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  NÍVEL DE CONTINUAÇÃO

WRITING TIPS BOOKLET

Be Connected
Contents

Can you write a(n)…?

Article
Cover letter
Curriculum vitae_British
Curriculum vitae_Europass_instructions
Description of a city
Descriptive story
Film review
For and against essay
Formal letter of complaint
Formal letter
Informal email
Informal letter
Opinion essay
Report
Story
Timed essay
Vivid essay
 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write an article?

✓ Read the task carefully and identify who will be reading your article.

✓ Decide what style would be most suitable.

✓ Identify why you are writing the article (to descibe, explain, etc.)

✓ Decide what your title is going to be.

You have seen this announcement in an

international magazine.
M Y FA VO UR IT E
TV CR IM E SH OW
Tell us about your favourite
TV crime show and say why
you like it so much. We will
publish the most interesting
articles next month.

NCIS - My Favourite TV Show

T
he TV crime show I like watching the and all the characters are believable and very
most is NCIS. I never miss it, as I enjoy different from each other.
the acting, the plot of each show, how
Although in every programme a crime is
the crime is solved, and how different each
solved in less than an hour, each crime is
episode is.
realistic and could really happen in real life.
The members of the cast seem to fit really well The motive for each crime is also convincing
together as a group, and apart from solving a and the way they are solved, using the latest
crime each week, also have fun and joke with forensic technology, is especially interesting
one another. The scripts are very well written and yet easy to understand.
In every episode something different
happens, which often surprises the viewer.
No two episodes have ever been the same,
which makes watching the show all the more
enjoyable.
In conclusion, for me, NCIS has everything
anyone could possibly want in a crime
show. With a different crime each week, the
suspense of wondering how they are going
to catch the criminal and who it might be,
makes it well worth watching.

Remember to give your article It is important that your title

a title. A good title should links in with your opening
attract the reader’s attention, paragraph. The last paragraph
and should be short. should express your personal
opinion and give reasons for
your opinion.

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 Cover letter Including your contact information on all your
Try to find the person who is in charge of intern documents makes you look professional and
hiring and address your resume/CV and cover letter ensures you are easy to find.
to them. Sofia Pereira
Travessa Mello Antunes, 88, 2A – Lisboa [email protected]

June 2014

XYZ Entreprise
Jeremy Hunter Hook’em! Start your
Recruiter cover letter with a
statement that will
catch the reader’s
eye. Try something
I have been admiring XYZ Firm’s television and print ad campaigns since I was 8 years old interesting or
and was excited to find your firm’s XYZ internship position through InternCatch. entertaining that
relates you to the
As a marketing Major at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, I have found that I am adept at company.

marketing and truly enjoy advertising projects. Through my marketing courses and my
experience as a Public relations Chair of UNL’s club. Some of the qualifications I have are:
Interest in marketing
 Marketing Major
Finish strong and
with confidence! Let Strong communication skills
the company know What can I do for
why you want to  Contacted clients to promote services as a Marketing & Sales Intern at ListenUp. you! Employers
work for them and  Composed and edited articles for Nova’s University newspaper. want to know what
that you really you can bring to the
believe you can fit Creativity table, so give them
in. what they want.
 Use Photoshop CS4 and Powerpoint to design mock products. Bullets are great for
being specific and to
I aligned closely with your firm’s focus on creative results driven marketing campaigns. I the point.
believe that I would be a great addition to your company and look forward to being
interviewed at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration. I
look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Sofia Pereira

Pro tip: Although it

is not required, if
you have access to a
scanner, adding a
digital signature will
personalise your
cover letter.
&XUULFXOXP
9LWDHB%ULWLVK Sara Anne Green

Address (college): 26 Windmill Road

Bristol, BS2 6DP
Telephone (mobile): 0778 6050912

Address (home): 47 Gerrard Street

Manchester, M20 4LZ
Telephone: 0121 423170
Email: [email protected]

A well-organized and outgoing Business Economics student graduating in June 2007 with
good communication and analytical skills, looking to develop a career as an economist within
an international business environment. Fluent Spanish speaker experienced in the use of
spreadsheets, databases, and similar business software.

