On the Phone: Take a Message
Someone phoned for your mother while she was out. Write a note with the message: who called, why, and what she should do.
- Time
- 15 min
- Length
- 40-60 words
Writadia · A2 · Notes & messages
NameClassDate
The situation
Your mother is at work. The phone rings. It is her friend Selin. Selin says: "Hello, can I speak to Aylin? ... Oh, she's out? Can you tell her the dinner on Friday is at 8 pm now, not 7? And she should bring the photos. She can call me back on my mobile after six."
Your task
Write a note for your mother with the phone message.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Start with "Mum," or "Hi Mum,".
- Say who called and when.
- Report the message: the change and what to bring.
- Say what she should do: call back, and when.
Useful phrases
Who called
The message
What to do
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- call back
- phone someone who phoned you beforePlease call her back.
- leave a message
- give information for someone who is not thereCan I leave a message?
- hold on
- wait (on the phone)Hold on, please.
- mobile
- a phone you carryCall her on her mobile.
Model answer (41 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Hi Mum,
Selin called at about four o'clock.1 She said the dinner on Friday is at 8 pm now, not 7.2 She also asked you to bring the photos.
Can you call her back on her mobile after six?3
Love, Ece
- Who and when, first.
- Report the change clearly.
- What Mum should do.
Teacher notes
Unit link: On the Phone (making and answering calls, leaving and taking messages). Revise hold on, hang up, call back, leave a message.
Role play first: pairs act out the call; the listener takes notes and then writes the message.
Extra challenge
Write the phone conversation between you and Selin as a short dialogue (6–8 lines).
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: call back, leave a message, hold on, mobile.
- 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: “Selin called at about four o'clock.”, “She said (that) the dinner on Friday is at 8 pm now.”, “She asked you to bring ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (40-60 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 who called and when.
- I reported the change of time.
- I said what to bring.
- I said what she should 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 who called and when.
- I reported the change of time.
- I said what to bring.
- I said what she should do.
Writadia · A2 · Notes & messages
Assessment rubric: On the Phone: Take a Message
| 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 who called and when.
- I reported the change of time.
- I said what to bring.
- I said what she should do.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A2 · Notes & messages
Peer-review sheet: On the Phone: Take a Message
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I said who called and when. | |||
| I reported the change of time. | |||
| I said what to bring. | |||
| I said what she should 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 · A2 · Notes & messages
Lesson plan: On the Phone: Take a Message
- 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: call back, leave a message, hold on, mobile.
- 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: “Selin called at about four o'clock.”, “She said (that) the dinner on Friday is at 8 pm now.”, “She asked you to bring ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (40-60 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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