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Et NEW EDITIONS
SOPHIA ZAPHIROPOULOS

INTRODUCTION
New Fowler Proficiency Writing Skills I is the first part of a
t w o - p a r t c o u r s e which aims to teach t h e t e c h n i q u e s
students require to attempt any of the variations among
t h e six f o r m s of writing task s e t in t h e r e v i s e d
Cambridge Proficiency examination. Approximately o n e
third of the material in Writing Skills has been revised for
this book. All the o t h e r material in this b o o k is new.
Eleven of the twenty units consist of t w o facing pages,
and should, under normal circumstances, be completed
in a l e s s o n , with a writing task to be d o n e later in
approximately o n e hour, the time allowed for it in the
examination. In t h e remaining nine units of four pages,
t w o lessons will normally be required.
The changes in the examination
The biggest change in the writing paper of the revised
Cambridge Proficiency examination is that it n o w has
t w o parts, as do FCE and CAE.
P a r t I c o n s i s t s of a c o m p u l s o r y q u e s t i o n comprising
i n s t r u c t i o n s and a t e x t or t e x t s w h i c h p r o v i d e
candidates with a clear c o n t e x t . T h e r e is always m o r e
than o n e point to a d d r e s s in this q u e s t i o n , and
candidates should learn to identify t h e s e points and
ensure that they c o v e r t h e m w h e n writing. T h e
q u e s t i o n is discursive, and candidates are e x p e c t e d to
w r i t e o n e o f t h e following:
an article
an essay
a letter
a proposal
In P a r t 2, candidates c h o o s e o n e question
comprising instructions which give candidates
guidance to t h e c o n t e x t . In o r d e r to be successful in
Part 2, candidates should be c o m p e t e n t at narrating,
analysing, h y p o t h e s i s i n g , d e s c r i b i n g , giving r e a s o n s ,
p e r s u a d i n g , judging p r i o r i t i e s , e v a l u a t i n g , m a k i n g
recommendations, giving information
summarising. Candidates are e x p e c t e d t o w r i t e o n e
of t h e following, from a c h o i c e of t h r e e :
an article
a letter
a proposal
a review
a report
Introduction
For t h o s e c a n d i d a t e s w h o have s t u d i e d o n e o f t h e
three set texts, Q u e s t i o n 5 consists of three
q u e s t i o n s , o n e for each o f t h e s e t t e x t s . Candidates
are required t o w r i t e o n e o f t h e following:
an article
an essay
a letter
a review
a report
T h e t i m e limit (2 hours) and length of writing tasks
( 3 0 0 - 3 5 0 words), remain unchanged.
T e a c h i n g w r i t i n g skills
It is important for students to understand that while
credit is given to Proficiency candidates for their use of
s t r u c t u r e and v o c a b u l a r y , t h e s e a r e n o t t h e o n l y
considerations to be taken into account; organisation
and the relevance of the answer to the task are at least
equally important. Different writing tasks require
s p e c i f i c t e c h n i q u e s t o d e a l w i t h t h e m , and s u c h
t e c h n i q u e s can be taught effectively through m o d e l s
written within the capacity of a g o o d student that can
be analysed, imitated and practised. T h e s e models are
supported with revision of the necessary grammatical
structures and lexical items by means of accompanying
exercises and the reference section and the appendix at
t h e end.
Doing justice to oneself in an examination
T h e Proficiency examination requires a considerably
m o r e sophisticated use of English than First Certificate
and t h e difference b e t w e e n t h e s e t w o levels is often
underestimated by students. The difference, however, is
n o t s o m u c h a m a t t e r o f using m o r e c o m p l i c a t e d
s t r u c t u r e s or a w i d e r range of vocabulary as of
providing a n a n s w e r r e l e v a n t t o t h e q u e s t i o n , well
organised in g o o d , clear sentences and paragraphs. The
range of q u e s t i o n s o p e n to the e x a m i n e r is
considerable, as indicated by the contents pages of this
and
book, but learning the right technique to deal with each
is half t h e battle. T h e r e f o r e , it is r e c o m m e n d e d that
students pay particular attention to the tips provided
throughout the book. These consist of practical advice
on what to do and what not to do in a given situation
and should make it possible for students w h o take it to
do justice to themselves in the exam.
Contents

UNIT PART TECHNIQUE MODELS REVISION P A G E

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

I 2 Describing and narrating What a difference! Tenses

Close friends again Used to and would

I Taking sides Who's freedom? Theirs or ours? 10

I Balancing an argument Computers: a dream or a nightmare? Connectors and modifiers: 14

balancing an argument

I Providing solutions T o o many people, not enough earth Conditionals 16

Preserving the planet for future Should, ought to and would
generations

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

5 2 Complaining Semi formal: A resident's concerns 18

Formal: An official complaint

2 Giving information A letter of welcome to 20

exchange students

2 Making suggestions Preserving and restoring a town Articles 24

Improving a town Should

I Giving opinions Young people on the streets Conditionals 26

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

Comparing Public and private transport in the city Connectors and modifiers 30

Responding to generalisations Relation between national Articles 32

character and climate

Ii I Providing information The importance to good health Connectors and modifiers 34

Alternative medicine
 Contents

UNIT PART TECHNIQUE MODELS REVISION PAGE

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

12 2 Applying for funds First aid facilities at the 38

Five Oaks Sports Centre

13 Assessing choices Spending the proceeds Passive voice 42

of a summer fair

14 Evaluating a situation Decline in local tourism Should 46

A college newspaper Conditionals

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

IS 2 Reviewing a book Not without my daughter Tenses in 'timeless' time 50

16 2 Reviewing a film Castaway Tenses in 'timeless' time 52

2 Reviewing a restaurant/hotel The Willows Phrases in apposition 54

Compound adjectives

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

Assessing facilities The Majestic Hotel 58

2 Assessing suitability The Jorvik Viking Centre Connectors and modifiers: 60

developing an argument

20 2 Giving information A college film club 62

Reference section 64

Appendix 70

CPE W r i t i n g S h e e t s 72
 Articles Describing and narrating
In this article, Martin Fraser d e s c r i b e s his return to a small t o w n in England after an a b s e n c e of 25 years.
Read t h e article and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.
What a difference]
W h e n I w a s a b o y I u s e d to s p e n d a
fortnight every s u m m e r with my aunt
E l i z a b e t h in L e a b u r y , a small t o w n in t h e
M i d l a n d s . B u t twenty-five years ago she
r e t i r e d a n d m o v e d to t h e s e a s i d e , a n d I did
n o r return until I had to go there on
b u s i n e s s last w e e k .
My aunt's house was on the outskirts
of t h e t o w n so I often u s e d to ride o u t into
t h e c o u n t r y on my bicycle. I w o u l d follow
t h e L o n d o n r o a d for a m i l e o r t w o a n d
t h e n b r a n c h off for a c i r c u l a r t o u r of t h e
n e i g h b o u r i n g villages, eventually finding
my way back by the other main road.
A b o u t a mile from h o m e t h e r e w a s a small
p o n d with d u c k s s w i m m i n g on it. I u s e d to
s t o p t h e r e t o w a t c h t h e m a n d skim s t o n e s
across the water. Beyond the p o n d was
H a y w a r d ' s F a r m , with cows grazing in t h e
fields, a n d t h e n I w o u l d c o m e d o w n t h e
hill i n t o t h e t o w n a n d t u r n r i g h t i n t o m y
a u n t ' s r o a d t o c o m p l e t e t h e circuit.
T h e r e have obviously b e e n changes
since I w a s a b o y b u t I w a s n o t p r e p a r e d
for m a n y of t h o s e I saw last w e e k . F o r o n e
thing, the motorway that passes close to
L the town actually goes over two of the
villages I u s e d to ride t o . As y o u c o m e into
L e a b u r y , y o u no l o n g e r p a s s a f a r m w i t h
cows grazing in t h e fields. A vast h o u s i n g
estate stretches from the m o t o r w a y to
what used to be the outskirts.
The centre of the town has been
entirely transformed. T h e old buildings
h a v e b e e n k n o c k e d d o w n a n d t h e r e is a big
shopping centre with a multi-storey car
p a r k b e s i d e it. T h e r e a r e n o family s h o p s
in the main street now, only the s a m e
offices, s t o r e s a n d f a s t - f o o d r e s t a u r a n t s
you find e v e r y w h e r e . T h e old t o w n u s e d t o
h a v e a c h a r a c t e r of its o w n b u t n o w it is
like any o t h e r p l a c e in E n g l a n d .
On t h e way back, I w e n t to see my
aunt's old house, though I hardly
r e c o g n i s e d it at first. T h e p r e s e n t o w n e r s
have p a i n t e d it bright yellow so it looks
like a big j a r of m u s t a r d . I s h o o k my h e a d
i n disbelief a n d t u r n e d t o w a r d s h o m e . B u t
just before I reached the motorway, I
s u d d e n l y saw s o m e t h i n g familiar, a little
p o n d with a wall r o u n d it, s o m e ducks, a n d
two boys skimming stones across the
water. At least some things have not
changed.
 Describing and narrating Articles

2 This article refers to four separate t i m e s :

A 25 or more years ago, when the writer was a boy

B last week, when he visited the town again
C the present moment
D some time or period of time in between his childhood and now

Study Reference section 12 on page 68 and Reference section 14 on page 69 and then a n s w e r t h e s e
q u e s t i o n s , writing t h e c o r r e c t letter of t i m e reference (A, B, C or D) in t h e space, as in t h e e x a m p l e .

W h i c h p e r i o d o r p e r i o d s a r e r e f e r r e d t o in:
a t h e first s e n t e n c e ?
b t h e w h o l e of t h e s e c o n d p a r a g r a p h ?
c t h e first s e n t e n c e of t h e t h i r d p a r a g r a p h ? and
d t h e d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e e n t r y to t h e t o w n ?
e t h e d e s c r i p t i o n in t h e fourth p a r a g r a p h ? and
f t h e writer's c o m m e n t s in t h e last p a r a g r a p h ? and

W h i c h t e n s e s ( p r e s e n t , p r e s e n t perfect o r p a s t ) o r f o r m s (used t o , w o u l d ) d o e s t h e w r i t e r u s e t o d e a l with e a c h p e r i o d ?

C
D

3 Look at t h e pictures of A t h e n s and

w o r k with a n o t h e r m e m b e r o f t h e
class to d e c i d e w h a t changes have
taken place in t h e period of 70 years
between the times when the
p h o t o g r a p h s w e r e taken.

W r i t e an article a b o u t changes
that have taken place in o n e of
t h e following in r e c e n t years:

a your neighbourhood
b a p l a c e w h e r e you w e n t on
holiday as a child
c a city or c o u n t r y y o u first
visited m a n y years ago a n d
h a v e s e e n again recently

Follow this plan of four stages

(though t h e r e may be m o r e than
four paragraphs):

1 Introduction, indicating the place

and your association with it
2 Description of the place as it
used to be
3 Description of the place as it is
now, emphasising changes that
have occurred
4 Your reactions to these changes

7
 Articles Describing and narrating

T h e description of changes in a place (pages 6-7) w a s told from t h e point of v i e w of t h e p r e s e n t m o m e n t .

In many articles of this kind, h o w e v e r , t h e main narrative t e n s e is past.

Study Reference section 12b and d on page 68 and t h e n read Gloria's article a b o u t a m e e t i n g with a s c h o o l friend
s h e m e t again after t e n years w h o had changed. M o s t of t h e verbs have b e e n left in brackets.
C o m p l e t e t h e article by putting t h e m into t h e m o s t suitable t e n s e .

Close friends again

Soon after I left school my family (1) (move) to Bristol and I

(2) (lose) touch with all my friends, when l (3)
(return) to London last year after ten years, l (4) (find) some of
their names in the phone book and we (5) (organise) a reunion.
But there was no trace of Eugenia, my closest friend. The others told me they
(6) (not see) her for a long time.

Eugenia was the most attractive girl in my class. She was tall and slim and
(7) (have) ioveiy dark brown eyes and long black hair that
(8) (come) half way down her back, she was very popular because
she (9) (have) a wonderful sense of humour, she used to invent
games to keep us all amused and always (10) (seem) to be
laughing and smiling.

One morning last month I (11) (go) into a jeweller's shop

in the city to buy a watch. The only assistant was a tall woman who
(12) (look) a few years older than me. Her hair was grey
and although she still (13) (have) a young, slim figure, there
were lines around her eyes, and she (14) (have) a long, deep
scar on her cheek. I (15) (ask) to see some watches, our eyes
(16) (meet), and she (17) (give) a little cry of
amazement. She (18) (stare) at me for a few seconds and
then she (19) (say): "Gloria, (20) (you not
remember) me?"

I (21) (shake) my head and her face (22)

(grow) sad, but then she (23) (say) quietly: "No, l (24)
(change) a lot, l suppose. I'm Eugenia."

I was so embarrassed that l (25) (not know) what to say so l

just (26) (put) my arms round her. We (27)
(arrange) to meet and then she (28) (tell) me the story of her
life. She said that after leaving school, she (29) (go) to America
and had married a man she had met there. They (30) (live)
together happily for several years until her husband (31) (kill)
in a car crash, she (32) (be) injured in the crash and her
hair (33) (turn) grey overnight. After that she (34)
(return) to London but (35) (have to) take the first job she
could find.

I (36) (see) her several times since then. I want to do

everything I can to help her. it was a terrible shock at first to see how much
she (37) (change) but now we (38) (become)
close friends again and can be together.
 Describing and narrai: Articles

Gloria gives us a lot of information a b o u t herself and

Eugenia. Find t h e paragraph in which s h e tells us t h e
following and w r i t e t h e c o r r e c t paragraph n u m b e r in
t h e space, as in t h e e x a m p l e .

a h o w s h e lost c o n t a c t w i t h E u g e n i a ..J....
b h o w s h e m e t h e r again
c h o w s h e feels a b o u t h e r n o w
d w h a t E u g e n i a w a s like at school
e w h a t she l o o k e d like at school
f w h a t she used to do at school
g w h a t she d o e s n o w
h w h a t she looks like n o w
i w h a t s h e w a s d o i n g in t h e y e a r s b e t w e e n
j w h e r e G l o r i a first m e t h e r
k why E u g e n i a h a s c h a n g e d

7 W h a t do y o u think is t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t point in
t h e story? W h y ? H o w d o e s Gloria e m p h a s i s e it?

Look at t h e pictures of t h e man and t h e w o m a n and

w o r k with a n o t h e r m e m b e r o f t h e class t o n o t e
d o w n h o w t h e y have changed physically in t h e
c o u r s e of thirty years.

W r i t e an article with t h e main narrative t e n s e in

t h e past a b o u t t h e changes y o u n o t i c e d in s o m e o n e
you saw again n o t long ago but had n o t s e e n for a
long t i m e . T h e p e r s o n may b e s o m e o n e y o u k n o w
or a famous p e r s o n y o u saw in real life or on TV
( n o t an a c t o r / a c t r e s s playing different parts).

Follow this plan of four stages (though t h e r e may be

m o r e than four paragraphs):

1 Introduction, indicating how you first saw

the person
2 Description of what they used to look like
If you knew them, what they were like; if
you write about a famous person, say what
impression they gave you.
3 Description of what they looked like when
you saw them again, what they were like, or
the impression they gave
4 Say how and why you think they had
changed, and how you felt about the
changes.
 Articles aking sides
Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e article b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s
that follow.

T h e following c o m m e n t s w e r e m a d e during a public discussion, held at y o u r

t o w n hall. T h e discussion w a s a b o u t t h e f r e e d o m of t h e press. You have
b e e n asked to w r i t e an article for t h e local n e w s p a p e r responding to t h e
c o m m e n t s and giving y o u r o w n opinion.

They are encouraged to

Journalists have a invade peoples privacy
responsibility to the public by shameless celebrities
\ey snoui
/fou can't who want press
to investigate a story and
coverage at any cost. ashamedof
uncover the real facts - no denij that a aood
tfiemsefvesl T'hey
matter who they upset.
dal ielli have no respect for
5 can
newipaperi an individuals
privacy!

Journalists are fierce in defence of the freedom of the press but KEITH HUNTER asks

Whose freedom? Theirs or ours?

Every time there is an outcry against the
excesses of the popular press and they are t h r e a t e n e d
with some kind of sanction, usually no m o r e t h a n the
responsibility to print an apology w h e r e no one will
notice it, editors and newspaper owners take refuge
in t h e sacred c o n c e p t of ' t h e freedom of t h e p r e s s '
and warn against the evils of censorship. They argue
t h a t it is t h e i r duty to i n v a d e p e o p l e ' s privacy, in
effect to deprive t h e m of their freedom to live their
own lives in p e a c e , b e c a u s e it is 'in t h e public
interest.'
No one who believes in democracy and the
freedom of speech wants newspapers to be silenced if
they are genuinely engaged in exposing corruption in
high places. In t h e newspapers' defence, it can also be
a r g u e d t h a t many figures in t h e public eye are
d e s p e r a t e for almost any kind of publicity. S o m e of
t h e m seem to have no higher aim in life than a vague
desire to feature in magazines, posing
p h o t o g r a p h s o r r e c o u n t i n g t h e i n t i m a t e details o f
their lives in interviews.
T h o s e who create news stories with sensational
headlines, however, - the photographers who pursue
the famous on m o t o r cycles, the journalists who bribe
their servants to disclose the secrets of their
employers' private lives, the editors who send armies
of employees with microphones and tape recorders to
t h e h o m e of a n y o n e , rich or p o o r , w h o s e relatives
have died tragically - have a very clear aim in life. F o r
them the freedom of the press is really the freedom to
m a k e money out of other people's shame and misery.
Most of us would be reluctant to impose
censorship on the press but would like to put a stop to
their intrusion into p e o p l e ' s private lives. N o t long
ago t h e r e was a play on TV t h a t suggested a n e a t
solution. A M e m b e r of Parliament proposed that if a
newspaper published an untrue story about s o m e o n e ,
he would be given the same a m o u n t of space in t h e
n e w s p a p e r to write a story a b o u t t h e j o u r n a l i s t or
editor, true or false. I wonder how they would react if
similar lies and half-truths a b o u t their own private
lives and those of their families were published 'in the
for public interest'!
If you write an article where you are strongly in favour of
something or against it, remember that others may have
different opinions. It is more effective to mention them and
then show they are wrong than not to mention them at all.
 Taking sides Articles

2 C h o o s e t h e s e n t e n c e , a or b, that b e s t d e s c r i b e s w h a t t h e w r i t e r is saying in each paragraph. T h e n read t h e

c o r r e c t s e n t e n c e s t o g e t h e r t o s u m m a r i s e t h e argument.

P a r a g r a p h 1 a Editors are right to defend the freedom of t h e press when they are criticised.
b Editors use the popular belief in the freedom of the press to justify their invasion of
people's privacy.

P a r a g r a p h 2 a No o n e wants censorship for political reasons and it is true that many well-known figures
seek publicity at all costs.
b Newspapers have a duty to expose corruption and have to publish stories about
well-known figures if they are required to.

P a r a g r a p h 3 a So newspapers work hard to find out the facts of the cases they investigate.
b But newspapers only investigate stories about people's private lives to m a k e money out
of them.

P a r a g r a p h 4 a Newspapers should be censored if they tell lies.

b Newspaper staff should be subjected to the same t r e a t m e n t as their victims if they tell lies.

In which paragraphs is t h e w r i t e r following t h e t e c h n i q u e s u g g e s t e d in t h e tip on t h e o p p o s i t e page?

3 T h e w r i t e r tries t o influence t h e reader with his c h o i c e o f w o r d s . A n s w e r t h e q u e s t i o n s b e l o w t o

understand m o r e a b o u t this.

a F i n d w o r d s or p h r a s e s in t h e first two p a r a g r a p h s t h a t suggest t h e following:

The press
1 go t o o far in p u r s u i n g n e w s stories.

2 a r e n o t really sorry for w h a t t h e y d o .

3 a r e hypocritical in t h e i r d e f e n c e of t h e i r actions.

4 u p s e t p e o p l e ' s lives.

Many well-known people

5 will do a n y t h i n g to be n o t i c e d .

6 h a v e no s e r i o u s a i m in life.

7 invite t h e invasion of t h e i r privacy.

b W h a t is t h e effect of substituting t h e s e w o r d s for t h o s e t h e w r i t e r uses: follow ( p u r s u e ) , p a y ( b r i b e ) ,

i n f o r m a t i o n (secrets), n u m b e r s ( a r m i e s ) , u n h a p p i n e s s ( m i s e r y ) ?

c W h i c h of t h e s e w o r d s is obviously an e x a g g e r a t i o n b u t effective b e c a u s e it also implies aggression?

 S!

