UNIT 1

COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATIVE OBJECTIVES

Speaking

Asking for and giving personal information

Describing people’s appearance
Talking about possessions
Telling the time
Talking about routines, habits, likes and dislikes, scientific facts and permanent situations
Talking about things happening now, things changing, and temporary activities around the
present
Talking about annoying habits

Listening

Listening to a person talking about their daily routine

Listening to phone messages

Reading

Reading an article about London

Reading an article about text messaging

Writing

Writing an informal letter

10
OVERVIEW

READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY

Anticipating content through To be and have (got) Cognates
your knowledge of the world
Present simple Adjectives with prepositions
Getting the general idea from Present continuous
the first and last sentences in
paragraphs Stative and dynamic verbs

LISTENING SPEAKING WRITING

Listening for specific information. Keeping a conversation going Thinking about what you want
with wh- questions to write
Using picture clues to anticipate
content Organising your ideas into
paragraphs

INDEX
READING 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
COMPREHENSION CHECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
GRAMMAR 1: To be and have (got) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
LISTENING 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
GRAMMAR 2: Present simple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
STOP AND SEND 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
READING 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
VOCABULARY BUILDING 1: Cognates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
LISTENING 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
GRAMMAR 3: Present continuous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SPEAKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
VOCABULARY BUILDING 2: Adjectives with prepositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
GRAMMAR 4: Stative and dynamic verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
STOP AND SEND 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
WRITING: An informal letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
STOP AND SEND 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
MY LEARNER DIARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

11
UNIT 1
READING 1

Reading strategy: Before you read a text, think about what you know
about the topic. This will help you understand the text better.

1. Mark the sentences true or false. Then read the text to check.

True or False

1. London is the capital of Scotland.

2. London has got 6 million inhabitants.

3. New York is more culturally diverse than London.

4. More than 300 languages are spoken in London.

5. The different communities living in London

keep their cultural identities.

London: a colourful tapestry or a cultural melting pot?

Jia is a taxi driver and works in London. She is Chinese but she has got a typical London
black cab. She loves her job because she meets people from around the world. She speaks
several languages and loves learning new languages in her taxi. “There aren’t many cities in
the world where you can listen to the radio in Arabic, do your shopping in Hindi and have a
conversation with your friends in Mandarin,” she says. You can do all these things - and more
- in London. Over twelve million people live in the capital of the UK. London is not the biggest
capital city in the world, but it is the most culturally diverse. Over 300 different languages are
regularly spoken in the capital. London is the most cosmopolitan city in Europe, and only New
York comes close as a multi-cultural and pluri-lingual city.

People are generally better at learning other languages if they live in an environment where
more than one language is spoken. In London, there are 33 communities of more than 10,000
people who were born outside England. There are another 12 communities of more than
5,000. One of the biggest groups is the Irish, who number more than 200,000. At the other
end of the scale is the Mauritian community, with around 14,000 members. Often people in
the same ethnic group tend to live close together, so there is a large Japanese community in
Finchley, and a big concentration of people from Hong Kong in Barnet. In this way, people
from different countries and cultures keep their identities and languages alive. London is more
like a colourful tapestry, rather than a cultural melting pot.

Jia is a good example. “I’m happy in London,” she says. “I’m from China and I live in
Chinatown but London is my home now. I’m British too!”

12
 COMPREHENSION CHECK

1. Write answers to the questions.

1. What is Jia’s job?

_______________________________________
2. What type of taxi has she got?

_______________________________________
3. When are people generally better at learning other languages?

___________________________________________________
4. Which is bigger: the Irish community in London, or the Mauritian community?

_____________________________________________________________
5. What happens when people from the same ethnic group live close together?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Correct these false sentences.

1. Jia doesn’t like learning new languages.

_______________________________________
2. Tokyo is the most culturally diverse capital city in the world.

________________________________________________
3. Everybody in New York has the same culture.

_______________________________________
4. Many people from Hong Kong live in Finchley.

_______________________________________
5. Jia lives in Barnet.

_______________________________________

3. Find words with a similar meaning to these in the text.

1. varied (paragraph 1) __________ 3. maintain (paragraph 2) _________

2. routinely (paragraph 1) __________ 4. a piece of cloth (paragraph 2) _________

13
UNIT 1
GRAMMAR 1: to be and have (got)

1. Study the rules and complete the

sentences.
To be or not to be...
We use to be:
- to give personal information
- to talk about qualities and location
We use have (got)
- to talk about possessions
- to describe physical appearance

has got have got are am is

1. Yang _____ Chinese. She _____ 32. She _____ black hair.

2. Where _____ you from Yang? I _____ from Beijing. It _____ the capital of China.

3. What _____ your job? I _____ a taxi driver. I _____ a taxi in London.

2. Complete the grammar tables.

to be
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I _______ _____ _____ I?
you/we/they are _____ _____ you?
he/she ______ _____ _____ he?

have (got)
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I/you/we/they have got _____ ___ I ___?
he/she/it ______ _____ _____ he ____?

