

a. a surprising statement c. a story
b. a question d. a fact
2. Circle the sentence that gives background information.
3. Circle the thesis statement. Does it tell you the writer's position? Underline the topic
sentence of the body paragraph.
4. How many main reasons does the writer give in the body paragraph?
5. Does the writer introduce a counter-argument?
6. Which of the following strategies does the writer use in the conclusion?
a. giving a warning b. making a prediction

3. Using Connectors to Show Support and Opposition

When we explain an opinion, we can use connectors to clarify the relationship between ideas.
Connectors can be used to signal that the second idea will support the first in some way. They
can also be used to contrast the first idea with an opposite or very different idea. When they
introduce an independent clause, the connector is followed by a comma.
Connectors That Show Support
One way to support an idea is to give an example that illustrates the idea. Connectors like for
example/instance and in particular introduce examples.
E.g.:
- Most people are willing to spend money to make their lives easier; for example, nearly every
new house has an automatic garage door opener.
- Children should avoid junk food; in particular, they should stay away from sugary snacks
A second way to show support is to add facts or explanations that clarify the idea.
E.g.:The automobile industry is responding to consumer demands for more fuel-efficient cars;
in fact, the number of available models has tripled in the past three years.
Connectors That Show Opposition

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It is sometimes difficult for the writer to show that two ideas are opposed to each other.
Connectors like however, in contrast, on the other hand help the writer focus the reader's
attention on differences.
E.g.:
- I'm late every morning; however, I never get into trouble.
- Many people enjoy listening to CDs; in contrast, live concerts are more exciting.

Task 3
Each of the sentences below has two clauses. Join them with one of the following
connectors: however (x3), in contrast, for example, in fact.
1. The Western calendar is used around the world. Many countries have a traditional
calendar that they also use.
2. Most people say they want to exercise. Only one in ten adults works out three times a
week or more.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect who liked straight lines. Antonio Gaudi preferred
bends and curves in his designs.
4. Surgeons try hard to protect their hands. They avoid sports such as baseball that might
cause an injury to their fingers.
5. The place where I grew up only has two seasons. My new home, New York, has four.
6. Women often buy a house before getting married. Singlewomen purchase
approximately one in five homes.
4. Interpreting Facts to Support an Opinion

After the writer gives factual examples, she or he then interprets thefacts, explaining how they
support her or his opinion. Look at theexample below, which includes an opinion, factual
examples, and aninterpretation of the facts.
Opinion:Animals use language to communicate with each other.
Factual Example:Arctic wolves, for example, communicate the presenceof caribou through
their howls and barks.Other wolveshear the messages and are able to meet their pack tojoin
the hunt.
Interpretation:Clearly, if another animal can understand vocalizedmessages that tell him or
her the location of food, thenthat animal is using language.

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Task 4
Read each opinion and fact below. Then write a sentence interpretingthe fact to support the
opinion. The first one has been done for you.
1. Opinion: The Internet takes too much time away from family life.
Fact: The average adult in the United States spends six hours per week onthe Internet.
Interpretation: Those 6 hours could be spent doing family activities such as gardening,
helping children with homework or playing games.
2.Opinion: The government is doing an excellent job of protecting athletesfrom the pressure
to use performance-enhancing drugs.
Fact: Athletes are routinely tested for drug use.
Interpretation:
3. Opinion: Employers place too much emphasis on personal appearance.
Fact: According to a recent study, people with average appearanceearn 3 to 8 percent less
money than those who are considered beautiful.
Interpretation:
4. Opinion: The cell phone industry is a good place to invest money.
Fact: One out of every six people owns a cell phone.
Interpretation:
5. Opinion: People spend too much money on food.
Fact: Americans eat meals outside the home an average of five times per week.
Interpretation:
6.Opinion: People in the United States love pets.
Fact: Americans spend 5.4 million dollars each year on pets.
Interpretation:
Task 5
Read the paragraph. Correct the mistakes with connectors. There arefive mistakes.

Immigrants today have an easier life than immigrants of the past because communication and
travel make it easier for us to stay connected to our countries. Homesickness and culture
shock are big problems, in contrast, many people get very depressed if they cannot speak
their language or communicate with their parents. In the past, people had letters and the
telephone, but letters took a long time and the telephone was very expensive, so people had a
long time to wait for communication. For example, e-mail allows today's immigrantsto
communicate as often as they want for free. E-mail has other advantages too; for example, I
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send photographs by e-mail, and my friend has a special video camera that she uses when she
talks to herfamily. She can see them and they can see her. Another advantage for immigrants
today is travel. People sometimes visited their country in the past, but it was a long and
expensive trip; in fact, traveling overseas is easier nowadays because there are many flights
and the tickets are not too expensive. I know many people who live in the United States, but
they go back to their countries for special occasions;however, my friend went back two times
last year for two different wedding celebrations. For an immigrant, going back home for a
visitis the best cure for homesickness; in contrast, it sometimes helps themfeel better about
living in the new country. Although many people saythat an immigrant's life is never easy, I
am very glad that I live in thesedays and not fifty years ago.

C. POST- WRITING
Read the following essay and complete the outline below.
What Can Space Exploration Do for Me?

Whether we realize it or not, space exploration has changed our lives in dramatic ways.

People have walked on the moon, and robots have traveled to Mars. These exciting

events have created history, but they are also important because they have provided

many practical benefits for humans here on earth.

The importance of space programs can be seen in the technology we use every day.

Satellite technology allows people to watch TV shows and listen to radio programs from

everywhere on earth. Also, many of the advances in computer technology were first

invented to support space exploration. For example, the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) has contributed to the creation of software that people use every

day in manufacturing and design. Robotic technology is another famous example.

Engineers designed robots to work on the International Space Station, but now robots

are being developed to do jobs here on Earth. Even with all these advances, some people

say that space exploration is an expensive luxury that takes money away from important

programs such as health care and education. However, if they considered how space

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technology has improved life on Earth, they would see that space exploration is actually

important to civilization.

Space exploration creates a need for technological advances. Later, these advances are

used in other ways that help people. Wonderful new inventions such as satellites and

computers are just a beginning. In the future, space exploration will provide useful and

amazing new inventions that we cannot even imagine in the present.

