A

NEW.

FOWLER PROFICIENCY

WRITING ^ S K I L L S

Introduction

I N T R O D U C T I O N

New Fowler Proficiency Writing Skills 2 is the second part

o f a t w o - p a r t c o u r s e w h i c h a i m s t o t e a c h t h e t e c h n i q u e s s t u d e n t s require to a t t e m p t any o f t h e variations among the six forms of writing task set in the r e v i s e d C a m b r i d g e P r o f i c i e n c y e x a m i n a t i o n . Approximately ten per cent of the material in Writing Skills has been revised for this book . All the o t h e r material in this book is new. Each of the twenty units cons i s t s of four-pages , which should, under normal c ircumstances , be c o m p l e t e d in t w o lessons , with a writing task to be done later in approximately one hour, the time allowed for it in the examination.

T h e c h a n g e s i n t h e e x a m i n a t i o n

The biggest change in the writing paper of the revised Cambridge Proficiency examination is that it n o w has t w o parts, as do FCE and CAE.

P a r t I cons is ts of a compulsory quest ion comprising i n s t r u c t i o n s and a t e x t o r t e x t s w h i c h p r o v i d e candidates with a clear context . There is always m o r e t h a n o n e p o i n t t o a d d r e s s i n th i s q u e s t i o n , and candidates should learn to identify t h e s e points and e n s u r e t h a t t h e y c o v e r t h e m w h e n w r i t i n g . T h e quest ion is discursive, and candidates are e x p e c t e d to wri te o n e of the following:

an article

an essay

a letter

a proposal

I n P a r t 2 , c a n d i d a t e s c h o o s e o n e q u e s t i o n c o m p r i s i n g i n s t r u c t i o n s w h i c h g i v e c a n d i d a t e s guidance to the context . In order to be successful in Part 2, candidates should be c o m p e t e n t at narrating, analysing, hypothes is ing , describing, giving reasons , p e r s u a d i n g , judging p r i o r i t i e s , eva luat ing , making r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , g i v i n g i n f o r m a t i o n a n d summarising. Candidates are e x p e c t e d to wri te o n e of the following, from a cho ice of three:

an article

a letter

a proposal

a review

a report

For t h o s e candidates w h o have studied o n e o f t h e t h r e e s e t t e x t s , Q u e s t i o n 5 c o n s i s t s o f t h r e e quest ions , o n e for each of the s e t t ex t s . Candidates are required to wri te o n e of the following:

an article

an essay

a letter

a review

a report

The t ime limit (2 hours) and length of writing tasks (300-350 words) remain unchanged.

T e a c h i n g w r i t i n g skills

It is important for students to understand that while credit is given to Proficiency candidates for their use of s t r u c t u r e and v o c a b u l a r y , t h e s e are n o t t h e only considerations to be taken into account; organisation and the relevance of the answer to the task are at least equal ly impor tant . Di f ferent wr i t ing tasks requ ire s p e c i f i c t e c h n i q u e s t o deal w i t h t h e m , and s u c h techniques can be taught effectively through models written within the capacity of a good student that can be analysed, imitated and practised. These models are supported with revision of the necessary grammatical structures and lexical items by means of accompanying exercises and the reference section and the appendix at the end.

D o i n g j u s t i c e t o o n e s e l f i n a n e x a m i n a t i o n

The Proficiency examination requires a considerably more sophisticated use of English than First Certificate and the difference between these t w o levels is often underestimated by students. The difference, however, is n o t so much a m a t t e r o f using m o r e c o m p l i c a t e d s t r u c t u r e s or a w i d e r range of v o c a b u l a r y as of providing an a n s w e r relevant to the ques t ion , well organised in good , clear sentences and paragraphs. The range o f q u e s t i o n s o p e n t o t h e e x a m i n e r i s considerable, as indicated by the contents pages of this book, but learning the right technique to deal with each is half the battle. Therefore , it is r e c o m m e n d e d that students pay particular attention to the tips provided throughout the book. These consist of practical advice on what to do and what not to do in a given situation and should make it possible for s tudents taking the exam to realise their full potential.

3

1

Contents

U N I T P A R T T E C H N I Q U E MODELS REVISION PAGE

S E C T I O N 1 : A R T I C L E S

! 2 Describing My working day

A working day in the life of a florist

Adverbs of frequency

Prepositions of time

Tenses

6

2 2 Describing and narrating A key moment in my childhood Past & Perfect Tenses

Indirect Speech

1 0

3 1 Discussing an issue Should mothers go out to work? Passive Voice:

impersonal structures 1 4

4 1 Responding to generalisations Crime: genes or upbringing? Compound Adjectives 1 8

S E C T I O N 2 : L E T T E R S

S 2 Describing Teacher of the Year

The most unpleasant person

1 have ever met

Adjectives 2 2

6 1 Giving opinions The aims of education Connectors and modifiers:

developing an argument

2 6

7 2 Complaining A letter of complaint to an airline Indirect Speech

Conditionals

Should

3 0

8 2 Applying for a job Voluntary summer job

Student conference

hypothetical would 3 4

S E C T I O N 3 : E S S A Y S

9 1 Expressing opinions The future of entertainment Tenses

Inversion

3 8

1 § 1 Comparing Films vs Books Comparison 4 2

4

U N I T PART T E C H N I Q U E MODELS REVISION PAGE

S E C T I O N 4 : P R O P O S A L S

2 Applying for funds Keeping a museum open Connectors and modifiers:

Clauses of Reason

4 6

1 0

1 4

12 2 Assessing choices

2 Evaluating a situation

2 Giving reasons

The Opera House: renovation Formal language

or demolition?

Traffic problem in town centre

Promoting a new snack Connectors and modifiers:

Clauses of Reason

5 0

5 4

5 8

1 8 S E C T I O N 5 : R E V I E W S

2 2

2 6

Reviewing a festival

Reviewing a holiday

2 Reviewing a magazine

The Edinburgh Festival

A weekend break in Venice

National Geographic

S E C T I O N 6 : R E P O R T S

Gerunds and infinitives

Participle clauses

Connectors and modifiers:

developing an argument

6 2

6 6

7 0

3 0

3 4

3 8

4 2

Discussing the findings

of a survey

Providing solutions

2 Evaluating

R e f e r e n c e s e c t i o n

A p p e n d i x

CPE W r i t i n g S h e e t s

Maintown residents' opinions on

how best to spend a donation

Quantifiers

Passive Voice: impersonal

and personal structures

Threatened closure of The Catherine

Wheel restaurant

Mr Quick Dry Cleaner's Indirect Speech

Travel the World game

7 4

7 8

8 2

8 6

9 4

9 6

1 Articles Describing WmÊHmmMm

Before reading the quest ion and article below, look at Reference section 3 on page 8 6 and c o m p l e t e this exerc ise . Put the adverb in brackets in the m o s t suitable place in the s en tence .

a I get up at seven o'clock, (usually)

b My first a p p o i n t m e n t is at 8.45. (general ly)

c I don ' t have t ime to read the p a p e r after breakfast , (often)

d I have kept up with the latest research , (always)

e I have had to go ou t in the middle of t he night, ( somet imes)

2 N o w read the quest ion and the article b e l o w and then do the exerc ises that follow.

You live and w o r k locally. T h e careers office In the t o w n publishes a monthly magazine for s tudents . The magazine has invited local business people , doc tors , teachers , e tc to wri te articles describing their working day. You have decided to wri te an article for the magazine describing your normal working day.

My working day M o s t G P s t h e s e days b e l o n g , as I d o , to a

medica l prac t ice shared with four o the r doc tors .

This has the advantage of our being able to employ

two nurses and two secre tar ies . Unl ike the o the r

doctors in my practice, I am married with two young

children and my husband, Michael, has a full-time

job in London.

Michael and I usually get up every day about six

thirty and have a shower and get dressed before we

wake the children. We have breakfast at 7.30 and

!

get the children ready for school. Fortunately, my

husband passes the school on the way to the station

so he drops them off. My first appoin tment is not

usual ly unt i l 8.45 bu t t he ch i ld ren near ly always

need something at the last minute so I don' t often

have time to read the paper after breakfast.

In our practice, we ask patients to te lephone for

an appointment unless they are seriously ill. Most of

t h o s e w h o c o m e t o t h e s u r g e r y j u s t n e e d a

prescription for the chemist or a certificate to stay

away from work. I normally finish surgery at about

11 o'clock and then start my rounds, visiting patients

in their homes. With luck, I am home for lunch by

1.00, and have t i m e to r e a d o n e of t he med ica l

journals before the children come home from school

at about 3.30.1 have always tried to keep up with the

latest research.

The chi ldren have lunch at school , bu t I am

always the re when they arrive home and can give

them some tea and get dinner ready for my husband

b e f o r e I r e t u r n for t h e e v e n i n g s u r g e r y a t six.

Michael gets home before then so I never have to

leave them a lone . I am normal ly h o m e again by

8.30. when the children go to bed, and by then the

working day is generally over. We don' t often go out

in the evenings because I feel too tired but I have

sometimes had to get up and go out in the middle of

the night to answer an emergency call from one of

my patients.

Articles 1 3 Underline all the adverbs of frequency in the article.

4 C o m p l e t e the diary page for the d o c t o r in no te form, indicating w h a t she d o e s at different t imes of the day, as in the example .

6 .30

7.30

8.45

11 .00

1.00

3 .30

6.00

8 .30

aei up

5 Look at Reference sections 13 and 14 on page 9 0 and c o m p l e t e the short article b e l o w with the preposit ions provided. You will have to use s o m e of t h e m m o r e than o n c e .

at in on

My working day l work as a porter (1) the Grand Hotel (2) Grippon Road. My working day

s t a r t s very ear ly as l have to be at work by 7 am to t ake over f rom the night porter. My

a\arm clock wakes me up (3) 5.30 am, so I have t ime for a shower and a

good b r e a k f a s t before l leave the house (4) 6.30 am. The hotel is a 15-

minute bus ride a w a y and I generally bay a p a p e r to r ead on the journey .

My job is quite interest ing as I ge t to m e e t plenty of d i f fe ren t people; some of

t hem a r e friendly and somet imes give us good tips, w h e r e a s o the r s can be quite

rude and t r e a t us like se rvan t s . Most guests leave (5) the morning, so l

am kept busy bringing their luggage down to reception while they check out. Then

the re is usually a quiet period (6) lunchtime before things ge t busy again

(7) the ear ly afternoon when the new guests arrive.

As the Grand Hotel is (8) the city cen t re , a lot of tour is ts s tay with us.

Sometimes two coaches will a r r ive full of visitors, which a lways m a k e s my j o b

more t iring. Another busy t ime is (9) New Year, when lots of people s t ay

overnight in the city to go to a show, t ake in the sights or go shopping in the

sales for ba rga ins .

My shift finishes (10) 3 pm when ano the r p o r t e r t akes over. I am lucky t h a t I still

have the best p a r t of the a f te rnoon f ree to run a few errands or have a walk (11)

t h e p a r k before going home to my family (12) the evening.

1 Articles Describing

6 Look at the quest ion below. In what way is it different from the quest ion on page 6?

Your col lege magazine has decided t o run a feature entitled A working day in the life of... . Students have been asked to wri te articles about peop le w h o do different jobs. W r i t e an article describing the working day of s o m e o n e you k n o w w h o s e job you think o t h e r s tudents would be interested in finding out m o r e about.

Look at Reference section 1 8 a and c on pages 91 and 92 and then read the article below. C o m p l e t e the spaces with the correc t form of the verb in brackets.

A working day in the life of a florist

People a re often surpr i sed w h e n I tell t h e m tha t my m o t h e r is a freelance florist. It 's qu i te an u n u s u a l

job a n d is cer ta inly var ied .

My mother (1) (be) lucky enough to work from h o m e , so she (2)

(not have ) a flower s h o p to r u n . She (3) (arrange) flowers for w e d d i n g s , par t ies ,

b i r t hdays , ann ive rsa r i e s and o the r occas ions . Al though s h e (4) (put) a small

adver t i sement in a local pape r , mos t of her commiss ions so far (5) (come) by

w o r d o f m o u t h ; w h e n peop le are p l eased wi th s o m e o n e ' s w o r k , they a re qu ick to r e c o m m e n d t h e m to

o the r s .

A typical work ing day for my m o t h e r (6) (often start) very early, especial ly if

i t is a day w h e n s h e h a s to t ravel to L o n d o n to t h e f lower m a r k e t . This (7) (be)

a h u g e marke t w h e r e fresh f lowers a re sold to florists a n d peop le in t he t r ade . The m a r k e t

(8) (begin) at 6 a m , so s h e (9) (have to) get up at

4 am to be sure of arr iving early a n d finding w h a t s h e w a n t s .

Once s h e (10) (purchase) t he b l o o m s a n d foliage, s h e (11)

(bring) t h e m b a c k h o m e in her v a n . My father (12) (build) a special shed for he r

in t he b a c k ga rden w h e r e s h e can w o r k in peace . Inside s h e (13) (have) all t he

e q u i p m e n t she (14) (need) a n d p len ty of space for do ing the flower a r ranging .

Space is very impor t an t b e c a u s e s h e (15) (often do) a r r a n g e m e n t s for w e d d i n g s

a n d (16) ( somet imes need) to m a k e up to t w e n t y or thir ty table decora t ions .

On s o m e days she (17) ( spend) the m o r n i n g and the af te rnoon a r r ang ing

f lowers . She (18) (a lways listen) to classical mus i c wh i l e she ' s a r r ang ing as she

says i t he lps give her insp i ra t ion . Other days , w h e n she (19) (not have) a n y

a r rang ing to do , she (20) (visit) po ten t ia l cl ients to d i scuss their r e q u i r e m e n t s or

she m a y go s h o p p i n g for suppl ies s u c h as r ibbons, baske t s , con ta ine r s a n d so on . I f bus ine s s is quie t ,

s h e can s p e n d the day wi th her family o r ca tch up on h o u s e w o r k .

I th ink my m o t h e r i s for tunate to h a v e a job s h e loves a n d one w h e r e s h e can a r r ange he r w o r k i n g

t ime to suit he r a n d her family 's n e e d s . I h o p e to be able to do the s a m e w h e n I start work .

Desct

8 C h o o s e o n e of the quest ions b e l o w and write an article.

a Your local newspaper has a sec t ion for teenagers w h o are thinking about w h a t career to fo l low w h e n

they are older. The newspaper has invited local people to wri te articles describing their typical

working day. You have decided to wri te an article for the newspaper.

b Your teacher has asked you to write an article describing the daily routine of a policeman, a taxi driver

or a teacher. W r i t e your article.

You can prepare for either task by doing the exerc ise below.

Draw up a diary reference like the o n e you did for the d o c t o r on page 7. Think of the answers to t h e s e

questions:

• W h a t t ime does t he pe r son get up?

• W h a t t ime does he/she have breakfast , lunch, d inne r?

• W h a t t ime d o e s he /she leave t he h o u s e to go to w o r k ?

• W h a t t ime does he/she s tar t and finish work?

If you wri te about people w h o do not w o r k regular hours, think of

h o w their working day is different. Do they w o r k in the mornings,

the afternoons, at night? Do they do shift work?

Is each working day different?

Make sure you have understood whether the

question requires an article in the first person

or the third person singular before you start

writing. Check your tenses carefully.

6.00 2 .00

7.00 3 .00

HH 4 .00

9.00 5 .00

10 .00 6.00

11 .00 7.00

12.00 H @ 8.00

1.00 9.00

9

Articles Describing and narrating

I Read the quest ion and the article b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

A Sunday newspaper has invited readers to send in articles for their ser ies on chi ldhood. Readers are invited t o wri te an article entitled A key m o m e n t in my childhood. W r i t e your article describing an important chi ldhood e x p e r i e n c e and say h o w it affected your character.

A key moment

in my

childhood

This incident occur red (1) I

was abou t t en years old, just after the war . I h a d spen t t h e w a r years in t h e coun t ry bu t w h e n i t w a s o v e r m y p a r e n t s r e t u r n e d t o L o n d o n and I found myself a s t r ange r in a class of 40 boys in a s ta te p r imary school .

I h a d h a d advan tages m o s t of t he boys h a d lacked. T h e r e w e r e p len ty o f b o o k s in t h e h o u s e a n d m y p a r e n t s h a d e n c o u r a g e d m e t o r e a d . T h e t e a c h e r i n t h i s L o n d o n

school , a m a n cal led J o n e s , (2) f o u n d t h a t w h e n h e a s k e d t h e c l a s s a ques t ion , I was t he first to pu t up my h a n d

a n d ( 3 ) k n e w t h e a n s w e r . B e c a u s e o f t h i s , h e s t a r t e d c a l l i n g m e ' P r o f e s s o r ' a n d t h o u g h I was n o t t rying to show off, a lot of t he boys obviously though t of me as 'The Teache r ' s Pet ' .

( 4 ) M r J o n e s a s k e d a ques t ion and several boys failed to answer i t before he t u r n e d to m e . (5) I got t he answer hopelessly wrong a n d he was so used to relying on me tha t he was i rr i ta ted. 'No , don ' t be silly, Professor, ' he said.

(6) la ter , t h e bel l r a n g and w h e n I wen t down to the p layground, a

g roup of my c lassmates followed m e . I t r ied to ignore t h e m bu t they ga the red r o u n d me , laughing a n d jeer ing and calling me n a m e s .

(7) a boy I hard ly knew p u s h e d his way t h r o u g h the g roup , s tood bes ide m e , and t u r n e d to face t hem. His n a m e was Ian Scott a n d I can still see h im clearly. He h a d fair h a i r a n d b r i g h t b l u e eyes , a n d a lways w o r e a r e d je rsey . ' W h a t a r e y o u l augh ing a t ? ' he d e m a n d e d . ' N o n e o f you ever know t h e a n s w e r a n d h e j u s t g o t o n e q u e s t i o n w r o n g , j u s t o n e ! ' H e p u t h i s h a n d o n my s h o u l d e r a n d t h e c rowd fell s i lent , a n d (8) d ispersed.

T h a t incident t augh t me two things tha t I have always r e m e m b e r e d . O n e is t ha t mos t o f u s envy t h o s e w h o a r e m o r e successful than we a re , and i t does no t t ake very m u c h for a g r o u p of o rd inary p e o p l e to t u rn in to a m o b , eage r to humi l ia te t hem. T h e o t h e r i s tha t o n e b rave m a n o r w o m a n willing to face s u c h a m o b c a n m a k e t h e m a s h a m e d o f themselves a n d br ing t h e m to the i r senses. I have found tha t as t rue in politics as it was in the p layground .

Describing and narrating Articles

2 The wri ter uses a variety of t ime express ions to ensure that the reader knows the o r d e r in which the main events occur. Read the article again and fill the gaps using the w o r d s below.

a few minutes one day soon suddenly

then this time usually when

3 A n s w e r t h e s e quest ions .

a W h y did t he wri ter no t know any of his c lassmates?

b In wha t way was t he wr i te r pr ivi leged in compar i son to t he o t h e r boys a t school?

c W h y was the wri ter known as 'Professor" '

d W h y did t he boys m a k e fun of t he wri ter in t he p layground?

e W h a t did this incident teach the wr i te r?

4 In the article the wri ter uses the past simple, the past perfect and the present perfect t enses . Look at Reference section 18c and e on page 9 2 and underline all the examples you can find of the past perfect and present perfect t enses . Then dec ide which of the three t e n s e s above the wri ter has used to :

a p rov ide an explanat ion of t he b a c k g r o u n d to t he story,

b tell t h e story of t he incident .

c show the effect of t he story on the wri ter ' s life since then .

5 The article has five paragraphs. W h a t is the purpose of each one? W r i t e the correc t paragraph number on the d o t t e d line.

a A c c o u n t of t he s i tuat ion tha t p rovoked the incident

b Conclus ion explaining why the wri ter th inks t he incident impor t an t

c A c c o u n t of t h e inc ident t h a t is ' t h e key m o m e n t '

d G e n e r a l in t roduc t ion establishing t ime and place

e I n t roduc t ion explaining the b a c k g r o u n d to the incident

I I

Articles

Look at t h e s e examples of direct speech which the wri ter has used to intensify his writing,

a ' N o , don't be silly, Professor,' he said.

b 'What are you laughing at?' he demanded. ' N o n e of you ever know the answer and he just go t o n e

quest ion wrong, just one! '

Which example is used to emphasise that:

1 the t eache r was angry?

2 the words said h a d a grea t effect on t he wr i te r?

Look at Reference section 7 on page 8 8 and then wri te s e n t e n c e s in direct speech t o express the following situations.

a He agreed tha t we had b e e n s tupid to think we could get away with it.

b Mrs Smi th asked how long we had b e e n l istening at the door .

c He advised me to wri te down any ideas that c ame to me w h e n I was sleeping.

d She w a r n e d me no t to do i t again,, or she would call my pa ren t s .

e They den ied wri t ing graffiti on t he p layground walls.

f She refused to let anyone he lp he r with the project .

g David r eg re t t ed wast ing so m u c h t ime dur ing the school year .

h H e r m o t h e r compla ined that she should have b e e n m o r e responsib le .

Look at the quest ions below, think of an incident for each o n e and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plans which fol low

with your ideas.

a A Sunday newspaper has invited readers to send in articles for their series on school days. W r i t e an article describing an unfortunate incident that o c c u r r e d at s choo l . Say h o w you think t h e incident changed your o u t l o o k on life.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

H a i n B o d y

C o n c l u s i o n

b A popular magazine is running a compet i t ion for the best article entitled A chance encounter. You dec ide to submit an entry. T h e article should describe an important chance meet ing with s o m e o n e , and say h o w you think the incident influenced your life.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Main B o d y

C o n c l u s i o n

9 N o w wri te an article in answer to o n e of the quest ions above, using your paragraph plan, and taking the things you have learnt in this unit into considerat ion.

Articles 2

Remember, the person and incident you

describe do not have to be real, as long as

the description you give is believable.

13

Articles Discussing an issue

Read the quest ion and the article b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You recently attended a discussion and heard t h e s e c o m m e n t s . The discussion was about w h e t h e r mothers should go o u t to w o r k or not. You found the discussion very interesting and have n o w decided to wri te an article for your local newspaper discussing t h e s e c o m m e n t s and giving your o w n point of view.

Women have

fought foe equality in

the workplace and should be allowed

to continue working even when

they have children.

1 wish

1 coufdstay

at home, hut we

need the second

Children need the stability that only their mothers

can provide.

income.

