A2 Writing Booklet Ss

Prepared by:
Ahmad Hobby
B. Candan Büge
Diler Gültekin
Edited by:
Aynur Kaplan
Diler Gültekin
Leon Michael Maroney
Page | 0
Table of Contents
Unit 1 – Daily Routines ...……………………………………………………..... 2-18
Unit 2 – Important People, Important Life Events …………………………… 19-39
Unit 3 – Personal Experiences ……………………………………………...….. 40-61
References ……………………………………………………….………………. 62
Page | 1
UNIT 1
Daily Routines
Page | 2
Ask and answer the following questions with a partner.
1. What do you do on weekdays?

2. What do you do at weekends? Where do you go?
I. GETTING STARTED
Exercise A: Work with a partner. Look at the Vocabulary Pool and tick (√ ) the words you
know. Check the meanings of other words with your classmates.
VOCABULARYPOOL
POOL
VOCABULARY
out chores Check e-mail

home DO homework Clean the house
shopping housework Fall asleep
swimming Listen to music
running breakfast Stay home
camping HAVE lunch Stay up late
GO to a cafeé dinner Take the bus
to a restaurant Watch TV
to bed up Work out (at the gym)
to school GET dressed Surf the Net / Internet
to work together with Read (a book)
to the gym friends Talk on the phone
to the mall Take a shower / bath
to the cinema (computer) games Shave
to the theatre PLAY football
to concerts basketball
to museums tennis
to parties the guitar
Exercise B: Complete the chart below with the phrases from the Vocabulary Pool. Some
activities may go into more than one category.
Everyday Chores or Free Time or Social Exercise Activities Work or School

Activities Activities Activities
have breakfast go shopping go swimming do homework
Page | 3
Now, compare your answers with your partner.
Exercise C: Look at the pictures and talk about the activities they show with a partner.
(1)
(2)
(3) (4)
Exercise D: Read about the daily activities of the people in the pictures and
find the picture that matches the description of their daily activities.
a. _____ On weekdays, I go home around 5.30 p.m. I check my e-mails, and

then go out for a walk. After my walk, I make dinner. After dinner, I watch TV.
Sometimes I fall asleep in front of the TV. I don’t stay up late. I go to bed around
10.30 p.m.
b. _____ On Saturday evenings, my wife, and I relax. We have dinner at home.

We cook dinner together. During dinner, we listen to music. After dinner, we often
stay home, and watch TV. Other times, we get together with our friends. They come
to our house, and we play games.
Page | 4
c. _____ Roberto has very busy weekends. On Saturday and Sunday mornings,
he gets up around 6.30 a.m. After he gets up, he goes running. He runs for about two
hours. In the middle of the morning, he makes a big breakfast. After breakfast, he
either does laundry, or pays some bills. In the afternoon, Roberto gets together with
friends, and plays football in the park.
d. _____ On weekdays, children at the Kituri school in New York City get up
at 6.30 a.m. They brush their teeth, and then they get dressed. Then, they go to the
cafeteria, and eat breakfast. After breakfast, they go to their classrooms. At noon,
they go outside. They eat lunch, and play games. In the afternoon, they go back to
their classrooms. After school, they do chores, and eat dinner. In the early evening,
they do homework, and read.
Exercise E:
1. Underline all the vocabulary items in the paragraphs that are used to describe
daily routines.
2. Whose daily activities are similar to yours? What are the similarities?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________
Exercise F: Think about your week. Complete the chart with your daily
activities.
MY WEEK
Mornings Afternoons Evenings
Weekday
s
Weekend
s
Page | 5
Exercise G: Work with a partner. Talk about your activities. Find the
similarities and differences between your daily routines. Share four of them
with the class.
Example: I stay up late at weekends. Ayça stays up late, too.

I don’t exercise on weekdays, but Ayça exercises on Tuesdays and
Fridays.
1. _____________________________________________________________
______________
2. _____________________________________________________________
______________
3. _____________________________________________________________
______________
4. _____________________________________________________________
______________
II. PREPARING YOUR WRITING

Useful Language I
The Simple Present Tense
We use the simple present to talk about things that people regularly do.
I take the bus to work every day.
They go to bed at 11 p.m. every night.
 The verb ends in –s when we talk about he, she, or it.

She takes the metro to school every day.
He plays tennis on Saturday mornings.
 For he, she, it, add –es to verbs that end in ch, sh, ss, s, x, or z.
My grandmother watches TV all day.
Page
 To make the negative, use do not (don’t) or does not (doesn’t) before the base | of6the verb.
form
I don’t work out at the gym.
He doesn’t eat breakfast.
Exercise A: Read about Antonio’s weekend. Complete the sentences with the
verbs in parentheses.
On Saturdays, I 1__sleep__ (sleep) late. I 2_____________ (not get up) until 10:00 a.m. Then, I
3_____________ (eat) breakfast. I 4_____________ (not eat) a big breakfast. After breakfast, I
5_____________ (meet) my friend, Oliver. Oliver 6_____________ (live) on my street. We
7_____________ (take) English classes together. Sometimes we 8_____________ (do) our homework
together at the library. We also 9_____________ (work out) together at the gym. I 10_____________
(go) to the movies, or to a restaurant in the evening with my friends. Oliver 11_____________ (not go)
with us because he 12_____________ (work) on Saturday evenings. On Saturdays, I 13_____________
(stay up) late! Oliver 14_____________ (go) to bed around 10:00 p.m. On Sundays, I 15_____________
(sleep) in. Oliver 16_____________ (get up) early.
Exercise B: Read about Antonio’s weekend again. What does he do that Oliver
doesn’t do? What does Oliver do that Antonio doesn’t do? Write five pairs of
sentences.
Example: Antonio goes to the movies, but Oliver doesn’t go to the movies.
1. ________________________________________________________________
____
2. ________________________________________________________________
____
3. ________________________________________________________________
____
4. ________________________________________________________________
____
Page | 7
5. ________________________________________________________________
____
Exercise C: Liz Wright is an Olympic swimmer and a mother. Read

her schedule and complete the sentences below. You may need to write
more than one word in some blanks.
Using Time Expressions with the Simple Present Tense

We often use time expressions with the simple present. Notice the prepositions in these time expressions.
Morning
 On + day DAILY PLANNER
She doesn’t work on Wednesdays.
6:00 – get up
6:15 – breakfast with Tessa
8:00-10:00
 At + time–ofswim
day / at + weekends I go to work at 8 a.m.
11:00 – gym with Sally
We don’t go to school at weekends.
Afternoon
12:00 – lunch
 In + the–+workout
1:00-3:00 part of thewith
day Tom The baby doesn’t sleep in the afternoon.
4:00 – pick up Tessa from school
Exception: at night / noon I do my homework at night.
5:00 – go home
 From + day or time + to + day or time My son goes to school from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Liz Wright 1_____________ at 6 a.m. Then, she 2_____________ breakfast with her daughter,
 For + a period of time He works out for an hour.
Tessa. From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m, she 3____________________. Then, she 4_______________ with Sally.
 After / before / during + event He goes to the library after school.
After that, she 5_____________ lunch. At 1 p.m., she 6_____________ with Tom. At 4 p.m., she
Ali does homework before class.
7_____________ Tessa from school. At 5 p.m., she and Tessa 8___________________.
I watch TV during dinner.
Useful Language II
You can combine sentences with before and after to show time order. After describes the first action,
before describes the second action. Notice that we use a comma (,) when we start a sentence with
Before or After.
First, I brush my teeth. Then, I go to bed.
Before I go to bed, I brush my teeth. OR I brush my teeth before I go to bed. Page | 8

