English Writing Exercises for A1 – A postcard

Preparation

1. Read the postcard. Tick the activities that are mentioned. Circle the activity you can see in the photo.

1) abseil

2) bungee-jump

3) climb

4) cycle

5) explore

6) go caving

7) kayak

8) kite-surf

9) go riding

10) swim

11) surf

12) trek

13) watch wildlife

14) windsurf

Hi Caitlin,

This is second day in Wales. We arrived last Saturday. The journey by coach from London was very long! We’re staying at a campsite near a lake in Snowdonia National Park. It’s very beautiful here and the weather is fantastic – warm and sunny.

Yesterday we trekked up a mountain and then climbed up a cliff. The we abseiled down the cliff! It was really fun. Today we explored the countryside near the lake, and then cycled to a town near here.

Tomorrow we’re kayaking on the lake, and maybe we’re going caving too. I can’t wait!

Say hello to Jim. Wish you were here!

Bye for now!

Jo

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Students should circle ‘abseiling’.

Writing Strategy

When you write a postcard:

1) Use the present continuous to say where you are staying.

2) Use the past simple to describe activities that you did. Use past time expressions where appropriate.

3) Use the present continuous for future arrangements that you have made.

2. Read the Writing Strategy. Then, in the postcard in exercise 1:

1) underline all the examples of the present continuous.

2) circle all the examples of the past simple.

Show answers

1) ’re staying, ’re kayaking, ’re going

2) arrived, was, trekked, climbed, abseiled, was, explored, cycled, were

3. Complete the phrases with the words below.

day      days      hello      here      love      soon

thinking      time      weather

1) I’m having a great ________. in (Italy).

2) This is third ________. in (India).

3) The ________. is (fabulous / OK / terrible).

4) We’ve only got two / three / four ________. to go.

5) Wish you were ________.!

6) _____. of you!

7) Say ________. to (David).

8) Give ________. to (your brother).

9) See you ________.

Show answers

1) time   2) day   3) weather   4) days   5) here

6) Thinking   7) hello   8) love   9) soon

Writing Guide

Imagine you are on an adventure holiday in your country. Plan a postcard. Include the following information:

–  where you are staying

–  the weather

–  activities you did

–  activities you are planning

4. Read the task above. Make notes for your postcard. Include activities from exercise 1, phrases from exercise 3 and the tenses mentioned in the Writing Strategy.

Where?

__________

__________

The weather?

__________

__________

Activities (past):

__________

__________

Activities (future):

__________

__________

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your own answers

5. Now write your postcard using your notes from exercise 4.