Unit 1: Formal & Informal Letters

FORMAL LANGUAGE AND INFORMAL LANGUAGE IN LETTER WRITING

Formal language is the kind we use when we are being businesslike or when

we are talking to people who we need to respect. We use formal types of language

when we are writing essays, or applying for a job, or talking to our teachers. For

example, you would use either Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully at the end of a

formal letter, and would sign the letter using both your first name and surname.

Informal language is the kind we use when we are talking or writing to our

family or friends. For example, you would use something like From, All the best, or

Lots of love at the end of an informal letter, and would sign the letter using your first

name or a nickname.

1. Language of formal and informal letters

A. Which phrases or types of language would you find in a formal letter? Which

phrases or types of language would you find in an informal letter? Put them in the

right column below.

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GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

FORMAL AND

INFORMAL

LANGUAGEExplanati

on

Practice

Formal Informal

I am sorry to inform you that...

phrasal verbs

I am very grateful for...

Why don't we...

I will not be able to attend the...

idioms and slang

contracted verb forms like we've, I'm, etc.

Give my regards to...

I look forward to hearing from you...

Let me know as soon as...

short sentences

Dear Tom,

Dear Ms Smithers,

Best wishes,

Yours faithfully,

I'm really sorry I...

Unfortunately, we will have to postpone...

We had a little bit of luck...

Our computers are used for a variety...

I use my pencil sharper for...

polite phrases

fewer passive verb forms

B. Look at the following characteristics of letters. Decide whether they are applied to

formal or informal letters or both by ticking the correct column.

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  Formal Informal

begins with Dear ...    

refers to reason for writing    

uses contractions    

uses abbreviations    

uses simple, short sentences    

uses simple linkers, e.g. then, later    

has paragraphs    

is polite    

could use slang    

could use exclamation marks (!)    

ends with Yours sincerely, / Yours faithfully,    

ends with Best wishes / Write soon    

ends with a signature    

ends with a signature and a full name printed (or in capitals)  

2. Expressions to begin and end formal and informal letters

Look at the following expressions which are used when writing letters. Where would you

find each of them in a letter? Make a list under each heading:

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WRITING

FOLDER

Beginnings Signalling the end Closings (at the end)

When you have finished, decide if each expression comes from a formal or informal letter,

and write F (formal) or I (informal) after each one.

a. Thanks for your letter.

b. I'll finish now as I'm running out of

space.

c. Thank you for sending me your

brochure.

d. I must go now.

e. Sorry for not writing for so long.

f. If you have any further questions,

please contact me again.

g. I must apologise for not contacting you

sooner.

h. I look forward to hearing from you.

i. I'm writing to ask you a favour.

j. I'd better finish.

k. Write again soon!

l. The reason for my writing is to apply

for the job I saw advertised.

m. Bye for now.

n. Anyway, I'd better post this letter now.

o. It was lovely to hear from you.

p. All my love,

q. Best wishes,

r. It was great to get your letter.

s. Regards,

t. Thank you so much for writing.

u. Take care,

v. I was so sad to hear that you had been

ill.

w. Good luck!

x. I wish to complain about the terrible

service at your restaurant.

y. Hope to hear from you soon.

z. I am writing with reference to your

letter...

12

Formal And Informal Letters

SAMPLE OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

Questions for analysis:

Read the letter below and answer the following questions:

1. Why does Rachel write this letter? What are the three different subjects she

covers?

2. What features of informal style can you find in the letter? Consider the

following: vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, cohesion/

linking words, and tone (what aspects of the writing show that Arantxa is a

friend?)

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14

36 Shaston Drive

Shaftesbury

Dorset SH2 3AB

tel (0747) 5286

Mon Sept 4th

Dear Arantxa,

Thanks very much for lending me your flat while you were away. I hope you enjoyed your holiday in Morocco as much as I enjoyed my stay in Victoria. (I’ll tell you all about it when I see you at my party on Nov 5 th – I do hope you haven’t changed your mind about coming!)

Now you’ve probably been wondering what has happened to your goldfish. (I’m sorry, I meant to leave a note about this, but I forgot.) You will have noticed that they used to be. This may have come as a bit of a surprise to you, but I expect you have guessed what happened. It’s bad news, I’m afraid. The fish you’ve got now are a pair I bought to replace yours which, I’m sorry to say, were both dead when I arrived in your flat on Aug 10th.

If I’d arrived on the 8th as planned I don’t suppose this tragedy would have happened, but the thing is, I got caught up in the strike and had to spend a couple of days at Heathrow. That’s life, I suppose, but I still feel rather bad about it, both for myself (48 hours at Heathrow is no joke) and for the fish. Perhaps I should sell my story to the newspaper – “Innocent Suffer in Heartless Strike!”, “Holiday Chaos Hits Heathrow: Two Die!”

Anyway, thanks again for the loan of the flat. I hope I left everything in the right place, and enough money by the phone to cover the few local calls I made – I’m sure you’ll tell me if there are any problems. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again, so I do hope you can make it to the party. If not, see you in Bilbao at Christmas.

Love,

Rachel

1. Techniques

The house number of a British or American address is written before the name of the street, but write your own address in the way you normally do.

Don’t write the name or address of the person you’re writing to on the left. This is only done in letters that are formal and impersonal.

Date. These abbreviations are commonly used for the days and months: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun; Jan, Feb, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec.

Dear is always appropriate – for family, intimate friends and even enemies. My dear and Dearest are also possible, but very affectionate.

Most letters start with a reference to the most recent contact you have had with the other person:

Thanks very much for your letter, which came this morning

It was great to see you again last weekend – and looking so fit and slim!

Some people’s letters always begin:

Sorry it’s been so long since I last wrote, but … followed by the excuses for not having written.

Most letters end with a reference to the next contact with the other person:

I’m looking forward to seeing you / hearing from you.

Do write again soon.

I do hope to see you again in June, if not before.

Love is a suitable ending for an intimate friend of either sex.More affectionate: All my love, Love and Kisses, Lots of love

For a friend or colleague (not intimate): All the best, Best wishes

For a personal letter, but not to a personal friend: Yours, Regards

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Writing Techniques

In informal writing, exclamation marks are much more widely used and are characteristic of a very chatty, conversational style.

e.g.: How awful!

No wonder she left him!

Dashes are highly charateristic of informal writing

e.g. Her teeth are like stars – they are white and shiny.

2. How to sound informal

Your writing will sound much more formal if you:

1. Remember you are writing to a friend. Imagine a real person.

Be friendly and jockey.How’s your diet going?

Refer to common friends.Have you heard from Sybilla?

Say hello to Edward for me.

Give my love to the baby.

Refer to things your friend already knows.As you know…

Just like you said…

2. Write in “spoken” English.

Use personal constructions (phrases with / and you).I know this sounds silly, but…

I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but…

You’ll never guess…

… if you know what I mean.

3. Use informal vocabulary, including phrasal verbs and informal linking words such as those below.

Expressing your opinion

To be quite honest

To my mind

Frankly

To tell you the truth

From my point of view

Actually

As I see it

In my experience

I’d say

Expressing surprise

Believe it or not

To my surprise

This may surprise you, but

Funnily enough

You’ll never believe this, but

Guess what!

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Changing the subject

Anyway,…

Incidentally,…

Talking of which,…

By the way,…

That reminds me,…

Before I forget…

Listing reasons

To start with

And another thing

First of all

And besides

What’s more

Plus

TASK POOL1. Write a letter to a friend you haven't seen or spoken to in a long time. Tell

him / her about what you have been doing and ask them how they are and what they have been up to recently (draft).

2. Write a letter to a cousin and invite them to your wedding. Give them some details about your future husband /wife.

3. Write a letter to a friend who has been having some problems. Ask him /her how she /he is doing and if you can help.

Note: Your writing should include:

Time: 20 minutes

Length: 150 words

Grammar: Pay attention to the use of informal language in your writing.

CHECKLISTUse the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. Is the layout of the letter appropriate? ________________________________________________________________2. Is the language used in the letter informal? Can you give specific examples? ________________________________________________________________3. Are there any grammar mistakes in this letter? ________________________________________________________________4. Are there any spelling mistakes in the letter? ________________________________________________________________5. Does the letter convey the writer’s message?________________________________________________________________

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Unit 2: Letters to a Pen

Friend

CAPITALIZATION RULES

Here are some important rules for capitalization:

Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

Hello! My name is Princess Diana.

We live in an apartment.

Capitalize the pronoun I.

Charles and I enjoy skiing.

Capitalize all proper nouns. Proper nouns include:

Names of deities:

God

Allah

Shiva

Names of people and their titles:

John P. Doe

Princess Diana of Wales

Dr. Jonas Salk

Professor Henry Higgins

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GRAMMAR IN

FOCUSCAPITALIZATION

Rules

Mr. and Mrs. John O. Smith

(But: DO NOT capitalize a title without a name: the general, the prime minister, the math professor, the prince, the king.)

Names of specific places (places you could find on a map):Gary, Indiana Lake Victoria

Mediterranean Sea Telegraph Avenue

North Pole Trafalgar Square

Park Avenue

Names of days, months, and special days:Monday Independence Day

January Ramanda

(But: DO NOT capitalize the names of the seasons.)

Names of specific groups of people (nationalities, races, and ethnic groups), languages, and religions:

Asian

Sino- Soviet

Moslem

American

English

Arabic

Names of geographic areas:

the Middle East

the North

the Southwest

(But: DO NOT capitalize the names of compass directions: Drive east for two blocks, and then turn south.)

Names of school subjects with course numbers:Chemistry 10A

Business Administration 17A

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German 01

(But: DO NOT capitalize names of classes without numbers,

except languages: computer science, business administration,

economics, German conversation, English composition.)

Names of specific structures such as building and bridges:

Golden Gate Bridge

Park Plaza Hotel

the White House

Kensington Palace

Names of specific organizations (businesses, clubs, schools):

Young England Kindergarten Sears

Roebuck & Co International Students’ Club

Titles of compositions, stories, books, magazines, newspapers,

plays, poems, and movies:

Introducing Myself

Introduction to Academic Writing

Star Wars

NOTE: Capitalize the first word, the last word, and other

important words in titles. Do not capitalize short words such as

articles (a, an, the), prepositions (of, on , for), and conjunctions

(and, but, or). Of course, you must capitalize a short word if it is

the first word in a title.

A Tale of Two Cities

Also, capitalize the titles of books, magazines, newspapers, and

movies.

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Practice Work with your partner.

1. Write your own examples for capitalization rules.

2. Ask your teacher for help with spelling, or use a dictionary.

a queen ___Queen Elizabeth II____________

a president ______________________________

a language ______________________________

a nationality ______________________________

a street ______________________________

a city or town ______________________________

a country ______________________________

a sea or an ocean ______________________________

a park ______________________________

a building ______________________________

a school or college ______________________________

a special day ______________________________

a geographic area in your country

______________________________

a geographic area in another part of the world

______________________________

a newspaper or magazines

______________________________

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Change the small letters to capital letters wherever it is necessary in the

following sentences:

1. farnaz is a student from iran. she speaks english, french, and farsi. her

major is chemistry.

2. the three most important holidays in the united states are christmas,

thanksgiving, and easter.

3. president john f. kennedy was born on may 29, 1917 and was

assassinated on november 22, 1963.

4. green hills college is located in boston, massachusetts.

5. i am taking four classes this semester: english 40, sociology 32, typing,

and a computer science course.

6. thanksgiving is always on the third thursday in november.

7. excuse me! can you please tell me where the golden gate bridge is?

8. there are three main religions in japan: buddism, shintoism, and

Christianity.

9. in the united states, there is no school during the months of june, july, and

august. this is the summer vacation.

10. i read a good book last weekend called the old man and the sea by

earnest hemingway.

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Further Practice

WRITING

FOLDER

Letters to a pen

friend

Lead-in

1. Do you want to have a pen friend?

2. Have you written a letter to make friends?

Sample:

Now find out what other members of the class feel about these questions.

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

1. Is it a formal or an informal letter?

2. What is each paragraph about? Match these topics with paragraph 1-6.

Topics:

Her family Why she is writing Her school

Where she lives Two questions Free time

ACE

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23 Green StreetNewtonPL29JG

22nd July

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1. If you would like to make lots of new friends, first complete the following coupon:

Name (Full name, nick name…):Age:Likes:Hates:Type of penpal you’d like:Message:Others:

2. Search the information about penfriends via newspapers, magazines, chatrooms on the Internet, and so on. Take your pick of a promising penpal. Or, if no one’s quite right for you, why not fill in the coupon and send it with a small photo to find a penpal.

3. Read Aliki’s letter again. Look at the way the address and date are written and how she begins and ends the letter. Then look at the order of the topics. Note: You can choose some or all the topics, or anything that might attract your reader. However, details of information should not be included right in the first letter of this kind.

TASK POOL

1. Write a letter about yourself to sign up in a Penpal Club.2. Write a letter about yourself to one of the penpals below:

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Writing Techniques

Name: Rachel Stephens

Age: 16

Likes: Clothes and movies

Hates: Bossy people

Type of penpal you’d like: Boys or girls of any age

Message: Please write soon

Name: Dave Fairbrook

Age: 21

Likes: Sporty girls, football, Rock

Hates: Getting up early

Type of penpal you’d like: Girls aged 17 to 20

Message: I can write in English or simple French

Others:

CHECKLISTUse the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. Did you use correct capitalization? ______________________________

2. Is your writing in formal or informal language? _____________________

3. Did you provide enough information about you? ___________________

4. What information did you provide? ______________________________

_________________________________________________________

5. Are you satisfied with your writing? ______________________________

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Unit 3: POSTCARDS

1. Definition

An abbreviation is a short way of writing a word or a phrase that could also

be written out in full.

e.g.: St. = Street, USA = The United States of America

2. Advantages and disadvantages

Abbreviations are used to…

- Save time and space

- Make long names of organizations and long technical terms easier to

remember

- Reduce the tediousness of long words repeated in an extended piece of

writing

But most of them are…

- Uncommon in formal settings and conventional writing

- Likely to cause misunderstanding, irritation, eye-tiredness to readers

- Difficult to pronounce, especially with those newly invented

3. Usage

- Most abbreviations should be written with periods.

e.g.: N.Y.C (New York City), St. (street), Ave. (avenue), Dr. (doctor), etc.

27

GRAMMAR IN

FOCUS ABBREVIATIONS

1. Definition

2. Advantages and

disadvantages

3. Usage

4.Common abbreviation

- When an abbreviation comes at the end of a sentence, only ONE period

should be used.

e.g. He works for the D.S.S. (the Department of Social Security)

- Postal state abbreviations are written without periods.

e.g. NY 1023

- Abbreviations like St., Ave. and the two-letter postal abbreviations of

state names are normally used with numerals to write specific addresses.

e.g. 12 St. Phetchaburi, Bkk 1056

- Some abbreviations are appropriate in college and business writing: a.m,

p.m, Mr., Mrs., Prof., Dr.

e.g. This year, Prof. Jackson is in charge of our Literature class.

4. Common abbreviations

Abbreviations from Latin words

Abbreviation Latin expression Equivalent

c., ca. circa About, around

e.g. exempli gratita For example

etc. et cetera And so on

i.e. id est That is

N.B. Nota Bene Note well (capitalize)

a.m. ante meridiem The time of day between twelve

midnight and twelve noon.

p.m. post meridiem The time of day between twelve

noon and twelve midnight.

A.D. anno domini Year of our Lord

P.S. Postscriptus Postscript

Other abbreviations

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Kinds of abbreviation

Example Equivalent Pronunciation

Set of initials

DIY Do it yourself

Spelled out as a sequence of letters of the

alphabet

BBC British Broadcasting Corporation

DSS Department of social security

USA The United States of America

UK The United Kingdom

UN United Nations

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival

VAT Value added tax

First part of a long word

Ad Advertisement

Pronounced as words

Gym Gymnasium

Limo Limousine

Bra Brassière

Word without its end

Adv Adverb Read out loud as their

unabbreviated full forms

Adj Adjective

Cont Continue

Word without its middle

Bdg Building

Read aloud as their

unabbreviated full forms

Mr. Mister

Mrs. Mistress/ Mesdames

Miss Mistress

Dr Doctor

Acronyms

NATO The North Atlantic TreatyOrganization

Pronounced as words

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Laser Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

Radar Radio Detection and Ranging

AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

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Repair the following sentences by giving the full form of abbreviations in each sentence.

Practice

1. In Dec. 23rd , the stds. Govt. will present a Xmas tree 2 the C of E which was built

in the 17th cent instead of the 2nd vol. of the famous book as they have promised.

2. Between Batterry Pk. & Greenwich Village, most of the sts. in N.Y.C have names

instead of No.