After I brush my teeth, I go to bed. OR I go to bed after I brush my teeth.
Practice 1
Look at Alejandro’s schedule for a weekday. Fill in the blanks below with the
correct prepositions.
MONDAY
DAILY PLANNER
Exercise A: Look at Alejandro’s schedule for a weekday. Fill in

the blanks below with the correct prepositions.
Page | 9
Morning
7:00 – Get up
8:00 – Have breakfast
8:30 – Go to school
9:00-12:00 – English classes
Afternoon
12:30 – Eat lunch
1:00 – Take the bus to work
1:30-5:00 – Work at the café
5:30 – Go to the gym
6:30 – Change clothes
7:00- 7:30 – Eat dinner
8:00 – Listen to music and read
1. Alejandro gets up _______ 7:00 a.m.

2. He goes to school _______ breakfast.
3. _______ Mondays, Alejandro takes English classes.
4. He has class _______ 9:00 a.m. _______ 12:00 noon.
5. _______ lunch, Alejandro goes to work.
6. He works _______ the afternoon.
7. _______ 5:30 p.m., he goes to the gym.
8. Alejandro changes his clothes _______ dinner.
9. He eats dinner _______ 7:00 p.m. _______ 7:30 p.m.
10. _______ night, he listens to music and reads.
Exercise B: Combine the pairs of sentences using before. Use a comma when
necessary.
1. First, I wash my hands. Then, I eat dinner.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
2. First, I do my homework. Then, I watch TV.
Page | 10
___________________________________________________________________
_____
3. First, I go to the gym. Then, I do my homework.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
4. First, I eat breakfast. Then, I read the newspaper.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
Exercise C: Combine the pairs of sentences using after. Use a comma when
necessary.
1. First, I get home from work. Then, I take my dog for a walk.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
2. First, I eat dinner. Then, I wash the dishes.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
3. First, I get to school. Then, I have coffee with my friends.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
4. First, I read my son a story. Then, I put him to bed.
___________________________________________________________________
_____
Exercise D: Complete the sentences.

1. After I get dressed in the morning,
____________________________________________.
2. After I get to school,
_______________________________________________________.
Page | 11
3. Before I do my homework at night,
___________________________________________.
4. Before I eat dinner,
________________________________________________________.
III. WRITING STRATEGY: Narrating Daily Routines
Every paragraph is about one main idea and it is often given in the first sentence in the
paragraph.
The following sentences give details, examples, and reasons to explain the main idea. All of
these sentences must be about the main idea in the first sentence and they must be listed
according to time order.
The last sentence restates the main idea in different words. It usually starts with
All in all, In conclusion, As you can see, etc.
Exercise A: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions.
Boring Days
During the week, my days are boring. I get up at 7 a.m. every day.
Then, I get dressed for school. Even that is boring because I have to wear
a uniform to school. I always have the same thing for breakfast, fruit and
yogurt because it’s fast and healthy. I take the bus to school where I spend
the next seven hours. My schedule of classes is the same every day. My Spanish
teacher is from Mexico. After school, I take the bus home, and practice my violin
Page | 12
for an hour. Finally, I do my homework, and study. As you can see, I do the same
things every day, so my week days are really dull.
1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

___________________________________________________________________
________
2. Which sentences support the main idea? Underline them.
3. Which sentence does not support the main idea? Cross out that sentence.
4. Does the last sentence restate the main idea? How?
___________________________________________________________________
________
An Active Life
Ben is a very athletic person. He loves to play all types of
sports. Ben’s favorite sport is volleyball. He is a member of a
volleyball club. He plays with other people there. Ben also likes to
run and swim for exercise. He goes to the gym, and exercises at
least four times a week. Ben also works at the library. Ben certainly
keeps himself busy with all of the athletic activities that he does
during the week.

___________________________________________________________________
________
2. Which sentences support the main idea? Underline them.
3. Which sentence does not support the main idea? Cross out that sentence.
4. Does the last sentence restate the main idea? How?
___________________________________________________________________
________
Page | 13
Exercise B: Look at the pictures. They show a typical day in the life of a man
named Joseph Bailey. Find the sentence below that matches each picture. Write
the letter of the sentence under the correct picture.
Page | 14
a. Joseph teaches from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
b. He wakes up at 7:00 a.m. to eat breakfast and get dressed.
c. Finally, Joseph goes to bed at midnight.
d. Then, he takes the 7:45 a.m. train to the school where he teaches English.
e. At 6:00 p.m., he eats dinner with his wife.
f. He takes the train back home at 4:00 p.m.
g. He plays the saxophone from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Sometimes he sings, too.
h. At 7:30 p.m., he arrives at The Jazz Club.
Exercise C: Use the sentences about Joseph to complete a paragraph about a
typical day in his life. The first and last sentences are given.
Page | 15
Joseph’s days are very busy.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________. As you can see, Joseph
has a very busy life.
Exercise D: Read the sentences about a typical Sunday in Deborah’s life.

Which sentence should come at the beginning of a paragraph about Deborah’s
Sunday routines?
a. At about seven, we come home and have breakfast together.

b. After dinner, my sons prepare the school equipment they need for the following
days.
c. After having lunch, at about two, we often go to the countryside for a nice walk,
or visit a relative, or go shopping.
d. My two sons and I go jogging around our neighborhood.
e. Before falling asleep, I often expect that the next Sunday comes soon.
f. Sunday is the most rewarding day for me because it is the only day when my
family and I can do what we like together.
g. Then, we usually watch a film on TV, and go to bed at
about ten.
h. Every Sunday morning, I get up at six.
i. We often get home at about eight, and have a small dinner.
j. At nine, we go to church, and come home at about twelve.
Page | 16
Arrange the other sentences according to time order and write the full
paragraph below.
_____________________________________________________________
______________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________.
Exercise E: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions.
Lazy Sundays
__________________________________________.
I get up late, and I eat a big breakfast. After breakfast,
I read the newspaper for a few hours. Sometimes I
talk to my friends on the telephone. At four o’clock, I
am usually hungry, so I make a snack. Then, I watch
TV or take a nap. In the evening, I often go out to
Page | 17
dinner with my friends, but I am back in bed again at ten o’clock. I like to relax on
Sunday so that I am ready to start my week on Monday.

