Advice for a Friend Who Is Moving School
Answer an email from a worried friend who is starting at a new school. Give advice and encourage them.
- Time
- 25 min
- Length
- 100-130 words
Writadia · B1 · Emails
NameClassDate
The situation
Your friend Jake writes:
I've got some news. My family is moving to another city and I'm starting at a new school in September. I don't know anyone there and I'm really worried. How can I make new friends? And what should I do on my first day? Any advice?
Your task
Write an email to Jake. Show that you understand his feelings, give at least three pieces of advice and end on a positive note.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- React to his news: show empathy.
- Give advice for the first day.
- Give advice for making friends.
- Add one personal experience.
- Finish positively.
Useful phrases
Reacting
Giving advice
Personal experience
Positive ending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- empathy
- understanding how someone feelsShow some empathy in your reply.
- settle in
- start to feel comfortable in a new placeIt took me a month to settle in.
- join a club
- become a member of a groupJoining a club is a good way to meet people.
- nervous
- worried about something that is going to happenIt's normal to feel nervous.
Model answer (137 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Hi Jake,
Wow, that's big news! I can understand why you're worried. Starting at a new school is never easy.1
On your first day, try to arrive a bit early so you can find your classroom without rushing. It's a good idea to smile and ask people simple questions, like "Is this seat free?" or "What's the maths teacher like?"2
If I were you, I'd join a club as soon as possible.3 You love football, so why don't you ask about the school team? People make friends quickly when they do things together.
When I changed schools two years ago, I felt lonely for the first week. Then I sat next to Ana in science and now she's my best friend.
I'm sure you'll be fine. Let me know how your first day goes!
Take care, Maya
- Empathy first, advice second.
- Concrete examples make advice useful.
- Second conditional for advice: If I were you, I'd...
Teacher notes
Advice language: list five structures and ban "You should" for this task. Students must use at least three different ones.
Register: informal email between friends. Contractions are fine and natural.
Extra challenge
Jake writes back after his first week. Write his email: what went well and what didn't?
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.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: empathy, settle in, join a club, nervous.
- 12 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: “Wow, that's big news!”, “I can understand why you're worried.”, “If I were you, I'd ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (100-130 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 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 and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I showed that I understand his feelings.
- I gave at least three pieces of advice with different structures.
- I ended positively.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I showed that I understand his feelings.
- I gave at least three pieces of advice with different structures.
- I ended positively.
Writadia · B1 · Emails
Assessment rubric: Advice for a Friend Who Is Moving School
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I showed that I understand his feelings.
- I gave at least three pieces of advice with different structures.
- I ended positively.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B1 · Emails
Peer-review sheet: Advice for a Friend Who Is Moving School
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I showed that I understand his feelings. | |||
| I gave at least three pieces of advice with different structures. | |||
| I ended positively. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
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Writadia · B1 · Emails
Lesson plan: Advice for a Friend Who Is Moving School
- 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.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: empathy, settle in, join a club, nervous.
- 12 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: “Wow, that's big news!”, “I can understand why you're worried.”, “If I were you, I'd ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (100-130 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 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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