Efective Writing [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

Simona BOŞ TINĂ -BRATU

Alina Gabriela NEGOESCU

EFFECTIVE WRITING FOR MILITARY LEADERS According to NATO STANAG 6001 Descriptors

Editura Universită ţii „Lucian Blaga” din Sibiu 2018

Referenţ i Ş tiinţ ifici: Prof. univ. emerit dr. Mihai M. Zdrenghea, D.H.C. Conf. univ. dr. Anca Bejenaru

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României BOSTINA-BRATU, SIMONA Effective Writing for Military Leaders: According to NATO STANAG 6001 Descriptors/ Simona Bostina-Bratu, Alina Gabriela Negoescu. - Sibiu: Editura Universităţii "Lucian Blaga" din Sibiu, 2018 Conţine bibliografie ISBN 978-606-12-1537-9 I. Negoescu, Alina Gabriela 811.111

TABLE OF CONTENTS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

PREFACE ............................................................................................................................. 7 UNIT 1 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC WRITING ............................................................. 9 1.1. Register and Degrees of Formality .................................................................. 10 1.2. Punctuation ........................................................................................................... 19 1.3. Linking Words and Phrases.............................................................................. 29 UNIT 2. BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY ........................................................41 2.1. Building from Root Words: Prefixes and Suffixes ....................................... 42 2.2. Word Combination & Collocations ................................................................ 51 2.3. Confusing words ................................................................................................ 58 2.4. Word Order ......................................................................................................... 67 UNIT 3. SUMMARIZING WRITTEN TEXT .................................................................. 73 3.1. Sentence Structure ............................................................................................. 74 3.2. Paraphrasing ....................................................................................................... 79 3.3. Summary and Main Idea .................................................................................. 94 UNIT 4. ESSAY WRITING ............................................................................................ 109 4.1. Planning and Organizing Paragraphs .......................................................... 110 4.2. Identifying Text Structure and Types of Paragraphs ............................... 119 4.3. Planning, Organizing and Writing Essays .................................................. 137

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UNIT 5. EFFECTIVE CORRESPONDENCE ................................................................ 171 5.1. Informal E-mails and Letters .......................................................................... 172 5.2. Formal E-mails and Letters ............................................................................ 179 SAMPLES OF WRITING TOPICS ACCORDING TO STANAG 6001 DESCRIPTORS ............................................................................................................... 215 SELF-ASSESSMENT TESTS ......................................................................................... 225 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................. 271 1. NATO STANAG 6001 – WRITING PROFICIENCY LEVELS ........................... 272 2. DESCRIPTORI STANAG 6001 PENTRU DEPRINDEREA SCRIS .................. 279 3. CRITERII STANAG 6001 DE EVALUARE A DEPRINDERII SCRIS ................ 281 4. WRITING SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST ....................................................284 5. UNDERSTANDING INSTRUCTION WORDS.................................................. 287 6. CONNECTORS AND USEFUL EXPRESSIONS ............................................... 291 7. GLOSSARY OF WRITING TERMS AND DEFINITIONS ................................ 297 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 327

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a

PREFACE “Writing the perfect paper is a lot like a military operation. It takes discipline, foresight, research, strategy, and if done right, ends in total victory.” (Ryan Holiday) Despite the hyper use of emails and PowerPoint in today’s military culture, the need for writing well is an absolute vital skill. Written communication is an essential element of expression; the ability to articulate oneself through the written word provides one with the opportunity to share their knowledge in a meaningful and effective way. In any profession, it is often writing that is relied upon as the preferred method of communication for getting tasks accomplished. The nature of military work is particularly complex, and the military relies on officers to lead and manage military organizations and to perform a variety of duties to meet their missions. The ability to write intelligibly, comprehensively and succinctly is a skill that requires strengthening, because it is needed by all military officers. This book is designed to provide future military leaders with theoretical and practical knowledge about academic writing. However, it may also be used for other learners of academic reading/writing at the college level. As a practice-based material, the book prepares learners to define the object and the tasks of the paper, structure a paper, use suitable methods, write conclusions, make presentations, write scientific articles and reviews, helping students to master the standard organizational patterns of the paragraph and the basic concepts of essay writing. 7

The book supports the thesis that learning to communicate in academic English requires: • focusing students on using appropriate formal vocabulary and transitions, avoiding redundancy, and bewaring of commonly misused words; • using recursion, that is, reinforcing skills rather than just moving from one to the next; • developing critical-thinking skills; • maintaining a relevant coherent theme to develop interest and expertise. By helping students discover how writing works, our book teaches students how to engage effectively with any writing situation they may encounter at school, at home, or at work. The authors

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Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

UNIT 1

● Register and Degrees of Formality ● Punctuation ● Linking Words and Phrases

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

1.1

REGISTER AND DEGREES OF FORMALITY ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

Remember! One's register is a style or variety of language determined by such factors as social occasion, context, purpose, and audience, also called stylistic variation. Registers are marked by a variety of specialized vocabulary and turns of phrases, colloquialisms and the use of jargon, and a difference in intonation and pace.

1.

Watch the video and notice the differences between formal and informal registers.

2. Match each of the five registers in column A with the corresponding description in column B: A 1) Frozen/Static Register

B a) used among friends and peers, including slang and colloquialisms;

2)Formal/Academic Register

b) formal and acceptable speech often used in professional settings, for example, discourse between teachers and students,

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Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

judges and lawyers, doctors and patients, and between a superior and a subordinate; 3) Consultative Register

c) reserved for close family members such as parents and children and siblings, or intimate people such as spouses

4) Informal/Casual Register

d) rarely or never changes, such as, for example, the Pledge of Allegiance or the Preamble to the Constitution

5) Intimate Register

e) used for publications that are read by teacher and researchers or presented at conferences, or to fulfill any writing assignment given in a university setting

3. Supply the missing words: Formal

Informal

Formal

Verbs

Informal

Nouns

to depart

to go

carnivore

meat-eater

to retain

_______

putrefaction

___________

to cease

_______

deficiency

___________

to function

_______

vision

___________

to masticate

_______

residence

___________

to demonstrate

_______

respiration

___________

to reside

_______

somnambulist

___________

_____________

to seem

comprehension

___________

_____________

to shorten

perspiration

___________

_____________

to end

_____________

to help

Adjectives

incorrect 11

wrong

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

_____________

to begin

_____________

amiable

_______

vacant

_______

_____________

to want

insane

_______

_____________

to get

inexpensive

_______

_____________

to free

_____________

lively

_____________

to eat

_____________

better

_____________

childish

Adverbials

subsequently

next / later

_____________

enough

principally

_______

_____________

whole

____________

so

_____________

older

____________

at first

____________

in the end

4. Read these sentences then write them under the corresponding heading below: Formal Register

Informal Register

Neutral Register

1. a) The president was obliged to return earlier than planned due to poor weather conditions. b) The president had to go back sooner than planned because the weather was so bad. c) The inclement climatic conditions obliged the President to return earlier than scheduled. 2. a) Don't send anything off until you're told to do so. b) Please wait for instructions before sending items off. c) Please await instructions before dispatching items. 3. a) Essential measures should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.

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Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

b) One should undertake any necessary measures at the earliest opportunity. c) You should do whatever you have to as soon as you can. 4. a) Before America was discovered, potatoes were not eaten in Europe. b) Prior to the discovery of America, potatoes were not consumed in Europe. c) Before they discovered America, Europeans didn't eat potatoes. 5. a) As Sterling went up in value, the government had to put up taxes to stop consumers splashing out on too many cheap imports. b) Consequent to the appreciation in the exchange value of Sterling against other currencies, necessary fiscal measures were introduced by the government in order to reduce the likelihood of an import-led consumer spending surge. c) As the value of Sterling increased compared to other currencies, the government was forced to take tax measures to head off a rapid increase in consumer spending spurred on by cheaper imports. 5. Write F (formal), I (informal) or N (neutral) in the brackets at the end of each sentence. Underline the collocations which indicate the register. Then rewrite the formal and informal sentences to make them neutral:

Example: Do not alight from the bus until it stops. (F) → D o not get off the bus until if stops. (I) 1) I feel dead tired all the time. ( ) → 2) We were all bored stupid by the poetry reading. ( ) → 3) Currency exchange offices are located in the arrivals lounge. ( ) → 4) She conducted a study of single-parent family units. ( ) → 5) She did her degree in London and found work there in 2001. ( ) 13

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

6) I just got the latest software so my computer is bang up-to-date. ( ) → 7) Affix a passport-size photograph to the application form. ( ) → 8) Jake asked his tutor for an extension to complete his dissertation. ( ) → 6. Match the beginning of each sentence 1-12 with its ending in a-l. Then label each sentence with the appropriate register from the box below. Underline the collocations which indicate the register: Registers informal conversation (IC)

journalism /news (J).

entertainment (E)

technical (T)

legal (L)

notices (N)

1) This is breaking

a) a ring after dinner.

2) These are the songs that are

b) according to model and road

climbing 3) There are tons of good reasons 4) Visitors must keep to the designated 5) In any such case, customers shall forfeit

conditions. c) blockbuster from Star Studios. d) news here, on Global TV Extra. e) electronic circuit. f) of the fitness machines to 20 minutes. g) to win support for the plan. h) the charts this

6) Fuel consumption may vary

week.

7) I’ll give you

i) for not studying

8) The Minister will tour Asia in

law.

a bid 9) Joss Engold stars in the latest

j) testify for a second time.

10) A microchip is a miniaturised

k) areas at all times,

11) Please restrict your use

l) the right to compensation

12) A witness may be asked to 14

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

7. Identify the different types of informal language in the following paragraph then re-write it using a more formal language: Americans disagree whether the death penalty is a bad idea or not. Some people don’t think that the death penalty is humane, while many conservatives believe that it’s fair punishment for killing someone, even if the murderer is under 18 years old. I believe the death penalty is a good way to stop kids from killing each other. Nobody would commit a crime. When you find out that guys you know have been fried for a crime. 8. Read through the following paragraph that overuses the personal pronoun 'I' then rewrite it avoiding self-mention and the use of the second person pronoun 'you' to refer to the reader: In this assignment, I will present the point of view that expenditure on education in recent years has been insufficient in the area of new technologies. I will argue that the lack of investment is primarily a governmental failure and, as far as I am concerned, this will impact negatively on computer literacy. So, in my conclusion, I will propose alternative funding policies that I hope you will consider more forward looking. 9. Rewrite the sentences in a more academic style using the verbs below:

investigate ; assist; raise ; discover; establish ; increase; eliminate 1) Systems analysts can help out managers in many different ways. 2) This program was set up to improve access to medical care. 15

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

3) Medical research expenditure has gone up to nearly $350 million. 4) Researchers have found out that this drug has serious side effects. 5) Exercise alone will not get rid of medical problems related to blood pressure. 6) Researchers have been looking into this problem for 15 years now. 7) This issue was brought up during the coroner's inquest. 10. Insert a suitable verb from the list below into each gap:

overcome; predict; demonstrate; interpret; clarify ; discriminate recognize; focus 1) The results clearly _____ that younger children learn more quickly. 2) This paper attempts to _____ the confusion surrounding studies of infertility. 3) Social class must be _____ as a leading factor in educational success. 4) His study fails to _____ between the various types of reinforced concrete. 5) Most experts failed to _____ the collapse of Soviet power in 1989. 6) It seems profitable to _____ on the record of smaller companies. 7) The noises made by whales have been _____ in several ways. 8) This problem was _____ by reversing the direction of the gas flow. 11. a) Rewrite these informal sentences in more formal language: 1) The people I’m writing to are all ex-colleagues. 2) The employee I’m writing the reference for has worked for the company for over ten years. 3) The projects he’s been involved in have all been successful. 4) The colleagues he’s worked with here all speak very highly of him. 16

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

b) Rewrite these formal sentences in less formal language: 1) The computer on which I am working is absolutely state of the art. 2) Brad Ellis is the manager to whom we are responsible. 3) Gerry is someone for whom I have the greatest respect. 4) The meeting to which you are referring took place on 17 June.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

Word ladders a) Read the clues and write the words. Start from the bottom to the top: b) Go, team! 10

9. Something gets out when it has been used often. Change one letter. 7. 2,000 pounds. Take away two letters, then add one.

9 8. Ripped. Add one letter.

8

7 5. Not short. Change one letter.

1. Food that comes from animals. Rearrange letters.

6. What you pay to cross a bridge. Change one letter.

6

5 3. To get or bring something. Change one letter

10. What teams must do together. The coach said to us, “Good ______, team!” Change one letter.

4. A story. Change one letter.

4

3

2

1 _______

TEAM

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2. Not wild. A house pet is _________ . Rearrange letters.

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

1.2

PUNCTUATION ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

Remember! Marks of punctuation play very important role in giving intended meaning to the language. Use of wrong mark of punctuation or even wrong placement of mark of punctuation can change the meaning of the sentence completely and sometimes even convert the sentence to complete nonsense.

1. Read the following sentences in a loud voice. In what are they different and/or similar? What punctuation marks are there used? What is their role? What is this thing called love? What is this thing called, love? What? Is this thing called love? What is this thing called? ‘Love’? What is this thing called? ‘Love.’ 2. Make sure you know the right punctuation symbols and when to use them. Complete the rules 1 -14 with the right names a –m in the box: a) brackets (UK) / parentheses (US); b) comma; c) exclamation mark (UK) / exclamation point (US); d) question mark ; e) square brackets (UK) / brackets (US); f) capital letters; g) full stop (UK) / period (US); h) colon; i) semicolon; j) dash; k) hyphen; l) quotation marks; m) apostrophe; n) ellipses (dots)

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

1) A _____is placed at the end of declarative sentences, statements thought to be complete, and after some abbreviations. 2) A _____ is used to show a separation of elements or of two complete sentences within the structure of a sentence. Additionally, it is used in letter writing after the salutation and closing. 3) _____ are a pair of punctuation marks used primarily to mark the beginning and end of a passage attributed to another and repeated word for word. They are also used to indicate meanings or the unusual or dubious status of a word. Single _____ are used most frequently for quotes within quotes. 4) _____ are curved notations used to contain further thoughts or qualifying remarks. They can be replaced by commas without changing the meaning in most cases. They are also used to show extra information or an explanation which is not considered essential. 5) _____ are the squared off notations used for technical explanations. 6) An _____ is used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word, the possessive case, or the plurals of lowercase letters. 7) A _____ is used when two words are joined together, e.g. some compound nouns / adjectives. 8) A _____ is used to: - indicate a break in thought or sentence structure. - introduce a phrase added for emphasis, definition, or explanation. - separate two clauses. 9) An ______ is used to show surprise. It comes at the end of a sentence and is often used in dialogue. 10) A______ (at the end of the sentence) shows that a direct question is being asked. It is also used in requests: Could you bring me that book, please? 11) A ______ is used after a word introducing a quotation, an explanation, an example, or a series. It is also used within time expressions, to separate out 20

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

the hour and minute: 12:15 p.m., and often after the salutation of a business letter. 12) ______ are used for the word at the beginning of a sentence. They are also used for the first letter of a name, a country, nationality or language, days of the week, months. 13) A ______ is used to connect independent clauses. It shows a closer relationship between the clauses than a period would show. For example:

John was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him. 14) ______ are used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words. They are frequently used within quotations to jump from one phrase to another, omitting unnecessary words that do not interfere with the meaning

Comma usage

Remember! When you write in English, you cannot put two sentences together with only a comma (,) – this is called a “comma splice”. If you want to put two sentences together, you need a conjunction:

and / but / so / because. With and/but/so, you need to use a comma, but you usually don’t need a comma with because.

1. a) Read the following sentences and decide whether they are correct or wrong: 1) I went home early, I did my homework. 2) I went home early, and I did my homework. 3) I didn’t finish my homework, the teacher was angry. 21

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

4) I didn’t finish my homework, so the teacher was angry. 5) The teacher was angry because I didn’t finish my homework. 6) You can draw pictures in class, you can’t talk to other students. 7) You can draw pictures in class, but you can’t talk to other students. b) Add commas where necessary to these sentences: 1) In my opinion digital technology is making the world a safer more pleasant place to live. 2) During his long working life my grandfather was a policeman a farmer a gardener and a lorry driver. 3) Anost which is in the Moran district of France has a music festival every year. 4) Apples bananas and oranges are quite sweet. Lemons by contrast are sour. 5) Although there’s a speed limit of 60kph on this road many drivers go over 100kph. 2. Indicate whether the sentences are correct or incorrect. Explain your answer: 1) The best soccer match ever was the 2005 Champions League Final between AC Milan and Liverpool. 2) We sat back and watched AC Milan take control of the game. 3) They ended the game and the score was 3–0. 4) Steven Gerrard pulled one back in the 54th minute and I was really impressed by how he rallied his teammates. 5) The game neared the end of the 90 minutes, I remember screaming and shouting in joy when Liverpool kept on scoring. 22

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

6) I was watching the overseas game on cable and it was late at night. 7) I was shouting loudly but my wife was trying to sleep upstairs. 8) She came downstairs and was angry with me for waking her up. 9) I continued watching the game and couldn't take my eyes off the action. 10) The game ended with Liverpool pulling ahead by one point and AC Milan losing 6–5. 3. Rewrite the following paragraphs using correct punctuation: a) the london school of business is offering three new courses this year economics with psychology introduction to management and ecommerce the first is taught by dr jennifer hillary and runs from october to january the second introduction to management for msc finance students is offered in the second semester and is assessed by coursework only professor wangs course in ecommerce runs in both the autumn and the spring and is for more experienced students b) on tuesday may 24th i left home at about 6.15 on my way home i was walking down cavendish street when i saw a young man running out of the italian restaurant on the corner the man who looked about twenty was wearing jeans a black leather jacket and trainers he was carrying a plastic bag and he ran towards a motorbike which was parked on the corner another man ran after him shouting stop thief but he couldnt catch him i only saw him for a few seconds but if i saw him again i think id recognize him

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

4. Identify the punctuation errors in the following sentences and paragraphs: a) 1) Sitting on the beach we watched the windsurfers, falling into the water. 2) The aspect of punctuation, which is most tricky, is the use of commas. 3) Could you tell me, when to use a semicolon? 4) Feeling completely baffled we tried to solve the problem, with which we were faced. 5) Although I was feeling under the weather I went to work this morning. 6) There were surprisingly no punctuation mistakes in his work. b) I have known, Jan Smith both professionally and personally, for several years, since 1992 when she first joined my department she has been a reliable, resourceful and conscientious member of my staff with a thoroughly professional attitude to her work; she has cheerfully taken on extra responsibilities and can be relied on, to take over when other staff are absent or unavailable! She particularly enjoys dealing with members of the public: and has a knack of putting people at their ease? She is adept at defusing delicate situations - with an appropriate word and a smile? As her portfolio shows she is also a very, creative and talented person and her work shows great promise during her time with us her attendance has been excellent... She is an intelligent thoughtful, and imaginative person, I have no hesitation in recommending her for the post!! c) It was almost ten oclock when I woke up. My alarm clock was connected by radio to some sort of N.A.T.O. supercomputer, and was guaranteed accurate to one millionth of a second per century. Unfortunately I forgot to turn it on before I went to sleep. GreatI said to myself as I rushed down the stairs, that’s just what I need. Fortunately for me, the buses arent very 24

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

crowded at that time in the morning, and I got to work in less than half an hour. ‘Ah, Mrs Anderson,’ said my boss, ‘working flexi-time are we. ‘Sorry,’ I murmured, ‘I was at the dentists.’ ‘Well, if youd let us know in advance,’ he said as he wandered off. d) What would you like to eat asked Danielle, as she searched through the cupboards. I don’t know said Karen what have you got? Well there’s pasta, rice and various sauces said Danielle. Do you fancy Italian or Chinese? Chinese I think. OK, then what can we have with it? I think there’s some salad in the fridge. That’ll be fine. 5. Proofread the following sentences: 1) Levi Strauss arived in San Francisco in the month of march 1853 2) “gold miners are sure to need thread needles scissors, and canvas cloth, Strauss told his brother jonas. 3) He loaded his goods and wares on a cart and wheeled them through San Franciscos Streets. 4) “Do you have any pants to sell? an old elderly Prospector asked. I cant find a pair of pants that will last!” 5) Strauss quickly found a Tailor and created first original pair of jeans. 6) levi’s sturdy pants were instantly a immediate hit

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

6. The commonest spelling errors occur with homophones. Choose the correct word then make sentences with the other words: 1) I didn't ____ what she said. a) hear

a) peace

b) here

12. He ____ a snowball at the

2) They forgot to take ____ printouts. a) there

b) their

c) they're

3) Venison is the meat from a ____. a) dear

window. a) threw a) waist

4) The house is by the ____.

danger.

5) She held the ____ in her hand.

a) warn

b) rains

c) reins

a) allowed

b) steal

a) flower b) flour b) whether

8) He was a medieval ____. a) night

9) The building ____ is huge.

a) air

b) hare

b) heir

20. The tea's a bit ____.

11. She gave him a ____ of her mind.

a) weak

21. The essay is ____ back today.

b) week

23. - The eagle is a bird of ____.

b) due

a) prey

22. You slow a car with the ___ a) brake

b) farther

19. He's the ____ to the throne.

10. She's as mad as a March ____.

a) dew

b) hole

18. It's not much ____ to go. a) father

b) sight

a) hair

17. On the ____ , I enjoyed it. a) whole

b) knight

a) site

b) aloud

16. It's made from wheat ____.

7) I hope the ____ is fine. a) weather

b) worn

15. They read the poems ____.

6) They tried to ____ the painting. a) steel

b) waste

14. They didn't ____ us of the b) sea

a) reigns

b) through

13. It's a ____ of time.

b) deer

a) see

b) piece

b) pray

24. She ___ because of the heat.

b) break

a) feinted 26

b) fainted

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

7.

Listen to the dialogue and take notes.

a) What punctuation marks are there mentioned? b) What is another word for the keyboard sign that represents a paragraph? a) pilcrow

b) bodkin

c) pica?

c) What is the meaning of the following words: stuffy ; stickler ; rhetoric ; clause ; sloppy ; irony ; litera ; emoticons

Alphabetic words a) Answer each definition by a word that has the same sound as the name of a letter of the alphabet:

1) exist

11) former (prefix)

2) body of water

12) for what reason

3) indefinite article

13) vegetable

4) beverage

14) peg for holding a golf ball

5) observe, look at

15) river in England (two possible

6) part of the face

answers)

7) have an obligation

16) billiard stick

8) flying insect

17) kind of blue bird

9) exclamation of surprise

18) female sheep

10) hint, or signal for action

19) command to a horse

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

b) Answer each definition by a word that sounds like two letter-names together (e.g. A-B; F-E, etc.):

1) not difficult 2) some 3) not containing anything 4) all right 5) more than is needed or usual 6) be superior; surpass others 7) decompose, decline from soundness, fall into ruin 8) short analytical or interpretative literary composition 9) climbing plant 10) sailor’s reply.

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Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

1.3

LINKING WORDS AND PHRASES ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

Remember! Linking (or transitional) words and phrases show the relationships between the parts of a sentence, between the sentences in a paragraph, or between the paragraphs in a longer piece of writing. Although they mean little by themselves, they are very important in linking your ideas together smoothly and logically so that your paragraphs have coherence. They can be divided into categories according to the kind of relationship you, as a writer, are trying to show.

1. Range the groups of linking expressions a-h under the corresponding headings in the box: Showing time

Showing place

Adding an idea

Showing a result

Empasizing an idea

Summarizing

Illustrating or Explaining Comparing or Contrasting

a) above all, especially, indeed, in fact, most important. b) after, afterward, always, as soon as, at last, at once, briefly, eventually, finally, immediately, in the meantime, in the past (or future), last, later, meanwhile, next, never, now, often, once, promptly, sometimes, soon. c) for example, for instance, in other words, in particular, namely, specifically, such as, that is, thus, to illustrate. d) above, among, around, at this point, behind, below, beside, beyond, down, forward, from, here, in front of, inside, nearby, next to, on, on the other side, opposite, over, through. 29

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

e) as has been noted, finally, in brief, in other words, in short, on the whole, to sum up f) again, also, and, as well as, besides, for one thing, further, furthermore, in addition to, last, likewise, more, moreover, next, similarly, too. g) accordingly, as a result, consequently, for that reason, hence, then, therefore, thus. h) but, even so, conversely, differently, however, in contrast, in spite of, in the same way, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still, yet. 2. Decide which connector can be used in the sentence: 1) Jack and Peter like to go to the movies _____ watch double-features. a) but

b) and

2) Peter loves action movies,_____ . a) and Jack too

b) and do so Jack too

c) and so does Jack

3) Jack was looking forward to seeing the new Clint Eastwood movie, _____. a) and Peter too

b) and so was Peter. c) and Peter also

4) _____went to the movie and liked it. a) Both he and Peter

b) He and Peter too

c) He and also Peter

5) Not only (1) _____ (2)______ enjoyed the writing. (1) a) did they like the acting

b) they liked the acting

(2) a) ,but they also

b) and they also

6) (1)_____ Jack thought the story was inspiring, Peter thought the story was depressing. (2) _____ Peter highly recommends the movie. (1) a) However

b) Whereas

c) In contrast to

(2) a) Even

b) Even though

c) Even so,

30

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

7) Peter says that he would have liked it _____ the story left him feeling pessimistic. a) but

b) though

8) Jack says that he liked it _____ the main character showed courage. a) because

b) though

9) Peter says, "My country is like the country in the movie._____ I feel differently about the movie." a) For this reason,

b) For the reason that

10) Peter adds, "In my country, there are (1) _______ difficult political problems (2) _______ (1) a) so

b) such

(2) a) than in this country

b) that it will take years to solve them

11) Jack says, "This movie was made ______ people will understand how the problems in one country affect all countries. a) so that

b) so

12) ______ this movie was made to make money!" protests Peter. a) In contrast to

b) On the contrary,

c) On the other hand

3. Complete the compositions by using the given transitions: a) Death penalty Some countries still have the death penalty (1) ____ it no longer exists in Britain. (2) ____ after a particularly violent murder, British people sometimes call for it to be brought back. (3) ____ my opinion, the death penalty cannot be defended for a number of reason. (4) ____ and most important reason is that one can never be entirely certain that the accused person is guilty. In the (5) ____ people have been sentenced to death and later it is discovered that they were completely innocent. 31

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

It is often (6) ____ that the death penalty prevents crime and that the risk of death acts as a deterrent. (7) ____ many serious crimes are caused by a sudden and very powerful emotion. In these cases, the individual is not thinking sensibly and does not stop to consider the risks. One final (8) ____ against the death penalty is that it sets a bad example. The laws of society should reflect its values. If it is wrong for one individual to murder another (9) ____ it is also wrong for the state to execute an individual. (10) ____ believe the death penalty cannot defended. There are other ways of punishing criminals and these ways should always be tried. (1)

A and

B despite

C although

D moreover

(2) A In addition B also

C Nevertheless

D In contrast

(3) A In

B for

C About

D With

(4) A Firstly

B The first

C The one

D Initially

(5) A future

B present

C beginning

D past

(6) A told

B heard

C spoken

D suggested

(7) A Therefore

B However

C Moreover

D Despite

(8) A Reason

B view

C argument

D opinion

(9) A then

B as

C and

D too

(10) A In contrast

B To sum up

C At last

D Fourthly

b) Two 12-year-old girls are standing outside a mini-mart. They are wearing matching tube tops and short skirts like Britney Spears clones. One holds a cigarette, like an adult, where everyone can see her. She looks around to make sure other girls are noticing her. When asked why she dresses the way she does, she says that she likes it. (1) ____, it seems that the reason for her behavior is more complex. (2) ____, it has more to do with her ambiguous role as a pre-teen in society. A young girl's wanna-be look is (3) ____ personal insecurity and peer pressure. 32

