Outcomes Intermediate › Unit 03 Time off

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Урок письма 03 со страниц 124–125 учебника.

Учебник, с. 124
03 Writing — Stories

Speaking

You are going to read a short story written for an exam. It starts with the line: It was dangerous, but I knew I had to do it.

Work in pairs. Discuss these questions:

  • Based on this first line, think of four possible things that the writer was about to do.
  • How do you think each of these four stories might then develop?

Writing A story

The four sentences a–d below all come from the story. Check you understand the words in bold. Then answer the questions.

1 What do you think is the connection between the sentences?

Ответ (ключ)
Connection: they are all part of the same story about a parachute jump.

2 What order would you expect them to happen in?

  1. I could feel the wind rushing past me as I fell. →
  2. I floated slowly down. →
  3. I moved my feet closer to the edge and looked down! →
  4. Eventually, I pulled the cord. →

Grammar Narrative tenses

A Do you remember how to use the past simple, the past continuous and the past perfect? Look back at the grammar reference on pp. 136–137 to check.

B Now read the story and put the words in brackets into the correct form.

It was dangerous, but I knew I had to do it. If there is one thing I love, it’s a challenge. I moved my feet closer to the edge and looked down! I was just about to jump when it suddenly hit me! I was really going to do it! Nobody had believed me when I 1 (say) I would do it, but there I was.

I took a few deep breaths, it was a very long way to the ground! Everyone else 2 (seem) so relaxed, but my heart 3 (beat) like crazy. Just as I 4 (think) about maybe changing my mind, the voice behind me 5 (scream), “Go! Go! Go!” – so I jumped. Suddenly, the panic and the fear just disappeared. I 6 (really / fly)! I could feel the wind rushing past me as I fell.

Eventually, I pulled the cord on my parachute and it 7 (open) – thank God! I floated slowly down, enjoying the incredible views. I 8 (land) safely and knew at once that this was something I wanted to do again.

Speaking

Work in pairs. Discuss these questions:

  • Do you know anyone who has done a parachute jump?
  • Would you like to do one? Why? / Why not?
  • Would you like to any of these other dangerous things? Are there any you have done already?
    • go white-water rafting
    • go mountaineering
    • do a bungee-jump
    • go hang-gliding
    • hitch-hike round the world
    • explore caves
Учебник, с. 125

Key words for writing Just about to, just as

Was / Were (just) about to + verb is used to talk about something you were planning to do before something else happened. When suddenly often follows just about to.

I was just about to jump when it suddenly hit me!

Just as is used to emphasise that two verbs happened at exactly the same time. It is more common to use the past continuous after just as, but the past simple is also possible.

Just as I was thinking about maybe changing my mind, the voice behind me screamed, ‘Go! Go! Go!’
Just as I turned on the computer, the lights went out.

A Match the sentence halves.

  1. I was just about to give up and stop looking …
  2. She was just about to go back to bed …
  3. We were just about to kiss …
  4. Just as we were all sitting down to eat dinner, …
  5. Just as the band appeared on the stage, …
  6. Just as I was walking out of the store, …
  1. when she suddenly heard a strange noise downstairs.
  2. three men ran in, holding guns and pushed past me.
  3. when suddenly I saw something shiny in the dirt.
  4. there was a loud knock at the door.
  5. when my ex-boyfriend suddenly walked in.
  6. the woman next to me started screaming like crazy!

B Work in pairs. Think of one more possible ending for each sentence half in 1–6 in exercise A.

C Rewrite 1–5 as one sentence. Link your ideas using the words in brackets.

  1. We were planning to leave. Then they gave us a table. (just about to)
  2. I was planning to give up and go home. Then I saw him walking towards me. (just about to)
  3. I was planning to go to bed. Then the doorbell rang. (just about to)
  4. We were walking towards our car. A police car drove up and stopped right in front of us. (just as)
  5. We were starting to think the holiday would be a disaster. At that moment, the sun came out. (just as)

Vocabulary Ways of doing things

Using descriptive verbs makes stories more exciting.

The voice behind me screamed, ‘Go! Go! Go!’

A Match the descriptive verbs and definitions.

slamgrabshoutstarerushcreepwhisper
  1. say very quietly →
  2. move very quietly / slowly →
  3. look at something a long time →
  4. close / put something angrily / loudly →
  5. say very loudly →
  6. run / go in a hurry →
  7. take hold with your hand suddenly →

B Take turns acting the words in exercise A. Can your partner guess what you are doing?

C Complete the sentences with a word from exercise A.

  1. The train was leaving in ten minutes, so we to the station.
  2. He ran out and the door shut behind him.
  3. I at the paper. I couldn’t believe it!
  4. Just as I was leaving, someone my bag and ran off.
  5. It was chaos. Everyone was screaming and .
  6. I down the stairs trying not to make a noise.
  7. I tried to the answer to my friend, but the teacher heard me.

Practice

A Look at the exam questions below and choose one. Write a story that starts with one of the following lines:

  • It was three in the morning when the phone rang.
  • It was dangerous, but I knew I had to do it.

Or write a story that ends with one of the following lines:

  • … and that was the best day of my life.
  • … and that the worst day of my life.

B Spend five minutes planning your story. Then work in pairs to discuss your ideas. Can you think of any ways to make the story more exciting?

C Write a story of between 150 and 180 words.