Education and qualifications:

September 2004 to present: BA (Hons) in Business Economics

City University, Bristol
(graduating in June 2007)

September 1996-June 2003 Manchester School

4 A Levels: Economics (A), Information and

Communication Technology (A), English (A),
Spanish (B)
9 GCSEs (including A* grades in Economics,
Spanish, English, Mathematics, ICT, and German)

Employment history:

July-September 2006 Administrative Assistant

MKL Smith & Co (Accountants), Manchester

Duties included:
• using spreadsheets to sort and chart financial
information
• administering client database
• assisting PA with routine admin tasks

July-September 2005 English Language Teaching Assistant

EFL International, Seville, Spain

Duties included:
• assisting teachers in preparing lessons
• administering student database
• liaising with local companies to organize student
activities

July 2003-August 2004 Various jobs (including voluntary and hotel work) and
travel in Spain and Latin America, gaining a valuable
insight into the culture and spoken language of those
countries.

Other qualifications and skills: Advanced Certificate in MS Word, MS Excel, and MS

Access (evening course, September-July 2006)
Full driving licence
Interests: Netball, travel, swimming

References: Dr Thomas Clark

Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
Department of Business Organization and Strategy
City University
Bristol BS1 2ER

Ms Susan Hunter
Senior Partner
MKL Smith & Co (Accountants)
231 Parker Street
Manchester M20 6QR
 Instructions for using the Europass curriculum vitae
( http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu )

Introduction

Drawing up a curriculum vitae is an important step in looking for any job or training. The CV is often the first contact
with a future employer. It needs to seize the reader’s attention immediately and to demonstrate why you should be
given an interview.

Important! Employers generally spend no more than a minute on each CV when making an initial selection from
applications received. If you fail to make the right impact, you will waste your opportunity.

Read the following information carefully before entering your details into the template.

General recommendations

Before starting to write your curriculum vitae, remind yourself of a few important principles:

Take care over the presentation of your CV

Set out your qualifications, skills and competences clearly and logically, so that your specific attributes are
easily seen.
Give proper attention to all relevant detail, both of substance and presentation; there is no excuse for
mistakes in spelling and punctuation!

Concentrate on the essentials

- a CV must be brief: in most cases, two pages are enough to show who and what you are. A three page CV
may be considered too long in some countries, even if your work experience is outstanding.
- if your work experience is still limited (because you have just left school or university), describe your
education and training first; highlight work placements during training (see online examples);
- concentrate on essential information that brings added value to your application: work experience or
training which is old or not relevant for the application can be omitted.

Adapt your CV to suit the post applied for

Systematically check your CV every time you want to send it to an employer to see if it corresponds to the
profile required; highlight your advantages according to the specific requirements of the prospective employer.
A good knowledge of the company will help you tailoring your CV to the appropriate profile.
Take care: do not artificially inflate your CV; if you do, you are likely to be found out at the interview.

Instructions for using the Europass curriculum vitae - http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu - © European Communities 2003 Page 1
 Keep to the structure of the template
The Europass curriculum vitae allows you to present your qualifications, skills and competences in a logical
order:
- personal information;
- description of your work experience;
- description of your education and training (which may appear before the heading ‘Work experience’ for
users with limited work experience; to invert the order of the two headings, use the ‘copy/paste’ command
in your word processing software);
- detailed inventory of your skills and competences, acquired in the course of your training, work and daily
life.
Notes:
- print your curriculum vitae on white paper;
- retain the suggested font and layout;
- avoid underlining or writing whole sentences in capitals or bold: it affects the readability of the document;
- do not split an entry under one heading over two pages (e.g. your list of training courses) – to avoid this use the
‘page break’ command in your word processing software;
- the boxes containing the various headings should not appear when the document is printed.

Be clear and concise

Your profile must be appreciated by the potential employer after a few seconds’ reading. In consequence:
- use short sentences;
- concentrate on the relevant aspects of your training and work experience;
- explain any breaks in your studies or career;
- remove any optional heading (e.g. if you have no ‘Artistic skills and competences’ (see page 2 of the
template) or if you consider that such skills and competences do not bring added value to your application,
remove the whole entry using the ‘cut’ command in your word processing software.

Have someone else read your CV on completion

Check your CV carefully once you have filled it in to remove any spelling mistakes and to ensure it is laid out
clearly and logically.
Have someone else read your CV so that you are sure the content is clear and easy to understand.

