Recent Changes

This resource has been updated to reflect the Reformed Functional Skills English content that came into effect in 2019. It has been split into three new resources - see links under "See also".

A series of tasks designed to help learners improve their sentences and hence their writing style. These tasks assume no previous knowledge of complex sentences or subordinating conjunctions. They do assume the learner is familiar with simple sentences (i.e. one clause, one verb) and compound sentences. (See my related Entry Level ‘Halloween Compound Sentences’ resource for more on compound sentences and coordinating conjunctions).

Aimed at L1-2 students but parts could be useful at Entry 3. All tasks have a Halloween theme.

Based on Maggie Harnew's Halloween Complex Sentences resource, this resource is aimed at Entry 3 ESOL students working towards the City and Guilds ESOL writing assessment, but may also be useful for Level 1 students.  Students look at examples of complex sentences and answer some questions about them. Finally they are asked to complete some complex sentences, as in Task 1 of the C&G assessment. 

Use subordinating conjunctions to extend simple sentences, with extension activity.

Nice introduction to the tricky topic of complex sentences – followed by a matching exercise. Fully mapped to Functional English and adult literacy.[img_assist|nid=4640|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=67|height=100]

Purpose of Texts with examples.

Editor's notes

One page of information about 5 text purposes: informative, advisory, instructional, descriptive and persuasive. Followed by 11 short texts and a fill-in answer sheet. Decide the main purpose of each text. Great for Functional Skills English and ESOL. :)

Wonderful high L1 – Level 2 resource which looks at the purposes and sources of a range of texts. Includes: useful handout with example of the four main types of text; discussion and examples of texts with more than one purpose; examples of badly written texts with mixed and confusing purposes; inferred and hidden meanings; writing practice (for four different purposes); re-ordering a long instructional text; and a set of final multiple choice questions to check skills.
Fully mapped to the Functional English criteria.

An original and thought provoking 24 piece hexagonal jigsaw puzzle where pairs or small groups of learners must match examples of text (e.g. novel, board game rules, bus timetable) to their main purpose (e.g. descriptive, instructional, informative, persuasive). Use for revision or as an ice breaker or starter activity. Guaranteed to create promote discussion as learners solve puzzle.

An interactive PowerPoint that could be used by the whole class or individually to identify the four main purposes of text. I used it with a new L2 group as a whole class activity.

First, we discussed why people write and wrote their ideas down. Tthen we moved on to looking at the PowerPoint. Each example text was discussed and its purpose(s) was identified. We then looked at the relevant BBC Skillswise factsheets (links are provided within the PPT) to see if the example text shared the same features.

Interactive worksheet. Drag the features of instructive and persuasive texts to the correct area. Use with the related handout (see below) which also includes an answer sheet.