First Year Writing
Lesson 3
Topic / Opening sentences
1.
2.
3.
The world became fully aware of the sly, languid and
villainous charms of Alan Rickman, who has died aged
69 of cancer, as the self-parodying Sheriff of
Nottingham pitted against Kevin Costner in Robin
Hood: Prince of Theives (1991).
Having first trained and worked as a graphic designer,
Rickman was a late starter as an actor, attending Rada
between 1972 and 1974, and winning the Bancroft
gold medal, before working in rep and the RSC in
small roles at the end of the 70s.
Tall, commanding, extremely funny when required, he
was never above sending himself up either on stage or
in the movies. He had talent to burn, a glorious voice
that sometimes blurred in slack-jawed articulation, if
only because everything he did seemed to come so
easily to him.
4. The son of a factory worker, Bernard (who died
when Alan was eight), and his wife, Margaret
(nee Bartlett), he was of Irish and Welsh
descent, raised on a council estate in Acton,
west London, with three siblings (he was the
second child), and educated at Derwentwater
primary school in Acton, a Montessori school,
and Latymer Upper. He studied graphic design
at Chelsea School of Art – where he first met,
aged 18, his future life partner, Rima Horton –
and the Royal College of Art.
5. In the early 80s, …
6. He was both rooted in his own theatre world and
internationally curious.
7. In the earlier part of his career, Rickman …
8. Even with the Harry Potter franchise under way,
Rickman managed a triumphant return in 2001
to the West End and Broadway…
9. Rickman will be remembered latterly…
10. Final paragraph; one sentence:
But he was a committed vice-chairman of Rada,
a patron of the charity Saving Faces, dedicated
to helping those with facial disfigurements and
cancer, and honorary president of the
International Performers Aid Trust, which works
to alleviate poverty in some of the world’s
toughest areas.
HOMEWORK week 2
1. Reflect on today’s lesson – make notes
2. Study pages 14 -18 closely
3. Homework Task 2 p19
Turn to
p19
Paul Newman
Paragraph
Structure
Actor, racing driver, activist and
philanthropist
who was a star for decades but
spurned celebrity
The Independent Monday, 29 September 2008
Paul Newman was one of the most talented and popular screen actors of
his generation. (1 = Topic Sentence) His athletic physique, sensual mouth
and luminous blue eyes made him an uncommonly handsome figure on
screen. (2) Besides acting, he directed films occasionally, and he was also a
successful entrepreneur who raised millions for charity through his salad
dressings, a philanthropist who established a foundation for children, a
racing driver and a political activist who was proud of the fact that he was
placed 19th ("only 19th?" he quipped) on an official list of President Nixon's
"enemies". (3)
Public & Personal
A star who was often labelled "paradoxical" or "maverick", he tended to
shun celebrity and was described as having "a moat and a drawbridge
which he lets down occasionally." (4) His marriage to the actress Joanne
Woodward for the last 50 years was one of Hollywood's most enduring,
though he excelled at playing rebellious, sometimes arrogant loners, such
as the pool shark of The Hustler, the amoral Texan stud in Hud, and the
anti-authoritarian prisoner in Cool Hand Luke. (5) Asked by Empire
magazine why he never committed adultery, Newman replied, "Why go out
for a hamburger when you have steak at home?“ (6)
References & Quotation
Paul Newman was one of the most talented and popular screen
actors of his generation. His athletic physique, sensual mouth and
luminous blue eyes made him an uncommonly handsome figure on
screen. Besides acting, he directed films occasionally, and he was
also a successful entrepreneur who raised millions for charity
through his salad dressings, a philanthropist who established a
foundation for children, a racing driver and a political activist who
was proud of the fact that he was placed 19th ("only 19th?" he
quipped) on an official list of President Nixon's "enemies".
A star who was often labelled "paradoxical" or "maverick", he tended
to shun celebrity and was described as having "a moat and a
drawbridge which he lets down occasionally." His marriage to the
actress Joanne Woodward for the last 50 years was one of
Hollywood's most enduring, though he excelled at playing rebellious,
sometimes arrogant loners, such as the pool shark of The Hustler,
the amoral Texan stud in Hud, and the anti-authoritarian prisoner in
Cool Hand Luke. Asked by Empire magazine why he never
committed adultery, Newman replied, "Why go out for a hamburger
when you have steak at home?"
Grammatical Complexity
Paul Newman was one of the most talented and popular screen
actors of his generation. His (1) athletic physique, (2) sensual
mouth and (3) luminous blue eyes made him an uncommonly
handsome figure on screen. Besides acting, he directed films
occasionally, and he was also a successful entrepreneur who raised
millions for charity through his salad dressings, a philanthropist who
established a foundation for children, a racing driver and a political
activist who was proud of the fact that he was placed 19th ("only
19th?" he quipped) on an official list of President Nixon's "enemies".
