Oxford University Press Headway Plus ELEMENTARY Writing Guide 20-Sep-11

UNIT 7
Writing Task: Write about your last holiday
Worksheet 1: PRE-WRITING

Exercise 1: Brainstorming and gathering information

Answer the following questions about your last holiday:
1. Where did you go? ...........................................................................................................................
2. When did you go? ............................................................................................................................
3. Who did you go with? .......................................................................................................................
4. How long did you go for? .................................................................................................................
5. Where did you stay? ..........................................................................................................................
6. What did you like? ............................................................................................................................

Exercise 2: Check your vocabulary

Match the nouns on the right with a holiday on a picnic to Cyprus
the correct verb in the table below. for two weeks on holiday by plane
presents away with my family a photo
Now write the verbs in the
Past Simple. in a restaurant swimming in a hotel

verb verb in Past Simple Nouns

go

stay

eat
take
buy
have

Exercise 3: Extend your vocabulary

What did you do on your last holiday in the mornings, afternoons and evenings?

mornings afternoons evenings

Oxford University Press Headway Plus ELEMENTARY Writing Guide 20-Sep-11

UNIT 7
Worksheet 2: PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Sentence building 1
Use your answers to Exercise 1 / Worksheet 1 to write complete sentences about your last holiday.
Use verbs and nouns from Exercise 2 & 3 / Worksheet 1.
1. ............................................................................................................................................................
2. ............................................................................................................................................................
3. ............................................................................................................................................................
4. ............................................................................................................................................................
5. ............................................................................................................................................................
6. ............................................................................................................................................................

Exercise 2: Linking words – and, but Salem’s holiday

Look at the table about Salem’s holiday. take photos 
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verbs in the past and 
good weather
linking words (and/but).
good food 
1. The weather _______________ good _________ he go swimming 
_________________ swimming. go on a boat 
2. The food _______________ good _________ he eat in restaurants 
_________________ in lots of restaurants. computer 
3. He _______________ send emails _________ he visit museums 
_________________ on a boat. good hotel 
noisy street 
4. He _______________ photos _________ he
_________________ museums.
5. The hotel _____________ good _________ the street ____________ noisy.

Exercise 3: Linking words – so, because + couldn’t/wasn’t/weren’t

Complete the sentences about Salem’s holiday. Use your ideas.
1. Salem liked the hotel because ......................................................................................................
2. The weather wasn’t very good so .................................................................................................
3. He couldn’t send emails because ..................................................................................................
4. There weren’t very many shops so ...............................................................................................
5. He liked the people because ..........................................................................................................

Exercise 4: Sentence building 2

Rewrite the sentences from Exercise 1 / Worksheet 2. Use linking words to write longer sentences.
Add extra information and use your ideas from Exercise 3/ Worksheet 1. Make sure you put the
sentences in a good order.
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Oxford University Press Headway Plus ELEMENTARY Writing Guide 20-Sep-11

UNIT 7
Worksheet 3: WRITING

Exercise 1: Writing a First Draft

Write a paragraph about your last holiday. Start with a topic sentence. Use the Past Simple and use
linking words (and, but, because, so). Write about 50 words.
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Read your paragraph and check:


Topic sentence
Past simple
Linking words: and/but/because/so
Sentences in a good order
Spelling (use a dictionary)
Capital letters at the start of sentences
Full stops at the end of sentences

Exercise 2: Writing a Final Draft

Make corrections and write out the paragraph again neatly.