Grammar and Writing skills stage 7 sample by Cambridge International Education

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Mike Gould and Eoin Higgins

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Learner’s Book 7

• Help your learners recognise the features of different text types • Improve students’ comprehension and analysis skills with model texts in each unit • Help learners check their work with the ‘Editor’s checklist’ - a useful list of grammar, proofreading and editing tips • Help learner’s plan extended writing tasks with useful tools, like planning scaffolds and mind maps • Introduce your learners to longer, more varied texts types than those found in ESL materials, including fictional literature and poetry • Develop your learners’ ability to produce varied text types through activities such as vocabulary, grammar and cohesion techniques

Cambridge Grammar and Writing Skills Learner’s Book 7

Mike Gould and Eoin Higgins

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Whether it’s writing a short story, a diary or factual reports, Cambridge Grammar and Writing Skills provides activities for learners to practice and extend their writing skills. Each unit focuses on a different text type, building confidence in extended writing, while example texts show students a model to work to. Use of English activities give learners opportunities to practise grammar for different writing tasks. The series is the ideal support for our popular Global English and Checkpoint English resources. It suits first and second language learners, providing valuable consolidation for first language students and an opportunity for second language learners to extend their skills.

Cambridge Grammar and Writing Skills

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

E PL SA M Original material ÂŠ Cambridge University Press 2019

Cambridge Grammar and Writing Skills Stage 7

LEARNER’S BOOK

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Mike Gould and Eoin Higgins

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

Scope and sequence Text type

Task type (aim)

Grammar

1 Narrating my life

Diary

To be able to write in a clear, thoughtful way for a diary.

Present tense and used to

2 Creating suspense

Suspense story

To write an exciting story of suspense and tension.

Narrative tenses: past simple, past continuous and past perfect

3 Sending a message

Letter

To write a personal letter that shows a viewpoint.

Modal verbs: ability, possibility, obligation

4 Once upon a time â&#x20AC;Ś today

Urban myth/ modern fairy tale

To write a modern fairy tale or myth.

Reported speech: statements, questions and commands

5 Verse animals

Descriptive poem

To write a poem that effectively describes a creature or animal.

Word order

6 Exploring biographies

Biography

To write an interesting biographical article.

Second conditional clauses

7 Travelling rhymes

Ballad

To write an interesting and effective ballad.

Future forms

8 Over to our reporter

Report

To write an effective web report on a topic of personal interest.

Gerunds and infinitives

9 School tales

Short story

To write a short story that has a convincing main character.

Present perfect simple with still, already, ever, never and yet

10 Strange settings

Fantasy

To develop effective descriptive skills.

Passive voice

11 Describing an event

News report

To explain and describe an event or experience effectively.

Relative clauses

12 Playing a part

Play

To understand how playscripts work and apply skills to your own texts.

Questions

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Unit

Scope and sequence Original material ÂŠ Cambridge University Press 2019

Other language

Indefinite pronouns

Punctuation: capital letters

Compound adjectives

Cohesion: pronouns

Phrasal verbs

Punctuation: apostrophes

Sounds

Punctuation: direct speech

Punctuation: exclamation marks

Cohesion: time connectives

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Character adjectives

Adverbs

Page number

Vocabulary

Adjectives with –ing and –ed

Pronunciation: syllables and rhythm

Wordbuilding – prefixes and suffixes

Cohesion: connectors

Phrasal verbs

Writing spoken English: elision

Prepositional phrases

Cohesion: here and there

Phrasal verbs for events

Connectives: time

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Verbs and adverbs for movement and speech

Punctuation: ellipses or ellipsis – depending on what is meant.

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Scope and sequence Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

How to use this book

The aim shows you the type of writing that you will look at in this unit.

Unit walkthrough

1 Creating 2 Narrating suspense my life

Here you can see your objectives for this unit if you are a first-language English learner.

Your writing aim for this unit: To write an exciting story of suspense and tension. Writing objectives for first-language English In this unit, you will: • learn to develop character and voice in fiction writing •

clarify meaning and use language to create different effects

•

provide clarity and emphasis in writing using a variety of sentence lengths and structures.

In this unit, you will: •

use narrative tenses: past simple, past continuous and past perfect

•

learn compound adjectives

•

use cohesion: personal, possessive, and demonstrative pronouns.

tension

scan

simile

cohesion

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Key terms that you will learn: suspense

Writing and Use of English objectives for second-language English

Each unit begins with a ‘Big Question’. This helps you to think about any knowledge you already have on the themes and subject of this unit.

How can I create a story that is full of suspense?

Have you ever had a frightening experience? What happened? How did you feel? Tell your partner about it.

Effective suspense stories

How well did you tell your story? A good suspense story should:

This lists the main features found in an effective example of this type of writing.

• build up the suspense so the story gets more and more exciting

• keep the reader guessing about what will happen • clearly describe the physical and emotional feelings of the person or people involved

• vividly describe the situation or setting.