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Introduction
Hook:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Background Information:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Examples/reasons:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Counter-argument:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Refutation:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
Restatement and comment:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II. EXAM PRACTICE
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
Example: I / be / study / English / year.
Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. My father sometimes drive/ work/ Ben Jones/ he/ know/ years.
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____________________________________________________________
2. The policeman/ recognize/ my father/, he/ warn/ several times/ drive/ too fast.
____________________________________________________________
3. Nat Hale, / policeman/ also/ stop/ speeding/, sitting/ beside/ father.
____________________________________________________________
4. Ben Jones/ the policeman/ never see before/ in/ back seat.
____________________________________________________________
5. Teacher/ punish/ Peter/, whom/ he/ love.
____________________________________________________________
6. Miss White, / you admire / from / Canada.
____________________________________________________________
7. Mr. Black,/ we all respect, / experienced teacher.
____________________________________________________________
8. Newton, / people know well, / father/ gravity law.
____________________________________________________________
9. Shakespeare, / we love / write/ lot/ plays.
____________________________________________________________
10. Jesse, / boss/ sack/ truck driver.
____________________________________________________________
Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).
1. We need to find a __________ to the problem as soon as possible. (solve)
2. Juan speaks English fluently and makes very few __________ mistakes. (grammar)
3. The teacher keeps a record of every student's __________. (attend)
4. Air-conditioning is a ___________ if you live somewhere like the south of Spain.
(necessary)
5. Don't be afraid of the dog. He's absolutely __________. (harm)
6. The company is trying hard to improve customer __________. (satisfy)
7. Measures were taken around the world to __________ airport security after the 11
September attacks.(tight)
8. We're going to change our suppliers as they have become very __________ in the last
year. (rely)
9. Patricia's very __________. She writes short stories, paints and makes mosaics.
(create)
10. We need your __________ at the bottom of the page. (sign)

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WRITING 10

I.OPINION ESSAYS (Part 2)

A. PRE-WRITING

Students take part in the game: Quantifiers Race.

B. WHILE -WRITING
1. Using Quantity Expressions in Opinion Essays
In an opinion essay, writers often make general statements about a group or category. It is
important to avoid making a statement that is true for some, but not for all members of a
group or category. This is called an overgeneralization.Compare the following statements:
- Cats hate water.
- Most cats hate water.
The first statement suggests that all cats in the world hate water. It is untrue because some
cats, such as tigers, are good swimmers and enjoy being in water. In the second statement, the
writer uses the quantity expression most. The quantity expression qualifies, or limits the
generalization, so that the statement is true.
Quantity Expressions
The following patterns guide the use of quantity expressions:
Most, a lot of, and some are used with both plural count nouns and non-count nouns.
E.g.:
- Most dormitories have Internet access.
- Some cafeterias offer healthy alternatives to traditional student food.
Much and a little are used with non-count nouns. Much is not usually used in affirmative
statements. Use a lot of instead.
E.g.:
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- Some people have a lot of intelligence, but they do not have a common sense.
- Students might have a little money left for entertainment after paying expenses.
Many, several, and a few are used with plural nouns.
E.g.:
- Many websites charge a fee for information.
- A few cooperative participants can destroy a meeting.
Task 1 Identifying correct quantity expressions
Circle the correct quantity expression in each sentence.
1. (Many / A lot of) creativity is necessary for certain types of technology jobs
2. There are (a few / a little) places where the sea level is rising.
3. (A little / Several) bills in Congress have tried to protect Internet users from fraud.
4. In the history of the Internet, only (a little / a few) computer viruses have created
serious damage.
5. (Many / A lot of) time is spent doing research on cures for cancer
6. Did you know that (a little/ a few) sleep-deprivation can harm a person's judgment?
2. Comparinga few and few; a little and little
A little and a few are quantifiers meaning ‘some’.
Little and few have negative meanings. We use them to mean ‘not as much as may be
expected or wished for’.
Examples Meanings

All she wanted was a few moments on her

some, a small number
own.

She had few moments on her own. not many/ almost none

She saves a little money every month. some, a small amount

They had little money to spend. not much/ almost nothing

A: Have you got any money?

some, a small amount
B: Yes, a little.

A: Have you got any money?

not much/almost nothing
B: No, very little.

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Task 2
Supply few/a few, little or a little.
1. Hurry! We’ve got ______ time.
2. I saw Tom ______ days ago.
3. If what you say is true, there is ______ we can do about it.
4. I can’t let you use much of this perfume. There’s only ______ in the bottle.
5. This town isn’t very well-known and there isn’t much to see, so ______ tourists come here.
6. I don’t think Jill would be a good teacher. She’s got _____ patience with children.
7. “Would you like some more cake?’ – “Yes, please, but only _____
8. There are very ____ scholarships for students in this university.
9. We didn’t have any money but Ann had _____
10. This is not the first time the car has broken down. It has happened ______ times before.
11. There is a shortage of water because there has been very ______ rain recently.
Task 3 Avoiding Overgeneralizations
Using quantity expressions, rewrite the sentences below so that they become more
appropriate generalizations.

Overgeneralization Appropriate generalization

1 People do not like change Many people do not like change.
2 Computers have the latest software
3 Schools are now wireless.
4 Medications have side effects.
5 New Yorkers love their city.
6 Asian countries have hot and humid
climates.
7 Pollution affects everything.

3. Counter - argument and refutation

In order to make an opinion essay as persuasive as possible, the writer includes a counter-
argument and a refutation.
The counter-argument is the opposing opinion. It disagrees with the writer's position. By
including the counter-argument, the writer shows an understanding of other points of view.

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The refutation is the writer's response to the counter-argument. In the refutation, the writer
shows why the counter-argument is weak and the writer's position is strong. The refutation
may also address doubts the reader may have about the writer's position.
E.g.:
Counter-argument: Many people think that a child is unhappy without brothers or sisters;
however, most only children would disagree with this statement.
Refutation: An only child receives more attention from parents, gets into fewer fights, and
has plenty of social contact with friends and classmates.
In the above example, the writer raises a counter-argument (that people think children are
unhappy without siblings). Then the writer gives a refutation; only children are not unhappy,
and then gives reasons to support the argument.

Task 4 Recognizing counter-arguments and refutations

Read each statement below. Underline the counter-argument. Circle the writer's refutation.
1. Even though many photographers love film and say they will never give it up, digital
cameras are the cameras of the future.
2. Train travel may be inexpensive and relaxing; however, airplanes are a much more
important means of transportation because they are fast and efficient.
3. Most people agree that a traditional home-cooked meal is best, but they have to admit
that convenience and low cost is making fast food more popular with students.
4. While some people believe that online courses will never be as popular as traditional
classrooms; technology, cost, and convenience are increasing the demand for online
instruction.
5. Some people criticize credit cards for causing debt; however, it is the irresponsibility
of consumers, not credit cards, that causes credit card debt.
6. People often comment that technology makes life easier, but in reality, technology
only makes it possible for people to do more work in less time.
Task 5
Complete the counter-arguments and refutations for the topic below.
Pretend you are writing an essay in favor of allowing students to use smart phones in class.
Your thesis is “Students should be allowed to use smart phones in class”.
Counter-argument 1: Some people say that students should NOT be allowed to use their smart
phones in class because____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Refutation: (Think of an argument that will destroy the counterargument above.)