______________________________________________
2. Write the first sentence for the paragraph.
A Hectic Life
_________________________________________. I wake
up at 6:30 a.m., and take my dog for a walk. Then, I eat breakfast,
get ready for school, and make my lunch. I usually ride my bike to
school. I have classes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Then, I study at the
library in the afternoon. I also have a part-time job. I wash dishes
at a restaurant near campus. I work from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The job
is not bad. I like the people I work with. I also get a free dinner!
At 9 p.m., I ride my bike home. I take my dog for another walk. Then, I relax. I
often watch TV for an hour. Sometimes, I read or listen to music. Finally, I get ready
for bed.

______________________________________________
Exercise F: Read the following paragraphs and answer the following questions.
A Busy Pharmacist and Mother
Page | 18
I am a pharmacist and a mother, and my days are busy. As a pharmacist, my
job is to prepare and sell medicines. Every morning, I get up at 6:30 a.m. I have
breakfast with my family, and make lunch for my daughter to take to school. I leave
the house at 8:00 a.m., and drive to the drugstore where I work from 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. During the day, I fill prescriptions for customers. Sometimes the
customers have questions about their medicines. I answer their questions. I also give
them information about how often to take the medicine. After work, I drive home,
and have dinner with my family. Then, I help my daughter with her homework for a
few hours. Sometimes I read or watch TV in the evening before I go to bed.
______________
___________________________________________________________.

______________________________________________
2. Write the last sentence for the paragraph.
A Tired New Mother
I am a proud, but tired mother of twin baby
boys. I don’t have any free time these days. My days
are very busy, and my nights are busy, too. I never get
much sleep anymore. I wake up several times during
the night to feed the babies. They are always hungry,
so I am tired in the morning. I try to take naps when the babies are napping, but I
have so much to do. I wash baby clothes and blankets every morning and evening. I
also change diapers all day long. Sometimes when both babies cry at the same time,
I cry, too. ______________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________.

______________________________________________
Page | 19
IV. WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT
Now it’s time to write the first draft about your week. Use your notes from Exercise
F (p. 5), and language from Useful Language sections (p. 6 & 8) to help you. You
can also add any other ideas that come to mind.
__________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
V. REVISING
Use the checklist to edit your work. Tick the boxes to check.
REVISING CHECKLIST
YES NOT YET
1. Have you written a title for your paragraph?
2. Have you given the main idea in the first sentence of your paragraph?
3. Have you written a concluding sentence?
4. Have you written your sentences in correct time order?
5. Have you used any words or phrases from the Vocabulary Pool?
6. Have you used any time expressions?
7. Have you started every sentence with a capital letter?
8. Have you ended every sentence with a period?
Page | 20
Write the second draft
Look at the chart you completed for your first draft. Use it to help you revise your
first draft. Rewrite your draft with the changes.
__________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
UNIT 2
Page | 21
Important People, Important Life Events
Think about the important events in your life.

1. Where were you born?
2. Where did you go to school?
3. Who are the important people in your life and when did you meet them?
I. GETTING STARTED
Page | 22
Exercise A: Work with a partner. Look at the Vocabulary Pool and tick (√ ) the
words and phrases you know. Check the meanings of other words with your
classmates.
VOCABULARYPOOL
POOL
VOCABULARY
be born friendly hard-working get married

mature determined intelligent grow up
proud get promoted helpful start school
cheerful have children inspirational get a pet
learn to drive confident sociable go to school
meet someone patient get a scholarship lose a job
honest fall in love clever quit a job
polite graduate retire get a degree
finish school influential move immigrate
creative lazy get a job talented
break up with gifted get engaged shy
dedicated join the army smart die
Exercise B: Complete the chart below with the words and phrases from the
Vocabulary Pool. Some words may go into more than one category.
General Life Relationships Education Work Personality

Adjectives
be born get married start school get a job friendly
Page | 23
Exercise C: Read the paragraphs and fill in the time lines.
Francisco’s Life
Francisco was born in 1985 in Brazil. His father died two years later. After many
years, he and his mother got visas, and immigrated to the United States. Then, he
immediately started high school. He wanted to go to college, so he studied hard and got
good grades. At 15, he got a job. At 16, he got his driver’s license. A year later, he got a car.
Francisco graduated one year after that. He also won a scholarship. Then, he had enough
money to go to college! A year later, he moved to New York, and started classes.
1985 1987 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

2004
bor fath ________________ got ___________ ___________ ______________ ______________

n er ________________ a ___________ ___________ ______________ ______________
die ____ job ___________ ___________ ______________ ______________
______________ ___________ ___________ __(4) __(5)
(1) and won a and started
then started scholarship classes
Tai Yi’s Life

Tai was born in Taiwan in 1983. He graduated from high school 18 years later. He
didn’t want to go to college, so after high school, he traveled for a while. Then, after a
year, he found a job in an office. He worked as an administrative assistant for four years.
During those four years, he gradually started to change his mind about college. He finally
applied to college. In 2006, Tai started classes. In his second year of college, he met Chi
Suk. They fell in love, but they broke up once. They got married two years after they met.
1983 2001 2002 2006 2008 2009

2010
bor graduated ___________ applied to ___________ broke up ___________

n from high ___________ college ___________ ___________
school and ___________ ____________________ ___________ ___________
______________ ___________ ____________________ ___________ ___________
______________ Page | 24
(1)
Exercise D: Think about the important events in your life.
1. Put the most important five dates on the time line. DON’T write the events
yet!
_____ _____ _____ _____

_____
2. Work with a partner. Look at your partner’s time line and ask him/her
questions to find out what happened on those dates.
Examples: Were you born in 1994?
Did you start school in 2001?
3. When your partner finds out the events on your timeline, write them in the
boxes.
4. Look at your partner’s timeline again. Did s/he put the same events as you?
Share three of the most important events in your partner’s life with your
classmates.
Example: Hande was born in 1995.
She started school when she was 6.
a. _____________________________________________________________
______________
b. _____________________________________________________________
______________
Page | 25
c. _____________________________________________________________
______________
The Simple Past Tense

We use the simple past to talk about things people did in the past.
Six years ago, Julia started college and studied English. She graduated four years later. Then she
traveled all over Europe, but she stopped in France. She lived there for one year.
Useful Language I
 Add –ed to regular verbs to form the simple past. Just add –d to regular verbs that end in –e.
start started graduate graduated
 If a verb ends in a consonant + -y, change the –y to –i and then add –ed.
study studied
 If a verb has one syllable and ends in one consonant, double the consonant and then add –ed.
stop stopped
 Many verbs have an irregular past tense form. Some common irregular verbs are go, do, have,
make, and get.
I went to school in Canada for four years.
James got promoted last week. Now he is a manager.
 Use didn’t + the base form of the verb to talk about things that didn’t happen in the past.
He didn’t grow up in the United States.
The Simple Past of Be