Should mothers go out to work? W o m e n ' s posit ion in society

h a s c h a n g e d d r a m a t i c a l l y i n

recent years. G o n e are the days

w h e n a w o m a n was o n l y

e x p e c t e d to get m a r r i e d , have

c h i l d r e n a n d k e e p t h e fami ly

home running smoothly, catering

for everyone's needs . Nowadays

w o m e n a r e a b l e t o g o t o

u n i v e r s i t y , p u r s u e a c a r e e r a n d d e l a y m a r r i a g e a n d

mothe rhood indefinitely if they choose. However, should

those women who do have a family give up their career in

order to stay at home and look after their children, or not?

Numerous arguments have been put forward as to why

women should stay at home and care for their children. For

example, it is known that children need stability in their

lives. Some people believe that this can only come from the

mother and that outside help is detrimental to the children.

However, who is to say that outside help cannot provide

children with the stability they need? There is good quality

childcare available, a l though it is often expensive. M o r e

importantly, forcing a woman who would rather be out in

the workplace to stay at home to look after her children

may create problems of its own. She may become bored,

frustrated and even resentful of her chi ldren if her own

needs are not met. Fur the rmore , it is not every woman ' s

dream to stay at home with her children. Women who have

w o r k e d h a r d t o b u i l d t h e m s e l v e s a c a r e e r a r e

understandably reluctant to give it up.

Factors other than what a woman wants also play a role

in deciding whether or not a woman goes out to work. The

cost of living is high and people now expect a comfortable

h o m e wi th all m o d c o n s , fore ign ho l idays e a c h yea r ,

fashionable c lothes and so on, all of which cost money.

Very often, one salary is insufficient to meet the needs of a

family's m e m b e r s . As a result , the w o m a n is obl iged to

work in order to contribute financially to the family.

In conclusion, I believe that the decision about whether

a woman stays at home to raise her children or goes out to

w o r k i s o n e t h a t s h o u l d b e m a d e b y e a c h f ami ly

individually. Everyone 's si tuation is different and such a

wide va r i e ty of f a c t o r s m u s t be c o n s i d e r e d t h a t i t i s

impossible to come up with one rule for all.

___ Articles 3

an

Find w o r d s and phrases in the article that have a similar meaning to the w o r d s and phrases below.

a p roviding what each pe r son wan ts

b pu t off for some t ime, maybe forever

c suggested

d has a bad effect on

e angry towards

f unwill ing

g a re part ly responsib le for

h things in a house which m a k e it m o r e comfor tab le to live in

Look again at the article and answer the quest ions below.

a W h a t g rammat ica l s t ruc ture d o e s the wri ter use in the first sen tence of the second p a r a g r a p h to in t roduce the

opin ion tha t m o t h e r s should stay a t h o m e to ca re for the i r ch i ldren?

b W h a t example is used as justif ication of this op in ion?

c W h a t a rgumen t does the wri ter use to show that this op in ion is wrong?

d W h a t a rguments are ment ioned in the second pa ragraph to support the idea that this opinion is wrong?

e H o w m a n y factors does t he wri ter discuss in p a r a g r a p h t h r ee?

f W h i c h s t a t emen t is t rue of this art icle?

(i) T h e wri ter th inks tha t m o t h e r s should stay a t h o m e with the i r ch i ldren .

(ii) T h e wri ter th inks tha t m o t h e r s should go ou t to work.

(iii) T h e wri ter th inks tha t m o t h e r s should do what is bes t for their

family d e p e n d i n g on the i r own s i tuat ion.

H i

4 Look at Reference section 11 on page 89. Look at h o w this s e n t e n c e taken from the article can be rewritten.

it is known that chi ldren need stability in the i r lives.'

The impersonal and personal

passive structures can used to give

opinions in more formal writing.

... chi ldren are known to n e e d stability in the i r lives.

N o w rewrite the s e n t e n c e s b e l o w practising impersonal and personal passive structures.

a I t has b e e n r epo r t ed tha t o lder peop le benefit from spending t ime with younger m e m b e r s of their families.

O l d e r peop le

b A university educa t ion is said to be invaluable .

It

c Society is believed to benefit from these measu re s .

It

d I t was believed tha t pr ison was the mos t sui table pun i shmen t .

Pr ison

e Fami l ies have b e e n r epo r t ed to be having fewer chi ldren than in the past .

It

f I t was cons ide red that on- the- job t ra ining was be t t e r than theore t ica l knowledge .

On- the - job t ra ining

ig an issue

C h o o s e o n e of the quest ions b e l o w and wri te an article. C o m p l e t e the paragraph plan with notes before you start writing to help you organise your ideas.

gh'e a You recently w a t c h e d a television debate you found very interesting. The debate w a s about w h e t h e r

criminals should spend t ime in prison regardless of their crime. S o m e of the points made are outl ined below. You have dec ided to wr i te an article for your local newspaper comment ing on t h e s e points and giving your o w n opinion.

Why should tax payers' money be

spent on feeding, clothing and generally looking after criminals! Criminals should

be made to pay for their crimes in

other ways.

b You belong to your col lege debating soc ie ty and at tended a debate about w h e t h e r it is be t ter to have qualifications or e x p e r i e n c e w h e n looking for a job. The c o m m e n t s b e l o w w e r e made. You have decided to wri te an article for the col lege magazine discussing t h e s e c o m m e n t s and giving your o w n opinion.

All criminals Not all criminals

must be punished and ore a danger to society.

s. the best way to do this Shouldn't they be made to help

is by locking society through community

them up. service programmes?

Many professions demand certain

qualifications before you can even be considered for

a position.

Nothing can

prepare a person better for

a job than on-the-job

training.

Different people are

suited to different things and

not everyone excels in

the academic world-

I n t r o d u c t i o n I n t r o d u c e t he subject in a genera l way.

M a i n B o d y A n op in ion o n the subject

E x a m p l e

Argumen t ( s ) to suppor t this opin ion ...

A r g u m e n t ( s ) to refute this op in ion ...

C o n c l u s i o n Provide a s u m m a r y of your opinion.

17

Responding to generalisations

I Read the quest ion and the article b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

Your tu tor has s h o w n you the following e x t r a c t on t h e subject o f cr ime . You have been asked to wri te an article for t h e c o l l e g e magazine ent i t led Crime: genes or upbringing? W r i t e

your article taking the points raised on the right into considerat ion and giving your o w n opinion.

Until the second half of the nineteenth century, it

was widely accepted that it is something in a persons

biological makeup that determines whether or not he

will become a criminal. Since then, however, there

have been many theories which claim that criminality

is the result of factors in an individual's environment.

Crime: genes or upbringing?

Crime is no t a new problem in soc ie ty .

Even today , i n s t r u m e n t s of t o r t u r e used to

punish criminals dur ing the Middle Ages can

be s e e n on d i s p l a y in European c a s t l e s .

Al though p r e s e n t - d a y m e t h o d s of pun ish ing

c r i m i n a l b e h a v i o u r m a y b e a r l i t t le o r n o

r e s e m b l a n c e t o t h e b a r b a r i c m e t h o d s o f

centur ies past , opinions on w h a t causes cr ime

remain, to all intents and purposes , divided.

It is difficult for m a n y people to accept

t h e t h e o r y t h a t criminal b e h a v i o u r i s

de t e rmined biologically, t h a t a person is born

a criminal. Although the original evolutionary

t heo ry t h a t criminals had a cer ta in ape-like

appearance lost credence more than a century

ago, there are still criminologists who believe

t h a t t h e r e a r e inheri ted character traits which

cont r ibu te to criminal tendencies . Do we have

the r ight to condemn people from birth to a

life of cr ime in this way? Fur the rmore , if this

is the case, it could be argued that there is

no need for c r ime prevention, nor for criminal

rehabil i tat ion. If it is in some people's nature

to commit crimes, it follows t h a t t he re is little

p o i n t i n t r y i n g t o t e a c h t h e m t h a t such

behaviour is unacceptab le .

Difficult as i t may be to accep t heredi ty as

t h e c a u s e of crime, t h e argument that

c r i m i n a l b e h a v i o u r is dependent on t h e

ex te rna l environment In which the individual

lives is by no means i rrefutable. While it is

t r u e t h a t c r ime is w i d e s p r e a d in w h a t a r e

commonly known as ' b a d ' n e i g h b o u r h o o d s ,

studies have shown t h a t not all people who

are b rough t up in unfavourable c i rcumstances

a r e involved in criminal activity. Fur the rmore ,

it has been proved In s imi lar s tud ies t h a t

c r imes a r e also c o m m i t t e d by people f rom

w e l l - a d j u s t e d f a m i l i e s and good s o c i a l

c i rcumstances .

The v i ew t h a t a p e r s o n ' s g e n e s a r e

r e s p o n s i b l e f o r criminal b e h a v i o u r i s an

unpopular one, and it is d o u b t f u l t h a t a

person's character traits act In i so la t ion .

Therefore, l bel ieve it is f a i r to say t h a t

c r i m i n a l b e h a v i o u r c a n b e a t t r i b u t e d t o

individual t r a i t s in conjunction w i th socia l

influences.

•MMHHHM

Articles Responding to generalisations

2 C h o o s e the sentence , a or b, that best describes w h a t the wri ter is saying in each paragraph. Then read the four

s en tences t o g e t h e r to summarise the argument.

Paragraph I

Paragraph 2

a People still can't agree on the reasons for criminal behaviour, b The methods used to punish criminals are sometimes barbaric.

a Some criminologists believe that it is in some people 's nature to commit crimes, and that

these people look alike,

b Some criminologists maintain that criminal behaviour is hereditary, although this opinion

may be difficult to accept.

Paragraph 3 a It is easier to accept that people 's involvement in criminal activity is due to an unfavourable upbringing,

b Ano the r theory which proposes that people develop criminal behaviour as a result of being brought up in adverse conditions is also debatable.

Paragraph 4 a Crime is probably caused by a combination of character traits and social influences.

b As the argument that crime is caused by a person's genes is unpopular , it is more likely

that social influences are to blame.

Tip I WËËÊÊËËÊËËÊËËËËËËÈËÊËËËÊÊÈÊÊËËËËËÊÊ . ..

•MMBBMMMHNHHMHHHMflMBHi

Although you are not expected to be an expert on the subject you are writing about, it is important that your writing is

convincing. One way to achieve this is by supporting statements you make with explanations or examples.

3 Read the article again and answer the following quest ions.

a W h y d o e s t he wr i te r m e n t i o n in s t rumen t s of t o r t u r e on display in E u r o p e a n castles?

b H o w d o e s t he wr i te r express he r difficulty in accept ing t h e a r g u m e n t tha t c r iminal behav iou r i s he red i t a ry?

c W h a t explanat ion does the wri ter give for the a r g u m e n t tha t the re is no n e e d for c r ime prevent ion , no r for cr iminal

rehabi l i ta t ion?

d W h a t evidence does t he wri ter give to refute the a r g u m e n t tha t cr iminal behav iour i s d e p e n d e n t on t h e external

env i ronment in which the individual lives?

Find phrases in the article which mean the same as:

a a re no t like

b in a lmost every way

c if it is t rue

d it is logical that

e not at all

if

Articles Responding to generalisations

5 The wri ter used three c o m p o u n d adjectives in the model article. Read Reference section 2c on page 86 and then underline the three c o m p o u n d adjectives that appear in the article.

6 N o w rewrite the following s e n t e n c e s using c o m p o u n d adjectives.

a M a n y peop le w h o m e a n well actually do m o r e h a r m than good.

b Locals have to put up with tour is ts in high spirits making a lot of noise late

at night.

c F o r the reasons which I m e n t i o n e d above, I believe that new legislation

mus t be in t roduced immediate ly .

d Scientists w h o a re famous all over t he world have been asked to con t r ibu te

to the research p r o g r a m m e .

e I t is only fair tha t peop le w h o work h a rd a re r ewarded for their effort.

7 Based on the article on page 18, put the paragraph plan b e l o w into the correc t order.

a Discuss o n e of the views m e n t i o n e d in the ques t ion, suppor t ing

s t a t emen t s with examples and explanat ions .

b I n t roduce the subject in genera l t e rms and then indicate that t he re are

different views on the subject.

c R e a c h a conclusion, summar i s ing your pe rsona l opin ion in two or

t h r e e sen tences .

d Discuss the o the r view m e n t i o n e d in the ques t ion . Again, suppor t

s t a t emen t s with examples and explanat ions .

It is not necessary to agree or disagree with one of the opinions expressed in the question. The important thing to remember

is that you must discuss the views mentioned, but you can come to your own conclusion, which could be a compromise.

io generalise

en C h o o s e o n e of the quest ions b e l o w and answer the quest ions about i t before you wri te your article.

a You work in a local travel agency. Your employer has s h o w n you the following extract on the subject of tourism. He has asked you write an article for the local newspaper discussing the subject. W r i t e your article responding to the points made b e l o w and giving your o w n opinion.

Local people arc, once again, at loggerheads over the local tourism industry. Some people

believe thai commercialism is destroying the area, both environmentally and culturally,

while others welcome the financial prosperity that visitors to the area bring.

Your tutor has s h o w n you the following extract on the subject of genetically modified food. You have been asked to wri te an article for the col lege magazine discussing the subject. W r i t e your article taking the points raised b e l o w into considerat ion and giving your o w n opinion.

The subject of genetically modified food is one which is becoming increasingly difficult to

ignore. While it is true that GM foods can provide plant resistance to drought, disease

and insects, critics say they are potentially hazardous to the environment and to human health.

W h a t do you know about the subject in genera l?

ii) W h a t examples or explana t ions can you th ink of for the first op in ion m e n t i o n e d ?

iii) W h a t examples or explanat ions can you th ink of for t he second opinion m e n t i o n e d ?

Do you agree or d isagree with o n e of t he opin ions expressed in the ques t ion?

Can you th ink of a tit le for your art icle?

Letters Describing

Read t h e ques t ion and t h e l e t t e r b e l o w and t h e n c o m p l e t e t h e exe rc i se s t h a t follow.

^25£g5 \Z£S2S£ W^JST ° f t h e h Y T ' S t U , d £ n t S h 3 V e b e e n a s k e d - w r i t e c o m p e t i t i o n and L p l a i r i n J w h y ^ W h , C h t 6 a C h e r ^ t h i n k d e s e r v e s * > win t h e

Dear Sir /Madam,

When I f i rs t hea rd abou t t he competi t ion to find the T e a c h e r of the Yea r , one

name sp rang to mind immediately: Mr David Canavan. He has t a u g h t me law

for t h r ee y e a r s now and, in my opinion, this man is more than wor thy

of the title.

One of the cha rac te r i s t i c s t h a t makes Mr Canavan so much more than a

run-of-the-mill t e a c h e r is his enthusiasm for his subject, it is impossible to sit

t h rough one of his lectures and not be caugh t up in it. He m a n a g e s to hold

his s tudents ' a t t en t ion and make w h a t is a potentially dull subject come to

life th rough his examples and anecdotes .

His knowledge and exper t i se is, wi thout doubt, as extensive as his

memory , in the t h r ee y e a r s I've known him as a t eache r , l have never once

seen him re fe r to notes, a t ex t book or even s tumble th rough w h a t he has to

re la te to us. Fur the rmore , he is a lways punctual and well p r e p a r e d , showing

t h a t he r e spec t s his j o b and the s tudents in his classes. In turn, his

s tuden t s give him the r e spec t t h a t he deserves and, as a result, his classes

a r e a lways packed.

Another t r a i t which mus t be ment ioned is his approachabi l i ty . His door is

a lways open and s tudents a r e welcome to drop by with queries f rom a lecture

or to talk to him abou t something t h a t is t roubling them. I remember very

clearly one occasion when l was in t he f irs t y e a r of my course. I had taken

Company Law as one of my subjects and Mr Canavan was the t eache r . I had

arranged to spend one month working in a company, r e sea rch ing the effect of new

technology on a small business, but the placement fell t h rough at the last moment .

Mr Canavan came to my rescue and sugges ted t h a t I should research

a legal Issue working f rom his office, which is exact ly w h a t l did.

was full of in teres t and encouragement and the cancellation of my

f i rs t placement turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

As fa r as l am concerned, the decision of who is T e a c h e r of the

Year' is easy to make: Mr David Canavan.

Yours faithfully,

James Hudson

2 2

Describing

In this kind of letter it is very important to support your choice of person with justification for the points you make. Look at James' letter again and comple te the table below.

Charac ter i s t i c Justification

a enthusiastic

b having extensive knowledge/memory

——.———•—•— ——— — 1—• —• —

c respects his subject and students

d approachable

: o r which of the characteristics d o e s James also give an example?

\ o w imagine a person with the following characteristics. W h a t examples could be given that would justify the person being characterised in this way?

hard-work ing

dishonest

to le ran t

amusing

na r row-minded

Look at Reference section 2 on page 86 and compare these sentences :

He is punc tua l and well p r epa red .

He is a punctua l , we l l -p repared man.

Comple te t h e s e sentences , convert ing from o n e form to the other.

a He is a dishonest , hypocrit ical man .

b He is hones t and hard-working .

c She is an intell igent, b r o a d - m i n d e d w o m a n .

d He is r ude and i l l -mannered.

e She is cheerful and g o o d - h u m o u r e d .

Read the question below and complete the table with characteristics and justification in support of them. Remember tha t the person you describe d o e s not have to be real as long as the description you give is believable.

Your local newspaper is running a competit ion. It is inviting readers to write letters nominating o n e of their neighbours for the annual 'Neighbour of the Year' award. You know s o m e o n e w h o deserves this award and decide to write to the newspaper. Wri t e your letter, saying w h o your neighbour is and explaining why they deserve to win the award.

Charac ter i s t i c Justification

[PK1 WHß j l

SHHii^&SBifiiiî* •' B ! 3

Letters Describing

The quest ion on page 22 required a description of a person's character. O t h e r quest ions may require s o m e kind of narrative description or a physical description as well. Look at the quest ion b e l o w and then read the let ter putting the verbs in brackets into the correc t narrative t ense .

You have recently read an article in a magazine entitled The most unpleasant person I have ever m e t At the end of it, the wri ter asked readers to wri te in with their o w n stories . You have decided to wri te a letter to the magazine about a person you used to w o r k with. W r i t e your letter.

D e a r S i r /Madam,

After r ead ing your article en t i t led ' T h e mos t unp leasan t p e r s o n I have ever met ' , I felt I just h a d to wri te a n d tell

you of my own exper ience tha t involves s o m e o n e I used to work with, Mr Lampi t t .

I (1) (work) for a big engineer ing firm called Mardex . I (2)

(s tar t ) as a jun io r typist, bu t after a few m o n t h s , I (3) ( p r o m o t e ) to t he posi t ion of

secretary to Mr W a l t o n , a kind, g o o d - h u m o u r e d m a n of abou t fifty. He (4) (be) very

pa t ien t and to le ran t a n d (5) (always he lp) me w h e n I m a d e mis takes . Bu t everything

(6) (change) w h e n Mr Lampi t t , t he new a r ea manage r , arr ived a t ou r office one day.

I (7) (arr ive) at t he office early that day a n d w h e n I (8) ( en te r )

the bui lding, I (9) (see) a big, aggressive-looking, midd le -aged m a n s tanding in t he lobby.

He (10) (wear) a da rk b lue suit and (11) (carry)

an umbre l l a . 'I 'm Lampi t t , t he a r ea manage r , ' he said. ' W h e r e ' s W a l t o n ? A n d w h o are you? W h a t do

you do h e r e ? ' I told h im and (12) (show) h im into Mr W a l t o n ' s office. Mr W a l t o n

(13) (come) in a few minu tes la ter , with his usual friendly smile, bu t his face

(14) (feU) w h e n he saw Lampi t t . He (15) (suddenly look)

t i red and worr ied .

Af te r t h a t Mr L a m p i t t (16) ( c o m e ) t o see u s a t r e g u l a r in terva ls . He even

(17) (br ing) a m a n called Jackson with h im, an efficiency exper t . He (18)

(be) a thin-faced, un t rus twor thy fellow. Jackson used to spy on us and m a k e no tes abou t ou r work. L a m p i t t u sed to

shout and accuse us of be ing inefficient, lazy and useless. P o o r Mr W a l t o n (19) (change)

overnight . In a few m o n t h s his hai r (20) (go) whi te and his face (21)

(grow) t i red and old. He (22) (ask) for early r e t i r emen t a n d (23) ( leave)

best of a bad lot. Y o u can c o m e and work for me at t he a r ea office if you like. ' 'No , t hank you, Mr Lampi t t , ' I

repl ied. T expect my boss to be pol i te , g o o d - t e m p e r e d and p leasant . ' Y o u should have seen the look on his face!

I shall never forget i t or h im, t he mos t unp leasan t pe r son I have ever me t .

Y o u r s faithfully,

Sue C r o s s m a n

the firm.

I (24) (

( leave) Mardex , I (26)

(get) a job with Bradshaw's , a n o t h e r firm in t he a rea . T h e day I (25)

) (see) Mr Lampi t t . T see you ' r e still he re , ' he said. T suppose you ' r e t he

Describing Letters 5

The letter has five paragraphs. Which paragraph matches the following points? W r i t e the correc t paragraph

number on the dot ted line.

a Last mee t ing with Mr Lampi t t

b First m e e t i n g with Mr Lampi t t

c I n t roduc t ion

d Lampi t t ' s effect on t he staff

e S o m e backg round informat ion

Read the letter again and answer the quest ions b e l o w about Mr Wal ton and Mr Lampitt.

a W h a t adjectives does Sue use to descr ibe Mr Wa l ton ' s charac te r?

b D o e s Sue descr ibe Mr Lampi t t ' s charac te r or his a p p e a r a n c e ?

c W h a t effect did Mr Lampi t t have on Mr W a l t o n ?

d W h a t does this change in Mr W a l t o n show us ab o u t Mr Lampi t t ' s charac te r?

e W h a t examples does Sue use to re inforce he r op in ion of his cha rac te r?

Read this quest ion and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plan that fol lows.

You have recently read an article in a magazine entitled The most interesting person I have ever met. At the end of it, the wri ter asked readers to write in with their o w n exper iences . You have decided to wri te a letter to t h e magazine about s o m e o n e you know. W r i t e your letter.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Sta te tha t he /she is t h e mos t interesting person you have ever met.

Main B o d y

C o n c l u s i o n Sta te w h e t h e r you still see t he pe r son .

C h o o s e ei ther the letter in exercise 5 or 9 and wri te your letter. U s e the notes you have made to help you.

Tip Remember to support your choice of person with justification for the points you make.

Letters Giving opinions

Read the quest ion and the letter b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You s e e the following extracts from t w o letters printed in a magazine.