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Counter-argument 2: Yet other people say that students should NOT be allowed to use their
smart phones in class because
____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Refutation: (Think of an argument that will destroy the counterargument above.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
C. POST-WRITING
Read the paragraph and edit as necessary. There are four mistakes relating to quantifiers.
Most working people will agree that traffic congestion creates too much stress. As large
cities grow even bigger, there is often so many traffic that people's productivity is reduced.
There are two good solutions that could greatly improve traffic conditions in this city. First,
high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) are effective. A vehicle can drive in an HOV lane
only if the car has at least two passengers.
Much workers must begin at work at 9:00 every day, so it is easy for them to carpool. If four
people ride together, there are three fewer cars on the road. Providing affordable public
transportation is another good solution. Much people like to use public transportation
because it is cheap and convenient. However, building an effective public transportation
system costs many money.

II. EXAM PRACTICE

Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
Example: I / be / study / English / year.
Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. The North Expressway, / Ben Jones/ help/ design/ one/ best/ country.
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____________________________________________________________
2. Dinner/ they/ stop/ Last Chance Inn/ they/ reach/ after/ drive/ all day.
____________________________________________________________
3. Tan Son Nhat Airport/ many travellers/ choose/ one/ best/ Vietnam/ open/ night/ day.
____________________________________________________________
4. Saigon / visitors/ love/ pearl/ Far East.
____________________________________________________________
5. Mary / whom / they / talk / shy / girl.
____________________________________________________________
6. We/ not/ like/ noise/ North Expressway, / run / near/ house.
____________________________________________________________
7. Fastest route/ town/ North Expressway / on/ you / always / see/ lot / traffic.
____________________________________________________________
8. Newest bridge, / over/ we / drive / many times / collapse/ in / storm.
____________________________________________________________
9. They/ putting/ new signs/ along/ North Expressway /on / there / have/ many accidents.
____________________________________________________________
10. BaiChay hotel / in / we / stay / last summer/ modern hotel.
____________________________________________________________
Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).
1. The index at the back of the book is in __________ order. (alphabet)
2. The fans waved __________ as the film star stepped out of the limousine. (excite)
3. Chickenpox is a highly __________ disease which many people catch as a child.
(infect)
4. Matt is very __________ . He wants to be number one at everything. (compete)
5. Harry loves cars and he's so __________ about them. (knowledge)
6. There is little __________ of the president being re-elected. (likely)
7. The prime minister thinks there may be a __________ to overthrow him. (conspire)
8. In __________ with Tokyo, London and Paris are relatively cheap. (compare)
9. The police were unable to __________ that she had committed the crime. (proof)
10. The president's speech went on for so long that I almost died of __________ ! (bore)

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WRITING 11

I. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS (Part 1)

A. PRE-WRITING

1. Look at the images above. Which cities in Vietnam do they remind you of?
2. What are the differences and similarities of these two cities?
3. Use the chart below to categorize the adjectives according to the places
they can describe.

Stimulating Boring Lonely

Tedious Competitive Filthy
Energetic Peaceful Overwhelming

City Rural Area Beach Bus Station

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B. WHILE-WRITING
1. Comparison and Contrast Organization

A comparison and contrast essay describes the qualities of a subject or idea by

discussing the similarities and differences it shares with a different subject or idea.
A comparison and contrast essay can be organized in two different ways:
- By comparing and contrasting a number of issues point-by-point.
- By focusing first on the similarities and then the differences.
Introduction
Presents the subject that is to be compared or contrasted.
Ends with a thesis statement that focuses the comparison or contrast.
Body Paragraphs for Point-by-Point Essays
There are two body paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence.
Each body paragraph presents one main point to be compared or contrasted between
the two subjects
Within each body paragraph, the topic sentence states the point of comparison or
contrast between the subjects. The supporting sentences that follow provide two or
three examples.
The body paragraphs use sequence transitions, such as first, second, furthermore, etc.
to connect the point-by-point analysis within the paragraph.

Body Paragraphs for Similarities and DifferencesEssays

There are two body paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence.
One body paragraph is devoted to similarities between the two subjects, and one
body paragraph is devoted to differences.

Conclusion
This allows the writer to summarize the differences and similarities and state his or
her feeling about the topic.

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Task 1
Read the essay and answer the questions below.

A Walk on Sunday Afternoon

I enjoy spending my Sunday afternoons outside the house. I cannot have the same experience
in the United States that I had in Mexico when I was a child, but I have found a place that is
similar to my home. Willowbrook Mall in Houston, Texas, is my favorite place in the U.S. to
take a walk because it reminds me of Moreda Street in Moreli, Mexico. They are very
different but also similar in some ways, especially on a Sunday afternoon.
For me, Willowbrook Mall has an atmosphere that is like Moreda Street's. In both places,
people stroll and gather. In Morclia, families leave church and go for a walk along Moreda
Street on Sunday afternoon. Often people stop at an outdoor café and have an ice cream or
coffee and watch people walk by. Now that I live in Houston, Willowbrook Mall is the place
where I go to see people on Sundays for their afternoon walk. 1 sit in a food court where I can
drink a coffee with my friend, as I watch teenagers and families walking through the mall.
When I sec them, I remember how life was when I was a child.
Despite their similarities, Moreda Street and Willowbrook Mall are very different.
Willowbrook Mall is more modern. On the one hand, Moreda Street has old colonial
buildings and beautiful old trees that shade the street. It is also quiet. On the other hand,
Willowbrook Mall is new and the lights are bright, and loud music plays in the stores. The
people on Moreda Street also have more traditional ways. Men wear attractive, conservative
suits and women wear light summer dresses. Fathers watch their teenage daughters closely
and do not let their daughters hold hands with boys. In contrast, many teenagers go to
Willowbrook Mull without their parents, and boyfriends and girlfriends walk with their arms
around each other. When I see them, I realise that my daughter will have a different
experience growing up in Houston than I did in Moreda. Then, I worry about her, and I miss
Moreda Street, where life is more traditional.
It is interesting to see how people and places from different countries can be similar and
different at the same time. Moreda Street and Willowbrook Mall are very different in
appearance and culture, but they are also similar because they are both places where people
like to go to relax on a Sunday afternoon.

