Writing Guide

Essays
You have just listened to a local radio discussion programme about ways in
which your town could be improved. You have made the notes below.

\'1\J1c\1 facilitieS s\'loula t\'le tO'.'lfl GOUfiCil

su~~o
M ·f tl'le~ are to im~rove our to'.'lf\7.
1 -

• wltural vwues
• s11o~~ifl9 cwtres '5ome op·no
I ns ey.pressed in the d· .
• s~orts clubs , ISGUSSIOn:
Not everyone likes theatre ballet ,
, · or opera.
'5hops are c.ruc.ial if we are .
to the town.' gomg to bring prosperity

'keeping fit should be a top pr·o

1
·t c
n Y10r everyone.'

Write an essay discussing two of the facilities in your notes. You should
explain which facility is more important for the town council to support,
giving reasons for your answer.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion,
but you should use your own words as far as possible.
Write your essay in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

1 Make a plan before you start by listing your points and putting them in a
logical order.
2 Summarise the subject clearly in the introductory paragraph.
3 Organise your ideas into paragraphs.
4 Use linkers to make your writing flow.
5 Use a variety of sentence structures.
6 Reword phrases from the input text where possible.
7 Express your opinions clearly and give reasons to justify choosing one
option above the other.
8 Use appropriate phrases to compare and contrast ideas.

11 Writing Guide
 Our town used to be a thriving place but over the past decade it has
become very run down. lt is therefore (4) important that we think
carefully about how to prioritise any planned improvements. (2) (3)
One of the major problems in the town is our lack of good sports
amenities. (6) The presr::nt gymnasium is very small and the equipment
is out of date and very unreliabl e. As I am sure most people would
agree, fitness plays an essential role (6) in the health and happiness of
all the inhabitants of our town and that is why I believe (7) it should be
our top priority. (3)
Of almost equal importance (8) is the need for adequate cultural
venues in our town. Although (4) the town boasts a well-established
theatre, a new art gallery or cultural centre would make a significant
contribution to the educational opportunities available to local people,
as well as (4) offering another place of entertainment and recreation.
Nevertheless, (4) it is likely fewer people will take advantage of these
facilities than will use the sports club and for that reason (7) I believe
they should take second place. (8)
To sum up, to enhance our town we eventually need both the new
sports facilities and the cultural venues. Given the need to prioritise,
however, (4) it seems clear that sport should come first. Having
attend ed to that area , we can later turn our minds to the cultural
venues we so desperately need. (3)

phrase bank
• Sequencing points in an argument
Take, for exa mpl e .. .
justifying opinions
Th e reason I think thi s is beca use

• In th e first pla ce/To start with , .

Secondly, .
Finally, .
. .. and that is wh y I believe ...
. .. and for th at reason I think

Conclusions
Prioritisi ng/compa ring In sum /To sum up, .

• I beli eve X should be our top pri ority.

lt is my opinion th at X should ta ke seco nd place.
lt seems to me th at X mu-st com e first.
In co nclusion, .

Writing Guide l1!iJ

Informal letters and emails
You have received a letter from an English friend, Steve. Read
part of the letter and then write your letter to Steve.

Gue.55 what? I've. pa55e.d all m~ e.'f.amf> with top grade.f>l Af> ~ou know,
I didn't n pe.c.t to do 50 we.\\, 50 inf>te.ad of e-nrolling at un i ve.r5i~,
I de.c.ide.d to bac.kpac.k round the. world ne.'f.t ~e.a r . Now m~ fam il~
are. urging me. to re.think and go to uni afte.r all. I'd re.all~ like.
~our advic.e. ple.a5e.. What are. the. prOD and c.onf> of e.ac.h, and whic.h
f>hould I c.hoo5e.? Or ma~be. ~ o u think it'f> po55ible. to do both?
Write. 5oon.

'0te.ve.

Write your letter in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

1 Begin informal emailsjletters with 'Dear ... ' or 'Hi'.

2 Finish with 'Best wishes' (or 'Love' for very close family or
friends) .
3 Use an informal style that is in keeping with the relationship
you have with the reader of your letter.
4 Group similar ideas together and develop them to form
paragraphs.
5 Use linking phrases where appropriate.
6 Start a new paragraph when you change topic.
7 Close your letter with a set phrase.