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

(4) ____for mimicking teen-idols is personal insecurity. Pre-teens are in between child and adult stages. They are no longer children (5) ____ the ways they behaved in the past are no longer appropriate. (6) ____ they do not know the ways of the adult world. This conflict can (7) ____ feelings of insecurity. (8) ____, when they were younger, they could whine and cry to get attention from their parents and other children. (9) ____, that kind of behavior would be "uncool" around their teenage peers. Often (10) ____, the preteen does not know how to act his or her age. (11) ____ preteens do no know what to do, they often turn to copy-cat behavior as a way to fit in and be more secure. A second cause is that preteens feel they need to be popular (12) ____ be more secure within their own age group. (13) ____, they turn toward models of popularity - teen idols - and start dressing like them. Unfortunately, many of their idols dress and behave in ways that are not age-appropriate. Teens need better role models than Hollywood currently has to offer.(14) ____, they interpret "dressing up" as wearing provocative, sexy clothing, rather than clothing that makes them look good and feel comfortable and secure. (15) ____ for young girls mimicking teen idols is peer pressure. They often see the adults closest to them, their parents and teachers, as "uncool", (16) ____ as enemies. (17) ____, they turn to peers who pressure each other to look, act, and dress exactly alike. This peer group can exert so much pressure (18) ____ often preteens do things as a group that they would not normally do. One of these things is spending ridiculous amounts of money on idol clothing-lines. That's right! Young Hollywood celebrities are making money off their twelve-year old "peers" who give in to peer pressure. The peer pressure here is (19) ____ most normal girls will succumb.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

(20) ____, we can see that personal insecurity, desire to be popular and peer pressure can cause a young girl to look like a little "tart" standing outside of a mini-mart. (1) A Moreover

B However

C Though

(2) A More specifically

B Furthermore

C Therefore

(3) A because

B caused by

C due to

(4) A The main cause

B Another cause

C A final cause

(5) A because

B in contrast

C as a result

(6) A On the other hand

B but still

C therefore

(7) A result from

B result in

(8) A On the contrary

B In contrast

(9) A However

B Although

(10) A as a result

B as a cause

(11) A Because

B So

(12) A in order to

B so that

(13) A Consequently

B Nevertheless

(14) A Unless

B Otherwise

(15) A Additional reason

B Another reason

(16) A even

B even so

(17) A Because

B Therefore

(18) A that

B so

(19) A such /

B so that / what

(20) There are the reasons

B For all these reasons

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Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

4. Complete the sentences and the paragraphs with the suitable connectors: a) 1) _____ many students find it difficult to read newspapers in English, they do not read one regularly. 2) Most students living abroad are interested in news of their own country; ___, they usually read the international news first in the newspapers. 3) It is useful for students to be able to answer questions briefly ___when they go abroad to study he/she may have to complete a lot of different forms. 4) ___ the lecture was rather difficult to understand. Many students were able to take notes. 5) Carlos was only able to read very slowly in English; ___, it didn’t take him too long to finish reading this easy English book. 6) English is difficult for Maria: she is rather slow at reading; ____, she is taking a long time to write. 7) Helen finds languages quite easy, ____ she has little difficulty in learning English. 8) Anna speaks English like a native-speaker; ____, she has never been to England. 9) Margaret is very good in maths; ____, she speaks English and French very well. 10) ____ some of the examination questions were very difficult, James managed to answer them satisfactorily. 11) They tried to put him into difficulty with the project ____ Juan succeeded in completing it in time. 12) He studied hard for the test; ____, he would have failed it.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

b) Mid-day we walk along the Embarcadero in San Francisco (1) ___ a cold wind whips our hair across our faces. Clouds move across the sky and at times hide the bridge towers. We talk (2) ___ we walk. We try to let go of our thoughts about work (3) ___ they creep into our conversation. We have just an hour to walk (4) ___ returning to our offices. This is why we live here, isn't it? (5) ___ we love the view of the bay and the smell of the salt water, we endure the traffic and the crowds. (6) ___ we count our steps and watch the time, we pass by sculptures and artwork along the walkway. In the distance, barking sea lions on the boat docks are begging for fish, (7) ___ nobody is paying attention to them. We turn back and quicken our pace (8) ___ to return to work on time. Sitting back down in our offices, we are bothered by (9) ___ coworkers (10) ___ bosses; our minds are still filled with views of the bay and the smell of the sea air. c) Sources for College Writing Students can draw on a variety of sources to help them with writing assignments. (1) ___, they can draw on personal experiences. (2) ___, for an assignment about communication skills, a writer might think about the way he or she communicates through conversations with others while at work or at home. (3) ___ a writer might look at ways he or she communicates with others electronically via email or texting or Facebook. Students might (4) ___ find examples of written communication skills by looking at skills they’ve learned for previous writing assignments. (5) ___, student writers can look for ideas from other people’s experiences. (6) ___, writers can interview other students or even family members. (7) ___, a writer may have heard others talk about this topic, maybe in class. (8) ___, source would be television shows on the topic of communication. (9) ___, college writers 36

Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

may find that they need to do some research to complete an assignment. (10) ___, lots of experts have written articles or books on the topic of communication skills. (11) ___ a search of “communication skills” on the internet might provide useful information; (12) ___, reference librarians can help students find research materials in special collections or databases. (13) ___, college writers need to be able to draw on a combination of personal experience, observations of others, and research materials to develop their written assignments. 5. Complete the sentences: 1. Keeping animals in zoos can be cruel. In spite of this, _____ 2. If you have a car you can get around easily. On the other hand, _____ 3. Although learning a foreign language is hard work, _____ 4. While camping holidays can be great fun, _____ 6. Here are some notes for a paragraph on the birth of a star. Make up complete sentences using linking words and appropriate punctuation:

massive cloud of hydrogen – gravity pulls it together – hydrogen at the centre gets crushed – nuclear reaction takes place – two hydrogen atoms become one helium atom – great deal of energy released – a star is born. 7. Choose the right translation a, b or c for the sentences below: 1) Din câte stiu, autorul s-a nascut la Londra. a) On the second thought the author was born in London. b) For all I know, the author was born in London. c) As a matter of course the author was born in London. 37

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

2) Nu-i placea orasul, de aceea a scris acest roman. a) He didn't like this town, this is the reason owing to write this novel. b) He didn't like this town, this is the reason why he wrote this novel. c) He didn't like this town, this is the due why he wrote this novel. 3) mai întâi, as dori sa vorbesc despre copilaria sa. a) First I'd like to talk about his childhood. b) I'd like to talk about his first childhood. c) In brief I'd like to talk about his childhood. 4) Era atât de singuratic încât nici un copil din vecini nu îndraznea sa vina sa se joace cu el. a) He was so lonely as any child in the neighbourhood dared to come and play with him. b) He was so lonely that no child in the neighbourhood dared to come and play with him. c) He was so lonely, in any event any child in the neighbourhood dared to come and play with him. 5) Intr-o zi, i-a spus adevarul mamei lui desi stia ca asta o va intrista. a) Once, he told his mother the truth in order he knew she would be sad. b) Once, he told his mother the truth even though he knew she would be sad. c) Once, he told his mother the truth despite of he knew she would be sad. 6) Astfel, el pleca sa locuiasca in Highlands cu unchiul lui. a) In this respect, he went to the Highlands and lived at his uncle's. b) To put it in a nutshell, he went to the Highlands and lived at his uncle's. c) Into the bargain he went to the Highlands and lived at his uncle's.

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Unit 1 Features of Academic Writing

7) N-a fost niciodata pe deplin impacat ca si-a parasit mama. a) He had never been entirely happy because he had abandoned his mother. b) He has never been entirely happy because of having abandoned his mother. c) He had never been entirely happy in spite of having abandoned his mother. 8) In concluzie, as vrea sa va dau punctul meu de vedere. a) To conclude I'd like to give you my point of view. b) To resume I'd like to give you my point of view. c) In final I'd like to give you my point of view. 9) Pe de o parte, cartea asta este o poveste bucolica, a) In the one hand this book is a pastoral story. b) On the one hand this book is a pastoral story. c) On the other hand this book is a pastoral story. 10) dar, pe de alta parte, ea ne spune povestea unui sentiment de vinovatie. a) but, in the other hand it relates a story of culpability. b) but, on the other hand it relates a story of culpability. c) but, on the one hand it relates a story of culpability.

39

40

UNIT 2 2

 Building from Root Words  Word Combination & Collocations  Word Order  Confusing Words

41

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

2.1

BUILDING FROM ROOT WORDS: PREFIXES & SUFFIXES ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●

Remember! Prefixes and suffixes are sets of letters that are added to the beginning or end of another word. They are not words in their own right and cannot stand on their own in a sentence: if they are printed on their own they have a hyphen before or after them.

1. Read the word families in the table and answer the questions below:

display

invent

graceful

displays

invents

gracefully

replay

reinvent

disgrace

replays

reinvents

disgraces

replaying

invention

disgraced

replayed

inventor

disgraceful

inventing

disgracefully

invented a) What do all of these words have in common? b) Why are they called ‘word families’? c) What is a prefix? What job does it do? d) What is a suffix? What job does it do? e) Can all root words make other words in a family? 42

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

f) Why is it important to have a dictionary when you are building word families? 2. Match the prefixes with their meaning and provide at least two examples for each prefix: Prefix

Meaning

1. a-

a) between, connected

2. anti-

b) opposite action

3. de-, dis-

c) within

4. e-

d) more, to a greater extent

5. il-, im-, in-, ir-

e) not

6. inter-

f) useful, successful

7. intra-

g) against, opposing

8. mis-

h) wrongly

9. out-

i) electronic

10. un-

j) not

11. well-

k) without

3. Complete these groups of words with one of the negative prefixes below. Give more examples of words formed with these prefixes:

un-

il-

ir-

dis-

in-

im-

Example: undress, unwell, uneasily, untie, unfashionable, unhappy a) ___obey, ___satisfied, ___respectfully, ___honesty b) ___efficient, ___consistently, ___competence 43

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

c) ___mature, ___patiently, ___balance d) ___logical, ___legally, ___literacy e) ___regular, ___responsibly, ___relevance f) ___-existent, ___-stop, ___-fiction 4. Underline the prefix in each word then write more words with that meaning of the prefix. Can you define the meaning of the prefix?

Example: foreground – forehead, foretaste, forehand, foreword, foreshore.→meaning = front rebuild

postwar

semicircle

bilingual microcomputer

transatlantic

subheading

undercooked

overeat

pro-democracy

anti-hunting

defrost

autobiography

co-star

pre-university

5. Write the adjective with prefix a) for someone who:

b) for someone that:

1) is in poor health

1) is made up of many cultures

2) used to be your boyfriend

2) is not in fashion

3) can speak two languages

3) has not been cooked

4) earns too much

enough

5) is unable to read or write

4) can catch fire

6) is very easily upset

5) is millions of years old

7) is unable to relax or stay still

6) is worth a lot

8) is not very grown up

7) is against the law

9) is extremely famous

8) makes no sense 9) cannot be imagined 44

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

10) works at the same place as you

10) cannot be explained

do 6. Match the suffixes with their meaning and provide at least two examples for each suffix: Suffix

Meaning

1. -able

a) without

2. -based

b) resembling

3. -ee

c) quality or state

4. -ic

d) connected with

5. -ness

e) protect against, safe from

6. -like

f) forming a major part

7. -ship

g) person affected by something

8. -cy

h) state or experience of having a specific position

9. -less

i) state or quality

10. -proof

j) can be

7. Add one of the suffixes below to form new words:

-ful

-less

-able

-ive

-ic

-ly

1) Your brother was very coward____. He ran away immediately. 2) That snake looks dangerous, but it's totally harm____. Don't worry! 3) To work as an acrobat in the circus, you have to be very flex____. 4) Oh, look at those ador____ puppies. Can I have one?

45

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

5) He's always running about, very athlet____. He'll be in the Olympics one day. 6) What a beauti____ painting. Do you know who painted it? 7) We need a full and truth____ account of what happened, Jennifer. Tell us everything. 8) These animals sleep during the day and are then act____ during the night. 9) It must be very lone____ living on this mountain without any neighbors. 10) Betty is a very creat____ little girl, always painting or drawing or something like that. 8. Change the form of the word, using the prompt in brackets:

Example: development (change to verb) → to develop 1. To analyze (change to noun)

6. To agree (change to opposite

2. Evaluation (change to verb)

verb)

3. Theoretical (change to verb)

7. To prove (change to noun)

4. Problem (change to adjective)

8. To prove (change to opposite

5. To expect (change to noun)

verb)

9. Add a suffix to the word in capitals and put the new word in the correct place in the sentence:

Example: All political parties were after the fall of the dictatorship. LEGAL → All political parties were legalized after the fall of the dictatorship. a) John’s wife left him because of his approach to life.

46

PESSIMIST

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

b) That electrician tried to fix two of the lights, and now none

TRAIN

of them work. c) Many people living on the streets in the capital are in fact

TALL

refugees. d) The witness couldn’t see clearly, but she says the attacker

HOME

was a man. e) When we looked, we noticed that the ceiling was cracked.

UP

f) He was rewarded for his behavior with a special dinner in

HERO

his honor.

10. Suffixes often cause a spelling change to the original word. Identify the words formed with suffixes and correct their spelling: a) The mansion is set in 90 acres of beautifull, unspoilt countryside. b) We were delayed by the heavyness of the traffic. c) The posibillity that there is life on other planets in the universe has always inspired scientists. d) We applied for permition to build a house here but our application was refused. e) The family showed a dutyful deference to their minister when he came to dinner. f) Measures to control child employment are a glaring omision from new legislation to protect children. g) The government yesterday reaffirmed its commitement to the current peace process.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

11. Describe the changes in meaning and grammar that have been made to each of the words:

1) efficient

efficiency

inefficient

efficacy

efficiently

2) success

successful

unsuccessful

succeed (in)

successfully

3) respect

respectful

disrespectful

Irrespective

respectfully

4) write

writer

handwrite

writing

5) practice

practicing

mal-practice

practical

practically

6) function

functional

dysfunctional

functionality

functionally

7) academic

academy

quasi-

academician

academically

Economist

economic

academic 8) economy

economics

microeconomics

12. Add a prefix or a suffix to the word in capitals and put the new word in the correct place in the sentence:

a) Eating meat would be completely ___ for a vegetarian.

TYPE

b) It's time for the files to be ___ and made generally available. CLASSIFY c) There were also rumors of ___ within the Burmese armed AGREE forces, but none was confirmed. d) A good criterion of the progress of education is obtained from the diminishing number of ___ army recruits, as shown LITERATE by the following Unable to Read or Write. e) I turned left instead of right. Obviously I ___ what she said.

HEAR

f) The ___ pronunciation of certain numbers was designed to USE reduce confusion.

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Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

g) Civilian drones now vastly ___ military drones, with NUMBER estimates of over a million sold by 2015. h) This was a ___ reaction, given the bitter hostility between PREDICT the two countries. i) Nobody denies the ___ of computers as an educational tool. EFFECT

The food game Hidden in the sentences below are names of food items. You cannot find them by looking at the sentences, for they are not there by spelling; they are there by pronunciation. The food may be within a single word or may go across word boundaries.

Example: He begs to be excused from the rehearsal. (eggs) 1) “Sue, please go away,” he said. 2) She had a cough even today. 3) Don’t tell me mama laid the table so early. 4) He chased Robert off even after he paid his debt. 5) Happy's room is so messy. I can’t find a thing. 6) Keep that old sabre. Eddie will take it to the museum. 7) “Why do you spy still?”, she wanted to know. 8) “Be an angel, leave it finished, will you,” he said. 9) “That bangle is of 24 carat gold,” he said. 10) “But Ernest is not coming on this trip,” she said. 11) Don’t bake condensed milk sweets. 49

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

12) Tap Elmo on the shoulder and wake him up,” she said. 13) Please meet me tomorrow. 14) The donkey brays inside the shed. 15) Kay came to meet me on Wednesday. 16) He walked on the sand, which was so hot he burned his feet. 17) Richie’s so good, he helps me daily. 18) Don’t buy that saw. Say Jess will get a new one. 19) He’s been staying here for six months now. 20) I hope he’ll be true to you.

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Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

2.2

WORD COMBINATION & COLLOCATIONS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●● ●

Remember! Collocations are conventional word combinations that sound natural to native English speakers. For example, we say a golden opportunity, but not a golden chance. Similarly, we say 'thanks a lot', but not 'thank you a lot'.

1. Complete each sentence using a verb from the box in the appropriate form:

cover

indicate review

present

tackle

test

provide

put

undertake

1) It is a huge task to ______ a study involving hundreds of participants. 2) Fischler ______ her findings at an international biochemistry conference last year. 3) Chapter 2 ______ the literature on urban regeneration and concludes that more research is needed. 4) I have ______ a rationale for the study in the introduction to this essay. 5) The research ______ that owning a pet increases life expectancy by five years. 6) The next step was to ______ the theory by carrying out a set of experiments. 7) The essay ______ a lot of ground. 8) The book ______ a number of issues which were previously ignored. 9) The lecturer ______ the case for a dramatic change in economic policy.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

2. Correct the collocation errors in these sentences: 1) Opinions are separated on the issue of single-sex schools and there are sound arguments on both sides of the case. 2) I believe that the government will win another term in office but my girlfriend takes a different opinion. 3) I strongly think that you’d be making a serious mistake if you took that job. 4) I don’t believe it’s a foregone fact that the larger company will win the contract. 5) People are gradually getting aware of the problem of climate change. 6) You should bear in thought that your visitors will be tired after their long flight 7) I’ve got a raw idea of what I want to say in my essay but I haven’t planned it properly yet. 8) Increasing numbers of people today subscribe for the theory that small is beautiful. 3. Rewrite each sentence using a form of the words in capitals: 1) The system of standards for conducting research are

ETHIC

described in the university’s research manual. 2) You need to make an examination and judgment of the arguments which is very detailed. 3) You need to read books and articles which give you

DEPTH CRITIQUE BACKGROUND

information about the subject. 4) You do the analysis in order to find out whether the data indicate that your initial idea was correct.

52

HYPOTHESIS

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

5) All the interviewees were people who had knowledge

FIRST

of the situation from direct experience. 6) It is impossible to give a complete explanation of the

FULL

decline of agriculture in the 1960s. 4. Complete the paragraph using the words below:

error firm

grasped

laterally

pass

poor

Recent research shows that people who spend time meditating each day improve their mental abilities. It seems that meditation particularly enhances our ability to think in creative, unusual ways, in other words, to think ‘outside the box’ or think (1) ______. It may, then, have been an unfortunate (2) ______ of judgment on the part of the management at BNM and Co. to put a stop to the yoga classes that staff had organized for their lunch-breaks. ‘It would seem that our managers have not yet (3) ______ the importance of these classes,’ explained yoga instructor Zandra, ‘but it is not my place to (4) ______ judgment on them. Their judgment may be (5) ______ at the moment but it is my (6) ______. Conviction that, as people come to understand yoga better, they will see how it could benefit the company as well as individual members of staff. 5. a) Use prefixes and suffixes to make new words using the words below:

consider support

produce

cover

accurate

b) Write sentences to show that you understand their meaning.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

6. a) Complete the sentences by changing the word in brackets into a noun: a) The ____ of parents in primary school classrooms has several benefits for the children's education. (involve) b) If, however, there is no ____ in how these guidelines are applied, then there are unlikely to have the desired effect. (consistent) c) It is impossible to ignore the ____ of sport and physical well-being to a child's development. (significant) d) The first step should be the ____ of students who cause trouble in the classroom so that appropriate action can be taken. (identify) e) Most people now accept that an examination only system is inadequate and some form of continuous ____ is also required. (assess) f) It is a common ____ that art forms such as ballet are elitist and have no general appeal to the masses. (assume) g) The ____ of more state funded care homes would help ease the pressure on poorer families who currently have to provide expensive care for elderly relatives. (establish) h) This is such a common ____ that the authorities need to take immediate action. (occur) i) Perhaps the most compelling reason to keep art on school curriculum is that it allows students to express their ____ . (individual) j) One difficulty in discussing this issue is that ____ of what constitutes global warming vary significantly. (define) k) There is of course a striking ____ between what happens in the workplace and at home. (similar) l) The ____ of any such proposal to limit the working week has to be called into question as it infringes the basic right to work. (legal)

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Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

b) Complete the paragraph with the noun form of these words:

define

identify

available

individual

There can be little doubt that the continued _____(1) of museums and art galleries is vital to the cultural heritage of a nation. Any _____(2) of culture must surely include the form of art commonly found in such institutions. More than that, art is not only an expression of an artist's _____(3), it also plays a vital role in national _____(4). In this sense, there is a striking similarity between art and language itself. 7. Compound adjectives. Make compound adjectives to describe the following ideas:

Example: a tiger that eats men = a man-eating tiger 1) a girl with blue eyes 2) a man with long legs 3) a radio operated by batteries 4) a man with slow wits 5) a display which catches the eye 6) a country which produces cotton 7) a person with a warm heart 8) a wall which is six feet high 9) a scream so loud as to split your ears 10) a boat with a glass bottom 11) a march lasting six hours 12) a man whose voice sounds angry 55

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

13) an interval of twenty minutes 14) a house with four storeys 15) a sight so tragic as to break your heart 16) a break of five minutes 8. Complete spaces 1-10 with words formed from the words in capitals at the end of those lines. For each one decide: 

what part of speech it is



which words can be formed from that stem



whether it is positive/ negative (adjective), singular/ plural (noun or verb), or what tense it is (verb).

Top fashion (0) designers Hussein Chalayan and Paul DESIGN Topen have certainly come up with something quite (1) REMARK ____ : furniture that is ready to wear, and ready to take away. Their latest (2) ____, consisting of a coffee table and COLLECT four chairs, was displayed in Avignon during its City Culture (3) ____, following its appearance in London CELEBRATE Fashion Week. The pieces, according to Chalayan, enable (4) ____ to take their environment with them, and this is WEAR very much a feature of the (5) ____ approach for which he FUNCTIONAL is he is internationally famous. The chair covers are removed and quickly transformed, with the (6) ____ of a ASSIST little Velcro, into four quite different dresses. Equally (7) ____ is the way the chair legs are used. These fold up, INVENT creating a set of suitcases with wooden handles. The table also made of wood, just needs a quick pull to bring about its instant (8) ____into a skirt made of 20 rings, with four CONVERT 56

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

legs forming the hem. Part of the (9) ____ of this collection, ORIGIN undoubtedly, is the fact that the furniture does actually work. To prove it, the models sat on the chairs – without a single (10) ____.

BREAK

What word can be added to make three compound words? The word can be placed in the front or the back: 1) pan, cup, fruit ______________ 2) brush, paste, ache __________ 3) club, mare, time _______ _______ 4) cloth, coffee, spoon ______________ 5) market, man, highway _______ 6) burn, flower, glasses

_______

7) man, place, fly _______ 8) phone, ache, ring _______ 9) stairs, town, sun _______ 0) shell, shore, food _______

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2.3

CONFUSING WORDS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ●● ● ● ● ●

Remember! In English, confusion can occur between words that are similar. Also known as confusibles, these words have a similar sound and spelling and can be linked in meaning. If you find yourself constantly suffering from mistakes with such words, make a list of particular ones that bug you. Note their meanings and proper usage, then proceed to use them consciously in your next writing project. The more you use them correctly, the better you’ll usually get at them.

1. Choose which of these words is completely different from the other three (the odd man): apart

jointly

individually

separate

bitter

irate

mild

furious

diligent

idle

lazy

neglectful

dear

expensive

pricey

worthless

tuition

recess seminar

lapse

fault

deliberate

error

ignore

detect

gaze

regard

belt

cap

beret

wig

instruction

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Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

2. Look at these words: why might they be confusing? Use them in sentences of your own to show their different meanings: invaluable

inhabited

infamous

inflammable

3. Underline the correct word in each sentence: 1) a) He seems to be an industrial/ industrious kind of bloke. I’d hire him. b) There was an industrial/ industrious dispute over pay and conditions. 2) a) I’m voting for Ted Brinks. He will make a good councilor/ counselor. b) I know she’s a councilor/ counselor but I don’t know what therapy she uses. 3) a) The soil needs to be moist/ damp but not too wet. b) This towel is moist/ damp. Have you got another one? 4) a) He misused/ disused his power when he was a company director. b) The child fell down a misused/ disused mine shaft. 5) a) The wedding bouquet really compliments/ complements the wedding dress. b) He compliments/ complements everyone. I wouldn’t be too flattered. 6) a) I don’t approve the government’s new economical/ economic policy. b) The new boiler seems to be quite economical/ economic. 7) a) Without a continual/ continuous supply of oxygen the human body will die. b) I can’t bear his continual/ continuous interruptions. 8) a) What would be the cost/ price of a consultation with a lawyer? b) What is the cost/ price of that jacket? 9) a) He wiped/ swept a tear from his eye. b) He got a broom and wiped/ swept the floor. 59

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

10) a) He’s known for his famous/ infamous dealings with crooked politicians. b) He’s a famous/ infamous racing car driver. 4. Choose the correct word in each of the following sentences. 1) Do you think the new tax changes will (affect / effect) you very much? 2) His behaviour at the party was (contemptuous / contemptible) 3) This must be the (definite / definitive) reference work on Roman history. 4) This is my last will and (testimony / testament) 5) It is most (regrettable / regretful) that Mr Brown has decided to resign. 6) The police have (conclusive / decisive) proof that he robbed the bank. 7) How can I get my work finished when I'm (continuously / continually) being interrupted? 8) She was a very (intense / intensive) person, who seemed to care deeply about everyone. 9) My father is a great believer in (alternate / alternative) medicine - especially homeopathy. 10) He spent three years in (goal / gaol) for embezzlement. 11) The Government are under no (illusions / delusions) about the difficulties facing the country. 12) What can be (implied / inferred) from the Prime Minister's remarks? 13) My brother is (credible / credulous) enough to believe everything you tell him. 14) She had dyed her hair a (distinctive / distinct) shade of blue. 15) I'm afraid that the project is far too expensive to be (practical / practicable). 16) There was an (appreciative / appreciable) drop in temperature last night. 17) Tasmania lies in one of the (temperate / temporal) areas of the world. 18) Are these mushrooms (eatable / edible) or are they poisonous? 60

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

19) The majority of the food is (defective / deficient) in vitamins. 20) Only 25% of people voted in the local election; the rest were completely (uninterested / disinterested) 21) The difference in performance between the two computers is (negligent / negligible) 22) There are very (strict / severe) laws in Sweden with regard to drinking and driving. 23) The company made (judicial / judicious) use of a government grant. 24) Her performance was (masterful / masterly). 25) The caffeine in tea and coffee acts as a mild (stimulant / stimulus) 5. Match the verbs on the left with a suitable object on the right: 1) rehearse

a) the batteries in the clock

2) revise

b) flowers in the garden

3) change

c) for an exam

4) alter

d) a friend at the airport

5) pick up

e) someone's suspicions

6) pick

f) a garment that's too big

7) rouse

g) an end-of-term play

8) arouse

h) someone who's sleeping

6. Match beginnings 1-7 with endings a-g: 1) The bank agreed

a) to catch the thief soon.

2) I really dislike

b) you to buy a cheaper model.

3) My parents taught

c) to lend me what I needed.

4) The police hope

d) people looking at me like that. 61

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

5) I think I’d advise

e) to stay any longer.

6) She obviously enjoys

f) being highly successful.

7) I’m sorry but I don’t want

g) me to save a little every week.

7. a) Make 12 two-word expressions combining words from list A with words from list B. The first one has been done for you as an example: A

B

endangered

events

sequence of

sophisticated

separate

angrily

devote

signals

highly

species

transmit

feasible

assert

details

inhibit

agreement

precise

the right

reacted

entities

verbal

phenomena

natural

growth

economically

time and money

b) Now match each expression with the appropriate phrase: a) In spite of advances in technology, we are still at risk from _____ such as earthquakes and floods. b) One threat facing companies today is _____ computer 'hackers' who break into the most advanced computer systems. 62

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

c) The accident was the result of a tragic _____ which could have been prevented with better safety procedures. d) The company _____ to the suggestion that its products were unsafe. e) There is considerable doubt over whether the proposal by the American government for a manned trip to Mars is technically and _____ . f) Tigers (and other large cats) are now an _____ and may disappear altogether in the future. g) After the Second World War, African nations started to _____ to become independent. h) In law, a _____ even though it is not written down like a formal contract, is still a contract. i) While she refused to give any _____, the Minister admitted that several people had been arrested. j) In order to produce new medicines, drug companies have to _____ on a huge scale to their research and development activities. k) Most economists believe that high taxes _____ in the economy. l) In spite of its age, the satellite is still continuing to _____ to Earth. m) Are the mind and body the same thing or are they two _____? 8. Choose a noun from the box that can be associated with the following sentences: a lookout; an outbreak; a breakout; an upset; an outlook; a setup 1) There has been violence in the capital city. 2) My stomach was bad so I couldn't go to work. 3) He is very cheerful and positive about life. 4) They fooled him into thinking his car had been stolen, but it hadn't. 63

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

5) She made sure nobody was looking, while her husband did the shoplifting. 6) Four prisoners have escaped from a maximum security prison. 9. a) Underline useful verb + adverb combinations in this text: The world is facing a looming water crisis. Disputes over allocation have steadily increased in the last decade, and demand has grown rapidly. Water is likely to generate the same degree of controversy in the 21st century as oil did in the 20th. If we take no action now, new conflicts are likely to occur periodically around the world. At the moment, instead of seeking solutions which directly address multiple needs, countries focus a little too narrowly on local issues and typically opt for expensive and inferior solutions. What is needed are decisions which can be quickly implemented and a debate which will seriously consider more than the short term needs of individual states. b) Use one of the combinations you underlined in a) to complete each sentence: 1) Various measures were introduced last year to _____ the issue of identity theft. 2) The justice system needs to _____ the impact of a prison sentence on offenders. 3) The number of university applications has been _____ over the last 50 years. 4) The article _____ on one angle of the problem rather than taking a broad view. 5) The suggested measures should be _____ to avoid further problems.

