Email to a friend

1. B2 – Writing skills
Unit 1 – Making contact and giving news

2. • Lead in – different images – news (5 mins)
• Discussion questions – giving and receiving news (10 mins)
• Writing – understanding the task (5 mins)
• Writing – understanding the reader (5 mins)
• Writing – brainstorming the topic (5 mins)
• Vocabulary building skills – positive / negative (10 mins)
• Writing – writing your introduction (5 mins) 45
• Writing – thinking about paragraphing (10 mins)
• Game / filler (10 mins)
• Writing – Reordering paragraphs (10 mins)
• Writing – Writing the conclusion – finishing off (10 mins)
• Speaking practice – describing photos (10 mins)
• Writing – Proofreading work (10 mins)
• Speaking practice – role plays (10 mins)
• Vocabulary from the class quiz (5 mins)

4. • Have you ever received news that made you extremely
happy? What was it?
• How do you prefer to receive important news: in person, by
phone, or via email?
• Can you describe a time when you received unexpected
news? How did you feel?
• What kind of news stories do you follow most often (sports,
celebrity, political)?
• Have you ever had to give someone bad news? How did you
do it?
• How has the way people receive news changed in the last 10
years?

5. 1. In an English-speaking country
2. Studying
3.A friend
4. One topic (the school), two different aspects

10. Building/Classrooms
Positive: brightly decorated, spacious
Negative: cramped, depressing, gloomy, noisy
Classmates
Positive: friendly, fun, funny, helpful, interesting, kind,
Negative: boring, noisy
Teachers
Positive: encouraging, helpful, kind, interesting, friendly. fun, funny, motivating, well
organised, stimulating
Negative: disorganised, boring, strict, demanding
Lessons
Positive: interesting, fun, helpful, motivating, stimulating. well organised
Negative: boring, disorganised, long, noisy
Facilities
Positive: well organised, helpful,
Negative: disorganised,
Location
Positive: spacious
Negative: gloomy, noisy

11. b. Olga also gives recent news about her
busy time getting ready to go to
England.

12. 1. Thanks for your long letter. It was really great to hear all your
news, after not hearing from you for ages. Congratulations on
passing your driving test!“
2. "How are things with you? I'm sorry I haven't written for so
long, but I have been taking some very important exams at school,
and I have had to stay up late studying every night for the past
month! I'm glad it's all over now, so that I can finally reply to your
last letter."

14. Extract 2 is easier to read, because it has put positive ideas in one
paragraph, and negative ideas in the other.
Extract 1 mixes the topics and has no paragraphs.

19. What’s the
little boy
going to
become when
his little
brother or
sister is born?

20. ?

21. ?

22. ?

23. __________ing
Will he
still be an
only child
after his
brother or
sister is
born?

24. ?
What situation
did they enter
after having
their baby?
Mum and dad = ?

26. sending
write tell
news
give/send parents, brother, etc
write next summer
like
come
soon

27. • Look at the two photos you have.
• You need to compare and contrast them.
• You also need to answer the question.
• Describe the photos a little to begin with.
• When you finish your partner will answer a question
about your photos.
• Then you change roles.

28. How are these
relationships
different?
Follow up question
Are you still friends
with anyone from
your school? If no,
why not?

29. How are these
types of friends
different?
Follow up question
Can online friends
become real
friends? How

31. 1. I'm sorry I haven't written...
2. I'm very interested...
3. I'm looking forward to seeing...
4. Please tell me..

32. 5. when I arrive....
6... what did you see there?
7 I have been waiting to...
8 I arrived in London...

34. • You are going to act out some scenes on
different topics.
• Student (A) will need to ask for some
information.
• Student (B) will have the information to
give.

35. Scene one “You are talking to a
friend”
• Student (A) You notice your friend is unhappy and
want to find out what is wrong.
• Student (B) You have a problem, invent something,
but you are reluctant discuss it. Answer your
friends questions.
• You can talk about the problem, how they feel and
what they can do about it.
• Ask questions, give information and try to solve
your friend’s problem.

36. Scene two “You are at a new club”
• Student (A) You have just joined the club and want to
make new friends. Ask questions to find out more
about the club.
• Student (B) You have been a member at the club for a
while. Invent what type of club it is and answer their
questions.
• You can talk about , activities , people at the club,
when you meet and what you do.
• Ask questions, give information and help the person
understand how the club works.