Your Writing Skills......................................................................

WRITING SKILLS PRACTICE

Ноздрачова Олена,

ЗОШ 11

м. Чернівці,2019

Writing Skills Practice

Yuna’s Important Day

Aims

• To develop writing skills in the context of writing a short story
• To develop the ability to identify and use narrative tenses when writing
• To develop the ability to work co-operatively in pairs or in a small group

Age group

Teenagers

Level

B2

Time

One hour 10 minutes

Materials

• Worksheet 1
• Answer key for Worksheet 1
• Worksheet 2

Procedure

1. Preparation (8 minutes)

Put students into pairs or groups of three. They can do all the activities in these groups. Students should be encouraged to speak as much English as possible when they discuss the answers to the exercises and plan their short stories.

Give each group a copy of the first page of worksheet 1.

Students read the story at the bottom of the page then work together to answer the six true/false sentences in the exercise entitled “Preparation”.

When students have finished, check the answers to this exercise using the answer key.

Answer any questions your students may have about this exercise.

2. Check your understanding: multiple choice (5 minutes)

Give your students page 2 of worksheet 1. Students work together and read the story again then circle the correct answers in Exercise 1 entitled “Check your understanding: multiple choice”.

When students have finished, check the answers to this exercise using the answer key.

Answer any questions your students may have about this exercise.

3. Check your writing: matching – tenses (5 minutes)

Ask your students to complete Exercise 2 on the bottom half of page 2 entitled “Check your writing: matching – tenses”.

When students have finished, check the answers to this exercise using the answer key.

Answer any questions your students may have about this exercise.

4. Check your writing: gap fill – tenses (5 minutes)

Ask your students to do Exercise 3 on page 3 of worksheet 1.

When students have finished, check the answers to this exercise using the answer key.

Answer any questions your students may have about this exercise.

5.Writing a story – planning stage (12 minutes)

Give each group or pair a copy of worksheet 2. Tell your students they are going to write a short story of between 120 -180 words in length in their pairs or groups. The story must begin with the following sentence: “While Yuna was having breakfast, she knew that this was going to be a very important day in her life.”

Explain that a good story should be well planned. Ask students to plan their stories by discussing questions 1 – 6 on worksheet 2

While students discuss their ideas you should circulate giving support to the groups and helping provide ideas if necessary.

After 10 minutes, ask some groups to explain their ideas to the rest of the class.

6. Writing the story (25 minutes)

Ask students to begin writing their stories and tell them they should finish in 25 minutes.

7. Students read each other’s stories (10 minutes)

As groups finish their stories, let students read each other’s work and ask them if they understand and like the stories of other groups.

8. Follow up and feedback

In the following lesson, you could copy some of the best stories and give them to the whole class to read. Students could work in small groups and decide what mark they would give each story (5 = excellent, 4 = good, 3 = pass, 2 = narrow fail and 1 = fail). Students should justify their marks by commenting on the content of the story, organization and range and accuracy of language.

Answers to A story – exercises

1.Preparation

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. True

1. Check your understanding: multiple choice

1. tired and a bit anxious
2. well prepared
3. on the bus
4. lent him some money
5. easy
6. cake

2. Check your writing: matching – tenses

1. c
2. e
3. d
4. b
5. a

3. Check your writing: gap fill – tenses

1. had been walking
2. went
3. had locked
4. was travelling
5. was raining
6. had warned
7. were getting
8. had been training