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Below there are descriptions of circumstances which produce particular sounds. Read the description and choose the word which best describes the sound you would expect to hear: 1) The sound made by an aircraft exceeding Mach 1 is a ____ a) boom

b) bang

c) crack

2) The sound made in a pipe which has air mixed with liquid giving an uneven flow is a _____ a) rattle

b) gurgle

c) hiss

3) The sound made by a large metal object loose inside a metal container in motion is a ____ sound a) clanging

b) scratching

c) snapping

4) The sound made as two rough surface metal objects rub together repeatedly is _____ a) a rumble

b) creak

c) rasp

5) The sound made by a falling, fragile object hitting a solid surface is a a) crackle b) plop

c) crash

6) The sound made as a heavy, dense, non-metallic object falls on a solid surface is a _____ a) rustle

b) thud

c) knock

7) What would you hear if a pressurised container ruptures and the contents emerge over a short period? a) whoosh

b) fizz

c) twang

8) What would you hear if a pressurised container fails catastrophically? a)ping

b) screech 65

c) bang

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

9) What sound does a localised small leak of gas or liquid from a high pressure container make? a) a slapping noise

b) a hissing sound

c) a dripping sound

10) What sound will a solid but light metal object make if it impacts another hard surface intermittently? a) a rapping sound

b) a slamming sound c) a booming sound

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2.4

WORD ORDER ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●

Remember! Word order refers to the way words are arranged in a sentence. The sequence of words is critical when communicating in English because it can impact the meaning of what you’re trying to say.

1. Match the sentence with the correct implied meaning. 1) ONLY I hit him in the eye yesterday.

a) Did not slap him.

2) I ONLY hit him in the eye yesterday.

b) Did not wait for today.

3) I hit ONLY him in the eye yesterday.

c) I did not hit outside the eye.

4) I hit him ONLY in the eye yesterday.

d) No one else did.

5) I hit him in ONLY the eye yesterday.

e) He doesn't have another eye..

6) I hit him in the ONLY eye yesterday.

f) Not other organs.

7) I hit him in the eye ONLY yesterday.

g) I did not hit others.

8) I hit him in the eye yesterday ONLY.

h) Not today.

2. a) Identify the type of question in 1-10, and correct the mistakes in eight of them: 1) Who did give you those lovely flowers? 2) Will you let me know if you do hear any news tomorrow? 3) Do you want to come out with us or you are going to stay at home? 4) How you found out about the job? 67

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

5) Would you dance with her if she would ask you to? 6) Weren’t you able to get tickets? 7) What you saw last night on TV? 8) If had they offered you a role in the film, would you have accepted it? 9) She asked me if I had heard about Nicholas. 10) I asked Carol what time had she arrived home. b) Match 1-10 in a) with responses a-i. One answer can be matched with two questions:

a) Unfortunately, they were sold out. b) Well, we watched the news and then a documentary. c) There was an ad in the paper for extras. d) Just after midnight, she said. e) I’m staying in in this evening. f) I certainly would. g) I said I hadn’t, so she told me. h) John did; he brought them round this morning. i) Yes, of course, I’ll tell you straightaway. 3. Choose the correct indirect questions from the options below: a) (A) Can you tell us what did you study at university? (B) Can you tell us what you studied at university? b) (A) Could you tell me how long you have been working in this institution? (B) Could you tell me how long have you been working in this institution? c) (A) Could you tell me why you want this job? (B) Could you tell me why do you want this job? 68

Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

d) (A) Can you tell us how long were you with your last company/ institution? (B) Can you tell us how long you were with your last company/ institution? e) (A) Would you mind telling me why did you leave your previous job? (B) Would you mind telling me why you left your previous job? f) (A) And finally, can you tell us what salary you expect? (B) And finally, can you tell us what salary do you expect? 4. Re-order the words in 1-12 to form accurate sentences, and add the necessary punctuation marks: 1) walked the ever of out finished cinema have you film before the? 2) affairs keep you with how current do up? 3) famous who you choose if would interview could somebody you? 4) TV you has effect people on do a negative think some? 5) saw the film teacher us was what last our asked we. 6) prefer the or do to watching you videos going cinema? 7) you job have most which like to would? 8) asked Angela who was man he the 9) not letter why arrive the did? 10) whether the had asked he Richard film I seen 11) have it different would had enjoyed more ending if the you been? 12) on he Joe say asked would I if what TV were he 5. Re-order these words to form sentences. Add a hyphen (-) where necessary: a) bill / I / yesterday / the / dollar / found / a / fifty / street / in b) ten / to / it / a / drive / is / minute / only / office / my 69

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

c) delay / had / airport / hour / three / the / unfortunately / we / a / at d) hotels / in / stay / star / movie / often / five / stars e) a / child / can’t / year / understand / you / old / expect / three / to 6. Rearrange the words to form a well-known proverb. Explain the proverbs: a) speak/ than/ words/ actions/ louder b) gained/ ventured/ nothing/ nothing c) once/ twice/ shy/ bitten d) time/ nine/ stitch/ a/ in/ saves e) go/ easy/ easy/ come f) burn/ bridges/ your/ don’t g) throw/ stones/ in / houses/ people/ glass/ shouldn’t h) make/ hands/ light/ many/ work i) one/ deserves/ turn/ another/ good j) is/ deep/ beauty/ only/ skin k) speed/ haste/ less/ more 7. Arrange the adjective in the right order. Remember that the most usual sequence of adjectives is: Number

Opinion

Size

Physical

Shape

Age

Color

Origin

Material

Type

quality

a) clock radio – white – Taiwanese – cheap – for my bedside table b) sports car – well-maintained – second-hand – with a low mileage c) polished – beautiful – antique – dining-table – mahogany – English d) cottage – stone-built – small – old – country 70

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Unit 2 Building Academic Vocabulary

e) cotton – dress – summer – pink and white – two - for my holiday 8. In each of these 15 sentences, there are some words printed between brackets. Rearrange these words in what seems to you their most usual order: 1) She wore (bright a hat green such) that everybody stared at it in amazement. 2) There was (enough work nearly not) to keep the factory busy. 3) The boy said he would like to have (other the some of toys too). 4) I'm told that (accident a many tragic) has happened at the corner of the road. 5) They all thought that (of other the green shade) would suit Jane better. 6) That was (the examination by easiest paper far) I have ever seen. 7) We had to attend (the much singing same lessons) every Monday. 8) John thought that 20 miles was (long a far way too) for us to walk. 9) I'm dreadfully sorry to say that I've broken (only the beautiful vase really) in the house. 10) He has been ill with measles or (disease such children's some). 11) No, this wine is (at sweet all too not). 12) We had (there a holiday so wonderful) that were going again next year. 13) Whenever he read that story it brought back memories of (his all forgotten but own) childhood. 14) Both John and Jane could put the saddle on the horse but John's method was (better the much). 15) John was late for the meeting because of (things many the other pressing) he had to do.

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9. Fill in the blanks with the necessary number of the adjectives below in the right order: deep-cushioned;

welcoming ;

uncluttered; virile - ; light; polished ;

linen;

gold;

leather;

grey;

warm; classic; rich-

oak; brown –;

gleaming; cashmere;

feminine – ;

“Thank you”, Gina smiled and seated herself in one of the (1) _____ (2) _____ armchairs. The room had a (3) _____ atmosphere with its (4) _____ (5) _____ carpet and (6) _____ (7) _____ velour curtains drawn across large windows. At the far end, there was a (8) _____ (9) _____ table set with (10) _____ cutlery and glass on (11) _____ place-mats. But there were no (12) _____ touches, like flowers or ornaments; it was distinctly male and (13) _____, apart from a pile of medical journals on top of the bureau. Russel had followed her in. He has changed his (14) _____ (15) _____ suit for leisure cords and a (16) _____ (17) _____ sweater which added emphasis to his (18) _____ masculinity. (Doctor’s Diagnosis by Grace Read (Mills and Boon).

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UNIT 3

3

● Sentence Structure ● Paraphrasing ● Summary & Main Idea

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3.1

SENTENCE STRUCTURE ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

Remember! To write strong, clear sentences you must know who or what you are writing about (subject) and what you want to say about them or it (predicate). There are the 4 sentence types depending on the clauses they contain. ( A clause is a part of a

sentence containing a subject and a predicate ): Simple: contains a single, independent clause. Compound: contains two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction. Complex: contains an independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses. Compound-complex: contains 3 or more clauses (of which at least two are independent and one is dependent).

1. Read the following groups of sentences and write them under the corresponding heading below: a) simple sentence

b) compound sentence

c) complex sentence

d) compound-complex sentence

1) I don't like dogs. 2) Our school basketball team lost their last game of the season 75-68. 3) The old hotel opposite the bus station in the center of the town is probably going to be knocked down at the end of next year.

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Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

1) I don't like dogs, and my sister doesn't like cats. 2) You can write on paper, or you can use a computer. 3) A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm, but none of the students was injured. 1) I don't like dogs that bark at me when I go past. 2) She did my homework, while her father cooked dinner. 3) You can write on paper, although a computer is better if you want to correct mistakes easily. 1) I don't like dogs, and my sister doesn't like cats because they make her sneeze. 2) You can write on paper, but using a computer is better as you can easily correct your mistakes. 3) A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm, but none of the students was injured, although many of them were in classrooms at the top of the building. 2. Cross out repeated or unnecessary words and word groups in each sentence. Use the first item as a model: 1. Her shoes on her feet were too tight and fit poorly. 2. I am having a hard time with the exam’s difficult test questions. 3. The railway train raced swiftly down the railroad tracks. 4. The basketball player looked like a huge giant in the kindergarten students’ class.

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3. Rewrite each sentence, leaving out words that repeat information: 1. The French word “bonjour” is a welcoming greeting that the French people use to say hello. 2. I visited France as a tourist in the year 1992. 3. Two twin French girls showed me the attractions and sights. 4. They explained and told me how France had won freedom and liberty during the revolution. 5. We sat out on the sidewalk at a sidewalk cafe and watched people walk and stroll by. 6. I hope to go back and revisit Paris some future day. 4. Simplify the following phrases and clauses. The first one has been done for you: 1. the girl with the blue eyes = _________ 2. the car that is speeding = __________ 3. the employees who work hard = _________ 4. the sandwich that is stale = _________ 5. the room in the attic = _________ 5. Make the following paragraph shorter, clearer, and more direct. Remove unnecessary words and reduce the number of phrases and clauses: Beings who are human have long been fascinated by dreams since the beginning of time. People’s dreams seem to have similar themes and topics which are alike. Did you ever dream you were flying up above the ground?

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Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

This dream, which is common, may show a desire for freedom and independence from the problems and troubles of life. 6. Add adjectives, adverbs, and/or prepositional phrases to expand each sentence in two ways. First imagine a picture in your mind, and then help your reader to visualize it. The first one has been done for you: 1. A stranger appeared. a. A smiling stranger in a red clown suit appeared at my door. b. A ghostly stranger dressed in white appeared in the clouds. 2. A car passed. a. _____________________________________________________________ b. _____________________________________________________________ 3. The light flickered. a. _____________________________________________________________ b. _____________________________________________________________ 7. The table below shows the results of a survey to find out what members of a city sports club think about the club's activities, facilities and opening hours. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make any comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words:

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

Club satisfaction survey table Range of activities

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Not satisfied

Female members

35%

35%

30%

Male members

55%

40%

5%

Female members

64%

22%

14%

Male members

63%

27%

10%

Female members

72%

25%

3%

Male members

44%

19%

37%

Club facilities

Opening hours

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Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

3.2

PARAPHRASING ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ●

Remember! Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

1. Put the following rules for paraphrasing into the right column. DO these things:

DON’T make these common mistakes:

1) work hard to understand the original passage —it’s only when you understand the original that you can put it into new words effectively 2) use the exact words—unless you use a direct quotation, and put them inside quotation marks 3) use the correct form of in-text (parenthetical) citation and bibliography entry 4) copy and paste the passage and then make some minor changes—you need to change a source’s words, structure, and order into your own work 5) put the text in your own words 6) change the meaning of the original text 7) use a citation every time, even when you’ve put the source in your own words 79

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

8) use credible sources—a good paraphrase of a bad source is still bad writing 2. Match the expressions 1–10 with the underlined words in the sentences a-j below: 1) ability to understand how someone feels

6) different

2) always linked to people via technology

7) develops

3) someone who is interested only in him/ herself

8) connections

4) Children who are changing into young adults

9) help to develop

5) evidence based on observation

10) people you know

a) Most of the people at the party were acquaintances rather than friends. b) There is no empirical evidence that supports this idea. c) The people I speak to online come from diverse backgrounds. d) Technology evolves very quickly. e) He’s a narcissist who never asks about anyone else. f) Ties between the two families have strengthened in recent years. g) Adolescents are often unfairly criticized for bad behavior. h) We need to nurture our young people so they become responsible adults. i) We live in a hyper-connected society these days. j) When I told him my bad news, he didn’t show much empathy. 3. Replace the words in bold with a synonym from the list below without changing the meaning of the sentence. Remember that you may need to change the form or, in some cases, the grammatical class of some words:

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Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

comply with; signify; generate; imply; method; obvious; presume; proceed; require; specify; undergo; emphasize a) If a company does not observe health and safety laws, it may be fined very heavily if any of its workers are injured. b) One difficult aspect of writing an essay is selecting material which is relevant to the topic and excluding irrelevant information. c) University regulations state that students must pass 18 modules to graduate. d) Anybody driving a car is obliged by law to have insurance. e) On the basis of their examination results, it was clear that most students had completely misunderstood the first part of the paper. f) Many people think that oil will run out in the next 100 years, but they are assuming that we will continue to use oil at the same rate as today. g) The company has experienced a number of significant changes in the last few years. h) One problem facing overseas students is adapting to new teaching techniques. i) The fact that crime increases when unemployment goes up seems to suggest a link between the two. j) The new computer system created a lot of interest among potential customers. k) The lecturer gave the students a 10 minute break before continuing with the rest of her lecture. l) Lecturers often speak more loudly and more slowly when they want to stress an important point.

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4. Find a synonym for the words/phrases that are underlined: Traditionally, in oral and written discourse, the masculine pronoun 'he' was always used to refer to a person as whose gender was unknown or irrelevant to the context. Recently, this usage has come under criticism for supporting gender-based stereotypes and is increasingly considered inappropriate. 5. Read the text and then answer the questions: Autonomy and creativity are two key concepts in the humanities which are often thought to be not part of scientific thinking. However recent projects in the sciences suggest this is not true. For example, the attempt to load the components of human consciousness into a computer is a fundamentally creative activity which has profound implications for our understanding of what a human being is. Such science may make us change our way of thinking about moral and philosophical questions and may make it possible for those in the humanities to find a new grounding for their own work. 1) Which word means ‘independence/ the right to think in one’s own way’? 2) Which noun means the opposite of ‘the sciences’? 3) Which adjective means ‘felt or experienced very strongly or in an extreme way’? 4) What are the noun forms of think and understand used in this text? 5) Which adjective in the text means ‘relating to standards of good or bad behavior, what is right and wrong, etc.’? 6) Which noun in the text means the same as ‘foundation/ basis’? 82

Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

6. Choose the word among the four alternatives that is the opposite (antonym) of the underlined word: 1) I ate lunch with a most convivial group of my friends. (A) lively

(B) large

(C) unsociable

(D) old

2) I prefer muted colors in my living room. (A) changeable (B) bright

(C) dull

(D) mauve

3) She came for Christmas laden with gifts for everyone. (A) later

(B) provided

(C) unloaded

(D) lifted

4) She had a cozy little apartment in Boston. (A) uncomfortable

(B) dirty

(C) lazy

(D) warm

5) She was a very superficial person with a large group of frivolous friends. (A) superior

(B) deep

(C) attractive

(D) horrible

6) The convicted robber hoped the judge would give him a lenient sentence. (A) easy

(B) unmerciful

(C) acute

(D) frightening

7) Hector takes his dates to intimate restaurants where there is candlelight. (A) large and brightly lit (B) quiet

(C) noisy

(D) dark

8) As he lay dying, his speech was incoherent. (A) inaudible

(B) organized (C) interesting (D) indecent

9) If you want to make a good impression on my father, you will have to be less unkempt than you are now. (A) discreet

(B) uncanny (C) literate

(D) neat

10) His career in the illicit drug trade ended with the police raid this morning. (A) irregular

(B) legal

(C) elicited

(D) secret

11) Having planned our weekends to watch football, we found the news of the players’ strike most disconcerting. (A) pleasing

(B) activating

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(C) refreshing

(D) debilitating

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

12) A frightening number of illiterate students are graduating from college. (A) able to read and write

(B) able to enjoy intramural sports

(C) unable to pass an examination in reading and writing (D) inflexible 13) John was so insubordinate that he lost his job within a week. (A) fresh (B) understanding

(C) indiscreet

(D) obedient

14) I cannot stand professors who think they are infallible. (A) imperfect

(B) inexorable

(C) inept

(D) inflexible

(C) seldom

(D) sensibly

15) My brother-in-law talks incessantly. (A) indiscreetly

(B) inevitably

7. Re-write each sentence using synonyms:

Example: More than half of the women who attended the one-day meeting were in business with their husbands. ➙The majority of the women who went to the one-day conference were in business with their spouses. 1) Approximately 30,000 students may be assisted by the “free lunch” program. 2) With the development of flash memory cards, the market for portable music players jumped sharply. 3) Although the coach’s strategy was a little dangerous, the team was successful. 4) Therefore, the effect was an increase in student examination results. 5) In addition, a strong typhoon is expected to batter the coast over the next few days.

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6) The expenditure needed to combat climate change will require changes to the federal government’s budget. 7) The engineer must judge how much dynamite to use according to the volume of material to be removed from the tunnel. 8) Two of the students were expelled for violating the school’s “no fighting” policy 8. Finish these paraphrased sentences by changing the word/word type and grammar:

Example: We studied the statistics, then applied for funding. After … the statistics, we made an … for funding. ➙After studying the statistics, we made an application for funding. 1) The council cut funding so we could not provide free parking. • Because of council funding_______, there was no_______ for free parking. 2) His proposal was a failure as it was too theoretical. • His proposal_______ because it relied too much on _______. 3) As the emphasis was only on the UK, there were weaknesses in the evidence. • By _______ the UK only, the evidence was _______. 9. Singular and plural nouns. Complete the pairs of sentences below with the following words. The same word is used in both sentences in each pair, once in its singular and once in its plural form:

quarter ; term , youth ; good ; pain ; ground ; condition ; experience ; saving ; damage ; honor ; length 85

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

1) Under the ____ of the contract, you are obliged to repay the loan within two years. The car was a reasonable price, but it wasn't in good ____. 2) It has been an ____ to work with you. She has an ____ degree in geography. 3) I have a terrible ____ at the back of my neck. He took great ____ to ensure his gusts' stay was pleasant. 4) After the accident, it took her a long time to come to ____ with the fact that she would never dance again. During his first ____ of office, the PM made many sensible decisions. 5) We need a person with relevant ____ to fill the post. He wrote a book about his ____ whilst crossing Africa on foot. 6) The vicar was a kind man, and did a lot of ____ during his life. There is a wide range of electrical ____ on sale in our village shop. 7) The day return fare is only £12 - a ____ of £8 on the full fare. Mrs. Higgins' house was broken into and all her ____were taken. 8) Officers don't live with ordinary soldiers. Their ____ are usually separate and more luxurious. Interest rates have risen to 8.5%, a rise of a ____of a per cent. 9) For some reason, he was ashamed of his working class background, and went to great ____ to conceal the fact. I can only swim one ____ of the swimming pool before I get tired. 10) Don't sit on the grass. The ____ is still very wet. I trust John. I have good ____for believing his version of events. 11) The storm caused a lot of ____ . She was awarded four thousand pounds' ____ in the libel case. 12) Two ____ were seen running away from the scene of the crime. ____ has always been the time for rebellion. 86

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10. Read texts A and B below. Choose the best paraphrase of each text, a or

b: Text A: a) According to ICESCR, everyone should attain the same standard of physical and mental health. b) Under international law, everyone has the right to the highest standard of physical and mental health they can attain. Text B: a) The two main objectives of the ICRC are to protect people caught up in war or violence and to assist those in need of humanitarian aid. b) The ICRC is a neutral organization that will not intervene in armed conflicts, but will only provide aid to civilian victims. Text A The right to health is enshrined in international law. The International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) requires states to recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Text B The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) describes itself as an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose humanitarian mission is to protect victims of armed conflict and other violent situations and to provide them with assistance. Protection work typically involves visiting people deprived of their liberty, intervening during hostilities on behalf of civilian victims and restoring family links between people separated by war. Assistance entails the provision of humanitarian aid. 87

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

11. a) Read the original passages. b) Choose the best paraphrase from the choices given and mark it "Best." c) Mark the others "Too sim." for too similar, "No cit." if there is no in-text citation, or "Inc. /lnacc." for incomplete and/or inaccurate information. Original Passage 1 Source: Page 16 of a three-page article in the October 15, 2003, issue of Space Science magazine. The title of the at1icle is "Manned Mars Flight: Impossible Dream?" The author is Patrick Clinton, a NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) physician. Living aboard a space station in orbit around Earth for months at a time poses problems for astronauts' bodies as well as for their minds. ______ A. An article in Space Science magazine reports that lengthy space station duty may lead to physical and mental problems for astronauts (Clinton 16). ______ B. An article in Space Science magazine reports that astronauts who live aboard space stations for long periods of time may experience physical as well as mental problems. ______ C. An article in Space Science reports that living in a space station orbiting Earth for a long time can cause difficulties for astronauts' bodies and minds (Clinton 16). ______ D. An article in Space Science reports that astronauts will become physically sick and have mental problems if they visit a space station (Clinton 16).

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Original Passage 2 Source: Page 16 of the same article in passage 1. One major problem is maintaining astronauts' physical health. Medical treatment may be days or even weeks away, as there may not be a doctor on board. Illnesses such as appendicitis or ulcers, routinely treated on Earth, could be fatal in space because of the delay in getting to a doctor. ______ A. NASA physician Patrick Clinton states that one problem is astronauts' physical health. With no doctor on board, common illnesses like appendicitis and ulcers could be fatal to astronauts because it would take too long to get them back to Earth. ______ B. NASA physician Patrick Clinton states that keeping the astronauts physically healthy is one problem. If the crew does not include a doctor, the delay in getting treatment for an ordinary illness, such as appendicitis or ulcers, could mean death (16). ______ C. NASA physician Patrick Clinton states that the physical health of astronauts is a huge problem. Spaceships do not usually have medical doctors among the crew, so astronauts who get appendicitis on a long space journey will die (16). ______ D. NASA physician Patrick Clinton states that one big problem is keeping astronauts in good physical health. Medical treatment might take days or weeks to get because there may not be a doctor on the spaceship. Ordinary illnesses such as appendicitis and ulcers could be deadly because it would take too long to get to a doctor (16).

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12. Assessing a paraphrase for plagiarism. a) Read the texts below and then answer the questions that follow: Original text:

Traditionally, in oral and written discourses, the masculine pronoun 'he' was used as a pronoun to refer to a person whose gender was unknown or irrelevant to the context. Recently, this usage has come under criticism for supporting gender-based stereotypes and is increasingly considered inappropriate. Paraphrase 1

Paraphrase 2

If the gender of a person was not In oral and written discourses, it has known or was unimportant to the been traditional to use the masculine meaning

of

oral

or

written 'he' as a pronoun to refer to an

discourses, it was customary to use individual whose gender was not the masculine form of 'he' when a known or irrelevant to the context. pronoun was required. In modern Increasingly, in recent times, this usage, however, there has been usage

has

growing concern about this practice supporting

been

criticized

for

gender-based

because it appears to privilege stereotypes that are considered stereotypes

based

on

gender inappropriate (reference).

(reference).

b) Compare paraphrase 1 and 2 to the original text and answer the following questions: 1) The meaning is the same.

a) Paraphrase 1 is acceptable

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2) Most of the words have been

b) Paraphrase 2 is acceptable

changed.

c) Paraphrase 1 & 2 are both

3) The sentences have been significantly

acceptable

restructured. 4) The information is referenced. 5) The rules for paraphrasing have been followed. 13. Paraphrase the following:

Example: PaLess [grocery] is closed because of the bad weather conditions. -➙Since the weather is terrible, the grocery store is not open 1) For many people across Europe, the introduction of the Euro has led to price rises in many everyday goods. 2) Women have traditionally been seen as mothers and home-makers and it is only in recent years that they have been making significant inroads into the job market. There is still a long way to go before they achieve complete equality with men but the situation has definitely improved. 3) The student requested that the professor excuses her absence, but the professor refused. 4) There will be a music concert next to Vienna coffee shop. Would you like to go? 5) International Center is hosting English Conversation classes. They help nonnative speakers of English practice their English speaking skills. 6) The car that was pulled over by the police officer yesterday just had an accident. That driver is not careful.

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14. Follow these steps to practise paraphrasing: - Choose an important idea or detail from your notes. - Without looking at the original source, restate the idea in your own words. - Check your paraphrase against the original text in the source. Make sure both your language and your sentence structure are original. - Revise your paraphrase if necessary.