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Analyze the essay by answering the following questions:

1. Is this a point-by point essay or similarities and differences essay?
2. Underline the thesis statement.
3. Underline the topic sentence of the first body paragraph. In what ways are the two places
similar?
4. Underline the topic sentence of the second body paragraph. In what ways are the two places
different?
5. Underline the sentence in the conclusion where the author summarizes the main points.
Task 2
Read the point-by-point essay and answer the questions below.

Studying in high school or studying in college?

Do you want to study in High School or in College? These two options are very dissimilar,
although in both you can learn a lot. These differences include homework, tests, and
attendance polices.

The first difference is homework. In High School most teachers will assign you to turn in your
homework late if you give them an excuse such as "I forgot it at home" or "It is in my locker".
In contrast, in College if you give your professor one of these excuses, they will say "Too
bad" and you do not have another opportunity.

Another difference is the tests. There are also a lot of tests in High School; usually, there is a
test every week or two. Although in College there are more tests, the work is not hard. Most
of the time you will read aloud in class or go over every point of the homework so, there is no
question of what you have to do.

The last difference is the attendance polices. In High School the teachers are always on you
about attendance; that is, if you miss too many days, you can fail, so if you are not in class,
they want to know why; in addition, they probably call your parents and let them know that
you were not in class. On the contrary, in College the teachers do not care whether or not you
are in class; it means that if you are not there, you are going to get a failing grade, so you have
to be responsible to succeed. It is up to you.

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To conclude, the main differences between High School and College are the assignments,
exams, and absences. The High School’s teachers teach the students the responsibility by
making them to do their homework and monitoring their attendance and College students are
expected to have it. So, in my personal opinion I prefer High School because I need more
attention.

Analyze the essay by answering the following questions:

1. Is this a point-by point essay or similarities and differences essay?
2. Underline the thesis statement.
3. Underline the topic sentence of the first body paragraph.
4. Underline the topic sentence of the second body paragraph.
5. Underline the topic sentence of the third body paragraph.
6. Underline the sentence in the conclusion where the author summarizes the main points
2. Using Comparatives in Comparison and Contrast Essays
Comparison and contrast essays often use comparatives. Comparatives are used with
adjectives, adverbs, and nouns to show differences between two subjects (people, objects,
ideas, places, or actions).
Comparatives with Adjectives and Adverbs
To form the comparative of one-syllable adjectives and adverbs, add -er. If the adjective or
adverb ends in a single vowel and consonant, double the consonant.
To form the comparative of most two-syllable adjectives and adverbs, add more, however, if
the adjective ends in -le, use -er. If the adjective ends in a consonant plus y, change y to i and
add -er.
Comparatives with Nouns
To form the comparative of nouns, use more.

Comparative Forms of Adjectives, Adverbs, and Nouns

Adjectives
ONE SYLLABLE TWO SYLLABLES THREE OR MORE
tall- taller simple-simpler SYLLABLES
cold- colder happy - happier beautiful- more beautiful
cute - cuter famous - more famous expensive-more expensive
big-bigger polite - more polite creative - more creative
intelligent - more intelligent

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Adverb Regular Forms Adverb Irregular Forms

ONE SYLLABLE TWO SYLLABLES
hard- harder quickly - more quickly good - well- better
late– later clearly - more clearly bad -badly- worse

Nouns
COUNT NOUNS NOUN-COUNT NOUNS
a book - more books homework - more homework

Task 3
Complete the comparative adjective chart below.
Adjectives/adverbs/nouns Comparatives
1. Sugar
2. Early
3. Narrow
4. Old
5. Expensive
6. Challengingly
7. Much
8. Shirt
9. Little
10. Energetically
11. Nice
12. Bad
13. Friendly
14. Good
15. Far

Task 4
Fill in the correct form of the words in brackets (comparative or superlative).
1. I'll be even_____________ (annoyed) if you do that again.
2. She is ______________________ (happy) now than he was last year.
3. Which hotel is _______________ (far) from the airport, The Renaissance or The Camellia?
4. In the past, people were ________________ (polite) than today.
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5. I prefer this chair to the other one. It’s _______________ (comfortable).

6. Sara is 13 years old. Ana is 5 years old. Sara is (old) __________________Ana.
7. The weather is not good today - it's snowing. I hope the weather will be (good)
_______________next week.
Task 5
Complete the following sentences, using comparatives.
1. Time passes _______ in the countryside than it does in a big city.
2. She was ________ than he was about the party.
3. Hoa spoke ________ than Lan about Hanoi.
4. Hanoi is much _________ than it was a few years ago.
5. My brothers are ________ than I am, but my sisters are __________.
6. Some people think that a beach vacation is _________ than an adventure vacation.
7. Hanoians now watch _________ than they did in the past. (use comparative with noun).
Task 6
Read the paragraph. Correct the mistakes with comparatives. There areeight mistakes.

My old home is very different from where I live now. My old home was a house, but my new
home is an apartment. My new apartment is more small than my old house, but the rooms are
more large. Everyonein my family feels differently about this. My parents liked my old house
because it was spaciouser, but I like the apartment because my room is more big. My brothers
don't like the new apartment so much because they have to share a room. My older brother is
more independent my younger brother, and so he wants his own room. Mynew apartment is
also more close to the bus stop, so it is convenientthan my old house, but it is also noisy.
C. POST - WRITING
Write 5 complete sentences using comparatives for each topic below:
1. Eating out and eating at home
2. Travelling alone or travelling in group
3. Studying a foreign language in one’s own country and studying abroad
4. Vacationing on a beach and vacationing in a city
5. Watching a film at home and watching a movie at the theatre
II. EXAM PRACTICE
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
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Example: I / be / study / English / year.

Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. Rob/ not speak English as/ good/ Liz

____________________________________________________________

2. He/ talk/ as / slow / I.

____________________________________________________________

3. She/ study/ English/ as hard/ her sister.

____________________________________________________________

4. The boy/ speak/ as clear/ the girl.

____________________________________________________________

5. The child write/ English/ as good/ his friend.

____________________________________________________________

6. He / not talk/ as loud/ I.

____________________________________________________________

7. Ted / sing/ as good/ Betty.

____________________________________________________________

8. Your grandmother/ walk/ slowly/ grandfather?

____________________________________________________________

9. Bob/ read/ fast/ Elma.

____________________________________________________________

10. They swim/ far/ we.

____________________________________________________________

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Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).
1. Naomi and Kurt have three children. Naomi also has a daughter from a previous ________.
(marry)
2. The film was so ________ . You knew exactly how it was going to end. (predict)
3. The government is concerned about the significant rise in ________. (homeless)
4. It has been ________ proven that stroking a cat can lower your blood pressure. (scientific)
5. Thanks to the large ________ from her grandmother Paula was able to buy a villa in the
south of France. (inherit)
6. In the UK it is ________ to sell cigarettes to children under 16. (legal)
7. You can ________ your tea with honey instead of sugar. (sweet)
8. You need to _______ the final point of the presentation. It's rather confusing. (clear)
9. The film turned out to be a big ________. It was really quite boring. (disappoint)
10. The ________ between the city's two football teams is often quite fierce. (rival)