Articles
Taking sides

4 Based on t h e c o m p o s i t i o n and t h e tip on page 10, put t h e paragraph plan b e l o w into t h e c o r r e c t order.

a Say why you d i s a g r e e with t h e s e a r g u m e n t s a n d d i s r e g a r d t h e m

b e c a u s e t h o s e you s u p p o r t a r e m o r e i m p o r t a n t . Give e x a m p l e s .

b R e a c h a conclusion, s u m m a r i s i n g y o u r p e r s o n a l o p i n i o n in two
or three sentences.

c T h i n k of o n e or two ideas for t h e o t h e r side of t h e issue a n d

say w h a t sort of p e o p l e a r e likely to s u p p o r t t h e m .

d I n t r o d u c e t h e subject in g e n e r a l t e r m s . Do n o t r e a c h a c o n c l u s i o n
i m m e d i a t e l y t h o u g h you c a n suggest which side you a r e on.

L o o k at this q u e s t i o n and t h e n put t h e paragraph n o t e s b e l o w into t h e c o r r e c t o r d e r according to t h e plan in

e x e r c i s e 4. Can you think of a suitable title?

You heard t h e following c o m m e n t s a b o u t vivisection while y o u a t t e n d e d a d e b a t e on t h e subject at

college recently. You have d e c i d e d to w r i t e an article for publication in t h e c o l l e g e magazine responding
t o t h e s e c o m m e n t s and giving y o u r o w n opinion.

Under no
So manu circumstances should
animals be used in laboratory 'Medicalresearch
once ^atal diseases
experiments. Animals feel is acceytahie, hut
are now curable and pain and shouldn't be made using animahsjor There is no
to suffer in this way. justification for
its all thanhs to cosmetic testing is
vivisection: animals
research, carried out intoferahfe. have rights too.

on animails.

Q0Q(?Q<?QQ0Q
Scientists - must carry out research on someone/something - better
animals than humans. 1000s lives saved through medical breakthroughs
- only possible because of experiments on animals. Humans are higher
life form than animals - using animals justified.

Conflict surrounding use of animals in labs - nothing new. Laws brought

in - ban some experimentation. Extend law to cover ALL experiments?

Medical research to save lives OK if NO other way of doing research

possible. Cosmetic research not acceptable - total ban.

Animal rights activists all forms banned no justification.

Pain/Suffering extreme. Humans - no right to treat animals like this.
Alternative methods must be found, Some research done for cosmetic
reasons only!
 Taking sides Articles 2 i
6 C h o o s e o n e of t h e q u e s t i o n s b e l o w and w r i t e y o u r article using t h e paragraph plan o p p o s i t e . D o n ' t forget to
think of a title.

You belong to a debating s o c i e t y and o v e r h e a r d t h e s e c o m m e n t s at a r e c e n t d e b a t e . T h e d e b a t e w a s

a b o u t w h e t h e r capital p u n i s h m e n t should be r e s t o r e d for s o m e crimes. You feel strongly a b o u t t h e issue
and have decided to w r i t e an article for y o u r local n e w s p a p e r responding to t h e c o m m e n t s and giving
y o u r o w n opinion.

l{ the restoration
^Jabln What if
An eye for an eye, of capital punishment
anotlier perion-'i prevents even one someone who's
a tooth for- a tooth!
murder, then its innocent is
life is never riq Lt worthwhile.
foundguiCty?
wLatever tL

plan in

b You live in a small t o w n s o m e of w h o s e residents are b e c o m i n g increasingly w o r r i e d a b o u t s p o r t s and

h o b b i e s that harm t h e e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e t o w n council held a m e e t i n g to discuss t h e problem and y o u
a t t e n d e d . After hearing w h a t local p e o p l e had to say, y o u d e c i d e d to w r i t e an article for t h e local paper
responding t o t h e c o m m e n t s and giving y o u r o w n opinion.

We live in this
The wildlife of Granger's town too and should
^Jlie auiet
Lake is being terrified every be able to do what we
country ianei around tL weekend by jet skie shattering like, where and when
town, are overrun witli the silence of this once we like. Were not
peaceful haven. It's a any
ijouiiii racing eir
disgrace. ifl can't laws.
motorlllei and creating, a ride my jet ski
nuliance let atone on the Cake,
where am 1
putting tL iivei oJI sup-posed
otkeri In danger. to go?

13
 Articles Balancing an argument
l Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e article b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

Your t u t o r has s h o w n y o u t h e following e x t r a c t s on t h e subject of c o m p u t e r s . You have b e e n asked to w r i t e

an article for t h e c o l l e g e magazine entitled Computers: a dream or a nightmare? W r i t e y o u r article taking t h e
points raised b e l o w into c o n s i d e r a t i o n and giving y o u r o w n opinion.

Technological progress in the world of Future generations will come to rely on

computers saves everyone time. At the computer technology to such a great extent
touch of a button, massive amounts of that they will no longer need to learn to do
information can be accessed. Furthermore, things for themselves. This would appear to
work done on a computer can be updated be acceptable, but what happens when the
and changes can be made speedily. machines go wrong?

Computers: a dream or a nightmare?

W i t h i n a few y e a r s , w e h a v e
come to regard computers as an
i n d i s p e n s a b l e p a r t of everyday life.
We see t h e m in o p e r a t i o n in almost
every office and they are increasingly
c o m m o n in the h o m e . While this has
b e e n a g r e a t a d v a n t a g e for s o m e
people because it has m a d e their
work easier, it has b e e n a nightmare
for others, who have had difficulty in
learning new skills. In the same way,
while some parents believe that their
children can learn faster with
computers, others worry that they will
b e c o m e totally d e p e n d e n t o n t h e m
before they have learnt to read, write
and count for themselves.
O n t h e o n e h a n d , t h e benefits
computers have brought are obvious.
Above all, they save space and time.
Vast quantities of data can be kept
economically on disks and
r e p r o d u c e d a t any t i m e i n s t e a d o f
filling r o w s of filing c a b i n e t s , a n d
there are hundreds of time-
consuming tasks that can now be
p e r f o r m e d very simply. In a m i n u t e
or two, a typist can now edit and
r e t y p e a l e t t e r ; in a few s e c o n d s , a
bank can check how much a customer
has in an account in another city.
On the other hand, however,
t h e r e are also d i s a d v a n t a g e s .
Computers do make mistakes
although they are always the result of
a h u m a n e r r o r . We r e a d of p e o p l e
r e c e i v i n g g a s bills for m i l l i o n s o f
pounds because the computer has
been badly p r o g r a m m e d or an
o p e r a t o r has pressed the wrong key.
T h e trouble is that computers do not
r e c o g n i s e such e r r o r s so t h e r e is a
danger that the next generation may
be taught to rely on t h e m absolutely
before they have learnt the basic
skills necessary to work out problems
for themselves.
On balance, computers are
neither a dream nor a nightmare.
They are admirable tools that
improve the quality of life but, like all
tools, they must be used sensibly. We
must never forget that h u m a n beings
provided t h e m with the information
they contain so we cannot trust them
until w e k n o w e n o u g h t o r e c o g n i s e
when it is inaccurate. In this respect,
the g r e a t e s t risk c o m e s at t h e
national level; the advice given by a
g o v e r n m e n t c o m p u t e r could lead to
d i s a s t e r if t h o s e r e s p o n s i b l e for
m a k i n g t h e decisions w e r e t e m p t e d
to take it just because it came from a
machine that is supposed to be
infallible.

2 T h e writer's approach to t h e subject is balanced. Study Tip

Connectors and Modifiers A3 on page 70 and underline Good articles of this kind do not require the use of very
t h e four w o r d s o r phrases that t h e w r i t e r has used t o complicated structures but they do require connectors to be well
balance his argument. used. Always check the appendix on page 70 before writing one.
 Balancing an argument Articles 3
Answer t h e s e questions.
a W h i c h two s e n t e n c e s in t h e first p a r a g r a p h a r e e x a m p l e s of t h e w r i t e r b a l a n c i n g by using c o n t r a s t .
Which phrase does he use to show that he regards the examples as equal?

b W h a t c o n t r a s t exists b e t w e e n p a r a g r a p h s 2 a n d 3?

c W h a t c o n c l u s i o n d o e s t h e writer r e a c h ? I s h e i n favour o f c o m p u t e r s o r against t h e m ?

d I n d i c a t e t h e p u r p o s e of e a c h p a r a g r a p h , writing t h e c o r r e c t n u m b e r in t h e s p a c e .

Advantages of computers Conclusion Disadvantages Introduction,

T h e w r i t e r s u p p o r t s general s t a t e m e n t s with explanation o r e x a m p l e s . Underline t h e phrases o r s e n t e n c e s i n

t h e article that s u p p o r t t h e s e s t a t e m e n t s .
a We r e g a r d c o m p u t e r s as an i n d i s p e n s a b l e p a r t of everyday life.
b F o r s o m e p e o p l e this h a s b e e n an a d v a n t a g e , for o t h e r s a n i g h t m a r e .
c C o m p u t e r s save s p a c e .
d C o m p u t e r s save t i m e .
e Computers make mistakes.
f T h e information they contain may not be correct.

A magazine is inviting readers to submit articles a b o u t different forms of transport. You have read t h e
personal a c c o u n t b e l o w and have d e c i d e d to w r i t e an article on t h e advantages and disadvantages of
travelling by train. W r i t e y o u r article responding to t h e points b e l o w and giving y o u r o w n opinion.

It seems that nowadays cars and aeroplanes are much more popular forms of
transport than the train, depending, of course, on whether your journey is short
or long distance. But 1 remember years ago, when 1 was a young child, that
travelling by train was considered the best way to go.

Before writing y o u r article, l o o k at t h e plan b e l o w and make s o m e n o t e s . You can w r i t e four paragraphs,
following t h e s a m e plan as t h e article on c o m p u t e r s .

a Title. T h i n k of a title for y o u r article. W h i l e it is i m p o r t a n t for y o u r article to h a v e a s u i t a b l e title, do n o t s p e n d

t o o m u c h t i m e o n it.

b I n t r o d u c t i o n . Give a g e n e r a l i m p r e s s i o n of t h e c u r r e n t situation. Do n o t at this stage give e x p l a n a t i o n s of

advantages or disadvantages.

c A d v a n t a g e s of travelling by train. List t h r e e in c o m p a r i s o n with cars or p l a n e s , a n d give an e x a m p l e or

e x p l a n a t i o n for e a c h , as in t h e t a b l e .

Advantage Example/Explanation
1 .No.traffic.jams. . difficult.to. calculate. time of.. jour.ney.5..
2
3

d D i s a d v a n t a g e s . List t h r e e d i s a d v a n t a g e s a n d give an e x p l a n a t i o n or e x a m p l e , as for p a r a g r a p h 2.

Disadvantage Example/Explanation
1
2
very
3
jrfoT to be well
we writing one. e C o n c l u s i o n . S u m up y o u r a r g u m e n t , giving y o u r o w n o p i n i o n .

15
 4 Articles Providing solutions
Read t h e q u e s t i o n below, t h e n o t e s
o p p o s i t e and t h e article below, and
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OOK^O
World pop, doubled since 1950. UN predict + 5 0 % by 2050.
c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.
World's naturai resources - running out!
You b e l o n g to a s o c i e t y that is
concerned about the environment. Impose birth confrot? - human rights/religion/tradition would not
A g u e s t speaker recently gave a agree (eg China)
talk t o t h e s o c i e t y o n t h e subject
of t h e p r o b l e m of population Politicians in developing countries say developed countries use too
g r o w t h w h i c h y o u a t t e n d e d . You
many resources - reduce, BUT still not a solution.
t o o k s o m e n o t e s and have b e e n
asked to w r i t e an article for t h e
Put pressure on govts to find solution. If not = war, famine, disease!
society's m o n t h l y newspaper.
W r i t e y o u r article.

[ Too many people, not enough earth

Of all the problems the h u m a n race is responsible
for that t h r e a t e n life on E a r t h , p o p u l a t i o n growth is
the most serious. T h e world's population has more
t h a n d o u b l e d s i n c e 1950 a n d t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s
predict that it will grow a further 5 0 % by 2050 to nine
billion. All these additional people will require m o r e
food, m o r e land to grow it on and m o r e houses to live
in, a n d will c o n s u m e m o r e raw materials to p r o v i d e
t h e basic r e q u i r e m e n t s of everyday life. T h e world's
resources cannot support such an increase indefinitely.
At first sight, t h e solution seems simple. Experts in
developed countries argue that we should impose birth
c o n t r o l w o r l d w i d e . If p a r e n t s only h a d t h e children
they really wanted, they say, population growth would
be m a n a g e a b l e , as it is in E u r o p e . P e o p l e should be
educated in reliable methods of birth control, and
where necessary, these should be supplied. If a birth is
n o t desired, t h e p r e g n a n c y should be t e r m i n a t e d by
abortion.
However, the failure of countries to reach
agreement on problems like global warming indicates
that there would be even stronger resistance if a plan
of this kind w e r e p u t into practice. In this case, t h e
opposition would be due not merely to selfish national
interests but to individual wishes and conviction,
family or tribal tradition and the powerful influence of
religious authorities. In some parts of the world, large
families are considered desirable and a son is regarded
as essential. In China, where the government has
p u r s u e d a ruthless policy of limiting families to o n e
child, population growth has only b e e n controlled at
t h e cost of considerable personal suffering.
Politicians in m a n y developing c o u n t r i e s , w h e r e
the population is growing much faster than in E u r o p e ,
refuse to accept that it is the main cause of
environmental problems. They point out that countries
like t h e U n i t e d States c o n s u m e far m o r e t h a n their
fair s h a r e o f t h e w o r l d ' s r e s o u r c e s . D e v e l o p e d
countries should reduce their consumption, but even if
they did, this would not p r e v e n t disaster unless
p o p u l a t i o n g r o w t h was b r o u g h t u n d e r c o n t r o l . W e
should p u t pressure on governments to find a viable
s o l u t i o n . O t h e r w i s e , t h e p a i n f u l a l t e r n a t i v e will
b e c o m e unavoidable; t h e population will eventually be
decimated by war, famine and disease.

2 C h o o s e t h e b e s t heading for each paragraph, and w r i t e t h e c o r r e c t n u m b e r in t h e s p a c e . N o t e that t w o of t h e

c h o i c e s are n o t c o r r e c t .

a An alternative solution d W h y a s o l u t i o n m u s t be f o u n d
b A straightforward solution e Selfish o p p o s i t i o n
c W h y solutions a r e n o t easy f T h e size of t h e p r o b l e m

3 Look at Reference section 4a and b on page 64 and Reference section I1 on page 67 and then study t h e use of
should, would and will in t h e article a b o v e and underline t h e m w h e r e t h e y appear.
 Providing solutions Articles

Read Sarah's article on t h e e n v i r o n m e n t . C o m p l e t e it by putting t h e verbs in brackets in t h e c o r r e c t t e n s e

or using should or would w h e r e necessary.

Preserving the planet for future generations

Human activity (1) (have) a devastating effect on the environment

since the industrial Revolution. Factories and their products have polluted the air in cities, and the
water in rivers and seas; forests (2) (be transformed) into desert by poor
methods of cultivation; in our hunger for land, we (3) (invade) the natural
habitat of other species, now in danger of extinction. Our activities (4)
(probably increase) the temperature of the earth, bringing with it the risk of flooding, w h a t
(5) (we do) to resolve these problems before it is too late?
Solutions certainly exist. In general, we (6) (consume) less and recycle
raw materials. In particular, we (7) (restrict) the use of cars in cities;
we (8) (close) factories that pollute the air or the rivers; we
(9) (protect) wildlife by banning indiscriminate hunting; and we
(10) (protect) the rainforests by providing poor farmers with the means
to cultivate efficiently. Above all, we (11) (try) to control population
growth, which (12) (add) to the problems as fast as we take steps to
resolve them.
If we could accomplish this, we (13) (preserve) the planet for future
generations. But it (14) (not be) possible unless governments laid aside
self-interest and (15) (agree) to co-operate. In fact, laws protecting the
environment already exist in almost every country. The trouble is that they are often broken, in
many countries with the consent of the rulers. Perhaps a real solution (16)
(only be found) if every country in the world had an honest, democratic government.
in such circumstances we may think that there is nothing we can do as individuals to save
the environment. But we can do a great deal if we are prepared to make sacrifices. We
(17) (ask) ourselves if we really need to go out in the car or buy
something new. And we (18) (respect) the environment at all times, we
(19) (not leave) litter around the countryside or throw rubbish in rivers.
We (20) (plant) trees and not cut them down.

Sarah is following t h e s a m e paragraph plan that w a s used for t h e article on population growth. In paragraphs
1, 2 and 4, circle t h e t o p i c s e n t e n c e and underline t h e e x a m p l e s that s u p p o r t it.

W r i t e an article in a n s w e r to t h e q u e s t i o n below, using t h e paragraph plan in e x e r c i s e 2.

T h e e x t r a c t b e l o w w a s taken from a letter y o u read in y o u r college magazine. You have d e c i d e d to w r i t e

an article for t h e magazine responding to t h e letter and proposing s o m e solutions to t h e problem.

... is just not the same any more. I remember walking along
the river as a child and even swimming in it when the weather If you answer a problem-solving
question, do not make vague general
was warm. Now, the water is stagnant and polluted and the
statements that you cannot support.
path along the bank is littered with rubbish.
Make use of any facts that you know to
be true from whatyou have experienced
The town centre itself has also been affected. Traffic blocks or read. Take account of opposition to
the roads and the poor pedestrians are choked with exhaust any solution you propose and bear in
fumes. It really is time that something was done to save our mind that there is probably no simple
town and the surrounding countryside before it's too late. answer to the question.
 Letters Complaining

Sheila D o n a l d s o n is annoyed a b o u t t h e way in which p e o p l e behave in t h e park near her h o u s e . Read her letter to
t h e s e c r e t a r y of t h e local n e i g h b o u r h o o d w a t c h s c h e m e and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e that follows.

Dear Anne,

I'm writing on behalf of my family and my neighbours to ask you if you

would mind writing to the council about Russell Park. We are fed up because,
as you know, we've written to them several times to protest but they still
haven't done anything.

The real problem is that there aren't any walls or fences round the park and
young people bang around inside at night shouting and laughing so loudly that
we can't sleep. Some of them are vandals and have broken the swings t h a t
the children play on and trampled all over the flowerbeds.

There is also a problem with tramps - New Age Travellers as they are called
these days - sleeping on the benches at night. So every morning the park
looks a mess with paper and beer cans lying about. The council ought to send
people round to clear up every day, instead of once a week.

Really these are just signs of bigger social problems that the council should
try to tackle. They ought to provide a shelter for the homeless and teach the
vandals a lesson by enforcing the laws that l suppose exist.

We would really be very grateful if you could write on our behalf - maybe
your letter would carry more weight and get some results. I'll see you at our
meeting next month.

Best regards,

In t h e
Sheila Donaldson lamination, you
are not required to write
addresses on your letters.

2 D e c i d e w h e t h e r t h e following s t a t e m e n t s are t r u e or false. Underline t h e phrases in t h e letter

that justify y o u r answers.
T F

a T h i s is t h e first t i m e Sheila has c o m p l a i n e d .

She is complaining about young people because they:

b climb o v e r t h e walls r o u n d t h e p a r k .
c m a k e a noise in t h e p a r k at night.
d h a v e d e s t r o y e d installations in t h e play a r e a .

She is complaining about New Age Travellers because:

e they sleep in t h e p a r k d u r i n g t h e day.
f c r e a t e litter.

She thinks the council should:

g s e n d p e o p l e r o u n d to clean t h e p a r k o n c e a w e e k .
h p r o v i d e a c c o m m o d a t i o n for N e w A g e Travellers.
i pass laws to control v a n d a l s .
j p u n i s h v a n d a l s by enforcing t h e p r e s e n t laws.

18
 Complaining Letters

Read Anne's letter to t h e council, w r i t t e n in formal language, and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e that follows.

D e a r Sir/Madam,

I am writing on behalf of my neighbours in the vicinity of Russell Park to express our

annoyance that in spite of r e p e a t e d protests, nothing has been done to improve t h e
situation there.

T h e problem stems in part from the fact that there are no walls or fences r o u n d the park
and young people remain t h e r e at night making so much noise that it keeps everyone
awake. A n u m b e r of t h e m are vandals who have broken the swings in the children's play
park and destroyed the flowerbeds.

A p a r t from that, the park is used as a refuge at night by New Age Travellers sleeping on
benches, with the result that every morning the area is covered with litter. In our view, the
park should be cleaned every day, instead of once a week.

We are aware that the real solution lies in dealing with m o r e general social problems
affecting society. However, we consider that action should be taken to provide a shelter
for homeless people and that if laws exist to prevent young people from vandalising t h e

^jQ
park, they should be enforced.

