Narrative Informal Letter – Exotic Holiday Teacher’s Notes
Lead in
Write on the board:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What’s the most exotic place you’ve ever been to?
What did you do there?
Would you recommend it? Why? Why not?
What advice would you give to someone who was going there for the first time?
Students discuss in pairs. Go to open class, students share exotic destinations, activities and advice.
Task Analysis
Give out student handout. Students read task and underline the 4 things they must include in their letter
Task
You have recently been travelling in an exotic country. Your friend has written to you because they are
thinking about visiting the same place. Write them a letter describing the highlights of your trip, you should
also mention any problems you encountered, say whether or not you would recommend the place and give
your friend advice for their trip.
Students complete paragraph plan
Paragraph Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Standard informal email opening
Describe highlights
Mention problems
Recommend or not + give advice
Sign off
Brainstorm – Informal letter opening + sign off
As a class brainstorm standard opening and closing expressions for informal letters:
Opening
Closing
It’s wonderful to hear from you again.
Anyway, I’d better get going as I have an early start in
It’s been ages since we last saw each other.
the morning.
How have you been?
Well, it’s getting late and I’ve gotta get up at the crack
What have you been up to?
of dawn tomorrow.
Sorry for not writing back sooner, I’ve been snowed
Hugs and kisses
under with schoolwork/exams/work.
Lots of love
So you wanted to know about…. Well…
Send my love to ….
Briefly run through the language on the handout for sequencing etc. Students read and field any questions or
doubts they might have. We will look at the advanced grammar next.
Worksheet – Collocations and Advanced Grammar
Collocations
Give out the worksheet. Students match the collocations. Use the quizlet set to drill/reinforce with games.
Key: 1-h, 2-b, 3-d, 4-a, 5-e, 6-f, 7-g, 8-c
Advanced Grammar
This section is revision of several advanced grammar structures that can be used in compositions with a
narrative element.
Key:
Just as we had got on the helicopter it took off.
No sooner had we got on the helicopter than it took off.
As soon as we had left the jeep we were surrounded by different types of monkeys!
Hardly had we left the jeep when we were surrounded by different types of monkeys.
We went scuba diving and spear fishing.
Not only did we go scuba diving but also spear fishing.
We had no idea that there were man-eating sharks in the water.
Little did we know that there were man-eating sharks in the water.
I enjoyed the safari the most.
What I enjoyed most was the safari.
It was the safari that I enjoyed most.
I had never seen such a spectacular sunset before.
Never before had I seen such a spectacular sunset.
The road was so wet that we had to turn back and go a different way.
So wet was the road that we had to turn back and go a different way.
The gorilla was so strong that he broke the window of the jeep!
So strong was the gorilla that he broke the window of the jeep!
Revision – Travelling expressions
Use the quizlet sets to recap the travelling expressions using the scatter game.
https://quizlet.com/122267420/travel-collocations-flash-cards/
https://quizlet.com/122237779/travelling-expressions-flash-cards/