In my opinion, the subjects taught at school are not relevant to real life, and young people are ill-prepared for survival in today's cut-throat world. Ian Thompson, businessman

It is our duty to provide the younger generat ion with a general educat ion of academic value, regardless of the skills needed to survive in the job market. Sandra Brown, teacher

The magazine is inviting readers to express their v iews on the subject of the aims of education. You dec ide to write a letter to the magazine, responding to the points raised and express ing your o w n views.

Sir,

l am wr i t ing in response to

the le t ters recently published

in your magazine r e g a r d i n g

the aims of education, while

the subject of education is

one which has always been

c o n t r o v e r s i a l , i t is s lowly

b e i n g accepted that

educators are responsible not

only f o r s t u d e n t s ' general

k n o w l e d g e , b u t a l s o f o r

providing young people with

skills for living.

M a n y people feel that

so-cal led academic sub jec t s

s h o u l d b e s t u d i e d b y

e v e r y o n e , r e g a r d l e s s o f

s t u d e n t i n t e r e s t o r abi l i ty .

Some o l d e r people be l i eve

t h a t , j u s t a s t h e y h a d t o

s t r u g g l e to p a s s e x a m s in

subjects t h a t would prove to

be of v e r y l i t t le p r a c t i c a l

v a l u e t o t h e m i n t h e i r

w o r k i n g l ives , s o t o d a y ' s

s tudents should be forced to

do the same. Many t eache r s

believe t h a t s tudents must be

exposed to certain subjec ts

s u c h a s l i t e r a t u r e a n d

classical languages during the

course of their school y e a r s

precisely because it is highly

unlikely they will come into

c o n t a c t w i th such sub j ec t s

la ter on in life.

On the o the r hand, a l though

t e a c h e r s m a y have a point

regarding t h e r e a s o n s f o r

cer ta in subjects being t a u g h t

a t s c h o o l , i t h a s b e c o m e

i n c r e a s i n g l y a p p a r e n t ove r

r e c e n t y e a r s t h a t s t u d e n t s

m u s t a l s o b e g i v e n t h e

o p p o r t u n i t y to acquire t h e

skills required In t he world

for w h i c h t h e y a r e

supposed ly be ing prepared.

Many employers complain of

skills shor tages , claiming t h a t

t he y o u n g people of t o d a y

a r e i l l - e q u i p p e d t o a p p l y

t h e o r e t i c a l knowledge to a

career. Moreover, as many

s t u d e n t s f i n d t h e m o r e

academic l e s s o n s b o r i n g ,

t h e y h a v e n o i n t e r e s t i n

s t a y i n g o n a t school a n d ,

consequent ly , e n t e r t he j o b

m a r k e t with no qualifications

or skills.

i t is, t h e r e f o r e , e s s e n t i a l

t h a t s t u d e n t s h a v e t h e

o p p o r t u n i t y t o s t u d y w h a t

a r e k n o w n a s v o c a t i o n a l

s u b j e c t s , such a s b u s i n e s s

a n d informat ion technology,

a s wel l a s t h e m o r e

academic s u b j e c t s , in t h i s

w a y , students can be

provided w i t h k n o w l e d g e

a n d p r a c t i c a l skil ls w h i c h

a r e m o r e l ikely t o p r o v e

useful in t h e i r a d u l t lives,

bu t no t a t t he expense of

more academic qualifications.

I look forward to s e e i n g

my l e t t e r p u b l i s h e d in a

for thcoming issue.

Sam Henderson

Giving opinions Letters

1 \ o w read the letter again and answer the following quest ions.

- which paragraph d o e s Sam:

j give her side of the a rgumen t , giving examples and saying w h o suppor t s her view?

b think of o n e or two ideas for t he o t h e r side of t he issue a n d say w h a t sort of p e o p l e

/.re likely to suppor t t h e m ?

c explain why she is wri t ing?

i express h o p e that h e r le t te r will be pub l i shed?

e in t roduce t he subject in genera l t e rms?

f first suggest which side she is on?

summarise her pe rsona l op in ion?

>ay to wha t extent she disagrees with the a rgumen t s , and give reasons?

' . : .v answer these quest ions about the letter.

a The wri ter men t ions the opin ions of t h r ee kinds of people . W h o a re they?

b W h o believes tha t schools must teach academic subjects because i t is the only chance chi ldren will have

:o learn about t h e m ?

c W h o believes tha t today ' s s tudents should be m a d e to study academic subjects whe the r or not they a re

in te res ted in t h e m , or good a t t h e m ?

d W h o believes tha t young peop le are not p r e p a r e d for the workp lace?

e W h o does t he wri ter part ly agree wi th?

H o w does the wri ter m a n a g e to incorpora te everyone 's views in he r conclus ion?

Although you must have an opinion on the subject to answer a question like the

one in the model it is not necessary for you to be completely for or against a

subject in order to write about it.

Letters Giving opinions

4 Study Connectors and modifiers on page 94 . W h i c h w o r d s or phrases has the writer used to:

a establish ba lance /cont ras t two things (pa rag raph 1)

b indicate an a l ternat ive point of view? (pa rag raph 3)

c i n t roduce a second reason of a different kind, bu t o n e

that has the s ame resul t as the first? (pa rag raph 3)

d indicate the logical deve lopmen t of an a r g u m e n t ? ( p a r a g r a p h 3)

5 N o w fill the gaps using suitable c o n n e c t o r s and modifiers from the box.

according to as a general rule as a result however on the other hand personally

a T o o many peop le a re studying med ic ine , t he re will be lots of u n e m p l o y e d doc tors in

t he n e a r future.

b On the o n e hand , we canno t s tand in the way of scientific progress , some p e o p l e

w o n d e r if it 's r ight to in terfere with na tu re .

c I would like to go to university , it won ' t be the end of the wor ld if I don ' t get in.

d scientists, h u m a n cloning will, o n e day, be a rou t ine p r o c e d u r e .

e S o m e p e o p l e believe tha t taking a year ou t is a waste of t ime , I think it 's a perfect

oppor tun i ty to th ink carefully abou t t he future,

f , only a small pe r cen t age of pr i son inmates a re actually a t h rea t to the communi ty .

6 Look at the quest ion b e l o w and answer the quest ions .

You s e e the following extracts taken from t w o letters printed in your local newspaper. You decide to wri te a letter to the newspaper, responding to the points raised and express ing your o w n views.

In my opinion, criminals are a menace to society. They should be kept o u t of harm's way. I say we lock them up and t h r o w away the key! Nora Robins, senior citizen

Too much taxpayers' m o n e y is spent on the upkeep of prisons. W h y should we have to foo t the bill? The criminals should pay, not the law-abiding public! Brian Chambers, civil servant

Giving opinions Letters

What does N o r a m e a n by 'cr iminals are a m e n a c e to society"?

Is this always t rue? Why/Why no t?

W h a t a re t he consequences o l locking t h e m up and throwing away the key";

Do you agree with Br ian ' s po in t of view in theory? Why/Why n o t ?

Is the re any way pr i soners could pay for the m a i n t e n a n c e of pr isons?

••• j s e Sam's letter to help you organise your opinions : a pa ragraph plan and then write your letter. Don't forget to mention the kind of people who hold the

opinions you discuss in your letter.

•-z :he quest ion b e l o w and, before you write your letter, ask yourself quest ions , as in exerc ise 6 above, belp you think of ideas.

fou s e e the following extracts taken from t w o letters printed in a magazine.

N o b o d y can stand in the way of scientific progress. Human cloning will, o n e day in the not t o o distant future, be a routine procedure .

Jan Smythe, scientist

It isn't right to interfere with nature like that. We have no idea what the psychological c o n s e q u e n c e s of being a c lone could be!

James Witherspoon, social worker

The magazine is inviting readers to express their views on the subject of human cloning. You decide to write a letter to the magazine, responding to the points raised and express ing your o w n views.

7 Letters Complaining

I Read the quest ion and the letter b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

As a regular c u s t o m e r of a particular airline, you w e r e surprised at their inability to c o p e with an unexpec ted situation. You have decided to wri te a letter to the airline. W r i t e a letter of complaint describing what happened, and saying what you think the airline should have done .

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to draw your attention to the inconvenience caused to passengers by the lightning

strike of your pilots last Thursday, July 2nd, affecting a number of flights. Among them was HA 5295

to Barcelona, a flight I take at regular intervals. While I realise that the strike took place at short

notice, your preparat ion for such emergencies is clearly inadequate.

I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 2 at 10am, two and a half hours before the flight was due to take

off. There was no indication on the TV monitor that, together with some others, it had just been

cancelled. As only two of the six Hispanic check-in counters were manned, the queues were already

very long, but during the forty minutes I stood in one of them, no at tempt was made to inform

passengers of cancellat ions. W h e n I reached the front of the queue, I was asked by one of the

ground staff 1) (decide) immediately if I was willing

to fly via Madrid, which would mean a three-hour delay. When I asked her why the flight

2) (cancel), she said that she 3) (not know), and she

made 'no apology for the inconvenience caused.

In my opinion, the cancellation of the flight 4) (announce) as soon

as it was known that the incoming flight had not left Barcelona. All six check-in counters

5) (man) in order to deal with the additional problems caused, and

passengers in the queues 6) (inform) of the situation while queuing. If that

7) (do), they 8) (have) time to consider

alternatives and telephone relatives before making a decision. Above all, some apology

9) (make) for the delay.

If your pilots persist in irresponsible actions of this kind and you

are not bet ter organised to cope with the problems that arise, it is

almost certain that you will lose custom to compet ing airlines. I

would be interested to hear what you propose to do to avoid

such situations in future.

30

Complaining

~-e writer used reported speech t o explain what happened at the check-in desk. Study Reference section 16 on page 9 1 . Read the letter again and c o m p l e t e the s e c o n d paragraph by putting the verbs in : — ckets into the correc t form, using the passive w h e r e necessary.

Iz.zy Reference section 4 c on page 8 7 and Reference section 17 on page 9 1 . Then read the letter again and : : ~ o l e t e it by putting the verbs in brackets in the third paragraph into the correc t form, using the passive - ~ = r e necessary.

_;<:< at the informal complaint below.

W h y weren't passengers in the queues informed of the situation while queuing?

- i r e a corresponding s e n t e n c e in the model letter and wri te it below.

-e writer then g o e s on to explain what would have happened in different circumstances:

I f ± j t had b e e n d o n e , they would have h a d t ime to cons ider a l ternat ives and t e l e p h o n e relatives before mak ing a

aeciaon."

I~£.-ge these complaints from informal to m o r e formal and use the w o r d s in brackets to form a conditional sercence explaining what people would have done .

a Why didn ' t you m a n all the check-in coun te r s? (have e n o u g h staff on duty, passengers no t have to spend so long

:r. the q u e u e )

b Why didn ' t you explain t he s i tuat ion to t he pas senge r? (tell h im, no t lose his t e m p e r )

c Why d idn ' t you apologise for t he delay? (apologise , p e o p l e no t get so angry)

d Why didn ' t t he pi lots give advance not ice of t he s tr ike? (warn peop le , m a n y passengers stay at h o m e )

It is important that you make your points in a firm but polite manner when

writing a letter of complaint. This is best done using formal language.

Letters Complaining

6 Based on t h e l e t t e r on page 30, put the paragraph plan b e l o w into the correc t order. W r i t e Introduction, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Conclusion.

Explain what h a p p e n e d .

Say what will h a p p e n if no th ing is d o n e to avoid this h a p p e n i n g again. R e q u e s t

a reply.

Desc r ibe what should have h a p p e n e d , in your opinion.

Give r eason for wri t ing; m e n t i o n n a t u r e of p rob lem.

7 The paragraph n o t e s b e l o w are in answer to the quest ion in exerc ise I. Put them into the correc t order according to the plan in exercise 6.

N i N i V i V N i T i S i V N i T i N i

Why didn' t they ensure all luggage transferred before Edinburgh

plane took off?

Why didn ' t they wa i t till morning to deliver brown suitcase?

Why didn ' t they r ead the label and deliver blue sui tcase properly?

Why w e r e staff in Edinburgh rude and not apologetic when

complained?

Expect explanat ion. Otherwise, will not t ravel by Ailing again

Ailing Airlines Flights AA999 from Athens to London and AB000

from London to Edinburgh, lune 24th. Luggage not t r a n s f e r r e d

Brown suitcase delivered Kirriemuir 2.00 am, |une 25th. Blue

sui tcase not delivered. Telephone call to airline office in Edinburgh

indicated sent by mis take to Munich. Too late to send it to

Kirriemuir, so told t hem to send it to home a d d r e s s in Athens.

8 Although perfectly acceptable, o n e of the paragraph n o t e s above d o e s not fol low the plan in exerc ise 6. W h i c h o n e is it?

Complaining Letters

_ - : • -: t he quest ions below, think of a situation for each o n e and comple te the paragraph plans which fol low with

: . - ; e a s .

a You are a keen cinema-goer. A film festival recently held at your local c inema failed to live up to your expectat ions . You have decided to write a letter to the cinema manager. W r i t e a letter of complaint, describing what happened, and saying what you think should have happened.

I n t r o d u c t i o n R e a s o n for writ ing?

N a t u r e of p r o b l e m ?

P a r a g r a p h 2 W h a t h a p p e n e d ?

P a r a g r a p h 3 W h a t should have h a p p e n e d ?

C o n c l u s i o n W h a t will h a p p e n if no th ing is d o n e ?

R e q u e s t a reply.

You recently had a w e e k e n d break at a luxury hotel . Desp i te the assurances of the travel agent w h o booked the w e e k e n d break, the hotel did not live up to your expectat ions . You have decided to wri te a letter to the travel agent. W r i t e a letter of complaint, describing what happened, and saying what you think should have happened.

I n t r o d u c t i o n R e a s o n for wri t ing?

N a t u r e of p r o b l e m ?

P a r a g r a p h 2 W h a t h a p p e n e d ?

P a r a g r a p h 3 W h a t should have h a p p e n e d ?

C o n c l u s i o n W h a t will h a p p e n if no th ing is d o n e ?

R e q u e s t a reply.

N o w wri te a letter in answer to o n e of the quest ions above, using your paragraph plan, and taking the things you

-ave learnt in this unit into considerat ion.

Do not express anger or indignation too forcefully. If you appear too aggressive

or emotional, you lose credibility and your letter is not as persuasive.

3 3

Letters Applying for a job

I Read the quest ion and the letter b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

A charity organisation is looking for peop le w h o would be willing to w o r k on a voluntary basis at a s u m m e r camp for physically disabled teenagers . Volunteers would need to be available for a minimum period of t w o w e e k s in July or August. W r i t e a letter saying that you would like to be cons idered for the job and explaining why.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am wr i t ing in reply to your adve r t i s emen t t h a t appeared in the Swansea Gazet te last

week. I have h e a r d many good things abou t your organisa t ion and the summer camps

it runs and, the re fore , I would like to be considered as a volunteer at this y e a r ' s camp.

Currently I am in full-time education and attend the Swansea College of Higher Education.

As you a r e probably aware, s tudents have considerable vacation time in the summer and,

as a result, I would be available for any two-week period during July or August.

Despite the f a c t t h a t I have never worked with disabled people, I feel t h a t I have a lot

to offer. I am enthusiast ic and enjoy working as a t e a m member. I can imagine that

being part of a summer camp would be very r ew a rd i n g and I see it as an oppor tuni ty

to m e e t new people and form new fr iendships. I am not a f ra id of h a rd work and am fit

and healthy.

I have a lways loved sport , especially swimming. At the age of seven, I joined the Swansea

Swimming Club and af ter two or th ree years, I became a member of the junior swimming

t eam. While at college, my love of swimming has Increased and I now coach children

two evenings a week. I also belong to the college basketbal l t eam. I believe my interes t

in swimming, and in spor t in general , is something I can sha re and pass on to the

teenagers at the camp, as sport is something t h a t lots of people can enjoy in spite of

physical limitations. Fur the rmore , I successfully completed a f i rs t-aid course last summer

run by the Red Cross organisa t ion.

Your adve r t i s emen t gave no details abou t w h a t the job would involve and, for this

reason, I would welcome an oppor tuni ty to mee t you so

summer camp and what my duties would be. It would

also give you the chance to decide if l am suitable

for the work involved. I am available mos t mornings

and weekends as my classes a r e all in the a f te rnoon.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Kevin Lockhart

could find out more abou t the

Applying for a job Letters

Read Kevin's letter again and decide which paragraph:

a tells us a bou t Kevin 's availability.

b reques t s a mee t ing .

e gives r easons for Kevin want ing the j ob .

d tells us abou t Kevin 's skills/qualifications.

e explains the pu rpose of the let ter .

Kevin supports his application with a number of points. Look back at his letter and find examples of:

a personal i ty t rai ts

b interests

c qualifications

In letters of application, hypothetical situations are often referred to . Look at the clauses b e l o w and find them in <evin's letter. Read them in c o n t e x t and say w h e t h e r they refer to real or hypothetical situations. W r i t e R for real i - d H for hypothetical.

a s tudents have cons iderab le vacat ion t ime

b being par t of a s u m m e r c a m p would be very reward ing

I am not afraid of ha rd work

: I jo ined the Swansea Swimming Club

c sport is someth ing that anyone can do in spi te of physical l imi ta t ions

f Your adver t i sement gave no details

2 what the job would involve

h what my dut ies would be

i I am available mos t morn ings and w e e k e n d s

j my classes a re all in t he a f te rnoon

x k again at the clauses you w r o t e H against . Which verb form is used to show tha t t he s i tuat ion is hypothet ica l?

. iirse, would + bare infinitive can also be used to express o the r things.

~.i a c lause in Kevin ' s l e t t e r t ha t uses would + bare infinitive b u t d o e s no t refer to a hypothet ica l s i tuat ion. W h y has

:n used this verb form?

Letters Applying for a job

5 N o w read this quest ion and Vivien's letter below. C o m p l e t e her letter by putting the verbs in brackets in the m o s t suitable form. Think carefully about w h e t h e r the clauses refer to real or hypothetical situations.

Every year, the university you attend participates in a two-day nat ionwide s tudent conference . The subject of the conference is the value of university life beyond the lecture rooms . The university has dec ided to send t w o students to the conference and will pay all their e x p e n s e s . The university is inviting students to apply in writing, explaining why they should be chosen to represent the university and what they would learn from the exper ience . You have decided to apply. W r i t e your letter.

Dear Sir/Madam.

I am writing to put myself forward as a representative for the student conference to be held in

Birmingham later this year.

Throughout my time here, I (1) (take) an active part in university life, namely

the student union and the debating society, and believe that I (2) (benefit)

enormously as a result. Fur thermore , I (3) (be) an articulate individual and I

(4) (be) more than capable of communicating my experiences to other

students, given the chance to do so.

As many students in their first year do, I (5) (join) the student union within a few

days of arriving at university. I soon (6) (become) involved in the organisation of

the very popular quiz nights T Ins (7) (lead) to a position on the enter tainment committee,

of which I (8) ., ( ' • . i now chairperson. I (9) (take) pride in the events we

organise and I (10) (believe) that an active social life is very important to

students, particularly as man;. ( ! ! ) (live) away from home for the first t ime. The

student union (12) (be) a place where they can form friendships above and beyond those

they will have with students on the same courses as themselves.

I (13) (also enjoy) being a m e m b e r of the debat ing society,

which not only (14) (provide) the opportunity of hearing varied opinions on

wide-ranging subjects, but (15) (also be) a stimulating way to pass an evening.

Taking part in a debate is a challenge that (16) (give) students the chance to hone

their public speaking skills, which (17) (stand) them in good stead later in life.

Although I (18) (not be) someone who plays sport regularly. I (19) (be)

very aware of the variety of sports available both here on campus and on weekend excursions and day

trips. Friends of mine who (20) (take) advantage of such facilities and

opportunit ies speak highly of them. This (21) (be) another area of university life which I

(22) (be) quick to comment on at the conference.

Finally, to be chosen to represent our university at the conference (23) (be) an

honour. 1 (24) (undoubtedly find) it a rewarding experience and

(25) (hopefully be able to) bring back information and ideas from

other students attending other universities around the country.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully.

Vivien Cunniniiham

Letters Applying for a job

• ; ; vien's letter is slightly different to Kevin's in that she gives examples of her o w n exper iences which support her app ication. Look again at her letter and say which paragraph(s):

a tells us why Vivien th inks she is sui table.

b tells us wha t Vivien feels she would gain from the exper ience .

c aive examples of what Vivien and people she knows have gained from university life. and

d explains the p u r p o s e of t he le t ter .

: e i c t h e quest ions b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plans. Then c h o o s e o n e of the quest ions and wri te a letter.

a You have s e e n an adver t i sement for a t e m p o r a r y s u m m e r job at the tourist information centre , run by t h e local council, in the t o w n w h e r e you live. You have decided to apply for the job. W r i t e a letter of application, saying why you want the job and giving details of any relevant skills and qualifications you have.

1 n t r o d u c t i o n R e a s o n for wri t ing?

Main B o d y W h y you want the j o b ?

Re levan t skills/qualifications?

C o n c l u s i o n R e q u e s t meet ing/ in terv iew?

: You w o r k for a large international company. The company has decided to send three e m p l o y e e s to work in one of their offices abroad for a period of six w e e k s . Travel and hotel e x p e n s e s will be covered. Employees wishing to be cons idered for this opportunity must write a letter of application, saying w h e n they would be able to go, why they should be chosen for this trip and what they h o p e to learn from such an exper ience .

I n t r o d u c t i o n P u r p o s e of the le t te r?

Main B o d y Availabili ty?

Suitabili ty? (+ examples in suppor t )

C o n c l u s i o n L e a r n from the exper ience?

When you have finished writing your letter, look again at the verb tenses and forms you have used. Make sure you use ould + bare infinitive when you refer to a hypothetical situation.

Essays Expressing opinions

I Read the quest ion and the essay b e l o w and then do the exerc ises that follow.

Your teacher s h o w s you t w o extracts taken from articles about the future of entertainment .

Things are progressing so far that

electronic games and technological

entertainment will make the live arts

obsolete in the future.

Nothing can replace the excitement of sitting in a crowded

theatre waiting for the curtain to go up. Live arts will never

die out because that feeling cannot be aroused by computer

games and DVDs.

Your teacher asks you to wri te an essay on w h a t will happen to live art in the future. W r i t e your essay responding to the points raised and express ing your o w n opinion.

No one would d i sagree with the s t a t e m e n t t h a t technology (1) (progress)

in leaps and bounds, par t icular ly in recent years, and nowhere is this more evident than in the field

of en te r t a inmen t . With the invention of electronic games , home cinema sys tems and virtual reality,

it (2) (be) little wonder that some people (3) (say) the t h e a t r e and

o ther forms of live art (4) (become) o u t d a t e d and disappear In the

y e a r s to come.

However, the live a r t s (5) (provide) something t h a t technology cannot.