Instructions for using the Europass curriculum vitae - http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu - © European Communities 2003 Page 2
 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a description of a city?

✓ Make notes on the city before you start writing your description.
location tourist attractions people public transport famous places
the weather food and drink

✓ Remember to include a mixture of facts and opinions.

✓ Organise your ideas into paragraphs.

Time out in Toronto

✓ Paragraph 1: Introduce the city and say why it is special to you.
Toronto is the biggest city in Canada with a population of about two and a half
million people. There are over 150 different ethnic groups there and people speak
more than one hundred different languages! It’s fascinating.

Include facts about

the city.

✓ Paragraphs 2 and 3: Describe the city in more detail.

Start your visit to Toronto at the CN Tower. Go up to the Sky Pod
observation deck, which is 447 metres high with a glass floor, and you can see
the entire city below you. People say you can even see the Niagara Falls. If
you are a sports fan, you must visit the Rogers Centre, it’s a stadium with a
roof which can be opened and closed. It’s the home of the Toronto Argonauts
football team and the Blue Jays baseball team.
Toronto is also a cultural city. The theatre district is my favourite area of the
city; I love the buildings there. You can see a lot of plays and shows and there
are great street festivals in the city too. Eating is no problem either. There is
a huge choice available: from Tibetan to Togolese! King West and College Street
have lots of fabulous restaurants to choose from. Alternatively, you can do
some food shopping at St. Lawrence Market, rated as one of the top twenty-
five markets in the world!
Give your own
opinions about the
city.
✓ Paragraph 4: Recommend the city to your reader.
The best thing about Toronto is that it is very safe and relaxed so you can walk
around, soaking up the atmosphere without any problems. I really recommend a visit.

Be enthusiastic about the city

and explain why you like it.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a descriptive story?

le Use your plan as a rough guide.

✓ Plan your story. Think about who the peop You may want to change your
y takes place
are (the characters), where the stor ideas as you write the story.
), and what hap pen s (the events).
(the setting

ore interesting.
✓ Use adjectives to make your descriptions m
The setting
The characters
The type of place:
Physical appearance: quiet village /
r / skinny a sandy beach / a busy city / a
tall / short / fat / thin / muscula majestic mountains
Clothes: The weather:
able /
smart / casual / scruffy / fashion cold / hot / wet / freezing / rain
y / windy
colourful
The atmosphere:
Personality:
erous / lonely / isolated / scary / inspiring
lively / talkative / aggressive / gen
mean
Mood:
miserable
angry / sad / quiet / confused /

✓ Use adverbs to describe how people said Use a variety of direct and
things. indirect speech to bring your
/ softly
angrily / politely / loudly / quietly characters to life.

The opening sentence Adverbs.

sets the scene.

e water
auti ful w arm sum mer ’s d ay. The boat moved slowly through the blu
It was a be were laughing
all, tree -cov ere d is land . A group of lively young teenagers
towards th e sm ers. She was
The y w ere tea sing a b lond gir l who was sitting away from the oth
and joking. ell.
horts and she didn’t look very w
wearing a pink T-shirt and white s
f them said loudly.
‘Guess who’s feeling seasick!’ one o
s he took a picture.
h, e very one at s cho ol w ill lo ve these photos!’ another said, a Use a variety of
‘Yea
wanted to ask her adjectives.
girl looked even more miserable. I
The others laughed and the blond
name but I was too shy.
. I explored the island
body went in different directions
We arrived at the island and every . Then I heard a shout
the boat disappearing. I was alone
by myself. When I got back I saw
l.
from the boat. It was the blond gir Contrasting
long and short
We’ve left that boy behind!’
‘Turn back!’ she shouted loudly. ‘ sentences.
d it turned out that
ed her name. We started to chat an
On the boat I thanked her and ask now and we often
e each other nearly every weekend
she lives not far from me. We se
laugh about how we met.
Put the main event of the story
near the end. This makes the
Direct and indirect
speech. story more exciting for the
reader.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a film review?

✓ Make notes about the film before you start writing your review.

✓ Is your review positive or negative? Brainstorm positive and negative adjectives.

convincing disappointing inspiring mechanical outstanding realistic
slow-moving successful superb thought-provoking uninspired unrealistic

Bond, James Bond

✓ Paragraph 1: An introduction to the film.