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WORD LADDER The aim is to change the word at the top of the ladder into the word at the bottom by altering one letter each move. A clue for the word to be filled in is given. COLD 2) courageous 3) without hair 4) a group of musicians 5) could you give me a … with this, please? 6) old habits die ... 7) a diamond, a heart, a club or a spade 8) nurses take ... of patients 9) you'd better remind me in … forget 10) all the actors in a play 11) I wouldn’t put …

to cheat at cards

12) Could you ...this letter for me? 13) a place for sheltering ships 14) what.... of music do you like? 15) I’ve got a .... throat from shouting 16) the harder you work, the.... progress you'll make 17) a female horse 18) a kind of rabbit 19) There’s no … in trying WARM

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3.3

SUMMARY AND MAIN IDEA ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●

Remember! When you summarize, you are filtering and condensing the most necessary points from a source, like a book, article, or website. When summarizing material from a source, you zero in on the main points and restate them concisely in your own words. This technique is appropriate when only the major ideas are relevant to your paper or when you need to simplify complex information into a few key points for your readers Tip A summary or abstract of a reading passage is one-tenth to one-quarter the length of the original passage, written in your own words. The criteria for a summary are that it:

Includes only the main points and key details 1. a) Read this passage. What is the topic sentence? Culture Shock 'Culture shock' is the state of being confused when in contact with a different and unfamiliar civilization. 'Shock' suggests something that is negative: this may be true, especially at first. Typically, a person going to study in another country for the first time may miss family and friends and, consequently, feel homesick. The person may have sleeping difficulties and, in extreme cases, may become depressed or ill. b) Now read this summary of the passage above. Discuss whether it is a reasonable summary. Is there anything you would change? 94

Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

Culture shock is the confusion caused by contact with an alien society. Initially, reactions may be negative. c) Summarize the main aspects of culture shock that you or your friends have experienced. 2. a) Read the following passage on leisure activities. Make notes on it and summarize it in one sentence: In Britain, the most common leisure activities take place at home and include entertaining friends and relatives. Watching television is by far the most popular pastime as 99% of homes have a TV set, and the average viewing time is about 26 hours a week. In addition, using and hiring video tapes is also very popular, with 80% of homes having a video recorder. Listening to the radio is virtually universal as almost every home has a radio; it is listened to, on average, about 1 6 hours a week. b) Now very briefly describe the most popular leisure activities in your country. 3. Read each passage and 1) Create a title for the passage related to the main idea. 2) Accurately summarize the text. 3) Your summary must describe all key ideas from the text. 4) Do not include opinions or personal info in your summary. 5) Highlight or underline key ideas in each passage.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

a) Picture this: a herd of elephants flies past you at sixty miles per hour, followed by a streak of tigers, a pride of lions, and a bunch of clowns. What do you see? It must be a circus train! One of the first uses of the circus train is credited to W.C. Coup. He partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to expand the reach of their newly combined shows using locomotives. Before circus trains, these operators had to lug around all of their animals, performers, and equipment with a team of more than 600 horses. Since there were no highways, these voyages were rough and took a long time. Circuses would stop at many small towns between the large venues. Performing at many of these small towns was not very profitable. Because of these limitations, circuses could not grow as large as the imaginations of the operators. After they began using circus trains, Barnum and Coup only brought their show to large cities. These performances were much more profitable and the profits went toward creating an even bigger and better circus. Multiple rings were added and the show went on. Today, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus still rely on the circus train to transport their astounding show, but now they use two. - Main idea related title for the passage: ____________________________ - Summarize the passage in your own words. b) The fastest thing in France may just be the fastest ground transportation in the world. The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) is France’s national high speed rail service. On April 3rd, 2007, a TGV test train set a record for the fastest wheeled train, reaching 357.2 miles per hour. In mid 2011, TGV trains operated at the highest speed in passenger train service in the world, regularly reaching 200 miles per hour. But what you may find most

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shocking is that TGV trains run on electric power not petrol. Now if you’ll excuse me; I have a record to catch. - Main idea related title for the passage: ___________________________ - Summarize the passage in your own words: c) Giddy-up, cowboys and girls! In the Southwest during early half of the 1800s, cows were only worth 2 or 3 dollars a piece. They roamed wild, grazed off of the open range, and were abundant. Midway through the century though, railroads were built and the nation was connected. People could suddenly ship cows in freight trains to the Northeast, where the Yankees had a growing taste for beef. Out of the blue, the same cows that were once worth a couple of bucks were now worth between twenty and forty dollars each, if you could get them to the train station. It became pretty lucrative to wrangle up a drove of cattle and herd them to the nearest train town, but it was at least as dangerous as it was profitable. Cowboys were threatened at every turn. They faced cattle rustlers, stampedes and extreme weather, but kept pushing those steers to the train station. By the turn of the century, barbed wire killed the open range and some may say the cowboy too, but it was the train that birthed him.

- Main idea related title for the passage:____________________________ - Summarize the passage in your own words. d) Electric trolley cars or trams were once the chief mode of public transportation in the United States. Though they required tracks and electric cables to run, these trolley cars were clean and comfortable. In 1922, auto manufacturer General Motors created a special unit to replace 97

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electric trolleys with cars, trucks, and buses. Over the next decade, this group successfully lobbied for laws and regulations that made operating trams more difficult and less profitable. In 1936 General Motors created several front companies for the purpose of purchasing and dismantling the trolley car system. They received substantial investments from Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California, Phillips Petroleum, and other parties invested in the automotive industry. Some people suspect that these parties wanted to replace trolley cars with buses to make public transportation less desirable, which would then increase automobile sales. The decline of the tram system in North America could be attributed to many things—labor strikes, the Great Depression, regulations that were unfavorable to operators—but perhaps the primary cause was having a group of powerful men from rival sectors of the auto industry working together to ensure its destruction. - Main idea related title for the passage:____________________________ - Summarize the passage in your own words. e) In 1610, Galileo Galilei published a small book describing astronomical observations that he had made of the skies above Padua. His homemade telescopes had less magnifying and resolving power than most beginners’ telescopes sold today, yet with them he made astonishing discoveries: that the moon has mountains and other topographical features; that Jupiter is orbited by satellites, which he called planets; and that the Milky Way is made up of individual stars. (From David Owen, “The Dark Side: Making War on Light Pollution,” The New Yorker (20 August 2007).

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- Main idea related title for the passage: ____________________________ - Summarize the passage in your own words. f) In American society, Introverts are outnumbered about three to one. As a result, they must develop extra coping skills early in life because there will be an inordinate amount of pressure on them to “shape up,” to act like the rest of the world. The Introvert is pressured daily, almost from the moment of awakening, to respond and conform to the outer world. Classroom teachers unwittingly pressure introverted students by announcing that “One-third of your grade will be based on classroom participation.” (From Otto Kroeger and Janet M. Thuesen, Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types that Determine How We Live, Love and Work. New York: Dell Publishing, 1989.) - Main idea related title for the passage:____________________________ - Summarize the passage in your own words. 4. You will hear a short lecture. Write a summary for a fellow student who was not present at the lecture. You should write 50–70 words. You have 10 minutes to finish this task. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the key points presented in the lecture. 5. Paraphrase and summarize the following paragraph in the number of words in brackets: a) One restriction would arguably be on food advertising. 95% of these during children’s television programs were for products high in fat, salt or sugar 99

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

(Grissom, 2010) and many, including the World Health Organization, believe that there is a link between such foods and increasing levels of obesity and high blood pressure. Yet for every $1 spent by the WHO to combat these effects of a poor diet, the global food industry spends $500, part of an annual industry worth $25 billion (WHO, 2009). It is obviously not a fair fight and as children’s health is at stake, there is a strong case for a limitation on food advertising to the young. (30 words) b) “...there is indeed considerable overlap between ethics and law. In fact, the law is essentially an institutionalization or codification of ethics into specific social rules, regulations, and proscriptions. Nevertheless, the two are not equivalent. ... The law might be said to be a definition of the minimum acceptable standards of behavior. However, many morally contestable issues, whether in business or elsewhere, are not explicitly covered by the law. ... In one sense then, business ethics can be said to begin where the law ends. Business ethics is primarily concerned with those issues not covered by the law, or where there is no definite consensus on whether something is right or wrong.” (Crane, A. and Matten, D. (2007) Business Ethics) ((30 words)

6. Replace the words in bold with a synonym from the list below without changing the meaning of the sentence. Remember that you may need to change the form or, in some cases, the grammatical class of some words: accomplish (v)

adequate (adj)

rely on (v)

conduct (n)

dispose of (v)

credible (adj)

occupy (v)

area (n)

manifest in (v)

consume (v)

exert (v)

chemical (n)

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Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

1) Environmentalists are keen to persuade us to throw away rubbish and waste in more environmentally-friendly ways. 2) Poisonous substances released into the sea may be absorbed by fish and then find their way into the human food chain. 3) A growing number of scientists find it plausible that other life forms may exist elsewhere in the universe. 4) Some countries have such great economic problems that they are forced to depend on aid from richer countries in order to feed their inhabitants. 5) Before accepting an overseas student, a university will make sure that the student's English is sufficient. 6) The North Americans use more energy and resources than any other nation. 7) Although Mozart lived for only 40 years, he achieved a great deal in his short life. 8) At examination time, go to the library early as all the places tend to be filled very quickly. 9) Because of its economic and military strength, the USA exercises considerable influence over world politics. 10) He suffers from a lack of self-confidence, as shown by his very poor examination results. 11) Prisoners are sometimes released from prison early if their behavior has been good. 12) If global warming continues, many regions of the world will become drier while others may become wetter.

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7. Correct the wrong usage of words to do with written work in these sentences: a) His PhD assignment was 90,000 words long and was on the history of US place names. b) Little Martha did her first dissertation in school today. It was called “My family.” c) We have to hand in an essay at the end of the course. It can consist of up to five different pieces of work. d) The teacher gave us the title of this week’s project today. We have to write 1,000 words on the topic of “If I ruled the world” and hand it in next Monday. e) At the end of this course you have to do a 5,000-word thesis which will be assessed, and the grade will contribute to your final degree. f) I think I’ll do a study of people’s personal banking habits for my MSc composition. It has to be about 12,000 words. g) I’ve chosen to do a portfolio instead of the two exams, because I like to do one single piece of work where I can research something that interests me personally. 8. Read texts A and B below. Match the phrases to the examples from the texts: An incentive for wildlife conservation

Counting the number of eggs a turtle lays

A quantitative research method

Observing animal behavior

A qualitative research method

Income from tourism

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Unit 3 Summarizing Written Text

Text A Tourism can provide a strong incentive for wildlife conservation. A report commissioned by the WWF found that Kenya's economy earns US$ 250 million from tourism a year and that the Kenyan Wildlife Service benefits directly from tourist income by about US$18 million annually. Text B Research methods programs typically make a distinction between qualitative and quantitative methods. In reality, however, the two often overlap. A biologist researching the nesting behavior of sea turtles, for example, might collect quantitative data about the time that turtles come up onto a beach, the number of eggs they lay, etc., but they might also make observations about the animals' behavior and about the attitudes of local people towards the turtles: qualitative data. Both approaches will contribute to their final report. 9. Decide which paraphrase is better: 1. Adverts are a major part of everyday life. a) Advertising is an important feature of daily life. b) The influence of adverts can be felt in all aspects of our lives. 2. Adverts for the soft drink, Tango, have recently been banned for possibly encouraging playground bullying. a) Advertising for the fizzy drink, Tango, have been disallowed recently for potentially leading to school bullying. b) A ban on Tango adverts has been implemented recently, as some felt the content could encourage school bullies.

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10. Read the following passages and summarize them in your own words: a) In 1610, Galileo Galilei published a small book describing astronomical observations that he had made of the skies above Padua. His homemade telescopes had less magnifying and resolving power than most beginners’ telescopes sold today, yet with them he made astonishing discoveries: that the moon has mountains and other topographical features; that Jupiter is orbited by satellites, which he called planets; and that the Milky Way is made up of individual stars. (From David Owen, “The Dark Side: Making War on Light Pollution,” The New Yorker (20 August 2007) b) In American society, Introverts are outnumbered about three to one. As a result, they must develop extra coping skills early in life because there will be an inordinate amount of pressure on them to “shape up,” to act like the rest of the world. The Introvert is pressured daily, almost from the moment of awakening, to respond and conform to the outer world. Classroom teachers unwittingly pressure introverted students by announcing that “One-third of your grade will be based on classroom participation.” (From Otto Kroeger and Janet M. Thuesen, Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types that Determine How We Live, Love and Work. New York: Dell Publishing, 1989.) 11. Plagiarism Quiz. Answer the questions to see if you’re making great decisions when you refer to others’ work in your own writing: 1) “Not TV or illegal drugs but the automobile has been the chief destroyer of American communities” (37).

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If you were going to use this information, would you a) paraphrase it

b) quote it

2) “The combination of the appearance of professional respect for scientific rigor coupled with professional contempt for scientifically rigorous behavior is toxic, a poison that infects more activities in North America than the few I have pointed out here. It cripples foreign aid programs, pedagogy, and illegal-drug policies, and it promotes dubious and harmful medical treatment fads, nutrition and other lifestyle advice, and agricultural recommendations” (99). If you were going to use this information, would you a) quote it directly

b)paraphrase it

3) Here is a paraphrase of the above passage (with APA citation style); tell whether it is a) plagiarized

b) not plagiarized and therefore acceptable

Jacobs (2004) warns of many future problems for North Americans because of the unwillingness of workers in every industry to engage in scientific thinking that requires hypotheses, testing, and evidence (p. 99). 4) Here is another paraphrase of the above passage (this time with MLA citation); tell whether it is a) plagiarized

b) not plagiarized and therefore acceptable

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When workers in any industry refuse to engage in scientific thinking, according to Jane Jacobs in her latest book Dark Age Ahead, they risk ruining foreign aid programs, pedagogy, and illegal-drug policies along with medical treatment fads, nutrition and other lifestyle advice, and agricultural recommendations (99). 5) “Ireland is almost miraculous in not having sunk into a Dark Age____. Famine, Pestilence, War and Death devastated Ireland for centuries; its population dropped from nine million to two million in the mid-nineteenth century ____. But during all these ordeals, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were never joined by the fifth demonic horseman, Forgetfulness. The Irish stubbornly remembered who they were and what they valued, and refused to lose their treasured culture.

They

accomplished this marvel largely through the fragile medium of song ____. Song is an extremely effective way of passing a culture down through the generations ____. England now has the lowest productivity of any country in the European community, while the Republic of Ireland has surpassed it” (172-173). As much of this information is known, you wouldn’t give Jacobs credit for telling Irish history; yet what she does want to point out in Dark Age Ahead is how certain cultures pulled out of a Dark Age. Which of the following sentences is respectful to her own ideas while still giving proper citation? a) Song is the way that the Irish survived a Dark Age. b) Song and other art forms can be important tools for societies to preserve their own history and culture; the memory of both will eventually lead to future success. 106

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c) Jacobs points to the Irish as a culture that managed to overcome a Dark Age because their songs inculcated in children and adults a love of their rich history and culture; this knowledge eventually led to economic success after centuries of oppression (172-173). Note: All entries are from Jane Jacobs’ Dark Age Ahead (2004)

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Read the clues, then write the words. Start at the bottom and climb to the top. In the service 11. Not the army, air force, or marines, but the ___ . Change one letter. 9. To move your hand back and forth to say hello or good-bye. Change one letter.

11 10

9

8

7. To tend to or have affection for. Add one letter.

4. An illustration that gives information. Change one letter.

3

2 1. Attached to your shoulder. Take away one letter.

6. Automobile. Take away one letter.

5

4 3. A piece of jewellery that may dangle from a bracelet. Add one letter.

8. A hole in the side of a hill or cliff. Change one letter.

7

6

5. A vehicle for carrying things. Take away one letter.

10. Hair that is not straight. Change one letter.

1 Army __________ 108

2. Injury or hurt. Add one letter.

Unit 4 Essay Writing

UNIT 4

4 ● Planning and Organizing Paragraphs ● Identifying Text Structure and Types of Paragraphs ● Planning, Organizing and Writing Essays

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4.1

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING PARAGRAPHS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●●

Remember! A paragraph is a group of related sentences that support one main idea. In general, paragraphs consist of three parts: the topic sentence, body or supporting sentences, and the concluding or the bridge sentence to the next paragraph or section. Paragraphs show where the subdivisions of a research paper begin and end and, thus, help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp its main points

1. Range these steps to paragraph writing in the right order:

1) Organize your information

4) Proofread your paragraph

2) Write & revise your draft

5) Write supporting sentences and

paragraph

examples

3) Brainstorm your information

6) Write the topic sentence

2. a) Match elements 1 – 3 with their corresponding characteristics a - h (there are several answers): 1) A good topic sentence a) are specific and factual. …

b) is neither too general nor too specific. It clearly states the main idea of the paragraph but does not include specific details. c) signals the end of the paragraph. 110

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2)

Good

supporting d) summarizes the important points briefly or

sentences ….

restates the topic sentence in different words. e) is a complete sentence with a subject, a verb, and a controlling idea. f) explain or prove the topic sentence.

3) A good concluding g) is usually the first sentence in the paragraph. sentence …

h) can be examples, statistics, or quotations

b) Choose the right answer:

1) Topic sentences do exactly the same thing the thesis sentence does. a. True

b. False

2) A topic sentence can include a transision in it. a. True

b. False

3) You can support your idea for a body paragraph with the following: a. anecdotes or stories from your experience b. facts or information you know about the topic. c. a carefully worded thesis statement that goes after the topic sentence. d. examples, whether they are real or hypothetical. 3. a) Read the following paragraph then match column A with column B below: The way we use banks is currently changing. This is partly because of the introduction of new technology in the last ten years. The personal computer and the internet, for instance, allow customers to view their accounts at home and perform operations such as moving money between accounts. At the same time banks are being reorganised in ways 111

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

that affect both customers and staff. In the past five years over 3,000 bank branches have closed in Britain. The banks have discovered that staffing call centres is cheaper than running a branch network. 1. topic sentence

a) At the same time banks …

2. reason

b) In the past five …

3. example)

c) The banks have discovered …

4. details

d) The way we use banks…

5. further details

e) The personal computer

6. reason

f) This is partly because …

b) Write the sentences in the following paragraph in the correct order:

a) Indeed, says University of Alberta philosopher Leon Craig, the images of manliness are now myriad—everything from "the muscle-bound caricature and bluster of macho man to the fumbling wimp and the supersensitive househusband

who has

overcome his

patriarchal

prejudices." b) One major reason the warrior image is so appealing, among civilians as well as military members, is that Western society today has ambiguous and conflicting notions of masculinity. c) Today's society offers no simple, absolute, and unimpeachable model of manhood such as warrior societies offered.

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4. a) Read the paragraph and tick the best topic sentence A, B, C or D: ___ It doesn’t rain very often in summer A: It is summer and it rained or winter. The sun usually shines all day. yesterday. In winter, it can get cold in the desert, B: Our country is very big. but in summer it is hot in the desert and C: I like the weather in our in the cities. I love hot weather.

country. D: It can get to 50°C, for example.

b) What is wrong with the other sentences? a) It is an example.

-

b) It is not general.

-

c) It is about something different from the other sentences. – 5. The topic sentence is missing from this paragraph. Choose the suitable topic sentence a, b, c or d: A short paragraph can be about four sentences long as you only need a few facts (evidence) to support your argument. If you are developing a complex idea or argument, then your paragraph may be longer. For example, a long paragraph could have up to ten sentences. Therefore, you should aim to write paragraphs that are between four and ten sentences in length. a) The topic sentence must be used to start a paragraph. b) The reader's attention is lost when paragraphs are too long. c) In formal academic writing, the length of a paragraph may vary.

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d) Paragraphs should be four to ten sentences long. 6. Read the two topic sentences a) and b). Write other 3 from sentences 1-6 below each topic sentence, in the right order, so that to obtain two different paragraphs: a) I like doing different kinds of sport. b) Sport is good for you in different ways. 1) So everyone should try to do sport 4) Sport also keeps you fit and because it is good for you.

healthy.

2) I also like running and cycling in a group.

5) For example, I play basketball a

3) Firstly, you learn to work in a team, lot, and I like it because I enjoy and it helps you to be more confident. team games. 6) So, you can see I enjoy many sports. 7. Write four support sentences for each of the following topic sentences: Topic 1: Shopping is fun. Topic 2: Many tourists come to this country. Topic 3: The high price of oil is bad for the economy. 8. a) Read the paragraph and tick the best concluding sentence A, B, C or D: Sam is my best friend. I met him at school A: He is very good at football. when we were seven. We were in the same B: I study Business at college. class for ten years! After school, I went to 114

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college and Sam started working in a C: For example, I will see him bank. Now he lives in a different city but next week. we see each other every month.

D: He will always be my best friend

b) What is wrong with the other concluding sentences? a. It gives new information about the topic. ______ b. It gives another example. _____ c. It is not about the main point _____ 9. Read the topic sentences (TS). Match the supporting sentences (SS) a – d, then add a concluding sentence (CS) for each paragraph: TS:I enjoy studying at college

TS: Everyone should go to college

SS1: _____c________

SS1: _____d________

SS2: _____b________

SS2: _____a________

CS: ______________

CS: ______________

a) You also meet new students and c) I study English, Maths and teachers, and you learn to be more Engineering for twenty hours a week, confident.

and I like all of these subjects.

b) However, my favourite subject is d) Firstly, you can learn many new Maths because the teacher is very things at college which will help you nice.

in the future.

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10. Read the following paragraphs and decide why they are correctly or incorrectly written by choosing one of the answers below:

a) Incorrect because the supporting sentences do not match the topic sentence b) Incorrect because a paragraph is a group of sentences, so each sentence does not start on a new line. c) Correct because the paragraph sticks to the topic sentence and starts the next sentence on the same line as the previous sentence. Paragraph 1 All students need to know how to write a good paragraph. However, not all students know how to master this skill when they begin university studies. Poor paragraph writing can result in lowered marks in assignment tasks and exams because markers are unable to interpret students' answers. As academic success is so dependent on mastery of writing skills, students need to learn this skill as quickly as possible. Paragraph 2 All students need to know how to write a good paragraph. The main parts of a paragraph are topic sentence, supporting sentences and concluding sentence. Students may receive lower marks for poorly constructed paragraphs. Paragraphs are different according to the subject areas. Paragraph 3 All students need to know how to write a good paragraph. However, not all students know how to master this skill when they begin university studies. 116

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Poor paragraph writing can result in lowered marks in assignment tasks and exams because markers are unable to interpret students' answers. As academic success is so dependent on mastery of writing skills, students need to learn this skill as quickly as possible. 11. Put the following sentences in the correct order to produce well organized paragraphs: Paragraph 1 a) For a lightweight poster or sign, you can use either offset book stock or cover stock. b) You'll probably have to take your publication to a commercial printer, however, since Bristol won't feed through most desktop printers or copy machines. c) The type of paper you choose for a poster or a sign depends on how it will be reproduced and how it is going to be used. d) If you need to create a more durable poster or sign, or create packaging, Bristol stock is your best choice. (Microsoft publisher CD deluxe companion, p. 185) Paragraph 2 a) It's rare, but not unheard of, for mail to go astray. b) And many corporate mail servers have had growing pains, too, experiencing holdups and the odd deletion. c) On the whole though, you can assume email will arrive. d) However during 1997, AOL and Microsoft Network - to name just the big players - had severe mail outages resulting in the delay, and in some cases loss, of email. 117

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e) In general Internet email is considerably more reliable than the postal service. (The Internet and world wide web: The rough guide, (1997), p. 15) Paragraph 3 a) Time may indicate the importance of the occasion as well as on what level an interaction between persons is to take place. b) The same applies for calls after 11:00 P.M. c) Different parts of the day, for example, are highly significant in certain contexts. d) Our realization that time talks is even reflected in such common expressions as, "What time does the clock say?" e) In the United States, if you telephone someone very early in the morning, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call usually signals a matter of utmost importance and extreme urgency. f) A call received during sleeping hours is apt to be taken as a matter of life and death, hence the rude joke value of these calls among the young. (Edward Hall, (1973), The silent language) .

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4.2

IDENTIFYING TEXT STRUCTURE AND TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

Remember! Text structure refers to how the information within a written text is organized. A text might present a main idea and details; a cause and then its effects; and/or different views of a topic. Understanding text structures can help students make and interpret arguments.

1. Match the definitions 1-6 to the terms a-f: 1) An action and its results are discussed

a) chronological

2) Information is organized in order of

b) problem and solution

time 3) A difficulty is described and an answer

c) sequence / process

is offered 4) Differences and similarities of two or

d) cause and effect

more things are discussed 5) Explains how something happens or is

e) compare and contrast

done, step-by-step 6) Describes how something looks or the arrangement of a space

119

f) spatial / descriptive

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

A. Descriptive Paragraph

Remember! In a descriptive paragraph you describe a scene or a thing or a person. The aim is to give a vivid picture of the object. Only the significant details should be given in a descriptive paragraph.

2. a) Listen to three people describing a place which is important to them. Decide which speaker describes the types of places a-c. b) Make a note of any reasons they give for their choice and of the expressions that each speaker uses to introduce the place they have chosen: Speaker

Place

Speaker 1:

a) an urban place

Speaker 2:

b) a domestic space

Speaker 3:

c) a rural area

Expression

3. Fill in the missing words in the definitions below. Choose from the following:

big shot - busybody - dark horse - diehard - fence - gate-crasher - grass guinea pig - lame duck - mole - old maid - rough diamond - scab - skinflint - slave driver - sponger - swot - tout - underdog - whizz kid 1) A(n) ____ is someone who studies very hard especially when trying to get good examination results. 2) A(n) ____ is someone who continues to work when his/ her fellow-workers are on strike. 120

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3) A(n) ____ is someone who dislikes spending or giving money. 4) A(n) ____ is someone who offers tickets that are in short supply for sale for a price higher than usual. 5) A(n) ____ is someone who is very important or influential. 6) A(n) ____ is someone who is used as a subject in medical or other experiments. 7) A(n)____ is someone who turns up at parties without being invited to them. 8) A(n) ____ is someone who works inside an organization for a long time in order to provide secret information to the enemy. 9) A(n) ____ is someone who is always taking money and things off other people, usually by taking advantage of their generosity or weakness. 10) A(n) ____ is someone with modem ideas who works with energy and enthusiasm and achieves great success in his/ her job while still young. 11) A(n) ____ is someone who buys and sells stolen goods 12) A(n) ____ is someone who refuses to change his/ her ideas and opinions (usually political ones). 13) A(n) ____ is someone with a kind and generous nature, but whose outward appearance or manner is rather rough. 14) A(n) ____ is someone who is expected to lose in a competition with someone else, or a weaker person who is always treated badly by others. 15) A(n) ____ is someone who is very inquisitive about other people's affairs. 16) A(n) ____ is someone who has greater capabilities than He/she shows or than people are aware of. 17) A(n) ____ is someone who informs the police about the people concerned in a crime. This person is often a criminal himself/herself. 18) A(n) ____ is someone who is weak or a failure in some way and has to be helped by others.

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19) A(n) ____ is a woman who is unlikely ever to get married. 20) A(n) ____ is someone who makes people work very hard. 4. Your school is doing a project about towns and cities. You have been asked to write about your favourite place in your neighbourhood. You should: • explain where this place is • describe what you can see and do there • explain why you like it 5. Choose one of the topics below and write a short paragraph (60 – 80): 1) Describe a place where you spent a memorable holiday … and explain why you particularly liked or disliked this place. 2) Describe an experience in which you tried something new … and explain how this experience has influenced you. 3) Describe something special that you bought … and explain why this item is special to you. 4) Describe a place which is important to you …and explain what influence it has on your life. 5) Describe someone you admire. You can use such phrases as: ● Its main effect on me has been … ● I feel attached to this … because … ● The main reason for my reaction was ● What I’ve learnt from this is …

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●The influence this has had on me is … ● This taught me an important lesson: … ●I particularly liked/disliked this … because

B. Process or How-to Paragraph

Remember! A process paragraph describes how to do something step-by-step. First, you write a topic sentence that states what the process is. Then you explain each step clearly.

6. Complete the text with suitable words in the box:

first;

the first step; after that;

then;

before; after;

while;

when;

meanwhile;

from then on; the last step;

finally ;

next;

the next step;

I make lemonade for my own enjoyment, even though it is easy to buy it at the store. (1) ____, I get six lemons to make lemonade. (2) ____ I cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. I pour the juice through a strainer to take out the seeds. (3) ____ ,I add about a half cup of sugar to a cup of hot water to dissolve the sugar. (4) ____ , I mix the lemon juice, sugar, water and several more cups of water in a pitcher. I add lots of ice to make it cold. It is delicious, and it is my favourite summer drink.

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7. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions: (TS) Getting a puncture is one of the most common problems. ( SS) First, the nuts on the wheel should be loosened. The second step is to raise the car with a jack. Next, the nuts are removed and the wheel is taken off. After that, the spare wheel is put on, and the nuts are replaced. Then, the car is lowered to the ground. Finally, make sure the nuts are completely tightened before you drive away. (C) It can be seen that changing a tire is not difficult. 

Does it have a topic sentence?



How many supporting sentences are there?



Does it have a conclusion?



Underline the sentence connectors and explain their .use

8. Choose one of the topics below and write a short process paragraph (70 – 90 words):

Example: Topic: ● How to get good results in an exam. (Topic statement)If you want to get good results in an exam, you should

carry out three steps. (Supporting sentences) Firstly, you should revise theories of all subjects. Secondly, you should discuss them with your colleagues and teachers about the difficult matters. Thirdly, take some time to relax after you finish studying; you need to be in good mental and physical condition for the exam. And the last thing is to keep a positive attitude. (Conclusion) If you follow the three steps above, you will be successful in the exam. 124

Unit 4 Essay Writing

● How to impress your teacher ● How to build a tree house ● How to make a pizza ● The best way to lose weight ● How to make a beautiful flower arrangement ● How to pass a math test ● How to change a flat tyre

C. Comparing & Contrasting Paragraph

Remember! a) When you compare two things you have to bring out the similarities between them in a convincing manner. Sometimes you will need to use a simile or a metaphor. b) When you contrast two things, the differences have to be expressed in an explicit manner. Use linking words like but, whereas, on the other hand, on the contrary etc.

