Rewriting sentences, a short email and the Unit 1 aims
Because gives the reason; so gives the result. We stayed inside because it was raining. It was raining, so we stayed inside. Because can start a sentence, but then we need a comma before the main part: Because it was raining, we stayed inside. Never plus a bad action can mean always plus the good opposite: He never tells lies means the same as He always tells the truth. Still shows that a situation continues; stopped shows that it has ended: It is still raining, but At noon the rain stopped. After a preposition (about, at, for, before, of) we use the -ing form of the verb: She is afraid of speaking, Thank you for helping. In a short email, begin with Hi and the name, give one clear reason, add one detail and finish with a friendly line. Unit 1 starts on page 11. Its aims are reading for gist and detail, listening for main ideas, past simple and past continuous, a narrative paragraph and speaking about a long and a short action.
| Idea | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reason | because + reason | We stayed in because it rained. |
| Result | reason, so + result | It rained, so we stayed in. |
| Opposite idea | never + tells lies | He never tells lies. |
| Continues / ended | still / stopped | It is still raining. The rain stopped. |
Hi Hend, I started learning the guitar last month, and I love it. It is a useful skill because it helps me to relax after school. The first weeks were hard, so my fingers hurt, but my cousin taught me an easy song. Now I practise for fifteen minutes every day. I am still learning, but I am not shy about playing in front of others any more. Would you like to play together on Friday? See you soon, Rana
Email to a friend. Write an email of 60 to 80 words to a friend about a new hobby or skill. Include one reason with because, one result with so, and one sentence with still. Read it aloud and check that it has a greeting and a friendly ending. If you can, add a few more sentences, up to 110 words.