My favourite Bond film is Casino Royale. James Bond is played magnificently by
Daniel Craig in his first 007 mission. The film starts with Bond in Madagascar,
where he is chasing a bomb-maker. There is a great sequence here of Bond
unsuccessfully following the terrorist.
Include expressions
of opinion in your
review.

✓ Paragraph 2: More detailed information about the plot.

The action then moves to Montenegro where Bond has to pursue Le Chiffre, banker
to the world’s terrorist organisations. The British intelligence agency, MI6, has
discovered that Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game
in Montenegro at the Casino Royale. Bond is assigned to play against Le Chiffre
and to beat him. Throughout the film, Bond is helped by M -- played brilliantly by
Dame Judi Dench -- from MI6 headquarters. Unlike previous Bond films, 007 falls in
love with the beautiful Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) from the British Treasury.

Use adjectives and

adverbs to describe
different aspects of
✓ Paragraph 3: Your opinion and recommendation. the film.

In my opinion, what makes Casino Royale such a successful film is the casting
of the actors and realistic action scenes. Both Daniel Craig and Judi Dench
are completely convincing. Casino Royale is fast-moving with excellent special
effects. The score by David Arnold is also very enjoyable, although the opening
song is rather disappointing. I am not normally a James Bond fan, however,
I would definitely recommend you see this film.

Use intensifiers to
modify adjectives.

Give a brief overview of the

plot, but don’t go into too
much detail.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a for and against essay?

✓ Choose an essay title you have an opinion about.

✓ Present a balanced number of for and against arguments.

Genetically modified foods should be banned. Discuss.

✓ Paragraph 1: Introducing the topic.

Many people believe that genetically modified foods should be banned on the
grounds that these foods could be dangerous. However, other people disagree
and argue that banning GM foods would be a mistake.
Use linkers and
expressions to
Use a variety contrast opinions.
of expressions
to introduce ✓ Paragraphs 2 and 3: Showing both sides of the argument.
opinions.
On the one hand, ecologists argue that genetically modified foods are
potentially dangerous for people and the environment. They also point out that
we have not yet studied the risks associated with this new technology. As a
result, people don’t know if this kind of food can affect their long-term health.
Critics also argue that genetically modified crops are not as tasty as naturally
grown food. Finally, they argue that an increase in the cultivation of GM Use linkers to
crops will have a negative affect on biodiversity. introduce results and
consequences.

On the other hand, organically grown food can be more expensive to produce
and more difficult to cultivate. As genetically modified crops are more resistant
to disease and drought, this means harvests are assured. This is good news for
the hundreds of thousands of people who go hungry around the world. What is
more, genetically modified foods have not been proved to be dangerous.

Use linkers to
highlight additional
information.
✓ Paragraph 4: Conclusion and personal opinion.
In conclusion, whilst I agree that organically grown food is healthier than GM
food, this does not mean that genetically modified food should be banned. In
my opinion, people must be given a choice about which types of food to buy.
Food producers, supermarkets and governments should ensure that all food is
clearly labelled. Food is, after all, a matter of personal taste.

Use modal verbs to

make suggestions and
recommendations.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a formal letter of complaint?

✓ Prepare to write your letter: what is your complaint and how can it be resolved?

✓ Follow the correct layout for a formal letter.

✓ Greeting
Dear Sir or Madam, Use more formal
vocabulary in a
formal letter.
✓ Paragraph 1: Introduction and reason for writing.
I am writing to complain about the Paradise Caravan Park. As you can see, I live in close proximity
to the park and I experience frequent inconveniences as a result of the conditions there.

✓ Paragraph 2: Explain your complaint clearly.

The problems are particularly acute during the summer months when the noise from the
residents of the park is intolerable with parents shouting and children crying. What is more, Use full
there are all-night parties at the weekends, which are extremely loud and keep me awake. forms not
contractions.
Music is played well into the night. Your rubbish disposal arrangements are clearly deficient,
since I am frequently exposed to extremely unpleasant smells. These smells are so bad that I am
very often unable to sit in my garden. Finally, your parking arrangements are not sufficient. Cars
are often left outside the caravan park on the main road, denying me access to my residence.