Key term

The unit is divided into five sections. The first section is called ‘Reading’. It focuses on a text extract that is typical of the type of writing covered by this unit. Texts include literature.

suspense: a feeling of excitement when you do not know how something will end

Reading

In the following extract, a teenager who is working as a spy is trying to find out information about some criminals, including a mysterious Mr Grin. 1 As you read the text, think about these questions:

a How does the writer make this extract exciting to read?

b What happens to Alex and why is he in danger?

If you are a secondlanguage English learner, you can see your objectives for the unit here.

The Killing Field There was something strange about the sign. Alex hesitated for a moment, wondering what it was. Then he dismissed it. He was walking in the countryside and the sun was shining. What could possibly be wrong? He followed the sign. The path continued for about another quarter of a mile, then dipped down into a hollow. Here the grass was almost as tall as Alex, rising up all around him, a shimmering green cage. A bird suddenly erupted in front of him, a ball of brown feathers that spun round on itself before taking flight. Something had disturbed it. And that was when Alex heard the sound – an engine getting closer. A tractor? No. It was too high-pitched and moving too fast. Alex knew he was in danger the same way an animal does. There was no need to ask why or how. Danger was simply there. And even as the dark shape appeared, crashing through the grass, he was throwing himself to one side, knowing – too late now – what it was that had been wrong about the second footpath sign. It had been brand-new. The first sign, the one that had led him off the road, had been weather-beaten and old. Someone had deliberately led him away from the correct path and brought him here. To the killing field. It was being ridden by a hunched-up figure in grey leathers, with helmet and goggles. Then it was gone, thudding down into the grass on the other side of him and disappearing instantly, as if a curtain had been drawn. Alex scrambled to his feet and began to run. There were two of them. He knew what

Coloured words in the text and the ‘Key’ box relate to English-language terms that you will learn about later in the unit.

Keep these questions in mind when you are reading the text for the first time. They help you to see the purpose behind what you are reading.

20 Unit 2 Creating suspense

How to use this book Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

Coloured words in the text and the ‘Key’ box relate to Englishlanguage terms that you will learn about later in the unit.

Key language features

The Teacher’s Resource includes work on writer’s effect.

narrative tenses compound adjectives

‘Glossary’ boxes help to explain difficult or unusual words or phrases in the text. They are highlighted in red.

pronouns

Glossary

four by fours: vehicles on which all four wheels are powered swathe: a wide path of grass that has been cut or ﬂattened

cheese-wire: very sharp wire sometimes used for cutting cheese

This list helps you to develop an appreciation of the type of text that you have just read.

How the text works

Can you remember what makes a good suspense story? Here is how the writer makes it work. He: • builds up the suspense: in each paragraph the danger increases

• keeps the reader guessing: the narrator doesn’t know if Alex will survive

Authentic texts are more challenging than those typically found in an ESL course.

they were now. He’d ridden similar things himself, on holiday, in the sand dunes of Death Valley, Nevada. Kawasaki four by fours, powered by 400 cc engines with automatic transmission. Quad bikes. They were circling him like wasps. A drone, then a scream, and the second bike was in front of him, roaring towards him, cutting a swathe through the grass. Alex hurled himself out of its path, once again crashing into the ground, almost dislocating his shoulder. Wind and engine fumes whipped across his face. He had to find somewhere here to hide. But he was in the middle of a field and there was nowhere – apart from the grass itself. Desperately, he fought through it, the blades scratching at his face, halfblinding him as he tried to find his way back to the main path. He needed other people. Whoever had sent these machines (and now he remembered Mr Grin talking on his mobile phone), they couldn’t kill him if there were witnesses around. But there was no one, and they were coming for him again … together this time. Alex could hear the engines, whining in unison, coming up fast behind him. Still running, he glanced over his shoulder and saw them, one on each side, seemingly about to overtake him. It was only the glint of the sun and the sight of the grass slicing itself in half that revealed the horrible truth. The two cyclists* had stretched a length of cheese-wire between them.

• describes Alex’s feelings and actions: short and long sentences convey how he suddenly realises things, powerful verbs express his movements and emotions • describes aspects of the setting in detail: vivid adjectives and nouns help us see it from Alex’s point of view.

From Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

*The author refers to the riders of the quads as ‘cyclists’ – probably short for ‘motorcyclists’.

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Unit 2 Creating suspense

‘Text analysis’ is the second section of the unit. Here you will learn about the structure of the type of text that you have just read.

Text analysis

‘Suspense’ is what you feel when you (or someone you read about) is in a situation of danger or excitement, and you are waiting to see how things turn out – for good or bad! 1 In what way does the story create suspense?

Reading closely

It is important to be clear about the overall structure of stories, whether they are full of suspense, mystery, comedy or romance.