3. Listen to check, then repeat.

NOTE

We say: I'm He's They're I've got He's got

We write: I am He is They are I have got He has got

14
 GRAMMAR PRACTICE 1
1. Complete the descriptions with a form of to be or have got.

1. Pete ____ Scottish. He_____ in his thirties. He ______ two brothers and a sister. They _____
fair hair and blue eyes like their parents. Pete _____ unemployed at the moment. He ______
a car so he has to take the bus to travel around the city.

2. Both my grandparents _____ retired. They _____ a small flat on the coast where they live most
of the year. They ____ quite happy because it ____ sunny and they do what they like.

3. I _____ in my twenties. I _____ quite strong and athletic. I ______ from Portugal but at the
moment I live in Madrid. My photo _____ often on the cover of sports newspapers. Who ______I?

2. Write sentences about Stuart Philips with the information in the table.

Name: Stuart Philips

Age: 23
Place of birth: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: actor and part-time waiter
Looks: tallish, dark hair and brown eyes
Favourite possession: my scooter!

1. He’s 23 years old.

2. _______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________

3. Write the questions in the interview.

1. Where are you from? I’m from France.

2. _________________________________? I’m twenty-six.

3. _________________________________? I’m a disc jockey.

4. _________________________________? Yes, I’ve got a Renault Megane.

5. _________________________________? No, I haven’t. I’m an only child.

15
UNIT 1
LISTENING 1
Listening strategy: Before you listen, read the questions carefully. What information are
you listening for? You do not need to understand everything. Listen only for information
to answer the questions.

1. Read the questions, then listen and answer.

1. What does Ben do?

a) He teaches English.
b) He works in a hotel.
c) He is a student.
2. Where does he work?
a) He works in London.
b) He works in Spain.
c) He works in Brighton.
3. Where are his students from?
a) They are from all over the world.
b) They are from Spain.
c) They are from Italy.
4. What time does he go to bed during the week?
a) at 10
b) at 11
c) at midnight

2. Listen again and complete the times Ben mentions.

a) a quarter to eight
b) at seven
c) at a quarter past nine
d) at half past six

Yes and no! It's a long day. I always get up __________ in the morning and then I have
breakfast. I take a train into Brighton at _________ and I start work ________. I usually
finish ___________, sometimes later.

3. Complete the sentences with at, to, during or past.

a) 7:15 is the same as a quarter ____ seven.

b) From Monday to Friday is the same as _____ the week.
c) 8:45 is the same as a quarter ____ nine.
d) At 12 o'clock at night is the same as ____ midnight.

16
GRAMMAR 2: Present simple
1. Match the rules to the sentences.

I always get up early!

We use the present simple:

1. to talk about routines and habits ____
2. to talk about likes and dislikes ____
3. to talk about scientific facts ____
4. to talk about permanent situations ____

a) I speak French very well.

b) My dad usually watches TV in the evening.
c) I don't like speaking in public.
d) Water boils at 100º Celsius.

2. Complete the table with these words.

likes like don't like doesn’t like does/like do/like

to like
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I/you/we/they like _____ __ you ___?

he/she/it ______ _____ ___ he ___?

3. Listen to check, then repeat.

NOTE
Spelling of third person
Verbs ending in -ch,-s,-sh,-x add -es: miss-misses/finish-finishes/watch-watches.
Verbs ending in a consonant +y change y to i and add –es: study-studies/try-tries.
Do and go add –es: do-does/go-goes.
Other verbs add –s: play-plays/see-sees/run-runs.

17
UNIT 1
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 2
1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

rain hate live love meet work

1. Amanda works for a multinational company.

2. How often ___________ you ___________ your friends?
3. My sister __________ fish. She never eats it.
4. I ___________ swimming in the sea.
5. It _________ more in London than in Rome.
6. Josh _________ in Brooklyn.