✓ Paragraph 3: Say how you would like the problem to be resolved.

If immediate action is not taken to resolve these issues, I am afraid I shall have no option but to
inform the local authorities.
Use the passive voice to
emphasise actions.

✓ Ending your letter

I look forward to hearing from you.

✓ Closing
Yours faithfully, Although you may feel angry
about the situation, remember
Paul Carruthers to be polite in a letter of
complaint.
Mr Paul Carruthers

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 Over to you!

Writing
Can you write a formal letter?

✓ Greeting
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Mr / Mrs / Ms (Jennings),

riting.
✓ Paragraph 1: Introduction and reason for w
mer language
am writ ing to intr odu ce mys elf and find out more about your sum school at the
I t and I am 16 years old. I am at
courses. My name is Mohd KharbaI am very interested in languages and I would like
moment studying for my exams. the future.
to learn to speak many more in
s.
ourself, your interests and ambition
✓ Paragraph 2: Contains information about y nish. I am
ak Ara bic and Fren ch flue ntly , and I am learning English and Spa ause they
I spe bec
think languages are very important essential for
serious and very hard-working. I all over the world, and they are
help us to communicate with peoplebe a teacher, so I can help people to learn
business. One day I would like to
different languages.
n.
✓ Paragraph 3: Questions for the organisatio
in each class?
courses? How many students are
Could you tell me more about thestudy more than one language?
How much do they cost? Can I

✓ Ending your letter

.
I look forward to hearing from you

✓ Closing
m)
Yours faithfully, (with Dear Sir or Mada
Mr / Mrs / Ms)
Yours sincerely, (wit h Dear

✓ Your signature
When you write a formal letter,
Mohd Kharbat check these points carefully:
• Do not use contracted forms like
✓ Your full name I’ve, I’m.
Mohd Kharbat • Use the correct greeting and
closing expressions.
• Presentation – typed letters look
better than handwritten ones.
• Check carefully for any mistakes.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write an informal email?
Type the person’s email address
carefully. Remember to include
full stops and underscores ( _ ).
We don’t use capital letters for
email addresses.
✓ Email address
[email protected]

✓ Subject
This weekend The subject of your email doesn’t
Hi!
Hello (name) My birthday party have to be long. It should
describe what your email will be
about in a few words, or it could
✓ Greeting be something simple like ‘Hi!’.

Dear (name),

.
✓ Paragraph 1: Opening and reason for writing
It was sad to hear that...
How are you? I am writing to...
Many thanks for your email. Congratulations on…
Thanks a lot for... I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner.
It was great to hear that...

questions.
✓ Paragraph 2: Contains news, information or
I’ve got loads of things to tell you.
I’ve got some good news.
week! I...
Guess what happened to me last
passed my exam!
I have some great news for you: I
I’m a student at…
k. Would you like to come?
I’m having a birthday party next wee

✓ Paragraph 3: Conclusion and ending.

I hope we can meet soon.
(Well) that’s all for now. Don’t forget to write soon.
ts).
Give my best wishes to your (paren
I can’t wait to get your next em ail.

✓ Closing
Best wishes,
Bye for now,
Lots of love,
Love,
Take care,

✓ Your name
Sophie

Use informal language in

✓ Extra information informal emails, for example,
PS contractions like I’m, can’t, and
colloquial expressions such as
I’m really into music.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write an informal letter?

✓ Before you start your letter, think about who you are writing to and why.
a friend a classmate a member of your family a penfriend
to give news to say thanks to describe your holiday

✓ Greeting
Dear Carl,

✓ Paragraph 1: Introduction and reason for writing.

Thanks for your letter. It was really great to hear from you. Toronto sounds
fabulous with lots of interesting places to visit! I’m glad you are meeting lots
of friendly people too. That’s really important when you are away from home.

✓ Paragraph 2: Describing people you have met.

I’m having a good time here in Hong Kong - the people are quite reserved,
Use adjectives but when you get to know them they are good fun and very kind. They have
and expressions
to describe been really welcoming to me. I have met a really nice boy who has helped me Use intensifiers
places. fit in. He has shown me around the city and is helping me learn a little bit of with adjectives to
Cantonese. Life at the international school is quite busy. The teachers are describe people.
friendly and helpful and the other students come from all over the world. I met
some girls and boys from Australia who have a really good sense of humour and
make me laugh.