W e look forward to hearing from you, WKtKtBBKS&

Yours faithfully, Two ways in which formal and
_ . informal language are different
y-\nne DanKs a r e m ^ a t fo i
w e 0 n o t u s e s o r

o r m s e g I v e ) o r m a l l e t t e r s
A n n e Banks ^ <" > f
and we often use passive forms
rather than active (eg, nothing

-zz< at the s e n t e n c e s below, taken from Sheila's letter. Find and underline the equivalent s e n t e n c e s in Anne's letter.
\ c : e the way t h e phraseology changes depending on w h e t h e r the style of writing is formal or semi-formal.

a W e ' v e w r i t t e n several t i m e s t o p r o t e s t b u t t h e y still h a v e n ' t d o n e anything.

h Y o u n g p e o p l e h a n g a r o u n d inside at night s h o u t i n g a n d l a u g h i n g so loudly t h a t we c a n ' t sleep.
c S o m e of t h e m a r e v a n d a l s a n d h a v e b r o k e n t h e swings that t h e children play on.
d T h e p a r k looks a m e s s with p a p e r a n d b e e r cans lying a b o u t .
e T h e council o u g h t to s e n d p e o p l e r o u n d to clear u p .
f T h e y o u g h t to t e a c h t h e v a n d a l s a lesson by e n f o r c i n g t h e laws t h a t I s u p p o s e exist.

Read t h e question and t h e n o t e s b e l o w and w r i t e y o u r letter, using Anne's letter as a m o d e l for form and style.

You a t t e n d e d a residents'
% \ s \ s \ \ \ \ \ \
They make so much noise - no games late at night!
meeting recently which
w a s held t o d i s c u s s t h e
p r o b l e m s with a football
Keep rival fans_apart! Stop the fighting! Police should escort
ground near y o u r h o u s e . visiting supporters to and from the ground.
You heard t h e complaints
b e l o w at t h e m e e t i n g and Don't let them park their cars on the pavement! Tow them away!
have decided t o w r i t e t o
t h e council on behalf of Buses and coaches in the club car parkl Stop people throwing
your neighbours to ask stones at visiting teams! _
them to take action to
improve t h e situation.
 Letters Giving information
Read t h e q u e s t i o n b e l o w and Tom Aldridge's letter, and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

TrZu^T 1 t 3 k i n
f P a r t i n a n e x c h a n e
S P r o g r a m m e with s t u d e n t s from abroad and has d e c i d e d t o
u L

p r o d u c e a w e l c o m e letter w h , c h s t u d e n t s will r e c e i v e on arrival. T h e e d i t o r has asked y o u t c w r i t e a

w e l c o m e letter g.vmg information on c o l l e g e facilities, describing places of part cu ar interest: hT he
area as well as mentioning special e v e n t s which will take place during their stay

D e a r Visitor

(!) Welford College of Education, I would like to welcome you to

our college, and I h o p e that you have a pleasant stay during the Student Exchange P r o g r a m m e . T h e
information which follows is intended to help m a k e your stay m o r e pleasurable.

College Facilities
T h e M a i n Library is o p e n from 8 am - 10 pm on weekdays and from 10 am - 7 pm at t h e weekend.
Books may be borrowed for a one-week period, with the exception of books in t h e Reference Library
( A n d e r s o n Building), which must not be removed u n d e r any circumstances.

T h e Halls of Residence provide half-board accommodation, so lunch can be bought at the college
canteen (Main Building), or t h e Students' U n i o n , or off campus itself. (2) ,
however, that t h e college is some distance from town (20 minutes by bus) so students should ensure
they have sufficient time between lessons if they want to leave campus.

A m a p of t h e c a m p u s can be found on t h e noticeboard situated in the entrance to the M a i n Building.

F u r t h e r information regarding lessons, extra activities, etc can also be found there, while t h e
noticeboard outside the Students' U n i o n is the best place to find out about upcoming social events.

Places of Interest
T h e town itself has lots to offer. W i t h its tiny streets and winding alleys, it is a great place to buy
souvenirs. T h e A r t Gallery and the Natural History M u s e u m are situated in t h e town centre.

Special Events
As part of the National Students' Council Arts Festival, t h e college has organised a week of concerts
to be held in t h e Students' U n i o n from 15th May. P r o g r a m m e s and tickets (3)
m e m b e r s of the E n t e r t a i n m e n t C o m m i t t e e .

A quiz night (4) 25th May. This is a charity event; all proceeds will
go to the local children's hospital. Students interested in taking part should contact Sarah on the
Entertainment Committee.

We hope that this information (5) and that you enjoy your stay.
Please (6) the College Secretary should you require further
information.

Y o u r s sincerely

T o m Aldridge
Student Counsellor
 Giving information Letters

Read Tom's letter again and fill in t h e gaps with t h e phrases below.

are available from do not hesitate to contact will be helpful

is being held on it should be noted on behalf of

T h e q u e s t i o n stated that t h e w r i t e r should give information on college facilities, d e s c r i b e places of particul;

n t e r e s t in t h e area as well as m e n t i o n special e v e n t s which will take place during their stay. C o m p l e t e t h e
chart with t h e things t h e w r i t e r m e n t i o n s on each of t h e t o p i c s .

College facilities Places of particular interest Special events

W \~~~ III ^ i p P I !
5 I
Look again at t h e letter and a n s w e r t h e following q u e s t i o n s .

It is very important that letters giving

Why d o e s t h e writer m e n t i o n :
information do not sound like long
lists. The information will sound
a the Reference Library?
more realistic if there is a reason for
giving the information.

b the Halls of R e s i d e n c e ?

c the fact t h a t t h e college is s o m e d i s t a n c e from t o w n ?

d the noticeboards?

e t h e N a t i o n a l S t u d e n t s ' C o u n c i l A r t s Festival?

f t h e local c h i l d r e n ' s h o s p i t a l ?
 6 Letters Giving information

5 T h e following table s u m m a r i s e s all t h e information given in Tom's letter. C o m p l e t e t h e table w i t h t h e

w o r d s and p h r a s e s b e l o w .

A r t Gallery charity enough time Entertainment Committee

Halls of Residence off campus Reference Library

upcoming social events I week borrowing 15th May

C o l l e g e facilities

library M a i n Library - 8 - 1 0 w e e k d a y s , 1 0 - 7 w e e k e n d s -
- A n d e r s o n Building - no b o r r o w i n g a l l o w e d

lunch - half board only; no lunch

canteen - M a i n Building

S t u d e n t s ' Union

college 20 m i n s f r o m t o w n - ?

noticeboards M a i n Building - m a p of c a m p u s - info l e s s o n s / activities

S t u d e n t s ' Union -

Places of interest

town souvenirs

National History M u s e u m

Special events

week of concerts National S t u d e n t s ' C o u n c i l Arts Festival

S t u d e n t s ' Union

p r o g r a m m e s and t i c k e t s -

quiz night 25th May

- p r o c e e d s to local hospital

interested? - S a r a h , Entertainment C o m m i t t e e
 6
Giving information Letters

Read t h e question b e l o w and prepare y o u r letter by c o m p l e t i n g t h e table

6 I
with t h e kind of information y o u w o u l d give.

T h e Tourist Board in y o u r area has decided to p r o d u c e w e l c o m e letters

which will be given to t o u r i s t s on their arrival at t h e local airport to help
t h e m make t h e m o s t of their holiday. You have b e e n asked to w r i t e t h e
letter for English-speaking visitors. You should m e n t i o n places to visit in
t h e n e a r e s t t o w n , d e s c r i b e t h e surrounding area and r e c o m m e n d any
e v e n t s y o u think visitors w o u l d find interesting.

Surrounding area

Interesting events

23
 Letters Making suggestions
T h e local n e w s p a p e r has offered prizes to readers making
suggestions for improving t h e t o w n w h e r e y o u live.

Read t h e letter from o n e of t h e o l d e r inhabitants of t h e t o w n ,

published recently, and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

Sir, to such an extent that those converted into a pedestrian

I am writing in response to
your appeal for suggestions for
improving our town. W h e n I
was young it was one of the
most beautiful towns in the
country, but its c h a r m has been
its downfall in recent years. It
has b e e n t u r n e d into a tourist
attraction p o p u l a r with young
p e o p l e who do not appreciate
it. In consequence, most of the
improvements I suggest would
be attempts to preserve or
r e s t o r e w h a t i s left o f t h i s
d e l i g h t f u l p l a c e b e f o r e it is
destroyed.
O n e of t h e m a i n p r o b l e m s
is t h a t air traffic to o u r tiny
airport, especially cheap
c h a r t e r flights in s u m m e r
arriving at night, has expanded
who live nearby are unable to
sleep because of t h e noise. In
my view t h e airport should be
closed at night and tourist
flights should be restricted to
the hours of daylight.
It used to be very p l e a s a n t
to walk through the narrow
streets of t h e old town in t h e
evening, with their restaurants
a n d cafes, b u t now they have
been replaced by bars and
night clubs o p e n till very late,
playing loud music, and t h e r e
are so many cars parked on the
pavements that it is impossible
to walk safely. T h e c e n t r e
s h o u l d b e r e s t o r e d t o its
former attractive state. Bars
should be required to close by
12.00 pm, the streets should be
precinct and a multi-storey car
park should be built on the
vacant site near the market.
A n o t h e r useful i n n o v a t i o n
the council could introduce
would be an information
c e n t r e for t o u r i s t s i n t h e
s q u a r e o u t s i d e t h e town hall.
At present many visitors arrive
without accommodation and
w a n d e r through t h e streets in
search of hotels and b o a r d i n g
h o u s e s , o r s t o p passers-by t o
ask t h e way. If t h e r e w e r e a
properly equipped information
centre, it would not only be of
help to t h e m b u t would be of
great benefit to the tourist
industry.
Alexander Martin

Read Mr Martin's letter again, and make notes about the problems
he mentions and the solutions he suggests in the table below.

Problem Solution(s)

a 1

b 2

c 3a

3b

d 4

C h o o s e the best heading for each paragraph, and write the correct
number in the space. N o t e that t w o of the choices are not correct.

a A t o w n for y o u n g p e o p l e
b I n f o r m a t i o n for tourists Note the form of address used
to the editor of a newspaper,
c T h e airport unless you know that she is a
d The newspaper's appeal woman, in which case
e T h e old t o w n 'Madam' is used instead.

f T o u r i s t s in t h e t o w n
 Joking suggestions Letters

Young p e o p l e usually have a different s e t of priorities from their parents and grandparents. Before y o u
read Anna Margolis's letter, l o o k at Reference section I on page 6 4 , Reference section 11 on page 67 and
Reference section 13 on page 6 9 . N o w c o m p l e t e t h e letter by putting t h e v e r b s in brackets in t h e m o s t
appropriate form, using active or passive f o r m s with would, should, must or could, and writing the or a in
t h e s p a c e s , only w h e r e n e c e s s a r y .

Sir,
While I agree with some of (I) suggestions (2) readers have made for
improving (3) town, (4) main problem in my opinion is that (5) council
is only concerned with attracting (6) tourists. In my view there are (7) number of
improvements that (8) (undertake) for the benefit of (9)
residents, especially (10) younger ones.
In (11) first place, there are not enough sports and leisure facilities. Instead of building
(12) multi-storey car park on (13) vacant site near (14) town centre, they
(15) (construct) (16) indoor swimming pool and (17)
tennis courts that (18) (use) in (19) winter.
Secondly, I have read that (20) old railway station is going to be pulled down. T h e space
(21) (transform) into (22) park and it (23)
(not cost) much to provide a place for (24) small children to play (25) games. Part
of it (26) (turn into) (27) adventure playground or (28)
children's zoo.
Lastly, tourists who go as far as (29) river (30) (disgust) by
(31) litter along (32) banks and (33) pollution from (34)
few old factories that are still in (35) operation. The area (36)
(clean up), the factories (37) (close down) and (38) serious effort
(39) (make) to transform (40) riverside area into (41)
place where (42) people (43) (enjoy) (44) kind of
pleasant walk they once had through (45) old part of (46) town.

Anna Margolis

- - - a lists t h r e e kinds of i m p r o v e m e n t s , with a paragraph for each:

a introducing something new

b t r a n s f o r m i n g s o m e t h i n g a l r e a d y in existence
e r e m e d y i n g s o m e t h i n g unsatisfactory

I : slete t h e table b e l o w b y referring t o her letter.

Problem Solution(s)

a enough leisure facilities 1

2

b Open space created when railway 3

station is pulled down 4a
4b

: Litter on river bank 5

Pollution of river 6

" - :e a l e t t e r addressed to t h e e d i t o r of y o u r local newspaper, suggesting i m p r o v e m e n t s that could be

m a d e to y o u r t o w n or t h e area of a city w h e r e y o u live. Follow t h e paragraph plan of Anna's letter and
t r y to include at least o n e e x a m p l e of each kind of i m p r o v e m e n t .
 Letters Givins opinions
Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e letter
b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e
e x e r c i s e s that follow.

You have read the extract b e l o w as part of a

e t t e r to a local newspaper. You decide to write a
letter t o the s a m e newspaper responding t o t h e
points raised and expressing your o w n views

J know I am not alone in feeling threatened by

the presence of groups of young people who
seem to have nothing better to do than hang
around the town centre making a nuisance of
themselves. It is a reflection of our society
nowadays: a society that encourages laziness
and allows the younger generation to waste
their time in this way. If something is not done
soon, then 1 fear that these individuals will
turn to crime and our town will no longer be
the safe peaceful place it once was.

clubs o r c e n t r e s i n o u r a r e a you can't get a j o b and if you

Sir,
that could provide some form can't get a job, how do you get
I am writing in response to
of occupation for t h e m during experience?
a l e t t e r I r e a d in T u e s d a y ' s
the day. T h e y are forced to Finally, I am of the opinion
edition of The Kenton Herald
either meet at each other's t h a t we should show m o r e
a n d h a v e t o say I f e e l t h e
homes, often an impossible or u n d erstanding towards these
opinions expressed are a little
u n d e s i r a b l e o p t i o n , o r i n young p e o p l e , who a r e , after
one-sided in that the letter
public places, namely the town all, o u r neighbours. Although
implies that young people are
centre. it is unpleasant to see people
to be blamed for this situation
In addition to this, it is well hanging around on t h e streets,
and that it is what they want.
known that u n e m p l o y m e n t in it must be even w o r s e for
It is my opinion that the
our area is a serious problem those who are in this situation.
community should accept
a m o n g 18-25 y e a r o l d s . J o b If we were to offer t h e m t h e
some of the blame too. If
opportunities are limited and chance to change their
solutions to this problem
a n y t h a t a r e a v a i l a b l e a r e situation, I am sure they
h a d b e e n s o u g h t earlier, t h e
t a k e n b y p e o p l e w i t h would do so. It is time for us
situation might n o t h a v e got
qualifications or previous all to take some responsibility
so o u t of h a n d .
work experience. As a result, for t h e m and their position.
While I admit that our
it has long been the case that I l o o k f o r w a r d to s e e i n g
town c e n t r e is increasingly a
if school leavers cannot go on my l e t t e r p u b l i s h e d in a
place where teenagers and
t o f u r t h e r e d u c a t i o n for forthcoming issue.
young adults congregate, I
also a p p r e c i a t e that m a n y of whatever reason, they will be
them have no alternative. u n l i k e l y to find j o b s locally. J o h n H o l m e s
Y o u n g p e o p l e have n o w h e r e Moreover, there is the age-old
else to go. T h e r e a r e no youth p r o b l e m : without experience,
 Giving opinions Letters

read t h e letter again and a n s w e r t h e following q u e s t i o n s .

bucfa p a r a g r a p h ( s ) d o e s J o h n :

a refer to t h e lack of facilities for y o u n g p e o p l e ?

b talk a b o u t w h o s e responsibility t h e p r o b l e m of y o u n g p e o p l e on t h e streets is? and

c talk a b o u t u n e m p l o y m e n t b e i n g a r e a s o n for t h e s i t u a t i o n ?
d explain why h e ' s writing?
a e r e e to s o m e e x t e n t with w h a t t h e w r i t e r of t h e l e t t e r in The Kenton Herald said?

_ c c < at t h e s e conditional s e n t e n c e s taken from t h e letter.

1
a If solutions to this p r o b l e m h a d b e e n s o u g h t earlier, t h e s i t u a t i o n m i g h t n o t h a v e got so o u t of h a n d .
.. if school leavers c a n n o t go on to f u r t h e r e d u c a t i o n they will be unlikely to find j o b s locally.'
: e were to offer t h e m t h e c h a n c e to c h a n g e t h e i r situation, I am sure they w o u l d do so.'

;: -ne is an e x a m p l e of:

1 a p r e s e n t or future a c t i o n in which t h e result will p r o b a b l y h a p p e n ?

2 a p r e s e n t or future action which is unlikely to h a p p e n
3 a past action which c a n n o t be c h a n g e d ?

a: Reference section 4c on page 64 and then w r i t e a conditional s e n t e n c e to e x p r e s s t h e following situations.

. h o s e boys d i d n ' t have j o b s a n d s p e n t their t i m e doing a great

[teal of v o l u n t a r y w o r k .

b This t e e n a g e r was n o t offered t h e j o b so he d i d n ' t t a k e it.

T h e police d i d n ' t allow y o u n g p e o p l e t o h a n g a r o u n d o n t h e

streets in t h e past w h i c h is p r o b a b l y why they d i d n ' t do so.

d T h e r e w e r e n ' t g r o u p s of y o u n g p e o p l e in t h e t o w n c e n t r e y e a r s
ago which m e a n t p e o p l e d i d n ' t feel t h r e a t e n e d .

27
 Letters Giving opinions

5 N o w l o o k at Reference section 4e on page 65. L o o k at h o w t h e conditional s e n t e n c e s from t h e letter can

be rewritten.

a 'If solutions to this p r o b l e m h a d b e e n s o u g h t earlier, t h e situation m i g h t n o t have got so o u t of h a n d . '

H a d solutions t o this p r o b l e m b e e n s o u g h t earlier, t h e situation m i g h t n o t h a v e got s o o u t o f h a n d .

b Tf school leavers cannot go on to further education for whatever reason, they will be unlikely to find jobs locally.'

S h o u l d school leavers b e u n a b l e t o g o o n t o f u r t h e r e d u c a t i o n for w h a t e v e r r e a s o n , t h e y will b e unlikely

to find jobs locally.

c Tf we w e r e to offer t h e m t h e c h a n c e to c h a n g e their situation, I am sure they w o u l d do so.'

W e r e w e t o offer t h e m t h e c h a n c e t o c h a n g e t h e i r situation, I a m s u r e t h e y w o u l d d o so.

6 Rewrite t h e s e s e n t e n c e s practising t h e m o r e formal ways of writing conditional s e n t e n c e s .

a If y o u n g p e o p l e h a v e no qualifications or training, they will n o t be able to find w o r k .

b If o p p o r t u n i t i e s for t r a i n i n g existed, I am sure p e o p l e w o u l d t a k e a d v a n t a g e of t h e m ,

c If we all t a k e an interest in o u r t o w n , things will get b e t t e r .

d If t e e n a g e r s h a d b e e n e n c o u r a g e d to go on to college, t h e y w o u l d have h a d b e t t e r c h a n c e s of finding w o r k .

 Giving opinions Letters

Look at this question b e l o w and t h e n do t h e e x e r c i s e which follows.

You have read this e x t r a c t

a o o u t relationships b e t w e e n I look at the younger generation now and can see no similarities
different g e n e r a t i o n s in a with my own when we were young. Nowadays they have
-ational newspaper. You altogether too much freedom. They're encouraged to go out and see
: = :ide to w r i t e a letter to the world; to travel rather than settle down. Their priorities have
:~e s a m e n e w s p a p e r
changed. No longer do they want to raise a family: they're more
-esponding t o t h e points
_
e - : i o n e d and giving y o u r interested in buying fast cars, expensive holidays and generally
> i opinion. wasting their money. In my day we were expected to show respect
to our elders, raise a family and become law abiding citizens.

' : j will find it easier to a n s w e r this kind of q u e s t i o n if y o u disagree with t h e points that have b e e n raised in t h e
r : - a c t . A n s w e r i n g t h e s e q u e s t i o n s will help y o u to think of ideas to include in y o u r letter.

a T h e extract says t h a t y o u n g p e o p l e h a v e ' t o o m u c h ' f r e e d o m . ' T o o m u c h ' m e a n s ' m o r e t h a n they n e e d o r i s g o o d

: : t h e m ' . H o w can you s u p p o r t t h e a l t e r n a t i v e view t h a t t h e f r e e d o m y o u n g p e o p l e h a v e is n o t excessive?

b H o w have y o u n g p e o p l e ' s p r i o r i t i e s c h a n g e d ?

c H o w can these c h a n g e s be s e e n as a positive t h i n g ?

4 Is it t r u e to say t h a t y o u n g p e o p l e ' n o l o n g e r w a n t to raise a family'?

" is the writer implying a b o u t y o u n g p e o p l e t o d a y w h e n he says: 'we w e r e e x p e c t e d to s h o w r e s p e c t to o u r

e l d e r s , raise a family a n d b e c o m e law a b i d i n g citizens'?

e : - - : etter to help you organise y o u r opinions into a paragraph plan and t h e n w r i t e y o u r letter.