2. Complete the dialogues with the correct form of to do.

1. John: _____ you like sports?
Sue: Yes, I ____ . I really like football and tennis but I ____ like swimming.
2. Joe: My brother is addicted to the internet. Sometimes he _____ go to bed until 3 or 4 in the
morning.
Helen: Really? What ____ your parents do about it?
Joe: They tell him to turn off the computer but he ______ do it.

3. Write the third person form of these verbs.

1. play _______ 2. wash ______ 3. study ______ 4. hurry ______
5. wear _______ 6. speak _____ 7. enjoy ______ 8. watch ______

4. Make questions for these answers.

1. ______________________________? I usually get up at 7 am.
2. ______________________________? No, I don’t. On Saturdays I get up late.
3. ______________________________? Yes, I play tennis in the morning.

We use frequency adverbs (always, usually, sometimes, rarely, never) with the present
simple. Frequency adverbs normally go before the main verb but after the verb to be.
We never go to the opera. Juan is always late.

5. How often do you do these actions? Use frequency adverbs.

1. send e-mails I sometimes send e-mails to my friends.

2. buy a newspaper
3. go to the cinema
4. watch a football match
5. go shopping for clothes
6. speak English
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________

18
 STOP AND SEND 1
1. Today is your first day in class. Your teacher has asked you to introduce yourself. Write
what you want to say.

Brothers and sisters?

Name? Appearance?

Hobbies?

Likes? Place of birth?

Age?

Nationality?

2. Read the information on the website, then write 100 words.

A DAY IN A LIFE...

We’d like to know about your life. Write 100 words and win two tickets for the
cinema. Talk about your daily routine, your occupation, your hobbies and your
week-ends.

3. Imagine you can interview a famous person. Write eight questions you would like to
ask him or her.

What time do you normally get up?

Do you go jogging in the park?

1 ______________________________________

2 ______________________________________

3 ______________________________________

4 ______________________________________

5 ______________________________________

6 ______________________________________

7 ______________________________________

8 ______________________________________

19
UNIT 1
READING 2
Reading strategy: To get the general idea of a text, read the first and last lines of each paragraph.

1. Read the first and last lines of the paragraphs and choose the general idea.

a) How new technology is helping us communicate more effectively.

b) How new technology is affecting both positively and negatively the way we communicate.
c) How new technology is bad for young people.

A whole new way to communicate is changing the world. Nowadays sending text messages
is more common than using a telephone. In the USA people send 2.5 billion text messages
every day. Most text messaging is done by kids aged between 13 and 17. Teenagers are
constantly sending texts. The next biggest group of people who text is 18 to 24-year-olds. After
that the number of text messages decreases as people get older. Many older people think that
text messaging is replacing talking. They worry that kids are not learning to communicate with
people directly. On the other hand, kids do not understand why older people are worried.

It is obvious that texting is becoming a larger part of our lives. Some people start and end
their relationships with a text message. Workers are hired and fired via texts. Students are
getting in trouble for writing them during class. Of course, there are many advantages to texting.
Everyone occasionally arrives late and texting a quick message usually solves the problem.
And in noisy places it is more practical than trying to speak on the phone. But we need to
remember: technology is useful but it is no substitute for talking to a person face to face!

2. Read the paragraphs again and choose the correct answer to the questions.

1. According to the author, what is changing the world of communication?

a) telephones b) text messaging c) television

2. Who sends most text messages?

a) teenagers b) 18 to 24-year-olds c) older people

3. Why do older people worry about text messaging?

a) Because it is bad for your eyes b) Because students text in class

c) Because young people are not learning to have face-to-face conversations

4. The author thinks that texting is…

a) sometimes useful b) a bad habit c) dangerous

20
VOCABULARY BUILDING 1: Cognates

Cognates are words that have a similar form and meaning in different languages.

1. Find these words in the text and circle the ones that are similar in your language.

new communicate world text messages telephone send teenagers constantly

number replace learn converse directly worried relationships hired during
advantages occasionally solves problem noisy practical technology

2. Write the words in the correct column.

noun verb adjective adverb

3. Underline the cognates in these sentences. There is more than one cognate in each sentence.

1. I can’t go out tonight because I’m studying for my maths exam.

2. Somebody’s mobile phone started ringing in the theatre yesterday evening.
3. The police stopped the suspicious vehicle and asked the driver for her licence.
4. If you want to be a professional football player, you need to be very competitive.
5. Joanna’s father is very strict. He criticises her constantly.

