Writing skills and writing

1 Look at the examples of ways of joining information in sentences. Then answer the question.

Examples:

A New Year is a time for families to get together and people often travel long distances to be with their families.

B It can last as long as two weeks, starting on the first day of the month.

C Another custom, which is less popular now, is 'first-footing'.

D To help you succeed, you need to include other people.

Which example relates to which description of sentence structure?

1. a main clause with a relative clause Example ___
2. two clauses joined with a conjunction Example ___
3. a clause plus an -ing phrase Example ___
4. a clause plus an infinitive phrase Example ___

2 Read the letter. Then rewrite it, joining the short sentences into longer ones.

Use a mixture of different ways to join the information, for example:

• relative clauses with which and who
• infinitive and -ing phrases
• conjunctions like so, but, because, when

The sign [+] shows where sentences can be joined.

My parents recently decided to move to Garton. [+] Garton is a seaside town in the north-west of the country. It's obviously quite a big change for me. [+] I'm a bit worried. [+] It's also quite exciting at the same time.

Actually, we know the area quite well. [+] We went on holiday there several times. [+] My brother and I were young then. There are quite a lot of things to do there. [+] These include walking in the hills, fishing in the rivers and of course going to the beach. That's fine for me. [+] It's not so good for my brother. [+] He likes going out to the cinema and places like that. Garton isn't near any big towns. [+] There is a train service to Laniton. [+] Laniton is a city with cinemas, theatres and so on.

We've decided to wait until the end of the school year. [+] The reason is to make it easier for me to change schools. [+] We won't move till the summer. I'm pleased about that because the exam period is quite soon. [+] It starts in the middle of May. I'm trying not to think about the move. [+] I need to concentrate on school work. [+] I keep imagining how different life is going to be though.

3. When you have finished, compare your letter with a partner.

1 Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

An English-speaking friend wants to learn Arabic.

1. What do you think English speakers might find most difficult about Arabic?
2. What is the best way to learn it?
3. What other advice would you give?

2 Read part of a letter from an English-speaking friend.

I've made a resolution: I'm going to learn Arabic. As you know, I can speak it a little and understand very basic conversations, but I can't read or write it. So, basically, I just want to get better.

What's the best way to do this, and what do you think I might find difficult? I'm a bit lazy, so have you got any other advice that could help me to stick to it and not give up?

Any ideas will be very welcome!

3. Write a reply to the letter, using ideas from your discussion and advice from the text in Period 4.

Thanks for your letter. It was good to hear from you.

So, you've decided ___

___

First, you say you 'just want to get better'. The problem with this resolution is ___

Anyway, the hardest part for you might be ___

I think you should ___

In general, ___

I hope this helps. Good luck!

4. Think about a resolution you might make for the future. Then complete the plan.

Resolution: I want to ___

My goal: ___

Steps toward the goal: ___

What could go wrong: ___

My chance of success (%): ___

• New Year customs in different countries
• making and keeping resolutions
• dealing with unfamiliar vocabulary
• question words with the suffix -ever
• words with the prefix under-
• describing people with compound adjectives like dark-haired
• phrasal verbs with away and other particles
• compound adjectives made from nouns + -ing forms
• joining information in sentences
• writing advice letters