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Extended Writing Worksheet 8
Genre
Describing a natural process
Title
The king of fruit
Topical content
Growing durian trees
Language focus
Expanding notes into sentences
Time expressions and sequencing
Specific objectives
The students write sentences from notes, using the correct
verb forms.
The students use a range of time expressions to show
varying lengths of time.
The students write a 150-word description of the life cycle
of durian trees.
Activity types
Sentence construction
Substitution
Extended writing: drafting and checking
Notes
1 Explain the writing objective before the students begin
the preparatory activities.
2 The students can revise much of the vocabulary by
referring to the section on plant reproduction in their
Science text book. They can also check for the appropriate
time expressions to be used in Activity B, if required.
E xte nde d Wr iti ng
G a t e wa y t o E n g lis h 3
Copyright text C The Curriculum Development Department, Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam and
Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008, Copyright design and illustration C Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Can be downloaded from website
The king of fruit
WRITING
TASK
A
Use the activities and notes below to help
you describe the life cycle of the durian tree.
Write at least 150 words.
Developing notes
Amir has to research the life cycle of plants for a science
project. He has chosen his favourite fruit, the durian. Read
Amir’s notes below and write the information in complete sentences.
1 durian = King of Fruit
2 trees native to SE Asia, esp. Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei
3 ripe fruit up to 30cm long; unique odour; spiny skin
4 food source: monkeys, birds, squirrels, elephants, tigers
B
Time expressions
During his research, Amir discovered that the different stages of plant reproduction
take different lengths of time. He wrote some sentences to show the major stages of the
life cycle of the durian tree. Make each sentence more accurate by replacing the underlined
words with one of the time expressions below.
in three to eight days
immediately
when they are five to seven years old
First, wind, animals or
insects pollinate the
flowers. Then the
pollen tube forms. Then
the zygote divides and
becomes an embryo.
Then the fruit starts
to grow. Then the fruit
is ripe. Animals, wind or
water disperse the
seeds. Then the seeds
germinate. Then the
plants mature and
flowers develop.
1
twelve to sixteen weeks later
after about two hours
four weeks after pollination
First, wind, animals or insects pollinate the flowers.
2
3
4
5
6
7
E xte nde d Wr iti ng
G a t e wa y t o E n g lis h 3
Copyright text C The Curriculum Development Department, Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam and
Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008, Copyright design and illustration C Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Can be downloaded from website
C
Writing a draft
Write a draft of your description in your exercise book. Follow these guidelines:
· Use some of the information in Section A for a brief introductory paragraph about
durians.
· Expand the notes below to help you describe the life cycle of the durian tree, starting
with pollination. Use or adapt the time expressions in Section B.
· Remember that you can add extra information of your own.
2 Fertilisation
1 Pollination
two hours later
pollen tube develops
bats, moths, agents
of pollination
male cell moves
down pollen tube
cross-pollinate
flowers when
drink the nectar
6 Maturity
3 Seed and fruit formation
5–7 years
zygote divides
embryo
up to 50 m
ovules
flower clusters,
1 month for
flowers to develop
ovary
fruit
four weeks,
flesh forms
5 Germination
4 Seed dispersal
3–8 days
12–16 weeks,
fruit ripe
roots and
leaves form
D
seeds
drops,
animals eat
Writer’s checklist
Wrote a title.
Checked punctuation.
Met the word count.
Used capital letters for sentences.
Used paragraphs.
Used suitable time expressions.
Checked spelling.
Used the present simple tense.
E xte nde d Wr iti ng
G a t e wa y t o E n g lis h 3
Copyright text C The Curriculum Development Department, Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam and
Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008, Copyright design and illustration C Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Can be downloaded from website
The king of fruit
ANSWER KEY
A
Sample answers
1
2
3
4
B
C
The durian is known as the King of Fruit.
The trees are native to South East Asia, especially Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
The ripe fruit is up to 30 cm long. It has a unique odour and a spiny skin.
Durians are a food source for monkeys, birds, squirrels, elephants and even tigers.
First, wind, animals or
insects pollinate the
flowers. Then the
pollen tube forms. Then
the zygote divides and
becomes an embryo.
Then the fruit starts
to grow. Then the fruit
is ripe. Animals, wind or
water disperse the
seeds. Then the seeds
germinate. Then the
plants mature and
flowers develop.
1
First, wind, animals or insects pollinate the
flowers.
2
After about two hours the pollen tube forms.
3
Immediately, the zygote divides and becomes an
embryo.
4
Four weeks after pollination the fruit starts to
grow.
5
Twelve to sixteen weeks later, the fruit is ripe.
6
In three to eight days the seeds germinate.
7
When they are five to seven years old the plants
mature and flowers develop.
Sample answer
The King of Fruit
The durian is so popular that it is known as the King of Fruit. The trees are native to
South East Asia, especially Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
The first stage in their life cycle is pollination. Bats and moths are the agents of pollination.
They cross-pollinate the flowers when they drink the nectar.
After about two hours, a pollen tube develops. In the fertilisation stage, the male cell
moves down the pollen tube to the female cell, located in the ovule. A zygote forms.
Immediately, the zygote divides and develops into an embryo. The ovules develop
into seeds while the ovary becomes the fruit. Four weeks after pollination, the flesh
of the fruit starts to form.
Twelve to sixteen weeks later the fruit is ripe and drops off the tree. Different kinds
of animals such as monkeys and squirrels eat the durians and disperse the seeds.
In three to eight days, the seeds germinate. Roots and leaves develop.
Durian trees mature in five to seven years, growing to a height of up to 50 metres.
Flowers bloom in clusters from December to February. It takes about one month for
the flowers to develop, ready for the cycle to begin again.
198 words
E xte nde d Wr iti ng
G a t e wa y t o E n g lis h 3
Copyright text C The Curriculum Development Department, Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam and
Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008, Copyright design and illustration C Macmillan Publishers Limited 2008
PHOTOCOPIABLE
Can be downloaded from website