4. Complete the sentences with the most appropriate cognate from this page.

1. More and more people are __________ their old desktop computer with a laptop.
2. The main _________ of laptops are that they are portable and fast.
3. Many people ________ with their friends via an internet connection in their laptop.
4. They often have social _________ with people they have never met face to face.
5. Some parents with young children have _______ rules about internet use at home.

LEARNING TIP Collect more cognates and indicate what part of speech they are.

21
UNIT 1
LISTENING 2

Listening strategy: If a listening exercise has pictures, look at them carefully before
you listen. What can you see? Are there any people? Where are they? What are they
doing?

1. Listen and order the pictures.

a) b)

c) d)

2. Listen again and connect the phrases from Column 1 with Column 2.
COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2

Is that let you know.

Just to after the signal.
Thanks for Colin speaking?
I'll call back.
Please leave a message you later.
Call me calling.

3. Listen and repeat.

22
GRAMMAR 3: Present continuous

1. Match the rules to the sentences. I’m dancing in the rain!

I’m síngíng ín the raín!

We use the present continuous:

1. to talk about things happening now ____

2. to talk about things changing ____
3. to talk about temporary activities around the
present ____

a) I am playing a lot of football this week.

b) I am having a shower at the moment.
c) I am putting on weight.

2. Complete the table with these words.

Am I is am Is are not playing not are not playing

to play

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I ___ playing am _______ ____ playing?
you/we/they ___ playing ______ playing Are you ____?
he/she/it: ___ playing is ___ playing ___ he playing?

3. Listen to check, then repeat.

NOTE
Spelling with -ing
Verbs ending a consonant and -e remove -e and add -ing: smile - smiling.
Verbs ending in -ie change -ie to -y and add -ing: lie - lying.
Verbs ending in a stressed vowel and a consonant double the consonant and add -ing:
run - running.

23
UNIT 1
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 3
1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

write read rise walk watch wear

1. Karen _______________ her glasses until she gets her new contact lenses.

2. I ______________ a gripping detective story. I can’t put it down.

3. My dad __________ to work these days. The doctor has told him he needs to do more
exercise.

4. I _____________an essay on genetically modified foods for biology class.

5. Some experts claim that sea levels ____________ because of global warming.

6. Can I ring you back? I ________ a great film at the moment.

2. What is happening in the picture? Write sentences using the verbs below.

do eat feed listen play read sleep write

1. A woman is feeding her baby. 5. __________________________

2. __________________________ 6. __________________________

3. __________________________ 7. __________________________

4. __________________________ 8. __________________________

24
 SPEAKING
Speaking strategy: To keep a conversaon going ask lots of "wh" quesons.

1. Put the dialogue in the correct order.

Harvey: Hi, I’m Harvey.

Harvey: I'm from New York.
Harvey: I’m on an exchange programme. I'm studying medicine.
Harvey: With a family.
Harvey: It's cool. I'm really interested in meeting new people but life is quite different here.
Harvey: Well, back in the States, I'm good at baseball and here everyone is into soccer, sorry, I
mean football! And the people are a bit different too. The Brits are very polite; they are
always saying Please and Excuse me. I think Americans are a bit more relaxed about
this. I suppose you're afraid of being too forward…too friendly.

Sharon: Nice meeting you. I'm Sharon. You don't sound English. Where are you from?
Sharon: Why do you say that?
Sharon: How's it going?
Sharon: What are you doing here?
Sharon: Yeah, I suppose you're right. So how long are you staying?
Sharon: Where are you staying?

2. Listen to check, then repeat.

3. Put the words in the correct order to make questions.

1. you from Where are? _______________________________________________________

2. are What here you doing? ___________________________________________________
3. going it How is? ___________________________________________________________
4. do Why that you say? ______________________________________________________
5. staying with are Who you? __________________________________________________

6. When going are you home? _________________________________________________

25
UNIT 1
VOCABULARY BUILDING 2: Adjectives with prepositions
Some adjectives are often used with a preposition, for example: interested in,
afraid of, good at.

1. Match the parts of the sentences.

1. Edinburgh is famous for (a) her exam results.

2. Jennifer left George because she was bored with (b) the noise and pollution of the city.
3. Many scientists are very worried about (c) golf.
4. They moved to the country because they were tired of (d) British English.
5. The grammar of American English is very similar to
(e) life in Spanish cities.
6. Life in London is very different from
(f) climate change.
7. My father, who thinks Tiger Woods is fantastic, is very
keen on (g) Rio de Janeiro.

