5.4 Life story Writing

Look at your notes in 5.1. From your notes, write the story of the writer's life. Use appropriate expressions you have learnt to link the events together. Begin like this:

'David Manning was born in London in 1942, and attended Westminster School for Boys ...'

5.5 Past times

Presentation

All of the expressions below are used to talk about past time. Which of them are used with (a) at? (b) on ? (c) in ? (d) no preposition ?

4 o'clock Tuesday, 14 the 1920s

Yesterday three weeks ago the turn of the century

Tuesday the end of May Victorian times

last Tuesday Christmas the 19th century

Tuesday morning the summer the Middle Ages

14 May last summer 1,000 years ago

May 1945

Practice

Work in groups. Ask and answer questions about the past. Use these ideas:

get up ? be born ? finish Unit 3? term begin? start/job? jazz/popular?

buy house/flat? war begin/end? Shakespeare/write ? America/independent ? wear/miniskirts?

5.6 Past events: the passive

Presentation and practice

This is an entry in a record catalogue. It tells you that the symphony was composed by Elgar, that the orchestra was conducted by Georg Solti, and that the record was made in 1972. What else does it tell you ?

Now look at these other pieces of information, and say:

1. where you might find them

2. what they tell you - use the Passive in your answer

Writing

Work in groups. Look at the pictures below, which show the history of Cranmore Castle.

• 1. Say what happened at each stage of its history.

• 2. Write a history of Cranmore Castle. Use the information in the pictures, and add details of your own.

Begin like this:

‘Cranmore Castle was built in the 15th century by John, Duke of Cranmore ..’

5.7 Test your memory: quiz Free practice

Can you answer these questions?

1. What happened in Rome on 14 March 44 BC?

2. Who were the following discovered by ?

   1. penicillin

   2. North America Can you say when ?

3. Who were the Pyramids built by, and when?

4. When:

   1. did the first man step on the moon ?

   2. did the first aeroplane fly?

   3. was a woman elected Prime Minister of Britain ?

Now write down three ‘quiz’ questions of your own about the past.

In groups, ask each other your questions.

Now choose the three best questions in your group, and ask the rest of the class these questions.