Be is an irregular verb. The simple past forms are was and were. The negative past forms of “be” are
“was not” and “were not”. We often use the contractions wasn’t and weren’t with these forms.
Page | 26
 John is very sociable now, but he was too shy as a child.
 His parents weren’t supportive of him when he told them he wanted to be an actor.
Exercise A: Complete the story with the past form of the verbs in parentheses.
Laura Smith 1_____________ (be born) in 1981. She 2_____________ (grow up) in Guadalajara,
Mexico. She 3_____________ (start) playing golf at the age of five. She 4_____________ (win) a state
competition at the age of six, and a national competition at the age of seven. Laura 5_____________
(attend) the University of Arizona. She 6_____________ (play) in 20 college competitions and
7_____________ (lose) only 3 times. Laura 8_____________ (become) a professional golfer in 2002.
Using Time Expressions
She 9_____________ withmany
(have) the Simple Pastcompetitions.
successful Tense In 2008, she 10_____________ (win) the
We oftenChampionship
Corona use time expressions withAfter
in Mexico. the simple past.
that, she Here are some common time expressions.
11_____________ (enter) the World Golf Hall of
 in + year In 1999, Steve moved to the United Kingdom.
Fame. Laura wanted to help young people become golfers, so she 12_____________ (start) a scholarship
program for+young
 last week Mexican
/ month / golfers.
year / summer etc. I graduated from high school last year.
 number
Useful + days
Language II + months + years + a long time ago
Aynur immigrated to Canada two years ago.
 number
Useful Language II + months + years later
+ days
I graduated in 2002. I started my own business one year later.
 for + a period of time Pete Sampras played tennis for fourteen years.
 After / before / during + event After the war, he wrote two more books.
You can combine sentences with before, after to show time order. Notice that we use a
comma (,) when we start a sentence with Before or After.
First, he moved to Istanbul. Then, he got married.

Page | 27
Before he got married, he moved to Istanbul. OR He moved to Istanbul before he got married.
After he moved to Istanbul, he got married. OR He got married after he moved to Istanbul.
Exercise A: Put the words in the right order. If you put the time expression at
the beginning of the sentence, don’t forget to use a comma.
1. to / in / Hawaii / Lee / from / 1956 / immigrated / Taiwan
___________________________________________________________________
_
2. long / ago / he / English / a / time / learned
___________________________________________________________________
_
3. for / he / a / years / community college / classes / three / took / years / at
___________________________________________________________________
_
4. later / started / Hawaii / years / he / of / at / two / university / the / study / to
___________________________________________________________________
_
5. Lee / 1982 / graduated / Hawaii / from / university / in / of / the
___________________________________________________________________
_
6. graduated / look / after / he / started / he / job / to / a / for
___________________________________________________________________
_
7. worked / bank / Honolulu / from / 1992 / a / he / 1982 / to / in / at
Page | 28
___________________________________________________________________
_
8. moved / Philadelphia / ago / Lee / to / years / 10
___________________________________________________________________
_
9. started / later / business / a / four / he / years
___________________________________________________________________
_
10. many / lot / he / money / a / for / earned / of / years
___________________________________________________________________
_
11. countryside / before / in / bought / retired / he / a / he / farmhouse / large /
the
___________________________________________________________________
_
12. year / work / years / retired / last / hard / many / he / after / of
___________________________________________________________________
_
Exercise B: Read Rob’s time line. Then complete the story with the correct
time expressions.
1988 1990 1993 2006 2010
2011
born family started school graduated from quit job started own
high school; business
immigrated
Rob was born 1______ ______. His family started first
immigrated to thejob United States 2______ ______,
and Rob started school 3______ ______ ______. Rob graduated from high school 4______ ______
and started his first job at a flower shop. He worked at the flower shop 5______ four ______,
Page | 29 and
then he quit. He started his own flower and plant business a 6______ ______. Today, he is a very
successful businessman.
III. WRITING STRATEGY: Narrating a Person’s Life
In this unit, you will practice writing a biography of an important person and
writing your autobiography. When you write a biography, you organize the events as they
occurred in time. You write the birth date and place of the person at the beginning of the
biography. Then, you list what s/he did in her/his childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and
so on.
When you write your paragraph:

write your main idea in the first sentence – why is this person important?
use time order to organize your sentences
include time-order signal words to explain the order of events
rephrase your main idea in the last sentence
Exercise A: The two lists of sentences below come from two different
paragraphs. Number the sentences according to time order.
Barack Obama My Younger Brother, Jim
Page | 30
___ He went to International School in ___ He went to Amadeus Music School in
Indonesia. Vienna at the age of sixteen.
___ He went to Punahou School in Hawaii. ___ He graduated with an honor degree in 1992.
___ He moved to Indonesia with his mother ___ He was born in 1972.
when he was six years old. ___ He started playing the violin when he was
___ He was born in Hawaii. only five years old.
___ He became the president of the USA at the ___ He practiced for about five hours every day
age of forty seven. as a child.
___ He graduated in 1979. ___ He played with the city orchestra when he
___ He moved back to Hawaii when he was ten. was a teen.
___ His father left when he was two years old. ___ He has given more than a hundred concerts
so far.
Exercise B: Reread the two lists of sentences from Exercise A. Then, write a
short biography of the two people. Use the time expressions with the Simple
Past tense to connect the sentences.
Barack Obama
Barack Obama is the first African American president of the United States.
______________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
My Younger Brother, Jim

My younger brother Jim is a great violinist.
_______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 31
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Exercise C: Discuss the following questions with a partner.
1. Who was Neil Armstrong? What do you know about him?
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. He was born in Wapakoneta,
Ohio, in 1930. His love for flying started at a very early age. On July 20, 1936, when he was 6,
he experienced his first airplane flight in a Ford Trimotor. Eight years later, Armstrong began
taking flying lessons, and was just 15 when he received his pilot’s license. He completed his
schooling in 1947 and started studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University. After his
graduation in 1955, he started to work for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics*.
While he was working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, he decided to
become an astronaut and applied for NASA selection and training. In September 1962, he
became America’s first nonmilitary astronaut. Four years later, he piloted the first space flight
of the Gemini 8 mission. On July 20, 1969, he commanded the Apollo 11 mission to the moon
and he became the first person to step on the moon. When Armstrong set foot on the moon, he
said “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” After the Apollo 11 mission,
he began working at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, where he taught aerospace
engineering for eight years. Armstrong maintained an interest in aeronautics and made
occasional public appearances at the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum in his hometown of
Wapakoneta, Ohio. He died at the age of 82 on August 25, 2012.
Aeronautics*: a government agency that researched airplanes

Page | 32
Now read the text and answer the questions.
1. When was Neil Armstrong born?
___________________________________________________________________
____
2. When did his interest in flying start?
___________________________________________________________________
____
3. What happened when he was 6?
___________________________________________________________________
____
4. How old was Armstrong when he received his pilot’s licence?
___________________________________________________________________
____
5. What did he study at university?
___________________________________________________________________
____
6. What did he do after he graduated?
___________________________________________________________________
____
7. How did he become an astronaut?
___________________________________________________________________
____
8. When did he set foot on the moon?
___________________________________________________________________
____
9. When did he die?
___________________________________________________________________
1. How does the writer start the paragraph?
____
2. How does s/he organize the ideas?

