Tourism: Have You Ever...? A Travel Blog Post
Write a short travel blog post about places you have visited and things you have done, using the present perfect and "ever / never".
- Time
- 20 min
- Length
- 80-100 words
Writadia · A2 · Articles
NameClassDate
The situation
You have a travel blog for students. This week's post is called "Places I've Been and Places I Want to See".
Your task
Write a blog post. Include:
- two places you have visited and one thing you did there
- one thing you have never done but want to do
- a question for your readers
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Use the present perfect for experiences: I have been to ...
- Use the past simple for details: I went there last summer.
- Use never for things you haven't done.
- End with a question: Have you ever ...?
Useful phrases
Experiences
Details
Wishes
Asking readers
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- sightseeing
- visiting famous placesWe went sightseeing in Rome.
- landmark
- a famous building or placeGalata Tower is a famous landmark.
- souvenir
- something you buy to remember a placeI bought a souvenir.
- local food
- food from that placeI tried the local food.
Model answer (84 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
I have been to Cappadocia twice.1 The first time, I went with my family and we watched the hot-air balloons at sunrise.2 I have also visited Trabzon. We went to Uzungöl and tried the local food. It was delicious!
I have never been abroad, but I'd love to visit Japan one day.3 I want to see the cherry blossoms in Kyoto and eat real sushi. I've already started saving money for the trip!
Have you ever been to Cappadocia? Tell me in the comments!4
- Present perfect for an experience.
- Past simple for the details.
- "Never" for something you haven't done.
- A question for readers ends a blog post.
Teacher notes
Unit link: Tourism (experiences with present perfect, ever/never, travel vocabulary). LGS often contrasts present perfect and past simple.
Find someone who: before writing, students ask "Have you ever...?" questions around the class.
Extra challenge
Write three comments from readers answering your question.
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: sightseeing, landmark, souvenir, local food.
- 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: “I have been to ... twice.”, “I have visited ..., but I have never been to ...”, “I went there in ... We saw ... and tried ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (80-100 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 used the present perfect for experiences.
- I used the past simple for details.
- I used never.
- I ended with a question.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I used the present perfect for experiences.
- I used the past simple for details.
- I used never.
- I ended with a question.
Writadia · A2 · Articles
Assessment rubric: Tourism: Have You Ever...? A Travel Blog Post
| 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 used the present perfect for experiences.
- I used the past simple for details.
- I used never.
- I ended with a question.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A2 · Articles
Peer-review sheet: Tourism: Have You Ever...? A Travel Blog Post
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I used the present perfect for experiences. | |||
| I used the past simple for details. | |||
| I used never. | |||
| I ended with a question. |
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.
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
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Writadia · A2 · Articles
Lesson plan: Tourism: Have You Ever...? A Travel Blog Post
- 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: sightseeing, landmark, souvenir, local food.
- 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: “I have been to ... twice.”, “I have visited ..., but I have never been to ...”, “I went there in ... We saw ... and tried ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (80-100 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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