:: i ;_ = s: on b e l o w and, before y o u w r i t e y o u r letter, ask yourself q u e s t i o n s , as in e x e r c i s e 7 a b o v e , to help

: _ - i c t h e following e x t r a c t in a magazine. You d e c i d e to w r i t e

: : : : r e s a m e magazine responding t o t h e points raised and
g M n g y o u r o w n opinions o n t h e matter.

e reaUy got out of hand. Everywhere you look there are pictures You don't have to disagree
with everything that is said.
n dels u ho are supposed to represent perfect people. We're
You may agree to a certain
r-.;.zzr.:.\ aid. directly or indirectly, that appearance is everything. Have
extent but feel the opinions
x Jjorgrxt7i that 'beauty is only skin deep'? Doesn't personality count expressed are one-sided.
z'jng anymore? The cost of keeping fit and dressing fashionably is
jr the majority of people. Magazines, advertisements and the like
>** ?typ making ordinary people feel inferior.
 Essays Comparing
I L o o k at t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e essay b e l o w and do t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

Your t u t o r s h o w s y o u t w o e x t r a c t s from articles a b o u t transport.

Working out which bus route is best and then waiting at stops Public transport is better now than
for buses which are more often than not delayed or overcrowded ever before. It's cheap, reliable and
is not my idea of fun. Nothing beats the convenience of being avoids the problem of finding or
able to hop in my car and drive quickly to my destination. affording parking.

Your t u t o r asks y o u to w r i t e an essay a b o u t public and private t r a n s p o r t in t h e city, stating which form
of t r a n s p o r t y o u prefer.

(1) , the answer to the question 'Which is better in the city - public or
private transport?' may seem obvious. A/lost people would rather use their own car than stand in a
queue waiting for a bus. (2) , however, driving a car may not always be the most
convenient form of transport in a city, even if the authorities allow you to take it into the centre.

Having your own form of transport, which usually means a car, naturally has advantages.
(3) , at least (4) , is the fact that you can start and finish
your journey when and where you like, driving from your house to your office, for example.
(5) (6) , even if you have your own parking space at
home, you may find it difficult or expensive to park near your office, if that is the case, it would
have been quicker and cheaper to travel by bus.

(7) , bus journeys are only quicker if the use of private cars is restricted
because buses are likely to be held up in the same traffic jams. Provided you live near a bus route
that takes you near your destination and the bus is on time, it is probably a better means of
transport than your own car, but as we all know buses are often late and frequently crowded so
you may have a very frustrating, uncomfortable journey.

When l was on holiday in London recently, I travelled in the centre of the city by taxi, bus and
underground. The taxi fares were very expensive and the journey took a long time because the
driver continually had to stop at traffic lights or behind a line of cars. The bus was even slower
for the same reasons but also because it had to stop to pick up and set down passengers. The
underground trains were crowded and uncomfortable but this was by far the fastest and cheapest
way to cross the city. (8) , I would rather go by car than bus on the surface,
but if I can travel underground in the city, I prefer public transport.

2 Study Connectors and Modifiers on page 7 0 . T h e n read t h e essay again and c o m p l e t e it, c h o o s i n g from t h e list of
c o n n e c t i n g phrases.

at first sight first and foremost however in fact in practice in theory on the other hand personally

3 Answer these questions.

a W h y is p r i v a t e t r a n s p o r t p r e f e r a b l e in t h e o r y ?

b W h y isn't it always b e t t e r in p r a c t i c e ?

c In w h a t c i r c u m s t a n c e s a r e j o u r n e y s q u i c k e r by b u s t h a n by c a r ?
 Comparing

I Why a r e b u s j o u r n e y s often u n r e l i a b l e a n d u n p l e a s a n t ?

e Why are j o u r n e y s by b u s usually slower t h a n t h o s e by c a r ?

f W h y are j o u r n e y s by t h e u n d e r g r o u n d t h e m o s t c o n v e n i e n t in c e n t r a l L o n d o n ?

G e each paragraph a heading, c h o o s i n g from this list. W r i t e t h e

r e j e c t n u m b e r i n t h e space.
If you have to compare two things that
each have advantages and disadvantages,
a A d v a n t a g e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s of travelling by b u s it is easier to deal with them in separate
paragraphs, concentrating on one at a time
b A d v a n t a g e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s of travelling by car
(see Paragraphs 2 and 3) than to write a
I inclusion: it d e p e n d s w h e t h e r y o u a r e a b o v e g r o u n d number of sentences comparing them in
: l u c t i o n : is private t r a n s p o r t always p r e f e r a b l e ? the same paragraph.

-_- question below, which is similar to t h e article y o u w r o t e in Unit 3 on travelling by train. T h e r e is a

e - c e . however. T h e r e you w e r e considering t h e g o o d and bad points of o n e thing; here y o u are
i- -g t w o things with g o o d and bad points in each case. Follow t h e s a m e plan as t h e essay on t h e
; te oage, using t h e n o t e s b e l o w as a guide.
finish
V
O J T class is going on a field trip to an island in t h e s u m m e r holidays. T h e r e has b e e n much discussion a b o u t
ere o e s t way t o travel. H e r e are s o m e o f t h e c o m m e n t s that w e r e made.

bq boat
F lying is quicker,
ii muck more i
relaxing and. qe
qet Think of the cost: flying
' ng us with more time to
pend on our hofiday. tLe Loiidcaij is really expensive.
mood before
u!i qget
ijou to tLe Island.

TFOUR t u t o r has asked y o u t o w r i t e an essay o n this subject: Which is the better way of travelling to an island, by
:t: : :. air? W r i t e y o u r essay, responding to t h e v i e w s e x p r e s s e d and stating y o u r o w n preference.

: auction. W r i t e a b a l a n c e d p a r a g r a p h b u t do n o t go into t o o m a n y details.

Explain t h e a d v a n t a g e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s of travelling by air. ( B u t see TIP below)
" :n t h e a d v a n t a g e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s of travelling by sea.
:h a conclusion. If you h a v e a p r e f e r e n c e , say so a n d s u p p o r t it with an e x a m p l e , p r e f e r a b l y from
-. - - -.al e x p e r i e n c e . If n o t , y o u can b a l a n c e y o u r conclusion, suggesting t h a t t h e choice d e p e n d s on
: _ r s -uch a s t h e r e a s o n for t h e j o u r n e y o r t h e t i m e o f year etc. Give a n e x a m p l e i n e a c h case.

t .'' imte an essay

- T i o dungs, and
bmr m smng preference for
mat of ALJIL deal with the kind
wsm pm.fu in paragraph 3
tmm&t m *iU lead more
mmmmtA mto your conclusion,
httktscmse. if you would rather
p.i ** an: rexerse the order of
xnx&nphs 2 and 3.
 Essays Responding to generalisations

Years ago, (1) historian Arnold Toynbee based his theory of (2) ..
Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e essay history on (3) climate. Comparing groups of immigrants to (4)
b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s United States, he argued that (5) Pilgrim Fathers in (6) New
that follow. England were forced by their harsh climate to work hard and so became
self-reliant and stern and puritanical in (7) temperament, while those
Your t u t o r s h o w s y o u t w o who settled in (8) warmer southern states were easy-going and relaxe.
e x t r a c t s from articles a b o u t
and depended on (9) slave labour. If his theory was correct, similar
national character.
comparisons should be possible between the people of northern and
southern Europe.
It is only natural that the
Needless to say, such generalisations cannot be applied to (10)
climate affects people's
personality. How can a individuals, and generalisations about people from different countries are
worker from a hot country based on stereotypes that foreigners form about them, which may be
possibly work as hard as his inaccurate or out of date. Some people in Greece may still imagine the
northern counterpart? The typical Englishman as someone carrying (11) umbrella and wearing
same can be said for the (12) bowler hat, even though the English tourists who come to Greece
happy-go-lucky attitude seldom remind anyone of this picture in their appearance or behaviour.
that so many people from All the same, there is no doubt (13) grain of (14) truth in this
warm places have, which is theory that makes (15) sense. People from Scandinavia, historically
rarely seen in most colder confined to their houses throughout the long winter by ice and snow, had
countries.
more reason to be gloomy and introspective than people in Mediterranean
countries, who could get out into (16) sun all the year round. It is
Assumptions that people even reasonable to suppose that when the long summer evenings come to
have the same character Norway and Sweden, with eighteen hours of daylight, the people have more
simply because they are excuse to celebrate by going a little mad and getting drunk.
from the same country are Where the theory is generally accepted is in the comparisons made in
completely unfounded. It almost every country in Europe between people from the north and the
is unfair to base opinions south. In England, southerners have always regarded those from the north
like this on what are, quite
as hard-working, but unpleasantly direct in speech and mean about money,
obviously, stereotypes.
while the northerners see Londoners, in particular, as lazy, self-indulgent
and insincere. Anyone who goes to Milan or Barcelona will find people
Your t u t o r asks y o u to w r i t e
making the same criticisms of southerners from Naples or Seville and being
condemned by them in the same way. Everywhere the warmer weather in
an essay a b o u t t h e relation
b e t w e e n national character the south seems to have produced the same contrast. Greece is a smaller
and climate responding to country, with less scope for climatic differences and in ancient times, it
t h e points raised and giving was the Spartans, from the south, who were by tradition tougher and less
your o w n views on the pleasure-loving, is Greece an exception to the general rule?
matter. W r i t e y o u r essay.

3 Answer these questions.

ations Responding to generalisations Essays 10
t h e s e q u e s t i o n s and w r i t e an essay on o n e of t h e m .

Your t u t o r s h o w s y o u t w o e x t r a c t s from articles a b o u t personality traits.

theory of (2)
P t (4)
Courage is the greatest virtue. If you Nowadays, it appears that the only thing which will help us
I New
are not brave, the rest are no use. In survive is our sense of humour. There's absolutely no point
id so became
this day and age, there is no place for in being conscientious when all around you are slacking off.
k while those the faint-hearted. The main thing is that you are able to laugh things off.
oing and relaxee
rrect, similar
pern and Your t u t o r asks you to w r i t e an essay a b o u t t h e m o s t important personality trait in today's w o r l d
responding to t h e points raised and giving y o u r o w n v i e w s on t h e matter. W r i t e y o u r essay.

to (10)
v
countries are : - can prepare for this c h o i c e b y c o m p l e t i n g t h e s e e x e r c i s e s first.
t h may be
-_: following virtues in ranking order. W r i t e a n u m b e r from I to 7 in t h e space provided.
imagine the
>d wearing
courage honesty generosity a sense of h u m o u r
"ome to Greece
- ird work chastity humility
r behaviour.
truth in this r
- ; - answers t o t h e s e q u e s t i o n s t o help you c o m e u p with a plan for t h e c o m p o s i t i o n .
historically
md snow, had I . judge p e o p l e by o n e virtue a l o n e or a c o m b i n a t i o n ?
Mediterranean
round, it is
wngs come to ~ . Nevertheless, s o m e virtues a r e m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n o t h e r s . W h i c h o n e s a n d why?
ople have more
H : w d o you r a t e c o u r a g e a n d h u m o u r against t h e o t h e r s y o u have m e n t i o n e d ?
''sons made in
p i and the
'om the north H accurate do y o u t h i n k t h e extracts a r e ?
about money,
'If-indulgent
Your t u t o r s h o w s you t w o e x t r a c t s from articles a b o u t personal happiness.
id people
ville and being
T weather in 'ttTu'k it is true to say that money can't buy There is nothing more important in the world
happiness, you can't be happy without than one's health. Without it, one's life is at best
is a smaller
a. 1 can anyone be expected to be happy uncomfortable, at worst a complete misery. One
rt times, it
their lot if they haven't got anything? cannot be expected to be happy if in pain, or if
Jher and less
X'hhout the basic necessities, it is unrealistic one's friends or family are ill. Therefore, the only
: expect to be happy. guarantee to happiness is one's health.

on page 64 r x , r t u t o r asks you to w r i t e an essay a b o u t personal happiness responding to t h e points raised and
r u r o w n

sssary. 5 s y v i e w s o n t h e matter. W r i t e y o u r essay.

points m a d e in t h e e x t r a c t s in a four-paragraph

Most people would not immediately

S h o r t i n t r o d u c t i o n , indicating y o u r o p i n i o n answer yes' or 'no' to questions like
If money does not make people happy, what does? Define the ones in this unit. The best way
w h a t you think d o e s m a k e t h e m h a p p y . to answer is to find something
C a n t h e lack o f m o n e y c a u s e u n h a p p i n e s s a n d p r e v e n t interesting to say, giving examples
p e o p l e from enjoying life? T h i n k of e x a m p l e s . from what you know. Do not fill
H far are the extracts t r u e ? To w h a t e x t e n t d o e s m o n e y your essay with well-meaning
. ntribute to h a p p i n e s s a n d h o w d o e s it do so? generalisations.
 Essays Providing information
I Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e essay b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

You have a t t e n d e d a c o u r s e on health and have b e e n asked by y o u r t u t o r to w r i t e an essay on t h e i m p o r t a n c e of

diet to g o o d health. You have b e e n to a lecture on t h e subject and have m a d e t h e n o t e s below. W r i t e y o u r essa>
using y o u r n o t e s and expressing y o u r o w n opinions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF
DIET TO GOOD HEALTH

I What should Health risks

we eat?

f i n i m 'j'tinfli
variety most Mediterranean big meals? Which meal dangers of food hygiene
important factor diet (people is most poisoning (meat, (at home and in
live longer) important? fruit, seafood) restaurants)

(1) that diet is essential to good health, choosing the right diet,
(2) , depends on a number of factors. (3) , what we eat is
obviously important. (4) , we need to consider how often we have a meal and
which meals should be the main meals of the day. (5) , even if our diet is
suitable, we must do our best to ensure that the food we eat is not contaminated.
Even the experts disagree about what constitutes the best diet. There is, (6) ,
fairly general agreement that a balanced diet like the 'Mediterranean diet', mainly consisting of
fruit, vegetables and fish but also including some meat, is the healthiest and, (7)
people who follow it live longer. The key to a good diet is really variety, in places where people
depend entirely on one kind of food, their diet will lack some vitamins and their health will suffer.
We may have our main meal during the day or in the evening but there is no doubt that it is
better to have a good breakfast than eat a lot late at night, we need energy at the beginning of a
day's work but not when going to bed, when a big meal may lead to indigestion. Regular meals are
also important. Young people often get indigestion because they eat sweets, cakes and fast food in
between meals and have no appetite when they go home for lunch or dinner.
(8) the right diet does not always prevent illness, though we can minimise
the risks by insisting on cleanliness in restaurants and refusing to eat anything that is not quite
fresh. Some diseases contracted by animals may be passed to human beings eating meat; insecticides
sprayed on fruit trees may be poisonous if we eat the fruit raw; some coastal waters are
contaminated and seafood caught there can cause food poisoning. In normal circumstances, however,
the right diet is the essential factor for good health, it can make us strong, keep our weight down
and so enable us to live longer.

^ ^ I t : '

2 Study Connectors and Modifiers on page 70 and c o m p l e t e t h e essay a b o v e with t h e phrases below.

apart from that as a result however in the first place

it goes without saying nevertheless finally of course
ion
Providing information Essays 11
Essays providing information generally make a n u m b e r of main points, contained in t o p i c s e n t e n c e s . T h e s e are
s u p p o r t e d by e x a m p l e s or explanation. Find t h e main points in t h e essay o p p o s i t e and t h e s e n t e n c e s
2 : s u p p o r t t h e m . T h e first has b e e n d o n e for y o u .

mportance of a P a r a g r a p h 1: O n e m a i n p o i n t followed by e x a m p l e s .
'rite y o u r essay .VM . PPM'.. Choosing the rjght diet depends on. a..number f .factors.
n
0

^ompies: .#>.?.. t h r e e . sentences. that follqyy

b P a r a g r a p h 2: O n e m a i n p o i n t , followed by a s e n t e n c e of e x p l a n a t i o n .

F a r a g r a p h 3: Two m a i n points, each followed by e x p l a n a t i o n or e x a m p l e .

hygiene :

T home and in : a p h 4 : T w o m a i n points, o n e followed b y e x a m p l e s , t h e o t h e r b y a c o m m e n t .

estaurants)

_->: 2 : the question b e l o w and t h e n d o t h e e x e r c i s e s .

Tfou have a t t e n d e d a talk a b o u t alternative m e d i c i n e and t h e value of h o m e o p a t h i c r e m e d i e s in

particular, and have m a d e t h e n o t e s below. Your t u t o r has n o w asked y o u to w r i t e an essay on this
e c t using y o u r n o t e s .

j ^ ' n d p j e _ of_lTomeopathic remedies - treat whole person not just disease

herbal remedies - harmless although not always effective

around since 18th century + even Hippocrates, father of medicine

rome from plants, can be used without doctor's prescription (must follow instructions)

_susgicion about traditional drugs - dangerous side effects

eg_p_r Bach's flowers - good for stress, psychological illnesses

a W h y are people turning to homeopathic remedies?

b W h a t is t h e a d v a n t a g e of using t h e m ?
c W h a t e x a m p l e of a h o m e o p a t h i c r e m e d y is given?
d W h a t is it u s e d for?
E H o w long have h o m e o p a t h i c r e m e d i e s b e e n i n u s e ?
f W h a t principle is b e h i n d h o m e o p a t h i c r e m e d i e s ?
S W h a t a r e they m a d e f r o m ?
h W h a t p r e c a u t i o n s m u s t you t a k e if you use t h e m
t o t r e a t vourself?
 Essays Providing information

h o w s h e has organised t h e information from her n o t e s into paragraphs.

5 Read Lucy's essay to s e e

1(1
(1) recent years, many people have become suspicious of (2)
traditional drugs prescribed by their doctors because they have read
tlt (3) number of them have (4) dangerous side effects.
As 5
() resuit, they are turning to (6) alternative medicine
and (7) homeopathy.

8
(J herbal remedies have (9) advantage of being harmless,
even if they do not always cure (10) disease (11) patient is
suffering from. (12) example of one such remedy is (13) Dr
Bach's flowers, which are supposed to have (14) special properties
helping (15) people to overcome (16) symptoms of (17)
stress and (18) similar psychological illnesses.

19
( ) homeopathy is essentially (20) natural healing process,
stimulating (21) body's natural forces to (22) recovery.
23
( ) remedies used are generally obtained from (24) plants.
They are available to treat (25) wide range of (26) illnesses
and can be used without (27) consulting (28) doctor,
provided (29) patient chooses (30) right cure, (31)
cure that matches his symptoms, and he follows (32) instructions
for (33) use very carefully.

Although (34) turn towards (35) alternative medicine would

seem to be (36) recent phenomenon, in fact, (37) homeopathic
remedies (38) people use today have been in (39) existence
s i n c e
(40) eighteenth century. (41) principle behind them is
even older and derives from Hippocrates, (42)
medicine, who recognised that it is necessary to treat (44)
father of (43)
whole
ms
person, and not just (45) disease he is suffering from.

6 Alan and the have b e e n left o u t of Lucy's essay. Add t h e m only w h e r e necessary.
 Providing information Essays 11
Z - : : se o n e of t h e q u e s t i o n s b e l o w and w r i t e an essay.

You have been asked by y o u r t u t o r to w r i t e an essay on t h e i m p o r t a n c e of e x e r c i s e to g o o d health.

Vrite y o u r essay using t h e n o t e s b e l o w and e x p r e s s i n g y o u r o w n ideas.

THE IMPORTANCE OF
EXERCISE TO GOOD HEALTH

What exercise
exercise programme? should we do?

resting regular low impact high impact obesity

rnioyable exercise

000000 Q - Q o
can take many forms: alcohol, smoking, taking drugs, work
~ded a lecture on t h e
.: i c a i c t i o n s and t h e
i_ all can be dangerous to your health
- e i : : n e y p o s e t o g o o d health.
" : . - : - t o r has asked you t o some are deadly: lung cancer, cirrhosis of the liver
- - :e i- essay on t h e subject
-g r_-e "ores o p p o s i t e and passive smoking
E : ess -,g -our o w n ideas.
I pregnant women can pass their drug addiction on to their
unborn baby

are started by peer pressure, stress/anxiety, curiosity

difficult to quit - special support groups & rehabilitation

I programmes (eg Alcoholics Anonymous)

37
 Proposals Applying for funds
Read through t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e proposal b e l o w to g e t a general idea of t h e meaning and t h e n c o m p l e t e
t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

You are a m e m b e r of a s p o r t s club and have b e e n asked by t h e club to w r i t e a proposal to t h e local

authorities asking for financial help to d e v e l o p t h e first aid facilities currently available at t h e s p o r t s
c e n t r e . It has b e e n s u g g e s t e d that y o u focus on existing facilities, w h a t exactly is required and h o w t h e
funds w o u l d benefit t h o s e p e o p l e using t h e s p o r t s c e n t r e . W r i t e y o u r proposal.

This proposal aims to outline t h e reasons why funding is required by the Five O a k s Sports C e n t r e in order to
improve first aid facilities available at the centre. It will also show that these improvements are necessary and will
benefit members.

