Unit 1: Formal & Informal Letters

Grammar in Formal and informal

focus Explanation language

FORMAL LANGUAGE AND INFORMAL LANGUAGE IN LETTER WRITING

Formal language is the kind we use when we are being businesslike or when
we are talking to people who we need to respect. We use formal types of language
when we are writing essays, or applying for a job, or talking to our teachers. For
example, you would use either Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully at the end of a
formal letter, and would sign the letter using both your first name and surname.

Informal language is the kind we use when we are talking or writing to our
family or friends. For example, you would use something like From, All the best, or
Lots of love at the end of an informal letter, and would sign the letter using your first
name or a nickname.

Practice

1. Language of formal and informal letters

A. Which phrases or types of language would you find in a formal letter? Which phrases
or types of language would you find in an informal letter? Put them in the right column
below.

Formal Informal

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 • I am sorry to inform you that...
• Dear Tom,
• phrasal verbs
• Dear Ms Smithers,
• I am very grateful for...
• Best wishes,
• Why don't we...
• Yours faithfully,
• I will not be able to attend
• I'm really sorry I...
the...
• Unfortunately, we will have to
• idioms and slang
postpone...
• contracted verb forms like
• We had a little bit of luck...
we've, I'm, etc.
• Our computers are used for a
• Give my regards to...
variety...
• I look forward to hearing from
• I use my pencil sharper for...
you...
• polite phrases
• Let me know as soon as...
• fewer passive verb forms
• short sentences

B. Look at the following characteristics of letters. Decide whether they are applied to
formal or informal letters or both by ticking the correct column.

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 Formal Informal

begins with Dear ...

refers to reason for writing

uses contractions

uses abbreviations

uses simple, short sentences

uses simple linkers, e.g. then, later

has paragraphs

is polite

could use slang

could use exclamation marks (!)

ends with Yours sincerely, / Yours faithfully,

ends with Best wishes / Write soon

ends with a signature

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

2. Expressions to begin and end formal and informal letters

Look at the following expressions which are used when writing letters. Where would you
find each of them in a letter? Make a list under each heading:

Beginnings
Signalling the end Closings (at the end)

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When you have finished, decide if each expression comes from a formal or informal letter,
and write F (formal) or I (informal) after each one.

a. Thanks for your letter. m. Bye for now.

b. I'll finish now as I'm running out of
n. Anyway, I'd better post this letter now.
space.
o. It was lovely to hear from you.
c. Thank you for sending me your
p. All my love,
brochure.
q. Best wishes,
d. I must go now.
r. It was great to get your letter.
e. Sorry for not writing for so long.
s. Regards,
f. If you have any further questions,
t. Thank you so much for writing.
please contact me again.
u. Take care,
g. I must apologise for not contacting you
sooner.
v. I was so sad to hear that you had been
ill.
h. I look forward to hearing from you.
w. Good luck!
i. I'm writing to ask you a favour.
x. I wish to complain about the terrible
j. I'd better finish.
service at your restaurant.
k. Write again soon!
y. Hope to hear from you soon.
l. The reason for my writing is to apply
z. I am writing with reference to your
for the job I saw advertised.
letter...

WRITING

FOLDER
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 Formal And Informal Letters

SAMPLE OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

Questions for analysis:

Read the letter below and answer the following questions:

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

2. What features of informal style can you find in the letter? Consider the
following: vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, cohesion/
linking words, and tone (what aspects of the writing show that Arantxa is a
friend?)

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 36 Shaston Drive
Shaftesbury
Dorset SH2 3AB

tel (0747) 5286

Mon Sept 4th

Dear Arantxa,

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

Now you’ve probably been wondering what has happened to your

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

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

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

Love,

Rachel

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 Writing Techniques

1. Techniques
• The house number of a British or American address is written before
the name of the street, but write your own address in the way you
normally do.
• Don’t write the name or address of the person you’re writing to on the
left. This is only done in letters that are formal and impersonal.
• Date. These abbreviations are commonly used for the days and
months: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun; Jan, Feb, Aug, Sept,
Oct, Nov, Dec.
• Dear is always appropriate – for family, intimate friends and even
enemies. My dear and Dearest are also possible, but very affectionate.
• Most letters start with a reference to the most recent contact you have
had with the other person:
Thanks very much for your letter, which came this morning
It was great to see you again last weekend – and looking so fit and
slim!
Some people’s letters always begin:
Sorry it’s been so long since I last wrote, but … followed by the
excuses for not having written.
• Most letters end with a reference to the next contact with the other
person:
I’m looking forward to seeing you / hearing from you.
Do write again soon.
I do hope to see you again in June, if not before.
• Love is a suitable ending for an intimate friend of either sex.
More affectionate: All my love, Love and Kisses, Lots of love
For a friend or colleague (not intimate): All the best, Best wishes
For a personal letter, but not to a personal friend: Yours, Regards

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 • In informal writing, exclamation marks are much more widely used and
are characteristic of a very chatty, conversational style.
e.g.: How awful!
No wonder she left him!
Dashes are highly charateristic of informal writing
e.g. Her teeth are like stars – they are white and shiny.
2. How to sound informal
Your writing will sound much more formal if you:
1. Remember you are writing to a friend. Imagine a real person.
• Be friendly and jockey.
How’s your diet going?
• Refer to common friends.
Have you heard from Sybilla?
Say hello to Edward for me.
Give my love to the baby.
• Refer to things your friend already knows.
As you know…
Just like you said…
2. Write in “spoken” English.
• Use personal constructions (phrases with / and you).
I know this sounds silly, but…
I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but…
You’ll never guess…
… if you know what I mean.
3. Use informal vocabulary, including phrasal verbs and informal linking
words such as those below.
• Expressing your opinion
To be quite honest To tell you the truth As I see it
To my mind From my point of view In my experience
Frankly Actually I’d say

• Expressing surprise
Believe it or not Funnily enough
To my surprise You’ll never believe this, but
This may surprise you, but Guess what!

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 • Changing the subject
Anyway,… Talking of which,… That reminds me,…
Before I forget…
Incidentally,… By the way,…

• Listing reasons
What’s more
To start with First of all
Plus
And another thing
And besides

TASK POOL
1. Write a letter to a friend you haven't seen or spoken to in a long time. Tell
him / her about what you have been doing and ask them how they are
and what they have been up to recently (draft).
2. Write a letter to a cousin and invite them to your wedding. Give them
some details about your future husband /wife.
3. Write a letter to a friend who has been having some problems. Ask him
/her how she /he is doing and if you can help.
 Note: Your writing should include:
• Time: 20 minutes
• Length: 150 words
• Grammar: Pay attention to the use of informal language in your writing.
CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your draft.
1. Is the layout of the letter appropriate?
________________________________________________________________
2. Is the language used in the letter informal? Can you give specific examples?
________________________________________________________________
3. Are there any grammar mistakes in this letter?
________________________________________________________________
4. Are there any spelling mistakes in the letter?
________________________________________________________________
5. Does the letter convey the writer’s message?
________________________________________________________________

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 Unit 2: Letters to a Pen Friend

Capitalization
Grammar in focus Rules

CAPITALIZATION RULES

Here are some important rules for capitalization:

 Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

Hello! My name is Princess Diana.

We live in an apartment.

 Capitalize the pronoun I.

Charles and I enjoy skiing.

 Capitalize all proper nouns. Proper nouns include:

• Names of deities:
God

Allah

Shiva

• Names of people and their titles:

John P. Doe

Princess Diana of Wales

Dr. Jonas Salk

Professor Henry Higgins

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 Mr. and Mrs. John O. Smith

(But: DO NOT capitalize a title without a name: the general, the

prime minister, the math professor, the prince, the king.)

• Names of specific places (places you could find on a map):

Gary, Indiana Lake Victoria
Mediterranean Sea Telegraph Avenue
North Pole Trafalgar Square
Park Avenue
• Names of days, months, and special days:
Monday Independence Day
January Ramanda
(But: DO NOT capitalize the names of the seasons.)
• Names of specific groups of people (nationalities, races, and
ethnic groups), languages, and religions:

Asian
Sino- Soviet
Moslem
American
English
Arabic
• Names of geographic areas:
the Middle East
the North
the Southwest

(But: DO NOT capitalize the names of compass directions:

Drive east for two blocks, and then turn south.)
• Names of school subjects with course numbers:
Chemistry 10A
Business Administration 17A
German 01

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 (But: DO NOT capitalize names of classes without numbers,
except languages: computer science, business administration,
economics, German conversation, English composition.)

• Names of specific structures such as building and bridges:

Golden Gate Bridge the White House

Park Plaza Hotel Kensington Palace

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

Young England Kindergarten Sears

Roebuck & Co International Students’ Club

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

plays, poems, and movies:
Introducing Myself

Introduction to Academic Writing

Star Wars

NOTE: Capitalize the first word, the last word, and other
important words in titles. Do not capitalize short words such as
articles (a, an, the), prepositions (of, on , for), and conjunctions
(and, but, or). Of course, you must capitalize a short word if it is
the first word in a title.

A Tale of Two Cities

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

movies.

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Practice Work with your partner.
1. Write your own examples for capitalization rules.
2. Ask your teacher for help with spelling, or use a
dictionary.

a queen ___Queen Elizabeth II____________

a president _____________________________
_
a language _____________________________
_
a nationality _____________________________
_
a street _____________________________
_
a city or town _____________________________
_

a country ______________________________

a sea or an ocean ______________________________

a park ______________________________

a building ______________________________

a school or college ______________________________

a special day ______________________________

a geographic area in ______________________________

your country
a geographic area in ______________________________
another part of the world
a newspaper or ______________________________
magazines

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 Further Practice

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

following sentences:

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

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

3. president john f. kennedy was born on may 29, 1917 and was
assassinated on november 22, 1963.

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

5. i am taking four classes this semester: english 40, sociology 32, typing,
and a computer science course.

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

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

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

Christianity.

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

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

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 Letters to a pen friend
WRITING

FOLDER Lead-in

1. Do you want to have a pen friend?

2. Have you written a letter to make friends?

Sample:

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

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

1. Is it a formal or an informal letter?

2. What is each paragraph about? Match these topics with paragraph 1-6.
Topics:
Her family Why she is writing Her school
Where she lives Two questions Free time

ACE
23 Green Street
Newton
PL29JG

23
 22nd July

Writing Techniques

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

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

2. Search the information about penfriends via newspapers, magazines,

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

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

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

Name: Rachel Stephens

Age: 16
Likes: Clothes and movies
Hates: Bossy people
Type of penpal you’d like: Boys or girls of any age
Message: Please write soon

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 Name: Dave Fairbrook

Age: 21
Likes: Sporty girls, football, Rock
Hates: Getting up early
Type of penpal you’d like: Girls aged 17 to 20
Message: I can write in English or simple French
Others:

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your draft.
1. Did you use correct capitalization? ______________________________
2. Is your writing in formal or informal language? _____________________
3. Did you provide enough information about you? ___________________
4. What information did you provide? ______________________________

_________________________________________________________
5. Are you satisfied with your writing? ______________________________

Unit 3: POSTCARDS
1. Definition
2. Advantages and
GRAMMAR IN
FOCUS disadvantages ABBREVIATIONS
3. Usage
4.Common
abbreviation

1. Definition

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 An abbreviation is a short way of writing a word or a phrase that could also
be written out in full.

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

2. Advantages and disadvantages

Abbreviations are used to…

- Save time and space

- Make long names of organizations and long technical terms easier to
remember
- Reduce the tediousness of long words repeated in an extended piece of
writing
But most of them are…

- Uncommon in formal settings and conventional writing

- Likely to cause misunderstanding, irritation, eye-tiredness to readers
- Difficult to pronounce, especially with those newly invented
3. Usage
- Most abbreviations should be written with periods.

e.g.: N.Y.C (New York City), St. (street), Ave. (avenue), Dr. (doctor), etc.
- When an abbreviation comes at the end of a sentence, only ONE period
should be used.
e.g. He works for the D.S.S. (the Department of Social Security)
- Postal state abbreviations are written without periods.
e.g. NY 1023
- Abbreviations like St., Ave. and the two-letter postal abbreviations of
state names are normally used with numerals to write specific addresses.
e.g. 12 St. Phetchaburi, Bkk 1056

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 - Some abbreviations are appropriate in college and business writing: a.m,
p.m, Mr., Mrs., Prof., Dr.
e.g. This year, Prof. Jackson is in charge of our Literature class.

4. Common abbreviations

Abbreviations from Latin words

Abbreviation Latin expression Equivalent
c., ca. circa About, around
e.g. exempli gratita For example
etc. et cetera And so on
i.e. id est That is
N.B. Nota Bene Note well (capitalize)
a.m. ante meridiem The time of day between twelve
midnight and twelve noon.
p.m. post meridiem The time of day between twelve
noon and twelve midnight.
A.D. anno domini Year of our Lord
P.S. Postscriptus Postscript

Other abbreviations
Kinds of
Example Equivalent Pronunciation
abbreviation
DIY Do it yourself
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
DSS Department of social security
Spelled out as a
Set of initials USA The United States of America sequence of
UK The United Kingdom letters of the
alphabet
UN United Nations
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
VAT Value added tax

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 Ad Advertisement

First part of a Gym Gymnasium

long word Pronounced as
Limo Limousine
words
Bra Brassière
Adv Adverb Read out loud
Word without as their
Adj Adjective
its end unabbreviated
Cont Continue full forms
Bdg Building
Mr. Mister Read aloud as
Word without their
Mrs. Mistress/ Mesdames
its middle unabbreviated
Miss Mistress full forms
Dr Doctor
NATO The North Atlantic TreatyOrganization
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization
Pronounced as
Acronyms Laser Light amplification by stimulated emission
words
of radiation
Radar Radio Detection and Ranging
AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Repair the following sentences by giving

the full form of abbreviations in each
sentence.
Practice

1. In Dec. 23rd , the stds. Govt. will present a Xmas tree 2 the C of E which was built
in the 17th cent instead of the 2nd vol. of the famous book as they have promised.
2. Between Batterry Pk. & Greenwich Village, most of the sts. in N.Y.C have names
instead of No.

29
3. Several British universities were founded in the Victorian era e.g. the U of
Manchester was established in 1851.
4. The city of Bilbao was founded in ca. 1210
5. Central Africa was explored by Livingstone, Stanley, Brazza, etc.
6. AFAIK, it’s uncommon to ride a bicycle in Bangkok
7. U’v got BF? B4N!
8. FTBOMH, I want 2 express my thx for yr gift!
9. Not c u 4 ages. TOY all time! I LUV U.
10. IMU. We need 2 talk F2F coz IWALU.

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WRITING Write postcards
FOLDER
Sample postcard Questions for analysis
1. Why does the sender write this
postcard?
2. To whom does the writer send this
postcard?
3. What are the characteristics of
language used in this postcard?

31
 Writing techniques

Postcard: a card used for sending messages by post without an envelope,

especially one that has a picture on one side.

Aims When to send Why to send

To keep in touch Around the year, when the

sender…
To inform Postcards are
- is on vacation convenient, easy to
- arrives a new place create, easy to use,
To express relatively inexpensive and
feelings - receive a new post, etc. offer a fast way to deliver
your message
To congratulate On special occasions of the
receiver

Language style: Informal, spoken language Remember!

