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SavannahYear 8
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LanguagesLas vacaciones y el pretérito24 min★★ difficulty

Mis vacaciones: writing a longer account

A strong holiday account has three tenses, a clear structure and at least one opinion with a reason.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Writing: Write prose using an increasingly wide range of grammar and vocabulary, and write creatively to express their own ideas and opinions

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Write prose using an increasingly wide range of grammar and vocabulary, and write creatively to express their own ideas and opinions

Key learning points

  • • Structure
  • • Useful language
  • • Raising the level

This lesson at a glance

  • 24 minutes
  • 15 parts to scroll through
  • 4 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

increasinglygrammarvocabularycreativelyexpress

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 15 · Discover7%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 15

Watch first

Mis vacaciones: writing a longer account

An English teaching video on this topic from Spanish Class. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Write prose using an increasingly wide range of grammar and vocabulary, and write creatively to express their own ideas and opinions

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 15

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Structure

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 15

Learn

Structure

Where and when (past), what you did (past), what it was like (opinion with reason), what you will do next time (future). Four short paragraphs beat one long one.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 15

Learn

Useful language

Fui a..., me alojé en..., pasé una semana..., lo pasé genial, hizo mucho calor, fue inolvidable. For the future: el año que viene voy a visitar..., me gustaría ir a...

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 15

Quick check

Which tense should a holiday account mainly use?

6

Quick check

Part 6 of 15

Quick check

What does 'lo pasé genial' mean?

7

Reset break

Part 7 of 15

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 15

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Raising the level

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 15

Learn

Raising the level

Add a subordinate clause with aunque or mientras. Add an unexpected detail — that is what makes writing sound like a person rather than a textbook. Vary the sentence openings; three sentences starting 'Fui' reads flat.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 15

Quick check

Which raises the level of writing?

11

Quick check

Part 11 of 15

Quick check

How do you introduce a future plan?

12

Explore the idea

Part 12 of 15

Worked example

Model answer

El verano pasado fui a Andalucía con mi familia y me alojé en un apartamento pequeño cerca de la playa. Por la mañana nadábamos y por la tarde visitamos la Alhambra, que fue impresionante aunque hacía muchísimo calor. Lo pasé genial porque probé comida nueva y hablé español con los camareros. El año que viene me gustaría volver y quedarme más tiempo. — Three tenses, two connectives, one clear opinion.

13

Challenge round

Part 13 of 15

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

14

Mastery quiz

Part 14 of 15

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Mis vacaciones: writing a longer account

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Which tense should a holiday account mainly use?

  2. 2. What does 'lo pasé genial' mean?

  3. 3. Which raises the level of writing?

  4. 4. How do you introduce a future plan?

15

Lesson round-up

Part 15 of 15

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Extract

Une journée à Lyon

Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.

J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.

L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.

Original text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
  2. Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
  3. Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.

  • Written practice

    Writing

    Write the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.

    8–10 sentences

  • Vocabulary page

    Working out

    Copy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.

    15 words

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 15 · Watch & discover

How this is going

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    Write prose using an increasingly wide range of grammar and vocabulary, and write creatively to express their own ideas and opinions

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