9. a) Read the following paragraph and circle the comparison conjunctions: My house and my car are similar in many ways. First of all, both places are untidy. In my house, you can see clothes strewn on chairs, papers littering all surfaces, and dishes in the sink. Similarly, in my car, the back seat and floor are covered with sports clothes and shoes, books, empty soft-drink cans, and gum wrappers. Second of all, I like to spend a lot of time in my house and in my car. After work, I usually go home, eat dinner, and flop down onto the sofa to watch videos or read a book.

Likewise, on

weekends, I usually take long out-of-town trips in my car; sometimes I even sleep in it to save money on hotels. Finally, I do some identical activities 125

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

in my house and in my car. In my house, I get dressed, listen to loud music, and eat. In the same way, I change into my sports clothes in the car, listen to loud music on my car stereo, and eat snacks on my way home after work or the gym. Although I treat my home and my car alike, I should probably clean both of them up, so that people won't be afraid to visit or drive with me! b) The following paragraph contrasts the writer’s two cousins. Three major differences are identified, and each of these is illustrated with several specific examples. Read the paragraph and circle any transitions. Then write the transitions in the appropriate blanks below. My cousins Joanne and Mary couldn’t be more different. First, Joanne is a total nonconformist. For one thing, Joanne’s appearance is bizarre. For example, her hair is partially shaved and dyed pink, and she’s covered in tattoos. In addition, her favorite clothes are ripped and have pictures on them of things like skulls. Furthermore, Joanne has a wild personality. For instance, she’ll do outrageous things, like the time she got her nose pierced. Another time, she hitchhiked to San Francisco at 2:00 a.m. Finally, when it comes to interests, Joanne is really into music. She plays the guitar in a punk rock band, and she loves to go to clubs and concerts to check out other bands. In contrast, Mary is the total opposite of Joanne. For one thing, Mary’s appearance is very conservative. For instance, her naturally blond hair is usually in a ponytail, and her favorite clothes are sweats or a soccer uniform. Unlike Joanne, Mary is the type of person who likes to

follow the rules. For example, she’s never missed a day of school, and she can be relied on to be the designated driver any time she goes out to a party. Finally, Mary is a jock. She plays almost every sport, but soccer is her 126

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favorite. When she’s not playing sports, she’s watching them on television or in person. Truly, if I didn’t already know that Joanne and Mary are cousins, I would never guess that they’re related to each other because they’re complete opposites. 1)

What

three

transitions

introduce

Joanne’s

character

traits:

nonconformist, wild personality, interests? a) ________; b) ___________; c) ___________ 2) List two transitions used in describing Mary that show contrast: a) _________; b) __________ 3) List two transitions used to introduce examples: a) _____ ____; b) ___________ 4) List two transitions used to add another example: a) __________; b) ___________ 5) What transition is used to signal the conclusion? ________ ____ 10. Choose one of the topics below and write a short process paragraph (60 – 80 words) ● Two close friends ● Two places you have visited ● Fast-food restaurants and high-class restaurants ● An online class compared to a traditional face-to-face class

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D. Cause and Effect Paragraph

Remember! Paragraphs structured as cause and effect explain reasons why something happened or the effects of something.

11. Read the following paragraphs A & B. Underline the topic sentence and also underline words that specify cause and effect. a) The ocean’s delicate coral reefs are affected by changes caused by humans. To illustrate, dumping waste products and garbage in the sea result in changes in the natural environment. Due to these changes the ocean becomes polluted, and as a consequence, coral reefs are damaged. When the ocean becomes extensively polluted, coral reefs die. b) Good health is affected by a balanced diet. On the other hand, if we do not eat well, this could cause problems and we could become very sick. For instance, if our diet lacks Vitamin A, blindness may result. Many problems affecting the skin and the teeth are due to a lack of Vitamin C. When our diet contains recommended amounts of Vitamin A and C, however, our ability to fight diseases like cancer is greatly affected. So it makes sense to eat well because this results in a longer and healthier life.

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12. It is useful to distinguish between the cause and the effect. In each of the following (1-5), one sentence is the cause and the other is the effect. Write a “C” next to the cause, and write an "E" next to the effect. Then rewrite the sentences into one sentence. Be sure to use vocabulary that specifies cause and effect. (1)___ (a) There is no life on Venus. ___ (b) There is no atmosphere on Venus. (2)___ (a) Solar batteries need to be recharged frequently. ___ (b) Solar batteries are impractical for powering cars on long trips. (3) ___ (a) The element silicon melts. ___ (b) The temperature is above 1410°C. (4) ___ (a) Daily exercise strengthens the heart. ___ (b) Many people who exercise daily have healthy hearts. (5) ___ (a) Cakes and candy are high in sugar. ___ (b) Cakes and candy are bad for the teeth. 13. In (a), (b) and (c), below, there is one sentence that contains a cause or an effect. Write one or two sentences that describe corresponding effects or causes.

Example: Cause: Nitrogen oxide from car exhaust causes problems. Effects: One effect is that air pollution is produced by car exhaust. Car exhaust results in acid rain, as well. 1) Cause: Not eating a balanced diet results in bad effects.

Effects::_____ 2) Cause:Because of today's computers we can do many things.

Effects:_____ 129

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3) Cause::Trees, flowers and other plant life have positive effects.

Effects:_____ 4) Effect: My best grades are in science courses. Causes: ______ 5) Effect: More and more forest plant life is being destroyed. Causes: _____ 6) Effect: I feel healthy. Causes:_____

E. Argumentative and persuasive paragraphs:

Remember! An argument is an opinion, or a claim supported by facts, or evidence. The purpose of an argument is to convince or persuade. The main parts of an argument are: opinion, counterargument, reasons, and evidence.

14. a) Read the statements and: • Identify each item in the table below as a fact or an opinion. (F = fact, O = opinion) • For each fact, add an opinion about the topic. For each opinion, add a relevant fact about the topic. Fact or Opinion?

F/O Add

your

opinion Math is the most challenging academic subject

130

fact

/

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Michigan’s state flower is the Apple Blossom. All people should own dogs for company and protection. Basketball is more exciting to watch than football. Students are not allowed to have phones in class. b) In the following paragraph, identify: - the writer’s opinion - the writer’s counterarguments: Smoking Smokers claim that their personal rights are being denied as more and more public places are declared “smoke-free.” In addition, bar owners are losing business because their smoking customers are staying home. While both smokers and bar owners have valid arguments, what they must realize is that sometimes we have to sacrifice as individuals in order to help society as a whole. Even though it is an individual’s choice to do damage to his or her lungs by smoking cigarettes, innocent non-smokers do not have a choice if a smoker is around. They should not have to expose their lungs to second-hand smoke when they go out for a drink or a meal. In addition, bar employees have the right to work in a smoke-free environment. Smokers and bar owners can help keep the air clean and safe for the elderly, asthma sufferers, other customers and employees by following the law.

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c) Form a group with 2-3 classmates. Together, choose one of the topics below and list the main arguments on one side, and the opposite arguments on the other side: Pro (in favour)

Con (against)



Students learn more / learn less by using computers in the classrooms.



Couples should / should not live together before they get married.



Immigrants should / should not give up their traditional ways to fit in their new country.



Parents are responsible / not responsible for their children’s bad behavior.



Parents should / should not use spanking to discipline their children.

15. Write a short paragraph based on the brainstorming you did with your group; begin by presenting the most typical opposing argument, and then refute it. Use some of the transition words and phrases listed below to switch from your own argument to the counterargument, or vice-versa: a) to introduce the counterargument: •“There are people who believe____ and they may think that _____,”

•“The writer states that____” • Some people may feel that ____” • Supporters of [this issue] claim that ____” • Opponents of [this issue] insist that ____” b) to come back to your own argument: •“… however, I think that it is more important to consider ____ because

____” 132

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•“In spite of/Despite these arguments, I still think ____ because ____” •The writer’s point has some validity, but ____” •It is true that____; however, ____” •Some people may feel that ____ , but I disagree because _____” Example: Many people nowadays believe that technology has improved our quality of life. They feel that with technology we live happier lives because it makes our work easier: cars take us places, computers store our information, machines wash clothes and dishes, and so on. However, the knowledge required to use modern technology, especially computers, does not make life easier. ….

F. Problem/ Solution Paragraph

Remember! A Problem/Solution paragraph presents a problem and describes two or more possible solutions to that problem.

16. While writing a problem-solution paragraph, there are several steps to follow. Match the headings with the corresponding sentences in the paragraphs below: 1) Topic / lead sentence 2) Details of the problem(s) 3) Solutions

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a) Astronauts face many problems in space caused by weightlessness. One of these problems is floating around the cabin. To solve this problem, astronauts wear shoes that are coated with a special adhesive. This adhesive sticks to the floor of the cabin. Serving food is another problem. It won't stay put on the table! Experts solved this problem by putting food and drinks in pouches and tubes. It only needs to be mixed with water. Weightlessness also causes problems when an astronaut tries to work. The simple task of turning a wrench or a doorknob can be difficult. Since there is no gravity to keep him down, when he exerts a force in one direction, the opposite force may flip him over completely. To solve this problem, he must be very careful about how much force he uses to do these simple tasks. Here on earth, life is much simpler, thanks to gravity. b) In the early 1800s, the United States needed room to grow. The problem was most people lived in the East. The cities were crowded. New land was expensive. Young families couldn’t afford to buy farms. Then, as a solution, the United States government purchased land from France and Mexico. Soon, the country stretched all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Settlers rode in wagons or on horses, followed long, dusty trails across hot plains for thousands of miles. There was no shelter. People slept in tents on the ground. They had to watch out for wild animals like wolves and snakes. The trip west could take months. Then a railroad was built that stretched from the East Coast almost to the West Coast. The railroad made travel faster. More people poured into the new lands. The settlers quickly built small towns where the farming, fishing, and mining were good.

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17. Choose one of the topics below and write a short problem-solution paragraph: ● How can college students manage their money effectively? ● How to make long distance relationship work? ● How can college students handle problems with roommates? ● Do people give military women the credit they deserve for such a physically and emotionally demanding job?

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Read the clues, then write the words. Start at the bottom and climb to the top. Official officers

8 7. Usually. I like sweets but don’t want any today. Take away the last four letters, then add three.

7

6

5 5. To produce or make electricity is to it. Add three letters after the “g”.

3. To judge or grade others or things. Take away one letter.

8. Highest rank in the military. Take away two letters.

4

3

6. A group of people born and living at the same time. Take away the last letter, then add three.

4. What you do to cheese to make it into small pieces. Add one letter.

2 2. Very angry. Take away one letter.

1. Someone who steals from others on the high seas. Take away one letter, then rearrange the second and third letters.

1 ___________ Private

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4.3

PLANNING, ORGANIZING AND WRITING ESSAYS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●

Remember! Essays are shorter pieces of writing which require previous planning and practice (and a bit of creativity). It often requires the student to hone a number of skills such as close reading, analysis, comparison and contrast, persuasion, conciseness, clarity, and exposition. Therefore, essays are (by nature) concise and require clarity in purpose and direction.

1. a) Answer these questions: a) When and why do people write essays? b) What was the last essay you wrote? Who read it? c) If your last essay received a mark, what were the reasons for the mark you were given? d) What do you find most difficult about writing essays, in your language and in English? b) You have been asked to write an essay. Put these eight writing stages into the best order: 1) Add the finishing touches. 2) Write your thesis statement. 3) Check your language, spelling, punctuation and style, then correct if necessary.

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4) Work out what the essay question means and think about your own views on the question. 5) Write your final essay. 6) Organize relevant information and your ideas on the subject. 7) Write a first draft. 8) Find information on the subject, for example from the library or the Internet 9) Write the body. 10) Write the conclusion. 11) Write the introduction. 12) Write a paragraph-by-paragraph plan for your essay. c) Add the missing letters in the sentences below: 1) Discuss the topic, purpose and st_____ of the text you are going to write. 2) Think of as many id_____ as you can, and note them down. 3) Choose the best id_____, decide which of them go to_____ and make a plan for each pa_____. 4) Decide on a logical or_____ for the pa_____. 5) Write a first draft of your te_____. 6) Give your draft to your partner and ask them to write co_____ on your work so far. They might write about things they like about your te_____, anything they di_____ or think isn’t needed, anything that isn’t clear, and what they want to read more about. 7) Write your te_____, using a wide range of vo_____ and structures, and li_____ your ideas together. 8) Check your text is the correct le_____, adding or reducing where necessary. 9) Edit out any repetitions or points that are not re_____ to the topic. 10) Correct any er_____ in language, pu_____ or style. 138

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d) Write the phrases 1 -11 into the most appropriate section below: Introduction: _______ The main body: _____ Counterargument: _______ Developing your ideas – persuasion & recommending ____________ Conclusion: ____________ 1) Having said that … 2) I will set out to demonstrate that… 3) In this essay I will firstly cover the … 4) Most experts agree that the current … 5) Nevertheless, other factors need to be… 6) Of the three principal issues … The generally accepted view is … 7) The ideal course of action would seem to be 8) There is strong evidence to suggest that … 9) Therefore, the most appropriate response … 10) This could lead us to suppose that … 11) Unless they respond to these findings, … 2. Different paragraphs usually deal with a different point of the text. Look at the plan and answer these questions. What paragraph(s): 1) refer(s) back to the beginning of the text? 2) tell(s) you what to expect in the rest of the text? 3) attempt(s) to catch the readers’ attention and make them want to read on? 4) probably contain(s) a mixture of reasons, examples and suggestions?

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Rapid Riches Paragraph 1 Give some statistics on the number of ‘newly rich’ people. Say how much some of them are worth. Suggest it’s easy to make a fortune and here are some ways how… Paragraph 2 Marring for money – say why it’s quite easy and give two ways of meeting rich people. Paragraph 3 Making money from music – give an example of someone’s who’s got rich through singing/ writing songs. Paragraph 4 another way of getting rich – as 2 and 3 Paragraph 5 Reinforce that there are lots of ways of making money, it’s easy and fun. a) Read the second paragraph from Rapid Riches below. Identify the idea expressed in the topic sentence, the justification given for it and the two practical suggestions. b) Underline expressions which link separate sentences and circle those which link clauses within the sentences. c) Which expression links the paragraph to the rest of the text? First of all, marry someone extremely rich. This is not as difficult as it sounds, as among all those thousands of new millionaires we’ve been hearing about there are bound to be some who, whether they realize it or not, are just waiting to meet somebody like you. One way of improving 140

Unit 4 Essay Writing

your chances of meeting them is to invest some of your hard-earned savings in an evening or two at the top nightspots in town. Alternatively, to get to know the more reclusive type of Mr or Ms Super-Rich, register yourself with the most up-market computer dating agency you can afford. 3. The sentences below form the basis of paragraph 3, but many of them are in the wrong order, are too short or are not properly linked. Put them in a more logical order to create a well-structured paragraph, and link them together using a similar style and tone to that in paragraph 2. The first sentence is correct. If the idea of a wedded wealth doesn’t appeal, how about recording or writing a best-selling pop song? The songwriter can make a fortune too. A few years ago singer Ricky Martin was a little-known Puerto Rican actor. He also became very, very rich. When the hit single Livin’ La Vida Loca was released he suddenly became internationally famous. He was playing minor roles in soaps like ER. 4. Write paragraph 4 of this text yourself in about 100 words. Use the planning stages above to help you.

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A. Opinion Essays

Remember! The opinion essay focuses on one opinion. There’s no counterpoints. There’s no contrasting points of view. There’s no comparison of advantages and disadvantages. You pick a point of view that you are either in support of or against, and you focus on it. Your supporting information will all contribute to that one point of view . Linking words and phrases should be used to join one paragraph with the other. Outline I. Introduction: State your opinion clearly without using too many personal opinion words. II. Main body: Give the first point supporting your opinion. Give the second point supporting your opinion. Give the last point supporting your opinion. III. Conclusion: Re – state your opinion, using different words.

1. Read the following model and: a) Circle the linking words, b) Underline the examples given to support each point raised. Topic: Experiments on animals should be banned. Do you agree? Animal Testing should not be Banned Each year about five million dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, monkeys, and other animals die in deadly dose tests which are performed in the U.S. The subject of animal testing is very open to question. In my opinion, animal testing should not be banned for a number of reasons.

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The first reason for supporting animal testing is that many products must be tested on animals to ensure* that they are safe for use by humans. For example, diabetics would not be able to inject insulin to control their diabetes if it had not been developed by testing it on animals. Moreover, the effects of certain chemicals such as insecticides can be observed on animals and their offspring and results are achieved faster since animals have shorter life duration than humans and the ability to multiply easily. The final and most important point in favor* of animal testing is that it is aimed at finding cures for diseases such as cancer. Most of these tests cannot be done in any other way. Forty years ago polio was a common tragedy amongst children. Animal testing led to the discovery of a vaccine and now this disease is very rare in developed countries. While some animals undoubtedly suffer, the end justifies* the means. Contrary to popular belief, laboratory animals are not ill-treated and their suffering is kept to a minimum. As already stated, I am in favor of* animal testing, provided that is conducted under strict conditions and that there is no alternative. 2. a) Read the following article and answer the questions following the text: Genetic Science TV star Pat Kennedy gives her opinion. Scientists have made amazing discoveries over the last twenty years, especially in the field of genetics. Already they can create strange new species of plants and animals. They may soon be able to design new kinds of human beings Do scientists really know what they are doing, and should we let them go on? 143

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I think genetic engineering should be very carefully controlled. To begin with, life on our planet has evolved* slowly, over thousands of years. If we change that process too quickly by tampering* with genes, which are the building blocks of nature, we may cause terrible damage. I worry, furthermore, where scientist will stop if we allow them to ‘play God’ with our world, and whether they will be able to control the changes they are unleashing*. Lastly, we should consider how some governments could use genetics. They might try to create ‘the perfect baby’ or design a ‘master-race’. This is a nightmare scenario, of course, but it could happen. It is true that genetic engineering can be used for the good, to detect or even cure disease. Biotechnology can be commercially profitable, too, in farming and in agriculture. To my mind, however, these factors still do not outweigh the dangers. In the wrong hands, genetic engineering can be used as a way of playing with nature. Nobody knows what the effects will be if we allow this to go on without strict controls. I think all of us should stop and think before we allow scientists to develop these techniques any further – our survival could depend on it! 1) Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph. 2) Which paragraph in the model essay: - gives the writer’s opinion and reasons for it? - restates the problem and the writer’s opinion? - sets out the problem in general and states why it is controversial (=debatable, discussible)? - gives the other side of the argument and the reasons why the writer isn’t convinced by them?

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b) Read the article below, which gives a different opinion on the same topic, Genetic Science: (a) As it is only in draft form, there are grammatical errors. Correct them. (b) Does the writer put forward a logical argument for his opinion? What is it? (c) Which one of the two opinions on this topic do you agree with most? Some of the most exciting progress in the science has happen in field of genetics. It is now possible to grow plants who do not get diseases, and to breed cows which produce more milk. The scientists can even create new types of animals. In my opinion, these developments are very good news. In the first place, doctors will soon be able to use the genetic engineering to help fighting disease. They can tell you if there is a medical problem in your family which it could be passed on to your children. Hopefully, he may then be able to alter the genes and cure disease. This is particularly important on poor countries where people starve if the harvest will be bad. Finally, farmers can breed animals who produce more food, and are therefore more profitably. People sometimes argues that genetic engineering should be stop. They think scientific advance is ‘unnatural’. However, I believe that scientists and doctors can trusted to use this knowledge responsibly. After all, peoples protested about things like transplant surgery at the past but most people are in favour now. I feel sure that, in the future, genetic engineering is of enormous benefit to us of all.

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3. Read the following short opinion essay: a) Fill in the blanks with a word or expression from the list: furthermore; recently ; as a result ; in conclusion ; on the other hand Genetic engineering brings with it more dangers than benefits and should be banned worldwide. ____ (1), advances in science have demonstrated to us that things that once seemed possible only in science fiction could become a reality. The cloning of a sheep brought the possibility of using genetic engineering to create new organs, or even whole human beings, one step closer. Some people consider this to be a dangerous development, and believe that all that research should be banned. Interfering with nature in this way could bring with it dangers that none of us can imagine. We have no idea how an artificially-created person might behave, or indeed how he or she might suffer. ____ (2), we may find ourselves in a position which we do not like, but which we are unable to reverse. ____ (3), many people would say that it is not for human beings to decide what other human beings should be like. It is not only people with deep religious beliefs who feel that it is wrong, for example, for parents to choose whether their baby will be a boy or a girl, or have blue eyes or musical talent. ____(4), the latest research in genetics has also opened the possibility of new treatment for many diseases which up to now have been incurable. If it were possible to prevent a baby from developing a hereditary disease by modifying its genes, should we stop the scientists? If doctors could replace a diseased organ with a new one grown from cells, should it not be allowed? ____ (5), I would say that genetic engineering has the potential to be both a huge benefit and a terrible curse for humankind. To make sure that we 146

Unit 4 Essay Writing

benefit from it, it will be necessary to control it very strictly. The real challenge will be to find ways of monitoring the research that is conducted in laboratories all over the world and to make sure that it is only used for the good of everyone. b) In the list below you will find some more linking words and expressions you can use to substitute for the ones used in the composition above. Can you match the words with the blanks? moreover ; consequently ; therefore ; nevertheless ; however ; finally ; in addition;

to sum up; nowadays

4. Here you will find another example of opinion composition. Read it carefully and complete with the words in the list. although ;

to sum up ;

such as ;

secondly ;

personally ;

besides ;

think so

firstly ;

like ; just

Top sports people earn too much money nowadays In most countries today top sports people, ____ (1) footballers, tennis players and basketball players, get enormous salaries. In a week they often earn more than ordinary people in a year. Is this really too much? ____ (2) I don´t ____ (3). ____ (4), the active life of a professional sports person is relatively short – they often retire when they are in their mid-thirties. ____ (5), many of them don´t even play that long, as they often get injured, which means they have to retire early.

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____ (6), ____ (7) their salaries are very high they are not much higher than those of other successful people in the entertainment industry ____ (8) pop singers, actors or TV personalities, whose professional careers can last for fifty years. Sport today is watched by millions of people, so it should be considered entertainment ____ (9) like the cinema or TV. ____ (10), I think that top sports people’s high salaries are not unfair if you compare them with people doing similar jobs. 5. Read the essay and, for each blank, decide which two of the three given answers are right and which are wrong: Who learns faster - children or adults? Small children seem to learn very quickly, ____ (1) adults sometimes appear to lose the ability to pick up new subjects such as languages, music, games, or computer programs. In this essay, I will discuss ____ (2) children or adults make the best learners. It is ____ (3) that children seem to learn very quickly. In just a few years, they can learn how to play a musical instrument, speak one or even two new languages, and deal with many subjects at school. They ____ (4) have time for sports and hobbies, and become experts in their favorite pastimes. ____ (5), how much of this is social pressure and how much is genetic? I am convinced that while children's brains have a natural ability to absorb new information as part of their developmental growth, much of their achievement is because of social pressure. Schools force them to take many subjects. Parents force them to practice new sports or to learn music. Even their playmates force them to become better at computer games or to read Harry Potter novels faster. ____ (6), children may enjoy learning, but their environment also is a big motivating factor.

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Adults ____ (7) are supposed to be poor learners. ____ (8), I disagree with people who say that adults cannot learn quickly. Adults have many skills that compensate for the decline in the ability of the brain to grasp and remember new material. They can organize their learning by setting times for reading or practice. They can build on skills and experiences they know already. Adults usually cannot learn to do ballet or to play the violin, but ____ (9) these physical challenges, their motivation can often be higher than a child's. ____ (10), society does not encourage many adults to learn. People are busy with families and work, and some adults may feel that further learning is pointless ____ (11) they have already achieved many goals at work or in their personal life. ____(12), I feel that we cannot generalize about children or adults being better learners. It depends on the situation and the motivation of the person, and the level of enthusiasm he or she has for learning. 1) a) while

b) whereas

c) since

2) a) If

b) whereas

c) whether

3) a) obvious

b) undoubtedly true

c) completely truth

4) a) even

b) even though

c) also

5) a) despite

b) nevertheless

c) however

6) a) as regards

b) In summary

c) to sum up

7) a) on the contrary

b) opposite

c) on the other hand

8) a) however

b) although

c) nevertheless

9) a) even in spite of

b) even though

c) even despite

10) a) unfortunately

b) unluckily

c) unlikely

11) a) furthermore

b) since

c) due to the fact that

12) a) in summary

b) in conclusion 149

c) to cut a long story short

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6. a) Read the following essay. It is written by a studentwho went to the United States from Ecuador to study at a university in New York. She wrote this composition in 50 minutes to pass the final examination of an ESL writing course. At the time she wrote it, she could not decide if she wanted to stay in the United States or return to Ecuador: The United States of America is one of the biggest countries in the world. It’s famous because of its freedom and rights of liberty. It is well-known because its population comes from all over the world. The immigrants can learn the United States’ language, English, to keep this country united, but it is unfair to change their culture for an American way of life. I believe that recent immigrants should learn English in order to live in this country. They should learn the “public language” to make a better this country. If they don’t learn English, they won’t be able to communicate and do what they want. For example, my mother’s friend came here from Ecuador three years ago. She does not speak English. One day her daughter, Anita, couldn’t breath. She didn’t know what was going on, but she told her mother to call an ambulance. When her mother called the hospital, she couldn’t talk. The operator couldn’t understand what Anita’s mother was saying Thank God; her sister arrived and called the ambulance. The doctor told her sister that if she hadn’t arrived at the hospital on time, Anita could have died. A pill had gotten stuck in her throat. Immigrants should learn English to speak with the public, but they should also keep their language at home. The children of immigrants should learn how to speak their parents’ language. It is very important to communicate with our relatives and family, in general. If we learn English only and forget our “private language,” we won’t be able to communicate with our parents. For example, Florence, my co-worker, speaks English only. Her mother didn’t 150

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teach her Spanish (her mother language). Nowadays, Florence can’t communicate with her grandparents or other relatives in Puerto Rico. She has lost her mother’s language, tradition and culture. Immigrants may replace their language with English, but it’s unfair to give up their culture. They grow up with a way of living and it is difficult to their language. They grow up with a way of living and it is difficult to change it because they are in another country. They have the right to keep their culture and values. We immigrants have the right to know where we come from and what our family’s culture is. In this way, we can transmit it to our future generation. After all, one amendment* of the constitution of this country gives us the right. It is freedom of religion, culture and speech. In conclusion, immigrants should learn English in order to communicate with the public and to keep the country united, but they shouldn’t exchange their culture for an American way of life. They have the right to keep it. b) Answer these questions: 1) What is the writer’s main idea? 2) Make a list of the reasons or examples she uses to support main idea. 3) Is the author arguing in favor of immigrants’ keeping two languages, or is she arguing in favor of immigrant’s keeping two cultures? 4) Give a title to the article. c) Write a composition about the same topic. Persuade your readers, starting with a generalization and using reasons and examples. Notice how the author of the above article gives reasons and specific examples to support her argument. Choose one opinion (a or b) from each of the following pairs of thesis statements:

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1) a) It is a good idea for students to work part time while they are going to school. b) Students should not work while they are going to school. 2) a) Young people should continue to live with their parents after they finish their education. b) Young people should not move away from home after they finish their education. 3) a) Wars are always wrong. b) Wars are not always wrong. 4) a) Exams are not useful. b) Exams do not check students’ knowledge.

B. Argumentative Essay

Remember! An argumentative essay makes a claim and then gives examples and evidence to prove that point. Before you write an argumentative essay, plan your text carefully. Plan Introduction (Paragraph 1): A general introduction to the topic There is a lot of talk these days about…. Body Paragraph 2: Arguments in favour of the topic Many people think…/ It is obvious that…/ People should be allowed Paragraph 3: Arguments against the topic We must, however, take into consideration… We cannot ignore the fact that… Then, of course, there is also the question… Conclusion (Paragraph 4): Having considered both sides of the argument I must say…

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Unit 4 Essay Writing In my opinion… I don’t think it’s right to… Tip. In an argumentative essay, try and avoid the use of personal pronouns. Do not say, for example, “I don’t think there are any easy solutions to this problem.” Instead, make your sentences impersonal and present these ideas as facts, eg “There are no easy solutions to this problem.”