llJ Writing Guide

 Dear ~tcvc, (1)
Congratu\ationf:> on paf:>f:>ing iOUr C'f.amf:>, iOU dcvcr tl'ling\ You muf:>t nave been
ac\ig\1tca w\1cn iOU got t\1c ncwf:>. r\opc iOU,VC been Gt\cbrating \1ara\
Now, about iour two optionf:> for nnt icar. (?) Thci bot\1 f:>ouna great f:>O I'm not
wrprif:>ca iou'rc 11aving troub\c acc.iaing wl'lat to ao .
The iaca of travc\\ing rouna t\1c wor\a if:> rca\\i C'f.Giting ana of GOUrf:>C WC probab\i
nee-a to ao t\1Cf:>C t\1ingf:> w\1i\c we're f:>ti\\ iOung. r\aving f:>aia t\1at, (?) I t\1in'K iOU
nee-a to bear in mina tl'lat going to univcrf:>iti wu\a c.l'langc iour wl'lo\c future.
:.fuf:>t tl'lin'K - wit\1 tl'lc graacf:> iou'vc juflt got, iou wu\a f:>tuai f:>omctl'ling bri\\iant,
\i'KC mcaic.inc. Do iOU want to jwparaif:>C iOUr c.l'lanGCf:> of aoing tl'lat? ~omcl'low I
aon't t\1in'K f:>O.
(4) If iou rca\\i nave to c.l'loof:>c one option over tl'lc otl'lcr, univcrf:>iti l'lafl to
GOmC firflt - it' f:> a no- braincr, af:> far af:> I Gan f:>CC. tJUt I ao nave an a\tcrnatiVC-
f:>Uggcf:>tion . Wl'li aon't iOU app\i for uni but af:>'K for a icar off before ta~M_g it up?--
lhat wai iOU c.an nave tl'lc bcf:>t of bot\1 wor\af:> - travc\ ana univcrf:>iti . Wl'lat ao -
iOU t\1in'K?
1\niWai, ~tCVC, I \'lope mi f:>uggcf:>tionf:> ma'Kc f:>Wf:>C to iOU ana t\1at t\1ci \1c\p wit\1
iOUr aCGifliOn .
tJCf:>t of \uG'K wit\1 (1) iOUr ai\cmma ana aon't forget to write ana tc\\ me t\1c
outwmc.
Love, (!.)
L.aura

phrase bank
• Opening and ending your letter/email
Dea r john/Ma ria
Giving advice
I thin k you need to bear in mind that .. .

•
Hi john/Maria Wh y don 't you ... ? That way, you could ...
Love = (very inform al) Have you thou ght about ... 7
Best wishes= (neutral) ju st think .. . !

• Regards = (neutral/a little more formal)

First lines
Congratul ati ons on ... !
lt was great to hea r from you and get all your news.
Do you rea lly want to .. . 7 Som ehow I don't think so.
Final lines
I hope my suggestion s help you to .. .
Don 't forget to write and tell me .. .

•
I was really pl eased to get your rece nt letter/em ail. Best of lu ck with ...
Keep in touch.
Hope to hea r from you soon.

• Looking forwa rd to hea rin g from you .

Writing Guide mJ
 Formal letters and emails
You have seen the following announcement on the 'Young World' website:

Wanted : TV presenter
We are an intern ation al TV company planning to make a seri es of programm es,
in English, abou t issues of interest to yo ung peopl e around the world . Could
yo u help to present th e show? If you think you are th e ri ght person for th e job,
write to me, John Fin ch, giving reason s for thi s. You should also expl ain whi ch
issue you think we should highlight in our first programme, and why.

Write your letter in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

1 Use formal language when writing to a person in authority such as the

head of a company, the editor of a newspaper, or a college principal.
2 Open with 'Dear ... ' and use the person's name if known, otherwise use
'Dear Sir/Madam'.
3 Start by giving your reason for writing.
4 Group similar ideas together and develop them to form paragraphs .
5 Link sentences and paragraphs carefully using appropriate linking
phrases.
6 Start a new paragraph when you change topic.
7 Use a good range of vocabulary and structures.
8 Make sure your grammar and punctuation are correct.
9 Close your letter with a set phrase.
10 End with 'Yours faithfully' if you don't know the person 's name, or
'Yours sincerely' if you do.