3. Several British universities were founded in the Victorian era e.g. the U of

Manchester was established in 1851.

4. The city of Bilbao was founded in ca. 1210

5. Central Africa was explored by Livingstone, Stanley, Brazza, etc.

6. AFAIK, it’s uncommon to ride a bicycle in Bangkok

7. U’v got BF? B4N!

8. FTBOMH, I want 2 express my thx for yr gift!

9. Not c u 4 ages. TOY all time! I LUV U.

10. IMU. We need 2 talk F2F coz IWALU.

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WRITING

FOLDER

Write postcards

Sample postcard

31

Questions for analysis

1. Why does the sender write this

postcard?

2. To whom does the writer send this

postcard?

3. What are the characteristics of

language used in this postcard?

Writing techniques

Postcard: a card used for sending messages by post without an envelope, especially one that has a picture on one side.

Aims When to send Why to send

To keep in touch Around the year, when the sender…

- is on vacation

- arrives a new place

- receive a new post, etc.

Postcards are convenient, easy to create, easy to use, relatively inexpensive and offer a fast way to deliver your message

To inform

To express feelings

To congratulate On special occasions of the receiver

Another sample of postcards

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today I arrived in Kairouan, Tunisia which is near Souse. On my post card there is a picture of the Great Mosque. I stayed here with some of the scholars and religious leaders. We talked about Muslim law and I learned a lot. Everyone speaks Arabic and at least one other language.

The weather is very hot again, over 100 degrees! I hope it will rain soon, but I doubt it. I look out onto the flat land and can't see any clouds at all.

Now I am about 800 miles from home. I'm really homesick, too. I miss you very much.

I'll write to you at my next stop.

Your loving son, Ibn Battuta

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Language style: Informal, spoken language

Use of abbreviations accepted

Format: Short and condensed

Layout: Neat and tidy

Remember!

Practice Match the postcard a, b, c with the right

message

1, 2, 3

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Dear Daddy,

We arrived at Amsterdam 2 days ago. Holland is

terrific and I think I love it. Although Sarah is a bit air-

sick, she finds your advice of us going honey moon in

Amsterdam more than fantastic!

We went to a bookshop yesterday and found out

this lovely postcard. I remember you are seeking

something like this for your collection. We’ll send you

some more right when we see anything interesting.

Take care. We’ll be back at the end of this

month.

With love,

Geoff and Sarah

Dear Tom,

I am enjoying my time in China. The ancient towns here are marvelous and the food is wonderful.

I have lots to tell you when being back. I can’t speak Chinese so there are many funny things happening. If only u were here! You can help me a lot with your Chinese.

Take care and I’ll write you at the next stop.

Yours,

John

a

b

1

a

2

1

TASK POOL

Choose one of the following topics:

1. Your aunt has just given birth to a cute baby. Write a

postcard to congratulate her on this occasion.

2. Imagine that you are traveling to Thailand and meet

Jennifer Lopez, your idol, there. Write a postcard to your

best friend in Vietnam. Don’t forget to tell her that you

had a chance to talk to your idol!

3. You have just arrived in Hanoi to pursue your study at the college. Write a

postcard to your pen friend in America, telling him/ her how you manage the

new life in Hanoi.

4. Write a postcard to someone who is special to you, telling how you feel

about him/her.

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My love,Thank you for stepping into my

life and sharing with me the sweet as well as bitter moments of the

days.Next Monday, it is five years

since our two hearts found each other and became one. Be sure that

I’ll be by your side, holding your hands in mine till the last breath of

my life.Love you forever.

Yours xxx xxx

c

2

c

c

3

CHECKLIST

1. Are there any grammar mistakes in this postcard?

______________________________________________________________

2. Are there any spelling mistakes in the postcard?

____________________________________________________________

3. Does the writer use a lot of abbreviations in his/her work?

____________________________________________________________

4. Can you understand all abbreviations? Do you think that others also

understand?

____________________________________________________________

5. Is the postcard short enough?

_____________________________________________

6. Is it written in formal or informal language? Can you spot

out some examples?

_____________________________________________

7. Is the postcard emotional? Are you moved by it?

_____________________________________________

8. Do you think that this is a good postcard, regarding to format? Language?

Expression? Do you like it?

____________________________________________________________

35

Unit 4: Letters of Invitation

Definite and Indefinite Articles

Look at the examples below and complete these explanations with ‘a’,

‘an’ or ‘the’.

- I had a sandwich and an apple for

lunch.

- The sandwich wasn’t very good, but

the apple was delicious.

We generally use:

---------------------- the first time we talk

about something.

----------------------- when we talk about

the same thing again.

The indefinite article: A/an

The pronunciation of ‘a’ and ‘an’: ‘a’ (pronounced /ə/) is used before

consonant sounds, not just consonant letters; ‘an’ (pronounced /ən/) is used

before vowel sounds, not just words beginning with the vowel letters.

Therefore we say:

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GRAMMAR IN

FOCUS

Definite & Indefinite

Articles‘A’, ‘An’, and

‘The’

USAGE

an umbrella but a uniform

a European but an ear

a hall but an hour

Classification: We use ‘a’/ ’an’ when we wish to classify people, animals or things.

e.g.: When we say “A rose is a flower.” We mean that a rose is an example of a class of items we call flowers.

Quantity: The most common use of ‘a’/ ’an’ is the sense of ‘only one’ when we are not specifying any particular person or thing.

e.g.: I’d like an apple. (i.e. only one; it doesn’t matter which)

‘A’/’an’ is also used before a countable noun mentioned for the first time; the speaker assumes the listener does not know what is referred to.

e.g.: I looked up and saw a plane. (Mentioned for the first time – you don’t know which plane I mean.)

In short, there is no difference in meaning between ‘a’ and ‘an’. When using ‘a’/ ’an’, we must always remember two basic facts:

1. A/an has an indefinite meaning.2. A/an can combine only with a singular countable noun.

The definite article: The

The pronunciation of ‘the’: ‘The’ is pronounced /ðə/ before consonant sounds. ‘The’ is pronounced /ði׃/ before vowel sounds.

e.g.: the end, the ear, the hour.

The use of ‘the’ for classifying: Some nationality adjectives are used after the when we wish to refer to ‘the group as a whole’.

e.g.: The British = The British people in general.

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The use of ‘the’ for specifying: When we use ‘the’, the listener or reader

can already identify what we are referring to, therefore the shows that the

noun has been specified by the context or grammatically.

e.g.: Singleton is a quiet village near Chichester. The village has a

population of a few hundred people.

Locations which are ‘one of a kind’ always requires the (the earth, the sea,

the sky, etc.)

We can use ‘the’ to name parts of a whole.

e.g.: A human being: the heart, the mind, the brain

The use of ‘the’ in time expression: ‘The’ is used in time sequences (the

beginning, the end), parts of the day (in the morning), with the seasons, in

dates, in fixed time expressions (at the moment)

The use of ‘the’ with unique items: organizations (the United Nations),

historical events (the French Revolution), ships (the Titanic), political parties

(The Labour Party), official titles (the Queen), public bodies (the Army), the

press (the New Yorker), titles (the Odyssey), beliefs (the angels), climate (the

weather), species (the dinosaurs)

Others: superlatives (It’s the worst film I’ve ever seen); musical instruments

(the piano); fixed phrases (the sooner the better); fixed expressions (do the

shopping).

In short, when using ‘the’ we must always remember two basic facts:

1. ‘The’ normally has a definite reference.

2. ‘The’ can combine with singular countable, plural

countable, and uncountable nouns.

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PRACTICE Fill in the blanks with ‘a/an’ or ‘the’.

Sunraycer

I read recently in (1)…………… Times that the big American company,

General Motors, has developed (2)…………… vehicle that uses (3)……………

power of (4)…………… sun instead of petrol. (5)…………… vehicle is called

Sunraycer. Sunraycer has just taken part in (6)…………… race against 25 solar-

powered vehicles. (7)……………route of (8)………….. race was from Darwin to

Adelaide, (9)……………immense distance. Sunraycer covered (10)……………

distance in 45 hours at (11)…………… average speed of 41 miles (12)…….……..

hour in temperatures as high as 48°C. It beat all other cars by two and (13)

………… half days! Sunraycer (‘ray of the sun’+ ‘racer’) is certainly (14)

…………… car of (15)……….. future!

39

WRITING

FOLDER

Writing Letters of

Invitation

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

Jane Calder is seventeen. She has a pen-friend in Greece called Katerina. Jane

has just received a letter from Katerina saying she is taking an English course in

England. Read Jane’s reply below and answer the following questions.

1. Is it formal or informal?

2. Did she include her address? What is it?

3. When did Jane write this letter?

4. What is her main purpose when writing this letter? Which phrase introduces that

purpose?

5. What are the contents of each paragraph?

6. What is the ending of this letter?

40

43 Riverside Avenue

Bedford

CP2 1AP

April17th, 2003

Dear Katerina,

Thanks so much for your letter which arrived yesterday. I’m very happy to hear that you’re coming to England this summer. You said that your English course in Cambridge would last a month, so would you like to come and see us?

We have a spare room, so there’s no problem about putting you up, and you’re welcome to stay for as long as you like. We are not going away this summer, so there’s no problem about arranging dates.

Please write soon and tell me if you can come. My best wishes to your parents. My parents send their kindest regards.

Love,

Jane

1. A letter of invitation may have an informal style. More formal invitations

often follow some forms. (See Appendix 3 for examples)

2. The address of the writer as well as the date of the letter is at the top right

corner. In an informal letter, the address of the receiver is not needed.

3. The salutation often includes the word “dear” plus the first name of the

receiver and followed by a comma.

4. In the first part of a letter of invitation, the purpose of the letter is often

stated. The writer should explain the reason for his/her writing and give

the invitation. There are various ways of inviting, some examples are:

I’d like to invite you to dinner this Saturday.

I was wondering if you’d like to come to our house next

Friday.

We’re going to have a few friends over on Saturday, and

we’d love you to come.

Would you like to see a movie?

5. In the following part(s), the writer may discuss more about the detailed

arrangement for the event, such as time and place, what to prepare and

who to come.

6. The last part is for ending the letter. Here, the writer expresses his/her

hope that the receiver would be able to accept their invitation. They also

often ask for a confirmation from the receiver.

7. There are different ways of closing the letter, some examples are:

Love,

Best wishes,

Cheers,

Fondly,

Later gator, (See you later, alligator – this is an informal,

fun way derived from a children song)

Remember that the closing should also be followed by a comma. Lastly,

put or sign your name below the closing.

41

Writing Techniques

Practice Study Jenny Marshall’s letter to her friend, Anne.

Complete the letter by putting the sentences and phrases in the appropriate places.

………………..1

…………......…2

………………...3

…………………4

…………………5

…………….6 to you for such a long time. I’ve been so busy at the university. But now something has come up that would give us the chance to meet. The university drama department is organizing a trip to Stratford on ………………7 to see Twelfth Night. I know you and Bob ………………8. If I can get two extra tickets.

We’re planning to come up by coach on Friday, but my new boyfriend, Trevor, lives in Warwick, and his parents have invited me for the weekend. It would be lovely to see you on Saturday if you are free. ……….9

…………….10 by next Friday. Could you let me know before then if you would like to come? In any case, I hope we can meet at the weekend.

……………..11 from you. Love to Bob.

………………12

I have to book the tickets

Friday, May 5th

4th April, 2003.

Love

Dear Anne,

46 Cranford Str.,

would like to join us

London

I’m sorry I haven’t written

Looking forward to hearing

NW3 5PQ

I’d like you to meet Trevor

42

TASK POOL

You are having a dinner party. Write a letter of about 150 words to invite your

friend to your party. Your letter should include:

an invitation

the arrangement of the party

your hope that him/her will accept the invitation

about 100 – 120 words

Note: pay attention to articles in your writing.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. How many indefinite articles (a/an) and definite article (the) are there in your

letter?________________________________________________________

2. Did you make any mistake using the indefinite and definite articles in your

letter? If yes, what are they and how can you correct them?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. Does the letter have your address, date of writing and a proper ending?

_____________________________________________________________

4. Does the letter cover the three suggested ideas? If not, which should be

added? _______________________________________________________

43

Unit 5: Letters of Acceptance & Refusal

Definition

We normally use prepositions in front of nouns or noun phrases, pronouns

or gerunds to express a relationship between one person, thing, event,

etc. and another.

.

For example: I gave the book to Charlie

Problems learners may have in the use of prepositions- Many English prepositions have nearly the same meaning: e.g. beside,

by, near, next to.

- Some preposition perform different functions. For example, they

express relationships in time (at six o’clock), space (at the bank) and

other relationships as well.

Types of prepositionsPrepositions have many different uses; among those the most popular

ones are in terms of space and time.

Space: We can consider position in space in relation to:

44

GRAMMAR IN

FOCUS

Space & Time

PrepositionsPrepositions

- a point: at the cinema, at a party, in London

- a line: across/along/on a river.

- a surface: across/off/on a table

- area or volume: in/into/out of/outside/within a room

Time: The prepositions ‘at’, ‘on’, ‘in’ refer not only to space, but also to time.

- Time phrases with ‘at’:

- Time phrases with ‘on’:

- Time phrases with ‘in’:

exact time:

meal times:

other points of time:

festivals:

age:

time:

at 10 o’clock

at lunch time

at dawn, at midnightat Christmas, at Easter

at the age of 40, at 20

at this time

days of the week:

parts of the day:

dates:

day + date:

particular occasions:

anniversaries:

festivals:

on Monday

on Saturday evening

on June 1st

on Monday, June 1st on that day

on your birthday

on New Year’s Day

parts of the day:

months:

years:

seasons:

centuries

festivals:

periods of time:

in the morning

in July

in 2005

in (the) spring

in the 19th century

in Ramadan

in that age

45

Practice

Complete the note with ‘in’, ‘on’ or ‘at’.

Dear Gordon,

Many thanks for agreeing to stay in the flat while I’m in

Wales. I enclose the key and here’s the list of what’s where that

I promised you: If you lose this key, Mrs Johnson (1)….in…… the

flat (2)…………….. the ground floor has a spare. If she’s away,

the landlord lives (3)……………... the building (4)……………. the

end of the street. It’s called Laurel Villa, and he’s Mr Emerson.

They both know you’ll be there while I’m away.

The electricity and gas main switches are (5)…………… the

wall (6)……………. the back of the large cupboard (7)

………………. the study. You can turn the water off by the large

tap (8)……………….. the corner of the bathroom. I hope you

won’t need to. I’ve made a list of all the useful phone numbers I

can think of. It’s stuck (9)………………. the kitchen door. I hope

you have a good time.

Much love,

Shirley

46

WRITING

FOLDER

Writing Letters of

Acceptance and

RefusalQUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

If you can’t, or prefer not to, thank someone in person or over the phone, for an

invitation or offer, then it will be necessary to write a letter, either accepting or

refusing. Such letters are quite simple to write, and can be quite short, but not too

short, or they will seem impolite!

Read the two letters below and answer the following questions.

1. Which reply says ‘Yes’ to the invitation and which one says ‘No’?

2. When will Renata be in Bristol?

3. What does she promise to bring?

4. Would Michael like to attend Margarita’s wedding? Why?

5. What prevents him from coming to the wedding?

47

A. Renata’s former landlady (in Bristol) has asked Renata to come from Warwick for the weekend, for a party on Saturday night. This is Renata’s reply:

10, Castle LaneWarwick CV14 3BZ

June 8th

Dear Sybil,It was very nice to get your invitation to spend the weekend after next with

you. Luckily I’m completely free then, so I’ll say ‘yes’ – and I’ll be arriving in Bristol at around 9 p.m. on Friday evening. The idea of a party on Saturday sounds marvelous and I promise to bring you a cake for it – a German speciality! Well, see you then.

Love,Renata

B. Michael has been invited to the wedding in Holland of a Dutch friend. Unfortunately his work commitments make it impossible for him to go to his friend’s wedding. Here is his polite reply.

Leyden Brigg TerraceCachester,Essex Cos 4NZ25th October

Dear Margarita,Thank you for your invitation to your wedding at the beginning of

December. I was pleased to learn that you and Franz have decided on ‘something’ at last.

Unfortunately, much as I’d like to be at the wedding, especially a Dutch wedding (!), it simply isn’t possible for me to take that weekend off; I have to work fairly late on Friday night, and friends are coming down to stay from Sunday lunchtime so there would be no way in which I could squeeze a wedding in Holland in between.

So all I can do is to wish you the happiest of days and also of futures.Love,Michael

48

1. Accepting invitation:

Accepting an invitation is easy. The person who is invited just show

appreciation to the person who has invited them and ask for the details of place

and time. In many informal cases, the invited person can bring something along

such as a plate of cookies or some fruit even though the host might have said

that it was not necessary.

