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Session 5: A farewell letter

Part 5. What would you write to someone you may never see again?

Objectives

Today's language goal

To write a farewell letter that tells what happened, how I feel now and what I hope, we need the words of feelings (farewell, memory, hope, regret, promise, courage) and three times in one letter: past simple, present and present perfect, will for promises.

Warm-up

Students listen to a calm piece of music and write three words they feel.

Documents

Model letter (fiction). Dear Sam, I am writing this by candlelight in the old school gym. We arrived yesterday after two days on the road. I miss our long walks and your terrible jokes. If you find this letter, go north to the lake: we will wait there until spring. Whatever happens, I will never forget you. Be brave. Your friend, Alex.

Letter structure

PartContentTense
OpeningDear...none
Where I amthe situation nowpresent
What happenedthe journeypast
Memorieswhat I misspresent, past
Hopea meeting point, a promisefuture
ClosingBe brave, your friendnone

Vocabulary

WordMeaning
farewellgoodbye
memorysomething you remember
hopethe belief that things will get better
regretsadness about the past
promisesaying you will do something
loved onesthe people you love
couragebravery
goodbyethe word you say when you leave

Grammar lesson: past, present and future in one letter

To write a farewell letter that tells what happened, how I feel now and what I hope, we need past, present and future in one letter
For the teacher: how to run it (8 to 10 minutes)
  1. Read the model letter. Ask students to colour the verbs: blue for the past, green for now, red for the future.
  2. Build the letter-structure table on the board: where I am (present), what happened (past simple), what has changed (present perfect), hope (will, going to).
  3. Show the time words that go with each tense. Students copy.
  4. Quick check, then exercises, then write the letter.
On the board, to copy

Rule

A letter moves through time. Use the present for where you are now, the past simple for what happened at a precise time, the present perfect for a change that matters now, and will for promises and hopes.

Form

  • present continuous: I am writing this by candlelight.
  • past simple: We arrived yesterday. (yesterday, two days ago, last week)
  • present perfect: I have lost my phone. (since, for, never, already)
  • will + base verb: We will wait there until spring. I will never forget you.

Use

  • Opening and situation: present.
  • The journey: past simple with time words.
  • Feelings and promises: present (I miss) and will (I will never forget).

Examples from the lesson

  • I am writing this by candlelight in the old school gym.
  • We arrived yesterday after two days on the road.
  • I miss our long walks and your terrible jokes.
  • We will wait there until spring. I will never forget you.

Common mistakes

  • Not We have arrived yesterday., but We arrived yesterday.
  • Not I write this letter now. (for an action in progress), but I am writing this letter.
  • Not I will never forgot you., but I will never forget you.
  • Not If you will find this letter, go north., but If you find this letter, go north.

Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Choose the right tense.

  1. I (write / am writing) this in the gym.
  2. We (arrived / have arrived) yesterday.
  3. I (have never felt / never felt) so tired in my life.
  4. We (will wait / wait) for you until spring.
Show the answers

1. am writing. 2. arrived. 3. have never felt. 4. will wait.

Exercises

EntryRecognition. Underline the verbs in the model letter and give the tense and the reason.

  1. I am writing this by candlelight.
  2. We arrived yesterday after two days on the road.
  3. I miss our long walks.
  4. If you find this letter, go north to the lake.
  5. We will wait there until spring.
  6. Whatever happens, I will never forget you.
Show the answers

1. present continuous, now. 2. past simple, dated past (yesterday). 3. present simple, a feeling now. 4. present simple after if + imperative, instruction. 5. will, a promise. 6. present simple after whatever + will, a promise.

CoreGap-fill. Put the verbs in the right tense.

  1. Dear Sam, I (sit) in a small farm near the river.
  2. Two days ago, we (leave) the town at night.
  3. Since then, we (not / see) anyone.
  4. I (miss) you every day.
  5. Last night, Mia (find) an old radio.
  6. Tomorrow, we (try) to reach the lake.
  7. I (keep) your photo until we meet again.
  8. If you (read) this, wait for us.
Show the answers

1. am sitting. 2. left. 3. haven't seen. 4. miss. 5. found. 6. will try (or are going to try). 7. will keep. 8. read.

StretchProduction. Write the five parts of your letter in one or two sentences each, with the right tense: where I am, what happened, what I miss, what has changed, my hope or promise.