IIJ Writing Guid

 Dear Sir or Madam (2)
I have seen your announcement on the 'Young World' website and am writing to apply for the post
of presenter for your forthcoming series. (3)
(4) I am twenty years old and, as you will see, I have a great deal of appropriate experience.
(5) First, I am a trainee journalist and have been taking care of the 'Young People Today' section
of my local newspaper for the past few months. In this role, I spend a lot of time interviewing young
people on issues they find important, which ties in well with the post you are offering. (5) Secondly,
I belong to an amateur drama group. Having played many acting roles, I would be very much at ease
in front of an audience. (5) Last but not ltast, I am well able to present the series in English since my
mother comes from the United Kingdom and I am bilingual.
(6) The issue I suggest we focus on, given the age of our target audience, (7) is emotional
relationships. Young people have many difficulties in this area, whether it be in forming new
friendships, boy-girl relationships, dealing with break-ups or coping with family upheavals. (7)
A programme that illustrated typical problems and offered advice on dealing with each of
these would , I am sure, be seen as extremely helpful and could even become essential viewing. (7)
I hope I have shown that I would be an ideal presenter and that you like my ideas for the programmes.
I look forward to hearing from you . (9)
Yours faithfully (10)

Mirand.a :Jimenez.

phrase bank
• Starting your letter
Dear Sir/Madam, Making suggestions

•
Dear Mr/M rs The issue I suggest we focus on is .... This is because ...
1propose we begin with · · · . The reason for this is that
Reason for writing
My first suggestion would be to .... Let me explain why: ..

• I am writing to apply for ...

I am writing to you about/with regard to ...
I am writing in response to ...
I am writing to enquire /co mplain about ...
I would like to apologise for ...
Concluding remarks
I hope my application will meet with your approval.
I hope I have shown that ...
I hope you will find this information of use.

•
I trust you will look into this matter fully.
Giving personal information
I hope you understand my concern about this matter.
I've been studying ... for the past two years. I would be very grateful for your help in this matter.

• I currently work as a ... so 1am used to ... I look forward to hearing from you .
Signing off

• Yours faithfully,
Yours sincerely,

Writing Guide 11
Reviews
The editor of a local newspaper has asked you to write a review of two
quite different places where young people can meet up for a drink or a
meal in your town.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

1 Remember that reviews can include criticism as well as praise.

2 Divide your review into paragraphs with a clear introduction
and conclusion.
3 Give a clear, concise description of t e place you are reviewing.
4 Start each paragraph with a topic sentence.
5 Keep your opinions/recommendations for the final paragraph.

11 Writing Guide
 •
review _____
T here are many places for young
people to eat together and
socialise in our town, but two have
become very popular. Keen to discover
My second visit was to Gigi's, a
riverside cafe in the student quarter.
(4) This is a very cosmopolitan venue,
attracting students from all over the
whether they live up to their world. In good weather, customers can
reputations, I went along this week to eat outside and enjoy the marvellous
sample what was on offer. (2) river views. The menu is limited (1),
with an emphasis on seafood, but it is
The first on my list was Hollywood Rock. reasonably priced and the quality is
(4) Step inside this restaurant and you good. There is live music at weekends,
feel as if you've been transported into but noise levels are kept low.
the past. The interior is a series of
small rooms, each dedicated to So which of the two restaurants should
legendary rock performers like Elvis or you choose? (4) While Hollywood Rock is
the Beatles. The walls are decorated original and will appeal to certain
with rock guitars and record covers music fans, it is noisy, which makes
and other memorabilia. (3) As you eat, conversation difficult. (1) If you prefer
rock music booms out around you. to socialise outdoors or in a slightly
The menu is predictable (1) - the usual quieter setting, I suggest you try Gigi's.
choice of pizzas, burgers and fries -but (5) But go early- tables fill up quickly,
it offers good value for money. especially at weekends.

phrase bank

• Making positive points

lt offers good value for money.
Comparing and contrasting/Weighing up the pros
and cons

•
lt is reasonably priced. While .. . , sadly ...
The quality is good/excellent. Taking into account .. . , I suggest ...
Its facilities are impressive/styl ish. Either of these wou ld be a good choice, but ...

• lt will appea l to ...

Making negative points
Unfortunately, the ... is a bit predictable.
Disappointingly, the menu/range/service is limited.
Giving advice
Go early!
lt is probably best to go early.
If you would rather ... , I recommend that you

• lt is noisy/disappointing/ not up to standard .

Writing Guide IJ
Reports
You are on the student committee at your college. This year you helped
the English Department organise a three-week study trip to the UK. The
principal of the college has asked you to write a report on the trip .

You should explain what was successful about the trip, describe any
problems, and suggest improvements for future trips.