2 a Study the different key moments in the extract. Map the most important moments or ‘events’ on a timeline, using the one below as an example:

The activities in this section will break down the text into paragraphs and individual words, and help you to analyse them.

b Compare your timeline with your partner. • Are there any other actions or descriptions you can add? Are there any that are happening in the background or between the key moments? • Write them above and below the moments on your timeline.

3 The writer uses each paragraph of the story to develop the tension and reveal new information. Find the correct paragraph, and then scan the text for the answers to these questions.

Key terms

tension: a feeling of worry or nervousness scan: to run your eyes along each line of the text looking for a specific bit of information

‘Key term’ boxes highlight new or important language that you will work on in the unit.

a How tall is the grass in the hollow? b In the second paragraph, what vehicle does Alex think is making the engine noise at first? c In the third paragraph, what does Alex realise had been wrong about the second sign? d Which part of his body does Alex hurt when he dives out of the way in the sixth paragraph? e At the end of the text, what does Alex realise the two riders have stretched between the two bikes?

• Discuss how they all contribute to the suspense.

Alex sees the sign, pauses, then follows it.

Alex is running to escape the cheese-wire.

How to use this book Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

a What verb in the second paragraph suggests the path goes downhill? b What verb in the second paragraph means ‘violently shoot up in the air’? What is it describing? c Why is the simile ‘They were circling him like wasps’ a very effective one, based on what you know of the situation?

Key term simile: a description in which a writer compares one thing to another using ‘like’ or ‘as’ (‘She was as quick as a ﬂash of lightning’) d Identify three words or phrases in the sentence below taken from the extract that describe the sounds of the bikes:

Thinking about the text The extract conveys the different emotions Alex goes through. 5 Think carefully and then answer these questions. a What does the word ‘hesitated’ suggest about how Alex feels at the start of the extract? b Why was it ‘too late’ when Alex realised the sign had been changed? c How frightened is Alex about the situation? What words or phrases in the seventh paragraph reveal this? d Which of these adjectives or adjectival phrases best describe the actions of the two bikers? unkind not nice

aggressive stupid

murderous

6 Work in pairs. Discuss these questions.

A drone, then a scream, and the second bike was in front of him, roaring towards him, cutting a swathe through the grass. Match the words you have selected to these meanings:

a In the story, Alex finds himself in a place where the grass is so high he can’t see where he is going. Have you ever been in a situation in the wild where you were unable to find your way? When? What made it difficult to see or move?

• a high-pitched cry

b Why do you think the two bikers are trying to kill Alex?

• a snarling growl • a dull, throbbing sound

c How would you feel if you were in the same situation?

d In what way do you think the extract is effective in creating suspense for the reader?

e Which two verbs in the seventh paragraph describe how the blades of grass are making it difficult for Alex to escape?

These discussion questions let you talk about your personal reaction to the text and add your own thoughts.

Reacting to the text

4 The writer’s word choices help the reader experience the attack and the build up to it very vividly. Answer these questions about the vocabulary in the text.

Unit 2 Creating suspense

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The ‘Use of English’ section looks at grammar or vocabulary in relation to the text type.

First of all, you will read about the new grammar or vocabulary in one of these presentation boxes. You will be asked to actively think about the grammar rules and use.

Use of English

Later in the unit, you are going to write a suspense story set in a school.

Narrative tenses: past simple, past continuous and past perfect Grammar presentation

Narrative tenses are the tenses we use to tell a story. The most common narrative tenses are the past simple (She walked), the past continuous (She was walking) and the past perfect (She had walked).

1 Read the sentences from the story on pages 20–21. Complete them with the missing verbs. Look back at the story to help you. a Alex for a moment, wondering what it was. Then he it. He in the countryside and the sun .

b A bird suddenly in front of him, … Something it. c Someone

deliberately him away from the

correct path.

d They

him like wasps.

2 Match the uses of the narrative tenses (a–d) in Activity 1 to the meanings (i–iv) below. i

an action in progress around another action or actions

ii single actions in a sequence or repeated actions iii a background action in a story

iv an action that occurred before another action or event

3 Choose the correct tenses to complete each sentence. a While I walked / was walking to school, I heard / was hearing a strange sound behind me. b The cat was watching / watched him carefully as Omar climbed / was climbing over the gate into the garden. c When the teacher said / was saying ‘Time’s up’, Esma wasn’t finishing / hadn’t finished writing her story. d I got / was getting totally lost because I took / had taken a wrong turn somewhere. e When Dina pushed / was pushing the door she hadn’t been / wasn’t able to open it. Someone locked / had locked it.

4 Complete the story with the past simple, past continuous or past perfect form of the verbs in brackets. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.

