Writing lettres, reviews and articles effectively in English

Pre-intermediate level

WRITING

Letter to a pen – friend

Dear John,

My name is Tom Smith and I’m from England. I live in Sussex with my family. There are four of us; my parents, my sister Emma aged 4, and me. My mum works in a bank. My dad’s a dentist.

I’m twelve years old. I’m tall, about 1, 50, and slim. As you can see from my photo, I’ve got green eyes and short fair hair. I usually wear jeans and trainers.

I love sports. My favourite sport is basketball. I usually play basketball with my friends at the weekend. I also enjoy riding my bike. I like reading books but I don’t like reading comics.

Write back to me soon and tell me about yourself. Send me your photograph.

Best wishes,

Tom

Plan

Writing an article about a famous person

Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. He is a very successful actor who has starred in many films, such as Interview with a Vampire and Twelve Monkeys.

He is tall and slim. His beautiful blue eyes and good looks are difficult to forget.

Brad Pitt is a humorous person; his friends enjoy his company. He is a sensible person who doesn’t lead a glamorous life.

When he has free time, he enjoys reading about architecture, a subject that he finds very interesting. He enjoys listening to music and has a huge CD collection as well.

Brad Pitt is a talented as well as a handsome young actor. We are sure to see a lot more of him in the future!

Plan

Writing a letter describing your stay at a holiday resort

Dear John,

I’m writing to you from Madrid. My family and I came here on holiday ten days ago.

We have stayed in a fabulous hotel in the city centre. So far the weather has been fine.

We have done a lot of sightseeing. We’ve already been to the Plaza Monumental, a huge stadium where bullfights took place. However, we haven’t been to the Prado Museum yet.

I tried paella yesterday at an open-air restaurant. The food has been delicious and the service has been excellent. The only bad thing was that while we were enjoying our dessert, it started raining. Fortunately, it was just a shower!

Well, I must go now – we’re going to Toledo today.

Love,

Laura

Best wishes,

Tom

Writing an article about a visit to a place which you really liked

The famous Black Forest and the picturesque town of Baden Badan are in southwestern Germany. I went there recently in search of a peaceful and relaxing holiday and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The town is surrounded by the marvellous scenery, clear lakes and tall mountains. The weather was so cool and misty during my visit that it created a wonderfully mysterious atmosphere.

There are plenty of interesting places to visit including the town’s delightful 15 century palace and the Romans baths. I also explored the shady Black Forest where all I could hear was the gentle sound of flowing streams. The food was excellent. I tried several tasty local dishes. I also bought some cuckoo clocks as souvenirs.

I had the holiday of a lifetime in Baden Badan. With its friendly people and fantastic natural surroundings I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to go on holiday in the near future.

Best wishes,

Tom

Plan

Writing a letter giving advice

Dear Martha,

I was sorry to hear about your problem. I now it’s upsetting to fail exams, but I think I can help you.

First of all, you ought to tell your parents. I’m sure they will understand and try to help you. You should also start revising now, then you will have a much better chance of passing your exams. If I were you, I’d stop worrying that much. The more relaxed you are, the better you will do in your exams.

I hope this advice will help you, and I’m sure you will do well if you follow it.

Good luck,

Auntie Claire

Best wishes,

Tom

Writing an article expressing an opinion

How will a child feel when he opens his eyes in the year 2050? I think life will be very different then.

I believe that many things will have changed for the better by 2050. Firstly, people will live longer because scientists will have found cures for diseases like cancer and AIDS. We will also be able to go on holiday to the moon or other planets since space travel will have improved a lot. There will probably be less population too as I am sure that people will be using environmentally-friendly cars by that time.

On the other hand, sometimes things may have changed for the worse. It seems to me that we will have killed more of our planet’s rainforests because we will have cut down all the trees to get the land. Furthermore, there will be even more poor people as unemployment will have increased as a result of computerisation. Moreover, there will be more crime too, because the poor people will have no other way of surviving.

In conclusion, whatever the future brings, I believe that the children’s lives will certainly be very different in the year 2050.

I’m twelve years old. I’m tall, about 1, 50, and slim. As you can see from my photo, I’ve got green eyes and short fair hair. I usually wear jeans and trainers.

I love sports. My favourite sport is basketball. I usually play basketball with my friends at the weekend. I also enjoy riding my bike. I like reading books but I don’t like reading comics.

Write back to me soon and tell me about yourself. Send me your photograph.

Best wishes,

Tom

Writing a news report

This week Bangladesh has been hit by heavy rains which have caused severe flooding. Many people have died, while others have lost their homes.

These rains are the worst the area has experienced in the last ten days. Thousands of people have been made homeless and about 3, 000 people have died. Many animals have drowned. Rescue workers are trying to save people who are trapped in their houses.

A local farmer said: “I’ve lost everything – my house and all my cattle.” The government has asked other countries to help, so the food, medicines and tents are being sent to the area.

Writing a composition about advantages and disadvantages

Have you ever considered becoming a surgeon? There are many advantages and disadvantages to do this kind of job.

One of the main advantages of being a surgeon is that it is well paid because the job takes a lot of skills.

Furthermore, it is rewarding as surgeon saves people’s lives.

However, there are disadvantages to becoming a surgeon. Firstly, it is tiring because a surgeon works unsteady hours. In addition to this, it is stressful as a surgeon is responsible for people’s lives.

All things considered, becoming a surgeon is a good idea as long as you are aware of the drawbacks.

Writing a composition providing solutions to problems

“How can we make our town a better place to live?”

The living conditions in our city are getting worse and worse. Exhaust fumes and smoke from the factories are polluting the air and the trees are being cut down. Furthermore, the river is being polluted by the chemicals from the factories and people are suffering from breathing problemsdifficulties and stomach problems.

First, to reduce air pollution, the government could ban cars from the city centre. This would make our streets cleaner, safer and quieter. The government should also force factory owners to put filters on their chimneys. By doing this, harmful gases won’t be able to pollute the air and people won’t have difficulty breathing.

The problem of people cutting down trees could be solved by planting new ones for every tree that is cut down. In this way, animals won’t lose their natural habitat. We should also recycle paper products so that there is less need for trees to be cut down.

As for factories polluting our rivers, strict lines should be given to the owners o the factories if they dump their dangerous chemicals in the water. As a result, our water will be cleaner and safer to drink and people will have fewer stomach problems.

All things considered, there are many solutions to all the problems. The sooner we put them into practice, the better our lives will become.

Writing a film review

Batman Returns, directed by Tim Burton, is a modern adventure. It is set in an imaginary city in America. The main chatacter is Batman, who fights villains.

The plot involves Batman’s fight against the evil Penguin and Catwoman, both of whom want to harm people in the city.

All the actors, especially Michael Keaton who plays Batman, are brilliant. The plot is complicated but thoroughly enjoyable. The costumes and special effects are out of the world. This is a superb film for the whole family. It is definitely not to be missed.

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