Show the answers

For example: I am writing to you from a farm by the river. We left the town three days ago, at night. I miss your laugh and our Sunday football. Everything has changed: I have learnt to be brave. If you read this, go north: we will wait for you at the lake.

Going further (for students heading to language studies)Advanced. Future in the past and understatement. Rewrite and explain.

  1. I think we will meet again. (in a letter remembering the past: I thought ...)
  2. We are going to leave tomorrow. (future in the past: We were going to ...)
  3. Rewrite “I am terribly afraid” as an understatement.
Show the answers

1. I thought we would meet again. 2. We were going to leave the next day. 3. For example: I am not entirely at ease tonight. The future in the past uses would and was going to; understatement says less than we feel and often moves the reader more, as in Mary Shelley's The Last Man.

Words in action

To say it precisely, we need the right words

EntryMatch: farewell, regret, promise, courage.

  1. the strength to face danger
  2. saying goodbye
  3. sadness about something you did or did not do
  4. words that say you will do something
Show the answers

1. courage. 2. farewell. 3. regret. 4. promise.

CoreClassify: hope, regret, miss, promise, memory. Past, present or future?

Show the answers

Past: regret, memory. Present: miss. Future: hope, promise.

StretchFind two ways in the model letter to say “I love you” without saying it.

Show the answers

I miss our long walks and your terrible jokes; Whatever happens, I will never forget you.

Activities

  1. Find the tenses in the model letter and fill in the table.
  2. List expressions of feeling: I miss, I will never forget, I hope.
  3. Write your own farewell letter (150 words; B2: 200 words).
  4. Extension: read your letter aloud with emotion.

More activities

Exercises
  1. Find a verb in the past in the model.
  2. Find a promise in the model.
  3. Where is the meeting point?
  4. Complete: I ______ (miss) you every day.
  5. Translate 'Be brave' with another expression.
Corrigé of the exercises
  1. arrived
  2. I will never forget you (we will wait there)
  3. North, at the lake
  4. miss
  5. Have courage

Sentence starters

Role play

Pairs: Student A reads the letter, Student B answers it as the friend who found it.

Figures of speech in the documents

Affectionate irony and hyperbole

Model letter: “I miss our long walks and your terrible jokes.” “Whatever happens, I will never forget you.”

Your terrible jokes: Alex criticises the jokes but misses them; it is affectionate irony, a tender way of saying “I loved being with you”. Whatever happens, I will never forget you is a hyperbole, an exaggerated promise, which shows the strength of the feeling.

EntryDid Alex really hate Sam's jokes? Which word shows the opposite?

Show the answers

No: “I miss” shows that Alex loved them.

CoreWhy is “I will never forget you” a hyperbole?

Show the answers

Nobody can be sure of never forgetting; the exaggeration shows how strong the friendship is.

StretchWrite one sentence of affectionate irony about a friend or a family member.

Show the answers

For example: I even miss your horrible music playing at seven in the morning.

Gap-fill worksheet

QR code to this worksheet
Word bank: farewell, memory, hope, regret, promise, loved ones, courage, goodbye
  1. A ______ letter says goodbye.
  2. A good ______ helps you.
  3. Never lose ______.
  4. He feels ______ about his mistakes.
  5. She makes a ______ to come back.
  6. We think of our ______.
  7. It takes ______ to go on.
  8. Saying ______ is hard.
Answer key
  1. farewell
  2. memory
  3. hope
  4. regret
  5. promise
  6. loved ones
  7. courage
  8. goodbye

Expression task

Now say it

Write your farewell letter.

EntrySix sentences, one per part of the structure, with the right tense.

Core120 to 150 words: opening, situation, what happened, memories, hope and promise, closing.

StretchAdd an affectionate irony, an understatement and a conditional for the meeting point.

Tools to use:

Show a model answer

Dear Lina, I am writing to you from an empty library, by the light of a torch. We left the city four days ago, when the curfew started. Since then, I have learnt to sleep on the floor and to share everything. I miss our bus rides to school and even your awful singing. I regret one thing: I never thanked you for your help last year. If you find this letter, go to the lighthouse on the coast: we will wait there until the summer. Whatever happens, I will keep your bracelet. Be brave. Your friend, Noah.

Assessment grid

CriteriaLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4
Letter structureRarelySometimesMostlyAlways and precisely
TensesMany errorsSome errorsMostly correctCorrect and varied
JustificationNo reasonOne reasonTwo reasonsDeveloped and nuanced

Homework

Finish your farewell letter.

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