Use of abbreviations accepted
Format: Short and condensed
Layout: Neat and tidy

Another sample of postcards

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today I arrived in Kairouan, Tunisia which is near Souse. On my post card there
is a picture of the Great Mosque. I stayed here with some of the scholars and
religious leaders. We talked about Muslim law and I learned a lot. Everyone
speaks Arabic and at least one other language.
The weather is very hot again, over 100 degrees! I hope it will rain soon, but I
doubt it. I look out onto the flat land and can't see any clouds at all.
Now I am about 800 miles from home. I'm really homesick, too. I miss you very
much.
I'll write to you at my next stop.
Your loving son, Ibn Battuta

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 Match the postcard a, b, c with the right message
Practice
1, 2, 3
Dear Daddy,
We arrived at Amsterdam 2 days ago. Holland is
terrific and I think I love it. Although Sarah is a bit air-
sick, she finds your advice of us going honey moon in
Amsterdam more than fantastic!
We went to a bookshop yesterday and found out
this lovely postcard. I remember you are seeking
something like this for your collection. We’ll send you
some more right when we see anything interesting.
Take care. We’ll be back at the end of this
month.
With love,
Geoff and Sarah
a

a 1
1
Dear Tom,
I am enjoying my time in China. The
ancient towns here are marvelous and the
food is wonderful.
I have lots to tell you when being back. I
can’t speak Chinese so there are many
funny things happening. If only u were here!
You can help me a lot with your Chinese.
Take care and I’ll write you at the next
stop.
Yours,
My love,
John Thank you for stepping into my

b 2
life and sharing with me the sweet as
well as bitter moments of the days.
Next Monday, it is five years
since our two hearts found each other
and became one. Be sure that I’ll be by
your side, holding your hands in mine
till the last breath of my life.
Love you forever.
Yours xxx xxx

33
 2

c TASK POOL
c
Choose one of the following topics:

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

postcard to congratulate her on this occasion.
2. Imagine that you are traveling to Thailand and meet
Jennifer Lopez, your idol, there. Write a postcard to your
best friend in Vietnam. Don’t forget to tell her that you
had a chance to talk to your idol!
3. You have just arrived in Hanoi to pursue your study at the college. Write a
postcard to your pen friend in America, telling him/ her how you manage the
new life in Hanoi.
4. Write a postcard to someone who is special to you, telling how you feel
about him/her.

CHECKLIST

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1. Are there any grammar mistakes in this postcard?
______________________________________________________________

2. Are there any spelling mistakes in the postcard?

____________________________________________________________
3. Does the writer use a lot of abbreviations in his/her work?
____________________________________________________________
4. Can you understand all abbreviations? Do you think that others also
understand?
____________________________________________________________
5. Is the postcard short enough?
_____________________________________________
6. Is it written in formal or informal language? Can you spot
out some examples?
_____________________________________________
7. Is the postcard emotional? Are you moved by it?
_____________________________________________
8. Do you think that this is a good postcard, regarding to format? Language?
Expression? Do you like it?
____________________________________________________________

35
 Unit 4: Letters of Invitation

Definite & Indefinite

GRAMMAR IN ‘A’, ‘An’, and Articles
FOCUS ‘The’

Definite and Indefinite Articles

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

- I had a sandwich and an apple for We generally use:

lunch. ---------------------- the first time we talk
about something.

- The sandwich wasn’t very good, but ----------------------- when we talk about
the apple was delicious. the same thing again.

The indefinite article: A/an

The pronunciation of ‘a’ and ‘an’: ‘a’ (pronounced /ə/) is used before
consonant sounds, not just consonant letters; ‘an’ (pronounced /ən/) is used
before vowel sounds, not just words beginning with the vowel letters.

36
 Therefore we say:
an umbrella but a uniform
a European but an ear
a hall but an hour
•Classification: We use ‘a’/ ’an’ when we wish to classify people, animals or
things.
e.g.: When we say “A rose is a flower.” We mean that a rose is an
example of a class of items we call flowers.

• Quantity: The most common use of ‘a’/ ’an’ is the sense of ‘only one’ when
we are not specifying any particular person or thing.
e.g.: I’d like an apple. (i.e. only one; it doesn’t matter which)
‘A’/’an’ is also used before a countable noun mentioned for the first time;
the speaker assumes the listener does not know what is referred to.
e.g.: I looked up and saw a plane. (Mentioned for the first time – you
don’t know which plane I mean.)
In short, there is no difference in meaning between ‘a’ and ‘an’. When using
‘a’/ ’an’, we must always remember two basic facts:
1. A/an has an indefinite meaning.
2. A/an can combine only with a singular countable noun.

The definite article: The

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

‘The’ is pronounced /ði‫׃‬/ before vowel sounds.
e.g.: the end, the ear, the hour.

• The use of ‘the’ for classifying: Some nationality adjectives are used after
the when we wish to refer to ‘the group as a whole’.
e.g.: The British = The British people in general.

37
• The use of ‘the’ for specifying: When we use ‘the’, the listener or reader
can already identify what we are referring to, therefore the shows that the
noun has been specified by the context or grammatically.

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

population of a few hundred people.

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

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

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

• The use of ‘the’ in time expression: ‘The’ is used in time sequences (the
beginning, the end), parts of the day (in the morning), with the seasons, in
dates, in fixed time expressions (at the moment)
• The use of ‘the’ with unique items: organizations (the United Nations),
historical events (the French Revolution), ships (the Titanic), political parties
(The Labour Party), official titles (the Queen), public bodies (the Army), the
press (the New Yorker), titles (the Odyssey), beliefs (the angels), climate (the
weather), species (the dinosaurs)

• Others: superlatives (It’s the worst film I’ve ever seen); musical instruments
(the piano); fixed phrases (the sooner the better); fixed expressions (do the
shopping).

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

1. ‘The’ normally has a definite reference.

38
 2. ‘The’ can combine with singular countable, plural
countable, and uncountable nouns.
PRACTICE Fill in the blanks with ‘a/an’ or ‘the’.

Sunraycer

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

General Motors, has developed (2)…………… vehicle that uses (3)……………
power of (4)…………… sun instead of petrol. (5)…………… vehicle is called
Sunraycer. Sunraycer has just taken part in (6)…………… race against 25 solar-
powered vehicles. (7)……………route of (8)………….. race was from Darwin to
Adelaide, (9)……………immense distance. Sunraycer covered (10)……………
distance in 45 hours at (11)…………… average speed of 41 miles (12)…….……..
hour in temperatures as high as 48°C. It beat all other cars by two and (13)……
…… half days! Sunraycer (‘ray of the sun’+ ‘racer’) is certainly (14)……………
car of (15)……….. future!

39
 WRITING Writing Letters of
FOLDER
Invitation

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

Jane Calder is seventeen. She has a pen-friend in Greece called Katerina. Jane
has just received a letter from Katerina saying she is taking an English course in
England. Read Jane’s reply below and answer the following questions.

1. Is it formal or informal?
2. Did she include her address? What is it?
3. When did Jane write this letter?
4. What is her main purpose when writing this letter? Which phrase introduces that
purpose?
5. What are the contents of each paragraph?
6. What is the ending of this letter?

43 Riverside Avenue
Bedford
CP2 1AP
April17th, 2003
Dear Katerina,
Thanks so much for your letter which arrived yesterday. I’m very happy
to hear that you’re coming to England this summer. You said that your English
course in Cambridge would last a month, so would you like to come and see
us?
We have a spare room, so there’s no problem about putting you up, and
you’re welcome to stay for as long as you like. We are not going away this
summer, so there’s no problem about arranging dates.
Please write soon and tell me if you can come. My best wishes to your
parents. My parents send their kindest regards.
Love,
Jane

40
 Writing Techniques

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

often follow some forms. (See Appendix 3 for examples)
2. The address of the writer as well as the date of the letter is at the top right
corner. In an informal letter, the address of the receiver is not needed.
3. The salutation often includes the word “dear” plus the first name of the
receiver and followed by a comma.
4. In the first part of a letter of invitation, the purpose of the letter is often
stated. The writer should explain the reason for his/her writing and give
the invitation. There are various ways of inviting, some examples are:
 I’d like to invite you to dinner this Saturday.
 I was wondering if you’d like to come to our house next
Friday.
 We’re going to have a few friends over on Saturday, and
we’d love you to come.
 Would you like to see a movie?
5. In the following part(s), the writer may discuss more about the detailed
arrangement for the event, such as time and place, what to prepare and
who to come.
6. The last part is for ending the letter. Here, the writer expresses his/her
hope that the receiver would be able to accept their invitation. They also
often ask for a confirmation from the receiver.
7. There are different ways of closing the letter, some examples are:
 Love,
 Best wishes,
 Cheers,
 Fondly,
 Later gator, (See you later, alligator – this is an informal,
fun way derived from a children song)

41
 Remember that the closing should also be followed by a comma. Lastly,
put or sign your name below the closing.

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

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

42
 ………………..1

…………......…2

………………...3
I have to book the tickets
…………………4 Friday, May 5th
4th April, 2003.
…………………5 Love
…………….6 to you for such a long time. I’ve been so Dear Anne,
busy at the university. But now something has come
up that would give us the chance to meet. The 46 Cranford Str.,
university drama department is organizing a trip to would like to join us
Stratford on ………………7 to see Twelfth Night. I London
know you and Bob ………………8. If I can get two
extra tickets. I’m sorry I haven’t written
Looking forward to hearing
We’re planning to come up by coach on Friday, but NW3 5PQ
my new boyfriend, Trevor, lives in Warwick, and his
I’d like you to meet Trevor
parents have invited me for the weekend. It would be
lovely to see you on Saturday if you are free. ……….9

…………….10 by next Friday. Could you let me know

before then if you would like to come? In any case, I
hope we can meet at the weekend.

……………..11 from you. Love to Bob.

………………12

TASK POOL

43
You are having a dinner party. Write a letter of about 150 words to invite your
friend to your party. Your letter should include:

• an invitation

• the arrangement of the party

• your hope that him/her will accept the invitation

• about 100 – 120 words

 Note: pay attention to articles in your writing.

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. How many indefinite articles (a/an) and definite article (the) are there in your
letter?________________________________________________________
2. Did you make any mistake using the indefinite and definite articles in your
letter? If yes, what are they and how can you correct them?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. Does the letter have your address, date of writing and a proper ending?
_____________________________________________________________
4. Does the letter cover the three suggested ideas? If not, which should be
added? _______________________________________________________

44
 Unit 5: Letters of Acceptance &
Refusal

Space & Time

GRAMMAR IN
FOCUS Prepositions
Prepositions

Definition

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

or gerunds to express a relationship between one person, thing, event,
etc. and another.
.

For example: I gave the book to Charlie

Problems learners may have in the use of prepositions

- Many English prepositions have nearly the same meaning: e.g. beside,
by, near, next to.
- Some preposition perform different functions. For example, they
express relationships in time (at six o’clock), space (at the bank) and
other relationships as well.

Types of prepositions
Prepositions have many different uses; among those the most popular
ones are in terms of space and time.

45
 Space: We can consider position in space in relation to:
- a point: at the cinema, at a party, in London
- a line: across/along/on a river.
- a surface: across/off/on a table
- area or volume: in/into/out of/outside/within a room

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

- Time phrases with ‘at’:

exact time: at 10 o’clock
meal times: at lunch time
other points of time: at dawn, at midnight
festivals: at Christmas, at Easter

age: at the age of 40, at 20

time: at this time

- Time phrases with ‘on’:

days of the week: on Monday
parts of the day: on Saturday evening
dates: on June 1st
day + date: on Monday, June 1st on that
particular occasions: day

anniversaries: on your birthday

festivals: on New Year’s Day

- Time phrases with ‘in’:

parts of the day: in the morning
months: in July
years: in 2005
seasons: in (the) spring
centuries in the 19th century
festivals: in Ramadan
periods of time: in that age

46
 Practice
Complete the note with ‘in’, ‘on’ or ‘at’.

Dear Gordon,
Many thanks for agreeing to stay in the flat while I’m in Wales. I
enclose the key and here’s the list of what’s where that I promised you: If
you lose this key, Mrs Johnson (1)….in…… the flat (2)…………….. the
ground floor has a spare. If she’s away, the landlord lives (3)……………... the
building (4)……………. the end of the street. It’s called Laurel Villa, and he’s
Mr Emerson. They both know you’ll be there while I’m away.
The electricity and gas main switches are (5)…………… the wall (6)……
………. the back of the large cupboard (7)………………. the study. You can
turn the water off by the large tap (8)……………….. the corner of the
bathroom. I hope you won’t need to. I’ve made a list of all the useful phone
numbers I can think of. It’s stuck (9)………………. the kitchen door. I hope
you have a good time.
Much love,
Shirley

47
 Writing Letters of
WRITING
Acceptance and Refusal
FOLDER QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

If you can’t, or prefer not to, thank someone in person or over the
phone, for an invitation or offer, then it will be necessary to write a letter, either
accepting or refusing. Such letters are quite simple to write, and can be quite
short, but not too short, or they will seem impolite!

Read the two letters below and answer the following questions.
1. Which reply says ‘Yes’ to the invitation and which one says ‘No’?
2. When will Renata be in Bristol?

3. What does she promise to bring?

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

5. What prevents him from coming to the wedding?

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

48
 10, Castle Lane
Warwick CV14 3BZ
June 8th

Dear Sybil,
It was very nice to get your invitation to spend the weekend after next with
you. Luckily I’m completely free then, so I’ll say ‘yes’ – and I’ll be arriving in
Bristol at around 9 p.m. on Friday evening. The idea of a party on Saturday
sounds marvelous and I promise to bring you a cake for it – a German
speciality! Well, see you then.
Love,
Renata

B. Michael has been invited to the wedding in Holland of a Dutch friend.

Unfortunately his work commitments make it impossible for him to go to his
friend’s wedding. Here is his polite reply.

Leyden Brigg Terrace

Cachester,
Essex Cos 4NZ
25th October

Dear Margarita,
Thank you for your invitation to your wedding at the beginning of
December. I was pleased to learn that you and Franz have decided on
‘something’ at last.
Unfortunately, much as I’d like to be at the wedding, especially a Dutch
wedding (!), it simply isn’t possible for me to take that weekend off; I have to
work fairly late on Friday night, and friends are coming down to stay from
Sunday lunchtime so there would be no way in which I could squeeze a
wedding in Holland in between.
So all I can do is to wish you the happiest of days and also of futures.
Love,
Michael

Writing Techniques
1. Accepting invitation:

49
 Accepting an invitation is easy. The person who is invited just show
appreciation to the person who has invited them and ask for the details of place
and time. In many informal cases, the invited person can bring something along
such as a plate of cookies or some fruit even though the host might have said
that it was not necessary.
Useful expressions for acceptances are:
“I’d be very pleased/ delighted/ very happy to come to…/ accept your …”
“Your invitation to … is very welcome/ was a lovely surprise…”
“Thank you/Thanks for your … The answer is ‘yes’…”

2. Refusing invitation
When an invitation is refused, a reason should be given. In general, the
sequence is to begin with an apology, then the reason for refusal, and finally
thanks for the invitation.
Useful expressions for refusals are:
Informal: “I’m (very) sorry but I’ll still have to refuse…/I simply can’t make it…
“I’m terribly sorry to have to …”
more formal: “Thank you for your … but unfortunately …”
“It’s not possible for me to …”
“I’m quite unable to …”

Practice

50
 Now read this invitation and write Richard’s reply. You will find all the
words in provided below. Did he say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?