✓ Paragraph 3: Describing the city. Describe the

food you
Hong Kong is an exciting place. There are lots of things to do as it’s such a have eaten.
big city. And the food is unbelievable! You can get whatever you want and it’s
not expensive. It’s also really good quality; I’m getting used to eating spicy
dishes now. The only negative thing is the weather, which has been really hot
and humid. I’m not really used to the humidity and it can be a bit uncomfortable.
Never mind!
Describe the weather
and how it makes
✓ Ending your letter you feel.

OK, that’s it for now. I have to finish my assignment for school and I’m
meeting Chang my Chinese friend. Write back when you can.

✓ Closing
Love, Elaine Remember to use informal
expressions and contractions
in a letter to a friend.

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 Over to you!

Writing
Can you write an opinion essay?

agree with it?

✓ Read the title carefully. Do you agree or dis
ure. Discuss.
English is important for my fut

itle. Think of two main reasons.

✓ Decide why you agree or disagree with the t

opinion.
ns and convince the reader of your
✓ Brainstorm examples to support these reaso

✓ Organise your ideas into four paragraphs.

✓ Paragraph 1: Give your opinion. Use these expressions to

I think English is important for my
er
state your opinions.
future and for the future of oth I agree… I disagree… I think…
young people. There are two main In my opinion… I believe…
reasons which support my opinion.

Main idea. Use these expressions to

introduce paragraphs.
✓ Paragraph 2: State your first reason First of all… Firstly,…
and supporting examples. Secondly,… Another important
Firstly, English is important in point is…
education. Lots of books are
written in English, and it is
se
important to be able to read the
to complete cou rse s and to pas s Use these expressions to
exams. Also, if you want to study give your conclusion.
d
abroad you may need to understan To sum up… In conclusion,…
spoken English as well .

supporting examples.
✓ Paragraph 3: State your second reason and
panies are
akin g Eng lish can help you get a better job. Most big com
Sec ond ly, spe ir business in
rna tion al with off ices in Eng lish- speaking countries and they do the , you will
inte lish well
know how to speak and write Eng
English too. What is more, if you
some day.
have the chance to work abroad
Supporting
examples.

✓ Paragraph 4: Give your conclusion and When you write an opinion

final comment. essay, check these points
be
In conclusion, I think English will carefully:
nt for my futu re. Whe n
very importa • The essay starts with a clear
ity I hop e tha t I will
I finish univers opinion.
get a well-paid job abroad. • Paragraphs contain a
main idea and supporting
examples.
• The final paragraph is a
conclusion.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a report?

nd research some
✓ Look carefully at what you have been asked to write about a
information relating to the task.

A pollution problem in my area.

✓ Plan your report in four paragraphs.

✓ Paragraph 1: Introduction. Say what your report

will be about.
The purpose of this report is to talk about
oil spills in our oceans and suggest what we
can do to prevent them.

blem.
✓ Paragraph 2: Give the reader some information about the pro
coast of my country spilling
In 2002 the oil tanker, Prestige, sank off the e life, damaged the fishing industry
thousands of tonnes of fuel oil. This killed marin. Tourism was also affected when
and contaminated 10,000 kilometres of coastline
beaches were closed.

✓ Paragraph 3: Suggest some Second

solutions. conditional
to talk
Many things can be about
done to prevent oil spills. changes
you would
Think about who will be reading
Governments should have make. the report. Reports are usually
emergency plans to deal written in formal language.
with them. If I were in
power, I would make oil
companies pay compensation.
Everyone can help by
using less electricity: most
electricity is produced by Use should and ought to to
burning fossil fuels. make recommendations.

✓ Paragraph 4: Give your conclusion.

In conclusion, we should be much
more careful when we transport and The purpose of a report is to
use oil. One thing is certain — if report facts, so you should not
we don’t do something soon, these write about anything that is not
problems will only get worse. related to the topic.

First conditional
to encourage
people to act.

Over to you!: Unit 7 109

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 Over to you!

Writing
Can you write a story?