The sun (1) (shine) on Claire’s back as she (2) (cycle) down the dirt path to Mr Wynn’s farm. She (3) (not intend) to go there but her mum (4) (ask) her to go and get some fresh eggs. She (5) just (pass) through the main gate when she (6) (remember) Buddy, Mr Wynn’s massive dog. Claire (7) never (like) dogs in general but Buddy (8) (be) especially scary. Buddy (9) (bark) excitedly from inside but Mr Wynn (10) (not appear) at the door as he usually did. That’s strange, she (11) (think) … Mr Wynn never goes anywhere without Buddy.

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How to use this book Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

This is followed by lots of activities to help you practise the new language.

Vocabulary: compound adjectives Vocabulary presentation

Cohesion presentation

Skilled writers such as Anthony Horowitz often use compound adjectives before nouns so that their descriptions are more vivid and accurate.

Pronouns are words that replace nouns. They help you to write a cohesive text and to avoid repetition.

5 a Below are three compound adjectives (a–c) from the story about Alex on pages 20–21. Match them to the patterns (i–iii).

• Possessive pronouns: mine, his, hers, theirs, etc.

• Personal pronouns: he, she, it, they, etc.

• Demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those

a high-pitched

b brand-new

ii noun + participle

Key term

c weatherbeaten

iii adjective/ adverb + past participle

cohesion: (adj: cohesive) a story, article or essay has cohesion when all the parts work well together

noun + adjective

b Can you think of any more examples for each pattern?

You may also find a cohesion section focusing on connectives, pronouns etc. that will help you to write better texts.

Cohesion: pronouns

8 Match the sentences. Pay attention to the pronouns.

6 Match some other patterns of compound adjectives.

Each unit includes one grammar section and one vocabulary section.

a David had seen three men.

a a fifteen-minute walk

b a life-changing moment

ii number + singular noun

noun/adjective + present participle

b Farel had passed his exams.

c The watch looked like the one that belonged to Ayla. d The teacher asked about Azra.

e You have to calculate the time you need.

c a slow-moving truck d a five-dollar bill

But everyone knew where she was.

ii But Barry knew it wasn’t hers.

7 Match the halves to make more compound adjectives.

iii This was good news.

lasting

b absent-

haired

iv That’s the only way you’ll know when to start.

c world-

iii

behaved

v They seemed a bit suspicious to him.

d short-

iv year

e ten-

f long-

vi minded

a well-

famous

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‘Guided writing’ is the fourth section. This will guide you step-by-step through a writing activity that is related to the text type.

You will be presented with a model task to complete.

The first step is to brainstorm and plan ideas for your writing.

Guided writing Your school magazine has asked students to enter a short story competition. Look at the picture and the task.

• Describe the place and what your character sees.

87%

10:45

Your story must begin like this:

There was something strange about Yusuf’s message. As long as Shinta had known Yusuf, he had never got himself into any trouble!

Write a suspense story for the competition.

Think/Plan

This will include opportunities to plan collaboratively with other students.

1 Work in pairs. Generate ideas for your suspense story. Answer the questions and take notes to help you. a What is strange about the message? b Who sent the message? Why?

c What do you think will happen?

d How will you keep the suspense?

2 Complete a timeline showing the main events and actions in your story. I read the message again.

There will be opportunities for you to refer back to the model text extract. This will help you with ideas for your own writing.

Tip

You could use a table like the one in Unit 1 on page 16 to help you organise your paragraphs.

3 Decide what you are going to write in each paragraph.

• Describe the background events and the main events.

You willl also think about the structure of your writing.

• Include some events or action that happened previously.

• Describe your character's feelings and emotions.

Useful language

Linkers: At first, In the beginning, Then / Next, Suddenly / All of a sudden, In the end Powerful verbs: erupt, scramble, crash (into), thud, scream, roar, hurl, whine, glance, slice

‘Useful language’ boxes provide words and phrases that will help with your writing.

Compound adjectives: high-pitched, well-built, weather-beaten, old-fashioned, five-minute, slow-moving, well-behaved

Write: paragraphs In the story on pages 20–21, Alex gets into a situation where his life is in danger and he has to escape. You can use this situation as a model, but base the information on somewhere you know well. Write the first paragraph of your suspense story. Follow these steps: • First, write a sentence describing some background actions. Something like this: She was just packing up her books when Yusuf’s message had arrived.

You will work intensively on writing just one part of the text type.

• Next, write a few sentences about the reaction to the message. There was something strange about the message. As long as Shinta had known Yusuf, he had never got himself into any trouble! He was always so well-behaved and he got on well with everyone. Shinta wondered what had happened. • Use a question to introduce another element of suspense. You could use one of these. Put the words in the correct order. a Yusuf / could / What / want / ? b behind / school / the / What’s / ? c in / of / is / kind / What / trouble / Yusuf / ? d this / number / Whose / is / phone / ? • Finally, write a sentence describing what Shinta does about the message.

26 Unit 2 Creating suspense

How to use this book Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

Helpful ‘Tips’ relating to grammar and writing can be found in each unit.

b Yusuf suddenly appears, looking confused, and they try to get away.