Useful expressions for acceptances are:

“I’d be very pleased/ delighted/ very happy to come to…/ accept your …”

“Your invitation to … is very welcome/ was a lovely surprise…”

“Thank you/Thanks for your … The answer is ‘yes’…”

2. Refusing invitation

When an invitation is refused, a reason should be given. In general, the

sequence is to begin with an apology, then the reason for refusal, and finally

thanks for the invitation.

Useful expressions for refusals are:

Informal: “I’m (very) sorry but I’ll still have to refuse…/I simply can’t make it…

“I’m terribly sorry to have to …”

more formal: “Thank you for your … but unfortunately …”

“It’s not possible for me to …”

“I’m quite unable to …”

49

Writing Techniques

Practice

Now read this invitation and write Richard’s reply. You will find all the

words in provided below. Did he say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?

and Mr Thank to I Folkes your going be

not Richard afraid come to much Paris

Yours, am as invitation for wishes weekend

Mrs you I very will that able best

Wilton I am Dear

John and Mary Folkes

Are happy to invite

------Richard Wilton--------

to an informal cocktail party

at Hardside Hall

at 8 p.m. on Saturday

22nd November

Please reply

to Hardside Hall

50

TASK POOL

Friends of your hostess whom you’ve got to know in the last few

weeks have invited you to dinner next Friday evening. Accept or

refuse this invitation.

A girl you know has written to offer you a ticket to Shakespeare’s

Hamlet next Friday evening. Write a letter of acceptance or refusal.

A former colleague has written to you from another town in your

country and has asked you to spend the weekend with him/her and

his/her family. Write a letter of acceptance or refusal.

Note: pay attention to prepositions in your writing.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. How many preposition are there in your letter?_________________________

2. Did you make any mistake using prepositions in your letter? If yes, what are

they and how can you correct them?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Does the letter have your address, date of writing and a proper ending?

_____________________________________________________________

4. Does the letter cover the suggested ideas for acceptance and refusal? If not,

which should be added?

_____________________________________________________________

Unit 6: Letters of Complaint

51

I. DefinitionEvery sentence must have a subject and a verb and must express a complete

thought. A word group that lacks a subject or a verb and that does not express a

complete thought is a fragment.

E.g: - I saw Ann last week. While walking to class.

- I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday. Trying to find the

garage to repair my car.

- For example, the increase in the cost of renting an apartment.

- Many people who get married before they are mature enough.

II. Classification1. DEPENDENT-WORD FRAGMENTS

e.g. Because some students have part-time jobs in addition to going to school.

They have very little free time.

These are some examples of dependent words: after, because, when, so that,

until, even though, since, who, while, how, etc.

We can correct a dependent-word fragment by : .

a. (In most cases) attaching it to the sentence that comes after it or the

sentence that comes before it. (Use a comma if a dependent-word

group comes at the beginning of a sentence)

Incorrect: After I learned the price of new cars. I decided to keep my old Ford. (1)

52

GRAMMAR IN

FOCUS Fragments

Definition

&

Classification

à Correct: After I learned the price of new cars, I decided to keep my old Ford.

Incorrect: My daughter refused to stop smoking. Unless I quit also. (2)

à Correct: My daughter refused to stop smoking unless I quit also.

b. eliminating the dependent word by rewriting the sentence.

(1) à Correct: I learned the price of new cars and decided to keep my old Ford.

2. -ING AND TO FRAGMENTS

-Ing and to fragments often lack a subject and part of the verb.

e.g. : - I plan on working overtime. To get this job finished. Otherwise my boss may get angry at me. (1)

- I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday. Trying to find a garage to repair my car. (2)

We can correct - ing fragments by

a. Attaching the -ing to the sentence that comes before it or the sentence that comes after it, whichever makes sense.

(2) à Correct: I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday, trying to find a garage to repair my car.

Incorrect: Having no money and being lonely in the big city. (3)

(3) à Correct: She had no money and was lonely in the big city.

b. Adding the subject and change the -ing verb part into the correct form of the verb.

(1) à Correct: I plan on working overtime. I have to get this job finished. Otherwise, my boss may get angry at me.

We can correct To fragments by adding the fragment to the preceding sentence.

(1) à Correct: I plan on working overtime to get this job finished. Otherwise, my boss may get angry at me.

3. MISSING - SUBJECT FRAGMENTS

53

e.g.: - The truck skidded on the rain-slick highway. But missed a telephone pole on the side of the road. (1)

- Michelle tried each of the appetizers on the table then found that, when the dinner arrived, her appetite was gone. (2)

We can correct missing- subject fragments by

a. Attaching the fragment to the preceding sentence.

(1) à Correct: The truck kidded on the rain-slick highway but missed a telephone pole on the side of the road.

b. Adding a subject (which can often be a pronoun standing for the subject in the preceding sentence)

(2) à Correct: Michelle tried each of the appetizers on the table. She then found that, when the dinner arrived, her appetite was gone.

4. ADDED-DETAIL FRAGMENTS

Added-detail fragments lack a subject and a verb. They often begin with one of the following words: also, especially, except, for example, including , such as …

Examples:

- The class often starts late. For example, yesterday at quarter after nine instead of at nine sharp. (1)- He failed a number of courses before he earned his degree. Among them, English, Economics and General Biology.(2)- I love to cook and eat Italian food. Especially spaghetti and pizza.(3)

We can correct added-detail fragments by:

a. Rewriting or changing words as necessary so that it has a subject and a verb.

(1) à Correct: The class often starts late. For example, yesterday it began at quarter after nine instead of at nine sharp.

(2) à Correct: Among the courses he failed before he earned his degree were English, Economics, and General Biology.

b. Attaching the fragment to the complete thought that precedes it.

(3) à Correct: I love to cook and eat Italian food especially spaghetti and pizza.

54

PRACTICE Some of the following are complete sentences. Some are

fragments - phrases or clauses used instead of sentences.

Correct all the fragments you have found. Then work with your friend(s) to

check the result.

1. Although you have convinced me. .

2. Since you are unwilling to accept the nomination, we shall have to look for

another candidate.

3. Come with us, we’re sure to have fun.

4. To be a good fellow.

5. Because he couldn't say 'Yes'.

6. There never was a time like the present.

7. Try to do it, you will find it very simple, indeed.

8. Hoping to hear from you.

9. To be thrifty is not easy.

10. Whether you like it or not.

11. The men who will tell you that it is easy to resist such temptations. Don't

believe them. Talking sheer nonsense.

12. Because my friend likes base ball, we often go to ball games.

13. 'To be or not to be' isn't an easy question to answer.

14. While you were in the Army having a difficult time of it.

15. Never in my life did I see such a mess.

55

WRITING

FOLDER

Writing Letters of

Complaint

Have you ever written, or wanted to write, a letter to complain

about:

a service (e.g. transport, post, telephone)

something you bought (e.g. furniture, toys, household appliances)

workmanship (e.g. building, painting, machine repairs)

public facilities (e.g. parking, footpaths, roads)

treatment you received (e.g. from shop assistants, government

officials, parking officers)

something else? .

Writing a letter about these things can be a good way to 'let off steam', but the

main aim is to get some action. What action did you want in the above cases?

Writing such a letter can take careful preparation, drafting and revising.

Discuss the differences between these two letters. Which one is better? Why?

LETTER A

7/22 Downer Place Downer. A.C.T. 14/7/88

Dear Sir/Madam,

Look at these photos your people developed! How can you expect people to pay for the service you provide? I know it wasn't my fault - everyone says. I'm an excellent photographer. I refuse to pay for this rubbish. I won't stop at this, either. The assistant I spoke to at the counter was very rude as well. You should train your staff to be more helpful and polite.

K.Bunt

56

K. Bunt

LETTER B

6/2 Hiller St,

Watson. A.C.T.

12/5/88

The Manager,

Kwikfilm Pty Ltd,

Stacey St,

Banks town

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to complain about this set of photographs your company

developed recently.

In my opinion, the photos are an awful colour and are not worth the $12.45

that I paid for them..

The film was new and my camera is a fairly expensive Canon 35mm, SLR

manual. So, I don't think the quality of the prints can be blamed on either the

equipment or the film.

I have enclosed the photos so you can have a look for yourself.

I would like the photos reprinted giving a better quality colour, or

otherwise a refund of the $12.45.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,

J. Sonnenberg

J. Sonnenberg

57

Writing… is an art! Complaining is even

more than an art!

Keep these points in mind when writing a letter of protest or complaint

i) Find out, before you write, who you should address your letter to.

ii) Follow the layout and punctuation of formal

letter. (see ………….. ).

iii) Arrange your points in paragraphs. (This may

not be necessary in a very short letter.)

iv) Say clearly what you are complaining about.

v) Give exact details in a clear and ordered way.

vi) Say clearly what action you expect or want.

vii) Be polite, even if you are angry. Don't use

insulting language or make personal attacks.

viii) Be business-like. Don't be chatty unless it is a

short note to someone you know, for

example, a neighbour.

ix) Keep a copy of your letter. It may be

important later to have a record of your

complaint. You cannot have such a record if

you complain in person or on the telephone.

.

x) Sign off formally. 'Yours faithfully' (Dear

Sir/Madam) or 'Yours sincerely' (Dear Mr./Mrs. + surname) are best.

58

Writing techniques

Useful phrases for writing letters of complaint

Beginning:

- I am writing to complain about ...

- Further to my letter of May 13th in connection with...

- I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with...

Demand:

- I would be grateful to receive a cheque for the outstanding sum without

further delay.

- I must insist that you deliver the piano with no further delay and at no

additional expense to myself.

- ... would be appropriate compensation for the inconvenience caused to my

family.

- In view of the many ways in which it did not match the claims made for it in

your publicity, I expect a substantial refund.

- Under the circumstances, I feel that an apology should be offered.

Threat (optional):

- I shall have no alternative but to put the matter in the hands of my solicitors

should your cheque not be received by May 1st.

- Unless I hear from you within ten days, I shall have to take legal advice on

the matter.

- If I do not hear from you before 3 May, I shall be obliged to take matters a

step further.

59

Practice

A. Fill the gaps in this letter with words from the list:

convenient repair carry out replaced bought faithfully

grateful guarantee found arrange appear assured

60

6/2 Hiller St,

Watson. A.C.T.

12/5/88

Dear Sir/Madam,

Repair to washing machine

On December 2nd your maintenance man called at my home to

(1)______ the washing machine, a Wytaswyt Aquaslosh which I (2)_____

from you on January 7th of this year and which is still under (3)_____.

When your man finished, he (4)_____ me that the machine was now

working.

The following day I tried to use the machine but (5)_____ that it

was still not working properly. Again, it flooded the kitchen. I know

little about these machines, but the problems (6)_____ to be that the

rubber seal around the door needs to be (7)_____.

I should be (8)_____ if you would (9)_____ for a competent

person to call and (10)_____ the necessary repairs. A convenient time

for me would be Thursday or Friday morning, Dec 11 or 12, anytime

between 8 and 12.

Please telephone me immediately if these times are not

(11)_____.

Yours (12)_____,

J. Sonnenberg J. Sonnenberg

B. Expand these notes into full letter of complaint. As you write it out, divide it

into paragraphs.

Dear Sir,

Re: Holiday No.231

I write/ complain/ recent skiing holiday/ I book/ your company.

From the first day/ go wrong. The hotel I stay/ be very disappointing/

there be no room service/ nothing seem/ work properly. What be

worse be/ the resort be not suitable/ beginners/ me. On the third day

I bring my complaints/ the attention/ your representative/ say he/

look into them. Nothing happen/ the day before I leave/ I give a

special room. I not satisfy/ the holiday/ the service I receive/ your

representative. I now write/ ask/ full refund. I look forward/ receive a

cheque for $950/ you.

Yours faithfully,

Norman Bates

Write the complete letter down here:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

61

________________________________________________________________________

TASK POOL

Choose one of the following situations and write up the draft of the letter in

120-150 words.

1. You invited a foreign friend to a restaurant in order to introduce Vietnamese

food to him/her. However, what you and your friend experienced was far from

your expectations and opposed to what had been advertised in publicity: the

meal was awful and the service was poor. Write a letter of complaint to the

manager of the restaurant. (Make notes of the words and phrases you can

use to describe the meal and the service. Did you complain while you were

there? Who did you speak to? What did they do?)

2. The library where you and your friends go to borrow books has a number of

problems. Write and complain to those in charge.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. Does the letter contain any fragments? Could you point out and correct them?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Is the letter persuasive and polite enough?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Did it include a beginning, demand and a threat (optional)?

_____________________________________________________________

62

Unit 7: LETTERS OF REQUEST

AND ENQUIRY

What is a run-on sentence?

A RUN-ON SENTENCE has at least two parts, each of which can stand by

itself; yet have been improperly connected by the inappropriate use of

punctuation and connectors.

The length of a sentence is not related to whether it is a run-on or not.

E.g. The sun is high, put on some sun block. (Wrong)

Put on some sun block because the sun is high. (Right)

When do run-on sentences appear?

Typically, run-on sentences happen…a. When an independent clause gives an order or directive based on what was

said in the prior independent clause:

E.g. This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it, you should

start studying right away.

b. When two independent clauses are connected by a transitional expression

(conjunctive adverb) such as however, moreover, nevertheless.

E.g. Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however,

he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty bakery.

63

GRAMMAR IN

FOCUS

RUN-ON

SENTENCES

1. What?

2. When to

appear?

3. How to avoid?

c. When the second of two independent clauses contains a pronoun that

connects it to the first independent clause.

E.g. This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a

manual.

How can run-on sentences be avoided?

- Carefulness

- Proper use of punctuation

- Appropriate use of sentence connector

Practice

Exercise 1: Repair the following run-on sentences by

replacing the comma with an appropriate punctuation

1. Entrepreneurship is the study of small businesses, college students are

embracing it enthusiastically.

2. My father is chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, he also

heads the Warrant Commission.

3. All over the country, people sell products over the Internet, these people

are making impressive profits.

4. One person had been exporting farm equipment, in fact he exports over

30,000 pieces of machinery a year.

5. After the sixth inning, I went home, my family stayed.

6. Formal courses at the graduate level are now being taken by many elderly

citizens, some schools even offer them special programs.

7. I believe that the teacher has been grading me unfairly, all she does is

look for minor mistakes.

8. Even though the semester is almost over, the teacher does not know my

name, she confuses me with other students.

Exercise 2: Choose the most suitable option to repair the

following sentences

64

1. Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident.

A, this sentence is correct

B, life, she

C, life; she

2. The airport is about to shut down because of the snow and if the plane

doesn't land soon it will have to go on to Boston.

A, this sentence is correct

B, snow, and

C, snow; and

D, snow. And

3. The show begins at 7:30 make sure you're there before

7:15.

A, this sentence is correct

B, 7:30, make

C, 7:30. Make

4. Marcellino always knew his way around the woods this is something he

could always depend on.

A, this sentence is correct

B, wood; this

C, wood, this

5. Having prepared himself well for the realtor exams and having exhausted

everyone in the family with his requests that someone help him with the

true-and-false drills, Jeffrey, who had never been a particularly good

student in high school, knew he was ready to take on the greatest

challenge of his life.

A, this sentence is correct

B, drills; Jeffrey

C, Jeffrey - who had never been a particularly good student in high

school - knew

6. Throughout history money and religion were closely linked there was little

distinction between government and religion.

A, this sentence is correct

B, linked because there was….

65

C, linked, there was…

7. The head of state and the religious leader were often the same person all

power rested in one ruler.

A, this sentence is correct

B, person, all

C, person; all

8. These powerful leaders decided what objects would serve as money their

backing encouraged public faith in the money.

A, this sentence is correct

B, money. Their

C, money, their

9. Coins were minted of precious metals the religious overtones of money

were then strengthened.

A, this sentence is correct

B, metals, the

C, When coins were minted of precious metals, the . . . .

66

WRITING

FOLDER

LETTERS OF

REQUEST

AND ENQUIRYJenny wants to apply for a course from Camford Polytechnic. Work in

group to help her find out what kind of information she needs. What should she do to ask for such information?

Study the two following letters: Calle Mallorra 34,

OS061 Valencia

March 20th 2003

The Director of Courses,

Camford Polytechnic,

Camford CM2 8JT

Dear Sir:

I am writing to you with reference to your

advertisement in the ELT Monthly for one-month

courses in English at the Polytechnic this summer.

I would be grateful if you would send me further

information on these courses, indicating the

timetable and the fees. I am particularly interested

in Business English and would like to know how

much time is spent on this option everyday.