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WRITING 12

I. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS (Part 2)

A. PRE-WRITING

Picture 1 Picture 2
Sentence Writing Activity: Picture Comparing and Contrasting
B. WHILE- WRITING
1. Comparison and Contrast Connectors

In comparison and contrast essays, connectors help create coherence by indicating the
relationship between ideas in sentences.
Connectors That Show Similarity
Use connectors such as like (+ noun phrase) or similarly to show similarity.
E.g.:
- Like her sister, Angela was very tall.
- I grew up overseas in Shanghai. Similarly, my wife spent her childhood abroad In Laos
Connectors That Show Contrast
Use connectors like unlike (+ noun phrase), in contrast, or on the one hand ... on the other
hand to show contrast.
E.g.:
- Unlike the fathers in Morelia, the fathers in Houston do not watch their teenagers as
carefully.
- The pace of life in New York is very rapid. In contrast, life in Xela is slower.
- On the one hand, I enjoy the fast pace of New York. On the other hand, the pace of life in
Xela relaxes me.

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Task 1
Using connectors to compare and contrast
Rewrite the following sentences to show similarity or contrast. Choose the correct connector
in parentheses to add more coherence.
1. Lemons are yellow. Limes are green. (unlike/ similarly)
2. Many families can live in an apartment building. Only one or two families usually live in a
house. (on the one hand ... on the other hand / like)
3. A frog can live in water or on land. A fish cannot. (like / unlike)
4. A parrot can fly. An ostrich cannot. (similarly / in contrast)
5.Rome is a city rich in history. Athens is, too. (like / in contrast)
6. Mozart composed his first opera at the age of 12. Mendelssohn composed his first
masterpiece in his teens. (in contrast / similarly)
Task 2
Complete the paragraph. Write like, similarly, on the one hand ... on the other hand, or in

contrast in the blanks.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, and the Statue of Liberty in New York City may seem to

be very different structures. However, they have many similarities. ____ (1)____the

EiffelTower, the Statue of Liberty was designed by a French architect. _____ (2)____, the

Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower bothrepresented great advancements in metalwork. The

Eiffel Tower, however, is taller than the Statue of Liberty. The Eiffel Tower measures 986

feet. _____ (3)_____ the Statue of Liberty is only305 feet from the water to the top of her

torch. _____ (4) ____ you have the elegant black frame and sharp point of the Eiffel Tower

and ____ (5) ____ you have the long, flowing robes and lifeliketorch of the Statue of Liberty.

Both monuments are equally beautiful.

Task 3
Read the situation and do as instructed.
Getting in Shape
Carl wants to begin a regular exercise program, but he can't decide between running and
walking. To make a rational choice, he lists what he knows about each activity:

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Running Walking

 improves cardiovascular endurance can be done in an urban or rural area

 burns 800 to 1000 calories per hour is relatively injury-free
 can be done in an urban or rural area requires no special equipment
 can cause muscle strain improves circulation and posture
 requires no special equipment burns 300 calories per hour

Step 1: Organize the two lists according to related points:

Running Walking

1. can be done in a rural or urban area can be done in a rural or urban area.

2. ________________________________ _________________________

3. ________________________________ _________________________

4. ________________________________ _________________________

5. ________________________________ _________________________

Step 2: Using the coordinators both … and, and the subordinators while, whereas, write
five sentences in which you compare and contrast running and walking, using the
information you organized in step 1.

1. _______________________________ _________________________

2.________________________________ _________________________

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3.________________________________ _________________________

4.________________________________ _________________________

5.________________________________ _________________________

Task 4
Fill in the blank with a suitable contrast connector (whereas, but, on the other hand,
although, however, despite, in spite of)
1. _____________ Andrew was warned of the risks, he decided to travel alone to South
America.
2. Maria did not get a promotion ______________ her qualifications.
3. Zambia is a land- locked country, ____________ Kenya has a coastline.
4. On the one hand, you could rent a flat instead of buying one. __________you are always at
the mercy of landlords.
5. This restaurant has a good reputation; ______________ that one does not.
6. The city has a 50 kph limit __________________, people are often caught speeding.
7. You won’t be forgiven ___________________ your apology.
8. We couldn’t find a house to buy _______________we looked at quite a few.
9. He always looks so lonely and sad ____________ his popularity.
10. He is quiet and shy, _________________ his sister is lively and talkative.
Task 5
Rewrite the following sentences using given contrast connectors
1. I couldn’t sleep although I was tired. (despite)
_________________________________________________________________
2. Although he has got an English name, he is in fact German. (despite)
_________________________________________________________________
3. In spite of her injured foot, she managed to walk to the village. (although)
_________________________________________________________________
4. I decided to accept the job although the salary was low. (in spite of)
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_________________________________________________________________
5. We lost the match although we were the better team. (despite)
_________________________________________________________________
6. In spite of not having eaten for 24 hours, I didn’t feel hungry. (even though)
_________________________________________________________________
7. Although she was tired, she went to work. (but)
_________________________________________________________________
8. They went out for a walk, even though the weather was bad. (despite)
_________________________________________________________________
9. She managed to write in spite of her injured hand. (although)
_________________________________________________________________
10. She has plenty of money, but she is very mean. (although)
_________________________________________________________________
C. POST – WRITING
Make the point-by point essay outline on the following topic:
Compare and contrast travelling by car and travelling by train.
OUTLINE
Introduction
Topic Introduction
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph
Point 1:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Examples/Explanation:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Point 2:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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Examples/Explanation:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
Restatement and comment:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II. EXAM PRACTICE
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
Example: I / be / study / English / year.
Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. These/ exercises/ interesting/ than those?
____________________________________________________________
1. Dan/ tall/ boy/ all.
____________________________________________________________
3. Autumn/ fine/ season/ the year.
____________________________________________________________
4. This/ clean/ room/ school.
____________________________________________________________
5. He / speak/ clear/ than / she.
____________________________________________________________
6. He / understand / lesson/ fast/ than/ rest/ class.
____________________________________________________________
7. He/ swim/ far/ other swimmers.
____________________________________________________________
8. We/ speak / English/ the/ fluent/ all.
____________________________________________________________
9. They / play / guitar/ the/ bad/ all.
____________________________________________________________
10. They/ come/ school/ early/ all this morning.
___________________________________________________________

Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. Lizzy has just won a ________ to a world-renowned university. (scholar)

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2. It's ________ arguing with them. They are not going to change their mind. (point)
3. You will need your parents' _______ if you want to go on the school trip. (permit)
4. It's a wonderful restaurant. Great food and excellent service. We _______ recommend it!
(high)
5. Thank you so much for the flowers. It's very ________ of you. (thought)
6. Sarah speaks perfect French as she spent much of her __________ in Canada. (child)
7. I've ________ my wallet. Have you seen it anywhere? (place)
8. Don't forget to ________ the modem when you have finished using it. (connect)
9. Ben sulks like a child when he doesn't get his own way. He's so ________. (mature)
10. Oliver's CV is truly _______ . He's bound to get the job. (impress)

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WRITING 13

I. IN-CLASS ESSAY: OPINION AND COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAYS

A. PRE -WRITING
Review the organization of Opinion essays and Comparison and Contrast essays.
Work in pairs and complete the chart below.
Opinion essays Comparison and Contrast
essays
Introduction ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
Body ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
Conclusion ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________

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B. WHILE-WRITING
In-class essay Writing
C. POST-WRITING
-Peer check.
- Teacher collecting students’ in-class essays for marking at home.
II. EXAM PRACTICE
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.
Example: I / be / study / English / year.
Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. Smoking/ not a/ allow/ class.
____________________________________________________________
1. She/ drive/ all day. She/ drive/ 400 miles.
____________________________________________________________
3. I/ not cook/ good/ my mother.
____________________________________________________________
4. I/ look forward/ work/ you.
____________________________________________________________
5. A man/ black beard/ break/ her house / night before.
_____________________________________________________________
6.Ms. Laine/ go/ home/ work/ last night/ not find/ house.
____________________________________________________________
7. John/ not have/ car/ wash/ over six months.
____________________________________________________________
8. My wife/ not interest / watch/ football.
____________________________________________________________
9. The film / show / television/ three times.
____________________________________________________________
10. He/ arrive/ last night/ after/ you/ go/ sleep.
___________________________________________________________
Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).
1. It's totally-________________that you stayed home when you were sick. (understand)
2. Don't laugh at his stupid jokes! You'll only ______________him to say them again.
(courage)
3. That sidewalk is ________________, I almost fell! (slip)
4. After Monday, I will no longer be a foreigner. I am receiving my ______________
(citizen)!
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5. Arthur will be very lonely unless you________________ him. (friend)

6. Every afternoon, the cooks ________________ their knives in preparation for dinner.
(sharp)
7. I hate being around Mary Lou, she is so ________________ (friendly).
8. The stock market crash of 1929 left my great-grandfather ________________ (penny).
9. I have a class at 8:00 a.m. but I always ________________ (sleep).
10. The groom may _____________ the bride only when their vows have been exchanged.
(veil)

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WRITING 14

I. CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAYS (Part 1)

A. PRE-WRITING
1. The chart below shows the cause and effect relationship. In the blank provided, write the
causes that lead to particular event or situation.
Causes → Event or situation
lots of friends

A successful party

Causes → Event or situation

A successful job interview

2. Think of one event or situation that you want to write about. Brainstorm the causes that
lead to the event or situation and complete the chart below.
Causes → Event or situation

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B. WHILE-WRITING
1. Clustering ideas
Task 1
Look at the chart below. The writer has brainstormed for a cause and effect essay. In the
second chart, cluster the ideas using two categories provided.
Causes Event or situation
A strong body
No injuries
Fast decisions becoming a successful professional athlete
Cooperation with other players
Being fast/agile
Stress management

Mental Clarity Physical Strength

 ___________________________  ___________________________
 ___________________________  ___________________________
 ___________________________  ___________________________

2. Brainstorming vocabulary
Task 2
Think about the type of success you want to write about. Add twomore words to each set.
Circle the words that you would like to use.
1. Success: fame, wealth, status, ___________, ___________.
2. Actions: succeed, accomplish, master, ___________, ___________.
3. Qualities: dedication, perseverance, handwork, ___________, ___________.
4. Results: bring about, result in, and contribute to, ___________, ___________.
On a separate piece of paper, practice using the words in sentences. Use your dictionary for
help.
1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________

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3. Cause and Effect Organization

A cause and effect essay explains why something happens. Bothcauses and effects are
examined in longer essays. Your short essay willfocus only on causes that lead to an event or
situation.
Introduction
The hook engages the reader's interest by personalizing the topic or showing why it is
important for the reader to know about it.
The middle sentences describe the event or situation that is the result of the causes. This
background information helps the reader understand the relationship between the causes and
the effects.
The thesis statement at the end of the introduction states two causes that lead up to the event
or situation. It may also include a comment by the writer that explains whyit is important to
understand the causes of the event.
Body Paragraphs
There are two body paragraphs in the essay, which support the thesis statement by explaining
the causes in detail.
Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that states one cause for the event of
situation.
The sentences that follow support the idea in the topic sentence. These supporting sentences
include details such as examples, description, reasons, and facts to help the reader understand
the relationship between the cause and the event.
Conclusion
The conclusion restates the thesis statement, often using different language.
It summarizes the main causes and their relationship to the event.
It may include a comment by the writer that explains why it is important to understand the
causes of the even.

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Task 3
Examine the organization of the essay by answering the questions below. Then compare
your answers with a partner.
Why Students Are Poor
It is easy to recognize a college student because he or she is carrying books and usually
wearing old pants or jeans and a T-shirt. You will not see a college student driving a new car.
Instead, you will see him at a bus stop or on a bicycle. And at mealtimes, a college student is
more likely to be eating a slice of pizza than dining in a fine restaurant. Very few college
students have extra money to spend on clothes, cars, or good food. There are two main
reasons why being poor is an unavoidable part of the college experience.
The first reason college students are poor is that they cannot work full-time. An eighteen year-
old is an adult with the needs and wants of an adult; however, if that young person is taking
courses at a university or a community college, he or she must spend as much time as possible
studying. Therefore, the student has to sacrifice the extra money that a job would provide in
order to have the freedom to concentrate on classes.
The second reason college students have little money is that they have other expenses that
working adults do not have. A college student must pay tuition fees every semester. A full-
time student usually takes three or four classes each semester, and the fees for these classes
can cost thousands of dollars per year. Also, students need to buy several expensive textbooks
each semester. A single textbook can cost as much as a hundred dollars. Other necessary
expenses include computers, paper, pens, notebooks, and other items needed for school
projects.
Many students cannot afford to attend college full-time, so they have a job and go to school
part-time, but they are still poor because of the cost of attending college. Fortunately, the
causes of student poverty are temporary - most students do not mind because they have the
hope that a college degree will get them a good job and they will have good prospects in the
future.

