Don’t get me started on...

Places

Learning objectives:
To create a piece of persuasive writing based
on a place.
Understand how to use humour in writing.
• What do you love about Al Ain, Dubai,
Abu Dhabi and/or your home city?
• What do you dislike about Al Ain,
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and/or your home
country?
Bill Bryson's Liverpool
Read Bill Bryson’s extract about Liverpool.
Analysis worksheet for Bryson extract

1 Underline three phrases which show Bryson’s

different views about Liverpool. Write your
ideas in the bubbles.
2 Underline three phrases and explain how they
make you feel about Liverpool. Write your ideas
in the squares.
3 How does Bryson engage the reader’s interest?
Find and label an example of each of the
devices in the circles.
 What is humour?
• Discuss...
• List the different types.
 What is humour?
• Exaggeration
• Ridiculous metaphor/simile
• Juxtaposition of things, e.g. Someone on a
hammock in an elevator, treating shopping at a
boot sale as if it were looking for treasure
• Laughing at trivial things, e.g. Scented pens, the
lunch queue, old people and technology
• Avoid offending people
• Sarcasm
• Satire
 Don’t get me started on… Al Ain
(or another city of your choice).
• Brainstorm everything you know about the
area:
• Shops
• Recreational facilities
• What people do in the area
• The people who live here (do not be offensive
or derogatory – use humour - not insult)
• What is good/bad about it?
 Plenary
• Share your ideas with the class