Tip Notice how the author of the story about Alex introduces the first sign of danger in the second paragraph. You could use a strange sound, or a sudden, unrelated action to introduce some tension.

c Shinta runs away but she gets lost. d Shinta tries to get back into the school through the back door, but it’s locked.

Describe the place and the actions on the way to the back of the school. Vary the length of the sentences. Start like this:

• Use the past continuous for background actions.

She climbed over the wall into the teachers’ car park. Just as she landed ...

• Use the past simple for single actions or a series of actions, one after the other.

Continue the story

• Use the past perfect for actions that happened before something else.

Describe what happened when Shinta went behind the school. Think about the following questions.

• Vary sentence length to create suspense.

a Who or what was waiting for her there?

• Try to use powerful verbs and some compound adjectives to describe actions and objects/places.

b What happened to put Shinta in danger? c How does she try to escape? d How do you think Shinta is feeling now?

The unit includes opportunities for selfassessment. This will help to develop responsibility for your own learning.

• Describe the feelings and emotions of your character.

Useful facts relating to the text type or writing can be found in the Did you know? boxes.

‘Things to remember’ offers a reminder of the important points that you should cover in your writing.

Things to remember when writing a suspense story

Finish the story

• Don’t tell the reader what happens in the end.

Did you know? In the story on pages 20–21, Alex doesn’t manage to get away completely the first time so his ‘enemies’ attack him again. We don’t know what happens to him in the end … we are left in suspense. Leaving the end of a chapter or story unknown is called a cliffhanger.

Check your first draft

When you have finished writing, be your own editor. a Leave your story for a while and come back to it with a ‘fresh head’.

b Read it critically, as if you’ve never seen it before. Does it make sense?

You will also learn to edit and then redraft your own writing.

c Add details or actions to help the reader understand what happened.

Glossary

Cliffhanger: dramatic moment which is full of suspense like when someone is hanging by their fingertips from a cliff and we don’t know if they’ll fall or be saved

Now write a second draft of your story.

Now write the end of your story. Use one of these ideas to help you.

a Shinta runs back to the teachers’ car park, but nobody is there.

Peer assessment

3-2-1 – write three things that you like about your partner’s story; two things that you think could be improved; and one thing that surprised you.

Unit 2 Creating suspense

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The ‘Peer assessment’ boxes allow you a chance to collaborate with other students and reflect on each other’s work.

‘Independent’ writing is the final section. Using all the information that you have learnt in the unit, you can now complete an entire writing activity on your own.

Independent writing

Writer’s checklist: suspense stories

Write a suspense story, or just an extract from one, of 250–300 words. Write at least three paragraphs. Choose one of these titles for your suspense story, or create your own version of the story of Shinta and Yusuf.

• Have you described background actions at the beginning?

• A strange note

• Can you add more descriptive words?

• The wrong direction

• Have you used a variety of sentence structures to create different effects?

• Mysterious knocking sounds

The word limit for your writing activity is provided.

Follow these stages:

Stage 1 Generate ideas using the key words from the title. You could make a list of ideas on your own or with a partner.

Stage 2 Put your ideas into a plan, using a timeline or a table.

Each Independent writing activity has a choice of writing tasks. This will help you to access the right one for you.

The unit ends with a progress checklist where you can reflect on your own learning.

• Where will your first paragraph take place? What is happening to your main character? • How does the tension develop?

• What happenes to your character?

Stage 3 Write your story in paragraphs, following your plan. Use the checklist to make sure your story is full of suspense!

• Have you described the place vividly? • Have you described the character’s feelings and emotions?

• Have you linked ideas/people with the correct pronouns?

Editor’s checklist

Check • that your ideas are organised into paragraphs

The ‘Editor’s checklist’ is a final reminder of how to edit and proofread your writing.

• your spelling and use of capital letters • punctuation, especially full stops and commas • the grammar is correct – narrative tenses.

Final draft Once you have completed your story, email it to your teacher or school magazine or post it on the class notice board.

Check your progress I can:

Needs more work

Almost there

All done!

generate ideas and plan a suspense story using a timeline and organise it into paragraphs using a table create a vivid setting with descriptive verbs and adjectives use a variety of short and long sentences to build suspense use capital letters correctly.

28 Unit 2 Creating suspense

The ‘Writer’s checklist’ is a final reminder of what you covered in the unit and what you should include in your writing.

How to use this book Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

‘Final draft’ suggests what you or your whole class can do with your finished writing.

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1 Narrating my life

Your writing aim for this unit: To be able to write in a clear, thoughtful way for a diary. Writing objectives for first-language English In this unit, you will:

• practise note-taking for different purposes

Writing and Use of English objectives for second-language English In this unit, you will: • revise present and past tenses, and used to

• use correct grammar in a range of genres and text types.

• learn indefinite and quantitative pronouns • use correct punctuation: capital letters.