1. How does the writer catch the reader's attention?

a. with an example that the reader is familiar with
b. with a surprising fact or statistics
c. with a short narrative to set the context

2. Put a check next to the background in formation that appears in the introduction.
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a. what a college student wears.

b. where a college student lives.
c. what a college student eats.
d. what kind of transportation a college student uses.
3. How many causes will be discussed, according to the thesis statement?
4. Does the thesis statement directly state what the causes are?
5. Underline the topic sentences of each paragraph.
6. Do the topic sentences support the thesis statement?
7. Is each topic sentence supported with reasons and explanations?
8. How does the writer comment on the information?
a. suggests the change or solution b. gives opinion
4. The future with will
In a cause and effect essay, you will need to discuss future effects of a cause or a set of
causes. The modal will is often used to talk about the future
 Use will to make predictions. You can also use adverbs like probably or certainly
with will to express a degree of certainty
E.g.: He will win the race.
He will probably be wealthy one day.
 Will is followed by the based form of the verbs
 Use the same form of will with any subjects.

Task 4
Finish the following sentences to make predictions. Using will or will not.
1. A talented actor _________________________________________________________
2. A hard working student ___________________________________________________
3. A dedicated employee ____________________________________________________
4. An overworked and exhausted doctor ________________________________________
5. An employee who has got a lot of personal problems ____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
6. A person who wants to be a millionaire _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Task 5
Complete the following sentences, using the words in the box and will for future prediction.
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There is one extra word that does not need to be used.

travel earn serve anticipate

adore happen not be meet
not have be make

Jim asked a fortune teller about his future. Here is what she told him:
1. You ___________a lot of money.
2. You ___________around the world.
3. You ___________lots of interesting people.
4. Everybody ____________you.
5. You ___________any problems.
6. Many people ___________you.
7. They ___________your wishes.
8. There ____________anything left to wish for.
9. Everything ___________perfect.
10. But all these things __________ only __________if you marry me.

C. POST-WRITING
Make the essay outline on the following topic:
The causes of students’ lateness for school.
Introduction
Hook
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Background information
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Thesis statement
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Body Paragraph
The first cause
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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Examples/reasons
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
The second cause
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Examples/reasons
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
Restatement
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Comment
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II. EXAM PRACTICE
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

Example: I / be / study / English / year.

Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. If farmers/ have no machines/ they/ must/ do/ work/ hand.
____________________________________________________________
2. If the Owen / save/ enough money/ they/ going/ buy/ new freezer.
____________________________________________________________
3. If/ he/ not buy/ pump/, he/ not able/ irrigate.
____________________________________________________________
4. If the soil/ fertilize, it/ yield/ large crop.
____________________________________________________________
5. If they/ not grow enough/ wheat/ they/ have/ import.
____________________________________________________________
6. Unless/ ground/ warm/ seed/ not/ planted.
____________________________________________________________
7. Unless/ plow/ proper/, they/ not/ keep/ rich top soil.
____________________________________________________________
8. Unless/ teacher/ speak/ slow/ student/ not/ understand/ lesson.
____________________________________________________________
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9. Unless/ attend/ class/ regular/, they/ not/ rapid/ progress/ their study.
____________________________________________________________
10. Unless/ enough/ rain, he/ not/ plant/ wheat.
____________________________________________________________
Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).
1. I think we should try something else. That strategy seems way too __________ (risk).
2. My father's death left me with a great ________________ in my heart.(empty)
3. George W. Bush is pretending that he attacked Iraq to ________________ the
Iraqis.(liberty)
4. Americans fought hard to earn their ________________ from Britain.(free)
5. When you work at a nuclear power plant, you have to be extremely
________________ (care).
6. Every time I think I've beaten you, you ________________ me!(do)
7. I had to take three months off when I was pregnant, but my boss has been very
________________ (understand).
8. He will________________ the wine as soon as we are ready for dinner.(cork)
9. You need to work on your orthography so you don't __________ these words.(spell)
10. The weather ________________ looks bad for a picnic--rainy and windy!(cast)

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WRITING 15

I. CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAYS (Part 2)

A. PRE-WRITING
Students work in pairs to make first conditional sentences by participating in the
game:Sentence halves.
B. WHILE-WRITING
Expressing Future Possibility With If Clauses
Sentences with an ifclause show a cause-and-effect relationship. The if clause introduces a
passible situation (the cause). The main clause talks about the possible result (the effect) of
the situation.
Use the present tense in the ifclause and will in the main clause.
Cause Effect
If X happens, Y will happen, too.
Do not use will in the ifclause.
E.g.:
- If the price of oil will increase, people will drive less. (incorrect)
- If the price of oil increases, people will drive less.(correct)

Task 1
Complete the following sentences, using first conditional sentences to show cause and
effect relationship.

1. Will you __________ if I cook dinner?

2. My parents will be worried if _____________.

3. If my boyfriend asks me to marry him, I _____________.
4. If the camera is very expensive, I _____________.

5. If ____________, we'll be cold.

6. ___________ if he does well in his exams.

7. You'll be late for school if ___________.

8. If they play computer games all night, ________________.

Task 2
Combine the ideas below so that they form one sentence with an if clause.
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1. (money managers/ be disciplined/ achieve financial goals).

_____________________________________________________________________
2. (applicant/ interview well/ receive job offer).
_____________________________________________________________________
3. (restaurant/ serve delicious food/ be successful).
_____________________________________________________________________
4. (I/ work hard/ promoted).
_____________________________________________________________________
5. (parents/ good at problem solving/ be successful at raising children).
_____________________________________________________________________
6. (she/ invest money wisely/ become wealthy).
_____________________________________________________________________
7. (student/ study hard/ graduate college).
_____________________________________________________________________
8. (you/ exercise regularly/ healthy in old age).
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Using sentence connectors to show causes
Because /since/as and because of/ due to/ on account of/ owing to are connective
prepositions that relate additional, nonessential information to the main clause.
Because/since/as is complemented by a clause and because of/ due to/ on account of/ owing is
complemented by a noun phrase (NP) that states a reason (cause) for the effect stated in the
main clause.
E.g.:
Because the weather was bad the match was cancelled.
We had to cancel the match because of bad weather.
I was late owing to the fact that the train broke down.