Past Perfect for

earlier events.

aphs.
✓ Organise your story into three main paragr

✓ Paragraph 1: Setting the scene.

excited. My
My friend Mary and I were very my birthday
parents had given me a can oe for
try it out. That
that morning and we wanted to behind my house.
afternoon, we went to the river was shining and
It was a beautiful day, the sun fect for our
there was a gentle breeze — per
first canoe trip.

place and the background.

✓ Set the scene by describing the people, the

✓ Paragraph 2: Developing the story.

the canoe into
When we got to the river we put was ready, I
the water. As soon as the can oe
I was paddling
got in and started to paddle. Aswater started
towards the middle of the river, rted to sink.
coming into the canoe and it stap and Mary got
Luckily, the river wasn’t very deed the canoe.
me out of the water and rescue
Past Continuous for background
and interrupted actions.
✓ Develop the story using different tenses.
Past Simple for a
sequence of events.
✓ Paragraph 3: An interesting ending.
to the sports
The next day, Mary and I went n we went back
shop and change d the can oe. The
in. This time Mary
to the river to try canoeing aga during the night
got into the canoe. It had rain ed
rted to paddle
so the river was strong. Mary stat stop the
harder and harder, but she couldn’ll. I was shouting,
canoe. It went over the waterfa s she was OK,
but Mary didn’t hear me. Afterward the end of our
but the canoe wasn’t. That was
canoeing days!

✓ Always include an ending; readers Draw a time line and mark the
want to know what happened. events of your story on it. This
will help you to make the story
more interesting.

Over to you!: Unit 2 99

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a timed essay?

✓ Follow the eight-point plan!

1 Read the essay questions carefully and decide which one you are going to write.

1 Under-18s should be allowed to vote. Discuss.

2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad for a year?
3 A complete surprise! Write a story about something unexpected that happened to you.

2 Spend five minutes brainstorming your ideas on a piece of paper.

go to the US or the UK - stay with family - culture - widen horizons - learn new things -
meet new people - miss friends and family - speak more English - chance to visit famous
cities - some places not safe - expensive

3 Decide what type of essay you are going to write.

biography description dialogue for and against formal letter
informal letter narrative opinion summary

4 Write an essay plan using your ideas and following the structure of the essay.

1 Main idea 2 Ideas for 3 Ideas against 4 Conclusion

many people study learn about culture miss friends and widen horizons - learn
English - go to the US - meet new people family - some places new things
or the UK - stay with - speak more English - not safe - expensive
family visit famous cities

5 Write the first draft of your essay.

6 Revise your first draft. Use the criteria on Writing a good essay plan will
page 79 to evaluate your essay. save you time.

7 Write the second draft of your essay.

8 Read the second draft of your essay and
make any final corrections if necessary.
Divide your time between
planning and writing your first
and second drafts.

Write legibly in your best

handwriting.

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 Over to you!

Writing:
Can you write a vivid narrative?

✓ Make a note of the main events of your narrative.

✓ Brainstorm dramatic action verbs to use in your story.

✓ Organise your ideas into three paragraphs.

A lucky escape

✓ Paragraph 1: Setting the scene.

Chris Wright had an extremely lucky escape when he was on holiday in America
last year. It happened while he was staying in a tiny guesthouse near the beach
in Florida. On the second day of his holiday, there was an urgent hurricane warning.

✓ Paragraph 2: The main events of the story.

The guesthouse staff quickly told everyone to stay inside the building until the
hurricane had passed over. Chris waited nervously as the wind started to howl
and the rain fell heavily. Suddenly, the windows of Chris’s bedroom exploded
and glass was scattered all over the room. At that moment, the roof of the
guesthouse collapsed. The next thing Chris knew, a heavy object struck him on
the head and he crumpled to the ground.

Use adverbs of
manner to describe Use dramatic action
actions. verbs to make the
narrative vivid.

✓ Paragraph 3: An unusual or surprising ending.

When Chris recovered consciousness, the wind was still blowing. The room was in
complete darkness and Chris couldn’t see anything. What was more, he couldn’t
move his legs! He was trapped under some wooden beams from the roof. After lying
helplessly on the ground for hours, he heard something moving above him. He shouted
weakly and then he felt something licking his face – a rescue dog had found him!

To write a vivid narrative, write

about something you have
experience of or know about.

Over to you!: Unit 2 107

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