John and Mary Folkes

Are happy to invite
------Richard Wilton--------
to an informal cocktail party
at Hardside Hall
at 8 p.m. on Saturday
22nd November
Please reply
to Hardside Hall

and Mr Thank to I Folkes your going be

not Richard afraid come to much Paris
Yours, am as invitation for wishes weekend
Mrs you I very will that able best
Wilton I am Dear

TASK POOL

51
 • Friends of your hostess whom you’ve got to know in the last few
weeks have invited you to dinner next Friday evening. Accept or
refuse this invitation.

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

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

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

country and has asked you to spend the weekend with him/her and
his/her family. Write a letter of acceptance or refusal.

 Note: pay attention to prepositions in your writing.

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. How many preposition are there in your

letter?_________________________
2. Did you make any mistake using prepositions in your letter? If yes, what are
they and how can you correct them?
_____________________________________________________________
3. Does the letter have your address, date of writing and a proper ending?
_____________________________________________________________
4. Does the letter cover the suggested ideas for acceptance and refusal? If not,
which should be added?
_____________________________________________________________

52
 Unit 6: Letters of Complaint

GRAMMAR IN Definition
FOCUS & Fragments
Classification

I. Definition
Every sentence must have a subject and a verb and must express a complete
thought. A word group that lacks a subject or a verb and that does not express a
complete thought is a fragment.
E.g: - I saw Ann last week. While walking to class.
- I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday. Trying to find the
garage to repair my car.
- For example, the increase in the cost of renting an apartment.
- Many people who get married before they are mature enough.
II. Classification
1. DEPENDENT-WORD FRAGMENTS
e.g. Because some students have part-time jobs in addition to going to school.
They have very little free time.

These are some examples of dependent words: after, because, when, so that,
until, even though, since, who, while, how, etc.

We can correct a dependent-word fragment by : .

a. (In most cases) attaching it to the sentence that comes after it or the
sentence that comes before it. (Use a comma if a dependent-word
group comes at the beginning of a sentence)

53
 Incorrect: After I learned the price of new cars. I decided to keep my old Ford. (1)
à Correct: After I learned the price of new cars, I decided to keep my old Ford.
Incorrect: My daughter refused to stop smoking. Unless I quit also. (2)
à Correct: My daughter refused to stop smoking unless I quit also.

b. eliminating the dependent word by rewriting the sentence.

(1) à Correct: I learned the price of new cars and decided to keep my old Ford.
2. -ING AND TO FRAGMENTS
-Ing and to fragments often lack a subject and part of the verb.
e.g. : - I plan on working overtime. To get this job finished. Otherwise my
boss may get angry at me. (1)
- I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday. Trying to find a
garage to repair my car. (2)
We can correct - ing fragments by

a. Attaching the -ing to the sentence that comes before it or the sentence
that comes after it, whichever makes sense.
(2) à Correct: I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday, trying to find a
garage to repair my car.
Incorrect: Having no money and being lonely in the big city. (3)
(3) à Correct: She had no money and was lonely in the big city.
b. Adding the subject and change the -ing verb part into the correct form of
the verb.
(1) à Correct: I plan on working overtime. I have to get this job finished.
Otherwise, my boss may get angry at me.

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

sentence.

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

54
3. MISSING - SUBJECT FRAGMENTS
e.g.: - The truck skidded on the rain-slick highway. But missed a telephone pole
on the side of the road. (1)
- Michelle tried each of the appetizers on the table then found that, when the
dinner arrived, her appetite was gone. (2)
We can correct missing- subject fragments by

a. Attaching the fragment to the preceding sentence.

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

b. Adding a subject (which can often be a pronoun standing for the subject in
the preceding sentence)
(2) à Correct: Michelle tried each of the appetizers on the table. She then found
that, when the dinner arrived, her appetite was gone.

4. ADDED-DETAIL FRAGMENTS
Added-detail fragments lack a subject and a verb. They often begin with one of
the following words: also, especially, except, for example, including , such as …
Examples:
- The class often starts late. For example, yesterday at quarter after
nine instead of at nine sharp. (1)
- He failed a number of courses before he earned his degree. Among
them, English, Economics and General Biology.(2)
- I love to cook and eat Italian food. Especially spaghetti and pizza.(3)
We can correct added-detail fragments by:
a. Rewriting or changing words as necessary so that it has a subject and a
verb.
(1) à Correct: The class often starts late. For example, yesterday it began at
quarter after nine instead of at nine sharp.
(2) à Correct: Among the courses he failed before he earned his degree were
English, Economics, and General Biology.
b. Attaching the fragment to the complete thought that precedes it.
(3) à Correct: I love to cook and eat Italian food especially spaghetti and pizza.

55
 PRACTICE Some of the following are complete sentences. Some are

fragments - phrases or clauses used instead of sentences.

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

1. Although you have convinced me. .

2. Since you are unwilling to accept the nomination, we shall have to look for
another candidate.
3. Come with us, we’re sure to have fun.
4. To be a good fellow.
5. Because he couldn't say 'Yes'.
6. There never was a time like the present.
7. Try to do it, you will find it very simple, indeed.
8. Hoping to hear from you.
9. To be thrifty is not easy.
10. Whether you like it or not.
11. The men who will tell you that it is easy to resist such temptations. Don't
believe them. Talking sheer nonsense.
12. Because my friend likes base ball, we often go to ball games.
13. 'To be or not to be' isn't an easy question to answer.
14. While you were in the Army having a difficult time of it.
15. Never in my life did I see such a mess.

56
 Writing Letters of
WRITING

FOLDER Complaint
Have you ever written, or wanted to write, a letter to complain
about:

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

• something you bought (e.g. furniture, toys, household appliances)
• workmanship (e.g. building, painting, machine repairs)
• public facilities (e.g. parking, footpaths, roads)
• treatment you received (e.g. from shop assistants, government
officials, parking officers)
• something else? .

Writing a letter about these things can be a good way to 'let off steam', but the
main aim is to get some action. What action did you want in the above cases?

Writing such a letter can take careful preparation, drafting and revising.
Discuss the differences between these two letters. Which one is better? Why?

LETTER A

7/22 Downer Place

Downer. A.C.T.
14/7/88
Dear Sir/Madam,

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

K.Bunt

57
 K. Bunt
LETTER B

6/2 Hiller St,

Watson. A.C.T.
12/5/88
The Manager,
Kwikfilm Pty Ltd,
Stacey St,
Banks town

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to complain about this set of photographs your company
developed recently.
In my opinion, the photos are an awful colour and are not worth the $12.45
that I paid for them..
The film was new and my camera is a fairly expensive Canon 35mm, SLR
manual. So, I don't think the quality of the prints can be blamed on either the
equipment or the film.
I have enclosed the photos so you can have a look for yourself.
I would like the photos reprinted giving a better quality colour, or
otherwise a refund of the $12.45.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours faithfully,
J. Sonnenberg
J. Sonnenberg

58
 Writing techniques

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

i) Find out, before you write, who you should address your letter to.
ii) Follow the layout and punctuation of formal
letter. (see ………….. ).
iii) Arrange your points in paragraphs. (This may
not be necessary in a very short letter.)
iv) Say clearly what you are complaining about.
v) Give exact details in a clear and ordered way.
vi) Say clearly what action you expect or want.
vii) Be polite, even if you are angry. Don't use
insulting language or make personal attacks.
viii) Be business-like. Don't be chatty unless it is a
short note to someone you know, for
example, a neighbour.
ix) Keep a copy of your letter. It may be
important later to have a record of your
complaint. You cannot have such a record if Writing… is an art!
you complain in person or on the telephone. Complaining is even
. more than an art!
x) Sign off formally. 'Yours faithfully' (Dear
Sir/Madam) or 'Yours sincerely' (Dear Mr./Mrs. + surname) are best.

59
 Useful phrases for writing letters of complaint
Beginning:

- I am writing to complain about ...

- Further to my letter of May 13th in connection with...
- I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with...
Demand:

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

further delay.
- I must insist that you deliver the piano with no further delay and at no
additional expense to myself.
- ... would be appropriate compensation for the inconvenience caused to my
family.
- In view of the many ways in which it did not match the claims made for it in
your publicity, I expect a substantial refund.
- Under the circumstances, I feel that an apology should be offered.
Threat (optional):

- I shall have no alternative but to put the matter in the hands of my solicitors
should your cheque not be received by May 1st.
- Unless I hear from you within ten days, I shall have to take legal advice on
the matter.
- If I do not hear from you before 3 May, I shall be obliged to take matters a
step further.

60
 Practice

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

convenient repair carry out replaced bought faithfully

grateful guarantee found arrange appear assured

6/2 Hiller St,

Watson. A.C.T.
12/5/88

Dear Sir/Madam,
Repair to washing machine
On December 2nd your maintenance man called at my home to
(1)______ the washing machine, a Wytaswyt Aquaslosh which I (2)_____
from you on January 7th of this year and which is still under (3)_____.
When your man finished, he (4)_____ me that the machine was now
working.
The following day I tried to use the machine but (5)_____ that it
was still not working properly. Again, it flooded the kitchen. I know little
about these machines, but the problems (6)_____ to be that the rubber
seal around the door needs to be (7)_____.
I should be (8)_____ if you would (9)_____ for a competent
person to call and (10)_____ the necessary repairs. A convenient time
for me would be Thursday or Friday morning, Dec 11 or 12, anytime
between 8 and 12.
Please telephone me immediately if these times are not
(11)_____.
Yours (12)_____,
J. Sonnenberg
J. Sonnenberg

61
B. Expand these notes into full letter of complaint. As you write it out, divide it
into paragraphs.

Dear Sir,

Re: Holiday No.231

I write/ complain/ recent skiing holiday/ I book/ your company. From the
first day/ go wrong. The hotel I stay/ be very disappointing/ there be no room
service/ nothing seem/ work properly. What be worse be/ the resort be not
suitable/ beginners/ me. On the third day I bring my complaints/ the attention/
your representative/ say he/ look into them. Nothing happen/ the day before I
leave/ I give a special room. I not satisfy/ the holiday/ the service I receive/
your representative. I now write/ ask/ full refund. I look forward/ receive a
cheque for $950/ you.

Yours faithfully,

Norman Bates

Write the complete letter down here:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

62
 TASK POOL
Choose one of the following situations and write up the draft of the letter in
120-150 words.

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

food to him/her. However, what you and your friend experienced was far from
your expectations and opposed to what had been advertised in publicity: the
meal was awful and the service was poor. Write a letter of complaint to the
manager of the restaurant. (Make notes of the words and phrases you can
use to describe the meal and the service. Did you complain while you were
there? Who did you speak to? What did they do?)

2. The library where you and your friends go to borrow books has a number of
problems. Write and complain to those in charge.

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

1. Does the letter contain any fragments? Could you point out and correct
them?
_____________________________________________________________
2. Is the letter persuasive and polite enough?
_____________________________________________________________
3. Did it include a beginning, demand and a threat (optional)?
_____________________________________________________________

63
 Unit 7: LETTERS OF REQUEST

AND ENQUIRY
1. What? RUN-ON
GRAMMAR IN
FOCUS 2. When to appear? SENTENCES
3. How to avoid?

What is a run-on sentence?

A RUN-ON SENTENCE has at least two parts, each of which can stand by
itself; yet have been improperly connected by the inappropriate use of
punctuation and connectors.

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

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

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

When do run-on sentences appear?

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

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

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

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

E.g. Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however,
he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty bakery.

64
c. When the second of two independent clauses contains a pronoun that
connects it to the first independent clause.

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

manual.

How can run-on sentences be avoided?

- Carefulness

- Proper use of punctuation

- Appropriate use of sentence connector

Practice
Exercise 1: Repair the following run-on sentences by replacing the
comma with an appropriate punctuation

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

embracing it enthusiastically.
2. My father is chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, he also
heads the Warrant Commission.
3. All over the country, people sell products over the Internet, these people
are making impressive profits.
4. One person had been exporting farm equipment, in fact he exports over
30,000 pieces of machinery a year.
5. After the sixth inning, I went home, my family stayed.
6. Formal courses at the graduate level are now being taken by many
elderly citizens, some schools even offer them special programs.
7. I believe that the teacher has been grading me unfairly, all she does is
look for minor mistakes.
8. Even though the semester is almost over, the teacher does not know my
name, she confuses me with other students.

65
 Exercise 2: Choose the most suitable option to repair the following
sentences

1. Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident.
A, this sentence is correct C, life; she
B, life, she
2. The airport is about to shut down because of the snow and if the plane
doesn't land soon it will have to go on to Boston.
A, this sentence is correct C, snow; and
B, snow, and D, snow. And
3. The show begins at 7:30 make sure you're there before
7:15.
A, this sentence is correct
B, 7:30, make
C, 7:30. Make
4. Marcellino always knew his way around the woods this is something he
could always depend on.
A, this sentence is correct C, wood, this
B, wood; this
5. Having prepared himself well for the realtor exams and having exhausted
everyone in the family with his requests that someone help him with the
true-and-false drills, Jeffrey, who had never been a particularly good
student in high school, knew he was ready to take on the greatest
challenge of his life.
A, this sentence is correct
B, drills; Jeffrey
C, Jeffrey - who had never been a particularly good student in high
school - knew

66
6. Throughout history money and religion were closely linked there was little
distinction between government and religion.
A, this sentence is correct
B, linked because there was….
C, linked, there was…
7. The head of state and the religious leader were often the same person all
power rested in one ruler.
A, this sentence is correct
B, person, all
C, person; all
8. These powerful leaders decided what objects would serve as money their
backing encouraged public faith in the money.
A, this sentence is correct
B, money. Their
C, money, their
9. Coins were minted of precious metals the religious overtones of money
were then strengthened.
A, this sentence is correct
B, metals, the
C, When coins were minted of precious metals, the . . . .

67
 WRITING LETTERS OF
FOLDER REQUEST
AND ENQUIRY
Jenny wants to apply for a course from Camford Polytechnic. Work in group
to help her find out what kind of information she needs. What should she do to
ask for such information?
Study the two following letters:

68
 Calle Mallorra 34, Calle Mallorra 34,
OS061 Valencia OS061 Valencia
March 20th 2003 March 20th 2003

The Director of Courses, The Director of Courses,

Camford Polytechnic, Camford Polytechnic,
Camford CM2 8JT Camford CM2 8JT

Dear Sir:
Dear the Director,
I am writing to you with reference to your
I want to write to you and ask for some
advertisement in the ELT Monthly for one-month
information.
courses in English at the Polytechnic this summer.
I think I need to know about the timetable and
I would be grateful if you would send me further
the fees, how about Business English, the course
information on these courses, indicating the
that I love most, how much time is spent on
timetable and the fees. I am particularly interested
studying it everyday, do you know?
in Business English and would like to know how
Details of accommodation are important, too.
much time is spent on this option everyday.
Are the students lodged at the Polytechnic or with
Could you also give me details of
families outside? Remember to tell me whether
accommodation? Are the students lodged at the
groups of students with the same first language
Polytechnic or with families outside? I would also
are lodged together or whether it is possible to
like to know whether groups of students with the
meet others from different language backgrounds.
same first language are lodged together or whether
Can’t wait for your reply any more!
it is possible to meet others from different language
With love,
backgrounds.
Jenny Thompson
I look forward to hearing from you.
Jenny Thompson
Yours faithfully,
Jenny Thompson
Jenny Thompson
Questions for analysis:

1. If you are the receiver of the letter, which one do you prefer? Why?
2. If you have to write a similar letter, then…

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

- What kind of language should you use?
- Should it be long or short?
- How should the letter be presented?

