Composition through pictures

The aim of this activity is to start writing properly. First, you have to look at the two pictures carefully. Once you have understood what the story is about, you have to read the next pic; it will guide you on how to start doing your writing: 

Nº 1: Vocabulary you can use

Nº 2: Some structures you can use to give information

Nº 3: You are given some questions to answer. First, answer the questions (write isolated sentences) and then try to put all the information together as if you were writing a paragraph. 

Nº 4: Tell somebody else how to make a model aeroplane. (Remember the kind of text you should use)

If you have doubts, simply contact me

Narrative tenses (1)

Past tenses

1.     Past simple

We use the past simple

a)     to talk about single past actions or a clear sequence of past actions.

Remember:

We don´t have to repeat the subject if it doesn´t change.

She opened the envelope, (she) took out the letter and smiled.

b)    to talk about past states.

I taught in that school for thirteen years.

2.     Past continuous

We use the past continuous

a)     to describe past actions which were in progress at a given time or period in the past.

b)    at the beginning of a narrative we use the past continuous to set the scene:

The lawyers were looking through their papers preparing their arguments for the trial to come. The defendant´s wife was anxiously twisting a handkerchief between her fingers.

c)     to show an action was in progress when another action took place:

We were watching TV when we heard a loud bang from the street below.

d)    to show that different actions were in progress at the same time:

While we were lying on the beach someone was going through our things in the hotel room.

Remember:

We can often leave out was/were and use the present participle on its own. As in the past simple, we don´t have to repeat the subject if it doesn´t change:

Shoppers were crowding round the counter, (they were) snatching bargains from under each other´s noses.

3.     Past perfect

We use the past perfect

a)     to show that an action happened earlier than a later action:

By the time we got there, the film had already started.

Remember:

The past perfect is also used in the condition clause of the third conditional, and to express past regrets with wish.

4.     Past perfect continuous:

We use the past perfect continuous:

a)     to show that an action had started and was still in progress when another action took place:

We had been studying there for ages when the night bus finally turned up.

b)    to describe repeated actions up to a point in the past:

I had been ringing her all morning but I couldn´t get a reply.

Vocabulary: Books and films

A series (n) is a basic story but may have many different stories or characters in each episode. TV series can continue over many seasons.	A serial (n) is one story divided into a number of episodes. The last episode completes the story.
A playwright (n) is a person who writes plays.	A novelist (n) is a person who writes novels.
An episode (n) is one quantity of viewing in a serial.	A chapter (n) is one of the parts that a book is divided into.
A classic (n) is a piece of writing of high quality which has become a standard against which other works are judged.	Mythology (n) refers to the well-known stories made up in the past to explain natural events or to justify religious beliefs or social customs.
A heroine (n) is a female hero (main character with good qualities)	The villain (n) is the main bad character.
The characters (n) are the people in the book or film.	The plot (n) is the storyline.
A script (n) is the version of the novel that has been adapted for TV, radio or film.	A novel (n) is a book containing a long story about imaginary characters.
A scene (n) in a novel, film or play is part of it in which a series of events happen in the same place.	Scenery (n) is the land, water or plants that you can see around.
The location (n) is the place where something is filmed.	If something is set (v) somewhere, it is located there.
The narrator (n) is the person whose voice tells the story.	Fiction (n) is stories about imaginary people or events.

Pronouns, Possessives and Quantifiers

You can download some activities related to that topic by clicking the following link.

http://www.4shared.com/office/aaHvhH5U/Pronouns_Quantifiers_Possessiv.html?

You can write and ask any doubt you have.

Kind regards

A formal/semi-formal letter/email

Formal expressions

Opening salutation              Closing salutation

Dear Sir or Madam               Yours faithfully

Dear Mr Rylands                           Yours sincerely/Best regards

Dear Martin                          Best wishes

Reasons for writing

                                             to… (request/complain about/inform…)

I am writing                          in response to…

                                              in connection to…

Referring to previous contact

Thank you for your letter/email…

With regard

Further

                                             to your letter dated….

Give good/bad news

I would be delighted to…

We would be happy to…

Unfortunately…

Refer to future contact

I look forward to hearing from you

                                             have any further questions

If you                                                                please do not hesitate to contact me.

                                             Require any further information,

Extra writing practice

Write an answer to this question. Write your answer in 120-180 words in an appropriate style.