Could you also give me details of

accommodation? Are the students lodged at the

Polytechnic or with families outside? I would also

like to know whether groups of students with the

same first language are lodged together or whether

it is possible to meet others from different language

backgrounds.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Jenny Thompson

Calle Mallorra 34,

OS061 Valencia

March 20th 2003

The Director of Courses,

Camford Polytechnic,

Camford CM2 8JT

Dear the Director,

I want to write to you and ask for some

information.

I think I need to know about the timetable and

the fees, how about Business English, the course

that I love most, how much time is spent on

studying it everyday, do you know?

Details of accommodation are important, too.

Are the students lodged at the Polytechnic or with

families outside? Remember to tell me whether

groups of students with the same first language

are lodged together or whether it is possible to

meet others from different language backgrounds.

Can’t wait for your reply any more!

With love,

Jenny Thompson

Jenny Thompson

67

Jenny Thompson

Questions for analysis:

1. If you are the receiver of the letter, which one do you prefer? Why?

2. If you have to write a similar letter, then…

- What kind of letter should it be? Formal or informal?

- What kind of language should you use?

- Should it be long or short?

- How should the letter be presented?

Definition: the type of letter that is sent to a company/ an organization to

request some information.

Letter layout

Layout 1

Separate the Date from

Country by one line

Your street address

Your City, State Zip code

Your country

Date

Recipient’s name

Street address

City, State Zip code

68

Writing techniques

Country

Use the colon, not comma

Remember to indent the

first line of each paragraph

Dear Sir or Madam:

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

Choose either Yours

faithfully (Dear Sir/ Madam)

or Yours sincerely (Dear

Mr./Mrs. + Surname)

Yours faithfully,

Signature

Name

Layout 2

Separate your information

and recipient’s one by one

line

Left-align details about you

and recipient

Your street addressYour City, State Zip codeYour country

Receiver’s nameStreet address City, State Zip codeCountry

Date

Use the colon, not comma

Don’t indent the first line of

any paragraph

Dear Sir or Madam:

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

69

Choose either Yours faithfully

(Dear Sir/ Madam) or Yours

sincerely (Dear Mr./Mrs. +

Surname)

Yours faithfully,SignatureName

Letter content

Letter language

Letter format

70

- The first paragraph: Clarification of the sources from which you learnt about the information

- The second paragraph: Introduction of yourself/ your organization

- The third paragraph: The action you ask the organization to take

- The forth paragraph: Conventional ending

- Simple and formal- Short, grammatically correct sentences.- Run-on avoidance- Proper use of punctuation

- Necessary details and information

- Concise and hitting the point

Be organized! List down all the information you want to include

before you actually begin to write.

Be clear! Make out the addresses, the subjects and the aims of

writing the letter.

Be careful! Remember to include any particular questions that you

want to ask because you may not have the chance to ask them

again.

Be neat and tidy! Type out the letter and pay attention to the

standard format and style. If it is necessary to hand-write, write it

as clear and smart as possible in the appropriate style and layout.

Things to

remember

18Greville Avenue,Norwich NR4 3CK

Mr. Jim Courtney,193 Winsford Road,London SW19 4WH

April 17th, 2003Dear (1)______,I (2) ______ you (3) ______ your (4) ______ for

adventure holidays for young people in the Observer. I (5) ______ grateful (6) ______ send me (7) ______ information about them.

I am particularly interested (8) ______ your holidays in Asia. (9) ______ you give me details of dates of departure and costs? I (10) ______ some advice about arrangements I (11) ______ to (12) ______ before joining the group, (13) ______ visas required for different countries and certificates of inoculation against diseases.

I look forward to (14) ______ from you.Yours (15) ______ ,Anne Morley

a) Mr. Courtney b) Sira) am writing to b) writea) for b) in connection witha) advertisement b) announcementa) am b) would bea) if you would b) that youa) another b) furthera) in b) ona) Could b) Pleasea) also wish b) would also likea) needed b) would needa) do b) makea) as b) such asa) hear b) hearing15. a) faithfully b) sincerely

Practice: Complete Anne Morley’s letter to Jim Courtney, choosing from the alternatives given in the right-hand column.

TASK POOLChoose one of the following topics

to write a letter of enquiry.

Star Master TourSpecial program for a visit to AustraliaContact: Star Master Tour

490 La Trobe Street

Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia

(Source: Travel Magazine)

Special discount for English course of

Elementary level

At: British Council Hanoi

40 Cat Linh

Dong Da, Ha Noi

Vietnam

(Source: Hoa Hoc Tro magazine)

1. You are going to visit England and would like to go to a Shakespeare play

in Stratford. Write to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. (Dates of visit, plays,

price of tickets- advance booking, payment in advance).

2. You want to take an examination in English. Write to the British Council in

your country, asking for information (dates, costs, papers in examination,

registration in advance, entrance forms, payment by post).

3. You are taking part in a project at school studying different towns in

England. Write to a British Council library for information. (Books in library,

obtainable from other libraries – borrowing conditions, payment, post).

Your letter should…

- follow the suggested layout

- cover necessary information

- hand-write legibly

- avoid the use of run-on sentences

CHECKLIST

1. Is there any spelling mistake in the letter? How many?

____________________________________________________________

2. Are sentences short and grammatically correct? Which one(s) is wrong?

______________________________________________________________

v

3. How many run-on sentences are there in the letter?

______________________________________________________________

4. Has the writer adapted the right format for his/her letter?

______________________________________________________________

5. Does the letter follow the right layout?

______________________________________________________________

6. Is the letter concise? Is there any unnecessary/ irrelevant information

included in the letter?

______________________________________________________________

7. If you are the receiver, do you want to reply to such a letter? Why?

______________________________________________________________

Unit 8: CVs and Letters of Application

ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Punctuation is the system of symbols ( . , ! - : ) that we use to separate

sentences and parts of sentences, and to make their meaning clear. Each

symbol is called a "punctuation mark".

An English teacher wrote these words on the whiteboard: "woman without

her man is nothing". The teacher then asked the students to punctuate the words

correctly.

The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing."

The women wrote: "Woman, without her, man is nothing."

Summary of Punctuation Marks

Mark Name Basic usage Example

. full stop /

period

- ends a sentence

- signals an

abbreviation.

I like English.

Tues., Mr., a.m.,

i.e., etc.

? question - signals a direct What are you writing?

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

Definition

&

Different types

of

punctuation

PUNCTUATION

mark

question.

- expresses

uncertainty in a

sentence that is a

statement.

“She jumped in?” he

wondered.

! exclamation

mark/point

- expresses a

surprising, amazing,

or extraordinary

statement.

- expresses a strong

emotion.

What a nice cake

for my birthday!

"Help!" she cried.

"I'm drowning!"

, comma

- separates 3 or more

items in a list

- separates parts of a

compound

sentence.

- separates a special

word or phrase from

the rest of a

sentence.

I speak English,

French and Thai.

He frowned, but she

did not understand why

he was worried.

In those days, the

journey from the country

to the city was not easy.

:

colon

- introduces a formal

statement (an

explanation, an

announcement) or a

long or formal

quotation.

- introduces a list.

You have two

choices: finish the work

today, or lose the

contract.

I need to buy some

furniture: a table, a bed,

and two chairs.

- used after the

salutation of a

formal letter.

- separates hours

and minutes,

biblical chapter and

verse, the city of

publication and the

publishing company

in bibliographic

citations and

footnotes.

Dear Ms. Newman:

10:45,

John 4:11

Boston: Allyn &

Bacon

; semi-colon

]

- connects clauses (it

is used before a

conjunctive

adverbs).

- replaces a period

when two

sentences are

closely related.

David has had plenty of

experience as a pipe

fitter; however, he

hasn’t

done much welding.

My friend couldn’t

have been involved in

the incident; he was out

of town on that day

- hyphen - used with prefixes,

in compound nouns

and adjectives, in

spelled-out

numbers

pre-war, father-in-

law, out-of-date,

twenty-one, two-

thirds

- dash

- used to set off

appositive phrases

- used in informal

writing instead of

full stops, commas,

brackets

In each town —

London, Paris and

Rome — we stayed in

youth hostels.

This is the place for

a holiday – sun, surf,

good food, etc.

"

quotation

marks

- used in directed

speech

"I love you," she

said.

' apostrophe - used to show

ownership or

possession

This is John's car.

()

Round

Bracket

- used to enclose

extra information:

an example, a

comment or an

explanation.

I went to Bangkok

(my favourite city) and

stayed there for two

weeks.

... ellipsis

- used to show that

you have left

something out of

quotation.

One happy

customer wrote: "This is

the best program...that I

have ever seen."

PRACTICE

1. Add or delete punctuations where necessary in the following sentences. If a

sentence is correct, write “correct” after it.

a. This summer we hiked in the White Mountains and canoed the Sacra River into

Maine

b. The man at the next table complained loudly and the waiter stomped off in disgust.

c. My brother George worked as a congressional aide last summer.

d. Love is blind; envy has its eye wide open.

e. He received two A’s, three B’s, and a C.

f. Fire and Ice is one of Robert Frost’s most famous poems.

g. Bill Cosby said I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to

please everyone

h. Writing consists of three stages pre-writing while-writing and post-writing.

i. Cancer – a disease that strikes without regard to age, race, or religion and

causes dread in the most stalwart person, had struck my family.

j. Three fourths of the House voted for the amendment.

2. Using end punctuation

A. The sentences in the following passage all lack end punctuation. In the

space provided, write the correct mark of end punctuation for each

sentence. Study the example below first.

Example: The telephone company indicated that the phones wouldn’t be

repaired for a month.

When I was eight years old, my family and I moved into an apartment where no

pets were allowed_____ (1) My parents knew that my sister and I were

disappointed, but what choice did they have _____ (2) After a few weeks, my

father discovered that the people next door had a cat and that the people upstairs

WRITING

FOLDER

had a poodle _____(4) Then he found out that the lady who lived on the top floor

had a rabbit, a Gila monster, and a monkey_____(5) What a zoo _____ (6) We

finally ended up getting a parakeet _____(7) After all, we reasoned, if all these

people could conceal pets in their apartments, why couldn’t we _____ (8)

B. Rewrite the following text. First, decide which parts to put in direct speech, then

add all the necessary punctuation, not forgetting speech marks.

An embarrassing incident

One summer job I had as a student was in a rather exclusive restaurant in

Glasgow on this particular day we were expecting forty members of a football

club for lunch I had to peel the potatoes I thought I was managing quite well with

my small knife until the owner appeared are those all the potatoes youve peeled

she complained why didnt you use the potato peeler i had no idea what a potato

peeler was so she led me into a small room behind the main kitchen and showed

me a small machine which looked rather like the rubbish bins some people have

in their bathrooms you put the potatoes in close the lid press the button thats all

she explained as if to a small child ten minutes later she came back I really think

its quicker to do them by hand i said what do you mean she asked well they arent

ready yet you can imagine how i felt when she lifted the lid and took out the

potatoes the size of peas the potato peeler was not automatic.

CVs and letters of

application

A. CV

1. CV - Overview

A CV (curriculum vitae) is a short written description of a person’s education

and past employment, used especially when he/she is looking for a job or a new

job. A CV is like an advertisement for yourself. If it fails to interest the reader, you

will not have further opportunities to convince the company to consider you for

employment.

A CV is also called “resumé” or biodata. It should be included as an

enclosure with your application letter. The CV should present the most important

things in your background and all your qualifications for employment.

The CV should be written before your application letter because it will be a

good outline for deciding which information should be included in the application

letter.

For most students just graduating from university, a one-page resumé is

usually long enough. It is important that you include only necessary information.

Your CV will not be effective if it includes too much information or unnecessary

facts.

2. Main sections of a CV

Note: You can add other sections as required or change the ordering of later

sections to suit your skills and abilities.

Profile/Summary

This should be a short summary of your experience, skills and abilities, and

be contained in four to six lines of text.

Only list the attributes that will be of interest to an employer.

Achievements

List 3 to 6 achievements which you feel will be in line with your next

position.

Do not list achievements which are not in line with what you want to do

next.

Start with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards from

there.

Education/Qualifications

List the most recent education first.

Give the years you attended and the degree you received and your major field of

study.

Show the specific courses you took which you think will be helpful in the

work you are applying for beneath your university listing.

Special qualifications (This section is optional)

Mention special skills such as: language ability, writing ability, artistic

ability, or research in a specific field.

Experience

Show any of experience you have had: This should be in reverse

chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working

backwards.

Start with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards when

you are describing your experience for each position.

Include: - Dates of emloyment

- Firm’s name and address

- Type of work performed

Personal Details

Include date of birth, marital status (you may leave this out if you want to), and driving

licence.

Interests

Keep this part fairly short.

Referees

You should include two referees, one of which should be an academic

reference, e.g. your personal tutor, while the second reference could be from

an employer you have worked for.

3. Useful language for CV writing

Work history

... to boost productivity

... to increase efficiency

Carried out extensive research in ...

Chosen to ...

Co-ordinated ...

Dealt with ... customers on a daily/weekly basis

Delivered high standards of ...

Developed and implemented ...

Improved ...

Managed and motivated ...

Prepared ... presentations and reports for ...

Reduced ...

Reported to ...

Responsible for ...

Successfully achieved ...

Successfully implemented ...

processes and procedures to ...

Developed relationships with ...

Established ...

Gained in-depth knowledge and experience of ...

Successfully increased ...

Successfully introduced ...

Successfully led ...

Successfully negotiated with ...

Education

Academic qualifications obtained

Scholarships or sponsorships awarded

Professional qualifications attained

Publications

Dissertation: ...

Anticipated date of graduation is ...

Continuing education classes in ...

Skills

Speak fluent ...

Highly PC literate

Expert level ...

Chartered ...

Full clean UK driving licence

 

Awards

Publications

Membership of relevant bodies

Computing skills/knowledge

Typing skills

4. SAMPLE CV

Sample 1

Sample 2

B. Application letter (Cover letter)

Questions for analysis: Read the sample of application letter below and

answer the following questions:

1. What are the main parts of an application letter and what are the purpose

of them?

2. How should you begin and end the letter?

This is an advertisement for the position of secretary, found in the Bankok

Post of November 11, 1997. The letter of application follow the next page.

1. Organization

Generally, the letter is organized and presented in three parts:

The opening paragraph: Tells specifically which job interests you (get the

job title exactly). If the job opening was advertised, mention where you saw

it.

The body paragraphs (2 – 3 paragraphs): Describes your relevant

qualifications for the the job. State your present position if your are

currently employed. In addition, mention previous experience and

educational background (if you are a recent graduate) and why you are

interested in the job. Be positive, confident and enthusiastic.

The closing paragraph: Is closed with a paragraph requesting an application

form and/or an interview. Thank the reader and tell him how you may be

contacted.

2. Useful phrases

Salutation

Dear + Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss + Surname,

if you know the name of the person

Dear + Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam/Sirs, or Gentlemen, or Sir/s,

if you do not know the name of the person

The opening paragraph

Writing techniques

I wish to apply for the post of… which was advertised in today’s Daily

Telegraph.

With reference to your advertisement in the “Guardian” of January 5th, I should

like to apply for the position of…

The body paragraphs

As you will see from my enclosed CV, I have four years’ experience in hotels and catering

At present, I am employed as a… by the local Tourist Office, a position I have held for three

years.

In the course of my present job, I have been responsible for the planning and

organization of…

My duties have included secretarial work as well as…

I graduated in Business Administration from Dundee University in 1990.

I was employed as a cashier with Barclays Bank from 1988 to 1992.

I attended the Lycée Paul Bert, where I obtained practical training in all aspects of the catering

trade.

I am used to working under pressure / working to a deadline / working as part of a

team.

I am familiar with Word for Windows / recent developments in the industry…

I also have some knowledge of accountancy, having kept the books for my father’s

business…

The closing paragraph

I believe the post you offer will give me the opportunity to …

I am especially keen to work in an organization such as yours which has a

reputation for…

I feel that my present position offers little prospect of promotion

I will be glad to supply you with any further information you may need.

… have agreed to act as my referees.

Complementary close

Sincerely yours,

Yours sincerely,

Task pool

Look at the following job advertisements. Choose one that interests you most and

write a CV and a letter of application (cover letter) applying for the position.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

For CV:

1. Is the layout of the CV appropriate?

________________________________________________________________

2. Is the language used in the CV appropriate? Can you give specific examples? ________________________________________________________________

3. Are there any grammar mistakes in this CV?

________________________________________________________________

4. Are there any spelling mistakes in the CV?

________________________________________________________________

5. Is the CV persuasive enough for the position?

________________________________________________________________

For letters of application:

1. Is the layout of the letter appropriate?

________________________________________________________________

2. Is the language used in the letter formal? Can you give specific examples? ________________________________________________________________

3. Have you used useful language for cover letter in your letter?

________________________________________________________________

4. Are there any grammar mistakes in this CV?

________________________________________________________________

5. Are there any spelling mistakes in the CV?

________________________________________________________________

6. Is the CV persuasive enough for the position?

________________________________________________________________

7. Do you find your letter persuasive enough?

________________________________________________________________

Unit 9: DESCRIBING A PLACE

What are synonyms?