The ant ic ipat ion a f t e r booking your seats, be it to see a play or bear a concert, coupled with the

exc i tement of a live performance cannot be recreated by a DVD or a CD, no m a t t e r how good the

quality is. As long as the experience of live a r t offers something more than technology does, it will

never become obsolete.

The danger (6) (be), though, t h a t technology (7) (progress) very

quickly and it (8) (be) logical to assume t h a t it (9) (continue)

its r a c e to c r e a t e a new experience or the ultimate sound system, in this case, the live a r t s as we

know them (10) (adversely affect), i t . m a y be tha t , in the future ,

people (IT) (not need) to leave the comfort o f ' t h e i r own homes: technology

m a y br ing the experience of the live arts to t hem at home. This (12) (be)

even more credible when you (13) (consider) that the you th of t o d a y m o r e

t h a n ever before (14) (be used to) being su r rounded by hi-tech equipment

and (15) (be able to) while away their time playing games, wa tch ing the

la tes t films or listening to their favour i te bands all at the touch of a button or two. This genera t ion

(16) (grow up) with electronic g a m e s and technological e n t e r t a i n m e n t and

(17) (have) no need for t h e a t r e s and concert halls.

It (18) (be) sad to say, but I do believe that the live arts

(19) (suffer) because of technological advances in the world of en t e r t a inmen t .

I only hope t h a t t h e r e (20) (be) enough people in the future who want to

experience music or drama live so that the live a r t s do not become completely obsolete.

Expressing opinions ^ ^ B 9 : 'e-'erence sections 18 a, b and c on pages 91 and 92 . Then read the essay again, complet ing it with the

: : - - 5 " : o r m of the verbs in brackets. Be careful because o n e of them needs passive voice .

_ : : :ne essay again and answer the following quest ions.

a H o w has the wri ter avoided giving away her po in t of view in t he first p a r a g r a p h ?

\ . . rding to t he wri ter , what do the live arts offer us that technological en t e r t a inmen t doesn ' t ?

c W h a t is the danger that the wri ter talks abou t in the third p a r a g r a p h ?

4 W h a t is the wri ter ' s genera l op in ion about the future of the live arts?

.: : • ill n at the essay and put the following paragraph plan into the correc t order.

- . : : i a conclusion and give your own point of view.

b Discuss one poin t of view, giving explanat ions or examples w h e r e possible,

c In t roduce the subject in a genera l way, bu t do no t s tate your op in ion yet.

Discuss the o ther point of view, giving explanations or examples where possible.

Essays Expressing opinions

S o m e t i m e s a w r i t e r w a n t s to make what they are writing m o r e emphatic. O n e way of doing this is to use inversion. Look at t h e example below, which was taken from the first paragraph of the essay.

' . . . n o w h e r e is this m o r e evident than in the field of entertainment.'

This could have been written as follows:

. . . this is m o r e evident in the field of enterta inment than anywhere else .

Read Reference section 4 e on page 8 7 and Reference section 9 on page 89 and then rewrite the following s e n t e n c e s practising inversion.

a We a re ruining our p lane t for ourselves and for future genera t ions .

No t only for future genera t ions .

b T ime passes so quickly tha t we n e e d to s tar t p repa r ing for the future now.

So that we n e e d to s tar t p repa r ing for t he future now.

c Peop le will only realise they should have d o n e someth ing when it is t o o late .

Only they should have d o n e someth ing .

d Life doesn ' t offer us such oppor tun i t i e s very often.

Se ldom such oppor tun i t i es .

e T h e d a m a g e would no t have b e e n so grea t i f p recau t ions had been t aken in t ime .

H a d , t he d a m a g e would no t have been so great .

f Pol lut ion has never r eached such high levels before .

Never such high levels.

g O u r p lane t can only be saved by gove rnmen t s working toge ther .

Only be saved.

h If you dec ided what you wan t to do in t he future, i t would be easier to choose a university course .

W e r e , it would be easier to choose a university course.

i We didn ' t real ise that the countrys ide would be so badly affected unti l i t actually h a p p e n e d .

Not until how badly the countrys ide would be affected.

j O n e g roup of tour is ts h a d hardly left when the next g r o u p arrived.

Hard ly t he next g r o u p arr ived.

Expressing opinions Essays 9 sse o n e of the quest ions b e l o w and write an essay. C o m p l e t e the paragraph plan with your n o t e s before

:egin writing.

You belong to the school debating society and recently at tended a debate on the importance of

planning for the future. You heard s o m e of t h e c o m m e n t s below. Your t eacher has n o w asked you to

.vrite an essay on the same subject, responding to the c o m m e n t s and expressing your o w n opinion.

There ifi no point whatsoever- in

planning for- the future. Mo one

knows where they will be or what

they will be doing. It'e a complete

waste of time.

lurw can anyone

hope to achieve their

ambitions if they

don't jpCanfor the

future?

The besf

policy is fake

each day as

if comes.

Your t eacher has s h o w n you t w o extracts about tourism and environmental damage.

This area of the country used to be quiet and

unspoilt. It is now overrun with tourists for the best

part of each year who care little about the noise they

make, the litter they leave lying around or the

wildlife they disturb. There should be a complete

ban on tourism so that what is left of our valuable

countryside can be preserved.

It is true that tourism has had an effect on

the local countryside, but reports have been

exaggerated. What is required is support

for green tourism* and encouraging

tourists to respect the area they are visiting.

Besides, if tourism were banned, the local

economy would suffer.

Your teacher asks you to wri te an essay on the effect of tourism on the environment. W r i t e your essay

responding to the points raised and express ing your o w n opinion.

* green tourism is environmentally friendly tourism

If you support one point of view more strongly than the other, it is better to discuss this point of view in the paragraph before the •onclusion. In this way the conclusion will follow logically and you avoid jumping back and forth between opinions.

I n t r o d u c t i o n : I n t roduce the subject in a genera l way. Do not s tate your opinion.

Main B o d y O n e point of view

Explana t ion /example

A n o t h e r po in t of view

Explana t ion /example

C o n c l u s i o n : R e a c h a conclusion. Give your own point of view.

Essays Comparing

I Read the quest ion and the essay b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

As secretary of the col lege b o o k club, you t o o k n o t e s at a recent debate with the col lege film club entitled F/7ms vs Books. You have been asked by your tutor t o write an essay on the subject. W r i t e your essay using your n o t e s and expressing your o w n opinions.

high quality sound

and picture home cinemas healthy use of

imagination convenience

WATCHING A FILM

no imagination

needed passive viewing

READING A BOOK

no sound no pictures

Many people believe t h a t the book is f a s t becoming an endangered species. It is

an indisputable f a c t t h a t mos t people spend more t ime wa tch ing films than

they do reading books. They prefer to sit in f ron t of a screen and w a t c h a

s tory unfold before their eyes than read . However, i t should not be t aken for

g r a n t e d t h a t r ead ing is not a worthwhile activity.

Watch ing a film nowadays can be an intense experience indeed. Multi-million-

dollar p roduct ions dazzle viewers with spec tacu la r special effects , b r e a t h t a k i n g

scenery and ou ts tanding soundt racks . Moreover, it is now no longer necessary

to go to the cinema to fully appreciate a film, with the in t roduct ion of home

cinemas and DVDs, home viewing has Improved to such an extent that it has

reached a s t a n d a r d which was , until very recently, available only in c inemas.

However, the f a c t r emains t h a t wa tch ing a film is a passive experience, one in

which all the 'work' has been done for the viewer; t h e r e is no place for

imagination.

Reading a book, on the o the r hand, is a much more demanding exper ience.

Without the help of sound and images available to those who w a t c h films,

readers must use their imaginat ions to c r e a t e the i r own images of the s to ry as

It unfolds before them, in this way, they a r e not influenced by actors'

pe r fo rmances , or by d i rec tors ' decisions, but by w h a t is wr i t t en on the page .

Fur the rmore , books a r e more convenient than films. Readers are restricted

nei ther by t ime nor by location; they can read a book whenever and whe reve r

they want , within reason.

As a pas t ime, reading may well be less popular than wa tch ing a film, but t h a t

does not necessari ly mean t h a t i t does not have as much to offer. Personally

would not replace the sat isfact ion of reading the last page of a book with any

film ending, no m a t t e r how spec tacular .

i f ì A t

Comparing Essays

When you have to compare two things that each have advantages and disadvantages, deal with them in separate paragraphs, concentrating on one at a time.

nz t h e model essay again and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plan.

i n t r o d u c t i o n * Introduce the subject in a general way, without going into too many details.

P a r a g r a p h 2 :

P a r a g r a p h 3:

P a r a g r a p h 4 :

-.- : :ne essay again to help you decide w h e t h e r the following s ta tements are true or false. 1 : 5 t h e phrases in the essay that justify your answers .

a The majority of p e o p l e watch films m o r e frequent ly than they r ead books .

: Everyone should know tha t read ing is a was te of t ime.

The availability of h o m e c inemas and D V D s has changed the quality of h o m e viewing.

i Read ing a b o o k involves m o r e effort t h a n watching a film.

7 . w riter feels that watching a film with a spectacular ending is be t t e r than coming

to the end of a book.

-= w r i t e r supports general s ta tements with explanations or examples . Underline the phrases or ;~ tences in the article that support t h e s e s tatements:

a Watch ing a film can be in tense .

b You don ' t have to go to the c inema to fully apprec ia te a film.

c Read ing a b o o k is d e m a n d i n g .

d Books a re m o r e convenien t than films.

10 Comparing

Read Reference section 2d on page 86 and then find the w o r d s and phrases the writer used in the essay to comp watching a film to reading a book.

6 N o w c h o o s e the correc t w o r d t o c o m p l e t e the s e n t e n c e s below.

a Fr iends can be just as suppor t ive than / as family.

b Far more I much peop le work from h o m e now than twenty years ago.

c T h e o lder my b r o t h e r and I get, the closer I closest we b e c o m e .

d It 's not nearly I less as stressful as working in an office.

e Playing a t eam spor t is as / more enjoyable than playing an individual spor t .

7 Read these general statements and write examples or explanations for each o n e using comparison where possible.

a Owning your own company offers oppor tun i t i e s for success.

b Being self-employed can be very stressful.

c Having an employer provides a sense of security.

d Tak ing o rde r s is unavoidable when you work for somebody else.

Comparing Essays

to compar; : a : the questions and the notes below, and write an essay on one of the questions, following the paragraph plan.

2 -c a r e studying business at col lege. You tutor has asked you to write an essay on the advantages and disadvantages of working for an employer and being self-employed. You have made s o m e n o t e s dur ing a class on the subject. W r i t e your essay using your n o t e s and expressing your o w n opinions.

steady income sense of security opportunities for

success independence

WORKING FOR AN

EMPLOYER

BEING

SELF-EMPLOYED

possible.

no freedom taking orders

is unavoidable

income is not

guaranteed can be very

stressful

-s secretary of the col lege debating society, you t o o k n o t e s at a recent debate entitled - - e n d s vs Family. You have been asked by your tutor t o write an essay on the subject. W r i t e your essay

.5 ng your notes and expressing your o w n opinions.

supportive common interests

FRIENDS

come and go fair-weather

friends

strong ties unconditional love

FAMILY

generation gap high expectations

I n t r o d u c t i o n Wr i te a ba lanced paragraph but do not go into too many details .

P a r a g r a p h 2 Discuss the advantages and d isadvantages of first topic.

P a r a g r a p h 3 Discuss the advantages and d isadvantages of second topic .

C o n c l u s i o n If you have a pre fe rence , say so and support it with an example , preferably from persona l exper ience . I f no t , you can ba lance your conclusion, suggest ing that the choice d e p e n d s on cer ta in factors. Give an example in each case.

4 5

Proposals Applying for funds I Read the quest ion and the proposal b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You w o r k for a small museum which is in grave danger of being c losed d o w n if funding is not given. At a recent staff meeting, various opinions w e r e voiced:

In order to be

cost effective,

we must attract

more visitors.

We desjyeratefy

need to do

something ahout

the state ojthe

hudding.

We must update our educational

facilities if school visits are to

continue.

You dec ide to send a proposal to the local council describing the current situation, explaining what is required tc save the museum and saying h o w the funds would benefit the local community. W r i t e your proposal, using the opinions expressed above and your o w n ideas.

The purpose of this proposal is to outline the reasons why funding is required by the Newtown Natural History

Museum in order to avoid certain closure. It also aims to show how the local community would benefit, should

funding be given.

While we are aware of the fact that the museum must make some at tempt to cover its costs, at present this is not

possible for a number of reasons. First and foremost, due to the fact that the building is in such a bad state of

repair, it is difficult to keep up with maintenance costs. This, in turn, makes it impossible to allocate money to

other aspects of the museum which would increase the museum's income considerably.

If funding were made available, the money would be spent in two ways. The first priority would be to deal with

the basic repair work needed to bring the building up to standard. This would involve jobs such as fixing broken

windows and radiators, and repairing sections of the roof. The second priority would be to make improvements

which would make the museum more appealing to a variety of people, thus increasing the museum's income.

School visits, which were once a major source of income, have declined dramatically because the museum is not

properly equipped for educational visits. This could be rectified immediately by improving the educational

facilities of the museum. Schools would be far more likely to visit the museum if there was a modern lecture hall

with all the necessary equipment available, and if they were provided with student worksheets and teacher

information packs. Finally, funding could be spent on organising temporary exhibits from museums in other

parts of the country together with local advertising, which would attract more local people, as well as giving them

a reason to visit the museum on a regular basis.

If the suggestions above were implemented, the local community would be able to enjoy a well-maintained

museum. They would have the opportunity to see exhibits from all over the country, and local parents would be

assured that their children were being offered worthwhile educational trips to the museum.

Proposals Applying for funds

• nz : - e quest ion and the model again and write a heading for each paragraph on the dot ted lines.

o o k at the proposal again and answer t h e s e quest ions .

a W h a t two reasons a re given for the m u s e u m ' s inability to cover its costs?

j nd ing were m a d e available, what would be the m u s e u m ' s first priori ty?

; Wha t would this entai l?

4 W h a t would be the m u s e u m ' s second priori ty?

t W h a t would this en ta i l?

According to the p roposa l , w h o would benefi t i f the suggest ions were imp lemen ted , and how?

: - D i e t e the diagram plan of the model proposal using the phrases below.

fix windows & radiators improve educational facilities local advertising

~:<e museum more appealing repair roof repair work temporary exhibits

Proposals Applying for fune

Read t h e ques t i on b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the diagram plan with your o w n ideas.

There is a disused p iece of land in the area w h e r e you live. At a recent meet ing of the residents' association, various opinions w e r e voiced:

Something ChiCdren in this area have I'm surprised there

must be done to nothing to do and nowhere hastt t been a serious

that place. It's to go. Why can't it he made *fru'tf rid'metal

an eyesore. ™to a playground? md rubbish*

The residents' association has dec ided to make it into a park with a children's playground. You have been asked send a proposal to the local council describing the current situation, explaining what would be required to create the park and saying h o w the funds would benefit the local community. W r i t e your proposal, using the opinions expressed above and your o w n ideas.

6 Read Connectors and modifiers H on page 95 and underline the three w o r d s or phrases in the model on page 4 6 that the writer has used to give reasons.

7 Rewrite the s e n t e n c e s b e l o w using the w o r d s in bold. U s e b e t w e e n t w o and five words .

a Y o u n g p e o p l e a re on the s t reets because they don"t have anywhere else to go.

for

T h e being on the s t reets is that they don ' t have anywhere else to go.

b T h e newspape r is do ing badly because it looks old-fashioned,

due

T h e newspaper is doing badly i t looks old-fashioned.

c In o r d e r to m a k e a profit, we mus t a t t ract m o r e advert isers ,

why

T h e at t ract more visitors is to m a k e a profit.

d T h e r e is no one to help the unemployed find a j ob . so some of t hem feel h a rd d o n e by.

as

S o m e unemployed there is no one to help t hem find a job .

Applying for funds

U n e m p l o y m e n t is so high in the a rea because the car factory closed down two years ago.

of U n e m p l o y m e n t is so high in c losure of t he car factory two years ago.

We want to remain compet i t ive , so ou r image must be upda t ed ,

since O u r image mus t be to r ema in compet i t ive .

e your o w n diagram plans for both of the quest ions b e l o w and write o n e of the proposals using the

graph plan.

I n t r o d u c t i o n P u r p o s e

P a r a g r a p h 2 T h e cu r r en t s i tuat ion

P a r a g r a p h 3 W h a t is r equ i r ed

C o n c l u s i o n H o w the funds would be of benefi t

In order to make your proposal more realistic, go into details on a few things which could be done, rather than just making a long list.

You w o r k for a local newspaper which Is in grave danger of being c losed d o w n if funding is no t given.

At a recent staff meeting, various opinions w e r e voiced:

We must update out

image if the paper is to

remain competitive in

the local market.

We desveratehj need to

upgrade the computers

and programs in the

design department.

In order fo be cost effective, we must attract more

advertisers.

You decide to send a proposal to the o w n e r describing the current situation, explaining what is required to save the paper and saying h o w the funds would benefit the local community. W r i t e your proposal, using the opinions expressed above and your o w n ideas.

You live in an area w h e r e unemployment is very high and the majority of young people have nothing to do. At a recent meet ing of the residents' association, various opinions w e r e voiced:

w i l l i n g + o h e l p

u s f i n d joloÇ.

Something must he

done to heev younß

peoyhe off the streets.

I hate having

nothing to do and

nowhere to go.

The residents' association has decided to s e t up a day centre . You have been asked to send a proposal to the local council describing the current situation, explaining w h a t wou ld be required to s e t up the centre and saying h o w the funds would benefit the local community. W r i t e y o u r proposal, using the opinions expressed above and your o w n ideas.

Proposals Assessing choices

i Read the question and the proposal below and then complete the exercises that follow.

There was an article recently in your local newspaper about an old building in the t o w n centre . The building is in bad condit ion and cannot be left as it is: it must e i ther be renovated or pulled d o w n . The t o w n council are asking residents for their opinions and you have dec ided to wri te a proposal assessing the suggest ions and giving your o w n opinion about what should be done .

Purpose

This proposal aims to discuss the suggestions that have been m a d e regarding the O p e r a House

in Monson Road . The building is (1) and has been out of use (2)

Renovation

The Ope ra House was built at the beginning of the twentieth century and is a fine example of

the archi tec ture at that t ime. As such, it is a valuable par t of our town's history that should be

looked after. As far as renovat ion is concerned , two suggestions have been put forward. The

first concerns the entire building, (3) Such an undertaking would require (4)

and would take many months to complete. However, it would be worthwhile as our town would

then have a functional Opera House to be proud of. The second suggestion involves restoring the

outside of the building to its former glory, but modernising the inside. Consequently, the attractive

architecture will be kept while the building is used for other purposes. A restaurant and a youth

centre are two ideas that have been mentioned.

Demolition

An alternative proposal to renovat ion is demoli t ion. At the present t ime, the building is both

unsightly and hazardous . Knocking it down would be (5) than renovat ing it.

Moreover , it would result in a large site becoming available in the town cent re for development .

The land could then be sold, no doubt fetching a high price due to its central location.

Alternatively, the site could be developed by the town council. O u r town (6) more

parking spaces, so a multi-storey car park near the town's main shopping area would seem to be

a good idea.

Recommendation

(7) that our town's heri tage should be pro tec ted . Al though renovat ion is expensive,

restoring the O p e r a House is the best suggestion. Such a building deserves to be a focal point of

our town. If the cost of total res torat ion is prohibit ive, then restoring the facade (8)

50

Assessing choices Proposals 12

•lead the proposal again and decide which p h r a s e , a or b, is m o s t appropriate for each space.

1 a in a terr ible s ta te

b in d isrepair

2 a for ages

b for a cons iderable t ime

3 a bo th internally and externally

b inside and out

a loads of mone) B ~ US I ^ B H f i P ^ * ' ¥^sS>

b substantial funding g^&jflLWi'SL . Ifr a considerably less expensive lll SS^ ^KtlS^ ? tefflF b a lot cheape r HPSHL ^*^HB^'-?!**ajBy.

a is despera te ly in need ol BR\' M^\wEv^'^<&" M-^2t

h reall) needs ^ J f ^ ^ " , . . i l ^ K ' " a I think ^ » 1 1

b I am of the opin ion f^"^^*^!^? i , * t

8 a is the next best thing

b is the best a l ternat ive

- exercise 2, you had to dec ide which phrase was m o s t appropriate in each case. H o w did you make your :~oice? Look at the s e n t e n c e s below. The underlined parts are expressed t o o informally. Rewrite the s e n t e n c e s , rephrasing the underlined phrases in a m o r e formal way.

a A few h u n d r e d p o u n d s would be just the th ing to m a k e young peop le go in for t he compet i t ion .

b The recep t ion area is crying ou t for a lick of paint .

At the e n d of t he day, o u r c o m p a n y s tands to gain f rom this s cheme .

1 We could t ake on some of the youngsters w h o gave the t ra ining p r o g r a m m e thei r best shot .

e Lots of peop le have said they are in te res ted in having s o m e w h e r e they can buy drinks or snacks.

f W h a t might h a p p e n is that a youngs te r with a new qualification will go and work s o m e w h e r e else w h e n they finish

their course .

_ : o k again at the model . W h i c h w o r d s or phrases has the wri ter used t o :

a refer to a par t icular subject? (pa rag raph 2)

b limit or cont radic t the previous poin t m a d e to some extent? (pa rag raph 2)

c show the result of an act ion? (pa rag raph 2)

d in t roduce a second reason for a par t icu lar po in t ? (pa rag raph 3)

e offer an a l ternat ive suggest ion? (pa rag raph 3)

Proposals Assessing choices

The wri ter discusses a variety of points relating to demolit ion and renovation before arriving at a conclusion. Fill in the paragraph plan b e l o w with the phrases in the box.

create funds for town council expensive good example of local architecture

cost effective need multi-storey car park regain use of the Opera House

retain an attractive example of early 20th century architecture time<onsuming

P u r p o s e Sta te t he a im of your p roposa l .

Main B o d y

R e n o v a t i o n R e a s o n ?

In te rna l and external :

a r g u m e n t for

a rgumen t s against

Exter ior only:

a r g u m e n t for

a rgumen t s against

D e m o l i t i o n R e a s o n ?

Selling site:

a r g u m e n t for?

D e v e l o p m e n t :

a r g u m e n t for?

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n State your r e c o m m e n d a t i o n and a brief reason why.

Proposals

- p i e t e the paragraph plans for the t w o - positions below. Then c h o o s e o n e of them and := • our article.