1. Answer the question If you could be a cat, a star, or a book, which would you be? 2. Argue for or against these statements according to the following structure: First of all / Firstly, ___ Secondly, ___ What is more / Moreover,.____ On the other hand, ____ Additionally, / n addition ,___ Finally, ____ To sum up ____ a) It is better to give than to receive b) Write an essay presenting pluses and minuses of this idea: Lots of young people nowadays decide to take a gap year before they start university education. c)In many countries children wear uniforms at school.what are the advantages and disadvantages of such a situation. d) Many young people decide to work during holidays. What are the pros and cons of doing a seasonal job ? e) Lots of people nowadays use social media to communicate with the world. What are the pluses and minuses of such an activity? (200-250 words.) 153

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f) Cigarette advertising should be banned completely. What do you think of this statement? (150-200 words)

3.

Listen to this one minute Steve Jobs speech.

a) Deconstruct the argument by writing out the four part framework: question, claim, premise(s) and warrant. b) Evaluatethis argument by describinghis/her response (e.g. agree or disagree and whywith a specific argument and warrant). c) Put the wholethingtogether in a well-written one page analysis. 4. The paragraphs in the sample essay are in the wrong order. Match them to the following headings which are in the correct order: a) Introduction and illustration of the argument b) Analysis of the causes of the problem c) Suggestions for solutions based on the analysis d) Conclusion, including comments on the feasibility of the suggested solutions Question: In many industrialized countries, juvenile crime is at record levels. Why is this so and what can be done about it? Juvenile Crime A. To sum up, juvenile* crime is a sign that there is something wrong with society. Young criminals are not inherently* bad; they are reaction to the conditions in which they find themselves. It is only when these conditions have been improved that crime rates will fall. To do this is expensive, and requires more spending on employment, welfare and education, but to do 154

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nothing would lead to a further deterioration in social order and would be a false economy. B. Juvenile crime is not new, but the crimes committed by young people today are far more common and serious than they were in the past. In a city such as New York, for example, it would not be considered extraordinary if someone were held up at gunpoint by a twelve-year-old or assaulted* by a gang of teenagers. C. The problem of juvenile crime can therefore only be solved by removing those factors that cause it. Governments need to spend more on welfare* benefits, but, more importantly, they need to create employment so both parents and children feel that they are part of society and can contribute* towards it and benefit from it. Improvements in education are vital as well, so that children from it. Improvements in education are vital as well, so that children from even the most disadvantaged homes have a base and can be given encouragement and the opportunity to succeed in life. Governments can do little to stop the decline in the traditional family, but improved social conditions might allow more families to stay together. D. Before one can suggest a solution, it is necessary to analyze the problem and to see what has caused the explosion in juvenile crime. There are three main causes. Firstly, the social environment in which many young people find themselves in the inner cities plays a major role. Poverty and unemployment can create a sense of alienation*, and a child who thinks that he has no hope of achieving the wealth and happiness that other people have will often become frustrated and violent. Secondly, in adequate education system may also be partly to blame. If a child feels he is not valued and is a failure, he will be prone to boredom and open to bad influences. Finally, the decline of the nuclear family and of traditional moral values may also play a role, and a child who grows up without the 155

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support of caring, loving parents may not develop a sense of responsibility or consideration for others. 5. a) Write an essay on the following topic:

Military recruiters have been setting up offices in local high schools for years now. A parent group has recently decided to challenge their presence in schools. Do you think military recruiters should be removed from high school campuses? Why or why not? b) Cigarette advertising should be banned completely. What do you think of this statement? (150-200 words) Use the plan provided in “Remember” section.

C. Narrative Essays

Remember! In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience where he places a personal experience within the context of a larger theme, such as a lesson learned. When writing a narrative essay, the writer wants not only to tell a good story, but also convey why the story has meaning.

1. Correct the underlined verbs in 1-6 and then match them with uses a-f below: 1) I read a book when my best friend Lisa rang me for a chat.

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2) Ross is going to sell his motorbike, but then he changed his mind and kept it. 3) Years ago I had been drinking very sweet lemonade, but I don’t any more. 4) When we woke up in the morning, we noticed that someone broke a window during the night. 5) As soon a she saw his photo, Valerie was recognizing Lomax as the attacker. 6) I used to be standing in the queue for hours when at last the ticket office opened. a) A past action at a specific past time, or a past situation. b) An activity in progress when something else happened. c) Something that happened before a past event, or a specific past time. d) An action over a period of time before a past event, or a specific past time. e) Past plans that have not (yet) be carried out. f) Something that happened repeatedly in the past, but does not happen now. 2. Read the following story and choose the correct past tense:

An unforgettable journey I stood on the deck, staring at the huge waves. From the moment we (1) had left / were leaving port and sailed into the English Channel, the weather had got worse and worse. Now, lightning flashed across the sky, which was covered in dark clouds.

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Suddenly, the noise of the engines (2) had stopped / stopped. The ship (3) slowed / was slowing, rolling heavily in the rough sea. A voice over the loudspeakers (4) told / was telling us to remain calm – then added that a fire had started in the engine room, and said that all passengers must go immediately to the nearest lifeboat station. We all (5) ran / had run onto the deck, following the signs to the lifeboats. The ship’s officers arrived, made sure we had lifejackets and (6) showed / were showing us how to put them on. I (7) looked / was looking again in horror at the wild, stormy sea. The thought of being out there in a tiny boat was terrifying. Minutes (8) had passed / passed like hours, until at last a voice (9) was announcing / announced that everything was under control and the danger was over. We all (10) cheered / had cheered as the engines started again and the ship (11) moved / was moving forward into the waves. I still couldn’t believe it was over – not until we had reached port and I (12) was standing / had stood on solid ground again! 3. Read the story below and underline the best alternative of the verbs in italics. Stephan Whitty (1) chatted/ had chatted/ had been chatting to a few old friends in a pub and (2) already had/ had already had/ had already been

having a couple of beers with them before he (3) realized/ had realized/ had been realizing he was late for dinner. So, at nine o’clock, he (4) was leaving/ left. As he (5) drove/ was driving home he (6) was seeing/ saw in his mirror a police car following. He (7)

panicked/ was panicking, (8) sped off/ was speeding off at 100 miles per hour and (9) hid/ was hiding in a bush. 158

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After he had been sniffed out by police dogs he (10) was tested/ had

been tested and (11) was found/ was being found to be under the drink-drive limit. However, Whitty, 24, (12) was fined/ had been fined£ 1,000 for dangerous driving and (13) was being/ was banned for a year. He also learned he (14) would have to/ was to/ was going to have to retake his driving test. 4. Read the newspaper story below and change the verbs in brackets to the narrative form which you think is the most appropriate. Sometimes there may be more than one possibility. Glen and Linda Thomas (1) ____ (feel) very excited as their jet (2) ____ (take

off) – in contrast with were feeling – which a longer state) from Manchester airport en route to the Caribbean. They (3) ____ (wait) a long time for this day – their daughter, Karen (4) ____ (get) married two days later on the beach in Antigua. Unfortunately, as soon as they (5) ____ (land) they (6)

____ (tell) that they (7) ____ (not/ be able to stay) because of an imminent hurricane. Because of this, the Thomas’s (8) ____ (fly) on the Dominican Republic, where they (9) ____ (stay) for four days. Meanwhile their daughter, Karen (10) ____ (try) to switch her wedding to St. Lucia. When that (11) ____ (do) her parents (12) ____ (agree) to fly back to St. Lucia. But at Gatwick they (13) ____ (find out) that the wedding (14) ____ (delay) for another 24 hours because of a storm. They finally (15) ____ (get) to the church on time after they (16) ____ (spend) 28 hours in the air.

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5. Which of these paragraphs is more interesting, A. or B? Why? A. Last semester I met a good-looking guy in the cafeteria. We have become good friends since then. I am so happy to come to BYU-Hawaii because I can meet so many nice people from different countries. B. "Is this seat taken?" a gentle voice behind me asked. I slowly turned around to see who it could be. There, smiling and holding the typical brown cafeteria tray, was the most handsome guy I had ever seen. My heart skipped a beat as I muttered a quick "Yes, ah, I mean No, it's not taken." A. There was a fire in the dorm last Saturday morning. I couldn't believe it. Someone left a rice cooker plugged in and it started a fire. The security guard was really upset about the incident. B. Last Saturday morning, I was awakened by the sound of sirens outside my window. I quickly looked around my small dorm room. My roommate's bed was empty and I could smell something strange in the air. Suddenly, I started coughing. Then I realized what the strange smell was. Smoke was coming from the room next door. 6. Read the following short stories and rearrange the sentences related to them into an acceptable order. a) Bird I was with my friend Patrick in northern Norway

a) A bird attacked me.

up in the Arctic Circle hitchhiking south from

b) We were walking along

Hammerfest. We’d been trying to get a lift all

the road.

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morning but with no success. There was very

c) It screamed until we

little traffic – perhaps one or two cars every

were some distance away.

fifteen minutes. It was midday and we’d been

d) I ducked. The bird just

walking for hours following the empty road as it

missed me.

wound along the coast in and out of the fjords.

e) I was hitchhiking with a

But we didn’t mind. It was a beautiful day –crisp

friend in northern Norway.

and clear. The only sound was our voices which

f) The bird flew to a peak

echoed back at us from the folds of the

above us.

mountains as we talked. The air was still and the

g) We hurried away with

sea was calm.

hearts pounding.

Suddenly from the corner of my eye I noticed a large black shape swooping towards me out of the silent sky. Then a long ghostly scream … AIEEEEEE … I ducked instinctively just in time as a huge bird rushed past my ears talons reaching out wildly. I turned quickly and watched it soar up into the empty sky and come to rest high above us on a nearby peak. The bird stood silhouetted against the skyline, screaming

bitterly,

the

harsh

sound

reverberating eerily in the stillness. We hurried on, hearts pounding, until the screaming stopped and silence descended again. b) “Are you sure it’s safe?” Josh asked his friend a)

One

of

the

ropes

Marty, who was just about to step onto the little snapped. rope bridge. Josh looked down at the river far b) Marty grabbed Josh. beneath

them

and

swallowed

hard. c) Josh started to cross the

Unfortunately, it was the only way to reach the rope bridge. 161

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other side, so he knew they had to get across d) before it began to get dark.

Marty

crossed

the

bridge safely.

“Look, it’s as safe as houses,” said Marty e) Josh clung to the other confidently as he put his foot onto the bridge. rope. Once Marty was safely on the other side, Josh f) Marty and Josh walked began to cross. The little bridge creaked under away from the bridge. his weight, making him even more nervous than g) Josh moved carefully he already was. He was almost half way across along the rope. the bridge when suddenly one of the ropes snapped. Josh screamed as the bridge fell to one side, leaving him hanging over the fast-flowing Choose the best title: river far below his feet. Terrified, he clung to the 1) An Underwater other rope. “Keep calm! Hold on!” Marty called

Adventure

to him. Josh looked across to where his friend 2) An Accident in the Air stood. Slowly, hand over hand, Josh moved 3) A Nasty Experience carefully along the rope until he was close enough for Marty to grab him. Safely on the other side, Josh lay panting on the ground. He felt exhausted, but he was glad to be alive. Marty asked him if he felt he could go on. “Yes, I’m okay,” he replied bravely. “We’d better go. It will be dark soon”. They both set off, leaving the bridge and the terrifying incident behind them.

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7. Circle the correct linking words in the text: About a week ago/ in the end (1) I went to Peter’s birthday party, I bought him a present. I got to the party early but later/ as soon as (2) I arrived I gave him the present and he liked it. Then some more people came and the party started. First/ Suddenly (3) we had a drink. Next / During (4) we had tea. After that/ During (5) tea I talked to Sue but before/ as soon as (6) we started talking her mother phoned. There was an emergency at home and she went home. But she came back later/ as soon as (7). It was a summer evening and we went outside. First / Soon (8) the moon came out and we all looked at the moonlight in the garden. After that/ During (9) we went back in again. We played some music, talked and danced. Suddenly/ In the end (10) we all went home. It was a good party. 8. Match the beginnings to their endings: a. Beginnings

b. Endings

1) It was a cool August night. All

a) Relieved to be back home, I

was quiet and peaceful in my house

lit the fire while Joanne unpacked

as my parents and two sisters were

our things. We both realized how

sleeping in their rooms. I was lying in

lucky we had been. Without having

bed, trying to fall asleep.

to say anything, we understood

2) It was a freezing cold morning.

what the

other

was thinking.

Joanne and I were packing for our

There’s no place like home, don’t

trip to Bermuda. Our flight was

you agree?

leaving later that afternoon. “I can’t

b) After being pulled out from

wait to enjoy the hot and sunny

under the pile of bricks, we both

weather,” said Joanne.

knew how lucky we had been. We were truly ashamed of ourselves as 163

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

3) Aggie and I had been bored all

we glanced at the crowd waiting

day at school. As we wandered

behind the fence, especially since

home, we decided to sneak into the

our parents were there. Isn’t it true

old abandoned house at the edge of

that curiosity killed the cat?

the forest. Although our parents had

c) Back in my room, I felt

told us never to go in there, we

confused and exhausted. I wasn’t

couldn’t resist the temptation. I am

sure if it was a moment ago or

sure that you would have done the

hours ago when I had been trying

same if you had seen this house.

to fall asleep. “I must have been

4) Tina and her brother watched

dreaming,” I thought to myself.

in horror as the water rose higher

d) As I waited for the taxi driver,

and higher around them. “Don’t

I looked around me one last time,

worry! I’ll think of something,” said

hoping to see a familiar face.

Tina’s brother nervously.

“Where is everyone?” I wondered.

5) I’m sure you all know what it

e) As the rescue worker helped

feels like to finally reach the end of a

them off the roof and into the boat,

journey, hungry and tired, only to

he said, “That was smart thinking

find that nobody is waiting for you.

on your part, son.”

9. Fill the gaps with the missing words to complete the story: Story line: John and Mary can’t agree on where they should take their

vacation. They share their personal preferences and try to persuade each other. They worry that they can’t afford a vacation, but John has a surprise. He has saved some extra money.

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Travel Plans John and Mary wanted to take a vacation. They had worked hard all year and

____. But where should they go? To ____or to a ____? “I want to go to Mexico,” Mary said. “I heard ____and ____.” “I think I’d like to go to India,” John replied. “I want to see ____ and ____.” “India is so far away,” Mary said to him. “I think

____. Or we could travel to ____.” “Or how about ____?” John said. But no matter how much they talked, they couldn’t ____. John believed ____, but Mary wanted ____. How could they decide what would be best for both of them? John opened the newspaper and saw ____. He showed Mary the article, and ____. “That sounds like fun,” Mary said. “I’d love ____.” “We could swim during the day, and at night ____ or ____,” John said. “And we could go shopping ____.” Mary was happy with the idea, because ____and ____. John wouldn’t mind spending time at the beach, because ____. But there still was a problem. “____?” Mary suddenly asked. “Do we have enough in the bank?” John thought a moment, and then he ____. He opened the desk drawer and

____. He showed Mary ____, but she ____. John smiled at her and said, “____. And if it’s not enough, ____.” “Oh, John,” Mary said happily. “Now ____. This vacation ____.” Then he kissed her cheek, because ____. 10. Write two or three sentences to continue each of the stories below: 1) Something is Very, Very Different

When Jake woke up on Wednesday morning, he thought it was just another day, as usual. He got dressed, ate breakfast, and prepared to go to school. When he went outside, however, he realized that something was very, very different. . .

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

2) The Money Envelope

It all started when I was walking home. I was waiting to cross a street when I looked down, and there it was: an envelope, with thousands of dollars inside. . . 3) Million-Dollar Assignment

Anna was sitting in class on a Friday afternoon, when her teacher said something that made her sit up. “Your assignment,” he said, “is to earn one million dollars, and bring it to class on Monday.” 11. Read the story below. Add two or three sentences to finish it:

The Beach Trip I had a fun day today. I went to the beach with my family. It was my first time I had gone to the beach in North Carolina. We woke up early and drove for two hours until we reached the beach. There was a lot of traffic. We finally found a parking spot and walked to the sand. It was pretty outside and the beach was very crowded. There were a lot of kids playing. My dad set up a big umbrella. I laid my towel out on the sand. My mom helped me put on sunscreen. I didn’t want to get sunburned. I walked down to the water and stuck my toes in. The water was warm. It felt good. I walked back to my family and told my brother to come swimming with me. “I don’t want to,” he said. “Why not?” I asked. “I’m afraid of sharks,” he said. _______________

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Unit 4 Essay Writing

12. The paragraph below has 7 errors. Rewrite it, and correct the errors: Usually when you ask people what his favorite place is, they will talk about a distant place – maybe a beach or a beautiful mountains. But my favorite place is my grandmother’s house. I started visit my grandmother on the weekends when I was younger. Last weekend, we played games and go hiking! Although my grandmother is 82 years old, but she is very fun and active. My grandmother at all does not act like an old woman. I always have fun when I visit her house, and that is why my grandmother’s house is my favorite place. 13. Work in pairs. Read the notes based on news stories and narrate one of them including a variety of narrative verb forms and linking words.

A: Two determined ambulance men/ go to house in a small village/ put perfectly healthy person on stretcher/ rush him to hospital. He/ protest/ but they/ ignore him. ‘Real’ patient (same name/ live in the same village/ suffer from anemia) drive/ to hospital. Not allowed/ register/ already registered! B: Married businessman/ book in hotel with mistress/ give false name Scott Anderson. Unfortunate choice/ man of this name wanted in connection with murder. Hotel staff contact/ police. Armed officers/ creep into bedroom/ question/ man. Realize wrong man/ apologize. Man check out. Later hotel staff try/ trace him/ he and woman not pay bill for £ 100!

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14. Read these questions about a story then use your own answers to create your version of the story: 1. How long had it been raining? 2. What was Paul doing when he first saw the old man? 3. Was he surprised to see a man with wings? 4. What did Paul's wife say when he told her about the old man with wings? 5. What did the people of their village do when they saw the old man with wings? 6. Why didn't the priest believe that he was an angel? 7. Where did Paul and his wife keep the old man? 8. How much money did they charge people to look at him? 9. How long did he stay with them? 10. What was Paul doing when he saw the old man fly away? 15. Writing a short story: You are going to enter a short story competition. The competition rules say that the story must begin with these words: I promised to keep the

secret, whatever happened.

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DAFFY DEFINITIONS Match the words in the right-hand column with the definitions. 1) A lot of worried people live on this street.

a) M I LLION

2) What the bald man hopes to do when he sits down

b) S AY

and looks in the minor. 3) What you do to change your hair color (and lose

c) DO ZEN

weight?) 4) I tell you, this is the kind of test I always fail

d) A DUL TERY

5) A newspaper that went bankrupt

e) SH ELF

6) What you call people when you aren’t friends

f) EX PRESS

7) The question (one of many) to ask yourself when

g) N AM ES

taking a lie-detector test. 8) What you say to a talkative elf who is sitting in a

h) PESSIMI ST

bookcase 9) A tree that cannot hold a good conversation (or a

i) DI ET

good relationship) 10) What we hope a least twelve of our students are not doing in their English class.

169

j) C HAIR

170

UNIT 5 5

● Informal E-mails and Letters ● Formal E-mails and Letters

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

5.1

INFORMAL E-MAILS AND LETTERS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●● ●

Remember! An informal letter or email is usually between people who know each other fairly well. In addition to giving news, they are often used to request information, congratulate people, give advice and ask questions. There are a lot of similarities between informal letters and conversation. Informal letters ask a lot of questions, show interest and enthusiasm, and imagine a lot of shared information.

1. Put an F for formal and an I for informal language. Give reasons. 1) Thank you very much for your cooperation in this matter. 2) It’ll be great to see you again after so long! 3) My husband and I request your presence... 4) It is with deep regret that I must inform you ... 5) Hope this advice will be of some help to you. 6) Would it be possible to get together over lunch sometime soon? 7) I sympathise completely with your predicament but unfortunately no further action can be taken at this time. 8) I am writing to complain about the service we received ... 9) I’m looking forward to seeing you both on Saturday. 10) On behalf of our company, I would like to apologise for ... 11) I'm really sorry about the misunderstanding and I'm sure it won't happen again.

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Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

12) I would like to inform you about the proposed changes due to take place over the coming months. 13) Sorry I haven’t written for ages, but I've been up to my ears in work. 14) We thought we’d have a get-together in the near future and wondered if you’d like to come. 15) It appears that our records are out of date so it would therefore be most helpful if you could forward the infor mation requested overleaf. 16) I look forward to receiving the information requested. 17) I am writing in response to the advertisement concerning … 18) I am writing in my capacity as chairman of ... 19) I would be most grateful if you could offer some advice .. 20) I'll be more than happy to put you up for a few days. 2. Read the following sentences and say which are formal and which are informal. Which sentences are beginnings of a letter, and which are endings? What kind of letter (e.g. complaint) does each sentence belong to? 1) It would be lovely to see you again, so please do your best to make it. 2) Please do not hesitate to telephone if there should be any further problems. 3) I was most concerned to hear that you are not completely satisfied with one of our products. 4) I trust that this situation will be rectified without further delay. 5) I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the meal I had at your restaurant last week. 6) I am writing with reference to the vacancy in your accounts department. 7) I assure you that we will give this matter serious consideration and would like to thank you for bringing the situation to our attention. 173

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

8) I'm just writing to let you know how sorry I am about missing your graduation ceremony. 3. What are the main differences between informal e-mails and letters? Write L (letter) or E (e-mail) next to each sentence: 1) You write your address (street/city or village/postcode) in the top righthand corner. 2) You write your name and/or address in the first box before your composition. 3) In this type of composition, you don’t include your name in your address. 4) You write the name of the person you are writing to in the second box. 5) You can send this text to other people. You just write their address in the box “carbon copy”. 6) You write the date under the address. 7) You don’t need to write the date. 8) You can tell the reader what your text is about in the “subject” box. 9) The greeting always begins with Dear... and we use a comma after it: Dear Dan,

Dear Mr Squires,

10) The greeting can begin with Dear... or Hi...: Dear Joanne,

Hi Gloria,

11) We use a comma after the greeting. 12) We say Best wishes/ Regards, with people we don’t know much. But we say Lots of love/ Love, with close friends and relatives. 13) We sign the text at the end. 14) We write our name at the end.

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Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

4. Write the following words and phrases in the corresponding place: Regards,

It was great to hear from you.

Hi Sarah,*

Lots of love,

Love,

Thanks for your e-mail.

Dear Herman,

Write soon!

That’s all for now.

Best wishes,

Dear Mr white,

How are you? I’m fine.

Well, that’s all my news.

Give my regards to your parents.

Give my love to your sister. How’s your family? I hope you’re well.

I hope to hear from you soon.

My mother sends her love.

I have some good news.

Write soon. Thank you very much for your letter of December 1st. I’m writing to tell you about my last holidays. We look forward to hearing from you. I look forward to hearing from you. * This expression is used only in e-mails. Greetings:

Introduction:

Conclusion:

Closing an e-mail:

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5. Read Sally’s letter below and write a letter back, letting her know if you can make it to the party or not. Dear Joe, Greetings from Cork! Now that we have settled in our new house I am having a house-warming party to celebrate. I am inviting some of the gang from Dublin and some of my new school friends from Cork. The fun begins at 9 pm on Saturday, 3rd March. Why not come down on Friday night and stay for the weekend? I have asked Sandra and Brian to stay over also. The train leaves Dublin at 4.15pm and arrives in Cork at 7.30pm. My dad will meet you at the station. Let me know as soon as possible if you can come. Love, Sally 6. You have received these two emails from a friend. Write a reply for one of the emails in 140-190 words in an appropriate style. a) Hello, I would like to get to know someone from your country and a friend has told me that you would like to practise your English. Perhaps we could email each other. Could you tell me a bit about yourself and your family? Could you suggest how we might meet sometime in the future? Thanks, Simon 176

Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

b) Dear John, I hear you organised a surprise birthday party for your mother. I'd love to hear about it. What kind of party did you organise? Who did you invite? How did it go? Do tell me. Love, Jean 7. a) You have just spent the weekend with your friend in the country. Write a letter/email to thank him/her. b) You have just received a very expensive birthday present from your godmother. Write a letter/email to thank her. c) Your class mate is sick in hospital. Write a letter/email to her/him on behalf of the class. Don’t forget to give the news and gossip.

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1. Abbreviations. Can you say what these initials and abbreviations stand for?

BBC UK B.C. C.-in-C. M.P. F.B.I. Co cf. a.m. e.g. pp. ed. cv inc. rd

YMCA WHO A.D. CID P.S. Rev Bros misc. p.m. WPC ch. cont’d VAT no ave

SOS UNO I.O.U. Q.C. A.D.C. Ltd Hon. i.e. do HIV RSVP P.A. plc P.M. bvd

2. Clipped words. Clipped words are those that have reduced their full form by dropping one or moresyllables. Sometimes there is a change in the spelling too. Find the parent form of the following clipped words. ad

bike

hanky

champ

deli

demo

disco

dorm

gas

gym

hash

lab

mac

marge

maths

memo

polio

pop

psycho

vet

flu

fridge

mike

nark

nuke

vibes

bookie

budgie

cabby

comfy 178

Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

5.2

FORMAL E-MAILS AND LETTERS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

Remember! In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal or business letter. When writing a formal or business letter, presentation style and format is key to making a good first impression. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember to use the formal register of the language.

1. Match the beginnings with the endings of a formal letter: Dear Ms/Mr/Dr + the last name: Dear Dr Smith, Dear Ms Brown,

Yours sincerely/

Dear Professor Stubbs*,

Sincerely yours

Dear Sir or Madam,

Yours faithfully/

Dear Sir/Madam,

Faithfully yours

To Whom It May Concern * NOT: Dear Mr Professor White 2. Look at the jumbled words below and put them in a logical order so as to make a full sentence then indicate the function of each phrase. 1) as as could goods please possible replace soon the you damaged? 2) am delighted examination have I inform passed that to you you your 3) about am at college courses enquire I to writing your 179

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

4) forward I look receiving reply to your 5) allow apologise for had have me please problems the to you 6) , be complain done forced is director the this to to unless we will 7) a cannot I offer refund regret inform that to we you you 8) a addressed enclosed envelop find please stamped self 9) 16th about enquiring for June letter of thank vacancies you your 10) 16th April letter of reference to with your 11) advertisement in reference the Times to with your 12) about be college could grateful I if information me send would you your 13) complain am to writing I 3. a) Read the following letter and decide who it is written by, why it was written, the register (remember that lexis is very important in register). Dear Ms Roberts, I am writing in reference to your advertisement for summer language courses abroad. I would like to receive more detailed information about the courses you offer. I would be able to attend a course for two or three weeks in June. Could you please send me more information and details of prices? I would particularly like to know how many students attend the school, and the maximum number of students per class. I would also like to know the resources the school has. Your article mentioned a language library and fully equipped computer rooms. Would it be possible to use these facilities also in the evenings? Could you inform me of the staff? Are they all qualified teachers? I would be grateful if you could send me more details regarding the social and sports programmes offered. Are the activities included in the price of the course? 180

Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

Furthermore, I would appreciate your informing me on the amenities near the school. I look forward to receiving your reply. Yours sincerely, Robert Black b) Match each word in column A to its equivalent in column B, then write one phrase or sentence for each. There might be more than one equivalent. An example has been given. A (informal)

B (formal)

can’t wait

in reference to (st)

about

would be able to

tell

furthermore

can

please / would you

say

inform (sb)

answer

mention

also

would like

want

look forward to reply

1) Informal I can’t wait to receive your answer. Formal

I look forward to receiving your reply

c) Now transform the letter in a) into an informal piece of writing that says exactly the same but looks quite different. Pay close attention to the areas highlighted in grey.

