Informal vocabulary, including phrasal verbs
‘go on’ instead of ‘continue’
Simpler sentence structure
I’ll be late for the party. It’s because of my French exam.
Punctuation using exclamation marks
If you’d been at the wedding, you’d have loved the food!
LETTER OF APPLICATION
| Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam, | |
| Reason for writing | I am writing to apply for the post/position of … … as advertised in … I am writing with reference/in response to your advertisement, which I saw … I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Star on May 11th … With reference to your advertisement … |
| Experience Qualifications CV | I gained some experience while … I am currently working as … I have been working for … for the last four years. I worked part-time for three years as … At the moment I am employed by … My qualifications include … I have a diploma in … I graduated from Barcelona University last year with a degree in … Please find attached my CV As you can see from the attached CV … |
| Endings | Please do not hesitate to contact me if/should you require further information. I look forward to hearing from you. I am available for interview at your convenience. I shall be available for interview any day apart from Wednesdays. |
| Signing off | (If Dear surname) Yours sincerely, (If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully, Yours, |
| First name + surname |
REPORT
| Initial information | To: From: Subject: or Re: Date: |
| Introduction | As requested, I did/have done sth I summarise below/Below is a summary of the most important relevant points as well as some recommendations. |
| Findings Or Important points | 1. … 2. … 3. … |
| Useful phrases | In relation to … In contrast with … As far as … is concerned … In spite of … In an attempt to … |
| Conclusion or recommend. | Having considered the options, … I would like to suggest/recommend … I therefore suggest/recommend … You may wish to consider … |
ARTICLE
| Heading | Freezing! (dramatic) My Lone Walk to the North Pole (a summary) Rescue from the rapids (a summary) What’s the big idea? (a question) Seven banks a day are robbed in LA (a surprising) You’re already well equipped to prevent crime (a surprising) |
| Opening | Did you know …? What would you do if …? |
| General Structure | Give your article a heading or headline which makes the subject clear and also catches the reader’s attention. Divide the article into paragraphs to help the reader follow the argument. Begin with an interesting introduction – an example, perhaps, or a question. End with an overall comment or concluding. |
STORY
| Beginnings and endings | A narrative needs an interesting beginning to catch the reader’s attention and encourage him or her to read on, and a clear ending to round the story off satisfactorily. A weak beginning or ending can spoil the effect of the story, so it’s worth spending time working out how to start and finish. |
| Verb tenses | We use: The simple past to describe the main events: I ran to answer the phone but it stopped ringing as I picked up the receiver. The past continuous to set the scene: It was raining heavily as we set off. The past perfect to describe events which happened before the main events: When I got on the bus all the seats had been taken. Preset participles to show two actions which are linked: Noticing that she looked lost, I asked if I could help. Perfect participles to show that one action was complete before another started: Having reported my stolen passport to the police, I returned sadly to the hotel. |
| Time Links | before …. then … at first, … next … later … during … after that … afterwards … when … finally, … as soon as … eventually, … immediately … in the end, … once … A few days earlier … Just after that … Some time later … Following the accident … Later on … |
| Adding variety and interest | Try to use different adjectives to convey the atmosphere. For example, if you want to convey the idea of fear, you could use frightened, terrified, scared. Varying the length of sentences can be effective. Use direct speech occasionally for dramatic effect (remember to use inverted commas correctly: “No,” he yelled, “don’t touch that switch!”) |
DISCURSIVE
| Making points | Many people feel that ... First and foremost, ... It is widely believed that ... It would be ideal if ... Another argument in favour is ... It is clear from the facts that ... The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages. On the whole, I think ... |
| Contrasting points | On the other hand ... Other people think ... An opposing argument is ... |
| Giving opinions | I personally feel that ... I find it hard to see why ... I certainly don't believe that ... It is difficult to believe that ... I object to the cloning of animals. |
| Organising and linking your ideas | First of all, … Secondly, … In addition, … Moreover, … Furthermore, … So … As a result, … Therefore, … However, … On the one hand … on the other hand … On the whole … While it is true to say … Finally, … To summarise, … In conclusion |