Recent Changes

This is new from Sept 2015 for L2 reading.
It is a list of writing techniques – the name of the technique, a description and an example.

Editor’s note (updated 7/5/2017)
Also ideal for GCSE English revision.
Covers 14 techniques: similes, hyperbole, alliteration, rhetorical questions, superlatives, personification, analogy, colloquialisms, cliches, onomatopoeia, oxymorons, imperatives, metaphors and emotive language.

This resource is a writing task which asks the learners to use relevant literary devices (languages features) to compose a ‘For Sale’ ad for a house.

Prior to commencing the task, the learners are made aware of the following devices using a card match activity:

• Flattery
• Opinion
• Hyperbole
• Personal Pronouns
• Imperative Command
• Triples
• Emotive Language
• Statistics and Figures
• Rhetorical Questions
• Repetition

This is a short explanation with examples of eight sorts of conjunctive adverb arranged by type. There is an activity to complete, as well as some stretch/research activities for differentiation.

Editor’s note
Fully mapped to L2 Functional English and GCSE English

Reading comprehension and writing tasks designed to prepare adults who are returning to education and taking Functional English at Level 1 or Level 2.

Level 1 reading comprehension is based on two texts about returning to education. This is followed by two writing tasks. Level 2 includes all the L1 texts and questions plus an additional lengthy text and questions that involve summarising, and comparing and contrasting two or more texts.

Editor's note

Written for Key Skills ICT Level 1 (but also suitable for ICT Skills for Life, Functional ICT etc.). First task covers netiquette, the second task is based on holidays and covers sending, printing, replying to, and forwarding emails.

Excellent practice assignment covers many E3 elements (inc. tally charts, bar charts, measuring, money, time, rounding. calculators, division, etc.) in the style of City & Guild assignments – great for homework, revision & practice.
Contributed by Judith Savage and Rachel Leyland

This lesson was designed to help learners prepare to write articles for their L1 writing exam. 

There is a reading text "Woman ran last 18 miles of London Marathon with broken ankle" with vocab, gist and detail questions, and a few questions for genre analysis.

Then a worksheet to support learners to gain top tips from a youtube video (watch till 2:18).

They can check their learning by reconstructing the sample text from the video, cut up into sections.

Pet Centipede is a humorous E1-2 story accompanied by comprehension, simple past tense and contractions questions.

Writing tasks for E3, L1 and L2 English. 

Editor's notes

Wonderful! Clarissa is thinking of getting a pet. First, read and correct an email she receives from a friend. Then, compose your own email to Clarissa. Finally, finish an article about the pros and cons of pet ownership.

Note: Learners can write their responses on separate blank sheets of paper - or we have a selection of email writing frames available under "See also".

Cats exploit humans by purring is a comprehension activity based on a BBC 2009 news report. Comprehension questions, vocabulary/synonyms and a writing task.