improving Writing skills

WRITING
You complete tasks such as: 
 writing notes or a short message of between 35 and 45 words
 writing a story or letter of up to 100 words
 completing exercises involving changing the meaning of sentences


1. COMPARISONS

 ………. more often than ………
 ………. less often than ……….
 ………. as often as …………
 ………. faster than ………..
 ….…… slower than …….
 ………. as fast as ………
 ………. better than …….
 ………. worse than …….
 ………. as good as …….




2. WHEN DID IT HAPPEN
 ……….. before ……….
 ……….. after …………
 ……….. until …………
 ……….. when ………..
 ……….. as soon as ……
 ……….. while …………
 ……….. during ………..


3. EXAMPLE

You have an American penfriend called Pat who asks what your bedroom is like. Write an email to Pat. In the email, you should:
 Tell her how big your room is
 Say what’s in the room
 Explain why you like it

Write 35-45 words


ADVICE
1. Read the instructions carefully and imagine the situation.
2. Make sure you write about all three points in the instructions.
3. Remember to address your message to the person named (eg Dear Pat, Hi Pat,).
4. Don’t forget to write your name at the end.
5. Don’t write less than 35 words or more than 45.
6.  Check what you have written for silly mistakes.




4. REPHRAISING

1. Do you play basketball well?
Are you a …………………… player?

2. Does art interest you?
Are you ………………… art?

3. What is your age?
How ………….. you?

4. Which is your favourite school subject?
Which school subject ………….. like best?

5. How is that spelt?
How do …………….. that?

6. Each lesson lasts forty minutes.
Each lesson …………….. long.

7. What‟s the price of this book, please?
How ………   this book, cost, please?

8. I think Spain is a wonderful country.
Spain is a wonderful country ……… opinion.

9. I think you are right about the weather.
I agree …………. about the weather.

10. I think mobile phones are very useful.
Mobile phones are very useful ……….. opinion.

11. We‟ll talk about the price first.
How ………………… about the price first?

12. Bill is too weak to carry the box.
Bill isn‟t …………. to carry the box.

13. In our school only a few students have curly hair.
In our school, not ………………….. curly hair.

14. My sister prefers milk chocolate to dark chocolate.
My sister likes milk chocolate ………… dark chocolate.

15. In our house, dinner is usually prepared by my father.
In our house, my father …………………. dinner.

16. My father said, „Come home at 10.‟
My father told ………home at 10.

17. Susan asked for paella in the restaurant.
In the restaurant, Susan said, „Can ………… paella, please?‟

18. Mary suggested that we order a pizza.
Mary said, „Let‟s ………………… a pizza.‟

19. Britain is a small island, so everywhere is near to the sea.
Britain is a small island, so nowhere is ………………. the sea.

20. Never go for a long run without taking water with you.
Take water with you, if you‟re ……………… a long run.

21. Look at a map of Africa if you want to find Zimbabwe.
You won‟t find Zimbabwe unless ……………………… a map of Africa.

22. I became a policeman five years ago.
I …………. a  policeman for five years.

23. I came to Spain in 2005.
I …………….. in Spain since 2005.

24. My mother asked me if I wanted an ice-cream.
My mother said, „Would …………. an ice-cream?‟

25. Yesterday a photographer took my photo.
Yesterday my photo ………..…….. a photographer.


LISTENING ( PRACTISE AND PRACTISE)

http://www.eltpodcast.com/archive/bc

texts

TEXTS


A Navy hazing case that led to the firing of the top enlisted officer aboard a nuclear submarine was sparked by gay jokes about a sailor who said another man tried to rape him while in a foreign port, according to an investigative report obtained by The Associated Press.


1. The man that was fired was:
a) A journalist of The Associated Press.
b) a man in a foreign port.
c) a sailor who suffered of gay jokes.
d) the top enlisted officer aboard a nuclear submarine.




Recent crashes involving the U.S. military's latest transport aircraft are fueling an uproar in Japan that could threaten plans to deploy them to the southern island of Okinawa by the end of the year.

2. What is happening in Japan:

a) People are happy with the U.S. military's latest transport aicraft.
b) People are not happy with the U.S. military's latest transport aircraft.
c) Okinawa is going to belong to the U.S. 
d) Okinawa is not going to belong to the U.S.




All five airmen aboard an Air Force CV-22 Osprey were hospitalized after the tilt-rotor aircraft with a checkered safety record crashed in the Florida Panhandle, but none of the injuries were life-threatening, their commanding officer said Thursday.


3. What is wrong?
a) Five people have died.
b) Five people have been hospitalized by life-threatening injuries.
c) Five people have been hospitalized.
d) None of the airmen were injured.


The U.S. Navy says an aircraft carrier group recovered about 10 tons of marijuana dumped from small boats in the Pacific Ocean near California's border with Mexico.


4. What happened?
a) 10 tons of marijuana were dumped from small boats in the Pacific Ocean.
b) The U.S. Navy dumped 10 tons of marijuana in the Pacific Ocean.
c) Mexico dumped 10 tns of marijuana in the Pacific Ocean.
d) None of the above are correct.


Similarities in a caller's voice and phrasings have led the Coast Guard to believe there could be a link between a hoax distress call reporting a yacht explosion off New Jersey and a mayday call in Texas last month, an official said Wednesday.


5. Which one is true?
a) There was an explosion.
b) It was a joke.
c) the Coast Guard reported a explosion.
d) An official made a joke.






WRITINGS


EXAMPLE "ABOUT MYSELF"

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/writing/02.html

EXAMPLE "MY LAST WEEKEND"

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/writing/05.html



LISTENING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVOml3KUYPY

TESTS

PRESENT

http://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/grammar/presentsimple/multichoice/test2.html

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/simple-present-1


Verb to BE (past and present tenses):

http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz86skm.htm


SIMPLE PAST

http://www.englishlab.net/hp/quiz11_past_simple_3_negative_sentences.htm


SIMPLE PAST vs PRESENT PERFECT

http://www.english-zone.com/verbs/prsperf4.html



CORRECT ORDER OF SENTENCES (2nd exercise)

Negative forms of the verb to be (3rd and 4th exercise)

Yes / No questions (5th and 6th exercise)

http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentSimpleToBe1A.html


PRESENT CONTINUOUS

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_present-continuous_quiz.htm


TEXT

http://www.rainschool.com/school-of-english/l12-elementarypre-intermediate/english-practice-exercises-text-present-perfect-past-simple-p2-17g/