Where Are You? A Text to a Friend
You are waiting for a friend outside the cinema and the film starts soon. Write a short text message to your friend.
- Time
- 10 min
- Length
- 25-40 words
Writadia · A1 · Notes & messages
NameClassDate
The situation
You and your friend Max have tickets for a film at 7 pm. It is now 6:50 and you are outside the cinema. Max is not there.
Your task
Write a text message to Max. Say:
- where you are
- what time it is
- that the film starts soon
- what Max should do
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Start with "Hi Max!" or "Max, where are you?".
- Say where you are now.
- Say what time the film starts.
- Tell Max what to do: hurry, call you, or meet you inside.
Useful phrases
Starting
Where you are
Time
Asking
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- outside
- not inside a buildingI'm outside the café.
- next to
- very near, at the side ofI'm next to the door.
- hurry
- go quicklyPlease hurry!
- inside
- in a buildingI'll wait inside.
Model answer (33 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Hi Max! Where are you?1 I'm outside the cinema, next to the big poster.2 It's ten to seven and the film starts at seven. Please hurry! I've got your ticket. I'll wait inside.3
- Short and friendly: this is a text message.
- A small detail helps Max find you.
- Tell Max exactly what to do.
Teacher notes
Focus: telling the time (ten to seven, quarter past) and prepositions of place (outside, next to).
Pair work: students write a reply from Max with an excuse and a new plan.
Extra challenge
Write Max's reply. Say why he is late and when he will arrive.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: outside, next to, hurry, inside.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Hi Max! Where are you?”, “I'm outside the cinema, next to the ...”, “It's ten to seven. The film starts at seven.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (25-40 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I said where I am.
- I said the time.
- I told Max what to do.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I said where I am.
- I said the time.
- I told Max what to do.
Writadia · A1 · Notes & messages
Assessment rubric: Where Are You? A Text to a Friend
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I said where I am.
- I said the time.
- I told Max what to do.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A1 · Notes & messages
Peer-review sheet: Where Are You? A Text to a Friend
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I said where I am. | |||
| I said the time. | |||
| I told Max what to do. |
Questions
- Does the text give all the information asked for?
- Does every sentence start with a capital and end with a full stop?
- Did the writer use and, but or because? Copy one example.
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Writadia · A1 · Notes & messages
Lesson plan: Where Are You? A Text to a Friend
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: outside, next to, hurry, inside.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Hi Max! Where are you?”, “I'm outside the cinema, next to the ...”, “It's ten to seven. The film starts at seven.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (25-40 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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