Synonyms are words that have different pronunciations and spelling but similar

meanings. They belong to the same part of speech.

Example: to die (v) – to pass away (v) – to kick the bucket (v)

Synonyms are often used in writing to reduce repetition. However, when using

synonyms, the formality of the words needs to be considered. In the above

example:

To die – neutral

To pass away – formal

To kick the bucket – highly informal

Misuse of informal synonyms in formal contexts may cause serious offence to the

readers.

What are antonyms?

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. They belong to the same part

of speech.

Example: long – short / old – young / selfish – unselfish

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

SYNONYMS &

ANTONYMS

Definitions

Many words do not have antonyms, such as: house, to see, book, to feel, etc.

Some antonyms are completely different words.

old – young

to give – to take

war – peace

Some antonyms are formed by derivation, i.e. they come from the same roots but

their affixes change their meanings.

like – dislike

useful – useless

Practice Exercise 1: Supply the right opposites

1. dry paint

2. weak tea

3. tough meat

4. salt water

5. a dead person

6. a single person

7. an open door

8. a loud voice

9. a sick person

10. fresh food

..................... paint

..................... tea

..................... meat

..................... water

a ..................... person

a ..................... person

a ..................... door

a ..................... voice

a ..................... person

..................... food.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct words in the brackets to complete the

following text.

NEPAL

We spent our first day in Kathmandu and took a sightseeing tour around

this (dull / fascinating) city. The Nepalese people are very (friendly / cold) and

there is almost no crime here. But don’t expect a(n) (exciting / quiet) night life,

because 99 per cent of the population are in bed by 10 pm, and there are no

nightclubs.

We needed our sleep, however, because by seven o’clock the next

morning we were already travelling to the River Trisuli. Here we began a

(normal / dramatic) journey by boat through the Trisuli rapids. It was heart-

stopping – the most (exciting / boring) experience of my whole life. For mile after

mile the white water threw our (big / small) boat from side to side. Then suddenly

we arrived in the (rough / calm) water of a beautiful lake.

WRITING

FOLDERDescribing a place

WARM-UP

Look at this list of places. How many can you find in your hometown? Compare

with a partner.

…. church …. temple

…. cinema …. museum

…. market …. supermarket

…. library …. night club

…. school …. cathedral

…. bank …. park

…. café …. hospital

…. hotel …. theatre

BRAINSTORMING

Interview your friend about his or her hometown. Ask the underlined questions

below. Listen carefully to the answers.

Some questions about your hometown

1. What is the name of your hometown?

2. In what part of your country is it?

3. Describe the geography of your hometown . Is it flat / hilly / in the mountain

/ in a valley / in a desert / on the coast? Is the land rocky / sandy / good

for farming / good for ranching? Are there trees? Is there a river or a lake

nearby? Is there a good harbor for ships?

4. Describe the weather and climate . How many seasons are there? What is

the weather and temperature in each season? Does it rain or snow? How

much? What is the best time of year?

5. How many people live in your hometown?

6. What are the common occupations? What do most people do for a living?

What are the principal industries and products?

7. What do people do for entertainment?

8. Is your hometown a good place to visit? Why or why not? What should a

tourist see there? What is your hometown famous for?

9. What do you like about your hometown? What do you dislike about it?

Does it have any problems? If so, what are they?

10. On the whole, is it a good place to live?

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

Read this description of a small town in Brittany, and answer the following

questions.

a. What do the inhabitants in Chateauneuf do?

b. How far is Quimper?

c. How many hotels are there?

My favorite place

Chateauneuf is in the centre of Brittany in north-

west France and is on a hill overlooking a river. Most of

the inhabitants are farmers or shopkeepers but there

are a few businessmen who work in Quimper which is 22

kilometers away. Everybody lives in stone houses or

cottages with whitewashed walls. I’ve visited

Chateauneuf every Easter for six years now because I

love the atmosphere and the friendly people.

Chateauneuf is not on the coast so it hasn’t been spoilt

by tourists. There are two small hotels where you can

eat traditional French food quite cheaply. At Easter,

Chateauneuf has a festival of traditional Breton music. If

you are in Brittany, book into the Gai Logis Hotel. Try

the local food and then go for a walk along the river

bank. You won’t regret it!

When describing the location of places, use:

There is + noun (singular)

or

There are + noun (plural)

To provide more information, use relative pronouns:

which …

who ….

where…

when….

Writing techniques

why….

e.g.: There are two small hotels where you can eat traditional French food quite

cheaply.

Practice Now use the information in warm-up to write 5 sentences about

places in your hometown, using relative pronouns and there are

…; there is …

1………………………………………………………………….....................................

.........…………………………………………………………………………………….....

2………………………………………………………………….....................................

.........…………………………………………………………………………………….....

3………………………………………………………………….....................................

.........…………………………………………………………………………………….....

4………………………………………………………………….....................................

.........…………………………………………………………………………………….....

5………………………………………………………………….....................................

.........…………………………………………………………………………………….....

Exchange your work and check with a partner for any grammar or spelling error.

Revising: My City

Stanley wrote the first draft of a composition called “My City”. He read it several

times. He wasn’t sure about it, so he wrote another draft. Read his drafts, and

answer the questions.

1. How are the drafts alike?

……………………………………………………………………..

2. How are the drafts

different?...........................................................................................

3. Which draft is better?

Why?............................................................................................

Draft A

My City

My city’s name is Athens. It has good

geography and good weather. For example,

the climate is nice. It is a big city. Many

people live in Athens. They work there in

many things, such as different occupations

and different industries. The people enjoy

different entertainment. They like to do

different things for fun and relaxation. I like

my city because it has many famous things to

see. It also has many museums and good

places to visit. In general, all tourists like my

city very much. For instance, they like the

well-known places to visit. I love my city

because it is a good place to live, work, and

play.

Draft B

My City

My city’s name is Athens. In my city there

are four seasons. The best time of year is

spring. In Athens live three million people.

Most of them work in offices, factories and

stores. My city is a good place to visit

because the weather is very good, the people

are very friendly, and there are many exciting

places for tourists. Athens has many

museums. It also has famous things to see.

Two examples are the Acropolis and the

Parthenon. My city is also well known

because many famous people, such as

Socrates, Aristotle, and Pericles, lived there.

task pool

Describe your hometown.

Note:

Length: 120 -150 words.

Select outstanding features of your hometown

Use the structures in writing techniques.

Pay particular attention to their synonyms and antonyms

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to check your writing.

1. What is the name of your hometown?

_____________________________________________________________

2. What features of the town did you describe?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Do you think it is a good place to live? Do you want to visit it?

_____________________________________________________________

4. What points do you like the least in your description? Why?

_____________________________________________________________

5. Did you use interesting adjectives with their synonyms and/or antonyms?

_____________________________________________________________

Unit 10: DESCRIBING A

PERSON

I. RELATIVE CLAUSES

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

RELATIVE CLAUSES

Rules

There are various ways of supplying more information about a noun in English.

Frequently we use adjectives (e.g.: a helpful teacher) and often other nouns (e.g.:

a university teacher). Relative clauses are another very common way of

supplying more specific information about a noun referring to a person, thing or

group. Relative clauses are most commonly positioned immediately after the

noun that they refer to, and often begin with who, that, which, where, when, or

why.

Who / Which / That

Who is used to refer to people, which is used to refer to things, and that is used

to refer to people or things.

Do you know the young boy/girl that offered you a seat?

They were the builders who fitted our kitchen.

Note: Relative clauses can also be used after some pronouns. They are quite

common after indefinite pronouns such as something, someone, anything,

anyone, everything and everyone.

Anna is someone that I really admire.

Is there anyone who knows how this machine works?

Everyone who has worked with her will miss her very much.

Relative clauses are also sometimes used after words like some, many, much,

all, or those which can function as pronouns.

Like many who were taking the exam, I felt very nervous.

A small bar of chocolate was all that we had to eat.

When / Where / Why / Whose

When can be used as a relative adverb in a relative clause after the word ‘time’

or other nouns which denote periods of time such as year, day, summer, etc.

I remember the day when I first met her.

Where can be used as a relative adverb in a relative clause after the word ‘place’

or other nouns which denote places such as house, street, room, etc.

This is the room where my grandfather was born.

Note: Place names (e.g.: proper nouns such as Manchester) are never followed

by the relative adverb where.

Where can also be used after some specific nouns such as situation, point

and stage.

Eventually I reached a stage where I began to enjoy my work.

Why can be used as a relative adverb after the noun reason.

That’s the reason why I left my job.

Whose can be used to talk about something which belongs to a person or an

animal, or something or someone that is associated with a person.

Help is needed for families whose homes were flooded.

Note: The relative pronoun whose can sometimes be used to refer to countries,

organizations or other nouns which imply a group of people.

I’d prefer to use a bank whose services are reliable.

Register note

In formal English in particular, relative adverbs when and where are sometimes

replaced by a preposition + which.

I remember the day on which I first met her.

The relative pronoun that or the zero relative pronoun can also be used after

reason instead of why.

That’s the reason that I left my job.

II. DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Defining relative clause supplies information which is needed in order to identify

a particular person or thing - they define exactly who or what we are referring to.

Non-defining relative clause gives additional information about a person or

thing. This clause is separated from the noun by a comma. Unlike in a defining

relative clause, this information is not absolutely necessary in order to identify

who or what we are talking about, it does not define, but adds information.

I could see two girls standing on the platform. The girl who was

carrying a small child got onto the train. (defining relative clause)

I could see two girls standing on the platform. One of the girls, who

was carrying a small child, got onto the train. (non-defining relative

clause)

Non-defining relative clauses have a variety of uses in written English. As well as

adding descriptive information, they are often used to indicate that one event

happened after another.

She called out to the man, who ran off.

I picked up the model, which fell apart in my hands.

Sometimes non-defining relative clauses are used to make a comment about the

whole situation described in a main clause, rather than someone or something

mentioned within it.

She felt really nervous about the interview, which was

understandable.

III. PARTICIPLE RELATIVE CLAUSES

-ing participle clauses

Present and past participle forms, (e.g.: talking, made) can be used without a

pronoun or auxiliary to form a participle relative clause.

Do you know the boy talking to Thomas?

The participle relative clause underlined in the example has the same meaning

as a defining relative clause with the relative pronoun who.

Do you know the boy who is talking to Thomas?

-ing participle clauses also often show what someone or something is, or was,

doing at a particular time.

Who were those children waiting outside? (= … who were waiting

outside...)

–ed participle clauses

Participle relative clauses with an –ed (past participle) form are also used like

defining relative clauses to identify a particular person or thing. They have a

passive meaning.

All cakes sold in the café are made on the premises.

(= which are sold in the café …)

It is also possible to use participle relative clauses as non-defining relative

clauses which add information. Like other non-defining relative clauses, these

participle clauses are surrounded by commas.

His first novel, published in 1965, was an immediate success.

(= which was published in 1965…)

Practice

1. Who’s (is)…Who’s (has)….or Whose?

1. The receptionist is the person /hu:z/ responsible for reservations.

2. Do you know anybody /hu:z/ worked in a hotel?

3. There is a 10% discount for guests /hu:z/ reservations are made on the

Internet.

4. Is there anybody in the class /hu:z/ stayed in a luxury hotel?

5. /hu:z/ luggage is this?

6. That’s the guest /hu:z/ plane arrived late.

7. The hotel manager, /hu:z/ not here today, is the person you need to talk to.

2. Read the sentences. Then decide which option, a or b, is correct.

1. My sister, who lives in Los Angeles, is a designer.

a) I have one sister.

b) I have more than one sister.

2. The athletes who tested positive for doping were suspended.

a) All the athletes tested positive for doping.

b) Some athletes didn’t test positive for doping.

3. Flat screen televisions, which are very expensive, have a better image quality.

a) All flat screen televisions are very expensive.

b) Some flat screen televisions are cheap.

4. The teachers at this school who arrive late for class will be suspended.

a) Only some teachers arrive late for class.

b) All the teachers in the school arrive late for class.

5. The company president who works in Berlin is moving to London.

a) There is only one company president.

b) There is more than one company president.

3. Life changing moments

Can you remember...

A day when you made a big decision?

A person who had a big influence on you as a child?

A place where you learnt something very important?

A reason why you have your current job?

A reason why you didn’t choose a different career?

A time when you had to choose between two important things?

A moment when you felt that history had been made?

A time when you didn’t worry about the future?

A place where you met someone very important to you?

Choose three of these memories and tell a partner about them. Example: I

remember the place where I first met my wife very well. It was a...

4. Complete the blanks with information that is true for you.

___ is the day in my country when _______________________________.

___ is a person I know who _____________________________________.

___ is the room in my house where _______________________________.

___ is a time of year when ______________________________________.

___ is the part of my town where _________________________________.

___ is the reason why __________________________________________.

WRITING

FOLDER

Now rewrite the words from the first column on a blank piece of paper. Work

with a partner.

Show the words to your partner, but not the sentences. Can he/she guess

why these things are important?

Describing a person

Think of someone in your family. Write three sentences

about him/her. Read your sentences aloud to the rest of

the class. Which relative did you choose? Why did you

choose that person? Did you write about their character, appearance or

both?

Sample: Read the description of Aunt Emily and answer the questions followed:

My Aunt Emily

Of all my relatives, I like my aunt Emily the

best. She’s my mother’s youngest sister. She

has never married, and she lives alone in a

small village near Bath. She is in her late

fifties, but she’s still quite young in spirit. She

has a fair complexion, thick brown hair which

she wears in a bun, and dark brown eyes, She

has a kind face, and when you meet her, the

first thing you notice is her lovely warm smile.

Her face is a little wrinkled now, but I think she

is still rather attractive. She is the sort of

person you can always go to if you have a

problem.

She likes reading and gardening, and she goes for long walks over the hills

with her dog, Buster. She’s a very active person. Either she’s making something,

or mending something, or doing something to help others. She does the

shopping for some of the old people in the village. She is extremely generous,

but not very tolerant with people who don’t agree with her. I hope that I am as

happy and contented as she is when I’m her age.

Questions for analysis:

1. What about Aunt Emily does the author describe?

2. Does the author describe Aunt Emily in details?

3. Should we describe the person’s weakpoints or we just mention his/her

strong points?

A. Describing appearance

1. Using adverbs in person description

1.1. Find the following words in the text: quite, a little, rather, very, extremely.

How do they change the meaning of the adjectives which follow them?

1.2. Put the adverbs in order from the weakest to the strongest:

weakest---------------------------------------------------------------------à strongest

really fairly not very very

absolutely quite extremely

Match an adverb from the list above to one of the adjectives in

exercises 1 and 2, then write a sentence to rephrase the sentences below.

Writing techniques

Example: She is 97 years old: She’s extremely old OR she is very elderly.

1. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world.

2. He is an Olympic weightlifter.

3. She will only eat one piece of fruit a day, and nothing else.

4. Since I stopped cycling to work, I’ve put on a bit of weight.

5. Frank is the best-looking man in the world.

Absolutely only goes with one adjective from exercises 1 and 2. Which adjective? Why?

2. Using polite structure in person description

The sentence “She is not tolerant” is a nice way of saying she is “intolerant”.

Sometimes, we try to be polite by not using a negative adjective. We can say not

very + the opposite adjective.

Use a tactful way to describe a person who is:

a. rude c. mean e. cruelb. boring d. ugly f. stupid

3. Using adjectives in person description

3.1. Match the adjectives below to the word which means the opposite:

tall ugly

weak mean

young small

fat short

beautiful thin

generous old

big strong

3.2. Match the adjectives in A below to the adjectives in B.

Example: middle-aged is closest in meaning to old/ young

A

overweight middle-aged muscular well-built

elderly chubby handsome petite

good-looking of medium height

attractive plain

slim skinny gorgeous

B

short tall strong thin

fat young generous

ugly old small

beautiful big mean

Which of the words above have a negative, critical meaning?

3.3. Which of the words in list A can be used to describe the people below?

a. a man:

______________________________________________________

b. a woman:

______________________________________________________

c. a person over 50:

______________________________________________________

d. a person over 70:

______________________________________________________

e. a bodybuilder:

______________________________________________________

f. a supermodel:

______________________________________________________

g. you:

______________________________________________________

3.4. Match the parts of the face with the list of adjectives that can be used to

describe them:

Ears Nose Eyes Lips

big snub Pointed thin

full sexy big bright

blue big cauliflower sticky-out

shy

bad-tempered

friendly

out-going

fun

selfish

childish

thoughtless

mean

affectionate

good-tempered

thoughtful

easygoing

mature

honest

sociable

patient

generous

nice

caring

kind

Similar Meanings

kind + caring

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

Opposite Meanings

selfish / thoughtful + thoughtless

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

2. Which of the words above would you use to describe the people below?

Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.