Currently the first aid provisions at the centre are insufficient. T h e r e is a first aid box in t h e reception area and a
qualified m e m b e r of staff is on duty to deal with minor injuries and accidents. Unfortunately this m e m b e r of staff
has other duties to perform during working hours and is not always easy to locate. Valuable time could be lost
trying to track down the individual in the event of an accident of a m o r e serious nature. This is obviously an
undesirable situation that needs to be corrected.

In t h e event that funding is m a d e available, the first priority is the creation of a first aid station within the sports
centre. This would n e e d to be clearly signposted so people can find it quickly and easily, and fully equipped with
the necessary supplies. Secondly, the appointment of qualified, full-time m e m b e r s of staff employed to work
within the station is also necessary. T h e r e would only need to be o n e on duty at any one time although other
employees who have some first aid training could be on call should they be required. These m e m b e r s of staff
would need to be be supplied with beepers, so they could be contacted at any time regardless of where there may
be. Finally, telephones connected directly to the first aid centre should be installed to enable people requiring
assistance at the site of an accident to p h o n e for that assistance.

At present those people using the sports centre who suffer an injury or b e c o m e unwell are not being properly
catered for. If t h e suggestions above were implemented, fast and effective assistance would be readily available at
all times. This would benefit our m e m b e r s and t h e public who use t h e centre, increasing the confidence that
people have in the Five Oaks Sports Centre.

2 C h o o s e t h e b e s t heading for each paragraph, w r i t e t h e n u m b e r s 1-4 on t h e d o t t e d lines below, and w r i t e t h e

headings in t h e spaces in t h e proposal.

a H o w funding w o u l d be s p e n t

b Purpose

c Existing facilities

d Benefits

;; :

Ill 38
 Applying for funds 12
: : 2 : :~e p r o p o s a l again and a n s w e r t h e s e q u e s t i o n s .

sat a r e t h e two s h o r t c o m i n g s of t h e first aid facilities c u r r e n t l y p r o v i d e d by t h e Five O a k s S p o r t s C e n t r e ?

b Hew m a n y suggestions d o e s t h e p r o p o s a l i n c l u d e ?

-. :hese suggestions?

t i lap e listing four different kinds of proposal. W i t h a partner, l o o k at t h e list of s h o r t c o m i n g s and

: ox. C a n you c o m p l e t e t h e table with t h e missing information?

retraining, re-entering the job market no local computer facilities except Internet cafes
for local community as well as students no quiet area for study
'<oi>ege games occupy children
facilities, old/damaged equipment reference section - homework, research
: excess school leavers - further education
:- 'acilities the unemployed - training/job opportunities
::-:rs facilities shared with public no help/advice for school leavers, the unemployed or
- rr : : r . i i free to shop people wanting to return to work

Proposal Existing shortcomings Benefits

_ - :: :c create a study 1
& cown library with computers
2 2

3 w o r k on own

minding / childcare I 1
i-ge shopping c e n t r e (children bored - misbehave,
shops difficult to navigate with 2
pushchairs, young children, etc)

: a r e e r advisory service 1 1

-nproving sports facilities 1 1 ,

j community
2

2 3 m e e t people

39
 Proposals Applying for funds

A proposal n e e d s to be w r i t t e n in a formal style. Look at t h e s e s e n t e n c e s b e l o w and

tick ( /) t h o s e that y o u think w o u l d be suitable to include in a proposal.

1 I t h i n k t h a t a p l a c e w h e r e m u m s a n d d a d s can leave t h e i r kids for

an h o u r or two is a really g o o d idea.

2 U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h e s p o r t s facilities available a r e i n a d e q u a t e a n d
m u c h of t h e e q u i p m e n t is e i t h e r o l d or d a m a g e d .

3 L o t s of p e o p l e d o n ' t w a n t to sit in a smoky, noisy cafe just so

t h e y c a n surf t h e net.

4 T h i s p r o p o s a l tries to say why o u r t o w n n e e d s a c a r e e r

advisory service.

5 T h e provision of such a service w o u l d leave p a r e n t s free to s h o p

in t h e k n o w l e d g e t h a t their c h i l d r e n a r e b e i n g well l o o k e d after.

6 I'm sure you'll a g r e e t h a t a c o m p u t e r a n d study a r e a is j u s t w h a t

o u r t o w n library n e e d s .

7 If t h e s p o r t s c e n t r e is really g o o d a n d c h e a p , lots of p e o p l e
will u s e it.

8 T h i s p r o p o s a l o u t l i n e s t h e r e a s o n s why U p p e r C h e s t o n r e q u i r e s
funding to c r e a t e a C a r e e r s A d v i s o r y Service t h a t w o u l d be of
benefit to local p e o p l e of all ages.

Can y o u rewrite t h e s e n t e n c e s from e x e r c i s e 5 that y o u did n o t tick, so t h e y are in a m o r e

suitable style?

40
H P
 Applying for funds Proposals

zse o n e of the q u e s t i o n s b e l o w and w r i t e a proposal, using t h e information from e x e r c i s e s 4 - 6 to

You w o r k at t h e local library and y o u and y o u r c o l l e a g u e s have d e c i d e d to ask t h e local authority

f o r funding t o e x t e n d t h e s e r v i c e s offered. T h e funding w o u l d b e used t o c r e a t e a quiet
s u d y ' r e a d i n g area and provide a c o m p u t e r area w h e r e m e m b e r s of t h e public w o u l d be able to
j s e t h e c o m p u t e r s and also a c c e s s t h e Internet. W r i t e a proposal outlining w h y t h e s e facilities
a.-e n e c e s s a r y and h o w t h e y w o u l d benefit t h e c o m m u n i t y as a w h o l e .

You are a qualified child minder and have decided to w r i t e a proposal applying for funds to start up
pour o w n business. You w o u l d like to use t h e m o n e y to provide childcare facilities at a shopping
c e n t r e in t h e nearby t o w n . It has b e e n suggested that y o u include details of t h e lack of facilities
ixesentry available, h o w y o u w o u l d spend t h e m o n e y and h o w y o u r plans w o u l d be of benefit.

r
a e a youth c o u n s e l l o r and have b e e n asked to w r i t e a proposal to t h e local authority asking
for n j n d s to c r e a t e a c a r e e r s advisory s e r v i c e in y o u r t o w n . You should explain w h y this s e r v i c e is
- c e d e d and h o w i t w o u l d benefit t h e community.

You are a m e m b e r of t h e Student U n i o n at y o u r university. T h e r e have b e e n a n u m b e r of

:: -: a i t s about t h e lack of s p o r t s facilities available to s t u d e n t s and it has b e e n d e c i d e d that t h e
versity will apply to t h e local authority for funds to make i m p r o v e m e n t s . You have b e e n asked
zz write a proposal outlining t h e existing facilities and explaining h o w t h e m o n e y should be spent.
 Proposals Assessing choices
nH

i Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e proposal b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

You have read a n o t i c e in t h e local n e w s p a p e r from t h e t o w n council inviting residents to give

their opinions on h o w m o n e y raised at a r e c e n t fair could be used. T h e t o w n councillors have
m a d e s o m e s u g g e s t i o n s - e x t e n d i n g t h e t o w n library, improving t h e local park or renovating a
local building. You d e c i d e to s e n d in a proposal, c o m m e n t i n g on t h e s e possibilities, and stating
which idea w o u l d be t h e b e s t for t h e local c o m m u n i t y and why.

Purpose
T h e aim of this proposal is to discuss the suggestions which were m a d e by t h e town councillors on
how the money raised at t h e 1st A n n u a l S u m m e r Fair should best be spent.

Town Library
T h e town library, which is very popular with the local residents and is said to be one of the best in the
country, is very cramped, with space being at a premium. This is partly d u e to the fact that the new
audio section occupies a (1) ; a m o u n t of space in the main library, which
m e a n s that the wide variety of books available has to be c r a m m e d into a much smaller space than
would otherwise be desirable. It is, therefore, logical that some people feel that building an extension
would be a (2) way to spend the money raised at the S u m m e r Fair.

St Leonard's Park
T h e park on St Leonard's Street has long b e e n a meeting place for old and young alike. However,
with the exception of the gardens, which are very well cared for, the p a r k is (3) in
n e e d of repair. T h e open-air stage, which was once the venue for many plays and concerts, has been
badly vandalised, and a (4) a m o u n t of money will be n e e d e d in order that
it be restored. F u r t h e r m o r e , the children's playground is, for want of a better word, a safety hazard,
and this must be rectified immediately if the town council is to avoid being held accountable for
accidents.

The Old Schoolhouse

F o r many years now, there has b e e n talk about the renovation of the old schoolhouse in t h e main
town square. Unfortunately, this has not yet been brought to fruition. It is (5) a
great pity that this building, which is part of our local heritage, has been allowed to fall into disrepair.
However, the cost of renovating such a building would (6) exceed the funds
available at this time.

Recommendation
In conclusion, while all three suggestions would benefit t h e local community in some way, it is my
belief that St Leonard's Park deserves our (7) attention. I h o p e that the points
outlined in this proposal will receive your (8) consideration.

2 Read t h e proposal again and fill t h e gaps using t h e adjectives and adverbs below. M o r e than o n e a n s w e r
may be possible.

badly commendable considerable immediate

serious substantial surely undoubtedly

J*
 Assessing choices Proposals

3 Find w o r d s and phrases in t h e proposal which mean t h e s a m e as:

a limited

b t a k e s up

c really n e e d s m e n d i n g

d fixed

e b l a m e d for

m If f carried out

g d e t e r i o r a t e in c o n d i t i o n

h be m o r e t h a n

r e s e Questions a b o u t t h e proposal o n t h e previous page.

, hich p a r a g r a p h d o e s t h e writer s t a t e t h e p u r p o s e of t h e p r o p o s a l ?

-;ch p a r a g r a p h d o e s t h e writer s t a t e which of t h e suggestions he thinks is t h e b e s t ?

_ e> the writer do in t h e first s e n t e n c e s in p a r a g r a p h s 3-5?

: rr an
i r e a s o n s for s p e n d i n g m o n e y on each of t h e suggestions?

To*ra Library:
St L e o n a r d ' s P a r k :
T h e Old Schoolhouse:

dertine t h e e x p l a n a t i o n s / e x a m p l e s given for t h e r e a s o n s . A r e t h e r e e x p l a n a t i o n s / e x a m p l e s for all t h r e e

W h \ do you think this is?

the three sug:g:estiron>

ssalinword
hecih
r, helped starting w i t h t h e o n e t h e writer t h i n k s is t h e m o s t a p p r o p r i a t e , writing t h e
you find y o u r answer.
 Proposals Assessing choices

5 L o o k at t h e s e n t e n c e s below. T h e y are w r i t t e n As with all formal writing, the passive voice is used in proposab.
in t h e active v o i c e . In t h e proposal, find This is mainly due to the fact that it is not appropriate to talk
c o r r e s p o n d i n g s e n t e n c e s in t h e passive v o i c e directly to the person who is going to read the proposal. This is
and w r i t e t h e m below. especially true if blame is being apportioned.

a T h e a i m of this p r o p o s a l is to discuss t h e suggestions which t h e t o w n councillors m a d e .

b T h e y say t h a t t h e t o w n library is o n e of t h e best in t h e c o u n t r y .

c T h e y h a v e to c r a m t h e w i d e variety of b o o k s available into a m u c h s m a l l e r p l a c e .

d S o m e o n e h a s badly v a n d a l i s e d t h e o p e n - a i r stage, w h i c h w a s o n c e t h e v e n u e for m a n y plays a n d c o n c e r t s .

e Y o u will n e e d a c o n s i d e r a b l e a m o u n t of m o n e y in o r d e r t h a t it be r e s t o r e d .

f Y o u m u s t rectify this i m m e d i a t e l y if t h e t o w n council is to avoid s o m e o n e h o l d i n g t h e m r e s p o n s i b l e

for accidents.

6 Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice w h e r e possible.

a S o m e o n e m u s t h i r e a b u s w h e n t h e h o c k e y t e a m plays away from h o m e .

b U n f o r t u n a t e l y , we will n o t raise a lot of m o n e y for t h e field trip.

c T h e y said t h a t t h e science lab at this college is t h e best in t h e country.

d S o m e o n e n e e d s t o l o o k after t h e e m p l o y e e s ' c h i l d r e n while e m p l o y e e s a r e w o r k i n g .

44
 Assessing choices Proposals

s h o u l d b u y a c o o k e r or a m i c r o w a v e oven for p e o p l e to h e a t up food.

; uld set up a gym in t h e b a s e m e n t , which n o b o d y uses.

5sal on o n e of t h e following q u e s t i o n s . Do t h e e x e r c i s e s before y o u begin writing to help y o u .

': - - ege has b e e n given funding by a f a m o u s f o r m e r s t u d e n t and t h e Student C o m m i t t e e has m a d e

: : ~ e s u g g e s t i o n s - a n e w s c i e n c e lab, a n e w mini-bus or a field trip abroad. You d e c i d e to s e n d in a
: :: zn . c o m m e n t i n g on t h e s e possibilities, and stating which idea w o u l d be t h e b e s t and why.

i ': o w i n g q u e s t i o n s to c o m p l e t e t h e paragraph plan.

- :-oduction: W h a t is t h e a i m of y o u r p r o p o s a l ?

p a r a g r a p h 2: W h a t r e a s o n a n d e x p l a n a t i o n / e x a m p l e c a n you t h i n k of for building a n e w science l a b ?

p a r a g r a p h 3: W h a t r e a s o n a n d e x p l a n a t i o n / e x a m p l e c a n y o u t h i n k o f for a n e w m i n i - b u s ?

p
a r a g r a p h 4: W h a t r e a s o n a n d e x p l a n a t i o n / e x a m p l e c a n you t h i n k of for a field trip a b r o a d ?

ion: W h a t is your recommendation?

ny you w o r k for has been given funding to improve working conditions. T h e board of directors
iree suggestions - childcare facilities, cooking facilities or building a gym. Employees have b e e n
nd in proposals c o m m e n t i n g on t h e s e possibilities, stating which idea would be t h e b e s t and
your proposal.

o w i n g q u e s t i o n s t o c o m p l e t e t h e paragraph plan.

rroduction: W h a t is t h e aim of y o u r p r o p o s a l ?

c
a r a g r a p h 2: W h a t r e a s o n a n d e x p l a n a t i o n / e x a m p l e c a n y o u t h i n k of for c h i l d c a r e facilities?

P a r a g r a p h 3: W h a t r e a s o n a n d e x p l a n a t i o n / e x a m p l e c a n y o u t h i n k o f for c o o k i n g facilities?

Paragraph 4: W h a t r e a s o n a n d e x p l a n a t i o n / e x a m p l e c a n y o u t h i n k of for a b u i l d i n g a gym?

Conclusion: W h a t is your recommendation?

 Proposals

Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e proposal b e l o w and do

oooo o o o o
\& \fc ^ \% \ | \ | %| \&
t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow. ^Problem:
w W W W W W

drop in tourism in 5 yrs

You are a m e m b e r of t h e local tourist hotels, restaurants and shops had to shut down
association which recently held a m e e t i n g on 10% more people out of work
t h e problem of t h e reduction in t h e n u m b e r of
visitors t o t h e area. You a t t e n d e d t h e m e e t i n g Solutions: _
and have b e e n asked to w r i t e a proposal for 1 advertising
t h e local authorities evaluating t h e situation 2. clean up beaches
and making s o m e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , using t h e _3 appeal to different tourists
n o t e s y o u t o o k a t t h e meeting.

Purpose
T h e purpose of this proposal is to discuss the problems the local tourist industry faces and to p u t
forward measures that could be taken to improve t h e situation.

C u r r e n t Situation
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , o u r t o w n is c o n f r o n t e d by t h e s a m e p r o b l e m t h a t is crippling t h e rest of t h e
country. T h e fall in the n u m b e r of tourists visiting our town is having a devastating impact on the
local community. In just five years, local tourism has declined by 3 0 % , forcing many businesses to
close. As a result, local u n e m p l o y m e n t has increased by 1 0 % . O u t l i n e d below are s o m e
suggestions that could help rectify this situation.

Recommendations
1 Many of our m e m b e r s feel that the key to increasing local tourism is to diversify into other
kinds of tourism. Perhaps the local council should consider different ways of p r o m o t i n g our
town as a holiday resort by providing financial assistance to those who wish to invest in our
a r e a . If g r a n t s w e r e given to investors to set up n e w v e n t u r e s , such as specialist holiday
companies, t h e r e would be m o r e variety which would encourage different sorts of tourists to
visit our area.

2 In o r d e r to attract visitors to o u r area, it is essential t h a t we have attractive b e a c h e s a n d

coastlines. This would entail clearing beaches of rubbish, and making sure that all beach bars
and seaside restaurants are attractive to look at, unlike some of the monstrosities which are
spoiling t h e coastline at present. Providing this m e a s u r e is taken, the visitors who c o m e h e r e on
beach holidays would be encouraged to return, and our r e p u t a t i o n as a beach resort would
improve.

3 A n o t h e r answer to the problem would be to launch an international advertising campaign. If

local government funds were m a d e available for such a campaign, t h e local tourist association
would do its utmost to m a k e a sizable contribution. This would be an excellent way to p r o m o t e
the region and encourage tourism. H a d we d o n e this earlier, we may have b e e n able to avoid
the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves today.

Conclusion
It is i m p e r a t i v e t h a t s o m e t h i n g is d o n e to e n s u r e t h e revival of local t o u r i s m . It is o u r firm
conviction that the i m p l e m e n t a t i o n of the suggestions above would m a k e a significant
contribution to this.
 Evaluating a situation Proposals

a s e s in t h e proposal which are similar in meaning to t h e o n e s below. S o m e t i m e s m o r e than

ble.

Don't use the same

r. _r.:rv
words and phrases in
your writing that are
in the question. Try
j : r'.e are o u t o f w o r k to use synonyms, or
paraphrase as far as
mendations
possible.
beaches

m and t h e proposal again and a n s w e r t h e following q u e s t i o n s .

phi s) d o e s t h e writer:

g e n e r a l situation at t h e t i m e of writing?
n m e n d a t i o n b a s e d o n i n f o r m a t i o n given i n t h e n o t e s ? and.
aim of the p r o p o s a l is to evaluate the situation a n d m a k e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s ?
ir r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s will h e l p i m p r o v e t h e s i t u a t i o n ?
he recommendation can be implemented? and ,
i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e p r o b l e m given i n t h e n o t e s ?
ortance of m e a s u r e s b e i n g t a k e n ?
the result of t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n will b e ? and ,

: ::s one. you are trying to persuade someone to take action. Therefore,
:

mouM do your best to make them understand how important something is.

:-. r = s e n t e n c e s b e l o w using t h e w o r d s in bold. U s e b e t w e e n t w o and five w o r d s . You may wish to l o o k

:- ~zze 'or help with t h e structures n e e d e d .

i ~-; : - :hat business is b a d is having a h u g e effect on t h e local c o m m u n i t y .

s

business on t h e local c o m m u n i t y .
Imr p e o p l e feel t h a t giving g r a n t s to n e w b u s i n e s s e s is t h e way to i n c r e a s e t r a d e .

. fee that the to give g r a n t s to n e w businesses.

! :s might like to think a b o u t ways to tidy up the n e i g h b o u r h o o d .

. .::horities cleaning up t h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d .

i . - r ;. e a p e o p l e m u s t be t r a i n e d p r o p e r l y if we a r e to r e d u c e t h e u n e m p l o y m e n t level.
c-^ntial"
aider t o r e d u c e the u n e m p l o y m e n t level, people are trained properly.
T h i s is h o w best to e n c o u r a g e business in t h e area,
c \ : 111 e n t
to e n c o u r a g e business in t h e a r e a .
f We must do s o m e t h i n g b e f o r e it's t o o late,
imp* r a t h e
d o n e b e f o r e it is t o o late.

47
 Proposals Evaluating a situation

Look at Reference section 4a, b and e on pages 6 4 - 6 5

and Reference section 11 on page 67 and then c o m p l e t e
t h e proposal b e l o w with t h e c o r r e c t form o f t h e verbs
00 00 000
Problem:
in brackets or using would w h e r e necessary.
college wants to stop publishing
college newspaper not popular enough
You are head e d i t o r of t h e college n e w s p a p e r and local advertisers want to pull out _
y o u recently a t t e n d e d a staff m e e t i n g a b o u t t h e
p r o b l e m of l o w readership. You have b e e n asked Solutions:
to w r i t e a proposal for t h e Principal evaluating
1 make appearance. more up-to-date
t h e situation and outlining s o m e suggestions,
2 make available in other areas of college
using t h e n o t e s y o u t o o k at t h e staff meeting.
3 special features on local events

Purpose
T h e purpose of this proposal is to discuss the problems the college newspaper faces and to m a k e
r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s which (1) (improve) the situation.