69
 Writing techniques

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

request some information.

 Letter layout

Layout 1

Your street address

Your City, State Zip code
Your country

Separate the Date from Date

Country by one line
Recipient’s name
Street address
City, State Zip code
Country
Use the colon, not comma Dear Sir or Madam:
Paragraph 1
Remember to indent the Paragraph 2
first line of each paragraph
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4

70
Choose either Yours Yours faithfully,
faithfully (Dear Sir/ Madam)
Signature
or Yours sincerely (Dear
Mr./Mrs. + Surname) Name

Layout 2

Your street address

Your City, State Zip code
Your country
Separate your information
and recipient’s one by one Receiver’s name
line Street address
City, State Zip code
Country
Left-align details about you Date
and recipient
Use the colon, not comma
Dear Sir or Madam:
Don’t indent the first line of
Paragraph 1
any paragraph
Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4
Choose either Yours faithfully Yours faithfully,
(Dear Sir/ Madam) or Yours Signature
sincerely (Dear Mr./Mrs. + Name
Surname)

- Necessary details and information

Letter content - Concise and hitting the point

- Simple and formal

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

71
Letter language

- The first paragraph: Clarification of the

sources from which you learnt about the
information
Letter format - The second paragraph: Introduction of
yourself/ your organization
- The third paragraph: The action you ask the
organization to take
- The forth paragraph: Conventional ending

Things
to
Be organized! List down all the information you want to include
rememb
before you actually begin to write.
er
Be clear! Make out the addresses, the subjects and the aims of
writing the letter.
Be careful! Remember to include any particular questions that you
want to ask because you may not have the chance to ask them
again.
Be neat and tidy! Type out the letter and pay attention to the
standard format and style. If it is necessary to hand-write, write it
as clear and smart as possible in the appropriate style and layout.

72
 Practice: Complete Anne Morley’s letter to Jim Courtney, choosing
from the alternatives given in the right-hand column.

18Greville Avenue,
Norwich NR4 3CK
a) Mr. Courtney b) Sir
a) am writing to b) write
Mr. Jim Courtney,
a) for b) in connection with
193 Winsford Road,
a) advertisement b) announcement
London SW19 4WH
a) am b) would be
April 17th, 2003 a) if you would b) that you
Dear (1)______, a) another b) further
I (2) ______ you (3) ______ your (4) ______ for a) in b) on
adventure holidays for young people in the a) Could b) Please
Observer. I (5) ______ grateful (6) ______ send me a) also wish b) would also like
(7) ______ information about them. a) needed b) would need
I am particularly interested (8) ______ your a) do b) make
holidays in Asia. (9) ______ you give me details of a) as b) such as
dates of departure and costs? I (10) ______ some a) hear b) hearing
advice about arrangements I (11) ______ to (12) 15. a) faithfully b) sincerely
______ before joining the group, (13) ______ visas
required for different countries and certificates of
inoculation against diseases.
I look forward to (14) ______ from you.
Yours (15) ______ ,
Anne Morley

TASK POOL
Choose one of the following topics to write a letter of enquiry.

Star Master Tour

Special program for a visit to Special discount for
Australia English course of Elementary
Contact: Star Master Tour
490 La Trobe Street
level
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia At: British Council Hanoi
(Source: Travel Magazine) 40 Cat Linh
Dong Da, Ha Noi
Vietnam
(Source: Hoa Hoc Tro magazine)
 1. You are going to visit England and would like to go to a Shakespeare play
in Stratford. Write to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. (Dates of visit, plays,
price of tickets- advance booking, payment in advance).

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

your country, asking for information (dates, costs, papers in examination,
registration in advance, entrance forms, payment by post).

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

England. Write to a British Council library for information. (Books in library,
obtainable from other libraries – borrowing conditions, payment, post).
Your letter should…
- follow the suggested layout
- cover necessary information
- hand-write legibly
- avoid the use of run-on sentences

CHECKLIST
1. Is there any spelling mistake in the letter? How many?
____________________________________________________________
2. Are sentences short and grammatically correct? Which one(s) is wrong?
______________________________________________________________
v
3. How many run-on sentences are there in the letter?
______________________________________________________________
4. Has the writer adapted the right format for his/her letter?
______________________________________________________________
5. Does the letter follow the right layout?
______________________________________________________________
6. Is the letter concise? Is there any unnecessary/ irrelevant information
included in the letter?
______________________________________________________________
 7. If you are the receiver, do you want to reply to such a letter? Why?
______________________________________________________________

Unit 8: CVs and Letters of Application

Definition

Grammar in &
focus Different types PUNCTUATION
of punctuation

ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

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

sentences and parts of sentences, and to make their meaning clear. Each symbol
is called a "punctuation mark".

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

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

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

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

Summary of Punctuation Marks

Mark Name Basic usage Example

I like English.
- ends a sentence
. full stop / - signals an Tues., Mr., a.m.,
period abbreviation. i.e., etc.
? question What are you writing?
- signals a direct
 question.
- expresses

mark uncertainty in a
sentence that is a “She jumped in?”

statement. he wondered.

- expresses a What a nice cake

surprising, amazing, for my birthday!

! or extraordinary
exclamation
statement.
mark/point "Help!" she cried.
- expresses a strong
emotion. "I'm drowning!"

- separates 3 or more
I speak English,
items in a list
French and Thai.
- separates parts of a
compound He frowned, but she

sentence. did not understand why

he was worried.
, comma
- separates a special In those days, the

word or phrase from journey from the

the rest of a country to the city was

sentence. not easy.

- introduces a formal You have two

:
statement (an choices: finish the work
colon explanation, an today, or lose the
announcement) or a contract.
long or formal
I need to buy some
quotation.
furniture: a table, a bed,
- introduces a list.
and two chairs.
 - used after the
salutation of a
formal letter.
- separates hours
and minutes,
biblical chapter and Dear Ms. Newman:

verse, the city of

publication and the 10:45,
publishing company
John 4:11
in bibliographic
citations and Boston: Allyn &

footnotes. Bacon
David has had plenty of
- connects clauses (it
experience as a pipe
is used before a
fitter; however, he
conjunctive
; hasn’t
semi-colon adverbs).
done much welding.

- replaces a period My friend couldn’t

]

when two have been involved in

sentences are the incident; he was out
closely related. of town on that day
pre-war, father-in-
- used with prefixes,
in compound nouns law, out-of-date,
and adjectives, in
- hyphen spelled-out twenty-one, two-
numbers thirds

- dash - used to set off In each town —

appositive phrases London, Paris and
 Rome — we stayed in

- used in informal youth hostels.

writing instead of This is the place for

full stops, commas, a holiday – sun, surf,
brackets good food, etc.

"I love you," she

- used in directed
quotation said.
speech
" marks

' apostrophe - used to show This is John's car.

ownership or
possession
I went to Bangkok
- used to enclose
(my favourite city) and
Round extra information:
stayed there for two
an example, a
weeks.
() Bracket comment or an
explanation.
- used to show that One happy
you have left customer wrote: "This is
something out of the best program...that I
... ellipsis
quotation. have ever seen."

PRACTICE
1. Add or delete punctuations where necessary in the following sentences. If
a sentence is correct, write “correct” after it.
a. This summer we hiked in the White Mountains and canoed the Sacra River into
Maine
b. The man at the next table complained loudly and the waiter stomped off in disgust.
c. My brother George worked as a congressional aide last summer.
d. Love is blind; envy has its eye wide open.
e. He received two A’s, three B’s, and a C.
f. Fire and Ice is one of Robert Frost’s most famous poems.
g. Bill Cosby said I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to
please everyone
h. Writing consists of three stages pre-writing while-writing and post-writing.
i. Cancer – a disease that strikes without regard to age, race, or religion and
causes dread in the most stalwart person, had struck my family.
j. Three fourths of the House voted for the amendment.

2. Using end punctuation

A. The sentences in the following passage all lack end punctuation. In the
space provided, write the correct mark of end punctuation for each
sentence. Study the example below first.

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

repaired for a month.

When I was eight years old, my family and I moved into an apartment where no
pets were allowed_____ (1) My parents knew that my sister and I were
disappointed, but what choice did they have _____ (2) After a few weeks, my
father discovered that the people next door had a cat and that the people upstairs
had a poodle _____(4) Then he found out that the lady who lived on the top floor
had a rabbit, a Gila monster, and a monkey_____(5) What a zoo _____ (6) We
finally ended up getting a parakeet _____(7) After all, we reasoned, if all these
people could conceal pets in their apartments, why couldn’t we _____ (8)

B. Rewrite the following text. First, decide which parts to put in direct speech, then
add all the necessary punctuation, not forgetting speech marks.

An embarrassing incident
One summer job I had as a student was in a rather exclusive restaurant in
Glasgow on this particular day we were expecting forty members of a football
club for lunch I had to peel the potatoes I thought I was managing quite well with
my small knife until the owner appeared are those all the potatoes youve peeled
she complained why didnt you use the potato peeler i had no idea what a potato
peeler was so she led me into a small room behind the main kitchen and showed
me a small machine which looked rather like the rubbish bins some people have
in their bathrooms you put the potatoes in close the lid press the button thats all
she explained as if to a small child ten minutes later she came back I really think
its quicker to do them by hand i said what do you mean she asked well they arent
ready yet you can imagine how i felt when she lifted the lid and took out the
potatoes the size of peas the potato peeler was not automatic.

WRITING CVs and letters of

FOLDER application
A. CV

1. CV - Overview
 A CV (curriculum vitae) is a short written description of a person’s education
and past employment, used especially when he/she is looking for a job or a new
job. A CV is like an advertisement for yourself. If it fails to interest the reader, you
will not have further opportunities to convince the company to consider you for
employment.

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

enclosure with your application letter. The CV should present the most important
things in your background and all your qualifications for employment.

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

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

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

usually long enough. It is important that you include only necessary information.
Your CV will not be effective if it includes too much information or unnecessary
facts.

2. Main sections of a CV

Note: You can add other sections as required or change the ordering of later
sections to suit your skills and abilities.

Profile/Summary

This should be a short summary of your experience, skills and abilities, and
be contained in four to six lines of text.

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

Achievements

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

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

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

Education/Qualifications

• List the most recent education first.

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

• Show the specific courses you took which you think will be helpful in the
work you are applying for beneath your university listing.

Special qualifications (This section is optional)

• Mention special skills such as: language ability, writing ability, artistic ability,
or research in a specific field.

Experience

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

chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working
backwards.

• Start with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards when
you are describing your experience for each position.
• Include: - Dates of emloyment
- Firm’s name and address

- Type of work performed

Personal Details

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

Interests

• Keep this part fairly short.

Referees

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

reference, e.g. your personal tutor, while the second reference could be from
an employer you have worked for.

3. Useful language for CV writing

 Work history

 ... to boost productivity  Improved ...

 ... to increase efficiency  Managed and motivated ...

 Carried out extensive research in  Prepared ... presentations and

... reports for ...

 Chosen to ...  Reduced ...

 Co-ordinated ...  Reported to ...

 Dealt with ... customers on a  Responsible for ...

daily/weekly basis
 Successfully achieved ...
 Delivered high standards of ...
 Successfully implemented ...
 Developed and implemented ...  Successfully increased ...
processes and procedures to ...
 Successfully introduced ...
 Developed relationships with ...
 Successfully led ...
 Established ...
 Successfully negotiated with ...
 Gained in-depth knowledge and
experience of ...

 Education

 Academic qualifications obtained  Dissertation: ...

 Scholarships or sponsorships  Anticipated date of graduation is

awarded ...

 Professional qualifications attained  Continuing education classes in

...
 Publications

 Skills

 Speak fluent ...  Awards

 Highly PC literate  Publications

 Expert level ...  Membership of relevant bodies

 Chartered ...  Computing skills/knowledge

 Full clean UK driving licence  Typing skills

4. SAMPLE CV
Sample 1
Sample 2
B. Application letter (Cover letter)
 Questions for analysis: Read the sample of application letter below and
answer the following questions:

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

2. How should you begin and end the letter?

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

Post of November 11, 1997. The letter of application follow the next page.
Writing techniques
 1. Organization

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

• The opening paragraph: Tells specifically which job interests you (get the
job title exactly). If the job opening was advertised, mention where you saw
it.

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

qualifications for the the job. State your present position if your are
currently employed. In addition, mention previous experience and
educational background (if you are a recent graduate) and why you are
interested in the job. Be positive, confident and enthusiastic.

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

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

2. Useful phrases

 Salutation

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

if you know the name of the person

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

if you do not know the name of the person

 The opening paragraph

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

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

like to apply for the position of…

 The body paragraphs

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

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

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

My duties have included secretarial work as well as…

I graduated in Business Administration from Dundee University in 1990.

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

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

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

team.

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

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

 The closing paragraph

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

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

reputation for…

I feel that my present position offers little prospect of promotion

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

… have agreed to act as my referees.

 Complementary close

Sincerely yours,

Yours sincerely,
 Task pool
Look at the following job advertisements. Choose one that interests you most and
write a CV and a letter of application (cover letter) applying for the position.
 CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your draft.

For CV:

1. Is the layout of the CV appropriate?

________________________________________________________________

2. Is the language used in the CV appropriate? Can you give specific examples?
________________________________________________________________
3. Are there any grammar mistakes in this CV?
________________________________________________________________
4. Are there any spelling mistakes in the CV?
________________________________________________________________
5. Is the CV persuasive enough for the position?
________________________________________________________________
For letters of application:

1. Is the layout of the letter appropriate?

________________________________________________________________
2. Is the language used in the letter formal? Can you give specific examples?
________________________________________________________________
3. Have you used useful language for cover letter in your letter?
________________________________________________________________
4. Are there any grammar mistakes in this CV?
________________________________________________________________
5. Are there any spelling mistakes in the CV?
________________________________________________________________
6. Is the CV persuasive enough for the position?
________________________________________________________________
7. Do you find your letter persuasive enough?
________________________________________________________________
 Unit 9: DESCRIBING A PLACE

Grammar in Synonyms & Antonyms

Definitions
focus

What are synonyms?

Synonyms are words that have different pronunciations and spelling but similar
meanings. They belong to the same part of speech.

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

Synonyms are often used in writing to reduce repetition. However, when using
synonyms, the formality of the words needs to be considered. In the above
example:

To die – neutral

To pass away – formal

To kick the bucket – highly informal

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

What are antonyms?

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

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

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

old – young

to give – to take

war – peace

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

like – dislike

useful – useless

Practice Exercise 1: Supply the right opposites

1. dry paint ..................... paint

2. weak tea ..................... tea

3. tough meat ..................... meat

4. salt water ..................... water

5. a dead person a ..................... person

6. a single person a ..................... person

7. an open door a ..................... door

8. a loud voice a ..................... voice

9. a sick person a ..................... person

10. fresh food ..................... food.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct words in the brackets to complete the
following text.

NEPAL

We spent our first day in Kathmandu and took a sightseeing tour around
this (dull / fascinating) city. The Nepalese people are very (friendly / cold) and
there is almost no crime here. But don’t expect a(n) (exciting / quiet) night life,
because 99 per cent of the population are in bed by 10 pm, and there are no
nightclubs.