Analyze the writing
3. Which time expressions can you see?
Page | 33
4. How does s/he end the paragraph?
Exercise D: Discuss the following questions with a partner.
1. Do you know who invented the Internet search engine Google?
2. How did they invent it?
The Google Guys

Sergey Brin and Larry Page invented the Internet search engine Google. Sergey was
born in Moscow in 1973. His mother and father were both mathematicians. Sergey and his
family moved to the United States when he was six. When Sergey was nine years old, his
father gave him his first computer. He loved it, and from then on, his interest in computers
continued to grow. Sergey graduated from the University of Maryland in 1993. After that, he
went to graduate school at Stanford University.
Larry Page was born in 1973 in Michigan. His father was a professor of computer
science, and his mother taught computer programming. Like Sergey, Larry loved computers
at an early age. Larry studied computer engineering at the University of Michigan. He earned
his B.S.E*. in 1995, and then, went on to graduate school at Stanford University.
Sergey and Larry met at Stanford and became friends. They wrote a paper together,
and created their own search engine called BackRub. BackRub grew, and in 1998, it became
Google.
Google was an immediate success. Soon, people all over the world started using
Google as their search engine. In fact, Google made both men billionaires.
Page | 34
B.S.E*: Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Now read the text and answer the questions.
1. How did Sergey’s interest in computers start?
___________________________________________________________________
____________
2. Where did Sergey study?
___________________________________________________________________
____________
3. When did Larry’s interest in computers start?
___________________________________________________________________
____________
4. Where did Larry study?
___________________________________________________________________
____________
5. Where did Sergey and Larry meet?
___________________________________________________________________
____________
6. How did they invent the search engine Google?
___________________________________________________________________
1. How does the writer start the writing?
____________

Analyze the writing

Page | 35
4. How does s/he end the writing?
Exercise E: Discuss the following Martin
questions with King,
Luther a partner.
Jr.
1 1. DoMartin
you recognize the person
Luther King, in the
Jr. was onepicture?
of the principal leaders of the United States civil rights
2. Why was
movement. he an
King important
was born infigure in history?
Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He attended Booker T.
Washington High School in Atlanta. He was such a good student that he finished school early.
He earned a Sociology degree from Morehouse College at the age of 18. Then, he got another
Now readdiploma
university the textinand matchstudies
religious the titles with the
in 1951. paragraphs.
4 years later, he got his Ph.D. in religious studies
ata.Boston
A Bright Student
University. c. They Kill Him
2 b. Dr. King
King Fights
startedthe Government
working as a preacher ind.aDr. King’s He
church. Professional
was a goodLifepreacher. He tried to
teach people about God. He also tried to help black people in America. He wanted to change the
law because the laws made life difficult for black people. He dedicated his life to achieving
equality and justice for all Americans of all colors and at the age of 35, he was the youngest man
to have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
3 In 1968, while Dr. King was giving a speech about the problems that existed in America,
he said “The government does not want to spend money on poor people, but it will spend money
on guns and war.” TV cameramen recorded his speech and the whole country watched him on
television. When people heard his speech, they became angry at the US government.
4 King was assassinated on 4 April, 1968 during a visit to Memphis, Tennessee. His life had
Page | 36
an important effect on race relations in the United States. Years after his death, he is the most
widely known African-American leader of his era.
Analyze the writing
1. How does the writer start the writing?
4. How does s/he end the writing?
Page | 37
Exercise F: Look at the timeline below and write a biography of
Sakıp Sabancı.
1933 born / Kayseri 1986
1948 work in his father’s business /

establish Sabancı University /
not complete high school / 1999 one of the best universities in
because of health problems
Turkey
during his life / receive

get married / Türkan Sabancı awards from various national
1957 and international institutions /
/ have 2 daughters and 1 son
for example: 1999 /
businessman of the year
take over the family 2002 open Sakıp Sabancı

1967 museum / a lot of Ottoman
business / establish Sabancı
Holding A.Ş. with his and Turkish paintings and
brothers / become the first statues in the museum
chairman of the company
April 10,
2004 die of kidney cancer /
humorous & generous
1985
write his first book, This is
My Life / write twelve more
books / until / die
become the chairman of

TUSIAD Page | 38
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Sakıp Sabancı was a very
_________________________________
important Turkish business tycoon.
_________________________________
___________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
____________________________.
Exercise G: Look at the timeline below and write a
biography of Michael Phelps.
June 30,
1985 born / Baltimore,
Maryland / while / grow up /
shy / kids / make fun of him
& bully him because / tall 2003
and lanky / not successful as graduate / Towson /
set five world records / World
Championships / Barcelona,
1992 become interested in Spain
swimming / two elder sisters
/ good swimmers
2004 Olympic Games / Athens,

Greece / win six gold medals
2000 compete / Summer Olympics
/ Sydney / the youngest
American male swimmer at 2008 become a superstar / Olympic
the Olympic Games / not Games / Beijing, China / win
win a medal / determined eight gold medals / become
the greatest Olympian ever /
Americans / proud
set the world record in the
the spring
200-meter butterfly / become
of 2001 2012
the youngest male swimmer win four gold medals and two
in history / earn his first silver medals / London
international medal / 2001 Olympics / win twenty-two
World Championships /
Fukuoka, Japan
medals / Olympic career /
most decorated Olympian in
Page | 39
history
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Michael Phelps is one _____________________________________
of the most successful athletes _____________________________________
in the world. _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
___ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _____________________________________
________________________ _________________.
Exercise H: Look at the timeline below and write a biography of Amy

Winehouse.
1983 1997
born / London
1999 sign / first record deal as a
jazz vocalist
1995 start the prestigious Sylvia
Young Theatre School
release / first album, Frank /
2003
1996 win an Ivor Novello award
buy / first guitar with the song Stronger Than
Me
begin writing music meet Blake Fielder Civil /

start a relationship with him /
a stormy relationship /
Page | 40
arguments in public / heavy
alcohol and drug use
2005 __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
release her second album,
Back to Black / the song __________________________________
2006 Rehab become a Top 10 hit in
the UK / win another Ivor
Novello award for the Best __________________________________
Contemporary Song
__________________________________
2007
win the BRIT award for the
__________________________________
Best Female Solo Artist
__________________________________
win five awards, including __________________________________
Best New Artist and Record
2008
of the Year at the Grammy __________________________________
Awards / the first British
singer to win five Grammys
__________________________________
2007-2011 heavy drug and alcohol use __________________________________
continued / cancel a number
of concerts in the UK and __________________________________
Europe
July 23, die of alcohol poisoning __________________________________
2011
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Amy Winehouse was one __________________________________
of the best singers and song __________________________________
writers in the world. __________________________________
_________________ __________________________________
___________________________ __________________________________
___________________________ __________________________________
___________________.
Exercise I: Choose an important figure from history and find some information
about his/her life. Fill in the tables with important dates and events in this
person’s life. Then, write a biography for him or her.
Page | 41
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________
___________________________________
_________________________
___________________________________
_________________________
___________________________________
_________________________
______________________________.
Page | 42
Now it’s time to write the first draft about the important events in your life. Use
your notes from Exercise E (p. 22), and language from Useful Language sections (p.
23 & 24) to help you. You can also add any other ideas that come to mind.
You can choose one part of your life to write about from the list of possible topics
below.
 My education
 My childhood
 My teen years
Fill in the timeline below before you start writing.