Current Situation
Unfortunately, our newspaper is in grave danger of being closed down. T h e college is seriously
c o n s i d e r i n g w i t h d r a w i n g its f u n d i n g , o n t h e g r o u n d s t h a t c i r c u l a t i o n i s n o t high e n o u g h .
F u r t h e r m o r e , local advertisers are contemplating withdrawing from the newspaper for the same
r e a s o n . O u t l i n e d below are s o m e suggestions that (2) (help) rectify this
situation.

Recommendations
1 In o r d e r to increase the circulation of the college newspaper, it is imperative that there are a
n u m b e r of points of sale apart from t h e English D e p a r t m e n t , where it is sold at present. This
(3) (entail) persuading other m e m b e r s of staff on the newspaper to give
up s o m e of their t i m e in o r d e r to sell p a p e r s at t h e m a i n college e n t r a n c e . T h e S t u d e n t s '
U n i o n (4) (be) another suitable location. (5)
(this/think of) sooner, we may already have been making a profit.

2 Some m e m b e r s of staff believe that the key to increasing circulation is to bring the newspaper
into the 21st century. Perhaps the design d e p a r t m e n t could create a new concept for t h e paper.
I f t h e n e w s p a p e r l o o k e d m o r e m o d e r n , s t u d e n t s (6)
(undoubtedly find) it m o r e attractive.

3 A n o t h e r answer to t h e p r o b l e m would be to have new features and articles which students

want to find out about. F o r example, a ' W h a t ' s O n ' section could be included, with details of
local cinemas, concerts, etc. This (7) (be) an excellent way to encourage
students to buy the newspaper on a regular basis.

Conclusion
It is vital t h a t s o m e t h i n g is d o n e to p r e v e n t t h e c o l l e g e n e w s p a p e r b e i n g c l o s e d d o w n . If
suggestions such as the ones above (8) (take) seriously, we believe that t h e
newspaper can be saved.
 Evaluating a situation

: r~~ ; . e s : on and t h e proposal again and c o m p l e t e t h e paragraph plan.

- z- :: . zz on:
discuss newspaper's problems and suggest improvements

Z . i~ : 5 t - a t i o n :
G o e r i sanation?
itbout the p r o b l e m ?

lations:
I?
pitmen t?

2?

art?

_ . i!r\ii".:on 3?
|Hwii^knient?

Z :<-<:json:
-- -..-.r.ce o f m e a s u r e s b e i n g t a k e n ,
xir r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s will i m p r o v e t h e s i t u a t i o n .

- r r e "'c c w i n g proposal using t h e n o t e s below.

t a i H-= a - e mper of t h e local business p e o p l e ' s a s s o c i a t i o n w h i c h recently held a m e e t i n g on t h e

; ack of business in t h e area. You a t t e n d e d t h e m e e t i n g and have b e e n asked to write
Z "Z Z -z -
ie local authorities evaluating t h e situation and outlining s o m e suggestions, using t h e
mceii zn

00 00 000
 Reviews Reviewing a book
I Look at t h e q u e s t i o n b e l o w and read Julia's review that follows. T h e n c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

A magazine which regularly reviews b o o k s has invited its readers to s e n d in a review of a b o o k in

which c o u r a g e and d e t e r m i n a t i o n play an important role. W r i t e a review for t h e magazine saying
w h a t you learnt from it.

Not Without My Daughter w a s r e c o m m e n d e d to me as t h e a m a z i n g t r u e story of o n e w o m a n ' s

c o u r a g e a n d love for h e r d a u g h t e r in a p a r t i c u l a r l y difficult a n d d a n g e r o u s p e r i o d of h e r life.
B e t t y M a h m o o d y , t h e a u t h o r , (1) was betrayed b y h e r h u s b a n d , D r Sayyed B o z o r g M a h m o o d y
( M o o d y ) a n d i m p r i s o n e d w i t h o u t rights, w i t h n o m e a n s o f r e t u r n i n g t o h e r o w n c o u n t r y .
D e s p i t e t h e t e r r i b l e t r e a t m e n t a n d h a r d s h i p s s h e (2) endured, w h i c h w o u l d h a v e b r o k e n m a n y
a strong-willed p e r s o n , s h e (3) determined to e s c a p e w i t h h e r d a u g h t e r , M a h t o b .

T h e b o o k (4) began inside an a e r o p l a n e which (5) was making its d e s c e n t into h e r h u s b a n d ' s
h o m e l a n d . O n b o a r d (6) were Betty, M o o d y a n d M a h t o b . E v e n a t this stage o f t h e b o o k t h e
r e a d e r s (7) understood t h a t Betty (8) was having misgivings a b o u t h e r j o u r n e y to a c o u n t r y which,
at t h e t i m e , so d e s p i s e d A m e r i c a a n d its citizens. H o w e v e r , s h e (9) felt t h a t she (10) had to allow
h e r d a u g h t e r to visit h e r h u s b a n d ' s family b e f o r e b e i n g e n r o l l e d in school b a c k in t h e States.

T h e story (11) unfolded to reveal t h a t Betty's w o r s t n i g h t m a r e (12) had come t r u e : s h e a n d h e r

b e l o v e d d a u g h t e r (13) had become p r i s o n e r s at t h e m e r c y of h e r h u s b a n d a n d his often cruel
family. B e t t y (14) couldn't come to t e r m s with h e r fate a n d (15) vowed to e s c a p e a n d r e t u r n to
A m e r i c a . U n d e r s t a n d a b l y , s h e (16) was unwilling to do so w i t h o u t M a h t o b b u t (17) found, to h e r
h o r r o r , t h a t t h e p e o p l e s h e (18) met (19) couldn't or (20) wouldn't h e l p her.

Finally she (21) came into c o n t a c t with A m a h l , w h o (22) was able to a r r a n g e h e r e s c a p e across
t h e b o r d e r . T h e story (23) ended with a d e t a i l e d a c c o u n t of B e t t y a n d M a h t o b ' s t r e a c h e r o u s t r e k
t h r o u g h t h e m o u n t a i n s d u r i n g a s n o w s t o r m a n d their final arrival in T u r k e y , from w h e r e t h e y
(24) travelled b a c k to A m e r i c a .

As well as b e i n g well-written, this e x t r a o r d i n a r y b o o k is also t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g . I f o u n d I w a s

u n a b l e to p u t it d o w n , a n d finished r e a d i n g it within 48 h o u r s of starting it. A l t h o u g h it is
u p s e t t i n g at t i m e s , t h e o v e r w h e l m i n g love of a m o t h e r for h e r child (25) was a p p a r e n t on e a c h
p a g e . I realised t h a t n o t e v e r y o n e in this w o r l d h a s a safe a n d peaceful existence; s o m e t h i n g t h a t
m a n y p e o p l e , myself i n c l u d e d , often t a k e for g r a n t e d . It will r e m a i n an u n f o r g e t t a b l e a c c o u n t of
c o u r a g e , love a n d d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h a t s h o u l d b e a n i n s p i r a t i o n t o u s all.

2 Read t h e review again and a n s w e r t h e following q u e s t i o n s .

I n which p a r a g r a p h ( s ) d o e s Julia:

a give h e r r e a c t i o n to t h e b o o k ?
b give us a brief overview of t h e p l o t ?
c m e n t i o n t h e title a n d a u t h o r of t h e b o o k ?
d s u p p o r t h e r c h o i c e of b o o k while e x p a n d i n g on t h e p l o t ? , and
 Reviewing a book Reviews

-. Reference section I2f on pages 6 8 - 6 9 . Julia w r o t e her review as a past t e n s e narrative. Change t h e
e-rs in italics into t h e t e n s e s that should be used to w r i t e a b o u t a b o o k .

Introduction
I

Paragraph 2

8
9
1
Paragraph 3
II
12
U

14
15
14
17
15
19

i: a r e questions b e l o w and c h o o s e o n e . W r i t e a paragraph plan using Julia's review as a guide. Expand

. z i- 'zo a review practising p r e s e n t t e n s e s .

- - i g a z ne is running a feature in which they review b o o k s HJjJ

. : m a k e g o o d presents for a friend. They are inviting U u i
e - - e a c e r s to send in reviews on b o o k s t h e y think w o u l d Whenyou write a review, do not
z-z s - -_ao.e. W r i t e a review of a b o o k y o u think w o u l d make a get caught up in just retelling the
i : - - - explaining w h y story. Instead, concentrate on the
main points that explain why you
c h o s e t h l s b o o k t o r e v i e w a n d
z : . ; e o n g t o a b o o k club and have b e e n asked t o w r i t e a
, . I. I i your reaction to it.
z - :~e n e x t n e w s l e t t e r r e c o m m e n d i n g a b o o k to '
--z e ~ o e r s . W r i t e a review of a b o o k which has had an
- : ; : : a - y o u r life.

jction title?
author?
brief overview of p l o t ?

" a . - Body main points of the plot that

s u p p o r t y o u r choice?

Conclusion reaction':

51
 Reviews Reviewing a film
mmm

Read t h e question and t h e review b e l o w and do t h e exercises

which follow.

A popular monthly magazine, which regularly reviews films, has

invited its readers to write a review of a film recently released on
video for the magazine. W r i t e your review of a film recently released
on video and say what you consider to be t h e disadvantages of
watching a film on video rather than at t h e cinema.

Castaway, which (1) (just/release) on

v i d e o , (2) ( b e ) o n e of t h e biggest b l o c k b u s t e r s of
2000. F o r s o m e s t r a n g e r e a s o n , I (3) ( n o t see) it
at t h e c i n e m a , so I (4) ( d e c i d e ) to get it o u t on v i d e o . A l t h o u g h I (5)
( b e ) very glad I did, I n o w (6) ( r e g r e t ) n o t having s e e n it on t h e big screen.

C h u c k N o l a n d ( T o m H a n k s ) (7) ( b e ) a F e d E x executive w h o (8) (live)

b y t h e clock a n d (9) ( n o t s p e n d ) e n o u g h t i m e with his girlfriend Kelly ( H e l e n H u n t ) ,
as his w o r k frequently (10) ( t a k e ) h i m to t h e four c o r n e r s of t h e e a r t h . At a C h r i s t m a s
a e
party, C h u c k (11) ( P g ) a n d m u s t leave i m m e d i a t e l y for Asia. D u r i n g t h e flight,
C h u c k ' s p l a n e (12) (hit) a t e r r i b l e t h u n d e r s t o r m , t h e p l a n e (13)
( c r a s h ) a n d C h u c k (14) ( b e ) t h e only survivor.

He (15) (float) in a life raft to a d e s e r t island s o m e w h e r e in t h e Pacific. R e l y i n g on his

wits a n d instinct, N o l a n d (16) ( c r e a t e ) a makeshift h o m e . He (17)
(face) a s s o r t e d c h a l l e n g e s , including l e a r n i n g h o w to crack o p e n c o c o n u t s a n d h o w to m a k e a fire by
r u b b i n g o n e p i e c e o f w o o d against a n o t h e r . A s t h e days (18) ( t u r n i n t o ) w e e k s , his
h o p e s of b e i n g r e s c u e d (19) (dwindle).

C h u c k ' s a d v e n t u r e (20) ( b e ) a lonely, d e s o l a t e o n e : a fact which is constantly

r e a f f i r m e d by shots of t h e massive o c e a n a n d starry skies. A f t e r four y e a r s of lonely existence, C h u c k
(21) (build) a raft a n d (22) ( m a k e ) a final a t t e m p t at e s c a p e .
C h u c k (23) ( b a t t l e ) with t h e w a v e s for h o u r s o n e n d a n d (24)
(give u p ) h o p e of b e i n g r e s c u e d w h e n he (25) ( s p o t ) by a c a r g o ship a n d
(26) ( t a k e b a c k ) to civilisation, w h e r e things (27) ( n o t b e ) at
all t h e way h e (28) (imagine) them to be.

T h e film (29) ( b e ) very impressive, b u t it w o u l d h a v e b e e n even m o r e so on t h e big

s c r e e n . A s with all a c t i o n scenes w a t c h e d o n a T V screen, justice c a n n o t h a v e b e e n d o n e t o t h e p l a n e crash,
which m u s t h a v e b e e n terrifying w h e n s e e n ( a n d h e a r d ) a t t h e c i n e m a . Similarly, t h e scenery m u s t h a v e
b e e n b r e a t h t a k i n g , a n d t h e v a s t n e s s o f t h e sea a n d sky w o u l d h a v e m a d e C h u c k ' s loneliness even m o r e
painful to watch. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , this (30) ( b e ) t h e p r i c e o n e has to p a y for w a t c h i n g a
v i d e o r a t h e r t h a n t h e 'real thing'.

Study Reference section I2f on pages 6 8 - 6 9 and fill in

t h e blanks in t h e review with t h e c o r r e c t t e n s e of t h e
verbs in brackets. When describing the plot of a film or book, it is
important that the reader knows the order in which the
main events occur. To do this effectively, you should
Underline any w o r d s and phrases used in t h e review to
use a variety of time expressions in your writing.
s h o w w h e n something happened, or t h e passing of time.
 Reviewing a film Reviews

sd on t h e review on t h e previous page, put t h e paragraph plan b e l o w into t h e c o r r e c t order. W r i t e

c^rjon, Main Body, Conclusion.

S t a t e y o u r g e n e r a l r e a c t i o n t o t h e film. C o m m e n t o n t h e d i s a d v a n t a g e s o f w a t c h i n g
t h e p a r t i c u l a r film on v i d e o a n d discuss t h e g e n e r a l d i s a d v a n t a g e s of films on v i d e o .

S t a t e t h e title of t h e film a n d give a r e a s o n for w a t c h i n g t h e film on v i d e o . I n d i c a t e

t h a t w a t c h i n g films on v i d e o has its d i s a d v a n t a g e s .

Briefly d e s c r i b e t h e p l o t . M e n t i o n a s p e c t s of t h e film which exemplify y o u r o p i n i o n

of w a t c h i n g films on v i d e o .

r. : - e q u e s t i o n s b e l o w , think of a film for each o n e and c o m p l e t e t h e paragraph plans which follow with

Dopular film magazine has invited its readers to w r i t e a r e v i e w for t h e magazine. W r i t e a review of a
> - c < b u s t e r and say w h a t y o u c o n s i d e r to be t h e essential qualities that make a blockbuster.
I (live)
Hunt),
iristmas -troduction title?
ht. r e a s o n for w a t c h i n g t h e b l o c k b u s t e r ?
I n d i c a t e t h a t b l o c k b u s t e r s h a v e essential qualities.

" a n Body plot?

e x a m p l e s of b l o c k b u s t e r qualities?
on his

y
Conclusion your general reaction?
k his
qualities of film?
g e n e r a l qualities of b l o c k b u s t e r s ?

aopular monthly magazine, which regularly reviews films, has an awards c e r e m o n y every year. Readers
: a a e e n invited to n o m i n a t e a film for t h e c a t e g o r y ' C o m e d y of t h e Year'. W r i t e a review a b o u t a film
: _ : - - < d e s e r v e s t o win t h e award and say w h a t you c o n s i d e r t o b e t h e essential qualities that make a
=coc c o m e d y film.

-foduction title?
r e a s o n for w a t c h i n g t h e c o m e d y ?
I n d i c a t e t h a t c o m e d i e s h a v e essential qualities.

Main Body plot?

e x a m p l e s of qualities of c o m e d i e s ?

Conclusion your general reaction?

qualities of film?
g e n e r a l qualities of c o m e d i e s ?
a is '' "
e
"';!^ - := a -eview in a n s w e r to o n e of t h e q u e s t i o n s a b o v e , using y o u r paragraph plan, and taking t h e things y o u
jina mm learnt in this unit into c o n s i d e r a t i o n .

53
 Reviews Reviewing a restaurant/hote

I Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e review b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

You are e m p l o y e d in a large c o m p a n y w h o s e manager is retiring. T h e c o m p a n y w a n t s to organise a

leaving party as a t o k e n of its appreciation for t h e manager's many years of s e r v i c e . You have b e e n
asked to w r i t e a review of a restaurant in y o u r area that y o u c o n s i d e r suitable for t h e o c c a s i o n .
You should include details of seating capacity, cuisine and any o t h e r s e r v i c e s y o u feel w o u l d make
this a suitable v e n u e .

The Willows, (1) ,

h a s a r e p u t a t i o n for providing top-quality, t r a d i t i o n a l English cuisine t o g e t h e r with high-class
service. It also h a s t h e a d v a n t a g e of b e i n g able to p r o v i d e a private dining a r e a t h a t c a n be h i r e d for
a n e v e n i n g o r l u n c h t i m e event.

T h e r e s t a u r a n t i s set i n t h e a t t r a c t i v e s u r r o u n d i n g s o f t h e h o t e l w h e r e guests a n d t h o s e using t h e

r e s t a u r a n t a r e able to enjoy a walk t h r o u g h t h e extensive g a r d e n s , (2)
, d o w n to t h e lake t h a t gives
t h e h o t e l its n a m e . T h e p r i v a t e dining r o o m itself, (3)
, p r o v i d e s seating for a m a x i m u m of 100 p e o p l e , a l t h o u g h
t h e r e is a d a n c e floor a n d DJ a r e a if r e q u i r e d . In this event, seating w o u l d be r e d u c e d to a
m a x i m u m o f 80. S h o u l d a D J b e r e q u i r e d , t h e h o t e l can o r g a n i s e this o r t h o s e hiring t h e r o o m can
do so. If a DJ is n o t r e q u i r e d , t h e n t h e h o t e l will a r r a n g e for s o m e p l e a s a n t b a c k g r o u n d m u s i c in
k e e p i n g with t h e event.

T h e waiting staff at The Willows, (4) , do their

u t m o s t to m a k e o n e ' s visit enjoyable a n d t h e chefs a r e r e n o w n e d for their skill a n d t h e variety in t h e
dishes they c r e a t e . T h e m a n a g e r suggests a set m e n u for an occasion such as a r e t i r e m e n t party, a
n u m b e r of which a r e available, varying in price according to w h a t is chosen. She assures me that
vegetarians a n d o t h e r dietary n e e d s can be c a t e r e d for, providing a d v a n c e d notification is given.

As The Willows is s i t u a t e d on t h e o u t s k i r t s of T o n b r i d g e , (5)

t h o s e using p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t s h o u l d n o t e n c o u n t e r difficulties i n r e a c h i n g t h e r e s t a u r a n t . T h e r e i s
also a m p l e p a r k i n g for t h o s e w h o w o u l d b e driving.

I w o u l d n o t h e s i t a t e to r e c o m m e n d The Willows as an ideal location for Mr W i t h e r t o n ' s r e t i r e m e n t

party. It offers excellent service a n d g o o d f o o d in a relaxed, p l e a s a n t e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t c a n be
conveniently r e a c h e d by m e m b e r s of o u r staff.

Look at Reference section 7 on page 66 and study t h e e x a m p l e s t h e r e before c o m p l e t i n g t h e review with t h e

phrases below.

a large nearby town

a beautiful, wood-panelled room overlooking the grounds

friendly and professional individuals

lovingly maintained since they were planted at the turn of the twentieth century

the well-known restaurant situated in the grounds of The Lake Hotel

/1hotl Reviewing a restaurant/hotel

: : : : ; - -ases in t h e review that mean t h e following:

nd b e l o n g i n g to a n d s u r r o u n d i n g a building

of
Ut f e a view

a: ite-.ery best
Hi Mlfci I B ml

: c
1 ntzrm '

= -. again and a n s w e r t h e s e q u e s t i o n s a b o u t it.

:e::s : the r e s t a u r a n t h a s t h e writer focused o n ?

m ati : in is given in direct a n s w e r to t h e q u e s t i o n set?

her information is given in s u p p o r t of this v e n u e ?

-.is *ve paragraphs. W h i c h of t h e headings

: : : - :s to e a c h of t h e five paragraphs?
. J - e ^ s I-5 o n t h e d o t t e d lines t o indicate

sftflity and parking

.-.rings, seating and music arrangements

hieing the venue

iarv of recommendatoin
 Reviews Reviewing a restaurant/hotel

Look at Reference section 2c on page 64 and c o m p a r e t h e s e s e n t e n c e s :

T h e dining r o o m has w o o d p a n e l s .

It is a w o o d - p a n e l l e d d i n i n g r o o m .

R e w r i t e t h e s e s e n t e n c e s , c o n v e r t i n g t h e m from o n e form t o a n o t h e r ,

a T h e h o t e l has twenty b e d r o o m s .

b It is a glass-roofed s w i m m i n g p o o l .

c T h e building has t h r e e floors.

d T h e y a r e all d a r k - h a i r e d w a i t e r s .

e She is a w e l l - m a n n e r e d r e c e p t i o n i s t .