1. She gives a lot of money to charity, and she likes to share everything she has

with other people.

2. He’s great to go out with to parties and discos. He makes me laugh.

3. He never gets angry. He’s always calm and relaxed.

4. She never thinks about how other people may feel.

5. He’s very loving. He likes to show that he cares about me.

6. Sometimes he does stupid things. He should grow up!

7. He doesn’t like spending his money.

8. She is only interested in herself.

3. Make these words negative.

Example: kind - unkind

caring

patient

honest

friendly

mature

selfish sociable

4. Match the expressions to the adjectives they describe.

She’s full of energy.

He likes to be the centre of

attention.

She thinks of others.

He’s tight-fisted.

She would never tell a lie.

thoughtful

honest

mean

lively

out-going

5. Match the jobs to the descriptions.

sales rep policeman nurse computer programmer

1. You have to be patient and caring, good-tempered most of the time, and

kind and friendly. It’s hard work. Sometimes ill people are very impatient.

2. You need to be patient and honest with people, and you shouldn’t be

unfriendly. But you also have to be very hard on people who are breaking the

law.

3. You have to be very out-going and friendly. You have to be good at talking,

too. You should also be honest, especially when describing your product.

4. You have to be patient and good at your job. But, it doesn’t really matter if

you are shy, selfish or thoughtless – just don’t break the machine!

task pool

1. Write a description of a member of your family.

2. Describe your idol.

3. Write a description of your future partner.

Note:

Word length: 200 words

Your writing should include: your opinion of the person, physical

description, their character, habits, likes and dislikes

Use relative clauses in your writing.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any grammar mistakes in your writing?

________________________________________________________________

2. Are there any spelling mistakes in your writing?

________________________________________________________________

3. Did you use relatives clauses in your desciption?

________________________________________________________________

4. Did you describe the person’s weak points?

________________________________________________________________

5. Did you describe the person in details?

________________________________________________________________

6. Do you think the person in your description mkes a good impression on the

readers?

________________________________________________________________

UNIT 11: DESCRIBING A BOOK, PLAY OR FILM

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

When several adjectives come before a noun, they usually have to be put in a

particular order. For instance, we say a fat old lady, not an old fat lady; a small

shiny black leather handbag, not a leather black shiny small handbag.

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

ADJECTIVES

Definitions&

Usage

Unfortunately, the rules for adjective order are very complicated, and different

grammars disagree about the details. Here are some of the most important rules

suggested by Michael Swan (Practical English Usage):

1. Colour, origin, material and purpose

Adjectives of colour, origin, material and purpose usually go in that order

Colour Origin Material Purpose Noun

red Spanish leather riding boots

a brown German beer mug

an Italian glass flower vase

2. Other adjectives

Other adjectives usually go before words of colour, origin, material and

purpose. It is impossible to give exact rules, but adjectives of size, length and

height often come first.

The round glass table (Not: the glass round table)

a big, modern brick house (Not: a modern, big brick house)

a tall, ancient oak-tree

a long, fat snake

3. Opinions, judgements and attitudes

Adjectives which express personal opinions, judgements or attitudes usually

come before all others. Examples are lovely, definite, absolute, perfect,

wonderful, silly, etc.

a lovely, long, cool drink

a wonderful sunny day

4. Numbers

Numbers usually go before adjectives.

six large eggs

the second big shock

First, next and last most often go before one, two, three, etc.

the first three days (more common than the three first days)

my last two jobs

5. Commas

Before nouns, we generally use commas between adjectives (especially in

longer sequences) which give similar kinds of information, for example in physical

descriptions.

a lovely, long, cool, refreshing drink

an expensive, ill-planned, wasteful projects

But commas can be dropped before short common adjectives.

a tall(,) dark(,) handsome cowboy

A tip to remember all the above rules: OpSACOMP

Opinion: wonderful, nice, terrible

Size: long, short, tall,

Age: new, old

Colour: red, blue, dark green, light brown

Origin: American, Japanese, British, Vietnamese

Material: stone, plastic, leather, steel, silk

Purpose (what for?): a bath tower

Practice

Exercise 1: Write these words in the correct order

1. grey/long/beard/a: a long, grey beard

2. flowers/red/small:

3. car/black/big/a:

4. a/thin/line/long:

5. blonde/hair/long:

6. man/a/handsome/tall:

7. short/hair/wavy:

8. fat/short/a/woman:

Exercise 2: Look at each advertisement and write the information in a

single sentence.

e.g.:

This game is new. It's for family. And it's exciting.

This is an exciting new family game.

1) This computer is for business. It's Japanese. And it's powerful.

......................................................................................................................

2) This is a chocolate bar. It's new. And it's a big bar.

......................................................................................................................

3) This comedy is American. It's for television. And it's terrific.

......................................................................................................................

4) These doors are aluminum. They're for your garage. And they're stylish.

......................................................................................................................

5) These shoes are modern. They're for sports. And they're wonderful.

......................................................................................................................

WRITING

FOLDER

6) This phone is a mobile. It's German. And it's very good.

......................................................................................................................

Describing a book,

play or film

Lead-in

1. What is your favourite book, play or film?

2. What kind is the book, play or film?

3. What is it about?

Model: This week, Susan is previewing forthcoming radio/TV programmes for the

entertainments section of her paper.

Tonight, the BBC continues its season of "All time

greats" - a series which includes some of the most popular

films of the past thirty years. Tonight's film is Psycho, a classic

horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and a masterpiece of

its kind.

The film is set in America; and it tells the story of a

young man who runs a lonely, isolated motel with his elderly

mother. They live in a large, old house next to the motel, but

although we often hear their conversations, we never see the

mother in person. A young woman stops at the motel one

night, and in one of the most terrifying scenes of the film, is

horribly and violently murdered. Her disappearance is soon

noticed by friends, and they decide to find out what has

happened to her. What follows is a spine-chilling tale of

mystery and horror. Perhaps the most frightening part of the

whole film comes in the last few minutes, when the identity of

the murderer is revealed.

In spite of the fact that the film is now more than twenty

years old, it is just as powerful as ever. Not only is it

marvelously well acted, but it is superbly directed too, keeping

the audience in suspense up to the very last moment. If you

missed the film before, I strongly recommend that you see it

tonight. A warning though - those of nervous disposition might

do well to have an early night instead!

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

1. What information is given in each of the paragraphs?

2. What is the function of the first and the final paragraph?

3. Which tenses are used in the second paragraph to explain the plot of the film?

Give examples.

4. What are the author's feelings of the film?

A. Ask your partner about a book, play or film he/she has enjoyed recently.

Find out:

1. Who is the author/writer/director of the works?

2. What type of film/play/book is it?

3. Where is the story set?

4. What is the film/play/book about?

5. Who are the main characters in the film/play/book?

6. What is the most important part (climax) of the film/play/book?

7. What did he/she feel about the works/the acting/the performance?

8. Is it worth seeing/reading? Would he/she really recommend it to others?

B. Some examples of useful language are shown in the following box:

Writing techniques

The film/story is set in...

It is a love story/a thriller/science-fiction...

It tells the story of...

It is about...

What follows is a... tale of...

I greatly enjoyed...

I was rather disappointed with...

It was well acted/directed/written.

It was rather long/confusing/unbelievable.

It is a classic/masterpiece of its kind.

I can/can't really recommend it.

It is well worth seeing/reading it.

C. Contrasting facts should be used to attract readers:

e.g.:

I was terrified but I enjoyed the film.

Although I was terrified, I enjoyed the film.

In spite of the fact that I was terrified, I enjoyed the film.

Join the following sentences in each of the way shown above:

a. He loved her. He couldn't tell her.

b. He was badly injured. He managed to reach the frontier.

c. They were suspicious. They couldn't solve the mystery.

d. They were very poor. They were extremely happy.

e. I enjoyed the book very much. I didn't really like the film.

D. Inversions should also be used:

e.g.:

He wins the race. He wins a fortune, too.

Not only does he win the race, but he wins a fortune, too.

Join the following sentences in each of the way shown above:

a. I have read the book. I have also seen the film.

b. The gangster shot a policeman. He also shot a passer-by.

c. She was late. She also forgot her notes.

d. She was still in danger. She was also getting very weak.

E. Vocabulary Practice: Complete the sentences with an appropriate word

from the list:

acting

acts

audience

filmed

chapters

plot

ending

readers

extremely

scene

1. The first three______ of the book were very exciting.

2. The play consists of five ______.

3. The film was ______ directed.

4. The ______ clapped and cheered as the curtain came down.

5. Have you ever seen the film? What is the ______?

6. She won a prize for her marvelous ______.

7. His death was the most moving ______ of the film.

8. ______ of science-fiction will love this new novel.

9. Although I enjoyed the novel, I thought the ______ was rather

disappointing.

10. The scene was ______ in Greece.

TASK POOL

1. Write a report on a film or play you have seen recently in about 200 words.

Use the plan below as a guide and think about the tenses you will need to

use in each paragraph before you begin.

Paragraph one:

General introduction: When did you see the film/play? Where? Who

with? Why did you choose that particular film/play? What type of film/play is it?

Paragraph two:

Where is the film/play set? What is it about? Who are the main characters

and what happens to them?

Paragraph three:

Conclusion: What was your opinion of the film/play? Why? Was it well

acted/directed? Would you recommend it to others?

Note: Use correct order of adjectives in your writing.

2. Write a report on a book you have read recently. Collect the reports together

and use them as a guide to the class library or as advice on further reading.

CHECKLISTUse the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any grammar and spelling mistakes in your writing?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Did you use correct order of adjectives in your description?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Is the writing descriptive enough? (Regarding the writing techniques)

_____________________________________________________________

4. Would you recommend that other people should see or watch the

film/book/play?

_____________________________________________________________

UNIT 12: DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE

What is inversion?

Inversion is the reversal of the normal order of the subject and the verb in a

sentence.

e.g.: Tom’s father is an engineer.

Subject Verb

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS INVERSION

Definition

&

Usage

à Is Tom’s father an engineer?

Verb Subject

When do we use inversion?

Inversion is used to put emphasis on a certain part of a statement or to make a

question.

In this unit, we only focus on the use of inversion after negative or semi-negative

words or phrases, after prepositional phrases or adverbs of time and place, in

conditional sentences, and after Only

Inversion after negative or semi-negative words and phrases:

never (before/

again)

rarely

seldom

barely / scarcely

hardly (ever)

no sooner ... than

not until

not often

nowhere

at no time

on no account

under no circumstances

in no way

nor / not

little, etc.

- Seldom do we have goods returned to us because they are faulty.

- Hardly had I got onto the motorway when I saw two police cars following me.

- Never again did Max buy another motorcycle.

- Not a single word had she written since the exam had started.

- Little do they know how lucky they are to live in such a wonderful house.

Note: The inversion happens only in the first part of the sentence. For example:

Wrong: No sooner had he opened the letter than did the phone ring.

Right: No sooner had he opened the letter than the phone rang.

Wrong: Not only did we lose our money, but were we also badly treated.

Right: Not only did we lose our money, but we were also badly treated.

Inversion after a prepositional phrase or adverb of place or time:

- At the foot of the hill lies a small village.

- Here comes the bus.

- Twice within my lifetime have world wars taken place.

- Often have I heard about his unreliability.

Note: If the subject is a personal pronoun, there is no inversion. E.g.:

- There he is! (Not: There is he!)

- Here she arrives! (Not: Here arrives she!)

Inversion in conditional sentences where If is omitted :

- If I had gone to the post office, I would have bought some stamps. => Had I

gone to the post office, I would have bought some stamps.

- If it had not been for your help, I wouldn’t have succeeded. => Had it not

been for your help, I wouldn’t have succeeded.

- If you should meet her, please ask her to call me at once. => Should you

meet her, please ask her to call me at once.

Inversion after Only:

- only + a time expression, as in only after, only later, only once, only then,

only when.

She bought a newspaper and some sweets at the shop on the corner.

Only later did she realise that she had been given the wrong change.

- only + other prepositional phrases beginning only by..., only in.... only

with.... etc.

Only by chance had Jameson discovered where the birds were

nesting.

Practice Exercise 1: Rewrite the following sentences, using

inversion with these words:

Never

before

not

not until

only by

on no account

scarcely

little

e.g.: The door could not be opened without using force.

à Only by (using) force could the door be opened

1 This was the first time the race had been won by a European athlete.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

2 The plane had only just taken off when smoke started to appear in the

cabin.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

3 She made no sound as she crept upstairs.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

4 This window must not be unlocked without prior permission.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

5 He only thought about having a holiday abroad after he retired.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

6 She didn't realize what would happen to her next.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences using inversion. Begin your

sentences with the words or phrases given.

1 The telephone started ringing just after he had left the office.

No sooner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

2 It is unusual for the island to be visited by tourists.

Seldom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

3 Judith started asking me questions as soon as I had stepped through the

door.

Hardly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

4 Passengers are not permitted to open the doors themselves in any

circumstances.

Under no . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

5 He never broke the rules he set for himself.

At no time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

6 You can only pass the exams with strong determination.

Only by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

7 If an emergency should arise, call 113.

Should . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

8 The only representative of the Indian’s handicraft remains on the island.

On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

WRITING

FOLDER

Descriptive

Narrative

INTRODUCTION

You may never have to write descriptions which are complete in

themselves, but you may need to include descriptions in other pieces of writing,

for example, in a personal letter, in a story, in a report, etc.

If you tell a story and give some descriptions in it, you are writing a

descriptive narrative composition. There are different kinds of descriptive

narrative compositions: writing a biography, describing changes in places or in a

person’s life, reporting events, incidents, or experiences, etc.

In this unit, we will learn how to write one kind of descriptive narrative

writing, i.e. reporting experiences, in which you will tell a story with a part

describing a human scene.

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

You can see that a composition like 'A Day at the Seaside' is not pure

description, but contains a narrative structure. Read the composition below, and

answer these questions:

1. Which are the narrative parts of the composition?

2. Which parts are descriptive?

3. How is the writing organised into paragraphs?

4. What verb tenses did the writer use in the writing?

5. What kinds of linking words are used in the writing? Find examples.

A Day at the Seaside

Last Sunday was a beautiful day, and my brother, my sister and I were up

early, impatient to go to the beach. However, as usual, my parents had watched

the late-night film on TV, and in any case my father hates getting up on Sundays. I

think every family in the city must be the same because by the time my mother

had packed the lunch and my father had had breakfast, it was 10.30. When we got

to the outskirts of the city, the road to the beach (which was ten miles away) was

full of cars. It took us two hours to get there.

When we arrived, we could hardly see the sand or find a place to spread our

towels. There were thousands of people there, lying on the sand under brightly

coloured umbrellas, or standing on the edge of the water, or bathing in the sea.

Boys and girls were trying to play games, but there was no space because of all

the people lying down. There were ice-cream sellers and drink-sellers wandering

in and out between the bodies, and I could not hear the sound of the sea because

of the shouts and screams and the noise of hundreds of radios playing different

kinds of music. The only way to escape was to run into the sea and swim out for

twenty or thirty meters beyond all the little children and their parents in the

shallow water. At last, I could lie on my back in the water, feel the sun on my face,

and be away from the noise.

At about three o'clock, everyone had lunch, and my mother wouldn't let us

go back into the water again till six. I wanted to stay there all evening, but my

father insisted on going home at seven because he wanted to see the football

match on TV. Every other father obviously had the same idea. When we started

our journey home, there were already hundreds of cars on the road. Again, it took

us two hours to drive the ten miles home, and my father missed most of the

football match. When I am grown-up, I will have my own car and I will always go

to the beach on weekdays.

Writing techniques

- As the writing is narrative, and often it is about a single event, past tenses are

naturally used. Linking words are also used in this kind of writing, particularly

the following sorts: time links, causal links, contrast links.

- As part of the writing is descriptive, you usually try to give your readers an

xact and detailed impression of something in your experience. Therefore, the

larger and more precise your vocabulary, the better your writing will be.

Moreover, you should use lots of adjectives and adverbs in your description

to make it lively and interesting. Also, make sure you use them in the correct

order.

TASK POOL

Choose one of the following topics:

1. Write about a day you spent either (a) at the seaside (b) in the country or (c)

in the mountains, either in summer or winter in about 300 words.