We needed our sleep, however, because by seven o’clock the next morning
we were already travelling to the River Trisuli. Here we began a (normal /
dramatic) journey by boat through the Trisuli rapids. It was heart-stopping – the
most (exciting / boring) experience of my whole life. For mile after mile the white
water threw our (big / small) boat from side to side. Then suddenly we arrived in
the (rough / calm) water of a beautiful lake.
WRITING
Describing a place
FOLDER

WARM-UP

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

…. church …. temple

…. cinema …. museum

…. market …. supermarket

…. library …. night club

…. school …. cathedral

…. bank …. park

…. café …. hospital

…. hotel …. theatre

BRAINSTORMING

Interview your friend about his or her hometown. Ask the underlined questions
below. Listen carefully to the answers.

Some questions about your hometown

1. What is the name of your hometown?

 2. In what part of your country is it?

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

mountain / in a valley / in a desert / on the coast? Is the land rocky /
sandy / good for farming / good for ranching? Are there trees? Is there a
river or a lake nearby? Is there a good harbor for ships?

4. Describe the weather and climate. How many seasons are there? What is
the weather and temperature in each season? Does it rain or snow? How
much? What is the best time of year?

5. How many people live in your hometown?

6. What are the common occupations? What do most people do for a living?
What are the principal industries and products?

7. What do people do for entertainment?

8. Is your hometown a good place to visit? Why or why not? What should a
tourist see there? What is your hometown famous for?

9. What do you like about your hometown? What do you dislike about it?
Does it have any problems? If so, what are they?

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

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

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

a. What do the inhabitants in Chateauneuf do?

b. How far is Quimper?

c. How many hotels are there?

 My favorite place

Chateauneuf is in the centre of Brittany in north-

west France and is on a hill overlooking a river. Most of
the inhabitants are farmers or shopkeepers but there
are a few businessmen who work in Quimper which is 22
kilometers away. Everybody lives in stone houses or
cottages with whitewashed walls. I’ve visited
Chateauneuf every Easter for six years now because I
love the atmosphere and the friendly people.
Chateauneuf is not on the coast so it hasn’t been spoilt
by tourists. There are two small hotels where you can
eat traditional French food quite cheaply. At Easter,
Chateauneuf has a festival of traditional Breton music. If
you are in Brittany, book into the Gai Logis Hotel. Try the
local food and then go for a walk along the river bank.
You won’t regret it!

Writing techniques

When describing the location of places, use:

There is + noun (singular)

or

There are + noun (plural)

To provide more information, use relative pronouns:

which …

who ….
 where…

when….

why….

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

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

places in your hometown, using relative pronouns and there are
…; there is …

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

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

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

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

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

Exchange your work and check with a partner for any grammar or spelling error.
Revising: My City

Stanley wrote the first draft of a composition called “My City”. He read it several
times. He wasn’t sure about it, so he wrote another draft. Read his drafts, and
answer the questions.

1. How are the drafts alike? ………………………………………………………

……………..

2. How are the drafts

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

3. Which draft is better?

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

Draft A

My City

My city’s name is Athens. It has good

geography and good weather. For example,
the climate is nice. It is a big city. Many
people live in Athens. They work there in
many things, such as different occupations
and different industries. The people enjoy
different entertainment. They like to do
different things for fun and relaxation. I like
my city because it has many famous things to
see. It also has many museums and good
places to visit. In general, all tourists like my
city very much. For instance, they like the
well-known places to visit. I love my city
because it is a good place to live, work, and
play.
 Draft B

My City

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

are four seasons. The best time of year is
spring. In Athens live three million people.
Most of them work in offices, factories and
stores. My city is a good place to visit
because the weather is very good, the people
are very friendly, and there are many exciting
places for tourists. Athens has many
museums. It also has famous things to see.
Two examples are the Acropolis and the
Parthenon. My city is also well known
because many famous people, such as
Socrates, Aristotle, and Pericles, lived there.

task pool
Describe your hometown.

 Note:

 Length: 120 -150 words.

 Select outstanding features of your hometown
 Use the structures in writing techniques.
 Pay particular attention to their synonyms and antonyms
 CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to check your writing.

1. What is the name of your hometown?

_____________________________________________________________

2. What features of the town did you describe?

_____________________________________________________________

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

_____________________________________________________________

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

_____________________________________________________________

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

_____________________________________________________________
 Unit 10: DESCRIBING A PERSON

Grammar in RELATIVE
focus Rules CLAUSES

I. RELATIVE CLAUSES

There are various ways of supplying more information about a noun in English.
Frequently we use adjectives (e.g.: a helpful teacher) and often other nouns (e.g.:
a university teacher). Relative clauses are another very common way of
supplying more specific information about a noun referring to a person, thing or
group. Relative clauses are most commonly positioned immediately after the
noun that they refer to, and often begin with who, that, which, where, when, or
why.

Who / Which / That

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

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

They were the builders who fitted our kitchen.

Note: Relative clauses can also be used after some pronouns. They are quite
common after indefinite pronouns such as something, someone, anything,
anyone, everything and everyone.

Anna is someone that I really admire.

 Is there anyone who knows how this machine works?

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

Relative clauses are also sometimes used after words like some, many, much,
all, or those which can function as pronouns.

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

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

When / Where / Why / Whose

When can be used as a relative adverb in a relative clause after the word ‘time’
or other nouns which denote periods of time such as year, day, summer, etc.

I remember the day when I first met her.

Where can be used as a relative adverb in a relative clause after the word ‘place’
or other nouns which denote places such as house, street, room, etc.

This is the room where my grandfather was born.

Note: Place names (e.g.: proper nouns such as Manchester) are never followed
by the relative adverb where.

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

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

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

 That’s the reason why I left my job.

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

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

Help is needed for families whose homes were flooded.

Note: The relative pronoun whose can sometimes be used to refer to countries,
organizations or other nouns which imply a group of people.

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

Register note

In formal English in particular, relative adverbs when and where are sometimes
replaced by a preposition + which.

I remember the day on which I first met her.

The relative pronoun that or the zero relative pronoun can also be used after
reason instead of why.

That’s the reason that I left my job.

II. DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Defining relative clause supplies information which is needed in order to

identify a particular person or thing - they define exactly who or what we are
referring to.
Non-defining relative clause gives additional information about a person or
thing. This clause is separated from the noun by a comma. Unlike in a defining
relative clause, this information is not absolutely necessary in order to identify
who or what we are talking about, it does not define, but adds information.

I could see two girls standing on the platform. The girl who was
carrying a small child got onto the train. (defining relative clause)

I could see two girls standing on the platform. One of the girls, who
was carrying a small child, got onto the train. (non-defining relative
clause)

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

adding descriptive information, they are often used to indicate that one event
happened after another.

She called out to the man, who ran off.

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

Sometimes non-defining relative clauses are used to make a comment about the
whole situation described in a main clause, rather than someone or something
mentioned within it.

She felt really nervous about the interview, which was

understandable.

III. PARTICIPLE RELATIVE CLAUSES

-ing participle clauses

Present and past participle forms, (e.g.: talking, made) can be used without a
pronoun or auxiliary to form a participle relative clause.

Do you know the boy talking to Thomas?

The participle relative clause underlined in the example has the same meaning
as a defining relative clause with the relative pronoun who.

Do you know the boy who is talking to Thomas?

-ing participle clauses also often show what someone or something is, or was,
doing at a particular time.

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

outside...)

–ed participle clauses

Participle relative clauses with an –ed (past participle) form are also used like
defining relative clauses to identify a particular person or thing. They have a
passive meaning.

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

(= which are sold in the café …)

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

clauses which add information. Like other non-defining relative clauses, these
participle clauses are surrounded by commas.
 His first novel, published in 1965, was an immediate success.
(= which was published in 1965…)

Practice

1. Who’s (is)…Who’s (has)….or Whose?

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

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

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

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

5. /hu:z/ luggage is this?

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

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

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

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

a) I have one sister.

b) I have more than one sister.

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

a) All the athletes tested positive for doping.

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

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

a) All flat screen televisions are very expensive.

b) Some flat screen televisions are cheap.

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

a) Only some teachers arrive late for class.

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

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

a) There is only one company president.

b) There is more than one company president.

3. Life changing moments

Can you remember...

A day when you made a big decision?

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

A place where you learnt something very important?

A reason why you have your current job?

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

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

A moment when you felt that history had been made?

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

A place where you met someone very important to you?

Choose three of these memories and tell a partner about them. Example: I
remember the place where I first met my wife very well. It was a...

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

___ is the day in my country when _______________________________.

___ is a person I know who _____________________________________.

___ is the room in my house where _______________________________.

___ is a time of year when ______________________________________.

___ is the part of my town where _________________________________.

___ is the reason why __________________________________________.

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

Show the words to your partner, but not the sentences. Can he/she guess
why these things are important?

Describing a person
WRITING
Think of someone in your family. Write three sentences
FOLDER about him/her. Read your sentences aloud to the rest of the
class. Which relative did you choose? Why did you choose
that person? Did you write about their character, appearance or both?

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

My Aunt Emily
 Of all my relatives, I like my aunt Emily the best. She’s my mother’s youngest
sister. She has never married, and she lives alone in a small village near Bath.
She is in her late fifties, but she’s still quite young in spirit. She has a fair
complexion, thick brown hair which she wears in a bun, and dark brown eyes,
She has a kind face, and when you meet her, the first thing you notice is her
lovely warm smile. Her face is a little wrinkled now, but I think she is still rather
attractive. She is the sort of person you can always go to if you have a problem.

She likes reading and gardening, and she goes for long walks over the hills
with her dog, Buster. She’s a very active person. Either she’s making something,
or mending something, or doing something to help others. She does the
shopping for some of the old people in the village. She is extremely generous,
but not very tolerant with people who don’t agree with her. I hope that I am as
happy and contented as she is when I’m her age.

Questions for analysis:

1. What about Aunt Emily does the author describe?

2. Does the author describe Aunt Emily in details?

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

strong points?

Writing techniques

A. Describing appearance
1. Using adverbs in person description

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

How do they change the meaning of the adjectives which follow them?
1.2. Put the adverbs in order from the weakest to the strongest:

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

really fairly not very very

absolutely quite extremely

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

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

Example: She is 97 years old: She’s extremely old OR she is very elderly.
1. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world.
2. He is an Olympic weightlifter.
3. She will only eat one piece of fruit a day, and nothing else.
4. Since I stopped cycling to work, I’ve put on a bit of weight.
5. Frank is the best-looking man in the world.

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

2. Using polite structure in person description

The sentence “She is not tolerant” is a nice way of saying she is “intolerant”.
Sometimes, we try to be polite by not using a negative adjective. We can say not
very + the opposite adjective.

Use a tactful way to describe a person who is:

a. rude c. mean e. cruel

b. boring d. ugly f. stupid
3. Using adjectives in person description

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

tall ugly
weak mean
young small
fat short
beautiful thin
 generous old
big strong
3.2. Match the adjectives in A below to the adjectives in B.

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

A
overweight middle-aged muscular well-built

elderly chubby handsome petite

good-looking of medium attractive plain

height

slim skinny gorgeous

B
short tall strong thin

fat young generous

ugly old small

beautiful big mean

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

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

a. a man:
______________________________________________________

b. a woman:
______________________________________________________

c. a person over 50:

______________________________________________________
 d. a person over 70:
______________________________________________________

e. a bodybuilder:
______________________________________________________

f. a supermodel:
______________________________________________________

g. you:

______________________________________________________

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

Ears Nose Eyes Lips

big snub Pointed thin
full sexy big bright
blue big cauliflower sticky-out

B. Describing characteristics
1. Which words have similar meanings and which words have opposite
meanings?
shy thoughtless honest
bad-tempered mean sociable
friendly affectionate patient
out-going good-tempered generous
fun thoughtful nice
selfish easygoing caring
childish mature kind
 Similar Meanings Opposite Meanings

kind + caring selfish / thoughtful + thoughtless

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________

2. Which of the words above would you use to describe the people below?
Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. He doesn’t like spending his money.

8. She is only interested in herself.

3. Make these words negative.

Example: kind - unkind

caring friendly
patient
mature
 honest sociable
selfish

4. Match the expressions to the adjectives they describe.

She’s full of energy. thoughtful

He likes to be the centre of honest
attention. mean
She thinks of others. lively
He’s tight-fisted. out-going
She would never tell a lie.

5. Match the jobs to the descriptions.

sales rep policeman nurse computer programmer

1. You have to be patient and caring, good-tempered most of the time, and
kind and friendly. It’s hard work. Sometimes ill people are very impatient.

2. You need to be patient and honest with people, and you shouldn’t be
unfriendly. But you also have to be very hard on people who are breaking the law.

3. You have to be very out-going and friendly. You have to be good at talking,
too. You should also be honest, especially when describing your product.

4. You have to be patient and good at your job. But, it doesn’t really matter if
you are shy, selfish or thoughtless – just don’t break the machine!

task pool
1. Write a description of a member of your family.
2. Describe your idol.
3. Write a description of your future partner.
  Note:

• Word length: 200 words

• Your writing should include: your opinion of the person, physical
description, their character, habits, likes and dislikes
• Use relative clauses in your writing.

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any grammar mistakes in your writing?

________________________________________________________________

2. Are there any spelling mistakes in your writing?

________________________________________________________________

3. Did you use relatives clauses in your desciption?

________________________________________________________________

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

________________________________________________________________

5. Did you describe the person in details?

________________________________________________________________

6. Do you think the person in your description mkes a good impression on the
readers?
________________________________________________________________
 UNIT 11: DESCRIBING A BOOK, PLAY
OR FILM

Grammar in Adjectives
focus Definitions
&
Usage

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES
When several adjectives come before a noun, they usually have to be put in a
particular order. For instance, we say a fat old lady, not an old fat lady; a small
shiny black leather handbag, not a leather black shiny small handbag.
Unfortunately, the rules for adjective order are very complicated, and different
grammars disagree about the details. Here are some of the most important rules
suggested by Michael Swan (Practical English Usage):

1. Colour, origin, material and purpose

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

Colour Origin Material Purpose Noun

red Spanis leather riding boots
h
a brown Germa beer mug
n
an Italian glass flower vase

2. Other adjectives
Other adjectives usually go before words of colour, origin, material and
purpose. It is impossible to give exact rules, but adjectives of size, length and
height often come first.
The round glass table (Not: the glass round table)
a big, modern brick house (Not: a modern, big brick house)
a tall, ancient oak-tree
a long, fat snake

3. Opinions, judgements and attitudes

Adjectives which express personal opinions, judgements or attitudes usually
come before all others. Examples are lovely, definite, absolute, perfect,
wonderful, silly, etc.
a lovely, long, cool drink
 a wonderful sunny day
4. Numbers
Numbers usually go before adjectives.
six large eggs
the second big shock
First, next and last most often go before one, two, three, etc.
the first three days (more common than the three first days)
my last two jobs

5. Commas
Before nouns, we generally use commas between adjectives (especially in
longer sequences) which give similar kinds of information, for example in physical
descriptions.

a lovely, long, cool, refreshing drink

an expensive, ill-planned, wasteful projects
But commas can be dropped before short common adjectives.
a tall(,) dark(,) handsome cowboy

A tip to remember all the above rules: OpSACOMP

Opinion: wonderful, nice, terrible
Size: long, short, tall,
Age: new, old
Colour: red, blue, dark green, light brown
Origin: American, Japanese, British, Vietnamese
Material: stone, plastic, leather, steel, silk
Purpose (what for?): a bath tower
 Practice

Exercise 1: Write these words in the correct order

1. grey/long/beard/a: a long, grey beard
2. flowers/red/small:
3. car/black/big/a:
4. a/thin/line/long:
5. blonde/hair/long:
6. man/a/handsome/tall:
7. short/hair/wavy:
8. fat/short/a/woman:

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

single sentence.
e.g.:
This game is new. It's for family. And it's exciting.
This is an exciting new family game.