Write your report in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

'Possib\e p\an '

lntro: aim of thif> re.port
Aaommoc\ation: hof>t fami\ie.f> he.\pfu\ but e.\c\e.r\i - iounge.r one.;, ne.~t time.?
'Sport;,/DOc.ia\ programme.;,: v. good (give. c\e.tai\f>) - \::e.e.p ne.r-t ie.ar
Language. c.\aMe.f>: te.ac.he.rf> frie.nc\\i but we. ne.e.c\ more. ;,pe.a\::ing ana \i;,te.ning
prac.tic.e. ne.~t time.
C.Onc.\uf>ion: re.c.omme.nc\ re.pe.at the. trip with improve.me.ntf>

1 Use appropriate linking words.

2 Use appropriate phrases to make suggestions and recommendations
if appropriate (also see page 165) .
3 Organise your report into sections with headings.
4 Include a clear introduction and conclusion.
5 Write clear and concise sentences
6 Use a formal style.

11 Writing Guide
 Introduction (4)
The aim of thi s report is to assess the success able to visit art galleries and museums and the
of this year's study trip to the U K and to programme included a hit show and some rock
recommend any changes. and pop events. I propose that (2) we repeat this
type of programme next year.
Accommodation (3)
Students appreciated the hospitality c,ffered Language classes (3)
to them by their host families and the help While (1) most students got on well with the
they gave them with their language practice. teachers, they would have liked more chance
However, (1) some of the host families were to improve their speaking and listening skills. I
rather elderly. lt would be preferable (2) if suggest we request that more class time is spent
younger host families could be found for our on communicative skills next year.
next trip.
Conclusion (4)
Sports and social programme (3) To sum up, (1) this year's trip appears to have
Students were highly enthusiastic about this been enjoyed by most students despite the
side of the trip, which offered them the chance reservations mentioned above. If the suggested
to compete against British students in various changes are implemented, I have no hesitation
sports and also learn about British culture in recommending (2) that we send other
while mixing with British students. They were students on the trip next year.

phrase bank
• Introduction
The aim of this report is to .

• This report describes/outlines/deals with

This report is based on ...

•
Making recomm endations
lt would be a good idea to
lt might be advisable to .. .
lt would be preferable to .. .
I suggest/propose/recommend that we (shou Id)

• Conclusion
To sum up, .
In conclusion, .. .

• I have no hesitation in recommending .. .

Writing Guide IJ
Proposals
Your college has been awarded a large sum of money. The college principal
has asked the student committee to write a proposal explaining which areas
most need improving and why, and how the money should be spent.

Write your proposal in 220- 260 words in an appropriate style.

'Possible plan
too r,m.a\\ -
bui\a new one?
wrrent oneu break aown -
get new oner,?
new inter.ac.tive whitebo.arc\r,? (
(
c.omputerr,
ar.am.a r,tuaio

/dewration/lighting

bui\aingu r,h.abb~ - reaec.or.ate?

better \ighting?

1 Use appropriate language for making suggestions and recommendations

(also see page 163).
2 Use linkers to sequence points.
3 Set out your text so that it looks like a proposal and not a letter.
4 Divide your proposal into sections with headings.
5 Include a separate introduct~'i?n and conclusion.
6 Be clear and concise.
7 Use an impersonal tone.

Ill Writing Guide

 Introduction (5)
The purpose of this proposal is to outline areas which need improving and to
make recommendations as to where money should be spent.

Equipment (4)
Many stud ents pointed out that the computers currently in use are becoming
dated and are apt to break down quite frequently. I would therefore recommend (1)
that we buy new, state-of-the-art computers. Additionally, (2) it was felt that the
existing basic whiteboards were outdated . I therefore propose that we invest in
interactive wh iteboa rds.

Buildings (4)
Many students are unhappy with the size of the drama stud io, which is too
small to house major productions. I suggest (1) we consider a new building
as this would allow us to provide much better facilities and to stage much
bigger shows.

Decoration and lighting (4)

Several students pointed out the fact that the college is badly in need of
redecoration . Others were worried about their personal safety due to the fact
that the college is poorly lit. My recommendation is (1) that we redecorate the
entire premises, inside and out, and that we install effective lighting in the
college grounds.

Conclusion (5)
In conclusion, (2) I believe that the areas identified in this proposal are the ones
that are most in need of improvement. If the recommendations above are followed ,
I believe they would have the support of all our students.

phrase bank
• Introduction
The aim/purpose of this proposal is to
Conclusion
To sum up, I believe that ...

• This proposal relates to ...

This proposal describes/outlines ...
In conclusion , I would say that
On balance, we are of the opinion that ...

• Suggestions and recommendations

•
I recommend/propose/suggest/
believe {that) we (should) ...
We could also .. .

• If we ... , we could ...

Writing Guide 11