7 C o m p l e t e t h e table with t h e adjectives b e l o w that can be used to d e s c r i b e f o o d , staff and hotels/restaurants.

delicious elegant surroundings extortionate (x2) first<lass fresh friendly inattentive

inefficient luxurious neglected overcooked overpriced (x2) polite professional

rude shabby spacious tasteless unhelpful varied welcoming well-presented

Hotels/Restaurants
 Reviewing a restaurant hotel Reviews 17
: w o m o r e q u e s t i o n s . C o m p l e t e t h e paragraph plans b e l o w t h e m with n o t e s t o help y o u organise
l'-.s and ideas for each review. T h e n c h o o s e o n e review to w r i t e , following y o u r plan and practising
he v o c a b u l a r y y o u m e t in e x e r c i s e s 3, 6 and 7.

- a v e b e e n reading an issue of Out on the Town, a magazine to do with e n t e r t a i n m e n t . You s a w

a d v e r t i s e m e n t and have decided to a n s w e r it. W r i t e a review for t h e magazine r e c o m m e n d i n g a
a _ r a n t in y o u r area, explaining w h y it w o u l d be a g o o d c h o i c e .

We are looking
for restaurants
that would be
suitable venues
for a
21st birthday
celebration. Do
you have any
ideas?

-t-oduction name, location of restaurant?

M
a - Body food available?
staff?
atmosphere?
cost, o t h e r facilities?

Conclusion Sum up your recommendation.

~'i 3 : j d e n t Union at t h e university you attend is organising a c o n f e r e n c e for s t u d e n t s from a n u m b e r

a- e f f e r e n t universities. It has asked for suggestions of h o t e l s in t h e area w h e r e t h e c o n f e r e n c e can be
~ a. W r i t e a review of a suitable hotel, including details of w h a t it has to offer, w h e r e it is located
ar-d any o t h e r information y o u feel is relevant.

-:roduction name, location of hotel?

Main B o d y facilities for c o n f e r e n c e ?

capacity?
cost/special r a t e s ?
o t h e r r e l e v a n t facilities/information?

Conclusion Sum up your recommendation.

 Reports Assessing facilities
Marina w o r k s for a travel agency and stays in h o t e l s in o r d e r to
a s s e s s their facilities. Afterwards s h e w r i t e s a report. L o o k at her
c o m m e n t s on t h e Majestic Hotel and put a tick beside positive
c o m m e n t s and a c r o s s beside negative c o m m e n t s .

OOOOO000000
\a \ porter
Hall \ very
\ heJgfuMJooked
\ \ \theatre\ tickets,
\ gave
\ directions.
\

b Long queue at breakfast. Took 20^ minutes_to find a free table.

No separation between smoking and non-smoking tables.
\

Room old fashioned. Mattress uncomfortable, couldn't sleep.

_d Receptionist barely polite, no smile. Couldn't find my reservation.

Did not offer to help with luggage, gave me the wrong key.

e Bathroom spotlessly clean, modern, shower, .useful toiletries.

f Room service forgot my order of sandwiches. Had to ring three times.

g Excellent menu at lunch, first-class service, fine cuisine.

jh TV only offered local channels. Reception very poor.

Read Marina's r e p o r t o p p o s i t e . C o m p a r e it to To make a r e p o r t as clear as possible, information is

t h e c o m m e n t s s h e m a d e and find t h e paragraph separated into paragraphs, each of which is given a
w h e r e s h e has used each of t h e c o m m e n t s . heading. C h o o s e t h e b e s t heading for each paragraph,
W r i t e t h e c o r r e c t letter (a-h) in t h e s p a c e s w r i t e t h e n u m b e r s 1-5 on t h e d o t t e d lines b e l o w and
below. t h e headings in t h e s p a c e s in Marina's report.

Paragraph 2: . and.
a Staff a n d service on offer
Paragraph 3: , and ,
b Introduction
P a r a g r a p h 4: . and,
c R e s t a u r a n t facilities
d Accommodation
e Conclusion
 Reports

John Pettiman
Marina Sanches
T i e Majestic Hotel
" J a n u a r y 2003

ctlines mv assessment of the Majestic Hotel, where I stayed overnight on the 18th January 2003.
- . . . mmodation and restaurant facilities t h e hotel offers.

: Majestic was mixed. While s o m e of t h e hotel staff w e r e very helpful - the hall p o r t e r n o t
theatre tickets for m e , b u t also gave me precise directions for getting to t h e t h e a t r e - others
. .. ptionist on arrival m a d e an especially p o o r impression. He did not greet me with a
s t e a d was barely polite. He t o o k a long time to find my reservation and w h e n he did find it,
a key. which t u r n e d out to be t h e wrong one, and instead of getting a p o r t e r to h e l p me with
;arr\ it myself. I have no complaint to m a k e of the c h a m b e r m a i d s but the room
and inefficient. I o r d e r e d a sandwich but h a d to ring t h r e e times before it was b r o u g h t
: . had forgotten my order.

. pleasant but the furniture was rather old-fashioned and the bed was a nightmare; the
. p> and uncomfortable that I couldn't sleep. T h e r e was a TV but it only offered local
. . ;eption was very poor. This failure to consider the needs of foreigners was reflected in
- not supplied with t h e newspaper I asked for t h e next morning because I had m a d e my
. n abroad and the c o m p u t e r automatically excluded my request. T h e one good thing about the
m. It was spotlessly clean, h a d a m o d e r n shower, and was provided with useful
_ . :ien forget to bring like combs a n d a sewing kit.

t h e p o o r r o o m service, I had breakfast the next morning in the breakfast room, but this was
: . arge enough for the n u m b e r of guests. I had to stand in a long q u e u e for twenty minutes
-.. - _ - a r t e a table; the one I was given, non-smoking, was so close to the smoking tables that I
T - T j, : : - -~ :. all through my breakfast. In contrast, the restaurant, where I had lunch, was by far
r

mmtXMM- T h e r e was an excellent m e n u , the meal was very well cooked and t h e waiter service was first class.

the Majestic H o t e l cannot claim to be majestic as there are rather m o r e criticisms to be

a c points to be raised in its favour.

: v a - e o o r t s b e l o w , using Marina's r e p o r t as a guide.

":. - ' a - a chain of d e p a r t m e n t s t o r e s and visit different s t o r e s

zz zz.z:: i~e - facilities and s e r v i c e . You have b e e n asked to w r i t e a In answering this sort of
: a- - e a d office on a n e w d e p a r t m e n t s t o r e which has just question in an examination,
: assess ng t h e facilities available and c o m m e n t i n g on t h e don't make the mistake of
:a : - = ' e d . W i r e y o u r report. only concentrating on
negative points; mention
both the good and bad
-or a chain of restaurants and visit different restaurants points.
d i e chain to a s s e s s their facilities, s e r v i c e and quality of
You have b e e n asked to w r i t e a r e p o r t on a n e w restaurant
-as ast o p e n e d , assessing t h e facilities available, t h e s e r v i c e
-
: : a : - g o n t h e quality o f cuisine. W r i t e y o u r report.
 Reports Assessing suitability
I L o o k at t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e r e p o r t below. T h e n c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

You w o r k for a c o m p a n y that organises e x c u r s i o n s to places of historical interest for groups of

foreign visitors. You w e n t to visit such a place locally (a m u s e u m , castle, e t c ) and have b e e n asked to
w r i t e a r e p o r t giving details of w h a t t h e place offers visitors, w h y it w o u l d be interesting historically
and saying w h e t h e r it w o u l d be suitable for foreign visitors.

To: Mr Jenkins
From: Jane Hendle
Subject: T h e Jorvik Viking C e n t r e , York
Date: 12th February 2003

Introduction
This report relates to my recent visit to T h e Jorvik Viking Centre in the historic city of York. T h e purpose of my
visit was to determine the centre's historical interest and also its suitability for foreign visitors. T h e centre has been
built on the archaeological site where many artefacts relating to everyday life in Viking times were uncovered.

The Exhibition
Visitors travel a r o u n d the main exhibition in vehicles called magic timecars. (1) , they are
transported back in time to the streets of a busy m a r k e t town in 948 AD and experience t h e sights, sounds and
smells of that time! Visitors t h e n go through other areas such as a Viking h o m e and the h a r b o u r which are all
recreated to be typical of England at that time. This visually stimulating exhibition is fascinating to all ages, even
the very young, as they can experience the everyday life of our ancestors in Viking England. (2) ,
it would appeal to foreign visitors because commentary, via audio cassette, is available in five languages.

T h e next section of the centre is m o r e m o d e r n and focuses on t h e excavation of the site in the 1980s. Visitors see
and hear what the site looked and sounded like. T h e r e are also n u m e r o u s objects recovered from the site on
display, including tools, pots and jewellery.

T h e exhibition itself does not b e c o m e crowded because visitors are confined to their timecars, which are carried
along at a constant pace. (3) , other areas of the centre were fairly busy on t h e day I visited d u e
to a n u m b e r of school visits on that day.

Facilities
(4) the Jorvik Viking Centre has a small caf where visitors can buy refreshments and snacks,
I was unable to use it as there were too many people queuing to m a k e purchases or waiting for free tables.
(5) , it would be advisable for a group of visitors to m a k e other arrangements at one of the
nearby cafs or restaurants in York. T h e r e is also a souvenir shop which sells postcards, posters and gifts,
(6) t h e choice is limited.

Conclusion
(7) , the Jorvik Viking Centre would certainly be of interest to visitors historically as it is an
unusual and m e m o r a b l e experience providing an insight into Viking England. It is also suitable for foreign
visitors as information is provided in a n u m b e r of languages. (8) , attempts should be m a d e to
arrange visits at times when other group visits have not been booked.

Study Connectors and Modifiers A on page 70 ,,

, , , ,
a h h o u x
and then c o m p l e t e the report with t h e s e & ( ^ nevertheless consequently
connecting w o r d s and phrases. to sum up first of all moreover however
 Assessing suitability Reports

s h o u l d have a c l e a r i n t r o d u c t i o n explaining t h e p u r p o s e of t h e r e p o r t and a c o n c l u s i o n t h a t

c u e s t i o n . Read t h e beginnings a n d e n d i n g s b e l o w t h a t have c o m e from v a r i o u s r e p o r t s . M a t c h t h e
w i t h t h e c o n c l u s i o n s a n d u n d e r l i n e w o r d s a n d p h r a s e s t h a t h e l p y o u identify:

; p o r t was written.
cation for why t h e w r i t e r d o e s or d o e s n o t r e c o m m e n d a p a r t i c u l a r p l a c e .

ons

TIC <jbject of this r e p o r t is t h e L a n g t o n Wildlife Park. T h e r e p o r t aims to outline what the p a r k

its visitors in general as well assessing its suitability for families with y o u n g children.

- : this r e p o r t is to o u t l i n e t h e suitability of A l t o n T o w e r s T h e m e P a r k as t h e
sane for this y e a r ' s school trip in M a y . A c c e s s , facilities a n d cost have b e e n c o n s i d e r e d .

the r e p o r t c o m m i s s i o n e d by A & M T r a v e l to assess t h e value of including C a n t e r b u r y

. n the list of excursions c u r r e n t l y available at this travel agency.

_ r e p o r t on t h e n e w l y - o p e n e d G a t e w a y A r t Gallery, which I visited last w e e k .

':des i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e gallery, its o w n e r a n d t h e exhibits. T h e gallery o p e n e d
nonths a g o in H a v e n S t r e e t a n d is p r o v i n g to be very p o p u l a r .

Z : - : -i ons
: t h e p o i n t s m e n t i o n e d a b o v e , this c a t h e d r a l w o u l d p r o v e t o b e p o p u l a r . T h e b u i l d i n g
of historical interest even to t h o s e w h o a r e not religious. In a d d i t i o n to t h e s t u n n i n g
ire a n d g r o u n d s , t h e inside of t h e building c o n t a i n s m a n y interesting features as well as
on r e g a r d i n g its history.

p. despite t h e interest s h o w n by t h e public, I feel t h a t s o m e t h i n g is missing. As a result of

ng. the s h o w r o o m s d o not d o t h e w o r k s o n display justice. A l t h o u g h t h e r e m a y b e o n e o r
ings w o r t h y of n o t e , t h e majority of exhibits s e e m to be of p o o r quality.

ide. the p a r k is extremely well-organised and offers v a l u e for m o n e y , especially if visitors

ntage of t h e special offers that a r e available.

sion, this a t t r a c t i o n , which is c o n v e n i e n t l y l o c a t e d , w o u l d s e e m to be a suitable v e n u e ,

i t h e cost of e n t r a n c e d o e s a p p e a r to be high, u n l i m i t e d use of t h e rides is included,
tore, t h e o t h e r facilities on offer w o u l d m a k e this an enjoyable day o u t for all.

be conclusions is n o t r e l a t e d to t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n , a n d t h e r e f o r e t h e q u e s t i o n set?

-. : - i i' i " e q u e s t i o n s b e l o w a n d w r i t e y o u r r e p o r t .

":. ~ : - i t o u r i s t office t h a t w a n t s to increase t h e variety of t o u r s and

; . -. : - s t i - ' e r s c u s t o m e r s . You have b e e n asked to w r i t e a r e p o r t a b o u t a Remember that your
- i _ -ecently visited. You should give details of w h a t kind of m u s e u m it is, introduction should
r - e - : t e i c- offer and say h o w suitable it w o u l d be for visitors of various ages. outline what your
report will cover and
make sure your
: t ege s having a g r o u p of foreign visitors to stay for a w e e k . T h e principal
conclusion sums up
w=- :t_ : e n t s to w r i t e r e p o r t s on a cultural festival t h a t t h e y think t h e
your findings and that
mmors w o u l d enjoy. W r i t e a r e p o r t giving information a b o u t t h e festival
it answers the question.
; ; a: t h e /isitors w o u l d learn from it a b o u t y o u r c o u n t r y ' s c u l t u r e .

61
20 Reports Giving information
[ Read t h e q u e s t i o n and t h e m o d e l r e p o r t b e l o w and c o m p l e t e t h e e x e r c i s e s that follow.

As s e c r e t a r y of t h e college film club, y o u have b e e n asked to w r i t e a r e p o r t for t h e club's annual

meeting. W r i t e y o u r report, c o m m e n t i n g on m e m b e r s h i p , activities and special e v e n t s which have taken
place o v e r t h e past year, and m e n t i o n any plans which have b e e n discussed for n e x t year.

Purpose
T h e purpose of this report is to outline the progress m a d e by the film club this year, its first year of existence,
and to discuss its plans for the future.

The Members
Although we did not start off as well as expected, the situation improved as the year went on and students learnt
m o r e about what the film club is all about. To date, our m e m b e r s n u m b e r forty, which is quite r e m a r k a b l e
considering the lack of publicity.

Activities
As well as our weekly meetings to discuss film in general, the club has developed special interest groups where
people meet, d e p e n d i n g on their interests in different genres. This has proved to be quite popular, and the
discussions a r e carrying on into o u r n o r m a l meetings, which is stimulating t h e interest of o t h e r m e m b e r s .
However, the most successful aspect of the club is the film-making meetings; which, quite frankly, have been
phenomenally popular.

Special Events
T h e series of lectures by young directors which were held in January was a resounding success. According to
those who attended, t h e quality of t h e lectures was second to n o n e . Unfortunately, the film festival held in
M a r c h was not as successful as we has anticipated, due to circumstances beyond our control. T h e film b u r e a u
proved to be unreliable, and the organisers were forced to change the p r o g r a m m e without notice on a n u m b e r
of occasions.

Future Plans
It has been agreed that funding must be found for m o r e equipment, due to t h e popularity of the film-making
lessons, and a new series of lectures is already being investigated. F u r t h e r m o r e , some m e m b e r s have suggested
that the lack of initial interest and the failure of the film festival were mainly due to lack of publicity, so this is
also being looked into. It has also been decided that we must find a m o r e reliable film b u r e a u to work with.

Conclusion
On t h e whole, it would be fair to conclude that, although a n u m b e r of setbacks have b e e n encountered, the
Film Club has m a n a g e d to establish itself as a popular extra-curricular activity, and is here to stay.

2 Read t h e r e p o r t again and a n s w e r t h e following q u e s t i o n s .

a In t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n , a p a r t from stating t h e p u r p o s e of t h e r e p o r t , t h e w r i t e r gives a p i e c e of i n f o r m a t i o n .

W h a t is it?

b In p a r a g r a p h 2, w h a t is m e n t i o n e d a p a r t from t h e n u m b e r of m e m b e r s ?

c W h a t a r e t h e t h r e e m a i n activities m e n t i o n e d in p a r a g r a p h 3?

62
 Giving information Reports

eriine any extra i n f o r m a t i o n w h i c h is given a b o u t t h e s e activities.

i e two special events m e n t i o n e d in p a r a g r a p h 4?

. anv extra i n f o r m a t i o n which is given a b o u t t h e s e activities.

r t m e n t i o n s n e g a t i v e p o i n t s a s well a s p o s i t i v e o n e s . C i r c l e t h e s e p o i n t s i n t h e m o d e l . W h e r e d o e s
_ - c o m m e n t on w h a t can be d o n e to avoid t h e m in t h e f u t u r e ?

: i es t h e writer m e n t i o n in this p a r a g r a p h ?

e : ag-am plan of t h e m o d e l r e p o r t using t h e w o r d s below.

--an festival film-making meetings lectures special meetings weekly meetings

FUTURE PLANS

o w n d o g r a m plans for b o t h o f t h e q u e s t i o n s b e l o w and w r i t e o n e o f t h e r e p o r t s .

~--_~ze - of t h e Entertainment C o m m i t t e e at y o u r college, which is organising a fancy

: ;: : : - behalf of a local charity. W r i t e a progress r e p o r t for a m e e t i n g with t h e chanty,
wemng w h a t a r r a n g e m e n t s have b e e n m a d e regarding f o o d and drink, music and tickets, and
. - - -
e 1 s ~ done. e

o" responsible for wheelchair access in t h e t o w n , write a progress report for

n<* - e e t i n g , c o m m e n t i n g on w h a t has already been achieved concerning public
: : - dings and private businesses and s h o p s and describing w h a t remains to be d o n e .
Reference Section

A an b An intelligent young man (mental

ability-age)
An is used before a vowel sound: an elephant, an c A large round ball (size-shape)
umbrella, an aeroplane; but not when u is d A green cotton dress (colour-material)
pronounced like 'you': a useful book. It is also used e A German car factory
before h w h e n h is not pronounced: an h o n e s t man. (nationality/origin-purpose)
W h e n we mention something for the first time, we
c C o m p o u n d adjectives
normally use a/an; w h e n that thing is referred to
C o m p o u n d adjectives are s o m e t i m e s made
again, we use the definite article t h e , because by
an adjective and a noun plus an - e d ending,
n o w it is understood which o n e we mean:
meaning is usually w i t h or h a v i n g :
A p h o t o g r a p h e r took his photograph without
He's a red-haired, broad-shouldered man.
permission. He got so angry that he broke the
(He's a man with red hair and broad should
photographer's camera.