1) This computer is for business. It's Japanese. And it's powerful.

......................................................................................................................
2) This is a chocolate bar. It's new. And it's a big bar.
......................................................................................................................
3) This comedy is American. It's for television. And it's terrific.
......................................................................................................................
4) These doors are aluminum. They're for your garage. And they're stylish.
......................................................................................................................
 5) These shoes are modern. They're for sports. And they're wonderful.
......................................................................................................................
6) This phone is a mobile. It's German. And it's very good.
......................................................................................................................

WRITING
Describing a book,
FOLDER
play or film

Lead-in
1. What is your favourite book, play or film?
2. What kind is the book, play or film?
3. What is it about?
Model: This week, Susan is previewing forthcoming radio/TV programmes for the
entertainments section of her paper.

Tonight, the BBC continues its season of "All time

greats" - a series which includes some of the most popular
films of the past thirty years. Tonight's film is Psycho, a classic
horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and a masterpiece of
its kind.
The film is set in America; and it tells the story of a
young man who runs a lonely, isolated motel with his elderly
mother. They live in a large, old house next to the motel, but
although we often hear their conversations, we never see the
mother in person. A young woman stops at the motel one
night, and in one of the most terrifying scenes of the film, is
horribly and violently murdered. Her disappearance is soon
noticed by friends, and they decide to find out what has
happened to her. What follows is a spine-chilling tale of
 mystery and horror. Perhaps the most frightening part of the
whole film comes in the last few minutes, when the identity of
the murderer is revealed.
In spite of the fact that the film is now more than twenty
years old, it is just as powerful as ever. Not only is it
marvelously well acted, but it is superbly directed too, keeping
the audience in suspense up to the very last moment. If you
missed the film before, I strongly recommend that you see it
tonight. A warning though - those of nervous disposition might
do well to have an early night instead!

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

1. What information is given in each of the paragraphs?

2. What is the function of the first and the final paragraph?
3. Which tenses are used in the second paragraph to explain the plot of the film?
Give examples.
4. What are the author's feelings of the film?

Writing techniques

A. Ask your partner about a book, play or film he/she has enjoyed recently.
Find out:

1. Who is the author/writer/director of the works?

2. What type of film/play/book is it?
3. Where is the story set?
4. What is the film/play/book about?
5. Who are the main characters in the film/play/book?
6. What is the most important part (climax) of the film/play/book?
7. What did he/she feel about the works/the acting/the performance?
8. Is it worth seeing/reading? Would he/she really recommend it to others?
B. Some examples of useful language are shown in the following box:

The film/story is set in...

It is a love story/a thriller/science-fiction...
It tells the story of...
It is about...
What follows is a... tale of...
I greatly enjoyed...
I was rather disappointed with...
It was well acted/directed/written.
It was rather long/confusing/unbelievable.
It is a classic/masterpiece of its kind.
I can/can't really recommend it.
It is well worth seeing/reading it.

C. Contrasting facts should be used to attract readers:

e.g.:
I was terrified but I enjoyed the film.
Although I was terrified, I enjoyed the film.
In spite of the fact that I was terrified, I enjoyed the film.
Join the following sentences in each of the way shown above:
a. He loved her. He couldn't tell her.
b. He was badly injured. He managed to reach the frontier.
c. They were suspicious. They couldn't solve the mystery.
d. They were very poor. They were extremely happy.
e. I enjoyed the book very much. I didn't really like the film.

D. Inversions should also be used:

e.g.:
 He wins the race. He wins a fortune, too.
Not only does he win the race, but he wins a fortune, too.

Join the following sentences in each of the way shown above:

a. I have read the book. I have also seen the film.
b. The gangster shot a policeman. He also shot a passer-by.
c. She was late. She also forgot her notes.
d. She was still in danger. She was also getting very weak.

E. Vocabulary Practice: Complete the sentences with an appropriate word

from the list:

acting audience chapters ending extremely

acts filmed plot readers scene

1. The first three______ of the book were very exciting.

2. The play consists of five ______.
3. The film was ______ directed.
4. The ______ clapped and cheered as the curtain came down.
5. Have you ever seen the film? What is the ______?
6. She won a prize for her marvelous ______.
7. His death was the most moving ______ of the film.
8. ______ of science-fiction will love this new novel.
9. Although I enjoyed the novel, I thought the ______ was rather
disappointing.
10. The scene was ______ in Greece.

TASK POOL
1. Write a report on a film or play you have seen recently in about 200 words.
Use the plan below as a guide and think about the tenses you will need to
use in each paragraph before you begin.

Paragraph one:
General introduction: When did you see the film/play? Where? Who
with? Why did you choose that particular film/play? What type of film/play is it?

Paragraph two:
Where is the film/play set? What is it about? Who are the main characters
and what happens to them?

Paragraph three:
Conclusion: What was your opinion of the film/play? Why? Was it well
acted/directed? Would you recommend it to others?

 Note: Use correct order of adjectives in your writing.

2. Write a report on a book you have read recently. Collect the reports together
and use them as a guide to the class library or as advice on further reading.

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.
1. Are there any grammar and spelling mistakes in your writing?
_____________________________________________________________
2. Did you use correct order of adjectives in your description?
_____________________________________________________________
3. Is the writing descriptive enough? (Regarding the writing techniques)
_____________________________________________________________
 4. Would you recommend that other people should see or watch the
film/book/play?
_____________________________________________________________

UNIT 12: DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE

Definition
Grammar in &
focus Usage inversion

What is inversion?
Inversion is the reversal of the normal order of the subject and the verb in a
sentence.

e.g.: Tom’s father is an engineer.

Subject Verb
 à Is Tom’s father an engineer?

Verb Subject

When do we use inversion?

Inversion is used to put emphasis on a certain part of a statement or to make a

question.

In this unit, we only focus on the use of inversion after negative or semi-negative
words or phrases, after prepositional phrases or adverbs of time and place, in
conditional sentences, and after Only

• Inversion after negative or semi-negative words and phrases:

never (before/ no sooner ... than on no account

again)
not until under no circumstances
rarely
not often in no way
seldom
nowhere nor / not
barely / scarcely
at no time little, etc.
hardly (ever)

- Seldom do we have goods returned to us because they are faulty.

- Hardly had I got onto the motorway when I saw two police cars following me.

- Never again did Max buy another motorcycle.

- Not a single word had she written since the exam had started.

- Little do they know how lucky they are to live in such a wonderful house.
 Note: The inversion happens only in the first part of the sentence. For example:

Wrong: No sooner had he opened the letter than did the phone ring.

Right: No sooner had he opened the letter than the phone rang.

Wrong: Not only did we lose our money, but were we also badly treated.

Right: Not only did we lose our money, but we were also badly treated.

• Inversion after a prepositional phrase or adverb of place or time:

- At the foot of the hill lies a small village.

- Here comes the bus.

- Twice within my lifetime have world wars taken place.

- Often have I heard about his unreliability.

Note: If the subject is a personal pronoun, there is no inversion. E.g.:

- There he is! (Not: There is he!)

- Here she arrives! (Not: Here arrives she!)

• Inversion in conditional sentences where If is omitted :

- If I had gone to the post office, I would have bought some stamps. => Had I
gone to the post office, I would have bought some stamps.

- If it had not been for your help, I wouldn’t have succeeded. => Had it not
been for your help, I wouldn’t have succeeded.

- If you should meet her, please ask her to call me at once. => Should you
meet her, please ask her to call me at once.

• Inversion after Only:

- only + a time expression, as in only after, only later, only once, only then,
only when.

She bought a newspaper and some sweets at the shop on the

corner. Only later did she realise that she had been given the wrong
change.

- only + other prepositional phrases beginning only by..., only in.... only
with.... etc.

Only by chance had Jameson discovered where the birds were

nesting.
Practice Exercise 1: Rewrite the following sentences, using
inversion with these words:

Never not only by scarcely

before not until on no account little

e.g.: The door could not be opened without using force.

à Only by (using) force could the door be opened

1 This was the first time the race had been won by a European athlete.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
2 The plane had only just taken off when smoke started to appear in the
cabin.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
3 She made no sound as she crept upstairs.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
4 This window must not be unlocked without prior permission.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
5 He only thought about having a holiday abroad after he retired.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
6 She didn't realize what would happen to her next.
 ......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences using inversion. Begin your
sentences with the words or phrases given.

1 The telephone started ringing just after he had left the office.
No sooner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
2 It is unusual for the island to be visited by tourists.
Seldom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
3 Judith started asking me questions as soon as I had stepped through the
door.
Hardly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
4 Passengers are not permitted to open the doors themselves in any
circumstances.
Under no . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
5 He never broke the rules he set for himself.
At no time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
6 You can only pass the exams with strong determination.
Only by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
7 If an emergency should arise, call 113.
Should . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
8 The only representative of the Indian’s handicraft remains on the island.
 On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

WRITING Descriptive
FOLDER Narrative
• INTRODUCTION
You may never have to write descriptions which are complete in
themselves, but you may need to include descriptions in other pieces of writing,
for example, in a personal letter, in a story, in a report, etc.

If you tell a story and give some descriptions in it, you are writing a
descriptive narrative composition. There are different kinds of descriptive
narrative compositions: writing a biography, describing changes in places or in a
person’s life, reporting events, incidents, or experiences, etc.

In this unit, we will learn how to write one kind of descriptive narrative
writing, i.e. reporting experiences, in which you will tell a story with a part
describing a human scene.

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

You can see that a composition like 'A Day at the Seaside' is not pure
description, but contains a narrative structure. Read the composition below, and
answer these questions:

1. Which are the narrative parts of the composition?

2. Which parts are descriptive?
3. How is the writing organised into paragraphs?
4. What verb tenses did the writer use in the writing?
5. What kinds of linking words are used in the writing? Find examples.
A Day at the Seaside
Last Sunday was a beautiful day, and my brother, my sister and I were up early,
impatient to go to the beach. However, as usual, my parents had watched the late-night
film on TV, and in any case my father hates getting up on Sundays. I think every family in
the city must be the same because by the time my mother had packed the lunch and my
father had had breakfast, it was 10.30. When we got to the outskirts of the city, the
road to the beach (which was ten miles away) was full of cars. It took us two hours to
get there.
When we arrived, we could hardly see the sand or find a place to spread our towels.
There were thousands of people there, lying on the sand under brightly coloured
umbrellas, or standing on the edge of the water, or bathing in the sea. Boys and girls
were trying to play games, but there was no space because of all the people lying down.
There were ice-cream sellers and drink-sellers wandering in and out between the bodies,
and I could not hear the sound of the sea because of the shouts and screams and the
noise of hundreds of radios playing different kinds of music. The only way to escape was
to run into the sea and swim out for twenty or thirty meters beyond all the little
children and their parents in the shallow water. At last, I could lie on my back in the
water, feel the sun on my face, and be away from the noise.
At about three o'clock, everyone had lunch, and my mother wouldn't let us go back
into the water again till six. I wanted to stay there all evening, but my father insisted on
going home at seven because he wanted to see the football match on TV. Every other
father obviously had the same idea. When we started our journey home, there were
already hundreds of cars on the road. Again, it took us two hours to drive the ten miles
home, and my father missed most of the football match. When I am grown-up, I will
have my own car and I will always go to the beach on weekdays.
 Writing techniques

- As the writing is narrative, and often it is about a single event, past tenses are
naturally used. Linking words are also used in this kind of writing, particularly
the following sorts: time links, causal links, contrast links.
- As part of the writing is descriptive, you usually try to give your readers an
xact and detailed impression of something in your experience. Therefore, the
larger and more precise your vocabulary, the better your writing will be.
Moreover, you should use lots of adjectives and adverbs in your description to
make it lively and interesting. Also, make sure you use them in the correct
order.

TASK POOL
Choose one of the following topics:

1. Write about a day you spent either (a) at the seaside (b) in the country or (c)
in the mountains, either in summer or winter in about 300 words.
2. Write about a day trip you made to a famous place in about 300 words.
3. Write about a picnic with friends in the country in about 300 words.

CHECKLIST
Checklist: Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any spelling and grammar mistakes in your description? If yes, how
many?
________________________________________________________
2. Did you write sentences with inverted structures in this writing? If yes, which
ones? If no, can you rewrite some sentences using inversion?
 ____________________________________________________________
_

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. Did you use correct tenses?

_____________________________________________________________

4. Did you use any linking words? Did you use them correctly?
_____________________________________________________________
5. Did you use many adjectives, adverbs to describe the scenes? Are they in
the right order? Do you want to add any of them now?
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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

included in the story?
____________________________________________________________
7. Are you pleased with this writing? Why? Or Why not?
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
 Unit 13: STORYTELLING (PART 1)

Definition nominalisation
Grammar in focus Effects

NOMINALISATION

Nominalization is the action of changing a sentence into a complex noun

phrase and making it the subject of a new sentence.
E.g. His father died. This was probably one of the reasons why he failed his
exams.
à The death of his father was probably one of the reasons why he failed his
exams.
The effect of doing this is that the meaning is “denser”, i.e. the same
meaning is expressed within a fewer words. Also, the meaning of the clause in
the first sentence can be expressed with one abstract noun. These two
characteristics of greater lexical density and greater use of abstract terms are
distinguished in an academic style.

Practice Connect each of these pairs of sentences into one

sentence by

nominalising the first sentence.

1. Telephones are often unreliable. This complicates matters. (frequent

unreliability)
 2. Parents are not concerned about their children. This results in their children
feeling rejected. (lack)
3. The students did badly in the exam. This may have been because he was ill.
(performance)
4. Children are taught music. This is very important. (teaching)
5. Many rural people are illiterate. This makes finding a job in a town very
difficult. (illiteracy)
6. People burn oil and coal to produce energy and heat. This causes excess
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (burning)
7. The government intends to build more schools. This has been announced in
the press. (intention)
8. He is afraid of the sights of blood. This puts him off studying medicine. (fear)
9. Many tourists cannot speak Mandarin. This is a problem for them in Taiwan.
(inability)
10. He smokes every night. This irritates his wife. (Smoking)

Storytelling with picture

WRITING

FOLDER prompts…

Work in pair. Look at the following set of pictures and guess

what happens.
 Now read the story and answer the questions below:

The Walk
One day a little girl wanted to go for a walk with her doll, so she made a

sandwich and took an apple and some fruit juices. She put them in her bag and put on

her pink hat. Then she put her doll in the stroller and went outside. Soon, a big wind

came and blew her hat into a tree. A nice little sparrow saw the wind blow the hat

into the tree, and he wanted to help the little girl. So, he took the hat in his beak

and gave it back to the girl. The small girl was very happy. She gave the bird some

pieces from her sandwich. Now the sparrow was happy, too.

Questions for analysis

1. What is the story’s title?

2. How many characters are there in the story? Who are they?
3. Where did the story happen?
4. What problem occurred?
5. How was it solved?
6. Can you name the compulsory components in a story?

