B1, WRITING ASSESSMENT 3

Online dating
Citas online

Communicative goals:
 Show a basic direct relationship between a simple problem and a solution.
 Write a description of a future event or activity.
 Check and correct spelling, punctuation and grammar in written texts.

1. Think about…

1. Do you know any online dating

app?
2. Have you ever tried any online
dating app?
3. Have you flirted with someone on
the web? Coqueteado
4. Do you think a “like” can be done
in terms of online compatibility?
Flirt: To talk or behave amorously
with a person you feel attracted to.

Tinder is an application for appointments, meetings and can even be considered as a

2. Words matter! social network, with it you can make a note and get an appointment with the person with
the highest score, as well as the possibility of chatting with a person who has qualified
positively.
To do well in this lesson it is necessary to learn a number of words. Please complete
the following exercise. At the end you will have increased your vocabulary.

2.1. Underline the expression that best matches the idea of the boldfaced word or
phrase. Have a dictionary at hand!
De moda
a. This new Instagram filters are very trendy right now.

- Someone that`s responsible for teaching something

- Something that`s very popular within a group of people

Perfiles de cebo
b. My bother doesn’t trust new people request on the web. He thinks those are bait profiles.

- A profile that`s used to trick people - The profile of an unattractive person

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 c. Alex was really interested on Jessica’s profile so he gave her “Match”.

- To choose someone that is suitable for another person.

Adecuado
- An element to make something burn.

d. My friend Julie is going to have a blind date with someone she hasn’t seen before.

- Date someone you haven’t seen before.

- Dating with a person in a dark and non-visible space.

e. When my parents met each other, they knew they were in love. It was love at first sight.

- Fall in love with somebody the first time you see him/her.

- The first thing a blind person sees when he regains his sight

2.2. Match the word on the left with the meaning on the right. Write in the
parenthesis the corresponding letter.

Word
1 Accurate (C )
2 Notice ( A ) Vistazo
3 Browse ( D )
Esquivar 4 Sidestepped (E )
5 Fickle ( B ) Inconstante
Meaning
a To perceive or be conscious of something/someone.
b Change opinions or feelings suddenly.
c Correct, exact.
d To look at information.
To avoid talking about a subject by talking about
e
something else.

3. Read a bit!

Read the following text called “Online dating”. James was dating a girl he met in an
online dating app and he describes his experience.

I consider myself as a shy person, so finding

someone to date was not a piece of cake. That was
the reason why I decided to use an online dating
app as I considered it easier than a regular date
and it was trendy among my friends.

I started exploring it and it was more difficult than

I expected. I fickled so many times; I deleted the
app and reinstalled it again trying to convince
myself it was the best option. I was afraid some of
those profiles weren’t real humans but bait
profiles. Then, I realized it was a good option in
order to start making connections, especially if
you are not ready to meet someone face-to-face
or go on a blind date.
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Another problem I found was the superficiality on the internet. People try to post their best
pictures so they can show “how attractive they are”, but you can also I find several people
you can talk with. I focused on people with similar interests and beliefs and I noticed there
were many people looking the same as I did: Interacting with people outside the regular
social circle and meeting friends.

Plus, I was worried about going on a date with someone new so I started to sidestep dates
and the like. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love at first sight, but I was really nervous about
meeting someone I wasn’t sure was the person I was expecting to. At the end, I realized an
advantage these kind of platforms have is that you can take safety precautions before
meeting someone new and it gave me a sense of security.

My conclusion, at the end of the day, is that although online dating apps could be a life safer
for shy people like me, there are also some problems that may pop up in the process. As
many problems or inconveniences may appear, there are some alternatives to deal with
these sort of situations. To tell the truth, in this moment I’m going on a date with someone
I met using an online app. We are meeting this weekend and hopefully, it will be a great date
and that she won’t fickle and change her mind. Maybe we will fall in love at first sight, but
if don’t like each other, we will sidestep any conversation that will have anything to do with
a possible future together.

4. Tips for composition:

In this session you find grammar elements and composition strategies that help you
with your writing production. Read the explanation; this is important for the next
step!

HOW TO EXPRESS A PROBLEM AND A SOLUTION:

Sometimes you want to tell people about a problem, but you also want to express a
solution.
 Use the Conjunction “But” to switch from the problem to the solution: “People
try to post their best pictures so they can show “how attractive they are”, but you
can also find several people you can talk with.”

To write an effective problem-solution paragraph, it is necessary to identify the following

elements:
1. Topic sentence.
2. Supporting detail.
3. Concluding statement.

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 I started exploring it and it was more difficult than I expected. I
fickled so many times; I deleted the app and reinstalled it again
trying to convince myself it was the best option. I was afraid some
of those profiles weren’t real humans but bait profiles. Then, I
realized it was a good option in order to start making connections,
especially if you are not ready to meet someone face-to-face or
go on a blind date.