We also use a / a n in numerical expressions (for 3 Adverbs of frequency

example, in expressions of frequency or quantity):
a Adverbs of frequency, like a l w a y s and o f t e n
She has classes three times a week.
and other single-word adverbs of indefinite ti
Petrol costs about sixty pence a litre here.
like r e c e n t l y , generally go before the main v
(See also t h e , u s e a n d o m i s s i o n )
but after forms of b e :
Margaret is never late; Jane never comes
Adjectives
late, either.
a Position
b They usually go b e t w e e n an auxiliary and the
1 Adjectives generally c o m e before the noun
main verb or after the first auxiliary if there
or as a c o m p l e m e n t after be and s o m e other
t w o o r more:
verbs ( l o o k , s e e m , f e e l etc.)
/ have never seen such a good film.
She's a pretty girl. She looks very pretty.
She must sometimes have wondered if she
2 W h e n we use m o r e than o n e adjective made the right decision.
before a noun we do n o t usually write a n d
b e t w e e n the adjectives. We use c o m m a s if 4 Conditional sentences
the combination is not usual, but not if it is
a Present and future
very c o m m o n . Compare:
We generally use the present tense for the
He's a nice little man. ( c o m m o n )
condition and a future t e n s e for the main clau
She's a shy, secretive woman, ( n o t usual)
but n o t e the alternative with the imperative:
We use a n d w h e n the adjectives are a
If I see him tomorrow, I'll give him your message
c o m p l e m e n t after b e , s e e m , f e e l , etc.:
If you see him tomorrow, give him my message.
He's short and fat./She seems charming and
intelligent. Modals may also be used in the main clause:
With three adjectives, we usually put a If you go out, you must put on your coat. It's a
c o m m a after the first:
b Imaginary situations in p r e s e n t or futun
We were cold, wet and tired.
We use the past tense for the condition and t
b Order conditional t e n s e ( w o u l d + infinitive) for the
In normal usage, we prefer to put s o m e main clause. W i t h the verb b e , we usually use
adjectives before others: w e r e for all persons:
He's a nice little man (NOT little nice). If I were (was) rich, I'd buy a house by the sea.
The rule is that general adjectives like n i c e or If we offered you the job, would you accept it.
p r e t t y c o m e before m o r e precise o n e s . N o t e
c Past situations
t h e s e examples:
In talking about the past, we usually use the p
a I've read the first hundred pages.
perfect tense for the condition and the
(ordinal-cardinal)
conditional perfect ( w o u l d h a v e + past
 Reference section

aanJciple) for the main clause:

Indirect speech: paraphrase
ntal
f d k n o w n what was wrong, I would have S o m e verbs can be used in indirect s p e e c h to
indicate t h e way things are said and t h e purpose of
told you.
w h a t w a s said. In t h e table below, n o t e the purpose
material) But if the present situation is a direct result of
of the verb from the example in direct speech, and
: _--_iIfllled condition in the past, the main
the constructions possible with the verbs we can use
AA_SE may be in the conditional tense:
instead of s a y and t e l l in indirect speech:
d studied more when I was at school, I would
Purpose Verb D i r e c t s p e e c h and paraphrase
a better job today. accusation accuse 'You stole it, didn't you?'
ves made witl I accused him of stealing it
Permanent condition
d ending. Th admission admit 'Yes, I took it'
: : e d i t i o n is always true we use the present
1 He admitted having taken it.
:=-= " both parts of the sentence: advise 'You should take more exercise.'
red man. advice
- r r e s n ' t rain, the rivers dry up and the He advised her to take more exercise.
id shoulder: He advised taking more exercise.
- : : die of thirst.
agreement agree '/ think you're right'
Variations She agreed with me/the idea.
A
'All right I'll help you'
3 aternatives t o a w e can suggest that the She agreed to help me.
i and o f t e n
: : : : : ay is not very likely: 'That's the best method.'
indefinite tir We agreed that it was the best
x should s e e him, will you give him my
the main ver method.
R:.\-ife? (please give him my message)
We agreed on the best method.
comes ~ - e r e is also a formal variation of this: apology apologise 'I'm sorry I arrived late.'
S h o u l d you see him,... He apologised for arriving late.
complaint complain 'You should have done the job better.'
- : a : ves to b are: He complained that they
uy and the
r" e were to offer you the job, would you should have...
ry if there are 'I wish he wouldn't do that.'
accept it?
She complained to me about him.
Were we to offer you the job,...
denial deny 'I didn't steal it'
~ - e s s suggest that t h e offer is unlikely. He denied t h a t he had s t o l e n it.
ered if she ho:
He denied having s t o l e n it.
I s-.teatives to c are:
invitation invite 'Would you like to come to
Hod known, I would have informed you.
the party?'
~- : s more formal than: He invited her ( t o c o m e ) to
tf had known ... the party.
offer offer 'I'll help you, shall I?'
e for the
le main clause
rect questions: word order refusal refuse
She offered to help m e .
'I won't do it'
He refused to do it.
mperative: a.ESTIONS, the question uses t h e regret regret 'I wish I hadn't broken it'
four message, ; a - -EGATIVE, not interrogative form: the She regretted having broken it.
is ALWAYS subject before verb. If the She regretted t h a t s h e had
my message.
b r o k e n it.
- : - -as no question w o r d , the indirect
ain clause: reminder remind 'Don't forget to post it'
JIM-NCR =s after i f / w h e t h e r ; if it has a question She reminded him to p o s t it.
ir coat. It's comL marz. ~iz < : : s repeated in the indirect question: 'Why don't you go with her?'
suggestion suggest
JNE M I S ID know iflwhether you are English. He suggested t h a t I should go
lit or f u t u r e I
- :- - - F - E / will be tomorrow. with her.
ndition and ths 'Let's go for a walk!'
: - - . : ~ a - G S - 'orm in the present and past
ive) for the She suggested g o i n g for a walk,
e usually use threat threaten 'If you don't go away, I'll call the
k speak English?) Ask him iflwhether he police.'
He threatened to call the police
x by the sea. : ac -e ar." .-.onder what he said. if they didn't go away.
au accept it? warning warn 'Be careful. The roads are icy.'
if 7m a - E S B O N WORD is ALREADY the subject in the
He warned h e r to be careful.
APSOTFLHBSNON, THE WORD ORDER will not change He warned h e r of/about the
JIIIERA ARE S be: icy roads.
By use the pas:
iPllhia N f f - " ' J next ) Tell me what happened next
7 He warned her t h a t the roads
id the were icy.
+ past : - re' *ho she is.
Reference section

7 Phrases in apposition They aren't here. They must be in the cinema.

(inside the building)
O n e way of giving additional information about a On the screen (surface), on the radio, on
person or thing is to use a phrase in apposition
(instead of a relative clause with a relative pronoun b into, onto, out of, off
and a form of b e ) . W i t h verbs of m o v e m e n t , we generally use
Mr Taylor, (who is) the team manager, said... and o n t o , though in and on are c o m m o n :
The cathedral, (which is) the oldest building in the He fell intolin the water.
city, was built... He got ontolon his bicycle.

8 Prepositions of place O u t o f indicates the opposite m o v e m e n t t o

i n t o and off the opposite m o v e m e n t t o o n t

a at, in, on (See in and on in a above, for the idea of bei

At is used: 'inside' or 'on a surface'. Compare:

for particular points: at the end of the road, He took the knives and forks out of the drawer.

at number 27. (opposite of i n t o / i n )

for places w h e n we are c o n c e r n e d with their We'll have to take the tyre off the wheel.

purpose or location, n o t their size or shape: (opposite o f o n t o / o n )

at the station, at the supermarket.

She works at the post office. 9 Prepositions of t i m e
(Compare: She's in the post office, buying
some stamps (= inside).) at, in, on

for places (small t o w n s , villages etc.) the U s e this list as a check:

speaker d o e s n o t consider very important or at for exact periods of time: at five o'clock,
d o e s not know very well: at Melton dinner time, at this moment.
Mowbray, a town near Leicester. (Someone at for festivals: at Christmas, at Easter, at
w h o lived there would probably say: / live in New Year.
Melton Mowbray.) others are: at night (but during the day), at
weekends, at present (= now)
In suggests:
'inside' or a situation with three dimensions: on for days and dates: on Monday, on
in the kitchen, in the High S t r e e t (but June IOth, on Christmas Day (compare at f
USA = on Main Street) because of the the festive period), on summer evenings, on
houses on both sides, Sunday morning on Friday night
a large area, like a country, province, city:
in New Zealand, in Kent, in Manchester. in for longer periods of time: in August, in
spring, in 1985, in the nineteenth century, i
O n suggests: t h e Middle Ages, in the past, in the future
a surface: on the wall, on Earth, on a small (compare at present)
island. in for periods of time within which or at the
a line: on the coast, on the River Thames, of which something may happen: in the
on the road, on the way to on t h e morning, in five minutes, in a week's time.
left-hand side of the street.
10 Reported speech
Also note the following:
They're sailing in their boat on the lake. a Statement
She's swimming in the lake. W h e n w e convert direct speech t o reported
In the corner of the room (= inside) but atlon the speech and the introducing verb is in the past,
corner of the street (= outside). the t e n s e changes. Expressions of time and pla
He's at the cinema (he's g o n e to s e e a film). also change unless the speaker is still in the sa
/'// meet you at the cinema, (outside, or near place on the same day ( h e r e is still h e r e , and
the door) t o d a y is still t o d a y ) . U s e the conversion tabl
: - - " " E ' E N C E and note that in all cases t o l d me c Orders and requests

: I : E said: T h e s e are made with the imperative in direct

speech. In reported speech we use the object +
Direct Reported infinitive after t e l l (for orders) and a s k (for
"w working hard. She said she was requests):
working hard, Direct Reported
travel by train. She said she travelled by D o n ' t worry. She told him not to
train. worry.
*TT g o i n g to change She said she was going to Please keep quiet! She asked them to keep
:: change ... quiet.
"I s e e ,ou on She said she would see ...
W h e n we do not reproduce the actual w o r d s used in
'-me - E . E R seen it She said she had never direct speech we can paraphrase w h a t was said by
seen... using o t h e r verbs (offer, s u g g e s t , etc.) (See
: ; : <e :: him on She said she had spoken ... Indirect speech: paraphrase)

I com run faster She said she could run ... II Should

_
* E ~z - may She said the train might a should a n d ought to
ar^rre " E . arrive... S h o u l d and o u g h t t o indicate obligation o r
must go to the She said she had to go ... advice. W e prefer o u g h t t o i f w e are doubtful
Ml "'jr. that the obligation will be m e t or the advice will
" -.: future She said she would have be taken:
IRREARWIG) to go ... You've got a bad cough. You should/ought to see
a doctor.
Other changes You ought to see a doctor, but I don't suppose
-e~ there you will.
r : that The past forms are s h o u l d / o u g h t to h a v e +
i: then past participle. They are used to e x p r e s s regret
*5sce-riay the day before, the previous day in the first person, blame or criticism in the
: - - : - -: the day after, the next day, the second and third:
following day / shouldn't have said that to her. It was very
:: ee- the w e e k before, the previous unkind, (regret)
week You should have been more careful. Then you
i -. * E E K THE w e e k after, the next week, the wouldn't have broken it. (blame or criticism)
following w e e k
i i: before b Should a n d would
S h o u l d and w o u l d can both be used for the
first person in t h e conditional t e n s e , and as the
ARE ORD order of indirect questions (see
past of s h a l l for the first person in reported
I n d i r e c t q u e s t i o n s ) . T h e t e n s e changes in speech. But they have separate meanings and
- R E C I T E D questions are the same as for usage. (For w o u l d s e e Conditional s e n t e n c e s
- . ; : I - r - - . s Isee table in a above). 4 b , 4 c and 4 e . )
W h e r e they are often seen in combination is
Direct Reported
-eve . seen She asked me if I had seen ... w h e r e s e n t e n c e s of advice or regret/blame (see
s h o u l d a) are followed by conditional
r f ~~ _

Where does She asked me where he lived. sentences: They shouldn't (should not) allow
motor cycles in the forest. If they kept them out,
ve We?
these fires wouldn't (would not) start.
You should have taken my advice. If you had, this
wouldn't (would not) have happened.
Tenses c Past simple and continuous
The past simple is used to refer to past acti
a Present tenses in the order they occurred, but also for
The present simple t e n s e is used for actions that customary or continuing actions in past time:
occur repeatedly or at any time, often with He spent his childhood in London, and did not
adverbs of frequency like a l w a y s and time move to the country until he got married at
expressions like e v e r y d a y . The question form age of twenty-five.
and negative are formed with do as auxiliary:
The past continuous is used for continuing
She lives in the country but she doesn't
actions in past time in relation to a main acti
work there.
in the past simple.
Do you ever wonder what's going to happen in
He m e t his wife in the city; at that time he was
the future?
studying at the university, (before and after he
Everything comes to those who wait, so they say.
met her)
The present simple t e n s e can be used to refer to
In everyday situations, we usually find t h e s e
future time.
t e n s e s in three combinations:
The present continuous t e n s e is used for actions
that are going on at present and for temporary 1 a s e q u e n c e of completed actions (past
situations. The t e n s e is formed by the verb be + simple):
present participle: She c a m e in, took off her hat and coat, a
Look! They're waving at us! sat down.
What is she doing these days? She's writing
2 an action taking place before and possibly
a novel.
after a c o m p l e t e d action (past continuous
The present continuous t e n s e can be used to
and simple):
refer to future time.
/ was talking to my father on the phone
when she came in.
b Present perfect and past t e n s e s
The present perfect t e n s e s are used: 3 t w o actions continuing side by side in pas
time (past continuous):
1 to talk about actions or situations that began
While he was talking to me I was looking
in the past and are still going on, s o m e t i m e s
out of the window.
with a time expression which refers to the
present:
d Past and past perfect t e n s e s
I've been working hard this year.
W e use the past perfect t e n s e s w h e n w e are
2 to talk about actions which have taken place already talking about the past and want to ref
repeatedly up to the present: to a previous time:
I've seen that film six times. When he finally arrived, we had been waiting
him for over three hours.
3 with for, s i n c e and expressions like all
Until he met her, he had never been in love.
m y life:
I've lived in the village for ten years, but my
e Past and conditional t e n s e s
husband has lived here all his life.
We use the conditional t e n s e ( w o u l d +
They are n o t used with past time expressions,
infinitive) in combination with the past w h e n
which always require a past tense. Compare:
we refer forward in time in a narrative:
/ h a v e n ' t seen her recently/for a long time.
/ h o p e d that she would soon feel better.
I saw her yesterday/three days ago.
(Compare: / h o p e you will soon feel better.)
We use the present perfect for questions and
answers referring to past events without a time
f T e n s e s in 'timeless' t i m e
reference, but the past must be used w h e n a
We do not normally use the present t e n s e s as
time is mentioned:
the main narrative t e n s e s unless we are dealin
Have you seen the film at the Palace?
with what always happens - for example, 'a
No, I haven't/Yes, I saw it on Saturday.
typical day in s o m e o n e ' s life' or in describing

what happens in books, films, etc. N o t e the use
;f tenses in this kind of narrative:
^amlet' takes place in Denmark. When Hamlet
comes on stage he is mourning his father, who
died before the play began, but the audience have
a -eady seen his ghost appear to Hamlet's friends.
Seen afterwards, they will come to tell him what
REY have seen (or saw the night before).
r>e. use and omission
~ i e _se of the definite article in English often differs
J - -sage i n other languages. Check each example
qprirst your o w n language.
a Use
* e use t h e w h e n talking about:
weights and measures: Petrol is sold by the
litre, (but: It's sixty pence a litre.)
I musical instruments: She can play the violin.
3 groups or classes of people: the young, the
blind (NOT the youngs) but the verb form is
plural:
The young/Young people today are very
different from my generation.
14
* rivers, seas, oceans, mountain ranges (but
not mountains o r lakes): t h e T h a m e s , t h e
Mediterranean, t h e Atlantic, t h e Alps.
5 unique objects and points of the compass:
t h e world, t h e sun, t h e m o o n , t h e
n o r t h . The moon is the earth's moon,
though there may be others.
W e say t r a v e l n o r t h (direction) but t r a v e l
t o t h e n o r t h (compass point, area).
3 Omission
Ve do not use t h e w h e n speaking about
:- a 'a owing:
games and sports: She plays tennis and
goes skiing.
1 subjects of study: She studies history and
geography.
: anguages: She can speak English. ( N o t e that
we talk about t h e E n g l i s h (the people as a
group, as in a3 above), but nationality has no
article: I'm English.)
Reference section
4 mountains: E v e r e s t , A c o n c a g u a .
5 meals and clock times: She has breakfast at
eight o'clock.
6 gerunds: She likes getting up early.
c U s e and omission
W e use t h e w h e n referring t o something
specific, not w h e n we are talking in general
terms; something specific includes something
previously mentioned. Compare the following:
We want peace, not war.
The war in that distant country is still going on.
(a specific war)
T h e is not used unless the noun is followed by a
clause that modifies it; for example, a relative
clause, or a phrase containing of that modifies it.
N o u n s modified by adjectives before t h e m or
prepositional phrases after them do n o t
require t h e :
Life is hard.
Modern life is more complex than life in the
nineteenth century.
The life that we lead today is more complex than
the life of our ancestors.
Used to
used to a n d would
Used to, followed by the infinitive, refers to
what habitually happened in the past in contrast
to what happens now. The negative is either
u s e d n o t t o o r d i d n o t u s e t o . U s e d t o has
no present form. For customary actions in the
present, we use the present simple tense:
/ u s e d to live in London, but now I live in Bristol.
We usually prefer w o u l d + infinitive for
repeated actions in past time in a c o n t e x t
already established by a verb in the past simple
t e n s e or u s e d t o . It d o e s n o t always indicate a
contrast with present time but rather
'Whenever!Every time this happened...'.
When I was a child, we used to visit my
grandmother every Sunday. The whole family
would put on their best clothes and we would
walk to her house.
6
Appendix

CONNECTORS AND MODIFIERS

Expressing opinion in modern English depends to a considerable e x t e n t on the correct use of connecting w o r d s and ph
that help the reader or listener to understand what is being said. Such w o r d s or phrases can be used to s h o w h o w an
argument is organised, to prepare the reader for what is coming next or to convey the t o n e of what is being said. In
completing a writing task, above all o n e that requires you to organise an argument or express an opinion, use this Appen
for reference. It is also worthwhile, w h e n e v e r you c o m e across any of the w o r d s or phrases listed b e l o w in this b o o k or
your general reading, to make a note of it and s e e h o w it is being used.

A DEVELOPING AN A R G U M E N T
1 Sequence
Making a list of points:
Point I : I n t h e first p l a c e , T o b e g i n w i t h , T o
s t a r t w i t h , F i r s t o f all, F i r s t a n d f o r e m o s t
(when it is the m o s t important point).
Point 2 : S e c o n d l y , I n t h e s e c o n d p l a c e (used
if there are further reasons to come); In
a d d i t i o n to t h a t (usually the second and final
reason); A p a r t f r o m t h a t , W h a t i s m o r e
(conversational), M o r e o v e r (formal) (used for
second reasons of a different kind, but tending
3 Balance
This can be established by clauses using whil
In presenting opposing arguments of equal
strength, use O n t h e o n e h a n d and O n t h e
o t h e r h a n d . To indicate that you are reachi
balanced conclusion, use O n b a l a n c e .
4 Result
To s h o w the result of an action, or to indica
the logical development of an argument from
examples you have given, use As a r e s u l t , In
consequence, Consequently.
B ESTABLISHING FACTS

towards the same conclusion as the first);

I n fact, T h e fact o f t h e m a t t e r i s t h a t . . . ; A s
B e s i d e s (for a second reason so strong that it
m a t t e r of f a c t (indicating that the hearer may be
makes the first almost irrelevant).
surprised by it).
Final point: Finally, Lastly; A b o v e all (only
A t first s i g h t , O n t h e f a c e o f i t (used i n c o n t r
used if the last point is the m o s t important).
to In f a c t to s h o w the difference b e t w e e n
Conclusion: I n c o n c l u s i o n , T o s u m u p appearance and fact).
(usually at the beginning of the last paragraph,
In p r a c t i c e , used in contrast to In t h e o r y , In
not at the end of a list); T a k i n g e v e r y t h i n g
p r i n c i p l e to establish what happens in reality; In
i n t o a c c o u n t , All t h i n g s c o n s i d e r e d , All i n
e f f e c t , close to In f a c t in meaning, suggests 'for
all (reaching a conclusion, w h e t h e r or not the
practical purposes'.
points listed agree); In brief, In s h o r t , In a
w o r d (the last t w o conversational) (only used if
C EXPRESSING PERSONAL OPINION
what you say is brief).
In my opinion, In my view, To my mind, As I
2 Contrast s e e i t (conversational); P e r s o n a l l y , F o r m y p a
This can be established by clauses with but or (contrasting the individual view with that of the
concession clauses with although, in spite of etc. majority); A s far a s I'm c o n c e r n e d
C o n n e c t o r s are also available, however, to s h o w (conversational) = 'In so far as it affects me'.
that a point contradicts or limits the previous
point(s) made to s o m e extent: D MODIFYING

H o w e v e r , N e v e r t h e l e s s , All t h e s a m e , A t
1 General statements
t h e s a m e t i m e ; A f t e r all ( a strong argument
G e n e r a l l y , In g e n e r a l , As a r u l e , As a
against previous points that has apparently not
g e n e r a l rule, On t h e w h o l e , In t h e main,
been considered); In c o n t r a s t (a direct
For t h e m o s t part.
contrast t o what has g o n e before); O n t h e
o t h e r h a n d (used for balance - s e e b e l o w - 2 Partly c o r r e c t
but also alone to indicate an alternative point To s o m e extent, To a certain extent, Up
of view). to a point.
 2 Especially
Lank of knowledge
I n p a r t i c u l a r , E s p e c i a l l y . N o t e that
A s far a s I k n o w , T o t h e b e s t o f m y
w w l e d g e ; F o r all I k n o w (conversational) e s p e c i a l l y appears as an adverb, not as a
c o n n e c t o r at the beginning, like c l e a r l y ,
. ti-::i g-orance.
obviously.

A c c o r d i n g t o ...; B y all a c c o u n t s (indicating F REPHRASING

-5SCC-S Dility lies w i t h a number of people).
In o t h e r w o r d s , T h a t is to say.
_ ter. validity
U n d e r t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , A s i t is, T h i n g s G REFERRING TO A S U B J E C T OR P E R S O N
- g =s t h e y a r e (conversational) (what is
A s r e g a r d s ..., W i t h r e g a r d t o ..., I n t h i s
: :- y valid in present circumstances, n o t in
c o n n e c t i o n , A s f a r a s ... i s c o n c e r n e d .
: : "jmstances).

H TERMINATING DISCUSSION
5 - - SG
I n a n y c a s e , A n y w a y , A t a n y r a t e (the last t w o
Obviously m o r e conversational). All t h e s e suggest 'whatever
d e a r l y . Obviously, Of course, N e e d l e s s to
happens', 'whatever t h e facts are', and in effect imply
say As everyone knows, It g o e s without
that nothing else can be said or needs to be said.
JJfiig