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____
__________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 43
___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
V. REVISING
Use the checklist to edit your work. Tick the boxes to check.
REVISING CHECKLIST
YES NOT YET
1. Have you written a title for your paragraph?
2. Have you given the main idea in the first sentence of your paragraph?
3. Have you written a concluding sentence?
4. Have you written your sentences in correct time order?
5. Have you used any words or phrases from the Vocabulary Pool?
6. Have you used any time expressions?
7. Have you started every sentence with a capital letter?
8. Have you ended every sentence with a period?

Look at the chart you completed for your first draft. Use it to help you revise your
first draft. Rewrite your draft with the changes.
__________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Page | 44
UNIT 3
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
______________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________.
Personal Experiences
Page | 45
Think about the most frightening experience you have ever had.
1. Where were you?
2. Who were you with?
3. What happened?
4. How did you feel?
I. GETTING STARTED
Exercise A: Work with a partner. Look at the Vocabulary Pool and tick (√ ) the
words you know. Look up any words that you don’t understand.
VOCABULARYPOOL
POOL
VOCABULARY
boring busy comfortable cheerful

exhausting crowded dangerous depressing
enjoyable exciting fascinating interesting
filthy fun horrible Page | 46
pleasant
lovely noisy peaceful disgusting
popular quiet relaxing safe
stressful terrible tiring frightening
Exercise B: Find words in the Vocabulary Pool that you can use to describe
good things and bad things about an experience. Complete the chart below.
Good Things Bad Things

enjoyable depressing
Exercise C: Choose three adjectives from the Vocabulary Pool that remind you
of a remarkable experience. Complete the chart with the adjectives and
experiences.
Adjectives Experiences
1.
__________________
__
Page | 47
2.
__________________
_
3.
__________________
_
Exercise D: Work with a partner. Talk about your experiences.

Ask your partner questions to learn about the details of his/her experiences.
Report the most interesting experience to the class.
Exercise E: Read the paragraph below and answer the questions.

1. Where was the writer?
___________________________________________________________________
___
2. Who was s/he with?
___________________________________________________________________
___
Page | 48
3. What happened?
___________________________________________________________________
___
A Frightening Experience
Last week, I had a frightening experience on an elevator. I was on my way to have dinner at
my friend’s apartment. I got on the elevator in the lobby, and pushed the button for the fifth floor.
The elevator stopped at the third floor, and a couple got on with their baby. When the woman
pushed the button for the eighth floor, the doors closed, and the elevator started to go up. A few
seconds later, the elevator stopped suddenly. Then, I felt the elevator bounce up and down two
times. We all looked at each other, and the baby began to cry. I was very nervous. A few minutes
later, the elevator door opened. We were stuck between the third and fourth floors. The third floor
was about five feet down. Luckily, I had my cell phone with me, and I called my friend. We waited
in the elevator for about ten minutes, but it felt like ten hours. Finally, my friend brought a ladder to
the third floor, and we all climbed out of the elevator safely. I was happy to be out of the elevator,
but my stomach hurt, and I couldn’t eat dinner.
Exercise F: Read the paragraph again and number the pictures so they tell the
story in the correct time order.
The Past Continuous Tense vs. The Past Simple Tense

 We use the past continuous to talk about a longer background action in the past, when a
shorter action interrupts it or happens during it. We use the past simple for the shorter
action.
UsefulItLanguage
was a hot Isummer day and the sun was shining. Suddenly, she heard a noise.
 We often use when before the action in the past simple and while before the action in the
Page | 49
past continuous. Notice when we use a comma(,):
I was sleeping when the phone rang. OR When the phone rang, I was sleeping.
Exercise A: Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past
continuous.
1. It _________ (rain) heavily, and Pete _________ (drive) very fast when he
_________ (have) an accident.
2. It _________ (snow) heavily, and the children _________(make) a snowman
outside. Suddenly, a bright light _________ (appear) in the sky.
3. One day, while I _________ (sit) in the garden, I _________ (hear) a strange
noise. It _________ (come) from the apple tree, so I _________(go) to have a look.
4. The sun _________ (shine), and the birds _________(sing), so we _________
(decide) to go for a picnic.
5. The wind _________ (blow) through the trees, and the wolves _________
(howl) outside. Sandra _________(feel) really scared!
A funny thing 0 happened (happen) while I 1_______________ (fly) to London last summer.
When I 2_______________ (get) on the plane, I 3 _______________(take off) my jacket, and put it
in the overhead locker. When the passenger next to me 4_______________(sit) down, I was
Exercise B: Complete the story. Use the past simple or the past continuous of
surprised to see that she 5_______________(wear) the same jacket as me.
the verbs in brackets. 6
Anyway, the plane _______________ (land), and we went to pick up our bags at the luggage
carousel. While I 7_______________ (wait) for my bags, I 8_______________(decide) to listen to
some music. However, when I 9_______________(look) for my MP3 player in myPage | pocket,
jacket 50 it
10
_______________ (not be) there. Then, I 11_______________ (realize) I had the woman’s jacket,
– and she had mine!
Useful Language II
Time order signal words

A well-organized paragraph often includes signal words (also called transitions) to connect ideas in
a paragraph. Signal words help guide the reader from one idea to the next.
 We usually use before and after to show the order of actions. Before is used with the 2nd
action. After is used with the 1st action. Notice that we use a comma (,) when we start a
sentence with Before or After.
After/ Before the lecture, we had a cup of coffee in the canteen.