Key terms that you will learn: diary

narrator

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

Have you ever kept a diary? If you have, what sorts of things did you write in it? If you haven’t, what would you write in it?

Key term diary: a book in which you can record daily events and your personal thoughts and feelings

A good diary should:

Saturday 30 April It’s a weird thing, a diary, isn’t it! I mean who do you talk to? Yourself? I suppose … but that just doesn’t feel right. The only way I can think of to do this diary thing is to imagine that I’m talking to someone else. But what kind of someone could I let in to the mixed-up mind-maze that is me, Mira Levenson? I’ll have to imagine that I’m writing to a friend, a best friend like Millie. The strange thing is though that I used to be able to tell her anything, but recently – I don’t really know why – I’ve started to keep some things to myself … secrets. Perhaps the thing is not to think too much about anything, but just start writing and see where it takes me.

Effective diaries

Mira’s World

How can I write about my life in an interesting way?

• use the first person (‘I’)

• use tenses to give a sense of what is happening now or what has happened recently • provide a clear sense of the writer’s character

• record events or experiences that have happened recently

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• reflect the feelings and emotions of the writer.

Reading

In the following extract, the narrator, Mira, is starting a diary for the first time. She is wondering what a diary is for, and how to write it.

Key term

narrator: someone who tells or recounts a story

OK, here goes. Facts are the easiest … start with the facts. I’m twelve years old today. Twelve years and four hours old. I was born at seven o’clock in the morning. So, to be exact, twelve years, four hours and twenty-two minutes old. My twelve-year-old self is neither tall nor small, neither skinny nor ‘plumpy’, as Krish calls Laila. My twelve-year-old self has long, dead-straight black hair, and dark brown eyes that my dad says sometimes turn black with emotion. My skin’s brown, but not dark enough to hide my blushes. Looking in the mirror, which I do quite a lot recently, I would say I don’t love myself (my teeth have come down a bit wonky), but I don’t really

1 As you read the text, think about these questions:

a What do we find out about Mira’s family life? b How would you describe Mira? (Confident? Tough? Silly? Thoughtful?)

10 Unit 1 Narrating my life Original material © Cambridge University Press 2019

Key language features tenses for current and recent events indefinite pronouns

mind how I look. My nana calls me a ‘beauty’, but she would, wouldn’t she?

Glossary wonky: (adj) informal word meaning not in a straight line

doodler: (noun) someone who scribbles and draws on things in an absent-minded way

Like I said, facts are easiest, but none of this really says very much, does it? Maybe words just aren’t my thing. Give me a paintbrush any day. My school reports always say stuﬀ like ‘Mira now needs to work on building her conﬁdence and contributing to class discussions’. Now that is something I really hate to do. The main thing about me is whenever I go to say anything in class I blush up bright red so that before I’ve even opened my mouth, everyone knows how embarrassed I am, and after that I just clam up and lose the will to live. The mad thing is I actually can’t stop thinking. I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about things like … how I’m going to get through a lunch hour if Millie’s not around … and, well, I suppose I can say it here, can’t I?

describing your character

How the text works

Can you remember what makes a good diary? Here is how the writer makes it work. She: • gives a sense of the here and now by using the simple present tense

SA M

• provides background information about herself and the people in her life by using the simple past tense

… I’m a doodler and a daydreamer and a night dreamer. The last few weeks it’s been nightmares mostly, really bizarre stuff that freaks me out. Actually, I’ve been feeling a bit strange lately – it’s hard to say exactly how, but it feels like I’m walking a tightrope. I’m not sure what it is I’m going to fall off, but it definitely feels like I’m about to find out.

• reveals some of her inner feelings and emotions through questions • gives a sense of her character through humour and personal observations.

From Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari

Text analysis One key reason why people keep diaries is because they allow you to reveal your deepest hopes, fears and thoughts about life. 1 In what way is this true of Mira’s diary entry?

3 The writer uses each paragraph to gradually reveal information about Mira. Find the correct paragraph, and then scan the text to answer these questions. a In the first paragraph, who does Mira say is one of her best friends? b In the second paragraph, what is the first notable fact Mira starts with?

c What sort of hair does Mira have?

d In the third paragraph, what does Mira say she hates to do?

e In the last paragraph, how has Mira been feeling in recent weeks?

4 The writer uses lots of words and phrases to explain Mira’s feelings. Answer these questions about the vocabulary in the text.

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a In the first sentence, what adjective used to describe a diary means ‘strange’?

Reading closely

2 Although diaries often flow quite freely, Mira has organised her thoughts into clear sections. Match each of the four paragraphs in the diary extract to the topics Mira refers to listed in the table below.