You have seen an advertisement on your school notice board to have a pen friend in the United Kingdom with the chance to stay in England for a week in the summer. In return your pen friend would also visit you.  Write a letter to introduce yourself for the first time. You should begin your letter Dear Pen Friend…

Countable and uncountable nouns and their determiners

ü Countable nouns

A countable noun is a clearly separate unit which can be easily counted. When there is more than one, they can be made plural: tables, chairs, students, cats, ideas, thoughts, people, children.

ü Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are things or notions which cannot be counted (or only counted with difficulty) or abstract nouns and notions. They include liquids, mass, abstract nouns and things such as water, oil, butter, sand, information, happiness, hair, spaghetti.

Remember: in some languages uncountable nouns such as hair, information, news and advice are countable.

ü Determiners

Determiners come before nouns. Which one we choose depends on whether the noun it introduces is countable or uncountable.

We can make uncountable nouns appear countable by putting the name of a container, a quantity/weight/its length, or a piece of before it:

A bottle of water, a jar of instant coffee, a slice of cake, a tin of soup, a packet of biscuits, 200 grams of butter, a grain of sand, a piece of information, etc.

v Determiners with countable and uncountable nouns

Ø We use all

Before plural countable nouns [C] and uncountable nouns [U] to express the idea of “all the ones”:

All the students left early. [C]

Ø We use every

Before single countable nouns and uncountable nouns to express the idea of “every one” (we drop the use of a/the):

Every student left early. [C]

Ø We use some

Before plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns:

She met some interesting people while she was on holiday. [C]

I asked for an information.

I asked for some information about language courses. [U]

In requests and offers, particularly when we expect the answer to be “yes”:

Could you give me some advice about which wallpaper to choose? [U]

Would you pass me some more coffee, please? [C]

Is there some of that lovely cake left? [C]

Ø We use any

Before plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns to express the idea of “all or nothing”:

Any child can use this computer programme. = all children [C]

You can´t come and see me any time. = there is no limit. [U]

Oh dear, there isn´t any sugar left. = none at all. [U]

š Remember:

We place not before any to express the idea of no. We use not any/no before plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns:

There weren´t any students in the classroom/There were no students in the classroom. [C]

We place hardly before any to express the idea of “not a lot”:

There were hardly any customers in the shop. [C]

We place have before any to ask about the existence or availability of something:

Do you have any milk? [U]

v Some/any/no + one/body/where/thing

Add some/any/no before one/body/where/thing to create indefinite pronouns:

These follow the same rules of form as some and any:

There is someone outside.

Really! I can´t see anyone/anybody.

There was nowhere to park.

We couldn´t find anywhere to park.

v Much and any; a lot of and lots of

Ø We use many with countable nouns, and much with uncountable nouns:

Many students leave their revision to the last minute.

The changes to the exam have encouraged much discussion.

Ø However, a lot of/lots of are used with both countable and uncountable nouns. We tend to use them instead of much and many in positive statements:

A lot of/Lots of students use bi-lingual dictionaries.

Harry wasted a lot of/lots of time crying to mend the Play Station.

š Remember:

Lots of, loads of, plenty of are considered to be less formal than a lot of:

Don’t worry about me, I´ve got lots/loads/plenty of friends.

Ø Much and many are generally reserved for negative statements and questions:

How much time do we have before we need to leave?

We don´t have much money left.

How many people have you invited?

We weren´t expecting so many people at the open-day.

v Few and a few/little and a little

We use few/a few with countable nouns and little/a little with uncountable nouns. A few and a little mean “some”, while few and little mean “not much/many”, or “less than normal or what we would usually expect:

A few (= some) students know how to pronounce “th” properly.

Few (= not very many) students carry on to take the Proficiency exam.

There´s a little (= some) bit of coffee left, who would like to finish it?

There´s little (= not much) point in trying to learn anything now.

Several

Several is used with countable plural nouns. It has a similar meaning to a few (i.e. three or four):

There were several people waiting in the doctor´s surgery.

A great (large) number (amount) of great (good) deal of

We use a great/large number of with plural countable nouns:

A great number of tourists were affected by the strike.

NOT: A great deal of tourists....

We use a great/good deal of with uncountable nouns to mean “many” or “much”:

The strike caused a great deal of inconvenience. NOT: The strike cause a large number of inconvenience.

A review

This is an example of a review.

Extra writing practice:

You recently saw this notice in an English-language magazine called Cinema World.

Tell us about your favourite film of the year!

What was your favourite film of the last few months? Write us a review of the film you saw (120-180 words). Include information on the characters, the style of the film and explain why you liked it so much. The best reviews will be published next month.