noun
After the lecture finished, we had a cup of coffee in the canteen.
sentence OR
We had a cup of coffee in the canteen after the lecture finished.
sentence
Before we left, we had a cup of coffee in the canteen.
sentence OR
We had a cup of coffee in the canteen before we left.
sentence
 We also use first, second, then, next, after that, later, last and finally to show the order of
actions. We use them for the events or actions
A Busy in the story. We often use commas after these
Morning
signal
I had awords.
very busy morning yesterday. 1_______________, my alarm went off at 6 a.m., and
I jumped out ofFirst,
bed. 2Liz lived in Bath. Then,
_______________, she moved
I rushed to London
to the kitchen to study
to make Spanish.
breakfast forNext, she went
my husband
Exercise A:
to Spain Complete the paragraph with signal words. Use then, finally, next,
for a year. After that, she lived in Peru for ten years. Finally, she came back to
3
and children.
before, _______________
London. after.
first, and I woke everyone else up, and got dressed for work. At 7:00, we
ate a quick breakfast. I ate very quickly because right 4_______________ breakfast, I had to pack
lunches for my kids, and make sure they were ready for school. My husband left for work at 7:30.
Luckily, he dropped the kids off at school, so I had a few minutes to get myself together
Page | 51
5
_________ I went to work. 6_______________, I left the house at 7:45, and rushed to catch the 8
o’clock train to my office. By the time I sat down at my desk, I was already exhausted.
Exercise B: Complete the following paragraph with the sentences below.
Organize the events as they occurred in time.
a. About two hours later, we found our hotel.
b. After that, we went to the airport.
c. Finally, our plane took off.
d. Before we left, we packed our suitcases.
e. After we arrived, we went to get our suitcases, but they weren’t there.
f. When we got to the airport, we checked our bags, and went to the gate.
g. Finally, we left the airport.
A Terrible Vacation
Last July, we went to San Francisco for our vacation. 1_____________________________.
We packed lots of shorts, T-shirts, and sandals. 2_______________________________________.
3
____________________________________. The flight was late. We waited at the gate for four
hours! 4_________________________________. We arrived in San Francisco very late at night.
5
____________________________________. They were lost! We filled out a lot of forms at the
airport. It was midnight! 6______________________________. We took the subway, but we got
lost. 7____________________________________. When we woke up the next day, our suitcases
were at the hotel. We were happy. However, the weather was terrible! It was cold and rainy every
Exercise C: Mr. Alden is the director of an English language school. Study his
day, so we bought some warm clothes!
schedule for September 24. Write a paragraph about his day. Use signal words
to guide the reader.
Page | 52
September 24, 2012
DAILY PLANNER
Morning
8:30-9:00 – greet new students
9:00-10:30 – give test to new students
10:30-11:30 – order textbooks
11:30-12:00 – check e-mail
Afternoon
12:00-1:00 – have lunch with staf
1:00-3:00 – observe classes
3:00-5:00 – attend curriculum meeting
5:00-7:00 – join city tour with new
students
Mr. Alden had a very busy day yesterday.

________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___
Page | 53
III. WRITING STRATEGY: Narrating A Personal Experience
In this unit, you will practice writing a personal story about something that happened
in the past. When you tell a story, you organize the events in the story as they occurred in
time. You tell what happened first at the beginning of the story. Then, you tell what happened
second, third and so on. In writing you often do the same thing.
When you write your paragraph:
write your main idea in the first sentence – what kind of an experience was it?
use time order to organize your sentences
include time-order signal words to explain the order of events
rephrase your main idea in the last sentence
Exercise A: Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.

A Terrible Day
I had a terrible day yesterday. First, I woke up an hour late

because my alarm clock didn’t go off. From then on, everything
went wrong. I burned my hand when I was making breakfast. After I
ate breakfast, I got dressed so quickly that I forgot to wear socks.
Next, I ran out of the house trying to get the 9:30 bus, but of course,
I missed it. I wanted to take a taxi, but I didn’t have enough money.
Finally, I walked the 3 miles to my office only to discover that it was
Sunday! I hope I never have a day as bad as the one I had yesterday.

___________________________________________________________________
___________
2. How are the sentences organised?
___________________________________________________________________
___________
Page | 54
3. Underline the signal words in the paragraph.
4. What is the concluding sentence?
___________________________________________________________________
___________
Exercise B: Each group of sentences tell a story, but the sentences are not in
the correct time order. Number the sentences so they follow a logical order.
Then, write the sentences in paragraph form.
____ My sister called an ambulance, and it took me to the hospital.

____ On the first day I was there, I fell down on an icy sidewalk, and broke my
ankle.
____ For the rest of my trip, I had to use crutches to get around.
____ Last month I went to Chicago to visit my sister.
____ After that, I spent five hours at the Chicago General Hospital.
My Trip to Chicago
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
____ By lunchtime, it was warmer, so I took the sweater off in the cafeteria.
____ When I told Helen, she was furious because her boyfriend’s mother had made
it.
____ Yesterday my roommate, Helen, got very mad at me.
____ It was cold in the morning, and I borrowed a sweater from her.
____ After lunch, I forgot about the sweater, and left it in the cafeteria.
____ In fact, Helen was so angry that she didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day.
____ Later, I went back to get it, but the sweater was gone!
Page | 55
An Angry Roommate
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________
Exercise C: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions.
My Worst Job Interview

_____________________________________________________________. The day
started off badly when I woke up an hour late, and didn’t have time to take a shower, or have
breakfast. When I finally got to the office building, the parking lot was full, so I parked far away
from the building. I had to walk two blocks in the rain without an umbrella. By the time I got to
the building, I was an hour late and soaking wet. When I finally walked into the manager’s
office, I realized I did not have my CV. Obviously, I didn’t get the job.

_____________________________________________________________
________
A Birthday Surprise
_________________________________________________________. On that day, I
woke up early in a good mood, but when I sat down for breakfast with my family, no one wished
me a happy birthday. Then, I went to school expecting birthday wishes from all my friends, but
not one of my friends or teachers wished me a happy birthday. I left school feeling sad because
no one remembered my birthday. On the way home from school, I noticed that there were a lot of
cars parked outside my house, and all the lights were turned off. As soon as I walked in the door,
everyone yelled “Surprise! Happy Birthday!”. I was amazed to see all of my friends and my
Page | 56
whole family standing around a big birthday cake. _____________________________________
________________________.
_____________________________________________________________
________
Pedalling On My Own
___________________________________________________________________. I was
about six years old when my sister told me that I was too old to still be riding a bike with training
wheels. That was the time when I decided not to depend on them anymore. Although I had some
doubts, my sister and I went outside and started to take the little wheels off my bike. After we
took the training wheels off, I was ready for the big moment. With butterflies in my stomach, I
slowly got on the bike, and with shaky hands, I gripped the handles tightly. Meanwhile, my sister
was holding on to me to help me keep my balance. Next, with a little push from her, I started to
pedal. The faster my bike went, the faster my heart raced. Finally, I looked back nervously and
noticed that my sister was not holding on to me anymore. I got so excited that I forgot to pedal
and lost my balance. The next thing I remembered was lying on the ground, but I did not care.
____________ _______________________________________________________________.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Page | 57
a training wheel
A Costly Lesson
One Saturday last June, just two days after my high school graduation, a night of
celebration turned into a costly lesson for me. I was out with a couple of my friends and we made
stops at such popular hangouts as Jolly Joker’s, Hayal Kahvesi, and Babylon, and at each of these
spots I drank a margarita or two. When I said goodbye to my friends and poured myself into the
car at three o’clock in the morning, I thought I was sober enough to drive home safely.
____________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________. After this event, I
made a promise not to drink and drive ever again.