Now, to show a relation between a problem and a solution, it is necessary to use certain
words that will help you to connect the ideas.

Because So that
However Therefore
The problem is As a result
A solution is For this reason
Then One answer is

“Another problem I found was

the superficiality on the internet.”

“Then, I realized it was a good

option in order to start making
connections.”

4.1. What is online dating? Online dating is system that enables you to introduce
yourself to new personal connections over the internet, usually with the goal of
developing a personal, emotional or sexual relationship.

 What do you think is the main advantages of online dating?

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  What do you thing is the major disadvantage of online dating?

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4.1.1 According to the previous ideas, write a short paragraph stating the problem of
online dates and a possible solution.

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One of the biggest problems of online dating is false profiles because many people create these in order to
deceive and rob people or even worse things like kidnapping or extorting them, so it is important to try to
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verify the veracity of accounts that exist in the applications. On the other hand, when meeting the person face
to face it is necessary to know that this person is safe, so before meeting with him you have to know him well
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so be it through the application or social network to be a little safer at the moment of knowing her and things
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flow better.
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Uno de los mayores problemas de las citas online es los perfiles falsos debido a que muchas personas
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crean estos con el fin de engañar y robar a las personas o incluso cosas peores como secuestrarlos o
extorsionarlos, por esto es importante tratar de verificar la veracidad de las cuentas que existen en las
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aplicaciones. Por otro lado, al momento de encontrarse cara a cara con la persona es necesario saber que
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esa persona es segura, por lo que antes de encontrarse con ella hay que conocerla bien así sea a través de
la aplicación o red social para así estar un poco más seguro en el instante de conocerla y las cosas fluyan
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mejor.
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HOW TO DESCRIBE A SITUATION IN THE FUTURE TENSE:

Sometimes you want to tell people about what you thing might happen, or what you
hope or wish to happen. Always use the future or present continuous tense to express
this.

Let’s take a look of the different tenses you can use when referring to events in the
future:

PRESENT CONTINUOUS GOING TO WILL

It is used to describe plans
and arrangements in the
short-term.
EG.
- In this moment I’m going on
a date with someone I met
using an online app.
- We are meeting this
weekend.
It is used to describe plans
that were already planned
or to describe something
that is likely to happen.
EG.
-We’re going to get marry
but we haven’t yet decided
the date. (plans)
- You are going to interact
with people you don’t know
on the web.
It is used to describe
predictions, spontaneous
decisions and offers and
promises.
EG.
- Hopefully, it will be a great
date (prediction).
- Yes, I’ll marry you!
(Spontaneous decision).
- I will see you tomorrow for
our date. (promises)

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4.2. Take a look at the following situations. Describe some future consequences of
each one of them.

a. You have a blind date today with someone you met online.

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b. Next year you want to visit a new country. You don’t know anyone and a friend
recommends you an online app as an option to meet friends.

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c. A person you met online is calling you to invite you to eat something.

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Punctuations are very important in writing. These are some rules that will help you know
which punctuation to use:

FULL STOP (.) End a sentence I started exploring it and it was more difficult
than I expected.
Separate items. They have used tinder, bumble, and Okcupid.
COMMA (,) After linking words. Plus, I was worried about going on a date with
someone new
QUESTION In an interrogative What do you think is the main advantages of
MARK (?) sentence. online dating?
EXCLAMATION To emphasize a
MARK (!) strong Yes, I’ll marry you!
feeling/reaction.
SEMI-COLON (;) To separate two I fickled so many times; I deleted the app and
independent clauses. reinstalled it again trying to convince myself it
was the best option.
To list a sort of They have use many online apps as: Tinder,
COLON (:)
elements. bumble and Okcupid.

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 Between
There were many people looking the same as I
independent clauses
did: Interacting with people outside the regular
when the second
social circle and meeting friends.
explains or illustrates
the first.
Used with technical
terms, terms used in
People try to post their best pictures so they
an unusual way, or
QUOTATION can show “how attractive they are.”
expressions that vary
MARKS (“ “)
from standard usage.
When saying
She told me “See you at 5pm”.
someone’s words
To show ownership. Brian’s brother had 20 matches in an hour.
APOSTROPHE
Using contractions. I wasn’t expecting…

4.3 Look at the following example of a paragraph about online dating and underline
all the punctuation marks.

“Another problem I found was the superficiality on the internet. People try to post their best
pictures so they can show “how attractive they are”, but you can also I find several people
you can talk with. I focused on people with similar interests and beliefs and I noticed there
were many people looking the same as I did: Interacting with people outside the regular
social circle and meeting friends.

4.3.1 Do you agree that there is superficiality on the internet? Write a short paragraph
expressing your opinion. Use the right punctuation marks.

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Now you are ready for your composition. Let’s write something!

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