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4. a) Read the following letter from one friend to another. Hi Darren, Sorry I wasn't able to get to your housewarming party last Friday. I was really looking forward to it and I was all ready to leave the house when my aunt from Ireland arrived at the house for a surprise visit!! She was only in town for the one evening before she went to my brother's house so I had to stay with her. I'm really sorry Dazza. I tried to telephone you but your line was busy the two times when I telephoned. Then I was out with my aunt in town and didn't have the chance to ring again. I hope you understand. I know you wanted to get me to meet that girl, Yvonne, who you work with. Oh well, next time maybe! My evening was really boring...if that makes you feel any better. See you soon Regards Nicholas. b) Now read a similar but more formal letter. Fill each space with one of the formal expressions you see in the table below:

Later, I was otherwise I hope this will be possible I engaged

at

the

next

opportunity I hope the dinner went a well for all concerned.

relative

unexpectedly

182

hope

available understand

you

can my

difficulties arrived I regret not being able

Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

Please

accept

my was twice engaged

sincerest apologies. Dear Mr. Jones

introduce me to Ms. Phoenix

Yours sincerely

I

look

hearing

forward from

to you

soon. _____, _____ to get to your business dinner last Friday. I was really looking forward to it and I was all ready to leave the house when _____ . She was only in town for the one evening before she went to my brother's house so I had to stay with her. _____ . I tried to telephone you but your line _____ when I telephoned. _____ and didn't have the chance to ring again. _____ . I know you wanted to _____ _____ who you work with. _____ . _____ 5. Read this email between friends setting up a meeting. a) Underline the language that sets the informal tone of the message:

Hi Joelle, How are you? How was your weekend? Mine was hectic as usual! Are you free later this week to get together and chat about the psychology project? I’ve been struggling with it and need a bit of help cos the deadline’s fast approaching. I’m worried that if I don’t get a move on, I’ll end up rushing it. I really want to get a good grade for this one so (I) need to put some work in.

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How about tomorrow night? I’ve got an appointment in the afternoon but I’ll be done by 6pm. Does 7pm sound okay? I can come to you if it’s easier. I could even bring pizza if you like. Let me know asap. Hopefully see you soon. b) Change the email above to make it appropriate for a college professor.

A. Letters of application / Cover letters

Remember! A letter of application, also known as a cover letter, is a job application document sent with your resume or CV to provide additional information about your skills and experience. The letter of application is intended to provide detailed information on why are you are a qualified candidate for the job you are applying for. Effective application letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences. Your application letter should let the employer know what position you are applying for, what makes you a strong candidate, why they should select you for an interview, and how you will follow up.

1. Write the phrases from the box into the most appropriate section below: As you can see from my CV, … Currently, I am working as a … I am in charge of … I am particularly interested in this position … I am very keen to use my English … I am writing in reply to your advertisement … 184

Unit 5 Effective Correspondence

I have five years experience in this sector. I look forward to hearing from you. I will be available for interview from … I would be more than happy to discuss ... Please do not hesitate to contact me for ... With reference to your advertisement in … 1) Opening: _________________________ 2) Experience and qualifications: ______ 3) Reasons for applying: ______________ 4) Closing the letter: __________________ 2. When writing you must be careful about the preposition that follows certain nouns. Fill in the table below with the proper prepositions and continue the sentence. The first one has been done as an example. information +

I would like further information

interested + ( )

I am interested……

( ) + response + ( )

I am writing………. response……

( ) + reference + ( )

I am writing……… reference………

apply + ( ) the position + ( )

I am applying … the position……

years + ( ) age

I am 22 years…………age

work + ( )

I have worked …… a teacher for 2 years

details + ( )

Please send me further details …………

graduate + ( )

I graduated ………….. Economics

graduate + ( )

I graduated ….. The University of Sibiu

According + ( )

According…. your advertisement……..

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3. Collocate the following words and then explain their meaning. Try to include them in your letters. fulfil

handle

attend

operate

work

graduate

have

broaden

show gain

a) to ____ a course b) to ____ initiative c) to ____ a word processor d) to ____ one’s potential e) to ____ from university f) to ____ shifts g) to ____ one’s horizons h) to ____ an inquiring mind i) to ____ experience j) to ____ clients 4. Complete the following letter using these key phrases: I enclose

a degree in economics from

the post of

I should like to apply for

yours sincerely

dear

with reference to

look forward to hearing (1)______ Mr. Graham, (2)______ your advertisement in today’s Guardian, (3) ______ (4) graduate sales trainee in accounts department.

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I shall graduate this summer with (5) ______ Salford University and have worked during summer holidays in the accounts department of a building contractor. (6) ______a curriculum vitae and (7) ______ from you. (8) ______, Peter Watson 5. Re-write the following letter of application in the correct order. a) I am presently employed by a small computer company, but I feel that I am not using my knowledge of software engineering to the full. I am looking for a more challenging position where my field of specialisation could be exploited in a more stimulating environment. As you will notice on my enclosed CV, the job you are offering suits both my personal and professional interests. b) I would be pleased to discuss my curriculum vitae with you in more detail. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information. I look forward to hearing from you. c ) Dear Ms Johansson d) 12 January 2004 e) I am writing to apply for the position of Director of Software Development which was advertised on your company website. f) 31 Bloomington Street, London SK45 BX123 g) Carry Johansson12 Hamilton Street Brighton FH2 6KX h) Peter Sellers i) Yours sincerely,

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6. Below there are some notes in disorder (a – g) for a letter of application for a job as a guide to overseas tourists in your country. Decide the best order (there may be more than one possibility) and write your letter according to the structure below. Use greetings to begin and finish your letter. •

Introduction: _____

•

Main body: _______

•

Conclusion: _______

•

Ending _______

a) you will see from the enclosed CV / have experience of this kind of work b) speak French, English, Italian / am studying Spanish c) have seen your advertisement / wish to apply for job d) hope to hear from you soon / look forward to meeting you at an interview e) worked for the past three years as a tour guide in Switzerland / enjoyed very much f) am available for work from April 1st / when current contract finishes have a cheerful personality / am used to long hours and hard work. 7. You see this announcement in an English-language college prospectus. To apply, write a letter explaining why you think you deserver a scholarship. Scholarships Every year, two scholarships are offered to candidates from overseas who can show how our one-year course in English and American studies would help their career.

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Scholarships cover fees, accommodation and food, but not transport or personal spending money. 8. You wish to apply for a course of study in Britain/ USA. Write a letter of application to the college or university concerned, giving your personal details and your academic qualifications, including your level of English. Include information about the course and subjects you wish to study, and why you have chosen this particular college or university.

B. Letters of complaint

Remember! A complaint letter is recorded in the company documents, helps preserve any legal rights you may have in the situation, and lets the company know you’re serious about pursuing the complaint. Use these tips to write an effective complaint: 

Be clear and concise.



State exactly what you want done and how long you’re willing to wait for a response. Be reasonable.



Don’t write an angry, sarcastic, or threatening letter.



Include copies of relevant documents, like receipts, work orders, and warranties.



Include your name and contact information.

1. a) Read these three letters. There are two sentences missing from each letter:

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Dear Sir, On February, I had my car serviced at our city centre garage. 1 ____ Driving to work yesterday morning, I heard a loud ratting noise coming from the engine. I stopped

and phoned the breakdown service. The

engineer who came out towed me home and advised me no to drive the car again until it had been looked at by a qualified mechanic. In order to resolve this unsatisfactory situation, I suggest you collect the car from the above address and carry out another full service. 2 ____ I look forward to hearing from you and to a speedy resolution of this problem. I will wait for a week before seeking advice from my solicitor. Please contact me at the above address or by phone. Yours faithfully, Dear Mr Knightly, On 27 April, I purchased a brand new Zoomasonic DVD recorder at the store in the new shopping mall. I am now writing to complain that this recorder is faulty and therefore not fit for purpose. Although it is possible to play pre-recorded DVDs, it does not record from television. Everything seems to be working, but when I try to replay the recording, the DVD is empty. 3 ____ As I have only had the product for two weeks, I am not prepared to have this equipment repaired. I look forward to hearing from you and to a swift resolution of this problem. 4 ____ I should be very grateful if you would contact me at the above address or by the phone. Yours sincerely

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Dear Mr Garrett, 5 ___ As you may remember, I contacted you two months ago, in early March, to let you know that one of my windows was broken. As the broken window has not been repaired, the flat is draughty and, consequently, my heating bill has risen. The wall below the window is also becoming damp, with the result that it will soon need redecorating. 6 ____ You are required by the law to carry out any repairs within a period of four weeks of being contacted by a tenant. I am keen to resolve this situation amicably, but I will have no choice but to contact the Housing Department of the local council if I do not hear from you within a week of the date at the head of this letter. Yours sincerely, b) Find them missing sentences from the list and write the correct letter in each gap: a) According to the terms of my tenancy agreement, the maintenance of the property is your responsibility. b) I am enclosing a copy of the documents relating to the original service. c) I am most disappointed because the service was not as thorough as it should have been. d) I am writing to remind you about the deteriorating condition of my flat. e) To resolve the problem I require you either replace the faulty product or refund my money in full. f) Unless I hear from you within seven days, I shall be forced to take legal advice.

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2. Each of the three letters of complaint comprises four paragraphs. What is the purpose or topic of each paragraph? 3. All the three letters in 1 are written in formal English. Find formal expressions in the extracts which have a similar meaning to these informal expressions. The number of the extract is in brackets. a) solve this problem (1) b) seeking for advice (1) c) get in touch with me (1) d) I bought (2) e) doesn’t do what it’s supposed to (2) f) fast (1 and 2) ) g) the law says you have to (3) h) in a friendly way (3) i) looking after my flat (3) j) the worsening state (3) 4. Rewrite these impolite or inappropriate informal extracts from letters of complaint. a) This is to let you know that if you don’t sort this problem out, I’m going to get my solicitor on to you. b) It’s not good enough – you said you’d phone me back the same day and you didn’t. c) I’m not satisfied and I want to know what you’re going to do about it. d) You probably don’t remember, but a couple of months ago I phoned you about the TV I’d just bought from you. e) Just give me a full refund, or else! f) This is the second letter I’ve written in the last two weeks. 192

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g) If I don’t hear from you pretty soon, I’ll be getting in touch with the police. h) If you care about your reputation, you’d better replace the fridge by the weekend. 5. a) Below there is a jumbled letter about a dangerous road. Insert each of the phrases on road safety, from the previous exercise, into the appropriate sentence. 1) Alternatively, a … and railings to enclose nearby pavements would protect pedestrians and decrease the speed of car equally well. 2) The … along South Street peaks between 8.00am and 9.00am, which, of course, coincides with the arrival of school children at St. Mary’s Junior School on The Marsh. 3) In reality cars often drive along this road far too fast, at … in both directions. 4) I’m writing to draw your attention to a dangerous … on South Street near the junction with The Marsh (see diagram above) in Chip Town. 5) The … along South Street is a maximum of 30 miles per hour. 6) This whole area is most definitely a … to pedestrians. 7) To sum up, some sort of … scheme here is much needed and long overdue. 8) I must express my own, and other parents’, anxiety at the daily sight of crowds of school children navigating the … with no protection. 9) Need I say that any …, at this speed, involving pedestrians, adults or children, would be horrific and fatal. 10) These increase the … in the area, who also find the lack of traffic crossing facilities alarming. 11) … safety of Chip Town’s children is at stake and depends upon your 12) The situation is made more hazardous by …, which can’t cope with more than two abreast. 193

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13) Other … include retirement flats and a gift shop. 14) To make matters even worse, a bend in the road causes … of oncoming traffic when crossing from east to west. b) Regroup the jumbled sentences into the following topic categories in order to make a coherent letter of complaint to the Road and Safety Department of Chip Town Council about the ‘trouble spot’ on South Street: a. Introduction;

b. Volume of traffic;

d. Other factors;

e. Solution:

c. Speed of traffic;

c) Underline all the phrases which describe place or direction in the letter. d) The author of the letter thinks South Street is an obviously dangerous road. Circle all the phrases in the letter which express this emotion and attitude of the author. 6. Put the phrases below into categories, depending on what emotion or attitude they convey. dissatisfaction

satisfaction

apology

annoyance

desires

gratitude 1) I am particularly unhappy about… I’m sorry to have to say… 2) I’m sorry that… I’m very keen to… Unfortunately, … 3) I was delighted to see/hear that… Thank you so much for… 4) Happily, … Please accept my apologies for… Despite my request for…

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5) …is not what I expected What would suit me best is… 6) … was most impressive Even though I previously mentioned… 7. Complete the possible sentences below from different letters by adding a phrase from above. More than one combination may work: a) The way she remembered all our names ________. b) _______ try your new software. c) _______ your colleague behaved abominably. d) _______ we arrived in time for dinner. e) ________ the flowers. f) The design _________. g) ________ the mess we made. h) ________ her disability, no ramp was available. i) _________ a lecture room with an OHP. j) _________ privacy, the papers got to hear about it. k) ________ we were too late. l) _________ you passed your driving test. m) _______ we didn’t made the funeral. n) ________ the suggested colour scheme for the kitchen. 8. Complete the letter below with the more formal expression from each pair of phrases in the list: 1) Another thing / Secondly; 2) The first problem was / Firstly; 3) Best wishes/ Yours faithfully;

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4) I expect to receive / You must send me; 5) I know / I can accept; 6) Please write soon /I look forward to hearing from you 7) I am writing to complain about / I am really angry about Dear Sir/Madam, (1) _____my recent flight with your airline. The flight was UK789 from Leeds to Bucharest via Frankfurt, on May 13th 2015. (2) ____ the flight, which should have taken off at 10.00 a.m., was delayed until 1.00 p.m.. Although (3) ____ the delay was not your fault, we were not given any information until 12.00 p.m. (4) ___, during all this time we were not offered any refreshments. Thirdly, because of the delay, I missed my connection to Bucharest. This meant that I missed a vital meeting, which was the whole reason for my trip. Finally, your staff, both at Leeds airport and on the plane itself, were extremely rude and unhelpful. I filled in a complaint form when we finally arrived in Bucharest, which you may already have received, and (5) ___ a full refund for the price of my ticket. (6) ____ in the very near future. (7) __ Marion Wheeler (Ms)

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9. Read the following letter of complaint and rewrite Rocky’s letter in a way that is more likely to get results. Be specific about the problem, and politely suggest a reasonable way to remedy the situation. (Invent any information you like.) Hey Dudes!, I recently bought a pair of Boomburg stereo speakers at your store. What junk! Not only did they not blast my neighbors’ ears off as you promised, but they’re falling apart! How can you sell such garbage! Your Angry Ex-customer, Rocky Ridges 10. You are going to write a formal letter of complaint. a) Think about how you would feel in the following situation: You were a passenger on a train going from your home town to the nearest airport, where you were due to get on a flight to the US. Even though you have allowed plenty of time for your journey, your train was delayed by several hours with the result that you missed your flight. The airline was unsympathetic and you had to buy another air ticket. When you arrived at your destination you have missed the first half of an important business meeting. b) In your notebook plan a letter as if you were this rail traveller.

11. You are an office worker. There are a number of points, a-h listed below, that you are not happy about. Write a letter to your employer explaining 197

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what is unsatisfactory about the layout of your office and what you think should be done about it. You should: • write an introduction • group your point into topic categories • describe the layout with accurate phrases of place and direction • use phrases which express your dissatisfaction about the office layout • suggest at least one possible solution a) Windows don’t open – no ventilation b) Book shelves – cut out natural light c) Open plan desks – workers easily distracted d) Office used as a corridor e) Doors constantly opened and banged shut by through-traffic f) Photocopier, franking machine and colour printer – noisy and give off fumes g) Desks (your desk) too near coffee area – too noisy and smoky h) Coffee area – always mess 12. You have just returned from a holiday to Australia, organised by a tour company. Unfortunately the location of the holiday was changed at the last minute, and on the new tour you encountered several problems. a) Read the extract from the tour company’s policy document, the advertisement for the original tour, and the note from a friend who is trying to help you in your dealings with the tour company.

b) Using the information provided, write the letter and note:

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JESSON TRAVEL The award-winning 12-day tour of the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific: 

diving to see shipwrecks



helicopter trip to waterfall



visit an active volcano



canoeing



£2,000 including flight



£50 single-room supplement

The visit of a lifetime. Don't miss it! JESSON TRAVEL www.jesson@adventure Note from friend:

Sorry to hear about all the problems with Jesson Travel. And your luggage arriving back home a week late - that's the last straw! If their minibus delivering the luggage to the airport in Australia got stuck in a jam, they must accept responsibility, surely? I think you should ask them for your money back or a free holiday! Gavin c) Now write: 1) a letter of complaint to Jesson Travel (about 200 words), requesting a partial refund, stating clearly what things you intend to claim for. 2) a note in reply to Gavin, thanking him for his support, explaining that you cannot do everything he suggests.

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13. You recently joined an international friendship club. You are not satisfied with the service you have received. Read the advertisement, together with the notes you have made, and write a letter of between 120 and 180 words to the director of the club asking for an explanation. Do not write any addresses. Advert: International Friendship Club Would you like to make friends with people from all over the world? Just send us your name, age and address, brief details about yourself, your family and your hobbies, together with a recent photograph. The photograph will be returned directly. Choose 6 countries where you would like to have a friend. We will then send you the names and addresses of the people who will correspond with you. Within 2 weeks you will receive letters from your 6 new friends. This service is free for all students! Your notes: 

sent a photo a month ago and it has not been returned



have only received the names and addresses of two people so far



have not received any letters yet.



Why did I receive a bill when the service should be free?

C. Letter of request

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Remember! Request letter can be written on any occasion whether it is related to job promotion or increment, asking for a donation, requesting for a recommendation, business dealings, asking for documents, permission, information, or for asking an assistance, etc. It is essential to write your request letter with politeness and sincerity. Request Letter Writing Tips: 

First and foremost it is vital to keep you request letter simple and precise.



You should clearly state the reason behind your request with politeness in your words.



You should also enclose documents supporting your request with the letter.



Be professional in your approach.



The wordings of the letter should be such that the reader truly empathizes with your request.



Once you have completed writing the letter, please recheck the letter for spelling mistakes or punctuation errors.

1. Use the phrases in the box to complete the following sentences: we requested

which we hope you could answer

clarify

we would appreciate it if you could forward

we require

this to us

in particular

could you also please confirm

first of all

we would be grateful if

we are considering

in addition

a) A formal way to say that you 'asked the person for' something before, is ____. b) A formal way to say in an email 'we are thinking about' doing something, is ____.

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c) When you have more than one question to ask, you use this to introduce the first question: ____. d) A more formal way to say in an email ‘also’, is ____. e) A politer way to say 'we want', is ____. f) A polite way to ask the person to send you something (e.g. a file, a document etc...) by email, is ____. g) A phrase like 'specifically', which is used to say exactly what information you want them to give you, is ____. h) A verb used to ask the person to 'explain' something to you, is ____. i) A formal way to say that 'you would be pleased' if they do something for you, is ____. j) How you begin a question when you want the person to tell you if something will happen (or is included) or not, is ____. k) A polite phrase that introduces the section of the email where you ask the person your questions, is ____. 2. Read the following letter of request and correct the ten mistakes. Dear Sir/ Madam, I am write to requesting a copy for my graduation certificate awarded in the spring comencement services. Unfortunately, I lost the original when my briefcase was steal from my car. I am enclosed a copy of the police raport to suport my claim, along with a certified check for $27.50 to cover the replacement fee. My name and another identifying informations are included in the report. Please send the certificate at the address below. Thank you for your assistance. Yours faithfully,

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3. Complete the Commanding Officer Request for Employee Leave for a Course with the phrases below and then fill in the missing information in the brackets. a) Thus, I hope you will view this request as an opportunity to invest in (his/her) personal and professional development, which of course, is of interest to both of us. b) One of your employees, (first and last names), is also a member of my unit. c) Your support of the Reserve Force is much appreciated. d) This course will allow (him/her) to learn (short, description of the aim of the course). Dear ( ): I am the commanding officer of (unit name), a Reserve Force unit in (community).___________________________________________________ I am writing you to request that (he/she) be granted leave to undertake a (course name) course at (location) from (date) to (date) (in accordance with your established company policy). ______________________________________________________________

In

addition

(he/she) will he constantly evaluated on (his/her) self-discipline, leadership, team work and time management skills to ensure (he/she) meets the high standard required of all Reservists.

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The skills that (rank) (last name) will learn by participating in this course will, without a doubt, be skills (he/she) will apply in (his/her) work with (company or organization name). _________________________________ If you have any concerns about the nature of (rank) (last name)'s Reserve Force service or the course (he/she) is undertaking, please don't hesitate to contact (me personally at xxx-xxxx) (other designated officer (rank, name, position) at xxx-xxxx). It is only with the excellent cooperation of the employers such as yourself that Reservists are able to serve their country through periodic military activity. ________________________________________________ Yours Sincerely, 4. Re-arrange the paragraphs of this Commanding Officer Request for

Employee Leave for an Exercise in the correct order and then fill in the missing information in the brackets. Dear ( ): (Rank) (last name) will be employed as (position or job) during the exercise. (Brief description of nature of duties, if appropriate.) This will allow (him/her) to practice (his/her) skills and knowledge that have been acquired over during (his/her) Reserve Force training. The skills and knowledge will also be of direct benefit to your organization. I hope you will view this request as an opportunity to invest in (his/her) personal and professional development which is, of course, of interest to both of us.

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This summer the Canadian Forces will be conducting a major military exercise at (location). I am writing to request that (rank and last name) be granted a leave of absence from (company or organization name) to participate in this exercise from (date) to (date). I would be grateful if you could advise me of your decision as soon as possible so that we can finalize our planning work. The Reserve Force relies on the excellent cooperation of employers such as yourself to permit Reservists to serve their country through periodic military activity. (Rank) (last name)'s participation will benefit your organization and our country. If you have any concerns about the nature of (rank) (last name)'s Reserve Force service or the exercise in which (he/she) will be participating, please don't hesitate to contact (me personally at xxx-xxxx) (other designated officer (rank, name, position) at xxx-xxxx). I am the commanding officer of (unit name), a Reserve Force unit in (community). One of your employees, (first and last names), is also a member of my unit. Sincerely, 5. You are keen to study English in Canada. Read the advertisement on the Rockland School of English and the notes that you’ve written. Then write a letter to Ms Peabody at the Rockland School asking for details about the school.

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Summer language courses in Ottawa at the Rockland School of English Our well-equipped school offers English language courses in this beautiful city. The school offers a full day study programme and organises a full range of sporting and social activities as well as excursions. The Rockland School is conveniently situated for the amenities in Ottawa. Accommodation can be arranged with families carefully selected by the school or directly on campus. Contact Ms Peabody for further details - how many students /class - are teachers qualified - what resources the school has - what’s included in the price - what amenities the city has Use this writing plan: 

Mention that you saw the advertisement and that you want to attend

a course. 

Ask for more information and prices

- Questions: - students: how many? - staff: qualified teachers (native tongue / bilingual / etc) - resources at school: (self access computer rooms / libraries / language laboratory /etc) - sports and social programmes (what is offered) + accommodation included in price?

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- amenities in the city (discothèques / cinemas / internet cafés / theatres / etc) 

End the letter in an appropriate manner

Layout of the letter: 

Start the letter by using an appropriate greeting. Do you know the name of the person you are writing to?



Opening paragraph: should give a clear statement of your reason for writing. (you want more details and information regarding the language course)



Body of the letter: can contain 1-3 paragraphs. Here you state everything you have to say and ask all questions



Signalling the end: use an appropriate phrase. Do you want that person to contact you, to write to you, etc.



The closing: use an appropriate ending



The signature: write your signature

6. Write a letter of request on one of the following topics: a) Rrequest a loan from your bank manager for home improvements. b) You want the town council to place special bins in your area to encourage recycling. c) You want a travel agency to send you brochures concerning the beach package holidays. d) Request a promotion from your superior. e) Request assistance or cooperation from someone in another unit.

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D. Letter to the editor

Remember! A letter to the editor is a written way of talking to a newspaper, magazine, or other regularly printed publication. Letters to the editor are generally found in the first section of the newspaper, or towards the beginning of a magazine, or in the editorial page. They can take a position for or against an issue, or simply inform, or both. They can convince readers by using emotions, or facts, or emotions and facts combined. Letters to the editor are usually short and tight, rarely longer than 300 words.

1. Which words from this box could replace the underlined words in phrases

a–e? Some words can be used more than once: absolutely

firm

certain

passionate

firmly

general

genuine

official

honest

honestly

personal

sincerely

popular

passionately

sincere

seriously

really

profound

traditional

pretty

professional

fashionable

a) My strong belief …; b) I genuinely believe that… ; c) I am quite sure that … d) It is my considered opinion that… ; e) The accepted/ view of this is …

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2. Write the phrases form the box under the appropriate heading below. Reason writing 1

for Evaluate the general situation 2

Consider the other side of the coin 3

Endorse view 4

the Refute the view 5

Although I disagree, I can The article seems to be implying that appreciate …

…

I’m writing in reference to your The article totally overlooks the fact …

that …

I entirely share the views The current situation described in the expressed …

article …

I have read with great interest There are several points I wish to your …

address …

I wholeheartedly agree …

This surely cannot be the case for

I would beg to differ on this …

something What most strikes me about the article …

3. You are going to write a letter or email expressing your opinion in reply to this letter written to a newspaper: a) As you read the letter, decide whether you basically agree or disagree with the opinion presented.

In these days of equality between the sexes, it seems to me perfectly reasonable that, in wartime, women soldiers should be expected to fight alongside their male counterparts on the front line. Unlike your reporter (Ref. “Why we should protect our women”, The Evening Times, Friday 13

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April), I firmly believe that, given the right training and experience, women are as physically and mentally tough as men. In my view, those who claim that women are not capable of fighting effectively because of their emotional make-up are guilty of simple, oldfashioned sexism. Jenny Lavender (Manchester) b) Make a list of points to include in your email or letter: - if you agree with the writer, think of two additional points to support her argument; - if you disagree, think of two arguments expressing the opposite point of view. c) Plan your writing paragraph by paragraph: ● Paragraph 1: State your basic position on the subject, referring to the original letter. Include reference to any relevant experience you have had. ● Paragraph 2: Present your first argument. ● Paragraph 3: Present your second argument. ● Paragraph 4: End with a summary of your views or an additional thought in support of your point of view. d) Write your first draft letter in 250 – 300 words. Remember the following points: the style should be formal; use a variety of phrases to express your ideas and opinions; link ideas within and between paragraphs.

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e) Read your letter carefully, checking these points: ● Content:

Have you referred to the original letter? Have you expressed

your opinions clearly? ● Structure: Is the letter organized in clear paragraphs? Does each paragraph include one main point? ● Style: Is your writing sufficiently formal? f) Write the final version of your letter, making any necessary corrections and improvements. g) Exchange letters with another student, and write a brief reply to your partner’s letter, making it clear whether you agree or disagree with their point of view. 4. Read this email to the editor of a newspaper. a) Fill the gaps with appropriate words: Dear Sir, I am writing in response (1) … the editorial in last week’s issue of your newspaper, in (2) … the following statement appeared: “We firmly believe that, if they (3) … the choice, the residents of this town would prefer to do without street lights after midnight (4) … to pay an extra ten percent on top of their already very high local taxes.” I am sure I am (5) … the only reader who wants to dissociate themselves from this statement. I feel absolutely certain that (6) … a vote was taken tomorrow, the majority of residents would vote for the lights to remain on (7) 211

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… the hours of darkness. The reason is simple. Over the past 20 years, our town (8) … turned into a dangerous place at night. If we want to make sure the situation does not get even worse, we must not make (9) … any easier for would-be thieves and thugs. Switching off the street lights after midnight would (10) … any doubt, make this situation worse. Paulo Gonzalez (by email) b) Write a brief response to Paulo Gonzalez’s email, expressing your opinion on the subject.

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WORD GRID Follow the letters in straight lines – horizontally, vertically or diagonally, forwards or backwards – to find ten kinds of criminals. P

X

N

I

S

S

A

S

S

A

R

I

H

R

G

F

E

I

H

T

E

K

C

V

E

W

U

J

O

S

L

L

Y

K

S

G

A

X

P

I

Z

G

A

W

P

J

R

D

L

N

Z

F

I

D

H

O

W

O

I

O

E

O

W

Z

N

T

C

B

F

S

B

U

R

G

L

A

R

K

T

R

M

T

U

C

F

L

V

Y

E

A

E

Z

N

R

E

B

B

O

R

T

The “ANT” family What kind of an ant works with figures? An accountANT. Get it? Now what kind of an ant: 1. Is far away? 2. Is extraordinarily large? 3. Works for a master? 4. Is good-natured? 5. Is unchanging? 6. Is luxurious? 213

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7. Is one who takes part? 8. Is a very small child? 9. Is sleeping? 10. Is very bright? 11. Is empty? 12. Is immediate? 13. Is plentiful? 14. Has moved to a different country? 15. Is meaningful? 16. Has influence over others? 17. Is unsure and indecisive? 18. Lives in a certain place?

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6

SAMPLES OF WRITING TOPICS ACCORDING TO STANAG 6001 DESCRIPTORS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●● ●

Remember! By adopting military email etiquette, you will introduce a kernel of clarity to your correspondence and that of your colleagues and subordinates.

