Personal email: A bad month

1. Things that go wrong.

Complete the definitions with the words and phrases below.

2. Write an email.

Your writing task for this unit is to continue this email to a friend:

Hi ....,
How are you? I'm feeling a bit miserable. I've had a terrible week. Absolutely everything has gone wrong ....

Read the email. Drag the phrases in blue into the correct box. (Clue: Focus on the form of the verb.)

3. Language focus.

Answer these questions about the phrases in the boxes from exercise 2. Click on "Give me a clue" if you need help.

1. What do the phrases in each column have in common?

 

2. What is the function of the phrases in each column?
Look at the tense of the verbs in each box.
A: The phrases are all in the present perfect --> have/has + past participle.
B: The phrases are in the past simple or past continuous.
C: The phrases are in the past perfect --> had + past participle.

Choose between these possible functions:

(1) to narrate the events of the news story, giving details or circumstances
(2) to tell you what happened before the main events in the story
(3) to introduce the events of the story without saying exactly when they happened

Which box reflects which function?

A: The function of these phrases is to introduce the events of the news story without saying when they happened.
B: The function of these phrases is to narrate the events of the news story, giving details or circumstances.
C: The function of these phrases is to tell you what happened before the main events in the story.

4. A news story.

Complete this news story.

5. Write.

1. An email.

Now write your email. If you can't remember a week when everything went wrong, invent one.

Hi ....,
How are you? I'm feeling a bit miserable. I've had a terrible week. Absolutely everything has gone wrong ....

Your email should be between 120 and 150 words long.

Check spelling, grammar and the organisation of your email.