2. Write about a day trip you made to a famous place in about 300 words.

3. Write about a picnic with friends in the country in about 300 words.

CHECKLIST

Checklist: Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any spelling and grammar mistakes in your description? If yes, how

many? ________________________________________________________

2. Did you write sentences with inverted structures in this writing? If yes, which

ones? If no, can you rewrite some sentences using inversion?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. Did you use correct tenses?

_____________________________________________________________

4. Did you use any linking words? Did you use them correctly?

_____________________________________________________________

5. Did you use many adjectives, adverbs to describe the scenes? Are they in the

right order? Do you want to add any of them now?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

6. Is the writing concise? Is there any unnecessary/ irrelevant information

included in the story?

____________________________________________________________

7. Are you pleased with this writing? Why? Or Why not?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Unit 13: STORYTELLING (PART

1)

GRAMMAR IN

FOCUS

NOMINALISATION

DefinitionEffects

NOMINALISATION

Nominalization is the action of changing a sentence into a complex noun phrase and making it the subject of a new sentence.

E.g. His father died. This was probably one of the reasons why he failed his exams.

à The death of his father was probably one of the reasons why he failed his exams.

The effect of doing this is that the meaning is “denser”, i.e. the same meaning is expressed within a fewer words. Also, the meaning of the clause in the first sentence can be expressed with one abstract noun. These two characteristics of greater lexical density and greater use of abstract terms are distinguished in an academic style.

Practice Connect each of these pairs of sentences into one

sentence by

nominalising the first sentence.

1. Telephones are often unreliable. This complicates matters. (frequent

unreliability)

2. Parents are not concerned about their children. This results in their children

feeling rejected. (lack)

3. The students did badly in the exam. This may have been because he was ill.

(performance)

4. Children are taught music. This is very important. (teaching)

5. Many rural people are illiterate. This makes finding a job in a town very

difficult. (illiteracy)

WRITING

FOLDER

6. People burn oil and coal to produce energy and heat. This causes excess

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (burning)

7. The government intends to build more schools. This has been announced in

the press. (intention)

8. He is afraid of the sights of blood. This puts him off studying medicine. (fear)

9. Many tourists cannot speak Mandarin. This is a problem for them in Taiwan.

(inability)

10. He smokes every night. This irritates his wife. (Smoking)

Storytelling with picture

prompts…

Work in pair. Look at the following set of pictures and

guess what happens.

Now read the story

and answer

the questions below:

The WalkOne day a little girl wanted to go for a walk with her doll, so she made a

sandwich and took an apple and some fruit juices. She put them in her bag

and put on her pink hat. Then she put her doll in the stroller and went outside.

Soon, a big wind came and blew her hat into a tree. A nice little sparrow saw

the wind blow the hat into the tree, and he wanted to help the little girl. So, he

took the hat in his beak and gave it back to the girl. The small girl was very

happy. She gave the bird some pieces from her sandwich. Now the sparrow

was happy, too.

Questions for analysis

1. What is the story’s title?

2. How many characters are there in the story? Who are they?

3. Where did the story happen?

4. What problem occurred?

5. How was it solved?

6. Can you name the compulsory components in a story?

Every story consists of these components:

- Title- Character (s)- Setting - A problem- Events and/ or actions- Solution/ EndingGenerally, you should follow these seven steps if you are to write a

successful and interesting story.

1. Planning

Think about your story. What is it about? Who is in it? What happens? Jot

down a few ideas for your story quickly, but don't write the story just yet. This part

of writing is called planning.

Writing techniques

2. Characters

People are the most important part of any story. The people in stories are

called the characters. Who is in your story? What do they look like? What are

they doing? What do they say? If you yourself are a character in the story, let

readers know it, too. Try to create NAMES for your characters.

3. Location/ Setting

Where are we? The place where the story happens is called the setting. Are

we in the street or in a forest? Is it night and dark, or is it day and sunny? If you

tell readers about the places and things, they can see them as clearly as you do.

4. Plot (Problems, actions and events)

What happens? The things that happen in a story are called the plot. How

does your story begin? What happens next? How does it end? Take care to think

this out; otherwise things could happen in the wrong order. You have to be at a

place before you can go away from it.

5. Now write the story

When you know about the characters, the scene and

the plot, you are ready to write your story. Tell about one

thing at a time. When you have finished a part of the

story, leaves a space and start a new line. This makes it

easier to read the story.

6. Ask someone to read your story

Ask your friends and family to read your story. They will tell you if you have

missed anything out and help you with your story.

7. Check it over

The last thing to do is called editing. Change any parts of the story that are

not quite right. Check your spelling. Then write out your finished story in your

best writing.

- Your story must contain ALL prompts that the

pictures provide you - characters, setting, events, etc.

(if any).

- Use a variety of sentence types, nominalization

and rhetorical methods to make yours a logical, cool

and original one.

- Don’t just describe things or events. Let your

character speak!

practice

One way an author can get the reader’s attention is by

using phrases that we call “red flags.” Red flags, such as

all of a sudden or the next thing I knew, indicate a new

twist in the plot. Red flags can replace predictable words

and phrases, like next or and then.

Read the sample sentences below. Then create your own

“Red Flag Menu” by filling in the blanks with as many red flags

as you can think of. The menu has been started for you.

MY RED FLAG MENU

__________Suddenly_________ I managed to escape from the monster.

__________Just then__________ I managed to escape from the monster.

__________A moment later____ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________I managed to escape from the monster.

TASK POOL

In 40 minutes, use the pictures below to write a story. Your story should

include:

a title: Pirate’s treasure

characters’ name.

a problem, actions and events.

an ending

about 150 – 200 words

Note: pay attention to nominalization in your writing.

CHECKLIST

1. Are there any spelling mistakes in your story?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Did you use nominalization in your story?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Did you create names to all characters? Were the names able to reflect their characteristics? _____________________________________________________________

4. Did you include all prompts from the pictures in your story? _____________________________________________________________

5. Did you mention the place where the story happened? _____________________________________________________________

6. Did you write an ending? Was it happy or sad? _____________________________________________________________

7. Did you use appropriate language and style in your story? Is it either too formal or too informal?

_____________________________________________________________

Unit 14: STORY-TELLING (PART

II)

Different kinds of conjunctions are used to connect different words and groups of

words.

CONNECTING THE SAME KINDS OF WORDS

If you want to connect two or more words or word groups of the same kind, you

use a coordinating conjunction.

Coordinating conjunctions

and nor for yet

without or so

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

CONJUNCTIONSComponents

&

Types

The dog was large yet friendly. (The conjunction yet connects two adjectives

large, friendly.)

Billy came to stay without a towel and without pyjamas. (The conjunction and

joins two phrases, without a towel, without pyjamas.)

And joins similar ideas. But and or join contrasting ideas.

The dog looked friendly but he was in fact very savage. (Note the contrasting

ideas friendly, savage.)

He had to perform the task satisfactorily or he would be dismissed. (Note the

contrasting ideas satisfactory, dismissed.)

WATCH OUT FOR …

As a general rule, coordinating conjunctions should not be used to begin

sentences. But sometimes this rule can be ignored.

CONJUNCTIONS IN PAIRS

Some conjunctions pair up with other words to make the links between ideas.

They form correlative conjunctions.

Common correlative conjunctions

both … and neither … nor

not only … but also whether … or

not … but as … as

either … or

Both exercise and diet are important for good health.

Neither Lucy nor Thomas admitted to breaking the cricket bat.

CONNECTING GROUPS OF WORDS THAT DEPEND ON EACH OTHER

Subordinating conjunctions force part of a sentence to depend on another part

of the sentence.

Common subordinating conjunctions

after

than

before

whenever

once

as if

till

if

wherever

so that

because

when

now that

as

though

even

though

whereas

since

as though

until

in order that

although

that

even if

where

rather than

as long as

unless

if only

while

The rabbit moved quickly because it feared being shot.

Because joins the less important part it feared being shot to the main part the

rabbit moved quickly.

The animals were exhausted when they returned from the walk.

Before you watch TV, you must finish your homework.

You can read more about subordinating conjunctions in the section on clauses.

CONNECTING SENTENCES TOGETHER

We can use another kind of structural word to join sentences together.

These words are often called sentence connectors.

Common sentence connectors

also

otherwise

meanwhile

however

certainly

therefore

now

furthermore

anyway

still

namely

indeed

finally

thus

likewise

hence

besides

then

nevertheless

instead

The rabbit moved quickly; however, it was shot by the hunter.

However connects the two sentences The rabbit moved quickly and It was shot by

the hunter.

We hoped for good health; instead, it rained all day.

The two parts of the new sentence are divided by a semicolon. The sentence

connector is nearly always followed by a comma. You can read more about this

in the section on punctuation.

PRACTICE

Activity 1: Make as many sentences as possible using different

conjunctions you have learned so far.

Sentence 1: Neither Tom nor Mary likes talking about politics. (Example)

Sentence 2: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 3: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 4: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 5: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 6: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 7: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 8: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 9: …………………………………………………………………………..

Sentence 10: …………………………………………………………………………

Activity 2: Rewriting the following sentences in one sentence using

conjunctions. In some cases there are several ways to do so.

1. Mai is interested in English. Thom is also interested in English.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. He loves you. He does not love you. I don’t care.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. You do not finish your homework. I will not let you watch TV.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. At that time it will be 6 o’clock. I will be at home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. He did not attend the class. He did not do the home assignment. He failed the

exam.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. He did not attend the class. He did not do the home assignment. He passed

the exam.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. She bought a lot of items. They are books, shoes, hats, clothes, and some

cookies.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. He walked silently downstairs. He did not want to wake his wife and the baby

up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Her legs were broken. She managed to get to the hospital.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. I will lend you the car. You have to drive it carefully.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRITING

FOLDERStory telling

Questions for Analysis

1. In what genre of writing was the

story written? (narrative,

commentary, etc.)

2. What is the story about?

3. What tenses are used in the story?

4. Are there any special grammatical

points in the story?

5. What did the author mention in the

story?

It was nearly midnight when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and saw a girl with a motorbike helmet. She was covered in blood.

‘Oh, no,’ I said. ‘What has happened?’

‘Please help me,’ the girl said weakly.

‘There’s been an accident. My boyfriend is outside.’

I helped her to a chair. She was bleeding a lot.

‘I’ll call an ambulance,’ I said.

I ran to the sitting room and phoned for an ambulance. Then I ran back to the girl. But she had disappeared. I went outside, but there was no sign of her or the motorbike in the silent street.

When the ambulance arrived, I explained what had happened. The driver went pale. He said that exactly ten years ago, his daughter and her boyfriend had been killed instantly. His daughter had gone to ask for help in the house I was living in, but she died a few minutes later.

The ambulance left. As I stood in the hall, I noticed there was no longer any blood on the chair where the girl had been sitting.

Hi, my name’s Casper. Nice to meet you!

(For more information, please consult the unit 13)

Decide what kind of story you want to write. Is

it a thriller, a romantic story, or a funny story?

Have you got a plot or storyline? You can create your own story or get

the ideas from other books that you have read and other people. The

question is ‘Have you got any interesting ideas?’

Decide the time and the setting where the

story will take place.

What will happen in the story?

Is the ending happy, sad, unsolved, open,

or unexpected?

Writing Techniques

Task pool

In about 200 words, choose one of the following topics to write a story.

a. Your unforgettable moment of your life.

b. Your first love.

c. A nightmare.

Note: Pay attention to conjunctions.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Did you use conjunctions correctly? If not, are there any parts in which

conjunctions should be fixed?______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. Did you use the right genre for writing a story?

______________________________________________________________

3. What kind of story did you write?

______________________________________________________________

4. Did you have a good storyline?

______________________________________________________________

5. Did your story have an opening, happening and ending?

______________________________________________________________

6. Did you like the story? Why (not)?

______________________________________________________________

UNIT 15: GIVING OPINIONS

What do we mean by “parallelism in writing”?

If you've ever been told that your writing is sometimes awkward, one problem

might be faulty parallelism. Usually when you're writing about a series of things

within one sentence, each item in the series should be in the same form as the

other items. If the items are in the same form, you have parallelism in your

writing. If they are not in the same form, you have faulty parallelism.

When we talk about items being in the same form, we're talking about

grammatical form, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional

phrases, and clauses. Here is an example of faulty parallelism in which it is easy

to see that the writer is switching grammatical forms:

(a) In order to be classified as great, a baseball player must hit with power,

fielding well is necessary, to be a fast runner, and throwing with strength and

precision.

In contrast, sentence (b) is a good example of parallelism:

(b) In order to be classified as great, a baseball player must hit with power, field

well, run fast and throw with strength and precision.

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS

PARALLELISM

Parallelism in writing

&Notes on

creating strong parallelism.

Notes on Creating Strong

Parallelism:

1. When two or more words are linked by a conjunction (and, but, or, nor),

they should have the same grammatical form.

Faulty parallelism:

She enjoys watching basketball and to play football.

gerund infinitive

Parallelism:

She enjoys watching basketball and football.

noun noun

Parallelism:

She enjoys watching basketball and playing football.

gerund gerund

Faulty parallelism:

He is working and goes to college.

V-ing V-s

Parallelism: He works and goes to college.

V-s V-s

Faulty parallelism:

Beth types slowly but she is accurate.

adv clause

Parallelism: Beth types slowly but accurately.

adv adv

Faulty parallelism:

Oranges are cheap, nutritious, and taste good.

adj adj verb phrase

Parallelism:

Oranges are cheap, nutritious, and tasty.

adj adj adj

2. When you list a series of things or actions, you should use parallel

structures.

Faulty parallelism:

The book contained stories, poetic, and plays

noun adj noun

Parallelism: The book contained stories, poetry, and plays

noun noun noun

Faulty parallelism:

He unlocked the door, took off his jacket, and sits down.

simple past simple past simple present

Parallelism: He unlocked the door, took off his jacket, and sat down.

simple past simple past simple past

PRACTICE

Exercise 1

Some of the following sentences contain faulty parallel structures and

some do not. Circle the numbers of the sentences that contain faulty

parallel structures and create parallelism in them.

1. Eggs are very versatile: they can be boiled, fried, and poached.

2. More than 300 actors, dancers, and playwrights attended the opening

ceremony.

3. On Sunday, Davis washes his car, plays tennis, and will watch television.

4. The holiday resort was beautiful but there were too many people.

5. For most people, travelling is expensive and tiring.

6. Her work includes reading, writing, and she answers the phone.

7. Let’s go to the museum first and then have some lunch.

8. When we saw them, he was wearing shorts and she wore an evening dress.

9. When they went to France, Louise travelled by train and John bicycled through the

country.

10. I asked her for the test booklet, the tape, and for the teacher to give me a

pencil.

Exercise 2

Rewrite the following sentences to correct faulty parallelism:

1. It is important that your writing is legible, and that you should write with

correct grammar and punctuation.

2. After skiing all day, all I wanted was a good meal, a hot shower and to sleep.

3. Before handing in your essay, check your verbs for tense and agree.

4. Mother Teresa helped sick lepers, abandoned children, and people who were

disabled.

WRITING

FOLDER

5. With television, at any moment, we can watch performers singing, dancing, or act on

the screen.

6. A travel agent uses a computer to check flight availability and gives prices.

7. The first thing I do when I return to my hometown is to stop by the coffee

shop to have coffee and chatting.

8. Today’s students are more worried and seriously about their studies than students

in the past.

9. Satellites in space beam radio, television, and by telephone signals

worldwide.

10. Medical technology has led to great advances in the diagnosis and curing of

many illnesses.

Giving opinions

Lead-in

1. How do you feel about people who smoke?

2. Do you think the price of cigarettes should be raised to stop people smoking?

3. Should smoking be banned in public places? What exactly are these places?

Now find out what other members of the class feel about these questions.

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

Now read the argumentative essay below. Look at the first sentence of each

paragraph. Notice how the first sentence summarises the content of each

paragraph. Which paragraph in the model does the following:

1. gives the writer’s opinion, and reasons for it?

2. strongly restates the problem and the writer’s opinion?

3. sets out the problem in general and states why it is controversial?

4. gives the other side of the argument and the reasons why this is false?

Statistics show beyond doubt that cigarette smoking can damage the health,

yet a surprisingly large number of people continue to smoke in spite of all warnings.

By doing so they are not just shortening their own lives, they are also affecting the

health of those who are around them. It is time that non–smokers fought back!

Personally, I think smoking should definitely be banned in public places. In the

first place, it is very unpleasant to sit in a smoke-filled room, such as a restaurant or

a cinema, if you do not yourself smoke. Added to this, smoking can be a serious fire

risk, especially in a crowded place like discos. Finally, in my opinion, nobody should

be asked to risk his health just because of another person’s bad habits.

Smokers may protest that they should be free to do as they like. They say that

we already have no smoking areas in public places, and that this should be enough.

To my mind, however, non-smokers should also be free - free to go anywhere they

choose without risking their heath.