Paragraph

a Strange feelings at night b How she feels and behaves at school

c Facts about Mira’s life and appearance

b Mira uses the word ‘easiest’ to describe providing ‘facts’. Which two of the following words/phrases are synonyms for ‘easiest’? useful simplest hardest

most straightforward

c In the third paragraph, what informal phrase does Mira use that means ‘are not what I am good at’? What is she talking about? d What word does Mira use to describe herself? Use this definition as a clue: Someone whose mind wanders: a

Glossary definition: a precise explanation of a word or phrase

d How to write a diary

E PL

Thinking about the text

Reacting to the text

Mira thinks hard about the person she is, and what she is like at school.

6 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions below and make a note of the answers you and your partner come up with. You can write full-sentence answers or just the key words.

5 Think carefully and then answer these questions.

a What does the phrase ‘mixed-up mindmaze’ suggest about how Mira feels? Think about each of these possibilities: She thinks clearly and logically about her life.

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ii She is angry and upset and wants to cry all the time. iii She feels confused and unsure about her life.

iv She is happy, calm and content.

b What evidence is there that Mira is not confident at school? Think about: • what her school report says

• what she says happens when she tries to speak in class.

c Mira suggests that writing is not her ‘thing’. What does she like doing? How do you know?

For example, a full-sentence answer to question a might be: Perhaps Mira keeps a diary because it helps her to understand what sort of person she is. A key words answer to question a might be: helps her understand sort of person she is a Why do you think Mira feels the need to keep a diary? After all, she says she isn’t good with words. b What advice would you give Mira to help her overcome her lack of confidence at school? c In what way do you think the extract is effective in giving an insight into Mira’s world?

Glossary insight: a clear view that helps us understand something

d Mira describes how she feels at the end of the extract by saying it is ‘like walking a tightrope’. What do you think she means?

Later in the unit, you are going to write the first entry in your new diary.

Revision: present tenses and used to Grammar presentation Mira uses different present tenses to describe events happening at the moment, her habits and recent events. 1 a Match tenses to their uses. Tenses

Uses

a Present simple

b Present continuous

ii permanent situations, habits, regular actions

c Present perfect simple

iii past habits and states

d Present perfect continuous

iv actions in progress around the time of speaking/writing

e used to

v actions that finished in the past but are connected to the present

d I a lot about my life recently and I want to write it all down. 3 Choose the correct verb forms to complete the diary entry. Sometimes both options are correct.

Saturday 15 March

First of all, I think I should tell you a little bit about myself. My name’s Alexander but everyone (1) calls / has always called me Alex. I’m almost 13 years old and I (2) ’m coming / come from Kuching in Malaysia. I (3) haven’t always lived / didn’t use to live in Kuching. We (4) used to live / lived in Bintulu but we (5) ’ve moved / moved here a few years ago. I (6) ’m having / ’ve got a bigger room now in our new house and it’s very near my school so I (7) walk / ’m walking there every day. I’m quite a shy person so I (8) ’ve found / found it hard to make friends at the beginning, but I joined / used to join the chess club and I (9) ’ve made / ’ve been making lots of friends since then. We (10) ’ve been hanging / ’ve hung out a lot together recently to play video games. I’m not very good at them but my friend Haqziq always (11) plays / ’s playing really well.

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actions that started in the past and are still going on

playing with dolls but c I now they’re all in a box under my bed.

Use of English

b Find an example of each tense in the diary entry on pages 10–11.

2 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box. write

think

not sleep

a I’m really tired because I well lately. b I never a diary before.

Vocabulary: indefinite pronouns Saturday 10 June

Vocabulary presentation

My parents and I went out to dinner this evening. (1) on the menu was really expensive but all the dishes sounded delicious. We ordered some drinks but (2) arrived for about 20 minutes. Then our food arrived but the portions were tiny! I was really hungry and I wanted (3) ! My brother had some chips so he offered me (4) but I thought if I took (5) , he’d have hardly (6) left! (7) went home disappointed … and hungry!

We use pronouns in place of a nouns. In English, there are pronouns that refer to indefinite or unspecified things, people and places. 4 a Copy and complete the table. -thing -body/ -one -where

some-

every-

noanynothing

b Find examples of indefinite pronouns in Mira’s diary entry on pages 10–11. 5 Complete the sentences with the correct indefinite pronouns. a Poppy’s my best friend and I’d do for her. b Don’t go minute.

Punctuation: capital letters Punctuation presentation

. I’ll be back in a

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In English we use capital letters for:

c Hold on. I think there’s the door.

d Does football?

want to play

e There was bus so I had to stand.

to sit on the

• the pronoun ‘I’

• the first word in a sentence • people’s names and surnames • titles of books and films • countries, languages and nationalities • months and days.

7 Rewrite the following text in your notebook using capital letters where necessary.

Tip

Other quantifying words such as some, none, more and a few can be used as pronouns.