8. Most Brazilians are very proud of (h) the party and apologised to the hostess.

9. The student was very pleased with (i) the way he talked about football all the time.

10. They arrived very early for (j) its castle and its festival.

2. Complete the sentences with the correct preposition.

1. I have always been very interested ______ foreign languages.

2. Many people are afraid ______ snakes and spiders.

3. Japanese food is very different ______ Mexican food.

4. As well as her singing, Shakira is famous ______ her charity work.

5. We’re going to spend our summer holidays in the mountains this year – we’re tired ______ the
beach.

6. Kelly is very pleased ______ her new car.

7. People who are good ______ languages sometimes become tour guides or translators.

8. George went to see the headmaster because he was worried ______ his daughter’s progress
at school.

9. Paul was bored ______ his office job so he decided to join the army.

10. Adriana’s parents were very proud ______ her when she graduated.

26
GRAMMAR 4: Stative and dynamic verbs
1. Match the rules to the sentences.

Certain verbs are NOT used in the continuous when they refer to a state rather than
an activity.

1. Feelings: love, like, prefer, hate, want, need ___

2. Opinion: believe, think ___
3. Possession: belong, own, have got, contain ___
4. Senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste ___
5. Mental process: understand, know, realise, mean, consider, suppose,
agree, remember, forget ___

a) Spanish food tastes delicious!

b) She thinks you are fantastic.
c) I understand your English pronunciation perfectly!
d) I love chocolate.
e) I own a car.

Some verbs have stative and dynamic uses but the meaning changes.

2. Mark the uses stative (S) or dynamic (D).

1. I am thinking about you! ____ I think you are great! ____

2. I have a computer. ____ I'm having an English class. ____

3. This soup tastes great! ____ I'm tasting the soup! ____

3. Read the rule and then match the expressions to a cartoon.

The present continuous can be used with always to indicate an annoying habit.

a) You are always leaving the door open! b) You are always drinking my milk!

27
UNIT 1
GRAMMAR PRACTICE 4

1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the present
simple or the present continuous.

1. Trevor: What __________ you __________ (do) here?

Mary: I __________ (wait) for Peter. We ______ (go) to the library together.

2. Glen: ______ you always _____ (have) toast for breakfast?

Flo: No, I usually _______ (eat) cereal. I________ (have) toast today because there isn’t
any cereal left.

3. Sam: ____ you ____ (like) reading?

Val: Yes, I do. I usually ____ (read) in the underground.
Sam: What book _____ you ____ (read) at the moment?
Val: The Silver Swan. It’s a thriller.
Sam: I ____ (not like) thrillers. I prefer fantasy novels like The Lord of the Rings.

4. Jen: What ____you ____ (think) about?

Rick: I _____ (want) to give my girlfriend a present for her birthday but I ___ (not know)
what to get.
Jen: Buy her a pair of earrings. I _____ (know) she ____ (love) jewellery.
Rick: That’s a good idea. I _____ (hope) they ______ (not cost) too much.

2. Write sentences about annoying habits.

Things I can’t stand about my boyfriend!!!!

1. He bites his fingernails ALL the time. Yuk!!!

He’s always biting his fingernails.

2. He keeps looking at his mobile phone for messages.

________________________________________

3. He ignores me when there’s a football match on TV.

________________________________________

4. He criticizes my friends all the time.

________________________________________

5. He only talks about himself and his problems.

________________________________________

28
 STOP AND SEND 2

1. You have posted three photos on your personal site on the internet.
Describe the pictures. Say where you are, who you are with and what you are doing.

In this photo I’m with my friend Javi. We’re in Asturias. It’s summer and we’re at
the beach…

2. Complete the questionnaire with information about you. Write full sentences.

1. What do you usually worry about? Exam results? Your appearance?

_____________________________________________________________

2. What are you keen on?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Are you tired of anything in your routine?

_____________________________________________________________

4. What are you good at?

_____________________________________________________________

5. Are you afraid of anything (spiders, snakes, insects, the dark etc)?

_____________________________________________________________

6. Are you very different from your brothers and sisters?

_____________________________________________________________

7. What are you proud of?

_____________________________________________________________

29
UNIT 1
WRITING: An informal letter
Writing strategy: Before you write an informal letter
- Think about who you are writing to and why you are writing.
- Make a list of all the things you want to say.
- Organise the things you want to say into paragraphs.