Smoking is harmful not just to smokers but to non-smokers too. If some people

are foolish enough to continue this dangerous habit, it seems to me that they should

at least be prevented from doing so in public.

A. Giving opinions

STATING AN OPINION

In my opinion, / As I see it, / To my mind, / Personally, I think that (smoking

should be banned in public places because it could be harmful to non-smokers.)

B. Listing points

Personally, I think smoking should definitely be banned in public places. In the

first place / To begin with, it is very unpleasant to sit in a smoke-filled room,

such as a restaurant or a cinema, if you do not yourself smoke. Added to this /

Furthermore / Moreover, smoking can be a serious fire risk, especially in a

crowded place like discos. Finally / Lastly, in my opinion, nobody should be

asked to risk his health just because of another person’s bad habits.

AGREEING

Yes, I quite agree. I think. . .

DISAGREEING

Really? I'm afraid I don't

agree. To my mind, …

Writing techniques

TASK POOLChoose one of the following activities for your writing.

Activity 1

Study the language shown above. We often use this when speaking and writing

about our opinions. Choose one of the following topics and discuss it in groups.

Remember to note down good reasons for your opinions.

1. Should the police carry guns?

2. Should car seat-belts be compulsory?

3. Should married women with children be discouraged from going out to

work?

4. Should governments stop spending money on weapons and do more to

help developing countries?

Activity 2

The language shown below can also be used when writing about our opinions.

In my opinion, / As I see it, / Personally, I think that...

because... I quite agree that... I don't agree that...

Write one sentence on the topic you have just discussed, stating your opinion

and the reason for it.

Activity 3

In 20 minutes, write a paragraph of about 150 words giving your opinions on the topic you have just discussed in the previous parts.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any spelling and grammar mistakes in your writing? If yes, how many?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Did you write sentences with parallel structures in this writing? If yes, which

ones? If no, can you rewrite some sentences using parallel structures?

______________________________________________________________

3. How many sentences with faulty parallelism are there in the writing? If yes,

how can you correct them?

_____________________________________________________________

4. Did you use language of giving opinions?

_____________________________________________________________

5. Did you use any listing points? Did you use them correctly?

_____________________________________________________________

6. Are you pleased with this writing? Why? Or Why not?

______________________________________________________________

Unit 16: FOR AND AGAINST

CONDITIONALS

A conditional sentence describes the condition that is necessary for a particular

result to occur. The conjunctions if and even if often appear in conditional

sentences. The meaning of a conditional sentence determines which verb tenses

needs to be used in the independent and subordinate clauses.

There are three common types of conditional sentences:

1. Conditional sentence type 1

Form

If + simple present

If it rains

If you don't hurry

Simple future

you will get wet

we will miss the train.

Function

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real.

They refer to a possible condition and its probable result. They are based on

facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about

particular situations. We often use such sentences to give warnings:

If you don't leave, I'll call the police.

If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!

Examples:

If you drop that glass, it will break.

Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.

NOTE: We can use modals to express the degree of certainty of the result:

GRAMMAR IN FOCUS CONDITIONALSRules

If you drop that glass, it might break.

I may finish that letter if I have time.

2. Conditional sentence type 2

Form

If + simple past

If it rained

If you went to bed earlier

Present conditional

you would get wet

you wouldn't be so tired.

Function

In these sentences, the time is now or any time, and the situation is unreal.

They are not based on fact, and they refer to an unlikely or hypothetical condition

and its probable result. The use of the past tense after 'if' indicates unreality.

E.g. - If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park (...but it is bad, so

we can't go)

- If I was the Queen of England, I would give everyone £100. (...but I'm

not, so I won't)

E.g.

a. If I was a plant, I would love the rain.

b. If you really loved me, you would buy me a diamond ring.

c. If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her.

NOTE: It is correct and very common, to say "If I were" instead of "If I was".

3. Conditional sentence type 3

Form

If + past perfect

If it had rained

Perfect conditional

you would have got wet

If you had worked harder you would have passed the

exam.

Function

In these sentences, the time is past, and the situation is contrary to reality. The

facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed.

Type 3 conditional sentences, are truly hypothetical or unreal, because it is now

too late for the condition or its result to exist. There is always an unspoken "but..."

phrase:

If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam.

(but I didn't work hard, and I didn't pass the exam).

If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake.

(but I didn't know, and I haven't baked a cake).

NOTE:

- Both would and had can be contracted to 'd, which can be confusing. However,

would is never used in the IF-clause.

- In this type of conditional sentence, the conditional can be expressed

without using if by reversing the order of the subject and the verb in the

subordinate clause.

E.g.

a. If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have visited you.

b. I would have bought you a present if I'd known it was your birthday.

c. If they'd had a better goalkeeper they wouldn't have lost the game.

MIXED CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times,

and the resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types

of mixed conditional sentence:

a. Present result of past condition:

Form

If + past perfect

If I had worked harder at school

If we had looked at the map

Present conditional

I would have a better job now.

we wouldn't be lost.

Function

In these sentences, the time is past in the 'if' clause, and present in the main

clause. They refer to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the

present. They express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the past and

in the present:

'If I had worked harder at school' is contrary to past fact - I didn't work hard at

school, and 'I would have a better job now' is contrary to present fact - I haven't

got a good job.

E.g.

I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job.

If you'd caught that plane you'd be dead now.

If you hadn't spent all your money on CDs, you wouldn't be broke.

B. Past result of present or continuing condition.

Form

If + simple past Perfect conditional

If I wasn't afraid of spiders I would have picked it up.

If we didn't trust him we would have sacked him months ago.

Function

In these sentences the time in the If-clause is now or always, and the time in the

main clause is before now. They refer to an unreal present situation and its

probable (but unreal) past result:

'If I wasn't afraid of spiders' is contrary to present reality - I am afraid of

spiders, and 'I would have picked it up' is contrary to past reality - I didn't

pick it up.

'If we didn't trust him' is contrary to present reality - we do trust him, and

'we would have sacked him' is contrary to past reality - we haven't

sacked him.

E.g.

a. If she wasn't afraid of flying she wouldn't have travelled by boat.

b. If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.

d. If the elephant wasn't in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden on

him by now.

THE 'ZERO' CONDITIONAL

Form

If + simple present

If you heat ice

If it rains

Simple present

it melts.

you get wet

NOTE: The order of the clauses is not fixed - the 'if' clause can be first or

second:

Ice melts if you heat it.

You get wet if it rains.

Function

In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and

possible. They are used to make statements about the real world, and often

refer to general truths, such as scientific facts.

WRITING

FOLDER

E.g.

a. If you freeze water, it becomes a solid.

b. Plants die if they don't get enough water.

c. If my husband has a cold, I usually catch it.

d. If public transport is efficient, people stop using their cars.

e. If you mix red and blue, you get purple.

This structure is often used to give instructions, using the imperative in the main

clause:

If Bill phones, tell him to meet me at the cinema.

Ask Pete if you're not sure what to do.

Practice

Complete each sentence below by giving the correct form of the verb in

parentheses.

1. If the city ________ (expand) the parking lot space downtown, we would not

have to park so far away from the movie theatre.

2. Whenever my roommate ________ (snore) loudly, I cannot sleep.

3. Children may be disappointed if they ________ (not receive) good grades.

4. If we ________ (not take) an exam on the conditional, we might not have

learned it.

5. Maya ________ (not pass) her driving test unless she calms down.

6. If it ________ (be) winter, all these trees would be covered in snow.

7. Had it not rained, the farmers ________(lose) all of their crops.

8. If the airplane had not had a mechanical problem, we probably ________

(arrive) in Winnipeg by now.

9. We ________(lie) on the beach in Mexico right now if we had been able to get

our visas on time.

10. I ________ (try) to find more opportunities to write in English if I were you.

For and against

1. Where did you grow up – in a village, a town, in a city? Do you live in the same

place now?

2. Where would you prefer to live – in the city or the country? Why?

3. With a partner, think of as many points as you can for and against living in the city.

Model: Read the text below and see how many of the points you thought of are

mentioned. Then answer the following questions.

Living in the city

I spend my childhood dreaming of the time when I

could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on

a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut

off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I

packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I

soon discovered that city life has its problems, too.

One of the biggest drawbacks is money – it costs so much to go out, not to

mention basics like food and rent. Another

disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma, and

at times the smog is so bad I am afraid to go

outside. Then there is the problem of travelling

round. Although I have a car, I rarely use it because

of the jams. One alternative is to go by bicycle, but

that can be quite dangerous.

Of course, there are advantages. In the first place, there is so much to do in the city,

whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. In addition, there are wonderful job

opportunities, and chances of promotion are greater, too. Finally, if you like shopping, the

range of goods is amazing – and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens or

twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children,

the peace of the countryside may

seem preferable. I certainly

hope to move back there soon.

QUESTIONS FOR

ANALYSIS

1. Scan the text again. Where do

you think it comes from – a

letter, a report, a magazine, a newspaper? Why?

2. What is the writer trying to do – inform, entertain, complain, persuade, give

facts? Is the format and language of the text appropriate for this? Why(not)?

3. Does the writer give an equal balance of points for and against the topic?

4. There are four paragraphs in the text. What is the topic of each of the paragraphs?

1. Linking your sentences

In a paragraph, we use words or phrases like these to list fresh points in an

argument.

In the first place,… In addition,… Finally,…

To begin with,… What is more,… Last but not least,…

Writing techniques

Furthermore,…

Then, there is,…

1.1. Underline examples in the text “Living in the city – a high living or a

nightmare?” and notice how the linking words and phrases are used.

1.2. Look at the paragraph below. Some sentences list fresh points in the argument

some develop the point just made. Underline those that list fresh points.

1.3. Now write the paragraph again, using the words above, where appropriate,

to link the ideas together.

2. Contrasting

We use the words below to contrast points in an argument.

Although life in the countryside is very

peaceful, it can also be lonely.In spite of the fact that

While

Life in the

countryside is

peaceful.

However,… It can also be

lonely.Nevertheless,…

On the other hand,…

In spite of this,…

Reasons for not owning a television“There are various reasons why I have never wanted a television. A television

is antisocial. Some families I know never speak to each other because they are

too engrossed in one program or another. It is a terrible time waster. You can

do so much more if you are not imprisoned in an armchair in front of that little

screen. If you do not limit the amount of television your children watch, it can

ruin their education. How many kids do their homework well if the TV is always

on?”

Now complete these sentences:

1. Keeping animals in zoos can be cruel. In spite of this,…

2. If you have a car you can get around easily. On the other hand,…

3. Although learning a foreign language is hard work,…

4. Sunbathing can be bad for you. It is, nevertheless,…

5. While camping holidays can be great fun,…

3. Planning

When writing about the advantages and disadvantages of a topic, it is extremely

important to make a clear plan before you begin. Note down points for or against

the subject as you think of them; then put the points in order. Try to think of a

range of points on each of the argument.

The following table can be used for this step:

For

…………………...........................................

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

Against

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

task pool

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet.

2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad.

3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos.

Note:

3. Word length: 300 words

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any grammar mistakes in your writing?

________________________________________________________________

2. Are there any spelling mistakes in your writing?

________________________________________________________________

3. Did you plan your writing before putting your pen down onto the paper?

________________________________________________________________

4. Did you separate paragraphs that elaborate different points?

________________________________________________________________

5. Did you use linking words and phrases properly and effectively?

________________________________________________________________

6. Did you balance the points for and against “keeping animals in zoos”?

________________________________________________________________

References

Brown, K. & Hood, S. (1989). Writing matters. Cambridge:Cambridge University

Press (CUP).

Cory, H. (1999). Advanced writing with English in Use. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

Folse, K. S. et.al (2002). Greats Sentences for Great Paragraphs. America:

Houghton Mifflin Company.

Fowler, W.S. (1989). Progressive Writing Skills. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and

Sons Ltd.

Haines, S. & Stewart, B. (1994). First Certificate Masterclass. Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

Hogue, A. (1996). First steps in Academic Writing. Longman: Pearson Education.

Hutchinson, T. (2000). LifeLines Intermediate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ingram B. & King C. (1996). From writing to Composing. An introductory

composition course for students of English. Cambridge University Press.

Jolly, D. (1984) Writing Tasks, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kelly, C. & Gargagliano, A. (2001). Writing from Within. Cambridge:Cambridge

University Press.

McArthur, T. (1984). The written words. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

PET Preliminary English Test Handbook - Specification and sample papers for

updated examination from March 2004. University of Cambridge, ESOL

Examinations, UCLES 2003, pp. 12 – 14.

Rimkeeratikul, S. (1997). English for Work. Bangkok: Thammasat University

Press.

Stephens, M. (1986). Practice Writing. Longman.

Withrow, J. (1987). Effective writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

(CUP)

Appendix 1: Error Correcting Symbols

Symbol Explanation Symbol Explanation

General Items: Modifiers:

//

?

WF

expr

New paragraph

Meaning unclear

Add omitted word/s

Omit word/s; not

Right word but wrong

form

Expression (affected

by L1)

Adj

Adv

poss

Prepositions

Prep

Use adjective

Use adverb

Use possessive form

Add preposition

Punctuation: Syntax:

C/CAP

P

Capitalize

Incorrect punctuation

( ) F/ Frag

( ) R/ R-O

S/V

WO

coh

ss

Connectors

Conj/ Conn

L

R/PR

Fragment error

Run- on sentence

Subject/ verb needed

Wrong order

Coherence (one idea

does not lead to the

next)

Sentence structure

Incorrect conjunction

/ connective

Link/combine

Add relative pronoun

Nouns:

pro agr

art

ger/ G

N

num/ #

pro/PR

REF

Pronoun agreement

mistake

Article mistake

Use gerund

Use noun

Number; singular

plural)

Use pronoun

Pronoun reference

unclear

Verbs: Lexical

items

sp

wch/ ww

Incorrect spelling

Word choice/wrong word

VC

SV agr

vt/ VT

vf/VF

mod

aux

inf

cond

Voice change

Subject/ verb agreement

Wrong verb tense

Incorrect verb form

Modal problem

Auxiliary verb

Use infinitive

Incorrect use/ formation

of a conditional sentence.

Style

Informl

PAR

T/S

PARA/UN

TRANS

Too informal

Faulty parallelism

Improve topic sentence

Lack of paragraph unity

Transition needed

( Accroding to Klassen 1991, Bates et al. 1993, Ingram and King 1996)

Appendix 2: Forms of Formal InvitationYou are cordially invited

To attend the

Board of Directors Meeting

On

Monday, March 23, 2005

In the Vibhavadee Ballroom

Of

The Central Plaza Hotel

At

12:00 noon

The Readers Association

Request the pleasure of your company

At a tea

In honor of

Professor John Powers

On Saturday, May the fifth

At four o’clock

R.S.V.P. is the abbreviation of the French phrase “Respondez, s’il vous plait”, which

means “Please answer”.

Appendix 3: Sample of Letter of Acceptance to a wedding

invitation

53 Murray Avenue

Birmingham

B14 8KH

May 22nd, 2005

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stafford,

Thank you very much for your kind invitation to your daughter Margaret’s wedding.

Sandra and I are delighted to accept.

It was very thoughtful of you to enquire in your accompanying note whether we were

coming down on the previous evening and to offer to find us somewhere to stay in the village.

As we have a small baby, we do not want to be away for too long, so we plan to drive down in

the morning. Frank told us that the reception is likely to go on for some time, but for the same

reason, we will only stay to drink the health of the bride and groom. Then we will have to

make an early start for home. Thanks anyway for thinking of us.

Appendix 4: Sample of Letter of Refusal to a wedding invitation

Culture points of etiquetteAccepting the invitation

Accepting an invitation is easy. The person who is invited just show appreciation to the person who has invited them and ask for the details of place and time. In many informal cases, the invited person can bring something along such as a plate of cookies or some fruit even though the host might have said that it was not necessary.

Refusing the invitationWhen an invitation is refused, a reason should be given. In general, the sequence is to begin with an apology, then the reason for refusal, and finally thanks for the invitation.

27 Hillside Close,

Bournemouth,

Dorset BA12 3BO

May 24th , 2005

Dear Maggie,

It was very kind of your parents to invite John and me to your wedding. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to come and I have written to them, expressing our regret, but I feel that I have to write to you personally to say how sorry we are that we can’t make it.

The trouble is that the last two weeks in June are the only ones when John and I can both get away from work together. So we booked our holiday to the Greek Islands as soon as we realized this, and there’s no way we can change it.

It’s such a pity because I was looking forward very much to seeing you married. Naturally, we’ll be thinking of you on the day. Have a marvelous time. We wish you all the best for the future, we’re sure that you’ll be happy. Frank is such a wonderful man!

John sends his love. Our kindest regards to Frank.