1. Changes in the neighbourhood.

Read the second part of the email from READING.

… Will continue this letter this afternoon, when I have some more time to sit and write.

There have been a lot of changes in the neighbourhood recently. They've done a lot of work on the beachfront and made a path right along the top of the beach. I walk along there to the shop every morning to buy the paper. The shop seems to change owners every six months and doesn't have much in the way of food any more. So we do most of our shopping at the big supermarket at Kipparing now.

What else? Oh yes. The house next door has been sold. The new owners want to extend it at the back. Builders to start next month, so there will be more chaos here for a while. Quite a nice couple have moved in on the other side of us. They've got a young daughter and a big dog called Tia. It likes sticking its nose through the fence to say hello.

Give my love to Anita and Bruce.

Love
Mother

2. Changes in the neighbourhood.

Here is the text again in the wrong order. Put the sentences in the correct order. The first and last sentences have been done for you.

3. Write.

Choose ONE of the alternatives below.

Alternative 1 – Describing change
Imagine you are writing to a member of your family who is living in another country now. Tell him/her about things that have changed or will change in the future in your neighbourhood, town or city. Use Mother's letter as a guide.

Your letter should be between 150-200 words. Check spelling, grammar and organisation carefully before sending the text to your tutor.


Alternative 2 – Changes in the company
Read this letter to an ex-colleague. How many changes are mentioned in the letter? How many predictions and plans are mentioned? Note down your answers and then compare them with the correct answers below.

Hi Tim,
Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear you are settling in. Not much to report from here, except that Alexander has moved into your old office. It was a bit awkward, because Jane really needs a bigger space, but in the end he got priority. She was annoyed, but Don says he will try and find a solution for her.

Meanwhile, the owners have put the rent up – again! Don is trying to negotiate some kind of deal, but they are being difficult. So unless something changes, Don thinks we will need to move somewhere cheaper. It doesn't make sense to be paying so much rent. In fact I'm going to start looking next week. I'm seeing two places in Concord Grove round the corner.
Also Don has hired a new guy to look after the Web page – you know that Gavin is leaving us next month. So we'll see how that works out.

Anyway, I'd better stop. I can hear Don coming this way! ;-)

We'll be in touch,
Mo

Now compare your answers with the correct answers.

There are three changes: Alex has moved into Tim's old office, the owners have put the rent up, Don has hired someone to look after the Web page.

There is one prediction: Don thinks they will have to move to a cheaper office.

There are three plans: Mo is going to look for a new office, he is seeing two places next week, Gavin is leaving the company next month.

Write a similar letter to an imaginary ex-colleague with news from your place of work. Include changes and plans for the future.

Write between 150 and 180 words. Check spelling, grammar and organisation carefully before sending the text to your tutor.