6 Complete the diary entry with the pronouns in the box. more

any

everything

everyone

none

a few

some

last summer my family and i went to milan for the weekend. it was july so it was very warm. we arrived on friday morning and stayed until sunday. i love milan because there’s so much to see and do. my little brother ali wanted to practise his italian so he said ‘ciao’ to everyone!

Guided writing

2 Think about how many paragraphs you are going to write in your diary entry. What will the main idea be in each one?

Imagine you have decided to start writing a diary like Mira’s. Write the first entry.

3 Draw a table like the one below to help you organise your paragraphs. • Each column of the table is a paragraph. Write the main idea in the top row. Examples are shown below.

Write about your diary, yourself and recent events in your life.

Think/Plan

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Main idea: Why I’m writing a diary

Main idea: Facts about me

1 Work in pairs. Generate ideas for your first diary entry. Answer the questions and take notes to help you.

• Write notes with your ideas for each paragraph.

a What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of writing a diary?

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

Main idea: Recent events in my life

Main idea: ……… ……………………… ……………………… ………………………

b What facts about yourself would you like to include in your diary?

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c What has happened recently that you could write about? It does not have to be very dramatic, but it should be something that affected you or someone close to you. d How have you been feeling recently? Are you excited about something? Or worried?

Tip

Taking notes • Get a clean sheet of paper and try to fill it with ideas. • Write key words or short phrases.

• Write whole sentences if you think of good ones you could use in your diary.

Write: describe yourself

Mira uses adjectives to describe her physical appearance. Look back at pages 10 and 11 and find the words and phrases she uses. Write a paragraph of your diary (Paragraph 2 in the plan). Follow these steps: • First, tell us some facts about yourself. I was born on [date] in [place]. I’m [number] years old. • Describe some aspects of your physical appearance (hair, complexion, eyes, build, general appearance). I’m neither … nor …, My skin’s …, I’d say I’m …

• Read over your notes and organise them by topic or theme.

Tip

Always organise your writing in paragraphs. Each one should be about one main idea.

Suggestions: try to include something unique about your appearance. You can make up these details if you like.

a I’ve been feeling a bit strange/moody/ frustrated lately …

Useful language Hair: blonde, dark, red, brown; straight, wavy, curly, long, short Build: tall, short, muscular, skinny, thin, plump Eyes: dark, hazel, blue, green

b I’m really looking forward to … c I’m really excited/disappointed about … d … is making me feel a bit worried/anxious. e I’m confused/gloomy about …

Complexion: dark, pale, fair, freckled

Things to remember when writing a diary

Write: recent events

• Use paragraphs to organise the different ideas.

• Write a description of yourself and include some humour. • Describe some recent events and what’s happening in your life.

• Write about your feelings and emotions. • Use present tenses to write about your life at the moment. • Try to include details about your character.

Check your first draft

SA M Continue your diary. Write about recent events in your life. Describe your thoughts and feelings about them. You could use some of the ideas below.

a Recently I’ve been thinking about making some changes to my life.

b My teacher(s) has/have been telling me I should participate more in class. c I’ve been feeling very tired lately.

d I’ve been working on trying to think more positively. e I’ve been talking to my granddad a lot lately. He says …

Finish the diary entry

When you have finished writing, swap your diary with a partner. a Check that it is well organised. b Give them more ideas about their appearance, character and recent events. c Discuss ways to include some humour or interesting details. Now write a second draft of your diary entry.

Peer assessment Always start by telling your partner what you like about their first draft.

Now write the final part of your diary entry. Describe your feelings and emotions at the moment. Try to include a hint about something you’ll be writing more about later on. Choose one of the following, complete it and explain why.

Independent writing

Writer’s checklist: diaries

Write a diary entry of 250–300 words. Choose one of these situations or write another diary entry for Mira:

• Has each paragraph got one main idea? • Have you used the present tense to describe recent events?

• Write a diary entry from your own point of view following a significant event or moment in your life (this can be real or imagined).

Follow these stages:

Editor’s checklist

Stage 1 Think of different ideas that you can write about. Take notes. Include feelings and emotions related to the events.

• Have you explained why you felt this way?

• Write a diary entry from the point of view of someone who has just started a new school.

• Have you described your feelings and emotions?

Check • that your ideas are organised into paragraphs

Stage 2 Group your ideas into paragraphs using a table with a column for each central idea. See page 16.

• your spelling and use of capital letters • punctuation, especially full stops and commas

• Give some facts about the event.

• the grammar is correct – present and past tenses.

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• Describe your feelings and emotions and explain why you felt that way.

• Give a hint about something else you might write about later.

Final draft

Stage 3 Write your diary in paragraphs, following your plan. Use the checklist to make sure your diary is interesting!

Write the final draft of your diary. You could use it to start your own personal diary or even as part of a class diary or school blog.

Check your progress I can:

Needs more work

generate ideas and take useful notes organise my ideas into paragraphs

use tenses effectively to describe recent events and my feelings use capital letters correctly.

Almost there

All done!