Oxford University Press

Headway Plus PREINTERMEDIATE Writing Guide

2011-12

UNIT 7
Writing Task: Write a short biography of a famous person
Worksheet 1: PRE-WRITING
Exercise 1: Brainstorming and gathering information
Think of a famous living person. Answer the following questions about this person:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

What is the persons name and where are they from? ...................................................................
What things did he/she do to become famous? ..............................................................................
How long has he/she been famous? ..................................................................................................
Have you seen him/her on television or in real life? .........................................................................
What is he/she like? .........................................................................................................................
What does he/she do now? ...............................................................................................................
Why is this person important to you?................................................................................................

Exercise 2: Check your vocabulary

Complete the columns.
verb
write
meet
win
invent
see
play
discover
travel
begin
become
read
know
have
go
be

past participle
written
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

a noun to go with the verb

a book
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

a person from the verb

a writer
X
___________________
___________________
X
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
X
___________________
X
X
X
X

Exercise 3: Extend your vocabulary

Change the expressions using for or since. For example: since yesterday for one day
a) since class started .........................................................................................................................
b) since 1992 ......................................................................................................................................
c) since I was born..............................................................................................................................
d) since 5.00am ..................................................................................................................................
e) since Ramadan ..............................................................................................................................
f) since I first met my teacher ............................................................................................................
g) since I started learning English ......................................................................................................
h) since January..................................................................................................................................
i) since last Tuesday ...........................................................................................................................
Write the letters in the correct place on the timeline.
PAST

NOW
a

Oxford University Press

Headway Plus PREINTERMEDIATE Writing Guide

2011-12

UNIT 7
Worksheet 2: PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Sentence building 1
Use your answers to Exercise 1 / Worksheet 1 to write complete sentences about the famous
person. Use vocabulary from Exercise 2 & 3 / Worksheet 1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................

Exercise 2: Present Perfect Simple/Past Simple

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the verb.
1. Queen Elizabeth II _____________ (is/was/has been) queen since 1952 and she is in her 80s now.
2. Since 2001, Josie Peters _____________ (writes/wrote/has written) four books.
3. The scientist _____________ (discovers/discovered/has discovered) the cure for a major illness
in 1948.
4. The first man _____________ (lands/landed/has landed) on the moon in 1969. Since then,
twelve people _____________ (walks/walked/have walked) on the moon.
Exercise 3: Who/which
Complete the sentences about David
Beckham, the famous footballer.
Write a relative pronoun in the box.

David Beckham - facts

1. born
2. famous team he played for
3. famous wife
4. football shirt he usually wore
5. played in different countries

................................................................................

1. Beckham is a famous football player

2. He played for Manchester United
3. He has a famous wife
4. Seven is the shirt number

in London
Manchester United
fashion designer
7
England, Spain, the USA

...............................................................................
..................................................................................................
...........................................................................................

5. England, Spain and the USA are the countries

.............................................................

Exercise 4: Sentence building 2

Rewrite the sentences from Exercise 1 / Worksheet 2. Use who/which and linking words to write
longer sentences and add extra information. Make sure you put the sentences in a good order.
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................................

Oxford University Press

Headway Plus PREINTERMEDIATE Writing Guide

2011-12

UNIT 7
Worksheet 3: WRITING
Exercise 1: Writing a First Draft
Write a biography of a famous person. Start with a topic sentence and use who/which and linking
words. Write at least 75 words. Finish with a concluding sentence.
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....

Read your paragraph and check:

Topic sentence
Verbs Present Perfect + Past Simple
Time expressions for, since
Who/which
Sentences in a good order
Concluding sentence
Spelling (use a dictionary)
Capital letters at the start of sentences
Full stops at the end of sentences

Exercise 2: Writing a Final Draft

Make corrections and write out the paragraph again neatly.