Theme: Holiday Planning

• Theme: Holiday Planning
• Genre:Informal Letter

In an informal letter, the writer communicates with someone he or she knows well. The purpose of an informal letter is often to recount interesting events, to seek or give advice, or to get or provide information on a certain topic.

• Details of Writing Task

Rubrics:Summer holiday is coming. Your friend, Angel, who migrated to Britain years ago, is coming back to Hong Kong for a few days this summer. She wrote a letter to you last week and asked you to plan a 3-day itinerary for her trip to Hong Kong. Below is her letter:

Dear Chris,

How are you? I’ve been very busy studying for my exam recently. But thank God the exams are going to finish next week and I’m coming back to Hong Kong for the summer vacation.

I guess Hong Kong has changed a lot. I hope to get around the town. You know, I haven’t been to Disneyland and Avenue of Stars before.Can I stay at your place for the first three days before I move to my cousin’s? I bet you can be my tour guide duringthose 3 days, right? What kind of places are we going to visit? I can’t wait to know what our plans are going to be – do let me know!

Anyway, I have to stop hereand get back to my studies. Say hi to your parents and brother for me. See you soon.

Love,

Angel

• Features:

• Pre-writing Activities

1.Structure of aPersonal Letter

1A: When writing a personal letter to a friend, a relative or a schoolmate, several elements should be included. See the list of structural elements in an informal letter below – these elements make up the structure of the letter.

List of structural elements in an informal letter:

Grace is going to visit Emily in London in the coming summer and she has asked Emily to plan a three-day itinerary for her. Below is Emily’s reply. Fill in the blank boxes to show the structure of the letter. The words listed above (structural elements) may be used. One has been done for you.

Hi Grace,

I’m so glad to hear that you’re coming to London in the summer. I can’t wait to see you again! I’d love to show you around. I’ve planned a fantastic three-day itinerary for you. I’m sure we’re gong to have fun.

As walking is a great way to discover the city, the first piece of advice I can give you is to wear good water resistant walking shoes. Let’s spend the first day taking a leisurely stroll around the city centre. You can see London’s highlights such as Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Big Ben andBuckinghamPalace. Of course, we should not miss London’s number one attraction --- the London Eye. In the evening, we should definitely spend some time in CamdenTown, one of London’s most vibrant areas full of trendy restaurants.

The following morning, we can go to the Tate Modern, one of the best-known modern art museums in the world. You can find some of the world’s most innovative art works there. In fact, it’s one of my favourite museums too! Afterwards, we can visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. Then, we can do some shopping in the shopping area around Oxford Street. When night falls, we may enjoy a show in London’s West End. We can buy discounted tickets on the same day from various booths in the vicinity.

On the third day, we can visit Trafalgar Square. Make sure that you won’t be attacked by the pigeons! After that, let’s visit the BritishMuseum, one of the English capital’s finest museums. Then, we can go to Soho and Covent Garden, where there are numerous shops and cafes. For dinner, we can go to Brick Lane in London’s East End for the best selection of Indian restaurants in the city.

I hope you are happy with the itinerary suggested. If you would like to make changes, just tell me and I’ll be more than happy to do so. I’m looking forward to seeing you and having a good time with you!

Love,

Emily

1B: Answer the questions according to the letter in 1A.

1. What do you think the relationship between Emily and Grace is? Why?

1. How does Emily greet Grace?

1. Give three examples of the use of contractions.

1. Give an example of the use of abbreviations.

1. Give an example of the use of informal punctuations, e.g. dashes, exclamation marks.

1. What expression does Emily use in the informal closing?

2. Language Features

2A: When we write an itinerary, we have to pay attention to certain languagefeatures. Fill in the blanks to find out what they are.

When we plan an itiereay, it is important for us to be familiar with the names of the ______and the ______we can do/find/see there. For example:

-We can go to the Tate Modern, one of the best-known modern art museums in the world.

-You can find some of the world’s most innovative art works there.

We can use ______when making suggestions about the plan of the itinerary. For example:

-We can visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London.

-When night falls, we may enjoy a show in London’s West End.

-In the evening, we should definitely spend some time in CamdenTown...

It is important to use suitable ______when planning an itinerary. For example:

-Let’s spend the first day taking a leisurely stroll around the city centre.

-We should definitely spend some time inCamdenTown,

-We can buy discounted tickets on the same day from various booths in the vicinity.

2B: Describing what we can do/find/seein a scenic spot

Various scenic spots in Hong Kong are shown on the left of the table. Complete the table using the phrases provided in the box below that desribe what you can do/find/see in those scenic spots.

2C:Fill in the blanks with sutiable modal verbs such as ‘should’, ‘can’ or ‘may’.

1. I_____ go to Italy for my holiday, but I am not sure.
2. When you play tennis, you______watch the ball.
3. This hotel is too expensive for us. I think we______find another one.
4. Tina likes this hotel room because she______see the mountains from the windows.
5. Mr Chan is a plumber. He ______fix the toilet for you.
6. This dress is too long for you. I don’t think you ______buy it.
7. Peter has not decided what to do in the evening. He ______go to the cinema.
8. Betty is good at needlework. She______surely help you sew an arpon.
9. I am not sure when I will see Ann again. I ______see her next Thursday.
10. Jenny is not feeling well. She ______see the doctor.

2D: Emily is writing a letter to her mother after spending a one-day holiday with Grace in Hong Kong. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions of location and time.

Dear Mum,

How are you? I am having lots of fun.

Today, Grace has taken me ______a lot of places. In the morning, I went to see the Giant Buddha, which is ______LandauIsland. I had vegetarian lunch ______the Po Lin Monetary.