You do not always need to have arguments both for and against a

suggestion as long as your recommendation ties in with what you

have discussed in the main body of the proposal.

You w o r k in a senior posit ion in a large company that is interested in sett ing up a s c h e m e to help young p e o p l e in the area. Three suggest ions have been made - a compet i t ion called Young Inventor with m o n e y as a prize, a scholarship to the local col lege and a training programme within the company. You have neen asked to wri te a proposal, discussing t h e s e suggest ions and saying which idea you think is best.

P u r p o s e

Main B o d y

Compet i t ion

Scholarship

Tra in ing p r o g r a m m e

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n

State t he pu rpose of your p roposa l .

R e a s o n ?

a rgumen t ( s ) for

a rgumen t ( s ) against

R e a s o n ?

a rgumen t ( s ) for

a rgumen t ( s ) against

R e a s o n ?

a rgumen t ( s ) for

a r g u m e n t ( s ) against

Sta te your r e c o m m e n d a t i o n and a brief reason why.

The sports centre you belong to has been given a large amount of m o n e y to upgrade the facilities on offer. The management has put forward three suggestions - redecorating the reception area, creating a cafe/bar area, renovating the changing r o o m s - and has asked members of the club for their opinion. W r i t e a proposal assessing the suggestions and recommending which o n e you think is best.

P u r p o s e

Main B o d y

R e d e c o r a t e r ecep t ion

Crea te café/bar

R e n o v a t e changing

r o o m s

Sta te t he p u r p o s e of your p roposa l .

R e a s o n ?

a rgumen t ( s ) for

a rgumen t ( s ) against

R e a s o n ?

a rgumen t ( s ) for

a rgumen t ( s ) against

R e a s o n ?

a rgument ( s ) for

a rgumen t ( s ) against

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n State your r e c o m m e n d a t i o n and a brief reason why.

Proposals Evaluating a situation

I Read the quest ion and the proposal b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the tasks that follow.

You have read an article in your local newspaper about the problem of traffic in the t o w n centre . The t o w n council have asked local residents to suggest possible solut ions to the problem. W r i t e a proposal evaluating the situation and making suggest ions as to h o w the problem could be solved.

Purpose

This proposal aims to discuss the problem of traffic in the town centre and to make suggestions

which might solve the problem.

Current Situation

(1) Sadly, this is no longer true due to the large quantity of traffic that passes through the

centre. While some of the vehicles are bound for the town centre itself, there are many that are

simply passing through on their way to other destinations. In addition to the increase in exhaust

fumes that pollute our air and destroy our buildings, the queues of vehicles which can often be seen

are unsightly and hinder pedestrians. A further problem that has resulted from the increase in traffic

is that the parking available is insufficient. Therefore, people park their cars in the streets, which

obstructs the efficient flow of traffic through our narrow streets.

Recommendations

1 (2) Providing an alternative faster route that avoids the busy town centre would reduce

the number of vehicles in the town, as those drivers who are merely passing through would be able

to avoid it.

2 (3) The first is to provide adequate off-road parking. A multi-storey car park in or

near the town centre would help to ease the problem of parking and reduce the number of cars

parked on the roadside. In this way, traffic would move more easily through the centre. The

second solution is to implement a park and ride scheme. People wishing to come into the town

centre would park their cars in car parks provided outside the town centre and then travel in on

specially provided buses. These buses would run regularly to and from the car parks. This would

reduce the number of vehicles having to come into the town centre.

Conclusion

(4) Although the suggestions outlined above are costly, it would be money well spent if

it meant that our town centre was to become the attractive place it once used to be.

54

Proposals Evaluating a situation

n clear well-organised writing, each paragraph begins with a topic s e n t e n c e that tells the reader the purpose of : - e paragraph. Read the proposal again and put the topic s e n t e n c e s b e l o w into the correc t places.

a As far as t he p rob l em of pa rk ing is conce rned , two solut ions exist.

b Providing an effective solut ion to the p rob lem of traffic in our town cen t re is of the u tmos t impor tance .

c Fo r m a n y years , ou r town has been hai led as o n e of the mos t at t ract ive in the area .

d It has b e e n suggested by some res idents tha t the cons t ruc t ion of a ring road would ease the s i tuat ion.

2 id w o r d s and phrases in the proposal (including the missing topic sentences ) that are similar in meaning to

:~ose below.

a praised for being

b unp leasan t to look at

c get in the way of p e o p l e on foot

d not e n o u g h

e does no t allow the free m o v e m e n t of

f bui lding

2 enough

h put in to action

very impor t an t

j expensive

S ow look back at the paragraph under the heading Current Situation and answer t h e s e quest ions .

i H o w many p rob l ems s t emming from the increase in traffic does t he wri ter m e n t i o n ?

- Wha t a re they?

13 Proposals Evaluating a situation

5 W h e n making her recommendat ions , the wri ter justifies them by explaining h o w they will help. Read the secticr called Recommendations again and comple te the table b e l o w with information taken from the proposal.

Recommendation

ring road

multi-storey car park

Justification

6 Read the quest ions b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the paragraph plans with the relevant information given below.

advertise at local schools and the youth club to get new young members

advertise performances more widely

area is not as safe as it once was

be observant, report anything suspicious

high production costs because performances are poorly attended

home and car insurance has increased

no new members for the past eighteen months

offer reduced ticket prices to school parties or groups of friends attending performances

petition police for more presence on the streets

residents are afraid in their own homes

stage different kinds of productions that will appeal to more people

take extra precautions - burglar alarms, car alarms, park cars in garages if at all possible

a You belong to a local theatre club that puts on amateur performances and also arranges trips to professional product ions . Unfortunately, the theatre club's membership is falling and it is in danger of closing. The chairman of the club has asked m e m b e r s to write proposals evaluating the situation and putting forward suggest ions about h o w to improve the situation. W r i t e your proposal .

C u r r e n t S i t u a t i o n

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

Increase m e m b e r s h i p

Increase in teres t in pe r fo rmances

56

Evaluating a situation Proposals

You are a m e m b e r of a neighbourhood watch s c h e m e and you have read an article in your local

newspaper about the increase in burglaries and car theft in the area. You have decided to write a

proposal for the o ther members of the scheme in your area outlining the problem and suggesting ways

of tackling this problem.

C u r r e n t S i t u a t i o n

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

Read the quest ion b e l o w and then write a proposal. A n s w e r the quest ions in the paragraph plan first to

help you c o m e up with ideas.

You w o r k for a large company that is relocating to another area of the city. This m o v e will mean that

many m e m b e r s of staff will have difficulty in getting to work. You have been asked to wri te a proposal

discussing the problem and suggesting ways of solving the problem.

P u r p o s e

State wha t your p roposa l will do .

C u r r e n t S i t u a t i o n

Why will peop le no t be able to get to work easily?

W h a t will p e o p l e do if they can ' t get to work easily?

W h a t effect will this have on the company?

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

Provide t ranspor t : wha t k ind?

Allow staff to work from h o m e : how would this w o r k ?

C o n c l u s i o n

State tha t i t is impor t an t that someth ing is d o n e .

S ta te tha t your r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s will work.

Proposals Giving reasons

I Read the question and the proposal below and complete the exercises that follow.

A company is launching a n e w snack o n t o the market, and is running a compet i t ion inviting people to send in proposals for different ways of promot ing it. The company wants peop le to c o m m e n t on the use of advertising, introductory offers, and the kind of image you think the product should have. W r i t e your proposal, explaining why you think your ideas would be effective.

Purpose

The purpose of this proposal is to discuss different ways of promoting the new snack from Jupiter.

It also aims to show that these suggestions would be effective.

Advertising

1 T h e first priori ty would be to have a large advert is ing campaign, as this would m a k e the

product a household name in a relatively short space of t ime. The advertising campaign should

definitely include TV, radio and billboards, but not necessarily newspapers and magazines,

since these have relatively small readerships in this country.

2 The advertisements should be funny and appealing to people of all ages. The reason for this is

that , while snacks are eaten mostly by young people , they are often bought by parents and

g randparen t s too . Moreover , the adverts should depict everyday si tuat ions, as peop le can

ident ify wi th t h e s e . TV a n d r a d i o a d v e r t i s e m e n t s s h o u l d have t h e s a m e catchy j ing le ,

preferably with a memorable slogan, because this will make the product instantly recognisable.

Image

1 It is essential that the product be given an appropriate name. It could be something that can be

associated with the snack itself, but, at the same time, it should be something which is easy to

say, and instantly memorable .

2 D u e to the fact that there are already so many snacks on the market , this snack should be

promoted in such a way that the public believe it to have a special characteristic which makes it

u n i q u e . This cou ld be a pa r t i cu l a r f lavour, or i t cou ld be tha t t he snack itself is a new

combination of flavours.

In t roductory offers

Depending on the budget allocated for this promotion, introductory offers such as 'buy one, get

one free' could be used to persuade people to buy the product. However, at this stage, it is more

important to heighten awareness of the product. This could be achieved at major points of sale,

where promotional sales staff could tell customers about the product and give out samples.

Conclusion

I believe that for a product to be successful, it must be advertised effectively, it must appeal to a

wide range of people and it must be instantly recognisable. In my opinion, if the suggestions

above are implemented, the new snack from Jupiter will be very successful indeed.

Proposals Giving reasons

*.,ead Connectors and modifiers H on page 95 and underline the six w o r d s zr y i r a s e s that the wri ter has used to give reasons.

-rc words and phrases in the proposal which mean:

In proposals of this nature, you

should have a good grasp of

vocabulary which is relevant to

the topic.

i ^.mised p r o g r a m m e of adver t i sements

b s o m e o n e or someth ing tha t has b e c o m e very well k n o w n

c a shor t song tha t is easy to r e m e m b e r a n d is used in advert is ing

i i » o r d or phrase that is used to attract people 's at tention or to suggest an idea

* o rd inary peop le

f f t he m o n e y available

f Activities d o n e in o r d e r to increase t he sales of a p roduc t or service

k t h e main places w h e r e a p r o d u c t is sold

p e o p l e who are employed to sell a par t icu lar p r o d u c t

j i >mall a m o u n t of someth ing tha t can be t r ied to see wha t it is like

- - :- sect ion(s) d o e s the writer:

i — i k e suggest ions for p r o m o t i n g the p r o d u c t ? , and

£ -.er opinion on what m a k e s a p roduc t successful?

c m e n t i o n why this p roposa l h a s b e e n wr i t t en?

4\ summar i se he r ideas from the m a i n body of t he p roposa l ?

« suppor t her suggest ions with r easons? , a n d

% V s w e r the following quest ions about the model proposal .

H e wri ter believes tha t o n e o f t he things sugges ted i n t he ques t ion

: : be app rop r i a t e or effective.

i W h a t is it?

I W h a t example of an in t roduc tory offer does t he wr i te r give?

While it is perfectly acceptable to

disagree with a part of the

question, because you have been

asked to comment on it in your

proposal, it must be dealt with.

g Accord ing to t he wri ter , why would an offer like this be u sed?

4 W h a t does the wri ter imply with t he use of ' d e p e n d i n g on t h e b u d g e t a l located ...'?

T i e wri ter believes tha t t h e r e i s someth ing which i s m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n in t roduc tory offers,

e W h a t is it?

f H o w does she suggest this could be achieved?

59

Proposals Giving reasons

i 6 In the conclusion, the writer gives three condit ions for a product's success . T h e s e condit ions actually

summarise the main points made in the main body of the proposal. W r i t e the relevant points from the model proposal on the dot ted lines.

a It mus t be adver t ised effectively.

(Advert is ing, pa rag raph

(Advert is ing, paragraph ' ,

( Image , p a r a g r a p h 2)

( In t roduc tory offers)

b It mus t appea l to a wide r ange of peop le .

(Advert is ing, pa rag raph

c It mus t be instantly recognisable .

(Advert is ing, p a r a g r a p h .

( Image , p a r a g r a p h 2)

7 Read t h e s e condit ions of the success of a drugs awareness campaign and think of relevant points which could be included in a proposal on the subject.

For a drugs awareness campaign to be successful, it must be advertised effectively, it must deal with the problem in a way that the public can relate to , and it must reach a w i d e range of people .

a It mus t be adver t ised effectively.

b I t mus t deal with the p rob l em in a way tha t the publ ic can re la te to .

c It mus t reach a wide r ange of peop le .

e model

r «

Giving reasons Proposals 14

:

r «

>. pa rag raph 1

', pa r ag raph 2

ìgraph 2)

I offers)

'• rite a proposal on o n e of the following quest ions. C o m p l e t e the paragraph plan before you begin writing to

e o you, and use the things you have learnt in this unit.

i The government is launching a n e w drugs awareness campaign, and is running a competi t ion inviting people to send in proposals on what the campaign should include. The government wants people to c o m m e n t on the use of advertising, school visits, and the kind of approach you think the government should take. W r i t e your proposal, explaining why you think your ideas would be effective.

>r p a r a g r a p h 2

<„ pa rag raph 2

igraph 2)

ch

Hi the

I n t r o d u c t i o n :

Purpose of p roposa l?

Main B o d y

Suggest ions & reasons : advert is ing? .

school visits? .

app roach?

C o n c l u s i o n :

Persona l op in ion on subject?

Summar i s e ideas from M a i n Body.

Sta te that suggest ions will be successful.

A company Is planning to launch a new radio station. The o w n e r wants to find out what people would

like to hear on the radio, and is inviting proposals about the possible content as well as ideas on h o w to

promote the station. W r i t e a proposal, explaining why you think your suggestions should be

implemented.

I n t r o d u c t i o n :

P u r p o s e of p roposa l ?

Main B o d y

Suggest ions & reasons : c o n t e n t ?

p r o m o t i o n ? .

C o n c l u s i o n :

Persona l op in ion on subject?

Summar i se ideas from Main Body.

Sta te tha t suggest ions will be successful.

61

Reviews Reviewing a festival

I Read the quest ion and the review b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

An arts magazine is running a feature on festivals. It has invited its readers to send in a review of an arts festival that they have recently at tended. W r i t e a review of the festival and say why you think it was wor th attending.

T h e Ed inbu rgh In te rna t iona l Festival is bel ieved to be o n e of the grea tes t ce lebra t ions of t he arts ,

a t t rac t ing aud iences from a r o u n d the wor ld . H e l d every Augus t , the festival actually consists of a

variety of festivals, all independen t ly organised . C o m b i n e d , they form o n e of the biggest

ce lebra t ions of t he ar ts in t he world, c la iming (1) (offer) e n t e r t a i n m e n t

for all tastes . T h e biggest p r o b l e m for festival-goers is deciding what to see, and wha t to miss.

On arrival in Ed inburgh , the festival spirit is immedia te ly appa ren t . T h o s e w h o c a n n o t afford

(2) ( a t t end) t hea t r e s m a k e the mos t of t he free s t reet shows on the High

Street . H u n d r e d s of visitors from a r o u n d the wor ld watch as s t reet artists pe r form everything from

t igh t rope walking to fire eat ing. T h e s e pe r fo rmer s a re par t of t he Fr inge , which was es tabl ished in

1947 ( the first year of t he E d i n b u r g h In te rna t iona l Fest ival) by i n d e p e n d e n t compan ie s w h o

pe r fo rmed in small t h e a t r e spaces wi thout the approval of the official festival.

This year the Fr inge brought the Chinese State Circus to Edinburgh . Superb performers

demons t r a t ed incredible balance and flexibility, showing off their acrobat ic skills. T h e t roupe formed

h u m a n pyramids and back-flipped from poles, miraculously avoiding (3)

(crash) to the ground. Eight girls kept 64 pla tes spinning continuously, while boys smashed bricks

with their ba re hands . A real spectacle, this was family en te r t a inmen t at its best.

No tr ip to Scot land 's capital in Augus t would be comple te wi thout (4)

(a t tend) the Ed inburgh Military Ta t too , a military show with music which is pe r fo rmed at night. I

was lucky enough to have b o o k e d tickets in advance, as the T a t t o o is a sell-out every year. First

pe r formed in 1950 as the Army of Scotland's contr ibut ion to the Festival, today the range of music

pe r fo rmed is as diverse as the countr ies r epresen ted . Set against t he magnificent backdrop of

Ed inburgh Cast le , the mos t moving sight and sound of the evening was that of the p ipe bands . I t

was definitely wor th (5) (splash out on ) an expensive seat, as i t allowed me

(6) ( e n J ° y ) the spectacle to the full.

Unfor tuna te ly , i t is impossible (7) (see) everything on offer at t he

Ed inbu rgh Festival . T h e r e are , qui te simply, t o o many shows and t o o little t ime. All in all, i t is fair

(8) (say) tha t the E d i n b u r g h Festival has someth ing for everyone .

Reviewing a festival

Study Reference section 5 on page 8 7 and Reference section 8 on page 89. Then read the review again and complete it, choos ing ei ther the gerund or the infinitive form of the verbs in brackets.

Based on the review on the previous page, put the paragraph plan b e l o w into the correc t order. W r i t e production, Paragraph 2, Paragraphs 3 & 4, Conclusion.

Give descript ive detai ls of o n e or two shows/events .

Give your genera l op in ion of the festival as a whole . M a k e a r e c o m m e n d a t i o n .

Descr ibe the genera l a t m o s p h e r e of t he festival.

Give genera l informat ion abou t t he festival. M e n t i o n w h e r e and w h e n the

festival t akes p lace .

_ h e wri ter uses t w o main t e n s e s in his review, the present simple and the past simple. W h i c h t e n s e d o e s

- e use:

a to give genera l in format ion abou t t he festival?

b descr ibe the genera l a t m o s p h e r e of the festival?

c to descr ibe what he saw at the festival?

Jnderl ine all the verbs in the present simple t e n s e and s e e in which paragraphs they mostly occur.

T h e writer uses different w o r d s to talk about the same thing. •Vhat w o r d s d o e s the wri ter use:

a for p e o p l e w h o a t t end the festival?

, and

b for different kinds of p e o p l e w h o take par t in the festival?

and

It is very important to use

a wide range of vocabulary

when writing at Proficiency

level. Try not to repeat

words and phrases over and

over again.

63

Reviews Reviewing a festival

R e w r i t e t h e s e n t e n c e s b e l o w using t h e w o r d s in bold . U s e b e t w e e n t w o and five w o r d s . You may wish to look back a t t h e mode l for help wi th t h e s t r u c t u r e s n e e d e d .

a M a k e sure you b o o k well a h e a d if you want to see tha t play,

advance

Y o u must want to see tha t play.

b I t ' s wor th spending a lot of m o n e y on good seats ,

splashing

I t ' s wor th good seats .

c S o m e peop le believe this festival is o n e of t he best in t he world,

believed

This festival of t he best in the wor ld .

d Y o u could say tha t the b a n d played be t t e r t h a n ever before ,

fair

I t ' s b a n d played be t t e r t h a n ever before .

e In o r d e r to t ake pa r t in t he festival, t he pe r fo rmer s mus t have permiss ion from festival officials,

approval

T h e pe r fo rmers canno t take pa r t in the festival officials.

f They s tar ted t he In t e rna t iona l Festival over fifty years ago.

establ ished

T h e In te rna t iona l Festival fifty years ago.

The n o t e s oppos i t e are notes about another festival. Look at the quest ion in exerc ise I again and then put the paragraph notes b e l o w into the correc t order according to the plan in exerc ise 3.

W W W W W w W w w w

Sandra - Up-and-coming 20-year-o\d singer

and songwriter. Distinctive voice and look.

Blue Notes - local young jazz band. Talented

musicians, despite their age - played their

own music, as well as some popular jazz. They

were the f ind of the weekend.

5th Annual Youth Music Festival. Gives young people the opportunity to show off their

talents, while learning more about music at

the same time. Held in a different town every year . Friday 26 July - Sunday 28 July 02,

Perth.

in my opinion, the Youth Festival fulfils its

a ims - 'to promote y o u n g musical talent and

Improve and advance music education. 1 o f f e r s something for everyone.

Friendly atmosphere. Variety of fun music

workshops. Great effort put into decorat ing

the site - local schools decorated the main

arena with their own artwork.

Aprite a review on o n e of the following quest ions . C o m p l e t e the paragraph plan before you begin writing to help you. U s e appropriate t e n s e s and a wide range of vocabulary.

A film magazine is running a feature on festivals. It has invited its readers to send in a review of a

film festival that they have recently at tended. W r i t e a review of the festival and say why you think

it was , or was not, w o r t h attending.

Your col lege newspaper has asked overseas s tudents to wri te reviews of festivals held in their

countries . You have decided to wri te about a festival that is held in your h o m e t o w n each year.

W r i t e your review, describing the festival and saying why visitors would enjoy it.

A music magazine is running a feature on festivals. It has invited its readers to send in a review of

a music festival that they have recently at tended. You have decided to wri te about a rock festival

you at tended last summer. W r i t e a review of the festival and say why you think it w a s w o r t h

attending.

I n t r o d u c t i o n :

G e n e r a l in format ion abou t festival?

W h e r e ?

W h e n ?

P a r a g r a p h 2

G e n e r a l a t m o s p h e r e ?

P a r a g r a p h s 3 & 4

Descr ipt ive detai ls?

C o n c l u s i o n

G e n e r a l op in ion?

A r e c o m m e n d a t i o n ?

65

Reviews Reviewing a holiday

I Read the quest ion and the review b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You belong to a holiday club. The club magazine regularly reviews different kinds of holidays and has invited club members to send in reviews of weekend city breaks they have had. The best o n e s will be published in the magazine. W r i t e a review of a weekend city break you enjoyed, explaining what the city had to offer and what made your holiday special.

Having always w a n t e d to visit Ven ice , I j u m p e d at t he chance w h e n my friend Caro l won a w e e k e n d

away for two p e o p l e and asked me to accompany her . T h e men t ion of Ven ice usually br ings to mind

canals , gondolas and touris ts , bu t i t actually offers a grea t dea l m o r e , as I found out .

As we were only going to be in Ven ice for a little over two days, we had b o t h r ead up on the city before

arriving: we d idn ' t wan t to risk missing someth ing while we w e r e t he r e . We took a wa te r bus from the

a i rpor t to San M a r c o , which i s t he s top n e a r t he famous S t M a r k ' s Squa re . As we crossed the squa re to

find ou r hote l we gazed up a t the magnif icent Basilica, o n e of Venice ' s many famous sights. We visited i t

t he following m o r n i n g a n d saw St Mark ' s t o m b and

the s tunning gold mosaics inside. Af terwards , we

found a t ra t to r ia for lunch and had delicious seafood

pizza. T h e af te rnoon found us wande r ing the maze of

na r row s t reets criss-crossing the canals , and popp ing

in to many of t he churches sca t t e red t h r o u g h o u t the

city. As we discovered, Ven ice is no t an easy city to

navigate , bu t because i t is fairly small , you can never

really lose your way.