A star who was often labelled "paradoxical" or "maverick", he tended
to shun celebrity and was described as having "a moat and a
drawbridge which he lets down occasionally." His marriage to the
actress Joanne Woodward for the last 50 years was one of
Hollywood's most enduring, though he excelled at playing rebellious,
sometimes arrogant loners, such as the pool shark of The Hustler,
the amoral Texan stud in Hud, and the anti-authoritarian prisoner in
Cool Hand Luke. Asked by Empire magazine why he never
committed adultery, Newman replied, "Why go out for a hamburger
when you have steak at home?"
Grammatical Framework
was
made
directed
was
raised
established
was
was placed
was often labelled
tended
was described
was
excelled
asked
committed
replied
Lexical Network
most talented
popular
athletic
sensual mouth
luminous blue eyes
uncommonly handsome
successful
proud
"paradoxical"
"maverick",
most enduring
rebellious,
arrogant,
anti-authoritarian
HOMEWORK week 2 (cont’d)
4. Read Harper Lee’s Obituary p20
5. Update your vocabulary section in your
Writing notes
6. Read:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/201
6/sep/28/shimon-peres-obituary
7. Reflect
Turn to
p20
Turn to
p24
Next week
Writing Test
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You have 1 hour to write your answer
You must write a plan
Write every other line
Write ONE copy
How many words? c.300
3 or 4 paragraphs
You cannot use a dictionary
Steve Irwin
1. 1962: Born, Stephen Robert Irwin (Victoria, Australia) Feb 22nd
2. 1971: Catches and wrestles crocodile for the first time
3. 1973: Parents (wildlife experts and conservationists) open the Queensland
Reptile and Fauna Park
4. 1991: Takes over family business and renames it Australia Zoo. Meets Terri
Raines when she visits park
5. 1992: Weds Terri Raines June 4th. Film crocodiles while on honeymoon.
Footage develops into “The Crocodile Hunter” tv series
6. 1996: “The Crocodile Hunter” series debuts on television in Australia, and in
the United States the next year
7. 1998: Daughter Bindi Sue born July 24th
8. 2003: Son Robert Clarence born Dec 1st
9. 2004: Strongly criticised by media and public for feeding crocodile while
holding his one-month-old son in his arms
10. 2006: Dies Sept 4th from stingray attack while filming ‘Ocean’s Deadliest’ at
Great Barrier Reef
Steve Irwin
Wildlife expert and tv presenter best known for the ‘Crocodile Hunter’ series
Jenny Wordsmith, Australian Times, 06/09/2006
Steve Irwin, who has died at the age of 44, became a household name with the
series ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ which was first broadcast in 1996. Footage of the
fearless wildlife expert in close contact with ferocious predators left audiences full of
admiration for the courage of this television presenter who was determined to
familiarise people with the wilder side of nature.
Born into a family of wildlife conservationists on 22 February 1962, Stephen Robert
Irwin grew up at the family-run reptile park in Queensland, Australia. It was there that
he met his future wife, Terri Raines who he would go on to marry at the age of thirty.
The television series that shot him to fame owed its origins to their honeymoon which
was spent filming crocodile expeditions with their friend the television producer, John
Stainton. Despite the widespread admiration for Irwin’s knowledge and expertise, he
was, however, strongly critcised in 2004 when images were released of him feeding a
crocodile with his newborn son in his arms.
Irwin’s premature death caused by a stingray attack at the Great Barrier Reef has
robbed nature lovers of one of the most charismatic protagonists of wildlife
documentaries.
Stephen Robert Irwin, wildlife expert and documentarist: born Victoria,
Australia 22 February 1962; married Terri Raines 4 June 1992 (one daughter,
one son); died at Great Barrier Reef, Australia 4 September 2006.
Task Requirements
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
correct layout & use of paragraphs
appropriate order of information
appropriate use of full name/surname
correct use of tenses in the past
use of present perfect (‘has just died’)
use of future (‘will be remembered for….’)
correct register: formal, no contracted forms, slang etc.
variety in describing dates (e.g. It was in 2014 that … /
2014 was the year in which …)
• lexis – belonging to semantic field pertinent to subject
• correct grammar and syntax
Guidelines
• Please come on time: You have 35
minutes to do the Test
• The test is in three parts
• Part 1 is a conversation ABCD
• Part 2 Transformation exercises using a
word
• Part 3 Vocabulary ABCD
Grammar Test information
• The pass rate is often less than 50%.
• Some students have taken the test several
times.
• Students should finalize their piano di
studio in the second year.
• Those who do well in week 4 will have the
opportunity in to take the test in January.
Others will be advised to wait until June or
September.
HOMEWORK
HOMEWORK week 3
Prepare for your Tests next week!