Writing techniques

Every story consists of these components:

- Title
- Character (s)
- Setting
- A problem
- Events and/ or actions
- Solution/ Ending
Generally, you should follow these seven steps if you are to write a
successful and interesting story.
 1. Planning

Think about your story. What is it about? Who is in it? What happens? Jot
down a few ideas for your story quickly, but don't write the story just yet. This part
of writing is called planning.

2. Characters

People are the most important part of any story. The people in stories are
called the characters. Who is in your story? What do they look like? What are
they doing? What do they say? If you yourself are a character in the story, let
readers know it, too. Try to create NAMES for your characters.

3. Location/ Setting

Where are we? The place where the story happens is called the setting. Are
we in the street or in a forest? Is it night and dark, or is it day and sunny? If you
tell readers about the places and things, they can see them as clearly as you do.

4. Plot (Problems, actions and events)

What happens? The things that happen in a story are called the plot. How
does your story begin? What happens next? How does it end? Take care to think
this out; otherwise things could happen in the wrong order. You have to be at a
place before you can go away from it.

5. Now write the story

When you know about the characters, the scene and

the plot, you are ready to write your story. Tell about one
thing at a time. When you have finished a part of the
story, leaves a space and start a new line. This makes it
easier to read the story.

6. Ask someone to read your story

Ask your friends and family to read your story. They will tell you if you have
missed anything out and help you with your story.
 7. Check it over

The last thing to do is called editing. Change any parts of the story that are
not quite right. Check your spelling. Then write out your finished story in your best
writing.

- Your story must contain ALL prompts that the pictures

provide you - characters, setting, events, etc. (if any).
- Use a variety of sentence types, nominalization and
rhetorical methods to make yours a logical, cool and
original one.
- Don’t just describe things or events. Let your character
speak!

practice

One way an author can get the reader’s attention is by

using phrases that we call “red flags.” Red flags, such as
all of a sudden or the next thing I knew, indicate a new
twist in the plot. Red flags can replace predictable words
and phrases, like next or and then.
 Read the sample sentences below. Then create your own “Red Flag

Menu” by filling in the blanks with as many red flags as you can think

of. The menu has been started for you.

MY RED FLAG MENU

__________Suddenly_________ I managed to escape from the monster.

__________Just then__________ I managed to escape from the monster.

__________A moment later____ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________ I managed to escape from the monster.

____________________________I managed to escape from the monster.

 TASK POOL
In 40 minutes, use the pictures below to write a story. Your story should
include:

• a title: Pirate’s treasure

• characters’ name.
• a problem, actions and events.
• an ending

• about 150 – 200 words

 Note: pay attention to nominalization in your writing.

 CHECKLIST

1. Are there any spelling mistakes in your story?

_____________________________________________________________

2. Did you use nominalization in your story?

_____________________________________________________________

3. Did you create names to all characters? Were the names able to reflect their
characteristics?
_____________________________________________________________

4. Did you include all prompts from the pictures in your story?
_____________________________________________________________

5. Did you mention the place where the story happened?

_____________________________________________________________

6. Did you write an ending? Was it happy or sad?

_____________________________________________________________
7. Did you use appropriate language and style in your story? Is it either too formal
or too informal?
_____________________________________________________________
 Unit 14: STORY-TELLING (PART II)

Grammar in
focus
Conjunctions
Components
&
Types

Different kinds of conjunctions are used to connect different words and groups of
words.

CONNECTING THE SAME KINDS OF WORDS

If you want to connect two or more words or word groups of the same kind, you
use a coordinating conjunction.

Coordinating conjunctions

and nor for yet

without or so

The dog was large yet friendly. (The conjunction yet connects two adjectives
large, friendly.)
Billy came to stay without a towel and without pyjamas. (The conjunction and
joins two phrases, without a towel, without pyjamas.)

And joins similar ideas. But and or join contrasting ideas.

The dog looked friendly but he was in fact very savage. (Note the contrasting
ideas friendly, savage.)

He had to perform the task satisfactorily or he would be dismissed. (Note the

contrasting ideas satisfactory, dismissed.)

WATCH OUT FOR …

As a general rule, coordinating conjunctions should not be used to begin

sentences. But sometimes this rule can be ignored.

CONJUNCTIONS IN PAIRS

Some conjunctions pair up with other words to make the links between ideas.
They form correlative conjunctions.

Common correlative conjunctions

both … and neither … nor

not only … but also whether … or

not … but as … as

either … or

Both exercise and diet are important for good health.

Neither Lucy nor Thomas admitted to breaking the cricket bat.

CONNECTING GROUPS OF WORDS THAT DEPEND ON EACH OTHER

Subordinating conjunctions force part of a sentence to depend on another part

of the sentence.

Common subordinating conjunctions

after because in order that

than when although

before now that that

whenever as even if

once though where

as if even rather than

though
till as long as
whereas
if unless
since
wherever if only
as though
so that while
until

The rabbit moved quickly because it feared being shot.

Because joins the less important part it feared being shot to the main part the
rabbit moved quickly.

The animals were exhausted when they returned from the walk.

Before you watch TV, you must finish your homework.

You can read more about subordinating conjunctions in the section on clauses.
CONNECTING SENTENCES TOGETHER

We can use another kind of structural word to join sentences together. These
words are often called sentence connectors.

Common sentence connectors

also furthermore likewise

otherwise anyway hence

meanwhile still besides

however namely then

certainly indeed nevertheless

therefore finally instead

now thus

The rabbit moved quickly; however, it was shot by the hunter.

However connects the two sentences The rabbit moved quickly and It was shot by
the hunter.

We hoped for good health; instead, it rained all day.

The two parts of the new sentence are divided by a semicolon. The sentence
connector is nearly always followed by a comma. You can read more about this in
the section on punctuation.
PRACTICE

Activity 1: Make as many sentences as possible using different

conjunctions you have learned so far.

Sentence 1: Neither Tom nor Mary likes talking about politics. (Example)

Sentence 2: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 3: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 4: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 5: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 6: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 7: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 8: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 9: ………………………………………………………………………
…..

Sentence 10: ………………………………………………………………………

…
Activity 2: Rewriting the following sentences in one sentence using
conjunctions. In some cases there are several ways to do so.

1. Mai is interested in English. Thom is also interested in English.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. He loves you. He does not love you. I don’t care.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. You do not finish your homework. I will not let you watch TV.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. At that time it will be 6 o’clock. I will be at home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. He did not attend the class. He did not do the home assignment. He failed the
exam.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. He did not attend the class. He did not do the home assignment. He passed
the exam.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. She bought a lot of items. They are books, shoes, hats, clothes, and some
cookies.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. He walked silently downstairs. He did not want to wake his wife and the baby
up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Her legs were broken. She managed to get to the hospital.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. I will lend you the car. You have to drive it carefully.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRITING
Story telling
FOLDER

Questions for Analysis It was nearly midnight when the

doorbell rang. I opened the door and saw a
girl with a motorbike helmet. She was
1. In what genre of writing was the
covered in blood.
story written? (narrative,
commentary, etc.) ‘Oh, no,’ I said. ‘What has happened?’

‘Please help me,’ the girl said weakly.

2. What is the story about?
‘There’s been an accident. My
boyfriend is outside.’
3. What tenses are used in the story?
I helped her to a chair. She was
4. Are there any special grammatical bleeding a lot.
points in the story? ‘I’ll call an ambulance,’ I said.

I ran to the sitting room and phoned

5. What did the author mention in the
for an ambulance. Then I ran back to the
story? girl. But she had disappeared. I went
Hi, my name’s outside, but there was no sign of her or the
Casper. Nice to meet motorbike in the silent street.
you! When the ambulance arrived, I
explained what had happened. The driver
went pale. He said that exactly ten years
ago, his daughter and her boyfriend had
been killed instantly. His daughter had
 gone to ask for help in the house I was
living in, but she died a few minutes later.

The ambulance left. As I stood in the

hall, I noticed there was no longer any
blood on the chair where the girl had been
sitting.

Writing Techniques

Decide what kind of story you want to write. Is

it a thriller, a romantic story, or a funny story?

Have you got a plot or storyline? You can create your own story or get
the ideas from other books that you have read and other people. The
question is ‘Have you got any interesting ideas?’

Decide the time and the setting where the

story will take place.
 What will happen in the story?

Is the ending happy, sad, unsolved, open,

or unexpected?

(For more information, please consult the unit 13)

Task pool
In about 200 words, choose one of the following topics to write a story.

a. Your unforgettable moment of your life.

b. Your first love.

c. A nightmare.

 Note: Pay attention to conjunctions.

CHECKLIST

Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Did you use conjunctions correctly? If not, are there any parts in which
conjunctions should be fixed?______________________________________
 _____________________________________________________________

2. Did you use the right genre for writing a story?

______________________________________________________________

3. What kind of story did you write?

______________________________________________________________

4. Did you have a good storyline?

______________________________________________________________

5. Did your story have an opening, happening and ending?

______________________________________________________________

6. Did you like the story? Why (not)?

______________________________________________________________

UNIT 15: GIVING OPINIONS

Parallelism in
writing parallelism
&
Grammar in
Notes on
focus
creating strong
parallelism.

What do we mean by “parallelism in writing”?

If you've ever been told that your writing is sometimes awkward, one problem
might be faulty parallelism. Usually when you're writing about a series of things
within one sentence, each item in the series should be in the same form as the
other items. If the items are in the same form, you have parallelism in your
writing. If they are not in the same form, you have faulty parallelism.
 When we talk about items being in the same form, we're talking about
grammatical form, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional
phrases, and clauses. Here is an example of faulty parallelism in which it is easy
to see that the writer is switching grammatical forms:

(a) In order to be classified as great, a baseball player must hit with power,
fielding well is necessary, to be a fast runner, and throwing with strength and
precision.
In contrast, sentence (b) is a good example of parallelism:

(b) In order to be classified as great, a baseball player must hit with power, field
well, run fast and throw with strength and precision.

Notes on Creating Strong

Parallelism:

1. When two or more words are linked by a conjunction (and, but, or, nor),
they should have the same grammatical form.

• Faulty parallelism:
She enjoys watching basketball and to play football.

gerund infinitive

Parallelism:

She enjoys watching basketball and football.

noun noun

Parallelism:

She enjoys watching basketball and playing football.

 gerund gerund

• Faulty parallelism:
He is working and goes to college.

V-ing V-s

Parallelism: He works and goes to college.

V-s V-s

• Faulty parallelism:
Beth types slowly but she is accurate.

adv clause

Parallelism: Beth types slowly but accurately.

adv adv

• Faulty parallelism:
Oranges are cheap, nutritious, and taste good.

adj adj verb phrase

Parallelism:

Oranges are cheap, nutritious, and tasty.

adj adj adj

2. When you list a series of things or actions, you should use parallel
structures.

• Faulty parallelism:
The book contained stories, poetic, and plays

noun adj noun

Parallelism: The book contained stories, poetry, and plays

noun noun noun

• Faulty parallelism:
He unlocked the door, took off his jacket, and sits down.

simple past simple past simple present

Parallelism: He unlocked the door, took off his jacket, and sat down.

simple past simple past simple past

PRACTICE

Exercise 1

Some of the following sentences contain faulty parallel structures and

some do not. Circle the numbers of the sentences that contain faulty
parallel structures and create parallelism in them.

1. Eggs are very versatile: they can be boiled, fried, and poached.
2. More than 300 actors, dancers, and playwrights attended the opening
ceremony.
3. On Sunday, Davis washes his car, plays tennis, and will watch television.
4. The holiday resort was beautiful but there were too many people.
5. For most people, travelling is expensive and tiring.
6. Her work includes reading, writing, and she answers the phone.
7. Let’s go to the museum first and then have some lunch.
8. When we saw them, he was wearing shorts and she wore an evening dress.
9. When they went to France, Louise travelled by train and John bicycled through the
country.
10. I asked her for the test booklet, the tape, and for the teacher to give me a
pencil.

Exercise 2

Rewrite the following sentences to correct faulty parallelism:

1. It is important that your writing is legible, and that you should write with
correct grammar and punctuation.
2. After skiing all day, all I wanted was a good meal, a hot shower and to sleep.
3. Before handing in your essay, check your verbs for tense and agree.
4. Mother Teresa helped sick lepers, abandoned children, and people who were
disabled.
5. With television, at any moment, we can watch performers singing, dancing, or act on
the screen.
6. A travel agent uses a computer to check flight availability and gives prices.
7. The first thing I do when I return to my hometown is to stop by the coffee
shop to have coffee and chatting.
8. Today’s students are more worried and seriously about their studies than students
in the past.
9. Satellites in space beam radio, television, and by telephone signals
worldwide.
10. Medical technology has led to great advances in the diagnosis and curing of
many illnesses.

WRITING Giving opinions

FOLDER
Lead-in

1. How do you feel about people who smoke?

2. Do you think the price of cigarettes should be raised to stop people smoking?
3. Should smoking be banned in public places? What exactly are these places?

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

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

Now read the argumentative essay below. Look at the first sentence of each
paragraph. Notice how the first sentence summarises the content of each
paragraph. Which paragraph in the model does the following:

1. gives the writer’s opinion, and reasons for it?

2. strongly restates the problem and the writer’s opinion?
3. sets out the problem in general and states why it is controversial?
4. gives the other side of the argument and the reasons why this is false?

Statistics show beyond doubt that cigarette smoking can damage the health, yet
a surprisingly large number of people continue to smoke in spite of all warnings. By
doing so they are not just shortening their own lives, they are also affecting the
health of those who are around them. It is time that non–smokers fought back!

Personally, I think smoking should definitely be banned in public places. In the

first place, it is very unpleasant to sit in a smoke-filled room, such as a restaurant or
a cinema, if you do not yourself smoke. Added to this, smoking can be a serious fire
risk, especially in a crowded place like discos. Finally, in my opinion, nobody should
be asked to risk his health just because of another person’s bad habits.

Smokers may protest that they should be free to do as they like. They say that
we already have no smoking areas in public places, and that this should be enough.
To my mind, however, non-smokers should also be free - free to go anywhere they
choose without risking their heath.

Smoking is harmful not just to smokers but to non-smokers too. If some people
are foolish enough to continue this dangerous habit, it seems to me that they should
at least be prevented from doing so in public.

Writing techniques

A. Giving opinions

STATING AN OPINION

In my opinion, / As I see it, / To my mind, / Personally, I think that (smoking

should be banned in public places because it could be harmful to non-smokers.)

AGREEING DISAGREEING

Yes, I quite agree. I

think. . . Really? I'm afraid I don't
agree. To my mind, …

B. Listing points

Personally, I think smoking should definitely be banned in public places. In the

first place / To begin with, it is very unpleasant to sit in a smoke-filled room,
such as a restaurant or a cinema, if you do not yourself smoke. Added to this /
Furthermore / Moreover, smoking can be a serious fire risk, especially in a
crowded place like discos. Finally / Lastly, in my opinion, nobody should be
asked to risk his health just because of another person’s bad habits.

TASK POOL
Choose one of the following activities for your writing.

Activity 1

Study the language shown above. We often use this when speaking and writing
about our opinions. Choose one of the following topics and discuss it in groups.
Remember to note down good reasons for your opinions.

1. Should the police carry guns?

2. Should car seat-belts be compulsory?
3. Should married women with children be discouraged from going out to
work?
4. Should governments stop spending money on weapons and do more to
help developing countries?

Activity 2
The language shown below can also be used when writing about our opinions.

In my opinion, / As I see it, / Personally, I think that...

because... I quite agree that... I don't agree that...