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Page | 58
2. What do you think happened after the writer got into the car?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
3. Compare your answers with a partner and complete the paragraph.

Remember to use time order signal words.
Exercise C: Work with a partner. Look at the four pictures. They tell a story
about a couple who had a bad experience at a restaurant. The pictures are not
in the correct order. Number the pictures so they tell the story in a logical
order.
Write a sentence or two for each picture. Tell what happened.

Picture 1:
Page | 59
___________________________________________________________________
________
___________________________________________________________________
________
Picture 2:
___________________________________________________________________
________
___________________________________________________________________
________
Picture 3:
___________________________________________________________________
________
___________________________________________________________________
________
Picture 4:
___________________________________________________________________
________
___________________________________________________________________
________
Now put your sentences into a paragraph. Don’t forget to write the main idea
in the first sentence and to connect the other events with time order signal
words.
_____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 60
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________
Exercise D: Look at the pictures and complete the paragraphs.

(1)
Page | 61
_____________________________
Kenan had the most frustrating day of his life last Monday.
___________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 62
___________________________________________________________________
____________________
(2)
_____________________________
Nesrin had a very stressful day yesterday.
_________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 63
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
(3)
_____________________________
A very sad thing happened to Josh last year.
_______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 64
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
Exercise E: Last year was too depressing for Sharon. Why do you think she
was depressed? What happened? Think about the reasons with a friend and
list them below.
1. ________________________ 3. ________________________ 5.
_________________________
2. ________________________ 4. ________________________ 6.
_________________________
Now, write a paragraph about Sharon’s depression.
Page | 65
_____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
Page | 66
Now it’s time to write the first draft about a memorable day in your life. Use your
notes from Exercise C (p. 42), and language from Useful Language sections (p. 44
& 45) to help you. You can also add any other ideas that come to mind.
Choose a memorable day in your life. Make a list of the important events of the
day. Organise your list according to time order.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
You can use one of the following sentences as the main idea (first sentence) of
your paragraph or write your own.
1. A very ______________ thing happened to me on / in / at
__________________.
2. One day / summer / winter my friends and I had a (n) ______________
experience.
3. My trip to ______________ was very ______________.
4. ______________ was one of the ________________ days of my life.
______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Page | 67
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___
V. REVISING
Exchange paragraphs with a partner. Read the paragraph that your partner
wrote. Then use the revising checklist to help your partner improve his or her
paragraph.
REVISING CHECKLIST
YES NOT YET
1. Has s/he written a title for his/her paragraph?
2. Has s/he given the main idea in the first sentence of his/her paragraph?
3. Has s/he written a concluding sentence?
4. Has s/he written his/her sentences in correct time order?
5. Has s/he used any words or phrases from the Vocabulary Pool?
6. Has s/he used any time order signal words?
7. Has s/he started every sentence with a capital letter?
8. Has s/he ended every sentence with a period?
1. What do you like about your partner’s paragraph? Underline two or three parts.
Tell your partner.
2. Show your partner the checklist. Discuss your answers. Do you have any
suggestions for your partner?
Page | 68
Look at the checklist that your partner completed for your first draft and think about
what s/he said. Did your partner give you any ideas you can use? For example, can
you add any more sentences with before, when, or after? Rewrite your draft with the
changes.
__________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
______________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
Page | 69
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
REFERENCES
Books:
Blanchard, K. & Root, C. (2010) Ready To Write 1. Pearson Longman
Blanchard, K. & Root, C. (2010) Ready To Write 2. Pearson Longman
Blass, L. & Gordon, D. (2010) From Sentence To Paragraph. Cambridge University
Press
Pavlik, C. & Segal, M. K. (2007) Interactions 1 Writing. Mc Graw Hill
Other sources:
http://english120.pbworks.com/w/page/19006987/narrative%20paragraphs
http://myreadwritebooster.wordpress.com/writing-3/2-paragraph-writing/6-
narrative-paragraph/
http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/tlc/pub/handouts_worksheets/english/075sample_pa
ragraph_personal_narrative.pdf
http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/health/#Emergency
Page | 70
Page | 71

A2 Writing Booklet Ss

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A2 Writing Booklet Ss

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Prepared by:

Leon Michael Maroney

Unit 1 – Daily Routines ...……………………………………………………..... 2-18

Unit 2 – Important People, Important Life Events …………………………… 19-39

Unit 3 – Personal Experiences ……………………………………………...….. 40-61

1. What do you do on weekdays?

out chores Check e-mail

Everyday Chores or Free Time or Social Exercise Activities Work or School

a. _____ On weekdays, I go home around 5.30 p.m. I check my e-mails, and

b. _____ On Saturday evenings, my wife, and I relax. We have dinner at home.

Example: I stay up late at weekends. Ayça stays up late, too.

II. PREPARING YOUR WRITING

 The verb ends in –s when we talk about he, she, or it.

Exercise C: Liz Wright is an Olympic swimmer and a mother. Read

Using Time Expressions with the Simple Present Tense

First, I brush my teeth. Then, I go to bed.

Before I go to bed, I brush my teeth. OR I brush my teeth before I go to bed. Page | 8

Exercise A: Look at Alejandro’s schedule for a weekday. Fill in

1. Alejandro gets up _______ 7:00 a.m.

Exercise D: Complete the sentences.

2. After I get to school,

4. Before I eat dinner,

III. WRITING STRATEGY: Narrating Daily Routines

Exercise A: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions.

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

Exercise D: Read the sentences about a typical Sunday in Deborah’s life.

a. At about seven, we come home and have breakfast together.

Exercise E: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions.

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

A Busy Pharmacist and Mother

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?

Ask and answer the following questions with a partner.

Think about the important events in your life.

be born friendly hard-working get married

General Life Relationships Education Work Personality

Now, compare your answers with your partner.

1985 1987 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

bor fath ________________ got ___________ ___________ ______________ ______________

Tai Yi’s Life

1983 2001 2002 2006 2008 2009

bor graduated ___________ applied to ___________ broke up ___________

_____ _____ _____ _____

The Simple Past Tense

The Simple Past of Be

First, he moved to Istanbul. Then, he got married.

When you write your paragraph:

My Younger Brother, Jim

Aeronautics*: a government agency that researched airplanes

2. How does s/he organize the ideas?

The Google Guys

2. How does s/he organize the ideas?

3. Which time expressions can you see?

1. How does the writer start the writing?

2. How does s/he organize the ideas?

3. Which time expressions can you see?

4. How does s/he end the writing?

1933 born / Kayseri 1986

1948 work in his father’s business /

during his life / receive

take over the family 2002 open Sakıp Sabancı

bor fath __________ got _ _ ______

bor graduated _____ applied to _ broke up _______

___ _ _ ___