1. Read the letter and answer the questions.

a. Who is writing the letter?

______________________________________________________
b. Who is she writing to?
______________________________________________________
c. Why is she writing the letter?
______________________________________________________

Calle del Olmo 17, 3º A

40100 Segovia
Spain
14 April, 2009
Dear Rosie,
My name is Cristina and I am 18 years old. I live in Segovia
in central Spain. I work in a hotel and I need English for my
job. I would like to visit Ireland this summer to improve my
spoken English. (Paragraph 1)
I am sending you some photos of myself and my city. As
you can see, I am quite tall. I have short, dark hair and
brown eyes. I am very friendly and I like meeting new people.
(Paragraph 2)
My hobbies are playing basketball, listening to music
and dancing. I love Amy Winehouse and The Killers. I also
like a Spanish group called Russian Red. What kind of music
do you like? (Paragraph 3)
Please write and tell me about you. I hope to hear from
you soon! (Paragraph 4)
Best wishes,
Cristina Rueda

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2. Match the information to the paragraphs.

Talking about your hobbies Paragraph ______

Ending the letter Paragraph ______

Saying who you are and why you are writing Paragraph ______

Describing yourself Paragraph ______

3. Mark the correct option.

1. Where do we write the address in an informal letter?

(a) on the right of the page (b) on the left of the page (c) in the middle of the page
2. Where do we put the date?
(a) after the address (b) before the address (c) after the letter
3. How do we begin the letter?
(a) Dear + person’s first name (b) Dear Sir (c) Dear + person’s last (family) name
4. How do we end the letter?
(a) Yours sincerely (b) Yours faithfully (c) Best wishes

4. Read the rules for using capital letters in English. Then, rewrite the letter with capital letters.

We use capital letters

- with the names of people and places - with nationalities and languages

- with days of the week and months of the year - with titles of films and books

- when we start new sentences

dear brian, my name is luigi maldini. i am from milan. i am 18 years old and
I want to visit the uk to learn english. i am into computers and i enjoy reading
books. i also play videogames, usually on saturday. my favourite games are
return of the warrior and planet xenon. write to me soon. yours sincerely, luigi

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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UNIT 1
STOP AND SEND 3
Read the information about Jonathan Finlay. Then write a letter from Jonathan to Quique
Hernández.

Name: Jonathan Finlay

Age: 19
Address: 27 Greystone Gardens, Belfast BT9 3NZ, N. Ireland
Occupation: university student
Reason for writing: wants to spend a month in Spain and learn about Spanish culture
Description: not very tall, blond hair, green eyes
Personality: quiet, likes to listen to people
Hobbies: reading, rock climbing, watching football on TV (favourite team – Liverpool)

GUIDE TO WRITING: WRITING AN INFORMAL LETTER

Follow these steps when you write an informal letter.

Step 1:
Write a draft of your letter.

Step 2:
Check your letter.

Are the address and the date written correctly?

Do you start and finish the letter in the right way?

Is the information organised into logical paragraphs?

Is the grammar correct?

Are the spelling and punctuation correct?

Step 3:
Write a final version of your letter.

Step 4:
Check your letter one last time!

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 MY LEARNER DIARY
1. Make a list of useful vocabulary you have learnt in this unit.
_________________ ___________________ _____________________
_________________ ___________________ _____________________
_________________ ___________________ _____________________
_________________ ___________________ _____________________
_________________ ___________________ _____________________
_________________ ___________________ _____________________
_________________ ___________________ _____________________

2. Translate these useful phrases into your language. Then add two more.

1. Where are you from? _____________________________________________

2. What do you do? _____________________________________________
3. What time is it? _____________________________________________
4. I suppose you’re right! _____________________________________________
5. Where do you live? _____________________________________________
6. Call me later! _____________________________________________
7. How’s it going? _____________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________

3. Circle how well you can do the following:

Very well 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 0 Not at all

I can use the verbs to be and have got. 5–4–3–2–1–0

I can use the present simple to talk about
habits and routines. 5–4–3–2–1–0
I can use the present continuous to talk about
things happening now. 5–4–3–2–1–0
I can talk about times and days. 5–4–3–2–1–0

I can use “wh” questions to keep a conversation going. 5–4–3–2–1–0

I can write an informal letter. 5–4–3–2–1–0

LEARNER TIP If you score yourself low, look again at that part of the unit. Try doing
the activities again. Remember: the more you practise the better you will get!

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