On Sunday, we visited just o n e of t he many nearby

islands, M u r a n o , w h e r e the glass factories a re . We

spent the morn ing the re and wa tched skilled

craf tsmen blowing glass into all m a n n e r of shapes and

designs. We also chose small glass gifts for fr iends and

relatives, which was no t as easy as i t sounds as we

were spoilt for choice . Sunday a f te rnoon was spent souvenir hunt ing . Bo th Caro l and I t r ea t ed ourselves

to beautiful hand -pa in t ed masks tha t a re t radi t ional ly w o r n a t carnival t ime. Sadly ou r w e e k e n d h a d

almost c o m e to an end . Jus t t ime for o n e m o r e del icious mea l and t h e n i t was back to t he hote l to pack

as we were leaving in t he morn ing .

My only regre t is tha t I d idn ' t see all I w a n t e d to : t h e r e jus t wasn ' t t ime . I suppose I'll have to go back

again and stay for longer . However , this w e e k e n d away was wonderful and all t he m o r e special b e c a u s e

I was able to share it with a good friend of mine . I shall never forget it.

Reviews Reviewing a holiday

Look at the review again and say in which paragraph(s ) t h e w r i t e r :

a tells us why the hol iday was special?

b relates wha t she and h e r friend did? a n d

c men t ions for the first t ime which city she wen t to?

d gives us her last though t s about the holiday?

e explains her r eason for going on the hol iday?

f tells us wha t she and he r friend saw? and

Read the review again and answer these quest ions .

a W h a t does the wri ter ' s use of ' j umped at the chance ' tell us abou t her feelings towards going to Ven ice?

h Which word in t he second p a r a g r a p h reinforces t he fact tha t 'Ven ice is no t an easy city to navigate '?

c Why was choosing gifts for fr iends and relat ives ' no t as easy as it sounds ' ?

_ook at the Reference section 10 on page 8 9 . N o w look at t h e s e s e n t e n c e s taken from the review and

i n s w e r the quest ions below.

a Having always wanted to visit Venice, I j u m p e d at the chance ...

b T h e a f te rnoon found us wander ing the maze of n a r r o w s t reets criss-crossing the canals and ...

c ... p o p p i n g in to t he m a n y churches scattered throughout the city. *

d We spent t he m o r n i n g the re and wa tched skilled craf tsmen blowing glass into all manner of shapes

and des igns .

i) Which part ic iple clauses give us m o r e informat ion about a n o u n ? and ....

(ii) W h i c h p a r t i c i p l e c l a u s e h a s t h e m e a n i n g o f f t e c a M . s e ?

iii) Which part ic iple clause refers to an act ion?

6 7

Reviews Reviewing a holiday

5 Rewrite the s e n t e n c e s b e l o w using participle clauses.

a She decided to stay at home at the weekend because she didn't feel well.

b The hotel they stayed in overlooked the picturesque bay.

c Peter recognised one of the air stewardesses who was working on his flight to Amsterdam,

d After I'd checked that my passport and ticket were in my bag, I left the house,

e He put the luggage in the boot of the car, got in and started the engine,

f We took advantage of the cheap accommodation that was offered to us.

g I realised I was going to miss my train, so I started running.

h He interrupted the guide who was talking about the castle to ask where the toilets were.

6 Study Reference section 2 b o n page 8 6 . Using adjectives can bring a description t o life. Underline phrases in the model review w h e r e the wri ter has used m o r e than o n e adjective to describe a noun.

7 N o w rewrite these sentences with the adjectives in the correct place.

a We stayed in Palm Court, a hotel on the coast, (seventy-bedroomed, luxurious)

b Instructors showed us how to use our equipment correctly, (diving, fully-qualified)

c There was a beach very nearby, (beautiful, sandy)

d For breakfast, there was bread everyday, (home-made, fresh)

e The staff were keen to do whatever they could to make our stay more enjoyable, (friendly, well-trained)

f The children's playground was full of swings, slides and climbing frames, (wooden, brightly-coloured)

Reviewing a holiday

Read the t w o quest ions b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the pa ragraph plans wi th y o u r o w n ideas. Then write o n e review based on your n o t e s below.

a You belong to a parent and child group that produces a magazine four t imes a year. The magazine is

inviting m e m b e r s to wri te reviews of successful package holidays they have had for their s u m m e r

issue. The holiday must be suitable for families with school -aged children. You had such a holiday last

s u m m e r and have decided to wri te a review for the magazine. W r i t e your review describing the

holiday and explaining why it is suitable for families with children.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Main B o d y

Brief descr ipt ion

C o n c l u s i o n

W h e r e ?

R e a s o n for choosing t h e hol iday?

Wi th w h o m ?

A c c o m m o d a t i o n ?

Activit ies?

Facil i t ies?

Su r round ing a rea?

S ta te tha t holiday was good/successful/etc.

Sta te why it is sui table for families with chi ldren.

The Student Union at your university is organising an activity holiday. Any students w h o have already

enjoyed such a holiday have been asked to wri te a review of it so the Entertainment C o m m i t t e e can

c h o o s e a holiday that would be suitable. W r i t e a review for the c o m m i t t e e describing the holiday and

saying why it would be suitable.

I n t r o d u c t i o n W h a t k ind of activity hol iday?

W h e r e and w h e n ?

W i t h w h o m ?

Main B o d y

Descr ip t ion of t he holiday:

A c c o m m o d a t i o n ?

Activit ies?

W h a t m a d e i t enjoyable?

C o n c l u s i o n S ta te tha t you enjoyed the hol iday/would r e c o m m e n d it/etc.

Sta te tha t i t wou ld be sui table .

In your description, concentrate on the aspects of the holiday which support yo

the review you've been asked to write.

UT choice and mc he it suitable for

WÊËÊÊËm

Reviews Reviewing a magazine

I Read the question and the review below and complete the exercises that follow.

Your college library has decided to take o u t five magazine subscriptions. Students have been asked to r e c o m m e n d a magazine. W r i t e a review recommending a magazine, saying why you think the library should subscribe to the magazine of your choice .

T h e Nat iona l G e o g r a p h i c Society is the wor ld ' s largest non-prof i t scientific and educa t iona l

organisa t ion. F o u n d e d in 1888, National Geographic is t he society's flagship magaz ine . ( T h e society

also publ ishes Adventure, Traveler, World, National Geographic for Kids magazines , as well as award-

winning books and C D - R O M s , and i t has its own TV channel . ) In addi t ion to keep ing t h e r e a d e r

abreas t of ecological issues and th rea t s to wildlife, National Geographic also encourages

u n d e r s t a n d i n g of var ious cul tures all over the world.

As its n a m e suggests, many of t he articles in t he magaz ine in ques t ion have a geographica l slant.

However , this does no t m e a n tha t i t i s of in teres t only to geography s tudents . T h e r e a re also

in teres t ing articles on such topics as technology a n d the informat ion revolut ion, as well as cul tura l

fea tures on societies f rom the four corners of t he globe. As a result , s tuden t s from many different

faculties would have good r eason to r ead National Geographic, should t he library dec ide to t ake ou t

a subscr ipt ion.

T h e articles a re , for the most par t , wr i t ten from an objective,

unb ia sed yet involved poin t of view. T h e y a r e well r e sea rched

and give a full historical perspect ive on the issue be ing

covered. O n e of National Geographic^ mos t ou t s t and ing

fea tures , however , is t he incredible p h o t o g r a p h y which

accompan ies every art icle. P h o t o g r a p h s of this quality a r e a

rarity, b u t i t is no t surpris ing that they a re b r o u g h t to us by

National Geographic w h e n you cons ider t he t ime a n d m o n e y it

spends in its effort to raise publ ic awareness of the world

a r o u n d us.

A year ' s subscr ipt ion to National Geographic costs £29, and includes 12 month ly

issues of the magaz ine , a wor ld m a p with the first issue, a n d as many as 5 full-colour wall m a p

supp lemen t s in se lected issues of t he magaz ine , which could be pu t up in t he library for genera l

re fe rence purposes . Moreove r , all subscr ipt ions he lp suppor t wor ldwide scientific research ,

explora t ion, and geography educa t ion .

In brief, many s tudents would benefit from a college subscription to a magazine like National

Geographic, which has so much to offer. I believe that it deserves a place on the college library shelves.

Reviewing a magazine Reviews 17

Study Connectors and modifiers o n page 94 . W h i c h w o r d s o r p h r a s e s has t h e w r i t e r used t o :

a men t ion an extra po in t after a p o i n t ? ( P a r a g r a p h 1)

b show tha t a po in t l imits t h e prev ious po in t m a d e to s o m e ex ten t? ( P a r a g r a p h 2)

c indicate t he logical d e v e l o p m e n t or consequence of an a r g u m e n t ? (Pa rag raph 2)

d in t roduce a second r eason of a different kind, bu t o n e that has t he s ame result

as t he first? (Pa rag raph 4)

e br ing t he a r g u m e n t to a conclus ion in a few words? ( P a r a g r a p h 5)

Rnd w o r d s and phrases in the review which mean:

a the most i m p o r t a n t magaz ine tha t t h e organisa t ion p r o d u c e s

b informing t h e r e a d e r abou t t he latest d ev e l o p men t s in

c po in t of view

d special art icles abou t someth ing

e pay m o n e y to receive regular copies of a newspape r or magaz ine

f impar t ia l

2 o n e of a regular series of magaz ines or newspape r s

h extra sepa ra t e sect ions that a re sold with a newspape r or magaz ine

Read the model review again and tick the points which are ment ioned .

a age of magaz ine

b c o m m e n t s on articles

c cost

d detai ls a b o u t wri ters

e free gifts

I m e t h o d s of paymen t

g n u m b e r of issues

h n u m b e r of pages

i points of sale

j possible r eade r sh ip

k size of magaz ine

1 special fea tures

m title

n topics of interest

o type of magaz ine

r r ~z « M

Reviews Reviewing a magazine

5 N o w comple te the paragraph plan with the w o r d s you ticked in exercise 4.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Main B o d y

main points that suppor t the wri ter ' s choice:

P a r a g r a p h 2?

P a r a g r a p h 3?

P a r a g r a p h 4?

C o n c l u s i o n R e a s o n s for r e c o m m e n d i n g the magaz ine .

6 C o m p l e t e the table b e l o w with the phrases in the box.

€47.50 52 anyone interested in current affairs award-winning journalism and photography

business clear and concise first published 1933 health

Newsweek politics technology the arts

rpny

f

Points

title

age of magazine

topics of interest

possible readership

comments on articles

special features

cost

number of issues

Current affairs magazine

N o w c o m p l e t e the table b e l o w wi t i your o w n ideas.

Points Children's magazine

title

age of magazine

topics of interest

possible readership

comments on articles

special features

cost

number of issues

72

Reviewing a magazine Reviews

Read the t w o questions be low and comple te the paragraph plans. You may use your ideas from exercises 6 and 7, or o ther points if you think they are m o r e appropriate. Then write o n e review based on your notes below.

a T h e head teacher of the primary school w h e r e you w o r k as a teacher has decided to take o u t

magazine subscriptions for s o m e children's magazines. She has asked all the teachers to write a

review of a children's magazine which they believe would be appropriate. W r i t e a review, explaining

w h a t you think it has to offer.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Main B o d y

main points that suppor t your choice :

P a r a g r a p h 2?

P a r a g r a p h 3?

P a r a g r a p h 4?

C o n c l u s i o n R e a s o n s for r e c o m m e n d i n g the magaz ine?

b You w o r k for the university newspaper. A local journalist has kindly offered to pay for yearly

subscriptions to a number of magazines or newspapers . He has asked interested parties to wri te a

review of a magazine or newspaper which they think wou ld be a useful resource for the university

newspaper. W r i t e your review, saying why you think it would be suitable.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Main B o d y

main points that suppor t your choice:

P a r a g r a p h 2?

P a r a g r a p h 3?

P a r a g r a p h 4?

C o n c l u s i o n R e a s o n s for r e c o m m e n d i n g the magaz ine?

18 Reports Discussi] igs of a sun

1 Read the quest ion and the report b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

The local council has received a considerable donat ion from a local resident, and has dec ided to use the m o n e y to s e t up a local newspaper, radio station or TV channel. A survey was carried o u t to find o u t h o w local residents think that the m o n e y should be spent. You have been asked to wri te a report for the local council based on the opinions the residents gave in the survey, making appropriate recommendat ions .

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to discuss the findings of a survey which was carried out in the week beginning

17th February, 2003. 200 people aged 18-65 were asked a number of questions concerning Maintown Council's

proposal to establish a local newspaper, radio station or TV channel.

Newspaper

Generally speaking, this option was quite popular with those interviewed. The majority of people in the 50-65

age group believed that a local newspaper would be very useful, and that they would probably buy it on a

regular basis. This option was also quite popular with local residents in their forties. A few people interviewed

also pointed out that, of the three proposals, this is the only one whose revenue would not depend on

advertising alone, as people would have to pay to buy a newspaper. The younger people who were interviewed,

on the other hand, said that they would only buy a local paper if it was written exclusively for young people.

TV Channel

Of all the projects proposed, this was the least popular. Few people interviewed thought that setting up a local

TV channel was a good idea. The general consensus was that it would be so expensive to run that it is

unrealistic to believe that this could be a successful long-term project.

Radio Station

Maintown Council 's idea to set up a local radio station received the approval of the majority of the residents

who were interviewed, regardless of age. It is believed that a radio station would be both popular and relatively

easy to run, without being too expensive. Some people also ment ioned that it would appeal to all age groups as

well as to people with different interests if there were a variety of programmes on different subjects.

Conclusion

To sum up, while a local TV channel would not be popular with residents, both a local newspaper and a radio

station would have something to offer the community. Taking into account the fact that it is in the council's

interest to make decisions based on voters ' wishes, it is recommended that Maintown Council establish a local

radio station.

Don't confuse reports with proposals! Questions like the one above may

look similar to a proposal as people have been asked to choose between

different things they would like to happen, but the purpose of writing is to

report on the survey, not to propose anything.

Discussing the findings of a Reports

Read the report again and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plan.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Main B o d y

State the purpose of the report. Give details of survey.

C o n c l u s i o n

Read the report again and answer the following quest ions .

a What information is given about the survey in the first paragraph?

., a n d .

b H o w does the writer manage to include reasons for the popularity (or lack of popularity) of the three

things proposed?

What reason(s) are given for:

c the popularity of the idea of setting up a local newspaper?

d the unpopularity of the idea of setting up a local TV channel?

e the popularity of the idea of setting up a local radio station?

f Why does the writer mention voters' wishes in the conclusion?

Study Reference section 15 on page 90 , then underline all the quantifiers the wri ter has used in the report .

M

Discussing the findings of a survey

5 Rewrite the s en tences be low using the w o r d s in bold. U s e b e t w e e n t w o and five w o r d s . You may wish to look back at the model for help with the structures needed .

a F u r t h e r m o r e , some m e m b e r s of staff m e n t i o n e d tha t they would only go to the gym if t he re was an ins t ructor ,

few

F u r t h e r m o r e , m e n t i o n e d tha t they would only go to t he gym i f t he re was

an ins t ructor .

b W h e n asked abou t t he company ' s idea to invest in gym equ ipmen t , everybody w h o works for t he company said i t

was a good idea,

all

W h e n asked abou t t he company ' s idea to invest in gym equ ipmen t , for the

c o m p a n y said it was a good idea .

c Mos t of the p e o p l e w h o w e r e in terviewed though t tha t local res idents wou ld enjoy a s u m m e r concer t ,

few

t hough t tha t local res idents wou ldn ' t enjoy a s u m m e r concer t .

d Accord ing to those w h o took pa r t in the survey, a s u m m e r fete would be enjoyable a n d i t would be profi table too.

both

Accord ing to those w h o took pa r t in t he survey, a s u m m e r fete a n d

profi table .

e W e e k e n d b reaks at hea l th spas received the approva l of mos t of t he employees ,

majority

W e e k e n d b reaks a t hea l th spas received the the employees .

6 Read Reference section 11 on page 89. Look back at the model report on page 7 4 and find the following sentence:

' I t i s bel ieved tha t a r ad io s ta t ion would be b o t h p o p u l a r and relatively easy to run , wi thou t be ing too expensive. '

This is an example of t h e impersonal passive structure. It has been used instead of the s e n t e n c e b e l o w to avoid having to repeat 'the residents', which w a s used in the preceding s e n t e n c e in the report:

The residents believe that a radio station wou ld be both popular and relatively easy to run, w i t h o u t being t o o expensive .

It could also have been writ ten using the personal passive structure:

A radio station is believed to be both popular and relatively easy to run, w i thout being t o o expens ive .

Rewrite t h e s e sentences , using the structures s h o w n above .

a T h e m a n a g e r s bel ieve tha t un i forms would improve the company ' s image .

b T h e employees th ink tha t a day ca re cen t re would be a grea t asset to t he company .

c T h e res idents claim tha t funding has b e e n misused in the past by the local council .

d T h e chari ty believes tha t a s u m m e r fete would be a good way to raise money.

e H e a d t eache r s think tha t T h e Na t iona l Pa ren t T e a c h e r ' s Associa t ion has d o n e a lot to improve educa t ion .

Read the quest ions below, and write a report on o n e of the quest ions , following the paragraph plan, and using s o m e of the things you have learnt in this unit.

a You are the personnel manager of a large company which has decided that it must do something about

the health of its employees . A survey was carried o u t to find o u t what employees think would be the

best idea: sending all employees to a health spa for a w e e k e n d break, buying s o m e gym equipment or

hiring a gym instructor. You have been asked to wri te a report for the board of directors based on the

opinions the e m p l o y e e s gave in the survey, making appropriate recommendat ions .

b The local council has decided to hold a s u m m e r event in the t o w n square. A survey w a s carried o u t

to find o u t h o w local residents think that the m o n e y should be spent: on a s u m m e r concer t , a

s u m m e r fete or a s u m m e r play. You have been asked to wri te a report for the local council based on

the opinions the residents gave in the survey, making a suitable recommendat ion .

I n t r o d u c t i o n S ta te t he pu rpose of the r epor t .

Give detai ls of survey.

Main B o d y Discuss findings of the survey, using a sepa ra t e p a r a g r a p h for each of t he t h r e e

things m e n t i o n e d in the ques t ion .

Give reasons for the i r popular i ty /unpopular i ty .

C o n c l u s i o n Summar i se the findings of the survey.

M a k e a r e c o m m e n d a t i o n .

19 Reports itions

Read the quest ion and the report b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the exerc i ses that follow.

You are an independent consultant offering advice to small businesses . You have been approached by the o w n e r of a restaurant w h o needs your help. There has been a decline in business and the restaurant is in danger of closing d o w n . You have investigated the situation and are n o w ready to wr i te your report analysing the possible reasons for this decline and making suggest ions as to h o w the situation could be improved. W r i t e your report .

Introduction

This report has been written following my inquiries and observations. It outlines my findings relating to the decline

in business and also (1)

The Menu

The Catherine Wheel has always been well known for its good quality food and wine. This, however, has led to

complacency. The choice of food (2) The menu is therefore predictable, which does not

encourage customers to return. It is my opinion (3) In addition, people are more willing to

try a wider variety of foods than they once were and the menu could reflect this with the inclusion of more

adventurous choices. This could be done by means of a Specials board, or the menu could be adapted on a

regular basis, although this would be fairly costly in terms of printing.

Other Establishments

In the past twelve months, three new restaurants have opened up within walking distance of The Catherine Wheel,

two of which are proving to be extremely successful. They are attracting customers in their late twenties

to early forties, the age group most likely to eat out on a regular basis, by providing good food in an upbeat

environment. At present (4) In order to compete with these establishments, changes to

decor and music should be made .

Opening Hours

Currently the restaurant only opens on Monday to Saturday nights from 6 pm until 11.30 pm. This limits the

number of customers that can be served. People come into the restaurant after 11.30 pm and ask for a table

(5) Opening hours could be extended, especially at weekends. Fur thermore , it may be

worth opening at lunchtime. There are few places in town that offer good food in the middle of the day, so

(6)

Conclusion

Although business has declined over the recent months at The Catherine Wheel, the situation is rectifiable. My

investigation has highlighted the causes of the problem and I feel certain that the measures outlined above will

improve the situation.

Providi

1 Read the quest ion and the report b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the exerc ises that follow.

You are an independent consultant offering advice to small businesses . You have been approached by the o w n e r of a restaurant w h o needs your help. There has been a decline in business and the restaurant is in danger of closing down. You have investigated the situation and are n o w ready to wri te your report analysing the possible reasons for this decline and making suggest ions as to h o w the situation could be improved. W r i t e your report .

Introduction

This report has been written following my inquiries and observations. It outlines my findings relating to the decline

in business and also (1)

The Menu

The Catherine Wheel has always been well known for its good quality food and wine. This, however, has led to

complacency. The choice of food (2) The menu is therefore predictable, which does not

encourage customers to return. It is my opinion (3) In addition, people are more willing to

try a wider variety of foods than they once were and the menu could reflect this with the inclusion of more

adventurous choices. This could be done by means of a Specials board, or the menu could be adapted on a

regular basis, although this would be fairly costly in terms of printing.

Other Establishments

In the past twelve months, three new restaurants have opened up within walking distance of The Catherine Wheel,

two of which are proving to be extremely successful. They are attracting customers in their late twenties

to early forties, the age group most likely to eat out on a regular basis, by providing good food in an upbeat

environment. At present (4) In order to compete with these establishments, changes to

decor and music should be made .

Opening Hours

Currently the restaurant only opens on Monday to Saturday nights from 6 pm until 11.30 pm. This limits the

number of customers that can be served. People come into the restaurant after 11.30 pm and ask for a table

(5) Opening hours could be extended, especially at weekends. Fur thermore , it may be

worth opening at lunchtime. There are few places in town that offer good food in the middle of the day, so

Conclusion

Although business has declined over the recent months at The Catherine Wheel, the situation is rectifiable. My

investigation has highlighted the causes of the problem and I feel certain that the measures outlined above will

improve the situation.

(6)

Providin Reports

Read t h e repor t again and dec ide w h e t h e r a or b is the m o s t suitable way to finish the s e n t e n c e s .

1 a gives you some ideas that may help b puts forward some suggestions that may improve the situation

2 a has remained unchanged for a considerable length of t ime b has stayed pretty much the same for as long as everyone can remember

3 a that it's about t ime you had a change

b that you reassess the menu on offer

4 a The Catherine Wheel is really boring in comparison

b The Catherine Wheel seems very staid in comparison

5 a only to be turned away

b but are told to leave

6 a the opportunity should be taken advantage of

b you should cash in on this

W h e n writing a report it is important to have clear paragraphs that address a particular point. In this report ,

each paragraph in the main body deals with o n e problem and its possible solut ion(s) . Look again at the repor t

and c o m p l e t e t h e table b e l o w in n o t e form.