______the afternoon, I went back to Kowloon. I did a lot of shopping ______HarbourCity ______Tsim Sha Tsui.HarbourCity is ______the Hotel Marco Polo. I enjoyed great buffet dinner there.

At night, I watched the Symphony of Night ______the Avenue of Stars. All the skyscrapers that were opposite ______KowloonPeninsula were lit with different colors of light. I was really impressed by this fascinating night show!

I am so happy to have a holiday ______Hong Kong. Grace said that she is going to take me to some more places tomorrow. I am looking forward to it so much. Good night.

See ya and take care!

Love,

Emily

• Writing Task

Read Angel’s letter to Chris on page 1 again. Plan the three-day itinerary for Chris first. Then write a reply letter to Angel. The following writing tips may help you.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

• Post-writing Evaluation

Evaluation Form

Content and Structure

Language Use

1. Modal verbs are used correctly.

1. Prepositions of time and location are used appropriately.

1. Words used to describe the scenic spots in Hong Kongand activities that can be done are appropriate.

1. Grammar is mostly correct.

1. Words are of a wide range and generally accurate and appropriate.

1. Punctuation and spelling are correct.

Genre

• Suggested Answers

1A: Structure of aPersonal Letter

Hi Grace,

I’m so glad to hear that you’re coming to London in the summer. I can’t wait to see you again! I’d love to show you around. I’ve planned a fantastic three-day itinerary for you. I’m sure we’re gong to have fun.

As walking is a great way to discover the city, the first piece of advice I can give you is to wear good water resistant walking shoes. Let’s spend the first day taking a leisurely stroll around the city centre. You can see London’s highlights such as Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Big Ben andBuckinghamPalace. Of course, we should not miss London’s number one attraction --- the London Eye. In the evening, we should definitely spend some time in CamdenTown, one of London’s most vibrant areas full of trendy restaurants

The following morning, we can go to the Tate Modern, one of the best-known modern art museums in the world. You can find some of the world’s most innovative art works there. In fact, it’s one of my favourite museums too! Afterwards, we can visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. Then, we can do some shopping in the shopping area around Oxford Street. When night falls, we may enjoy a show in London’s West End. We can buy discounted tickets on the same day from various booths in the vicinity.

On the third day, we can visit Trafalgar Square. Make sure that you won’t be attacked by the pigeons! After that, let’s visit the BritishMuseum, one of the English capital’s finest museums. Then, we can go to Soho and Covent Garden, where there are numerous shops and cafes. For dinner, we can go to Brick Lane in London’s East End for the best selection of Indian restaurants in the city.

I hope you are happy with the itinerary suggested. If you would like to make changes, just tell me and I’ll be more than happy to do so. I’m looking forward to seeing you and having a good time with you!

Love,

Emily

1B: Answer the questions according to the letter as shown in 1A.

1. What do you think the relationship between Emily and Grace is? Why?

1. How does Emily greet Grace?

1. Give three examples of the use of contractions.

1. Give an example of the use of abbreviations.

1. Give an example of the use of informal punctuations, e.g. dashes, exclamation marks.

1. What expression does Emily use in the informal closing?

2A: Fill in the blanks below which show the use of some essential language features when planning the itinerary.

When we plan an itiereay, it is important for us to be familiar with the names of the scenic spots and the activities/things we can do/see find there. For example:

-We can go to the Tate Modern, one of the best-known modern art museums in the world.

-You can find some of the world’s most innovative art works there.

We can use model verbswhen making suggestions about the plan of the itinerary. For example:

-We can visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London.

-When night falls, we may enjoy a show in London’s West End.

-In the evening, we should definitely spend some time in CamdenTown.

It is important to use suitable prepositions of time and location when planning an itinerary. For example:

-Let’s spend the first day taking a leisurely stroll around the city centre.

-We should definitely spend some time in Camden Town,

-We can buy discounted tickets on the same day from various booths in the vicinity.

2B: Vaious scenic spots in Hong Kong are shown on the left of the table. Complete the table using the phrases in the box belowthat desribe what you can do/find/see in those scenic spots provided.

Please note: ‘take photos’ might be appropriate in most places.

2C: Fill in the blanks with sutiable modal verbs such as ‘should’, ‘can’ or ‘may’.

1. I may go to Italy for my holiday, but I am not sure.
2. When you play tennis, you should watch the ball.
3. This hotel is too expensive for us. I think we should find another one.
4. Tina likes this hotel room because she can see the mountains from the windows.
5. Mr Chan is a plumber. He can fix the toilet for you. .
6. This dress is too long for you. I don’t think you should buy it.
7. Peter has not decided what to do in the evening. He may go to the cinema.
8. Betty is good at needlework. She can surely help you sew an arpon.
9. I am not sure when I will see Ann again. I may see her next Thursday.
10. Jenny is not feeling well. She should see the doctor.

2D: Emily is writing a letter to her mother after spedning a one-day holiday with Grace in Hong Kong. Fill in the blanks with the suitable use of prepositions of locations and time.

Dear Mum,

How are you? I am having lots of fun.

Today, Grace has taken me to a lot of places. In the morning, I went to see the Giant Buddha, which is on Landau Island. I had vegetarian lunch at the Po Lin Monetary.

In the afternoon, I went back to Kowloon. I did a lot of shopping at / inHarbourCity in Tsim Sha Tsui.HarbourCity is next tothe Hotel Marco Polo. I enjoyed great buffet dinner there.

At night, I watched the Symphony of Night at the Avenue of Stars. All the skyscrapers that were opposite to Kowloon Peninsula were lit with different colors of light. I was really impressed by this fascinating night show!

I am so happy to have a holiday in Hong Kong. Grace said that she is going to take me to some more places tomorrow. I am looking forward to it so much. Good night.

See ya and take care!

Love,

Emily

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