Task 3
Complete the sentences below, using the words suggested.
1. He must be asleep ________________________________.(using because)
2. I helped him _____________________________________. (using due to)
3. ______________________________, he was told to vacate the room. (using since)
4. __________________________________, we will have to stay at home. (using as)
5. __________________________________, we stayed at home. (using on account of)
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6. __________________________________, we will have to go without him.(using

owing to the fact that)
7. __________________________________, he had difficulties finding a job.(using
because of)
Task 4
Correct the mistakes with connectors.
1. Because I needed to miss a meeting, so I notified the group.
2. She doesn't like being in buses. Because they are always dirty.
3. The room was very cold, for that I turned on the heater.
4. He missed the early train because he was late for the job interview.
5. Because the alarm was not set. We were late for work.
6. Due to school was canceled, we went to the mall.
Task 5
Complete the following sentences withbecause/ since/ as, due to, because of, owing to, so.
1. We stayed inside __________ it was raining.
2. I wanted to leave early __________ I was not enjoying the party.
3. The girl stayed at home _________ her illness.
4. We were late __________ the traffic jam.
5. She didn’t love cats ________ she wasn’t happy when her husband brought two kittens
home.
6. Ravi didn’t play _________ his illness.
7. _________ I was tired, I went to bed early.
8. _________ the bad weather, we cancelled the trip.
9. __________ I was having a nice time, I decided to stay longer.
10. She couldn’t walk ___________ she had broken her leg.
III. POST-WRITING
Students practise first conditional sentences to show cause and effect relationship by
participating in the game: Consequence Chains.

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B. EXAM PRACTICE: SENTENCE BUILDING

Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add more words and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

Example: I / be / study / English / year.

Answer: I have been studying English for a year.
1. If farmers/ use/ hybrid seeds, they/ would/ larger/ crops.
____________________________________________________________
2. If farmer/ have/ enough machinery, he/ would/ produce/ more food/ less labour.
____________________________________________________________
3. If machine/ properly maintain/, it/ would/ longer.
____________________________________________________________
4. If / country/ had/ tropical climate/ it / raise/ bananas.
____________________________________________________________
5. If she/ not practise English/ everyday/, she would/ speak/ fluent.
____________________________________________________________
6. If / I / have/ free time/, I would/ able/ come/ see him.
____________________________________________________________
7. If he/ not have/ large English vocabulary/, he / couldn’t / books/ English/ fast.
____________________________________________________________
8. If/ lecturer spoke/ louder/, all audience/ hear/ him/ clear.
____________________________________________________________
9. If they/ not/ hurry/, they could not/ first/ part/ movie.
____________________________________________________________
10. If he had dictionary, he/ translate/ text/ Vietnamese/ two hours.
____________________________________________________________
Task 2
For each question, fill the space in the sentence using the base word given in bold at the end.
The required word may be a noun, adverb, adjective or verb and it may be either positive (e.g.
helpful) or negative (e.g. unhelpful).

1. I adore sentimental love stories. I'm very________________ (romance)

2. My cousin used to be rather silly but he's more ________________these days. (sense)

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3. You're in a________________ mood this morning.(cheer)

4. The service offers young people________________ advice on finding a job. (practice)
5. Could you give me a quick ________________of how it works? (explain)
6. I thought the film was really________________ (excite)
7. Sonya is the most ________________girl in the class. (intelligence)
8. I never get ________________with watching football. (bore)
9. My sister's hobbies are quite ________________from mine. (differ)
10. My boyfriend is very________________ (attract)

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WRITING 16
REVISION

I. ESSAY WRITING
A. PRE-WRITING
Connectors in Essay Writing
above all from my point of view then
therefore whereas because of this
furthermore even so however
firstly instead such as

Use the connectors in the box once only to fill the gaps.
1. _____________, I'd like to say that I agree and, secondly, explain why.
2. Camels live in the desert, ___________________ dolphins live in the sea.
3. In the end, we didn't go to the cinema. We went to the theatre ________________.
4. I think, __________________ I am.
5. Spain produces oranges, __________________ in Valencia.
6. ___________________, the continued use of fossil fuels is now the biggest threat to
humanity.
7. I don't like strawberry ice cream. ________________, I love chocolate flavour.
8. The government is having problems with illegal immigration. _______________, their
economic policies are falling.
9. The weather was bad. ___________________, the fishermen still went to sea.
10. It started raining. ___________________, we decided not to go.
11. Firstly, we have to think about our budget and ___________________ how much time we
have.
12. I love the soft French cheese, ______________ Camembert.

B. WHILE-WRITING
END-OF-LEVEL EXAMINATION: MOCK TEST FOR LEVEL 3
Task 1
Complete the sentences below. You can add morewords and make any changes with the
given words, but you must keep their order.

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Example: I / be / study / English / year.

Answer: I have been studying English for a year.

1. When/ you return/ book borrow/ last week/?

_________________________________________________________________
2. People/ think/ earth/ flat.
_________________________________________________________________
3. She know/ computer/ when 7 years old/?
_________________________________________________________________
4. How/ she know/ you stay/ my house/?
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5. I decided/ letter of complaint/ editor of the times/
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6. Mrs. Brown/ report/ theft/ police/ immediately/.
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7. How much money/ you spend/ clothes last/ Christmas/?
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8. You/ say /your/ letter /you/ like /visit /us /summer/.
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9. Why didn’t / do / it / as / told /?
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10. When / get on / plane / fasten / seat belt /.
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Task 2
For questions 11-20, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each
line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.

The Real Walkers Company offers a selection of small group

walking holidays which explore some delightful hidden
corners of Europe, the Americas and Australasia. There is
something for everyone to enjoy on these holidays, (11) ……. REGARD
of age or level of (12) ……….. The brochure includes various FIT
destinations and a range of itineraries. These range from

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Department of Academic Foundations, VNU-IS
 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR LEVEL 2 -WRITING

sightseeing tours of (13) ………. cities to undemanding HISTORY

walking trips in unspoilt coastal and country regions and, for
the more (14) ……….. traveller, challenging mountain or hill- ADVENTURE
walking expeditions. But it would be (15) …………. to give FAIR
the impression that these holidays are just about walking.
According to the brochure, an (16) ………… of walking is ENJOY
often the thing that brings together a group of like-minded
people, who share the (17) ………… of good companionship PLEASE
in (18) ……….. surroundings. The company believes that its ATTRACT
tour leaders are the key to its success. These people are (19) FULL
…………..trained and are particularly keen to (20) ………… SURE
that each individual traveller makes the most of their trip.

Task 3
Essay Writing: a 200- word essay on a given topic.
C. POST-WRITING
Feedback and answers on students’ mock tests.

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Department of Academic Foundations, VNU-IS