Problem Solution

Paragraph 2 Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3 Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4 Paragraph 4

Look at this s e n t e n c e taken from t h e report and answer the quest ion that fol lows.

T h e menu is therefore predictable, which does not encourage customers to return.'

What does which refer to?

a the menu

b the fact that the menu is predictable

The sentence could be rewritten as follows:

The fact that the menu is predictable does not encourage customers to return.

oviding solutions

5 Rewrite the s e n t e n c e s be low practising the structures you saw in exercise 4.

a T h e fact that the food is good value m a k e s p e o p l e c o m e back t ime and again.

T h e food

b T h e fact that Mary was b rough t up in Italy m e a n s she often ea ts pas ta .

Mary

c T h e wai tresses a r e r u d e and unhelpful , which gives the r e s t au ran t a b a d n a m e .

T h e fact tha t

d T h e fact tha t J e r emy ha tes cooking explains why he always ea ts out .

J e r emy

e T h e m e a l was extor t ionate ly expensive, which spoiled my b i r thday ce lebra t ion .

T h e fact tha t

6 Look at the s e n t e n c e b e l o w taken from the report and answer the quest ion which fol lows.

' In t h e pas t twelve m o n t h s , t h r ee n e w res t au ran t s have o p e n e d up within walking dis tance of The Catherine Wheel,

two of which a re proving to be ext remely successfu l '

W h a t does which refer to?

a t h e new res t au ran t s

b The Catherine Wheel

T h e sen tence could be rewr i t ten as follows:

In t he pas t twelve m o n t h s , t h r ee n e w res t au ran t s have o p e n e d up wi thin walking d is tance o f

The Catherine Wheel. Two of t h e m a re proving to be ext remely successful.

7 Join the s e n t e n c e s b e l o w together, practising the structure you m e t in exercise 6. R e m e m b e r that the relative pronoun whom is used after a preposit ion t o refer t o a person.

a O n e h u n d r e d cus tomers were interviewed. M a n y of t h e m said they w e r e satisfied with t he service provided .

b F ive locat ions w e r e cons idered . T w o of t h e m were ideal .

c Two cand ida tes appl ied for t he j ob . Both of t h e m were unsui tab le .

Mr J o h n s o n r ead t en j o b adver t i sements . N o n e o f t h e m was what he was looking for.

I have t e l e p h o n e d t h r e e hotels in t he a rea . All of t h e m are fully booked .

Providing solutions Reports 19 1 Read the t w o quest ions b e l o w and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plans for each quest ion with no te s .

a You are employed as manager of a small gift shop. Unfortunately, the gift shop is no t doing as well as

i t used to . W r i t e a report to the o w n e r explaining the reasons for this and putting forward s o m e

suggest ions as to h o w the situation could be improved.

I n t r o d u c t i o n S ta te t he p u r p o s e o f your r epor t .

Main B o d y H e a d i n g ?

P r o b l e m 1

Solut ion(s)

H e a d i n g ?

P r o b l e m 2

Solu t ion(s )

H e a d i n g ?

P r o b l e m 3

Solut ion(s)

C o n c l u s i o n S ta te tha t someth ing mus t be d o n e .

S ta te tha t your suggest ions will solve t he p rob lem/ improve the s i tuat ion.

You w o r k at a spor t s centre . The sports centre is no t as busy as it used to be and is under threat of

c losure. You have been asked to wr i te a report analysing the reasons for this and suggesting so lut ions

to the problem.

I n t r o d u c t i o n S ta te t h e p u r p o s e o f y o u r r epo r t .

Main B o d y H e a d i n g ?

P r o b l e m 1

Solut ion(s)

H e a d i n g ?

P r o b l e m 2

Solut ion(s)

H e a d i n g ?

P r o b l e m 3

Solut ion(s)

C o n c l u s i o n S ta te tha t someth ing mus t be d o n e .

S ta te tha t y o u r suggest ions will solve t h e p rob lem/ improve the s i tuat ion.

C h o o s e o n e of the quest ions from exerc ise 8

and wri te a report . When you write your report don't forget to use headings like those in the report on page 78. Stan a new paragraph for each point you make.

20 Reports

I Read the quest ion and the report b e l o w and then do the exerc ises that follow.

You w o r k for a c o n s u m e r magazine that is running a feature on local businesses . You have been asked to research a local dry cleaner's for the feature. W r i t e a report about the service that is offered by this dry cleaner's, including details of w h e t h e r it is g o o d value for money.

Introduction

This report evaluates the service offered by Mr Quick Dry Cleaner's on Market

Square, which opened three months ago.

The Test

Four items of clothing were taken into the cleaner 's: a man's suit, a lady's silk

blouse, a pair of woollen trousers and a leather jacket. The blouse had a red

wine stain on the front which was more than a week old, the trousers had had

salad dressing spilt on them, the suit was in need of freshening up and the

leather jacket had marks on the elbows from everyday wear. The clothes were

taken to the shop at 9.30 am on a Tuesday morning. The assistant told me that

the garments would be ready in a week's t ime. I explained that the suit was

needed urgently for an unexpected business meet ing and asked for i t to be

ready the following afternoon. She said that this could be done and pointed out

that it would cost extra.

The Results

At 3.30 pm on the Wednesday afternoon, the suit was not ready. The assistant

asked me to come back in an hour and apologised for the delay and inconvenience. No explanation was given.

At 4.30 pm, I re turned and the suit was ready. The following week, the other items were collected. The red wine

and salad dressing stains had been removed successfully. The leather jacket still had some marks on the elbows

but looked a great deal bet ter than when it had been taken in. The cost of the cleaning came to 63 euros for

all items.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Mr Quick Dry Cleaner's provides a good service at a reasonable cost. Despite the fact that the

suit was not ready when I first went to collect it, the assistant was polite and apologetic and the suit was ready by

the end of the afternoon. Considering the cleaning took a week to do, perhaps the name of the cleaner's is a

little misleading.

Read the report again and answer t h e s e quest ions .

In which paragraph d o e s the wri ter mention:

a his op in ion of t he service offered?

b t he cost of t he service?

c t he condi t ion of t he c lothes t aken to be c leaned?

d the p u r p o s e of t he r epo r t ?

e w h e n the c lothes would be r eady?

f t he condi t ion of t he c lo thes w h e n they were col lec ted?

82

Evaluating Reports

The wri ter uses indirect speech in his report but avoids using the verbs say o r tell repeatedly. Look at the report again and list the o t h e r reporting verbs the wri ter uses .

Study Reference section 7 on page 8 8 and then rewrite the s e n t e n c e s b e l o w practising indirect speech and using the reporting verbs given. r- • • r o r o o jjon tjorget changes in tenses.

a 'If I w e r e you, I 'd t ake your car to a different garage , ' he said,

advise

b 'This food is cold a n d my cola is flat, ' I said,

complain

c 'I 'll speak to my lawyer if someth ing isn' t d o n e s traightaway, ' she said,

threaten

d 'Yes , I 'm afraid I have ove rbooked the flight,' he said,

admit

e ' I 'm sorry, bu t I really can ' t re fund your money , ' she said,

refuse

f ' Y o u r flight is de layed because of b a d wea the r , ' he said,

explain

N o w read this quest ion and c o m p l e t e the paragraph plan with your o w n ideas.

You belong to an amateur photography club. T h e club magazine is doing an article on photographic

studios in t h e area and t h e services they offer for wedding photography. You recently g o t married and

have been asked to wri te a report on the photographic s tudio you used. W r i t e your report , including

details of the service you w e r e given and w h e t h e r or not you would r e c o m m e n d it.

I n t r o d u c t i o n Sta te t he p u r p o s e of your r epo r t .

N a m e ?

W h e r e ?

T h e T e s t

( W h a t ? W h e n ? W h e r e ? )

T h e R e s u l t s

C o n c l u s i o n Sta te your op in ion of t h e service offered.

Reports l u a t i m

6 This kind of report may ask you to wri te about a product rather than a service . Look at this quest ion b e l o w and then read the report that fol lows.

I I

You w o r k for a w o m e n ' s magazine and have been asked to research a child's toy or game for the D e c e m b e r issue, which will have a feature on gift ideas for children. W r i t e a report explaining what the t o y or game is and why it would make a suitable gift.

Introduction

This repor t concerns the board game Travel the World, which is sold at most Early Learning Centre shops

throughout the country.

The Game

The board game is designed for children of five plus and can be played by two to four players. It consists of an

attractive board with a colourful map of the world. The countries labelled on the map are those that commonly

appear on maps that school children use. There is also a spinner that determines the method of transport (car,

bus, boat, helicopter or aeroplane) and the number of spaces to be moved (1 to 4). Players, who have chosen

three ticket cards, start from one of the countries shown on one of their tickets and travel around the board

visiting the other two countries shown on their tickets before finishing at the country they started from.

The Test

Travel the World was played by my niece and nephew, who are seven and eight years old respectively. The rules

were explained to them and they started playing. The game progressed well and was fun as (1) For

example, they discovered that a helicopter or plane could travel over any surface, but the boat was only good

for covering stretches of water and no good on land.

The Results

Both my niece and nephew have asked for their own game, so (2) They spent over an hour playing the

game a number of times, which (3) Adult help was needed initially to explain the object of the game

and how it should be played, but after this they were able to play autonomously, with only occasional adult

in te rvent ion . I t should be no ted , however , tha t ch i ldren of five or six would probably n e e d m o r e adul t

assistance as (4)

Conclusion

I recommend that this game is included in our December issue as a suitable gift for children of primary school

age because (5) Fur thermore , the game does not take too long to play, which (6) It is also

reasonably priced and would make an ideal gift.

Evaluating Reports

The writer uses the clauses b e l o w to explain the points she makes in her report . Can you put them into the correc t place in the report?

a they would be unab le to r ead their t ickets

b it was obviously successful

c m e a n s chi ldren won ' t lose interest in it before a w inne r is found

d it is b o t h en te r ta in ing and educa t iona l

e i t soon b e c a m e clear t ha t i t was m o r e difficult to get from count ry to count ry t h a n i t first a p p e a r e d

f indicates tha t it he ld the i r interest

Read the report again and pay careful attention to the t e n s e s the wri ter has used. N o w answer t h e s e quest ions.

a Is t he wri ter referr ing to past , p r e s e n t or future t ime in:

p a r a g r a p h 1?

p a r a g r a p h 2?

p a r a g r a p h 3?

p a r a g r a p h 4?

p a r a g r a p h 5?

b W h y does t he wri ter switch be tween pas t a n d p re sen t tenses in this way?

J.

Read the quest ion b e l o w and then c o m p l e t e the paragraph plan with your o w n ideas.

You w o r k as a researcher for a c o n s u m e r magazine. The magazine is going to do a feature on h o m e enterta inment equipment. You have been asked to try o u t a piece of equipment (video, DVD, s tereo , etc) and wri te a report describing w h a t the equipment is used for. You should include details of h o w easy it is to use and w h e t h e r or not it is g o o d value for money.

I n t r o d u c t i o n S ta te t h e p u r p o s e o f your r epor t .

T h e T e s t W h o tes ted it?

Brief descr ipt ion of t he test

T h e R e s u l t s W h a t h a p p e n e d (briefly)?

C o n c l u s i o n S ta te w h e t h e r o r no t you r e c o m m e n d t h e p r o d u c t a n d why

Write a report in answer to the quest ion in e i ther exercise 5 or 9. U s e your n o t e s to help you. Remember to use a variety of tenses depending on

what you are referring to.

Reference Section

an

An i s used before a vowel sound: an elephant, an umbrella, an aeroplane; but not when u is pronounced like ' y o u ' : a useful book. It is also used before h when h is not pronounced: an honest man.

W h e n we mention something for the first time, we normally use a / a n ; when that thing is referred to again, we use the definite article t h e , because by now it is understood which one we mean: A photographer took his photograph without

permission. He got so angry that he broke the

photographer's camera.

We also use a / a n in numerical expressions (for example, in expressions of frequency or quantity): She has classes three times a week.

Petrol costs about sixty pence a litre here.

(See also the , u s e a n d o m i s s i o n )

2 Adjectives

a P o s i t i o n

1 Adjectives generally c o m e before the noun or as a complement after be and some other verbs ( l o o k , s e e m , feel etc.)

She's a pretty girl. She looks very pretty.

2 W h e n we use more than one adjective before a noun we do not usually write a n d between the adjectives. We use commas if the combination is not usual, but not if it is very common. Compare:

He's a nice little man. (common) She's a shy, secretive woman, (not usual) We use a n d when the adjectives are a complement after b e , s e e m , fee l , etc.: He's short and fat./She seems charming and intelligent. With three adjectives, we usually put a comma after the first: We were cold, wet and tired.

b O r d e r

In normal usage, we prefer to put some adjectives before others: He's a nice little man (NOT little nice).

The rule is that general adjectives like n i c e or p r e t t y c o m e before more precise ones . N o t e these examples: a I've read the first hundred pages.

(ordinal-cardinal) b An intelligent young man (mental

ability-age) c A large round ball (size—shape) d A green cotton dress (colour-material) e A German car factory

(nationality/origin-purpose)

C o m p o u n d a d j e c t i v e s Compound adjectives are made up of t w o p a n . They are usually hyphenated, and the second part is often a present or past participle. Compound adjectives are used to describe a wide variety of nouns, but the most common ones describe personal appearance and character. The meaning is usually w i t h , h a v i n g o r b e i n g :

He's a red-haired, broad-shouldered man. (He's a man with red hair and broad shoulder: I

C o m p a r i s o n

(a) We can use a s . . . as and n o t a s / s o . . . as wit- |

adjectives for comparison: He's as tall as his sister but not as/so intelligent as she is.

(b) W e use m o r e / l e s s . . . t h a n with s o m e adjectives and the comparative form -er.. . t h a n with others: He's more talented but lazier than I am. Adjectives of one syllable and two-syllable adjectives ending in -y (plus a few others) form the comparative with -e r . The spelling changes from -y to - i when - e r is added ( h e a v y - h e a v i e r ) . Most two-syllable adjectives and all longer adjectives form the comparative with m o r e .

(c) If we want to emphasise the difference in a comparison, w e use f a r o r m u c h with the adjective: She's far/much more intelligent than he is.

With plural nouns after the adjective we use f a r o r m a n y :

Far/Many more people came than I expected

W e use n o t n e a r l y a s / s o . . . a s t o emphasise

a negative difference. We're n o t nearly as/so well off as they are.

(d) The superlative form is made with - e s t or m o s t . W h e n w e compare more than t w o people or things we use the superlative even when the number involved is not mentioned: She's the prettiest girl in the class. (There are more than t w o students.)

(e) Remember the irregular forms: good b e t t e r b e s t

bad w o r s e w o r s t

little l e s s l e a s t

much/many m o r e m o s t

far * f a r t h e r / f a r t h e s t /

f u r t h e r f u r t h e s t

*Both forms are used for distance, but we say f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n (= 'additional')

E l d e r / e l d e s t are irregular forms of o l d but are only used for members of the family: my e l d e r brother.

(f) W h e n we want to say that t w o things happen together or in proportion to each other, we use t w o comparative forms: The older I get, the more impatient I become.

86

Reference section

f two parts. : second pie. scribe a :ommon

3 Adverbs of frequency

a Adverbs of frequency, like a l w a y s and o f t e n and other single-word adverbs of indefinite time like r e c e n t l y , generally go before the main verb but after forms of b e : Margaret is never late; Jane never comes home

late, either.

b They usually go between an auxiliary and the main verb or after the first auxiliary if there are t w o or more: / have never seen such a good film. She must sometimes have wondered if she had

made the right decision.

4 Conditional sentences

a P r e s e n t a n d f u t u r e We generally use the present tense for the condition and a future tense for the main clause, but note the alternative with the imperative: If I see him tomorrow, I'll give him your message. If you see him tomorrow, give him my message.

Modals may also be used in the main clause: If you go out, you must put on your coat. It's cold.

b I m a g i n a r y s i t u a t i o n s in p r e s e n t or f u t u r e We use the past tense for the condition and the conditional tense ( w o u l d + infinitive) for the main clause. With the verb b e , we usually use w e r e for all persons: If I were (was) rich, I'd buy a house by the sea. If we offered you the job, would you accept it?

c P a s t s i t u a t i o n s In talking about the past, we usually use the past perfect tense for the condition and the conditional perfect ( w o u l d h a v e + past participle) for the main clause: If I'd known what was wrong, I would have told you. But if the present situation is a direct result of an unfulfilled condition in the past, the main clause may be in the conditional tense: If I'd studied more when I was at school, I would have a better job today.

d P e r m a n e n t c o n d i t i o n If a condition is always true we use the present tense for both parts of the sentence: If it doesn't rain, the rivers dry up and the animals die of thirst.

e V a r i a t i o n s I As alternatives to a we can suggest that the

possibility is not very likely: If you should see him, will you give him my message? (please give him my message)

There is also a formal variation of this: Should you see him, ...

2 Alternatives to b are:

If we were to offer you the job, would you

accept it? Were we to offer you the job,... These suggest that the offer is unlikely.

3 Alternatives to c are: Had I known, I would have informed you. This is more formal than: If I had known ...

Gerund

a G e n e r a l The gerund is the term used for a verb form ending in - I n g when it is used like a noun. It has the same form as the present participle: / like reading and listening to music. Possessive forms are used with the gerund. In informal English, the object form of the personal pronoun or the noun is often used instead: Do you mind my/me going without you? Do you agree with Anthony's/Anthony getting married so young?

b P r e p o s i t i o n + g e r u n d A preposition is somet imes followed by a gerund

verb form: Before leaving the house, he turned out the lights. Some verbs are followed by the preposition to and the gerund, not the infinitive with t o . The most common ones are a m o u n t t o , b e d e d i c a t e d t o , b e d e v o t e d t o , b e g i v e n t o , b e l i m i t e d t o , b e o p p o s e d t o , b e r e s i g n e d t o , b e / g e t u s e d t o , c o m e n e a r t o , l i m i t o n e s e l f t o , l o o k f o r w a r d t o , o b j e c t t o , r e s i g n o n e s e l f t o .

c G e r u n d a n d p r e s e n t p a r t i c i p l e The form is the same but there is a difference between them in usage: Playing games is healthier than watching them.

(gerund) He broke his leg (while he was) playing football.

(participle)

d G e r u n d a n d inf init ive ( i m p e r s o n a l s t r u c t u r e ) We prefer to use the gerund at the beginning of a sentence, the infinitive in an impersonal structure: E a t i n g people is wrong. It is wrong to eat people.

e G e r u n d a n d inf init ive a f t e r c e r t a i n v e r b s Common verbs followed by the gerund, apart from those that are followed by a preposition, are: avoid, consider, delay, deny, dislike, enjoy, escape, face, feel like, finish, forgive, can't help, imagine, involve, mention, mind, miss, practise, resist, risk, can't stand, suggest, understand. In some cases, either a gerund or infinitive may be used but there is usually a difference in meaning or usage:

Reference section

(a) adv i se , a l l o w : Infinitive with a personal object, otherwise gerund: They don't allow smoking/you to smoke on

these flights.

(b) b e g i n , s t a r t : when these verbs are used in continuous tenses, only an infinitive can follow: It is starting to rain.

(c) go on means 'continue' with the gerund but with the infinitive indicates a change of topic or action: She first explained the problem and then went

on to outline some solutions.

(d) l i ke , h a t e , l o v e , p r e f e r . In the conditional -

for example, w o u l d l ike - we use the

infinitive. L i k e and l o v e generally take the gerund to express general feelings, the infinitive when they refer to regular habits: / like swimming. I like to go for a swim on

Sunday mornings.

H a t e and p r e f e r usually take the gerund in general, the infinitive on particular occasions.

(e) r e m e m b e r , f o r g e t , r e g r e t take the

infinitive with future reference, the gerund with past reference: Remember to ask Sarah to give you that

recipe. ('Don't forget'). Do you remember eating that wonderful meal

at Sarah's?

('Have you the memory of it or have you forgotten that occasion?')

(f) s t o p with the gerund means 'give up'. With the infinitive, the verb indicates purpose: / stopped to buy the newspaper and then

drove on.

(g ) t r y followed by the infinitive means 'attempt, make an effort'. With the gerund it means 'experiment, adopt a different method': I've been trying to open this door for some time!

Well, try turning the key the other way round!

6 Indirect questions: word order

In indirect questions, the question uses the affirmative or negative, not interrogative form: the word order is always subject before verb. If the direct question has no question word, the indirect question comes after i f / w h e t h e r ; if it has a question word, this word is repeated in the indirect question: She wants to know iflwhether you are English.

I wonder where I will be tomorrow.

N o t e the changes in form in the present and past simple tenses: (Does he speak English?) Ask him iflwhether he

speaks English.

(What did he say?) I wonder what he said.

If the question word is already the subject in the direct question, the word order will not change unless the verb is b e : (What happened next?) Tell me what happened next.

(Who is she?) I wonder who she is.

accusation accuse

admission admit

advice advise

agreement agree

7 Indirect speech: paraphrase

Some verbs can be used in indirect speech to indicate the way things are said and the purpose of what was said. In the table below, note the purpose of the verb from the example in direct speech, and the constructions possible with the verbs we can use instead of s a y and te l l in indirect speech:

P u r p o s e V e r b D i r e c t s p e e c h a n d paraphrase

'You stole it, didn't you?' I accused him of stealing it. 'Yes, I took it' He admitted having taken it 'You should take more exercise.' He advised her to take more exercise He advised taking more exercise. 7 think you're right' She agreed with melthe idea. 'All right I'll help you' She agreed to help me. 'That's the best method.' We agreed that it was the best method.

We agreed on the best method. 'I'm sorry I arrived late.' He apologised for arriving late. 'You should have done the job better.' He complained that they should have... 7 wish he wouldn't do that' She complained to me about him. 'I didn't steal it' He denied tha t he h a d s to len it. He denied hav ing s to len it. 'Would you like to come to the party?' He invited her ( to c o m e ) to the party. 'I'll help you, shall I?' She offered to help m e . 'I won't do it.' He refused to do it. 'I wish I hadn't broken it.' She regretted hav ing b r o k e n it. She regretted tha t she h a d b r o k e n it.

