Portuguese Year 1: Writing a short text: plan, write and check
Portuguese, Year 1 (Portugal): Think before writing, write legibly and read again to correct; and answer questions and instructions in writing.
Plan, write, check
To write a short text you do three things. You plan: what you will write about and what you want to say, in order. You write: one sentence at a time, in handwriting that can be read and without going off the line. You check: you read it again, together with the teacher, and see whether something is missing. If you are asked a question in writing, you answer with a whole sentence: «Como te chamas?» (What is your name?) – «Chamo-me Rui.» (My name is Rui.)
Writing without rereading is writing blind
When you speak, the other person can ask if they did not understand. When you write, the reader is not there to ask, so the text has to explain itself. Planning helps to put ideas in order, and checking catches what slipped by: a capital letter, a mark, a badly written word. Even grown-ups write like this, with drafts.
My cat
You want to write about your cat. Step 1, plan: who it is, what it is like, what it does. Step 2, write: «o meu gato chama-se tom ele é pequeno e preto». Step 3, check with the teacher: you read aloud and see that the first word needs a capital, that «Tom» is a name and needs one too, that the full stops are missing, and that «Ele» starts a new sentence. Step 4, fair copy: «O meu gato chama-se Tom. Ele é pequeno e preto.» (My cat is called Tom. He is small and black.)
Handing in without rereading
You finish the last word and want to hand it in straight away. But mistakes hide in exactly what you have just written. Before you hand it in, read everything slowly, with your finger under each word, and ask yourself: does it start with a capital? Is there a mark at the end? Are the words separated? Can the handwriting be read? Correcting is part of writing, not a punishment.
Where you write like this
Writing a birthday card or a note for your family, answering the questions on a worksheet, filling in your details, leaving a shopping list. In all of them the reader has to understand at the first reading, so it is worth planning and checking.
Test what you learned
What is the best order for writing a short text?
- a) Write it all and hand it in at once
- b) Check first, plan afterwards
- c) Plan, write and check
Correct answer: c) Plan, write and check — Yes: first decide what to say, then write it, then read it again to correct it.
The worksheet asks: «Qual é o teu animal preferido?» (What is your favourite animal?) Which answer is best?
- a) «Eu tenho um cão.» (I have a dog.)
- b) «O meu animal preferido é o cão.» (My favourite animal is the dog.)
- c) «Eu gosto de correr.» (I like running.)
- d) «Qual é o teu animal preferido?» (the question again)
Correct answer: b) «O meu animal preferido é o cão.» (My favourite animal is the dog.) — Yes: a whole sentence that uses the words of the question and answers it.
You have finished writing your answer. What do you do before handing it in?
- a) Hand it in at once, to be the first
- b) Rub out everything and start again
- c) Ask a friend to write it again
- d) Read slowly and check capitals, marks, spaces and handwriting
Correct answer: d) Read slowly and check capitals, marks, spaces and handwriting — Yes: reading again is where you find what slipped by and can correct it.
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