Write one sentence on the topic you have just discussed, stating your opinion
and the reason for it.
Activity 3

In 20 minutes, write a paragraph of about 150 words giving your opinions on the
topic you have just discussed in the previous parts.

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.

1. Are there any spelling and grammar mistakes in your writing? If yes, how many?
_____________________________________________________________
2. Did you write sentences with parallel structures in this writing? If yes, which
ones? If no, can you rewrite some sentences using parallel structures?
______________________________________________________________
3. How many sentences with faulty parallelism are there in the writing? If yes,
how can you correct them?
_____________________________________________________________
4. Did you use language of giving opinions?
_____________________________________________________________

5. Did you use any listing points? Did you use them correctly?
_____________________________________________________________

6. Are you pleased with this writing? Why? Or Why not?

______________________________________________________________
 Unit 16: FOR AND AGAINST

Grammar in
focus Conditionals
Rules

CONDITIONALS

A conditional sentence describes the condition that is necessary for a particular

result to occur. The conjunctions if and even if often appear in conditional
sentences. The meaning of a conditional sentence determines which verb tenses
needs to be used in the independent and subordinate clauses.

There are three common types of conditional sentences:

1. Conditional sentence type 1

Form

If + simple present Simple future

If it rains you will get wet
If you don't hurry we will miss the train.
Function
In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real.
They refer to a possible condition and its probable result. They are based on
facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about
particular situations. We often use such sentences to give warnings:
• If you don't leave, I'll call the police.
• If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!
Examples:
• If you drop that glass, it will break.
• Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.

NOTE: We can use modals to express the degree of certainty of the result:
• If you drop that glass, it might break.
• I may finish that letter if I have time.

2. Conditional sentence type 2

Form

If + simple past Present conditional

If it rained you would get wet
If you went to bed earlier you wouldn't be so tired.
Function

In these sentences, the time is now or any time, and the situation is unreal.
They are not based on fact, and they refer to an unlikely or hypothetical condition
and its probable result. The use of the past tense after 'if' indicates unreality.

E.g. - If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park (...but it is bad, so
we can't go)

- If I was the Queen of England, I would give everyone £100. (...but I'm
not, so I won't)

E.g.
a. If I was a plant, I would love the rain.
b. If you really loved me, you would buy me a diamond ring.
c. If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her.
NOTE: It is correct and very common, to say "If I were" instead of "If I was".
3. Conditional sentence type 3
Form

If + past perfect Perfect conditional

If it had rained you would have got wet
If you had worked harder you would have passed the
exam.
Function

In these sentences, the time is past, and the situation is contrary to reality. The
facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed.

Type 3 conditional sentences, are truly hypothetical or unreal, because it is now

too late for the condition or its result to exist. There is always an unspoken
"but..." phrase:
• If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam.
(but I didn't work hard, and I didn't pass the exam).
• If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake.
(but I didn't know, and I haven't baked a cake).

NOTE:

- Both would and had can be contracted to 'd, which can be confusing. However,
would is never used in the IF-clause.

- In this type of conditional sentence, the conditional can be expressed

without using if by reversing the order of the subject and the verb in the
subordinate clause.
E.g.

a. If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have visited you.

b. I would have bought you a present if I'd known it was your birthday.
c. If they'd had a better goalkeeper they wouldn't have lost the game.

MIXED CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times,
and the resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types
of mixed conditional sentence:

a. Present result of past condition:

Form

If + past perfect Present conditional

If I had worked harder at school I would have a better job now.
If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.

Function

In these sentences, the time is past in the 'if' clause, and present in the main
clause. They refer to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the
present. They express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the past and
in the present:
'If I had worked harder at school' is contrary to past fact - I didn't work hard at
school, and 'I would have a better job now' is contrary to present fact - I haven't
got a good job.
E.g.
• I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job.
• If you'd caught that plane you'd be dead now.
• If you hadn't spent all your money on CDs, you wouldn't be broke.

B. Past result of present or continuing condition.

Form
If + simple past Perfect conditional
If I wasn't afraid of spiders I would have picked it up.
If we didn't trust him we would have sacked him months ago.
Function

In these sentences the time in the If-clause is now or always, and the time in the
main clause is before now. They refer to an unreal present situation and its
probable (but unreal) past result:

• 'If I wasn't afraid of spiders' is contrary to present reality - I am afraid of

spiders, and 'I would have picked it up' is contrary to past reality - I didn't
pick it up.

• 'If we didn't trust him' is contrary to present reality - we do trust him, and
'we would have sacked him' is contrary to past reality - we haven't
sacked him.

E.g.

a. If she wasn't afraid of flying she wouldn't have travelled by boat.

b. If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.

d. If the elephant wasn't in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden on
him by now.

THE 'ZERO' CONDITIONAL

Form

If + simple present Simple present

If you heat ice it melts.
If it rains you get wet

NOTE: The order of the clauses is not fixed - the 'if' clause can be first or
second:
 • Ice melts if you heat it.

• You get wet if it rains.

Function

In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and
possible. They are used to make statements about the real world, and often
refer to general truths, such as scientific facts.

E.g.
a. If you freeze water, it becomes a solid.
b. Plants die if they don't get enough water.
c. If my husband has a cold, I usually catch it.
d. If public transport is efficient, people stop using their cars.
e. If you mix red and blue, you get purple.

This structure is often used to give instructions, using the imperative in the main
clause:
• If Bill phones, tell him to meet me at the cinema.
• Ask Pete if you're not sure what to do.

Practice

Complete each sentence below by giving the correct form of the verb in
parentheses.

1. If the city ________ (expand) the parking lot space downtown, we would not
have to park so far away from the movie theatre.

2. Whenever my roommate ________ (snore) loudly, I cannot sleep.

3. Children may be disappointed if they ________ (not receive) good grades.

4. If we ________ (not take) an exam on the conditional, we might not have

learned it.

5. Maya ________ (not pass) her driving test unless she calms down.
6. If it ________ (be) winter, all these trees would be covered in snow.

7. Had it not rained, the farmers ________(lose) all of their crops.

8. If the airplane had not had a mechanical problem, we probably ________

(arrive) in Winnipeg by now.

9. We ________(lie) on the beach in Mexico right now if we had been able to get
our visas on time.

10. I ________ (try) to find more opportunities to write in English if I were you.

WRITING
For and against
FOLDER

1. Where did you grow up – in a village, a town, in a city? Do you live in the same
place now?
2. Where would you prefer to live – in the city or the country? Why?
3. With a partner, think of as many points as you can for and against living in the city.

Model: Read the text below and see how many of the points you thought of are
mentioned. Then answer the following questions.

Living in the city

I spend my childhood dreaming of the time when I
could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a
farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off
from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I
packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life
has its problems, too.

One of the biggest drawbacks is money – it costs so much to go out, not to

mention basics like food and rent. Another
disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma, and
at times the smog is so bad I am afraid to go
outside. Then there is the problem of travelling
round. Although I have a car, I rarely use it because
of the jams. One alternative is to go by bicycle, but
that can be quite dangerous.

Of course, there are advantages. In the first place, there

is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in
culture or entertainment. In addition, there are wonderful
job opportunities, and chances of promotion are greater,
too. Finally, if you like shopping, the range of goods is
amazing – and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it

is, when you are in your teens or
twenties. However, as you get older, and
especially if you have small children, the
peace of the countryside may seem
preferable. I certainly hope to move back
there soon.

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

1. Scan the text again. Where do you think it comes from – a letter, a report, a
magazine, a newspaper? Why?
2. What is the writer trying to do – inform, entertain, complain, persuade, give
facts? Is the format and language of the text appropriate for this? Why(not)?
3. Does the writer give an equal balance of points for and against the topic?
4. There are four paragraphs in the text. What is the topic of each of the paragraphs?
 Writing techniques

1. Linking your sentences

In a paragraph, we use words or phrases like these to list fresh points in an argument.

In the first place,… In addition,… Finally,…

To begin with,… What is more,… Last but not least,…
Furthermore,…
Then, there is,…
1.1. Underline examples in the text “Living in the city – a high living or a
nightmare?” and notice how the linking words and phrases are used.

1.2. Look at the paragraph below. Some sentences list fresh points in the argument
some develop the point just made. Underline those that list fresh points.

1.3. Now write the paragraph again, using the words above, where appropriate,
to link the ideas together.

Reasons for not owning a television

“There are various reasons why I have never wanted a television. A television is
antisocial. Some families I know never speak to each other because they are too
engrossed in one program or another. It is a terrible time waster. You can do so much
more if you are not imprisoned in an armchair in front of that little screen. If you do
not limit the amount of television your children watch, it can ruin their education. How
many kids do their homework well if the TV is always on?”

2. Contrasting
We use the words below to contrast points in an argument.

Although life in the countryside is very

While peaceful, it can also be lonely.
In spite of the fact that

Life in the However,… It can also be

countryside is Nevertheless,… lonely.
peaceful. On the other
hand,…
In spite of this,…

Now complete these sentences:

1. Keeping animals in zoos can be cruel. In spite of this,…

2. If you have a car you can get around easily. On the other hand,…
3. Although learning a foreign language is hard work,…
4. Sunbathing can be bad for you. It is, nevertheless,…
5. While camping holidays can be great fun,…

3. Planning

When writing about the advantages and disadvantages of a topic, it is extremely

important to make a clear plan before you begin. Note down points for or against
the subject as you think of them; then put the points in order. Try to think of a
range of points on each of the argument.

The following table can be used for this step:

For Against
…………………........................................... …………………………………………………
………………………………………………… …………………………………………………
………………………………………………… …………………………………………………
………………………………………………… …………………………………………………
………………………………………………… …………………………………………………
………………………………………………… …………………………………………………
 task pool
1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet.

2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad.

3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos.

 Note:

3. Word length: 300 words

CHECKLIST
Use the checklist below to edit your first draft.
1. Are there any grammar mistakes in your writing?
________________________________________________________________
2. Are there any spelling mistakes in your writing?
________________________________________________________________
3. Did you plan your writing before putting your pen down onto the paper?
________________________________________________________________
4. Did you separate paragraphs that elaborate different points?
________________________________________________________________
5. Did you use linking words and phrases properly and effectively?
________________________________________________________________
6. Did you balance the points for and against “keeping animals in zoos”?
________________________________________________________________

References
Brown, K. & Hood, S. (1989). Writing matters. Cambridge:Cambridge University
Press (CUP).
Cory, H. (1999). Advanced writing with English in Use. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Folse, K. S. et.al (2002). Greats Sentences for Great Paragraphs. America:
Houghton Mifflin Company.
 Fowler, W.S. (1989). Progressive Writing Skills. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and
Sons Ltd.
Haines, S. & Stewart, B. (1994). First Certificate Masterclass. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Hogue, A. (1996). First steps in Academic Writing. Longman: Pearson Education.
Hutchinson, T. (2000). LifeLines Intermediate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ingram B. & King C. (1996). From writing to Composing. An introductory
composition course for students of English. Cambridge University Press.
Jolly, D. (1984) Writing Tasks, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kelly, C. & Gargagliano, A. (2001). Writing from Within. Cambridge:Cambridge
University Press.
McArthur, T. (1984). The written words. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
PET Preliminary English Test Handbook - Specification and sample papers for
updated examination from March 2004. University of Cambridge, ESOL
Examinations, UCLES 2003, pp. 12 – 14.
Rimkeeratikul, S. (1997). English for Work. Bangkok: Thammasat University
Press.
Stephens, M. (1986). Practice Writing. Longman.
Withrow, J. (1987). Effective writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
(CUP)

Appendix 1: Error Correcting Symbols

Symbol Explanation Symbol Explanation

General Items: Modifiers:
// New paragraph Adj Use adjective
? Meaning unclear Adv Use adverb
∧ Add omitted word/s poss Use possessive form

⁄ Omit word/s; not Prepositions

WF Right word but wrong Prep Add preposition
expr form
Expression (affected
by L1)
Punctuation: Syntax:
C/CAP Capitalize ( ) F/ Frag Fragment error
P Incorrect punctuation ( ) R/ R-O Run- on sentence
Nouns:
S/V Subject/ verb needed
pro agr Pronoun agreement
WO Wrong order
art mistake
coh Coherence (one idea
ger/ G Article mistake
does not lead to the
N Use gerund
next)
num/ # Use noun
ss Sentence structure
pro/PR Number; singular ↔ Connectors
REF plural) Conj/ Conn Incorrect conjunction
Use pronoun / connective
Pronoun reference L Link/combine
unclear R/PR Add relative pronoun
Verbs: Lexical
VC Voice change items
SV agr Subject/ verb agreement sp Incorrect spelling
vt/ VT Wrong verb tense wch/ ww Word choice/wrong word
vf/VF Incorrect verb form
mod Modal problem
aux Auxiliary verb
inf Use infinitive
cond Incorrect use/ formation
of a conditional sentence.
Style
Informl Too informal
PAR Faulty parallelism
T/S Improve topic sentence
PARA/UN Lack of paragraph unity
TRANS Transition needed
( Accroding to Klassen 1991, Bates et al. 1993, Ingram and King 1996)

Appendix 2: Forms of Formal Invitation

You are cordially invited
To attend the
The Readers Association
Board of Directors Meeting
Request the pleasure of your
company On

At a tea Monday, March 23, 2005

In honor of In the Vibhavadee Ballroom

Professor John Powers Of

On Saturday, May the fifth The Central Plaza Hotel

At four o’clock At
12:00 noon
R.S.V.P. is the abbreviation of the French phrase “Respondez, s’il vous plait”, which
means “Please answer”.

Appendix 3: Sample of Letter of Acceptance to a wedding

invitation

53 Murray Avenue
Birmingham
B14 8KH

May 22nd, 2005

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stafford,
Thank you very much for your kind invitation to your daughter Margaret’s wedding.
Sandra and I are delighted to accept.
It was very thoughtful of you to enquire in your accompanying note whether we were
coming down on the previous evening and to offer to find us somewhere to stay in the village.
As we have a small baby, we do not want to be away for too long, so we plan to drive down in
the morning. Frank told us that the reception is likely to go on for some time, but for the same
reason, we will only stay to drink the health of the bride and groom. Then we will have to
make an early start for home. Thanks anyway for thinking of us.
Appendix 4: Sample of Letter of Refusal to a wedding invitation

27 Hillside Close,
Bournemouth,
Dorset BA12 3BO
May 24th , 2005
Dear Maggie,
It was very kind of your parents to invite John and me to your
wedding. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to come and I have written
to them, expressing our regret, but I feel that I have to write to you
personally to say how sorry we are that we can’t make it.
The trouble is that the last two weeks in June are the only ones
when John and I can both get away from work together. So we booked
our holiday to the Greek Islands as soon as we realized this, and there’s
no way we can change it.
It’s such a pity because I was looking forward very much to
seeing you married. Naturally, we’ll be thinking of you on the day.
Have a marvelous time. We wish you all the best for the future, we’re
sure that you’ll be happy. Frank is such a wonderful man!
John sends his love. Our kindest regards to Frank.

Culture points of etiquette

Accepting the invitation
Accepting an invitation is easy. The person who is invited just show appreciation
to the person who has invited them and ask for the details of place and time. In
many informal cases, the invited person can bring something along such as a
plate of cookies or some fruit even though the host might have said that it was
not necessary.
Refusing the invitation
When an invitation is refused, a reason should be given. In general, the
sequence is to begin with an apology, then the reason for refusal, and finally
thanks for the invitation.