'Don't forget to post it.' She reminded h i m to p o s t it. 'Why don't you go with her?' He suggested tha t I s h o u l d go

with her. 'Let's go for a walk!' She suggested g o i n g for a walk. 'If you don't go away, I'll call the police.' He threatened to call the police if they didn't go away. 'Be careful. The roads are icy.' He warned her to be careful. He warned her o f /about the icy roads. He warned her tha t the roads were icy.

apology apologise

complaint complain

denial deny

invitation invite

offer offer

refusal refuse

regret regret

reminder remind

suggestion suggest

threat threaten

warning warn

Reference section

8 Infinitive

a F o r m

The infinitive is generally formed with t o . Verbs followed by the infinitive without to are many auxiliary verbs ( c a n , m a y , etc.), m a k e (in the active, but not the passive), l e t (which has no passive), h e l p (which can be used with or without t o ) , verbs of the senses like s e e , h e a r (see Participle clauses). The negative infinitive is made by putting n o t before t o : / advised her n o t to sell the house.

The perfect infinitive is made with to h a v e + past participle: I'm sorry to have kept you waiting (= 'that I kept

you waiting').

b I n f i n i t i v e a f t e r v e r b

Many verbs are followed by the infinitive with to and s o m e can also be followed by the gerund (but s ee Gerund for differences in meaning and usage).

c a d j e c t i v e + in f in i t i ve

Some adjectives can be followed by the infinitive: / was surprised to see her.

W h e n the infinitive is used with a preposition this can c o m e at the end of the sentence and in such sentences the object is not placed after the verb: She was very pleasant to talk to. ( N O T 'to talk t o

her.')

d Q u e s t i o n w o r d s + i n f i n i t i v e

W e can use h o w , w h a t , w h o , w h e r e , w h e n

and w h e t h e r with the infinitive after verbs like a s k , te l l , k n o w , u n d e r s t a n d :

/ don't know where to go.

Tell me how to do it

9 Inversion

Inversion is used to make a sentence more emphatic. The verb form is inverted and the question form is used when a sentence or a clause begins with a negative form. He had never met such an obnoxious person before.

Never before had he met such an obnoxious person.

They didn't see her until she called out their names.

Not until she called out their names did they see her.

This medicine is not only good for headaches but also

for other cold symptoms.

Not only is this medicine good for headaches but also

for other cold symptoms.

I had hardly sat down when the doorbell rang.

Hardly had I sat down when the doorbell rang.

She spoke so fast that I couldn't understand her.

So fast did she speak that I couldn't understand her.

Lucy only realised how difficult the course would be

when she had started it

Only when Lucy had started the course did she

realise how difficult it would be.

10 Participle clauses

a A d j e c t i v a l

We can use the present participle, ending in - i n g , and the past participle, ending in - e d , in clauses that are rather like relative clauses. The present participle is only used when the action is happening at the same time as the main verb: The girl (who is) dancing with John is my sister.

The man (who was) injured in the car crash lives

next door to me.

b A d v e r b i a l

Present, past and perfect ( h a v i n g + past participle) participles can all be used: Looking up from my book, I noticed a stain on the

ceiling. ('When I looked...') B u i l t in the last century, the house is still in good

repair. ('Although it was built...') Having spent most of his life abroad, he found it

strange to return to his own country. ('Because he

had spent . . . ) Never having played the game before, I found it

rather confusing. ('As I had never played...')

c W i t h v e r b s o f t h e s e n s e s

After verbs like s e e and h e a r we can use an object and either the infinitive without to or the present participle. In general, the infinitive is used when talking about a completed action and the participle when we saw or heard it when it was incomplete: / saw her cross the road and go into the shop.

(completed actions). / saw him crossing the road and heard the car

approaching and then it hit him. (incomplete).

In the passive the infinitive is formed with t o : She was seen to cross the road and go into the shop.

11 Passive Voice: impersonal and personal structures

The verbs b e l i e v e , c o n s i d e r , e x p e c t , h o p e ,

k n o w , r e p o r t , s a y , t h i n k , etc can be used in the

following passive structures:

I m p e r s o n a l s t r u c t u r e

It + passive verb + t h a t + clause It is thought that foreign languages are becoming

more important every day.

P e r s o n a l s t r u c t u r e

subject + passive verb + full infinitive Foreign languages are thought to be becoming

more important every day.

Reference section

N o t e Remember that there are four full infinitive forms:

(Present/Future) p r e s e n t i n f i n i t i v e

He is said to work in France.

p r e s e n t c o n t i n u o u s i n f i n i t i v e

He is said to be working in France.

(Past) p e r f e c t i n f i n i t i v e

He is said to have worked in France.

p e r f e c t c o n t i n u o u s in f in i t i ve

He is said to have been working in France.

12 Phrases in apposition

O n e way of giving additional information about a person or thing is to use a phrase in apposition (instead of a relative clause with a relative pronoun and a form of b e ) . Mr Taylor, (who is) the team manager, said...

The cathedral, (which is) the oldest building in the

city, was built...

13 Prepositions of place

a at, in, on

At i s used: for particular points: at the end of the road, at number 27.

for places when we are concerned with their purpose or location, not their size or shape: at the station, at the supermarket.

She works at the post office.

(Compare: She's in the post office, buying

some stamps (= inside).)

for places (small towns , villages etc.) the speaker does not consider very important or does not know very well: at Melton Mowbray, a town near Leicester. (Someone

w h o lived there would probably say: / live in Melton Mowbray.)

In suggests: 'inside' or a situation with three dimensions: in t h e kitchen, in the High S t r e e t (but

USA = on Main S t ree t ) because of the

houses on both sides, a large area, like a country, province, city: in New Zealand, in Kent, in Manchester.

O n suggests: a surface: on t h e wall, on Earth, on a small

island.

- a line: on the coast, on t h e River Thames,

on the road, on the way to on the

left-hand side of the s t reet .

Also note the following: They're sailing in their boat on the lake.

She's swimming in the lake. In the corner of the room (= inside) but atlon ( n

corner of the street (= outside).

He's at the cinema (he's gone t o see a film). /'// meet you at the cinema, (outside, or near the door) They aren't here. They must be in the cinema. (inside the building) On the screen (surface), on the radio, on TV

b into, onto, out of, off With verbs of movement, we generally use intc and o n t o , though in and on are common: He fell intolin the water.

He got ontolon his bicycle. O u t o f indicates the opposite movement t o i n t o and o f f the opposite movement to o n t o . (See in and on in a above, for the idea of being 'inside' or 'on a surface'. Compare: He took the knives and forks out of the drawer.

(opposite of i n t o / i n ) We'll have to take the tyre off the wheel.

(opposite o f o n t o / o n )

14 Prepositions of t ime

a t , in, on

Use this list as a check:

at for exact periods of time: at five o'clock, at dinner time, at this moment. at for festivals: at Christmas, at Easter, at New Year.

others are: at night (but during the day), at

weekends, at present (= now)

on for days and dates: on Monday, on June I Oth, on Christmas Day (compare at for

the festive period), on summer evenings, on Sunday morning, on Friday night

in for longer periods of time: in August, in spring, in 1985, in the nineteenth century, in the Middle Ages, in the past, in the future (compare at present) in for periods of time within which or at the enc of which something may happen: in the morning, in five minutes, in a week's time.

15 Quantifiers

Quantifiers show h o w many things or how much of something we are talking about. Some quantifiers (ie b o t h , ( a ) f e w , t h e m a j o r i t y of ) combine with countable nouns; some (ie a g r e a t d e a l o f , ( a ) l i t t le , ( n o t ) m u c h ) with uncountable and s o m e (ie all ( o f ) t h e , e a c h , e i t h e r ) with both kinds. T h e majority of the people at the party were at school with my brother.

There's a little cheese in the fridge, if you're hungry.

All of my colleagues work very hard. Don't eat all of the ice cream; leave some for me!

Reference section

16 Reported speech

a S t a t e m e n t W h e n we convert direct speech to reported speech and the introducing verb is in the past, the tense changes. Expressions of time and place also change unless the speaker is still in the same place on the same day ( h e r e is still h e r e , and t o d a y is still t o d a y ) . Use the conversion table for reference and note that in all cases t o l d me could replace said: D i r e c t R e p o r t e d I'm working hard. She said she was

working hard.

I travel by train. She said she travelled by

train.

I'm going to change She said she was going to

my job. change...

/'// see you on She said she would see ...

Sunday.

I've never seen it She said she had never

before. seen...

I spoke to him on She said she had spoken ...

Monday. I can run faster She said she could run ...

wan him.

The train may She said the train might

arrive late. arrive...

I must go to the She said she had to go ...

doctor.

(with general future She said she would have

meaning) to go ...

O t h e r c h a n g e s here there this that now then yesterday the day before, the previous day t o m o r r o w the day after, the next day, the

following day last w e e k the w e e k before, the previous

w e e k next w e e k the w e e k after, the next week, the

following week ago before

b Q u e s t i o n s N o t e the word order of indirect questions (see I n d i r e c t q u e s t i o n s ) . The tense changes in reported questions are the same as for statements (see table in a above).

D i r e c t R e p o r t e d Have you seen She asked me if I had seen ...

the film?

Where does She asked me where he lived.

he live?

c O r d e r s a n d r e q u e s t s These are made with the imperative in direct speech. In reported speech we use the object + infinitive after te l l (for orders) and a s k (for requests): D i r e c t R e p o r t e d D o n ' t worry. She told him not to

worry.

Please keep quiet! She asked them to keep

quiet

W h e n we do not reproduce the actual words used in direct speech we can paraphrase what was said by using other verbs (offer, s u g g e s t , etc.) (See I n d i r e c t s p e e c h : p a r a p h r a s e )

17 Should

a should a n d ought to S h o u l d and o u g h t to indicate obligation or advice. We prefer o u g h t to i f we are doubtful that the obligation will be met or the advice will be taken: You've got a bad cough. You should/ought to see

a doctor.

You ought to see a doctor, but I don't suppose

you will.

The past forms are s h o u l d / o u g h t to h a v e + past participle. They are used to express regret in the first person, blame or criticism in the second and third: / shouldn't have said that to her. It was very

unkind, (regret) You should have been more careful. Then you

wouldn't have broken it (blame or criticism)

b Should a n d would

S h o u l d and w o u l d can both be used for the first person in the conditional tense, and as the past of shal l for the first person in reported speech. But they have separate meanings and usage. (For w o u l d see Conditional sentences 4 b , 4 c and 4e.)

W h e r e they are often seen in combination is where sentences of advice or regret/blame (see s h o u l d a) are followed by conditional sentences: They shouldn't (should not) allow

motor cycles in the forest If they kept them out,

these fires wouldn't (would not) start.

You should have taken my advice. If you had, this

wouldn't (would not) have happened.

18 Tenses

a P r e s e n t t e n s e s The present simple tense is used for actions that occur repeatedly or at any time, often with adverbs of frequency like a l w a y s and time expressions like e v e r y day . The question form and negative are formed with do as auxiliary:

Reference section

She lives in the country but she doesn't work there.

Do you ever wonder what's going to happen in the future?

Everything comes to those who wait, so they say. The present simple tense can be used to refer to future time. The present continuous tense is used for actions that are going on at present and for temporary situations. The tense is formed by the verb be + present participle: Look! They're waving at us!

What is she doing these days? She's writing

a novel.

The present continuous tense can be used to refer to future time.

b F u t u r e t e n s e s

The future simple tense is used to:

I make predictions, promises and threats. It will be worth all your hard work. I will love you forever. I will never speak to you again!

1 offer to do something. / will buy the tickets.

3 make a sudden decision. / will answer the phone.

It is often used after the verbs t h i n k , b e l i e v e , etc and with phrases like I am s u r e ... to give our opinion about what will happen in the future. / think our holiday will be great.

I'm sure you will like Susan when you meet her.

The future continuous is used to: 1 talk about an action that will be in progress

at a specific time in the future. She will be waiting when we arrive.

2 talk about arrangements for the future. They will be travelling through Italy next month.

Be going to is used to: 1 talk about plans and arrangements.

We are going to visit Grandma tomorrow evening.

2 make a prediction about the future based on a present situation. Look.' He is going to win the race.

c P r e s e n t p e r f e c t a n d p a s t t e n s e s

The present perfect tenses are used:

I to talk about actions or situations that began in the past and are still going on, somet imes with a time expression which refers to the present: I 've been working hard this year.

2 to talk about actions which have taken place repeatedly up to the present: I've seen that film six times.

3 with f o r , s i n c e and expressions like al l m y life:

I've lived in the village for ten years, but my

husband has lived here all his life.

They are not used with past time expressions, which always require a past tense. Compare: / haven't seen her recently/for a long time.

I saw her yesterday/three days ago.

We use the present perfect for questions and answers referring to past events without a time reference, but the past must be used when a time is mentioned:

Have you seen the film at the Palace?

No, I haven't/Yes, I saw it on Saturday.

d P a s t s i m p l e a n d c o n t i n u o u s

The past simple is used to refer to past actions in the order they occurred, but also for customary or continuing actions in past time: He s p e n t his childhood in London, and did not

move to the country until he got married at the

age of twenty-five.

The past continuous is used for continuing actions in past time in relation to a main action in the past simple.

He met his wife in the city; at that time he was

studying at the university, (before and after he met her) In everyday situations, we usually find these tenses in three combinations:

1 a sequence of completed actions (past simple): She came in, took off her hat and coat, and

sat down.

2 an action taking place before and possibly after a completed action (past continuous and simple): / was talking to my father on the phone

when she came in.

3 t w o actions continuing side by side in past time (past continuous): While he was talking to me I was looking

out of the window.

e P a s t a n d p a s t p e r f e c t t e n s e s

We use the past perfect tenses when we are already talking about the past and want to refer to a previous time: When he finally arrived, we had been waiting for

him for over three hours.

Until he met her, he had never been in love.

f P a s t a n d c o n d i t i o n a l t e n s e s

We use the conditional tense ( w o u l d + infinitive) in combination with the past when we refer forward in time in a narrative: / hoped that she would soon feel better.

(Compare: / h o p e you will soon feel better.)

g T e n s e s i n ' t i m e l e s s ' t i m e

We do not normally use the present tenses as the main narrative tenses unless we are dealing with what always happens - for example, 'a typical day in someone's life' or in describing what happens in books, films, etc. N o t e the use of tenses in this kind of narrative: 'Hamlet' takes place in Denmark. When Hamlet

comes on stage he is mourning his father, who

died before the play began, but the audience have

already seen his ghost appear to Hamlet's friends.

Soon afterwards, they will come to tell him what

they have seen (or saw the night before).

the, use and omission

The use of the definite article in English often differs from usage in other languages. Check each example against your o w n language.

a U s e We use t h e when talking about:

1 weights and measures: Petrol is sold by the litre, (but: It's sixty pence a litre.)

2 musical instruments: She can play the violin.

3 groups or classes of people: the young, the

blind (NOT the youngs) but the verb form is

plural: The young/Young people today are very

different from my generation.

4 rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges (but not mountains o r lakes): t h e T h a m e s , t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n , t h e A t l a n t i c , t h e A l p s .

5 unique objects and points of the compass: t h e w o r l d , t h e s u n , t h e m o o n , t h e

n o r t h . T h e moon is the earth's moon,

though there may be others.

W e say t r a v e l n o r t h (direction) but t r a v e l

t o t h e n o r t h (compass point, area).

b O m i s s i o n

We do not use t h e when speaking about the following:

1 games and sports: She plays tennis and goes skiing.

2 subjects of study: She studies history and geography.

3 languages: She can speak English. ( N o t e that we talk about t h e E n g l i s h (the people as a group, as in a3 above), but nationality has no article: I'm English.)

4 mountains: E v e r e s t , A c o n c a g u a .

5 meals and clock times: She has breakfast at eight o'clock.

6 gerunds: She likes getting up early.

c U s e a n d o m i s s i o n We use t h e when referring to something specific, not when we are talking in general terms; something specific includes something previously mentioned. Compare the following: We want peace, not war.

The war in that distant country is still going on.

(a specific war)

T h e is not used unless the noun is followed by a clause that modifies it; for example, a relative clause, or a phrase containing of that modifies it. Nouns modified by adjectives before them or prepositional phrases after them do not require t h e : Life is hard.

Modern life is more complex than life in the

nineteenth century.

The life that we lead today is more complex than

the life of our ancestors.

20 Used to

used to a n d would

Used to, followed by the infinitive, refers to what habitually happened in the past in contrast to what happens now. The negative is either u s e d n o t t o o r d i d n o t u s e t o . U s e d t o has

no present form. For customary actions in the present, we use the present simple tense: / used to live in London, but now I live in Bristol.

We usually prefer w o u l d + infinitive for repeated actions in past time in a context already established by a verb in the past simple tense or u s e d t o . It does not always indicate a contrast with present time but rather 'Whenever/Every time this happened...'.

When I was a child, we used to visit my

grandmother every Sunday. The whole family

would put on their best clothes and we would

walk to her house.

Appendix

CONNECTORS A N D MODIFIERS

Expressing opinion in modern English depends to a considerable extent on the correct use of connecting words and phrases

that help the reader or listener to understand what is being said. Such words or phrases can be used to s h o w h o w an

argument is organised, to prepare the reader for what is coming next or to convey the tone of what is being said. In

completing a writing task, above all one that requires you to organise an argument or express an opinion, use this Appendix

for reference. It is also worthwhile, whenever you c o m e across any of the words or phrases listed below in this book or in

your general reading, to make a note of it and see how it is being used.

DEVELOPING A N A R G U M E N T

1 S e q u e n c e

Making a list of points:

Point I : I n t h e f i r s t p l a c e , T o b e g i n w i t h , T o

s t a r t w i t h , F i r s t o f a l l , F i r s t a n d f o r e m o s t

(when it is the most important point).

Point 2 : S e c o n d l y , In t h e s e c o n d p l a c e (used

if there are further reasons to come); In

a d d i t i o n to t h a t (usually the second and final

reason); A p a r t f r o m t h a t , W h a t i s m o r e

(conversational), M o r e o v e r (formal) (used for

second reasons of a different kind, but tending

towards the same conclusion as the first);

B e s i d e s (for a second reason so strong that it

makes the first almost irrelevant).

Final point: F i n a l l y , L a s t l y ; A b o v e all (only

used if the last point is the most important).

Conclusion: I n c o n c l u s i o n , T o s u m u p

(usually at the beginning of the last paragraph,

not at the end of a list); T a k i n g e v e r y t h i n g

i n t o a c c o u n t , A l l t h i n g s c o n s i d e r e d , A l l i n

al l (reaching a conclusion, whether or not the

points listed agree); In br ie f , In s h o r t , In a

w o r d (the last t w o conversational) (only used if

what you say is brief).

2 C o n t r a s t

This can be established by clauses with but or

concession clauses with although, in spite of etc.

Connectors are also available, however, to show

that a point contradicts or limits the previous

point(s) made to some e x t e n t

H o w e v e r , N e v e r t h e l e s s , A l l t h e s a m e , A t

t h e s a m e t i m e ; A f t e r al l ( a strong argument

against previous points that has apparently not

been considered); In c o n t r a s t (a direct

contrast t o what has gone before); O n t h e

o t h e r h a n d (used for balance - s ee below -

but also alone to indicate an alternative point

of view).

3 B a l a n c e

This can be established by clauses using w h i l e .

In presenting opposing arguments of equal

strength, use O n t h e o n e h a n d and O n t h e

o t h e r h a n d . To indicate that you are reaching:

balanced conclusion, use O n b a l a n c e .

4 R e s u l t

To show the result of an action, or to indicate

the logical development of an argument from

examples you have given, use As a r e s u l t , In

c o n s e q u e n c e , C o n s e q u e n t l y .

B ESTABLISHING FACTS

I n f a c t , T h e f a c t o f t h e m a t t e r i s t h a t . . . ; A s a

m a t t e r of f a c t (indicating that the hearer may be

surprised by it).

A t f i r s t s i g h t , O n t h e f a c e o f i t (used i n contrast

t o In f a c t t o show the difference between

appearance and fact).

In p r a c t i c e , used i n contrast t o In t h e o r y , In

p r i n c i p l e to establish what happens in reality; In

e f fec t , c lose to In f a c t in meaning, suggests 'for

practical purposes'.

C EXPRESSING PERSONAL O P I N I O N

I n m y o p i n i o n , I n m y v i e w , T o m y m i n d , A s I

s e e i t (conversational); P e r s o n a l l y , F o r m y p a r t

(contrasting the individual view with that of the

majority); A s f a r a s I ' m c o n c e r n e d

(conversational) = 'In so far as it affects me'.

D MODIFYING

1 G e n e r a l s t a t e m e n t s

G e n e r a l l y , I n g e n e r a l , A s a r u l e , A s a

g e n e r a l r u l e , O n t h e w h o l e , I n t h e m a i n ,

F o r t h e m o s t p a r t .

2 P a r t l y c o r r e c t

T o s o m e e x t e n t , T o a c e r t a i n e x t e n t , U p

to a p o i n t .

Appendix

3 L i m i t of k n o w l e d g e

A s f a r a s I k n o w , T o t h e b e s t o f m y

k n o w l e d g e ; F o r al l I k n o w (conversational)

suggests ignorance.

4 A s s i g n i n g r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

A c c o r d i n g t o .. .; B y al l a c c o u n t s (indicating

responsibility lies with a number of people).

5 L i m i t e d va l id i ty

U n d e r t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , A s i t i s , T h i n g s

b e i n g as t h e y a r e (conversational) (what i s

said is only valid in present circumstances, not in

ideal circumstances).

E I N T E N S I F Y I N G

1 O b v i o u s l y

C l e a r l y , O b v i o u s l y , O f c o u r s e , N e e d l e s s t o

s a y , A s e v e r y o n e k n o w s , I t g o e s w i t h o u t

s a y i n g .

2 Espec ia l l y

I n p a r t i c u l a r , E s p e c i a l l y . N o t e that

e s p e c i a l l y appears as an adverb, not as a

connector at the beginning, like c l e a r l y ,

o b v i o u s l y .

F R E P H R A S I N G

I n o t h e r w o r d s , T h a t i s t o s a y .

G REFERRING TO A SUBJECT OR PERSON

A s r e g a r d s . . . , W i t h r e g a r d t o . . . , I n t h i s

c o n n e c t i o n , A s f a r a s ... I s c o n c e r n e d .

H G I V I N G REASONS

A s / s i n c e / b e c a u s e + clause, t h e r e a s o n f o r +

noun, t h e r e a s o n w h y + verb, b e c a u s e o f / d u e t o

+ noun/noun phrase / the f a c t t h a t .

I T E R M I N A T I N G DISCUSSION

I n a n y c a s e , A n y w a y , A t a n y r a t e (the last t w o

more conversational). All these suggest 'whatever

happens', 'whatever the facts are', and in effect imply

that nothing else can be said or needs to be said.