1. Write a note to your colleagues inviting them to a surprise birthday party for your language teacher. Tell them about the event, including the time and place. Let them know what you want them to bring. 2. Write a note to your friend and invite him/her to a concert. Write about the event’s place and time. Offer a place to meet before the concert. 3. Assume that you have just returned from a trip and are writing a letter to a close friend. Describe a particularly memorable experience that occurred while you were travelling. This will be one paragraph in a longer letter to your friend. This paragraph should be about 100 words in length. You will be judged on the style and organization of this paragraph as well as vocabulary and grammar. Remember, the intended reader is a close friend.

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4. As a military officer, you were recently reassigned to another command at a different location. To welcome you, one of your new colleagues, an Army captain, invited you to have dinner at his home with his wife, daughter and son. You accepted the invitation and met the captain’s family on Saturday. During dinner, you discovered his wife was an old friend of your cousin who now lives in the United States. Write a letter to your cousin telling about this event and the family. This letter should not be longer than 150 words. 5. A professional organization to which you belong has requested that you write a paper for their quarterly newsletter. Select one of the topics listed below, and write a paper of approximately 550 words. You will be judged on the style, organization, logical development, and complexity of your paper as well as the richness and precision of vocabulary, accuracy of grammar and spelling, and the suitability for the intended audience. Topics: 

Teachers’ resistance to change.



The influence of television on language skills.



Quality versus equality in higher education.



The move toward neutralizing gender in American English.

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Samples of Writing Topics

6. On a peacekeeping mission you are responsible for contacts with the local authorities. They have made a request for securing the food and medicine convoy and the distribution place. You have received a letter from them with some information and questions. Write a reply to them: 1) offering support, 2) specifying some details of your task and 3) asking for a quick reply. Use the notes below and write between 100 and 120 words. Remember not to copy the exact phrasing of the task instructions and input! INFORMATION FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES’ LETTER :

– March 2, 2011 – cargo plane landing – Convoy – main road from the airport – Distribution place – main square in the town – Distribution time – 2 days possible? Your notes: – what time exactly? – trucks – how many? – not good – difficult to secure – further from centre – sorry – one day – other tasks!!! 7. Your soldiers secured the convoy successfully. However, during the food distribution in the town, there was an unexpected incident with the locals. Write a memo to your CO:

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1) informing him what the incident involved and 2) suggesting the way to avoid similar situations in the future. Write between 60 and 80 words. 8. An international military agency is doing research on how the armed forces’ participation in international military missions is perceived in individual NATO countries. You have been tasked with writing a report about the situation in Romania. 1) Describe the Romanian Armed Forces’ participation in missions. 2) Present the civilian and military attitude to the missions. 3) Write what changes in the armed forces soldiers perceive as necessary to make the mission participation more effective. 9. You took part in a mission in Iraq. You are back home now and prepare for your next mission. Write a letter to your American friend who is still in the mission in Iraq. Include the following points: • general information about your country • some details about daily training activities • details about an incident during training mission 10. With the latest military engagements focusing on counterterrorism and peacekeeping, there are some measures that need to be implemented in order to ensure that all efforts made will come to a successful end. In this respect, NATO is running a survey in which the representatives of member nations are invited to debate over the issue of compulsory military service. 218

Samples of Writing Topics

You decided to join the debate by writing an essay covering the following points: • modern warfare is a highly professional business • the impact of conscription on one’s career and study • conscription helps people accrue and ascertain their abilities 11. Imagine you travelled to USA a few weeks ago. Because of a delay in Frankfurt, you missed a connecting flight to Washington. Write an e-mail of complaint to the airline company. In your e-mail: - Explain what happened (caused the delay). - Express how you felt. - Describe what problems this delay caused you. 12. Choose one of the following topics. You should write between 120 and 150 words. a) You have seen an advertisement for a military job abroad. You are interested in it but you need more information. Write a letter introducing yourself and asking about the job details: contract length, salary, working hours, accommodation, possibility to bring your family, etc. b) You are on a military mission abroad. Your unit was attacked while carrying out their duties. Write a letter to your friend about the incident. Describe in detail what happened, how you felt and what were the consequences of the incident.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

13. Your unit is going to take part in a multinational exercise abroad. You have to write a report for your commander about the preparations for this event. Write what has already been done and what else is left to be prepared. Write between 120 and 150 words. Include the following information: - Soldiers – chosen – who, why - Language level – exam taken; results good - Soldiers’ personal kits – inspected – not good (write why) - Equipment – checked; transport next week - Shooting training – OK - Communications training – soldiers prepared / radios – problems - Map reading practice – not yet / later 14. Write an essay between 250 and 300 words on the following topic: With recent developments of language teaching/testing methodologies, and recent advancement in the studies of cognitive processes and language acquisition one might have expected that teachers would readily embrace the new information, and implement it in their pedagogical approaches. Nonetheless, many teachers are still using old-fashioned teaching methods and opp-osing the change. Some teachers resist change. In your response, include the analysis of older and newer teaching or testing methodologies.

220

Samples of Writing Topics

15. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion: 1) Boys and girls should attend separate schools. 2) Technology has made the world a better place to live. 3) Advertising can tell you a lot about a country. 4) Modern technology is creating a single world culture. 5) Teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. 6) Classmates are a more important influence than parents on a child’s success in school. 7) Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. 8) The best way to travel is in a group led by a tour guide. 9) Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. 10) Telephones and email have made communication between people less personal. 11) Dancing plays an important role in a culture. 12) People behave differently when they wear different clothes. Do you agree that different clothes influence the way people behave? 13) There is nothing that young people can teach older people. 14) Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable that watching movies. 15) Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. 16) A person’s childhood years (the time from birth to twelve years of age) are the most important years of a person’s life. 17) Playing a game is fun only when you win. 18) High schools should allow students to study the courses that students want to study. 19) It is better to be a member of a group than to be the leader of a group. 221

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

20) Watching television is bad for children. 21) Playing games teaches us about life. 22) A zoo has no useful purpose. 23) Parents are the best teachers. 24) Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. 25) Universities should give the same amount of money to their students’ sports activities as they give to their universities libraries. 26) Progress is always good. 27) With the help of technology, students nowadays can learn more information and learn it more quickly. 28) Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, email, or telephone calls. 29) The most important aspect of a job is the money a person earns. 30) A person should never make an important decision alone. 31) Games are as important for adults as they are for children. 32) Police are unnecessary because they aren’t reducing crime. 33) Wars are always wrong. 34) All required university courses are boring. 35) Exams are not useful. 36) Inflation is the only problem of our country. 37) Motor racing should be banned. 38) The country should only be run by women. 39) Moslems make better human beings than Christians. 40) Divorce is sometimes a solution to marital problems. 41) Women, not the government, have the right to make their own decisions about abortion. 42) Marijuana should (not) be legalized. 43) Capital punishment 222

Samples of Writing Topics

44) Make a list of disagreement in your family or neighborhood. Explain the reasons that people give for and against this particular point. 45) Make a list of some of the major social or political arguments currently in the newspapers on T.V. 46) Animals should not be used as laboratory tools. 47) Governments should not organize lotteries.

223

224

7 SELF-ASSESSMENT TESTS

225

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

SELF-ASSESSMENT TESTS FORMAL VS INFORMAL ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●

1) Which of these words is closest in meaning to 'formal'? a) old

b) official

c) relaxed

d) quiet

2) Which of these words is closest in meaning to 'informal'? a) kind b) small

c) relaxed

d) quiet

3) Which of these would most people use with their children? a) formal language

b) informal language

4) Which of these would most people use in a court of law? a) formal language

b) informal language

5) Which word is more likely to be used in formal situations? a) get

b) receive

6) Which phrase is more likely to be used in an informal situation? a) Thanks!

b) Thank you very much indeed.

7) Which of these is more formal? a) Would you mind opening the window? b) Do us a favour, open the window. 8) Which of these is more informal? a) What's the time? b) Excuse me, do you happen to have the time? 226

Self-Assessment Tests

9) Which of these sounds as if a person is asking for a more difficult favour? a) Can you lend me that book? b) Is there any chance that I would be able to borrow that book? 10) Which phrase is more likely to be used in formal situations? a) dispose of

b) throw away

11) Which of these is more informal? a) See you later!

b) I look forward to seeing you again soon.

12) Which of these is more formal? a) Hiya!

b) Good morning

13) Which of these words is more informal? a) require

b) need

14) Which of these is more formal? a) Please report to reception.

b) Just go to reception.

15) Which of these is more informal? a) Can't wait to see you.

b) I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon.

16) Which of these words is more formal? a) buy

b) purchase

17) What most affects the way we talk to someone? a) how well we know them

b) what mood we are in

c) the weather 18) Why is it important to know when to use formal or informal language? a) It's easier.

b) It's cheaper.

c) We want to be more polite with people we don't know so well. 227

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

PUNCTUATION ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●

1. Which of the following is correct? a) My pin number has two 5's. It's easy to remember. b) My pin number has two 5s. It's easy to remember. 2. The ____ was a period of great achievements. It followed the ____ and lasted from the 14th ____ until 1600. a) Renaissance, Middle Ages, Century b) Renaissance, Middle Ages, century c) Renaissance, middle ages, century d) renaissance, middle ages, century 3. Which of the following is correct? a) The weather this winter has been: windy, wet, and unpredictable. b) The weather this winter has been windy, wet, and unpredictable. 4. Which of the following is correct? a) Waiting for the storm to stop I was anxiously looking out the window. b) Waiting for the storm to stop, I was anxiously looking out the window. 5. Which of the following is correct? a) The table was set -- knives, forks, candlesticks -- all were set up correctly. b) The table was set-knives, forks, candlesticks all were set up correctly.

228

Self-Assessment Tests

6. Which of the following is correct? a) A friend of mine works as a translator for U.N.. b) A friend of mine works as a translator for U.N. c) A friend of mine works as a translator for UN. 7. Which of the following is correct? a) Harvey is a good driver, moreover, he is a very friendly one. b) Harvey is a good driver. Moreover he is a very friendly one. c) Harvey is a good driver; moreover, he is a very friendly one. 8. Is this sentence correct? Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics, it was initially developed to explain atoms. a) This sentence has a comma splice. b) This is a sentence fragment. c) This is a run-on sentence. 9. Is this sentence correct? Mary came home from work early she had been feeling ill all morning. a) This sentence has a comma splice. b) This is a run-on sentence. c) This is a sentence fragment. 10. Is this sentence correct? Since you drew the short straw. You must walk to the gas station while we stay here. a) This sentence has a comma splice. b) This is a sentence fragment. 229

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

c) This is a run-on 11. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in the following groups: a) My first job in a factory involved the manufacture of escalator handles and ketchup bottle lids. b) My first job in a factory involved the manufacture of escalator handles, and ketchup bottle lids. 12. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) Ms. Espinoza has offered to coach the team this year, however, the competition for the job is intense. b) Ms. Espinoza has offered to coach the team this year, however the competition for the job is intense. c) Ms. Espinoza has offered to coach the team this year; however, the competition for the job is intense. 13. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) The team's major concerns this year, however, are staying healthy, finding a good shooting guard, and maintaining good relations with the public. b) The team's major concerns this year, however, are: staying healthy, finding a good shooting guard, and maintaining good relations with the public. c) The team's major concerns this year; however, are staying healthy, finding a good shooting guard, and maintaining good relations with the public.

230

Self-Assessment Tests

14. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) Three major cities Hartford Bridgeport and Stamford make up the crucial voting blocks of Connecticut. b) Three major cities, Hartford, Bridgeport, and Stamford, make up the crucial voting blocks of Connecticut. c) Three major cities -- Hartford, Bridgeport, and Stamford make up the crucial voting blocks of Connecticut. 15. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) My favorite teacher, who just happens to be my uncle, retired from the university last summer. b) My favorite teacher who just happens to be my uncle, retired from the university last summer. c) My favorite teacher, who just happens to be my uncle retired from the university last summer. 16. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) It seems a shame that a diligent, sincere politician like Fuentes should be ignored by shallow and thoughtlessly fickle voters. b) It seems a shame that a diligent sincere politician like Fuentes should be ignored by shallow and thoughtlessly fickle voters. c) It seems a shame that a diligent sincere politician like Fuentes should be ignored by shallow, and thoughtlessly fickle voters. 17. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) Given the hard choices our coach has had to make this year it's no wonder she's decided to retire. 231

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

b) Given the hard choices our coach has had to make this year, it's no wonder she's decided to retire. 18. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group: a) Raoul has been too busy to keep up with his courses because he took on too many extracurricular activities. b) Raoul has been too busy to keep up with his courses, because he took on too many extracurricular activities. 19. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) Believing in her own skills and possessing a supreme confidence, proved to make the difference in her campaign. b) Believing in her own skills and possessing a supreme confidence proved to make the difference in her campaign. 20. Select the correctly punctuated sentence in this group. a) My favorite pizza combinations are sausage peppers and onions mushrooms extra cheese and anchovies and hamburger sun-dried tomatoes pepperoni and sliced red potatoes. b) My favorite pizza combinations are: sausage, peppers, and onions, mushrooms, extra cheese, and anchovies, and hamburger, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, and sliced red potatoes. c) My favorite pizza combinations are sausage, peppers, and onions; mushrooms, extra cheese, and anchovies; and hamburger, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, and sliced red potatoes.

232

Self-Assessment Tests

CONNECTIVES ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

1) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? I went shopping. I bought some bread. a) and

b) but

c) or

2) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? a) and

b) but

c) or

3) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? Are you coming with me? Are you staying at home? a) and

b) but

c) or

4) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? I wanted to play tennis in the park. It was raining. a) and

b) but

c) or

5) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? He drove fast. He got there on time. a) and

b) but

c) or

6) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? She tried on the red dress. It was too small for her. a) and

b) but

c) or

7) Which of these words can be used to link sentences? a) able

b) as

c) aunt 233

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

8) Which of these words can be used to link sentences? a) but

b) by

c) bread

9) Which of these words can be used to link sentences? a) or

b) out

c) over

10) When you are writing, which of these words can help you order events in time? a) not

b) never

c) then

11) Which of these words shows you are starting to write about a set of events? a) free

b) first

c) next

12) Which of these words shows you are moving on to write about the next thing? a) then

b) there

c) three

13) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? Go straight on for about a mile. Turn left. a) then

b) yesterday

c) must

14) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? Walk along the High Street. You get to the library. a) first

b) until

c) not

15) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? You need to go round the roundabout. Take the third exit. a) when

b) but

c) and

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Self-Assessment Tests

16) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? Add the dry ingredients. Mix well. a) then

b) when

c) where

17) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? Fry the onions for 5 minutes. You add the chicken pieces. a) before

b) also

c) until

18) Which is the best word for linking these sentences? Bake in a hot oven. The muffins are golden brown. a) first

b) when

235

c) until

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

1. Where do you find a prefix? a) at the beginning of a word

b) at the end of a word

c) in the middle of a word 2) Where do you find a suffix? a) at the beginning of a word

b) at the end of a word

c) in the middle of a word 3) What is the prefix in all these words? dislike

distaste

a) taste

disorder

b) dis

c) dist

4) What is the prefix in all these words? preview prepay a) pre

prewash b) wash

c) prep

5) What is the suffix in all these words? calling

telling

a) ell

feeling b) eel

c) ing

6) What is the suffix in all these words? careful a) ful

awful

hopeful b) car

c) ref

236

Self-Assessment Tests

7) Which of these words has a prefix? a) disqualify

b) careful

c) calling

8) Which of these words has a suffix? a) mistake

b) careful

c) disprove

9) Which of these is the prefix 'mis' more likely to mean? a) brilliantly

b) badly

10) What does the prefix 'super' mean? a) above

b) below

11) What suffix could you add to 'mind' to make a new word? a) ful

b) ness

c) able

12) What prefix could you add to 'take' to make a new word? a) dis

b) super

c) mis

13) What prefix can be added to all these words? take

fire behave

a) pre

b) mis

c) super

14) What suffix can be added to all these words? care a) able

leg

cord b) ful

c) less

15) What does the Latin word pre mean? a) after

b) under

c) before

16) What does the Latin word sub mean? a) after

b) under

c) before

17) Where could you find out the history of a word? a) phonebook

b) cookbook 237

c) dictionary

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

18) Which of these words has a prefix and a suffix? a) unsporting

b) superman

238

c) madness

Self-Assessment Tests

VOCABULARY ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

1) Incredulous most nearly means ____ a) faithful.

b) trustworthy.

c) skeptical.

d) incredible.

2) Disabuse most nearly means ____ a) heal.

b) correct.

c) harm.

d) praise.

3) Laconic most nearly means ____ a) lazy. b) concise.

c) fleeting.

d) wordy.

4) Spurious most nearly means ____ a) genuine.

b) antique.

c) inauthentic.

d) sharp.

c) peak.

d) bottom.

5) Nadir most nearly means a) honor.

b) median.

6) Allay most nearly means a) soothe.

b) vary.

c) arrange.

d) postpone.

7) Disingenuous most nearly means a) reliable.

b) insincere.

c) smart.

d) honest.

8) Adversely most nearly means a) instantly.

b) mildly.

c) regularly.

d) negatively.

c) conviviality.

d) rudeness.

9) Courtesy most nearly means a) civility.

b) congruity.

239

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

10) Frail most nearly means a) vivid.

b) delicate.

c) robust.

d) adaptable.

c) persist.

d) worsen.

11) Recuperate most nearly means a) mend.

b) endorse.

12) Meager most nearly means a) majestic.

b) scarce.

c) tranquil.

d) adequate.

c) suspicious.

d) evasive.

13) Apathetic most nearly means a) pitiable.

b) indifferent.

14) Surreptitious most nearly means a) expressive. b) secretive. c) emotional.

d) gullible.

15) Droll most nearly means a) boring.

b) slobbering.

c) amusing.

d) gullible.

16) Commendable most nearly means a) admirable. b) accountable.

c) irresponsible. d) noticeable.

17) Disperse most nearly means a) gather.

b) agree.

c) scatter.

d) vary.

c) formation.

d) territory.

18) Domain most nearly means a) entrance. b) rebellion. 19) Ludicrous most nearly means a) ridiculous. b) lecherous.

c) loud.

d) reasonable.

c) increase.

d) criticize.

c) ancient.

d) haunted.

20) Augment most nearly means a) repeal.

b) evaluate.

21) Archaic most nearly means a) tangible.

b) modern.

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Self-Assessment Tests

22) Vindictive most nearly means a) outrageous.

b) insulting. c) spiteful.

d) offensive.

23) Orient most nearly means a) confuse.

b) arouse.

c) deter.

d) adjust.

c) expensive.

d) extraneous.

c) maintain.

d) transform.

24) Expendable most nearly means a) flexible.

b) replaceable.

25) Revolutionize most nearly means a) cancel.

b) preserve.

26) The dry modeling clay was no longer malleable after the young boys left it uncovered overnight. a) useful

b) wet

c) hardened

d) shapeable

27) The tutoring Sheila received had a salutary effect on her grade point average. a) negligible b) welcoming

c) beneficial

d) negative

28) The florid ceiling of the palace contained a very colorful and detailed painting that was surrounded by gold leaf moldings. a) highb) ornate

c) flat

d) bare

29) Carl realized he had hit the jackpot when he opened his grandfather's safe deposit box and found a 1921 baseball card in pristine a) worn

b) untouched

c) valuable

d) fair

30) Running out of gas in the middle of the desert in August was an abysmalturn of events. a) terrible

b) fortunate

c) unexpected

241

d) preventable

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

31) The CIA agent put herself in a very precarious situation by sneaking into the embassy. a) haphazard

b) embarrassing

c) dangerous

d) comfortable

32) The minor earthquake left everything in my house askew. a) destroyed

b) crooked

c) untouched

d) dirty

33) Matthew's sneakers were sodden after jumping in every puddle on the block. a) soaked

b) dirty

c) ruined

d) cleaned

34) As a novice mountain climber, Maria wasn't prepared for the precipitous face of El Capitan. a) dangerous

b) slippery

c) steep

d) level

35) The museum has a broad array of archeological displays from contemporary society to primeval artifacts from the age of the caveman. a) cursed

b) ancient

242

c) wrecked

d) mysterious

Self-Assessment Tests

MULTIPLE CHOICE VOCABULARY TEST (1) ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●

1) He always did well at school ____ having his early education disrupted by illness. a) on account of b) in spite of c) in addition to d) even though 2) He's determined to finish the job____ long it takes. a) whatever

b) whenever

3) The museum wishes to ____ a) appoint 4) They can't ____ a) conclude

c) however

d) no matter

an assistant curator for its fossil collection.

b) commission

c) authorise

d) assign

on a name for the baby. b) decide

c) consent

d) assent

5) They could find no ____ of the missing car despite an extensive search. a) clue

b) remnant

c) indication

d) trace

6) I am never free on Tuesday evenings as I have a ____ arrangement to go to the cinema with a friend. a) long-standing

b) long-lived c) long-range

d) long-lasting

7) Having made his first film earlier this year, he is ____ starring in a new musical. a) actually

b) recently

c) currently

d) lately

8) He was very taken ____ by her aggressive attitude. a) about

b) aside

c) apart

d) aback

9) He was very quick to assert his authority ____ the younger children. a) to

b) over

c) on 243

d) at

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

10) There is no evidence that any member of the Government is ____ in the current scandals. a) connected

b) corrupted

11) Your decision will ____ a) impose

c) participated

d) implicated

a great strain on our friendship.

b) propose

c) expose

d) suppose

12) We could have provided him with a detached house but he ____ asked for a small flat. a) decidedly

b) specifically

c) strongly

13) This missile is designed so that once ____

d) solely

nothing can be done to retrieve

it. a) fired

b) having fired

c) they fired

d) firing

14) I could stand the ____ no longer and flung the door open. a) expectation

b) suspense

c) foresight

d) imagination

15) I'd rather you ____ anything about the garden until the weather improves. a) don't make

b) didn't do

c) don't do

d) didn’t make

16) The ruling party is worried in case they lose the ____ control of the City Council in the forthcoming elections. a) overall

b) whole

c) unanimous

d) mass

17) She pointed out that her wages ____ no relation to the amount of work he did. a) held

b) yielded

c) offered

d) bore

18) I ____ that you won't be inviting that awful woman to the meeting. a) assume

b) instruct

c) entrust

d) rely

19) He has put his car entirely at our ____ for the holiday. a) usage

b) disposal

c) pleasure

244

d) disposition

Self-Assessment Tests

20) His bank had never been ____ of his change of address.expression from the list below. a) contacted

b) notified

c) acquainted

d) communicated

21) The police were very ____ in their examination of the building. a) exhausting b) intense

c) thorough

d) concentrated

22) The roadworks made ____ to the hotel from the main road difficult. a) entrance

b) approach

c) access d) ways in

23) After he set fire to the library, the boy was a) expelled

b) excluded

c) exiled

____ from school. d) extracted

24) The newspaper did not mention the ____of the damage caused by the fire. a) range

b) extent

c) amount

d) quantity

25) After a quick ____ at the patient the doctor rang for an ambulance. a) glance

b) stare

c) gaze

245

d) glimpse

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

MULTIPLE CHOICE VOCABULARY TEST (2) ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●

1) The strong smell of garlic seemed to ____ the whole flat. a) pierce

b) penetrate

c) inhabit

d) pervade

2) The chairman of the local council had a ____ interest in the building. of a new supermarket near the town square. He owned land there. a) guaranteed

b) permanent

c) vested

d) self

3) He apologised profusely, swearing never to do it again. But his wife refused to be ____. As far as she was concerned, he had done it once too often. a) persuaded

b) forgiven c) consoled

d) mollified

4) After five weeks, both parties in the strike agreed that it should be settled by____ a) arbitration

b) ballot

c) adjudication

d) tribunal

5) The sea between Dover and Calais was so ____ that most of the passengers were seasick. a) heavy

b) bumpy

c) choppy

d) gusty

6) I can either move to another department or look for another lab? ____ choice really. a) nobody's

b) Hobson's

c) sod's

d) Murphy's

7) My cousin earns her living by ____ old paintings. a) renewing

b) restoring

c) reimbursing

246

d) renovating

Self-Assessment Tests

8) I’m not quite sure I understand completely. Could you be a bit more____ a) explicit

b) punctilious

c) distinct

d) explanatory

9) I can never look down from a high building; I suffer from ____ a) amnesia

b) hypertension

c) vertigo

d) egomania

10) Two days before her wedding, my sister held a ____ party for her female friends. a) bitch

b) stag

c) bridal

d) hen

11) Her only income being a small allowance, she lived a very____ a) frugal

b) mean

c) sparing

life.

d) extravagant

12) There was ____ at the cinema when someone shouted "Fire!" a) commotion b) pandemonium c) histrionics

d) turbulence

13) Most people agreed that the recent trial was a complete ____ of justice. a) travesty

b) satire

c) corruption

d) abortion

14) The new boss is so arrogant that he is completely ____ to all criticism. a) impermeable

b) impervious

c) void

d) resistant

15) There was a suspicious character _____ in the shadows. a) lurking

b) peeping

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c) peering d) awaiting

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

SENTENCE STRUCTURE ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

1) Which one of these is a complete sentence? a) Now and then.

b) The child in bed.

c) He closed his eyes. 2) Choose a suitable ending for this sentence. He ran all the way but ... a) he caught the train.

b) he missed the train.

c) he laughed. 3) Which one of these is a complete sentence? a) The bus number 27.

b) It was late.

c) Under the bridge. 4) Choose the best word to fill the gap in this sentence. He likes carrots ....... he likes peas. a) and

b) but

c) or

5) Choose the best word to fill the gap in this sentence. He likes carrots ....... he hates peas. a) when

b) but

6) A sentence must always have a verb. True or false? a) True

b) False

248

c) or

Self-Assessment Tests

7) Which one of these is a complete sentence? a) The very tall lad with red hair. b) The white house on the corner next to the dentist. c) They came round the corner very fast. 8) Which one of these is a complete sentence? a) Stop!

b) My bag not there.

c) About fifty pounds! 9) Which sentence makes most sense? a) I went to the shop but I bought some eggs and I dropped them on the way home. b) I went to the shop and I bought some eggs but I dropped them on the way home. c) I went to the shop and I bought some eggs or I dropped them on the way home. 10) A sentence always starts with the subject. True or false? a) True

b) False

11) Which word is the verb in this sentence? The dog always barks at the postman. a) always

b) barks

c) postman

12) Which word is the verb in this sentence? The postman usually cycles home after work. a) postman

b) usually

c) cycles

13) Which one of these is a complete sentence? a) A very loud bang like a firework. b) Trouble round the corner. 249

c) Watch out!

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

14) Which sentence makes most sense? a) He loved playing his guitar but he practiced every day. b) He loved playing his guitar because he practiced every day. c) He loved playing his guitar and he practiced every day. 15) What is missing from this sentence? Ate all the chocolates. a) A subject

b) A verb

c) An object

16) What is missing from this sentence? The young couple bought at last. a) A subject

b) A verb

c) An object

17) What is missing from this sentence? The greedy man all the cakes. a) A subject

b) A verb

c) An object

18) Choose a suitable ending for this sentence. He thought he had lost his keys a) or the car was stolen. b) and he locked the door after himself. c) but he had left them at home.

250

Self-Assessment Tests

READING: SKIMMING AND SCANNING ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ●

1) What sort of reading is skimming? a) quick reading

b) slow reading

2) What sort of reading is scanning? a) quick reading

b) slow reading

3) If you scan a dictionary what are you doing? a) finding a word

b) reading a story

4) If you skim a newspaper what are you doing? a) reading the front page

b) seeing what's in the paper

5) It is good to scan a story if you want to read it quickly. a) True

b) False

6) Key words and numbers can help with... a) skimming

b) scanning

7) What sort of reading do you use to find a word in a dictionary? a) skimming

b) scanning

c) careful reading

8) What sort of reading do you use to find out what's on TV today? a) skimming

b) scanning

c) careful reading

9) If you want to find the football results in a paper, do you... a) skim

b) scan

c) read carefully

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

10) If you want to see quickly what ingredients you need in a recipe, do you... a) skim

b) scan

c) read carefully

11) If you look at all the headlines in a paper, what are you doing? a) skimming

b) scanning

12) If you are reading to find your team's score, are you... a) skimming

b) scanning

c) careful reading

13) Scan the TV programme to find out what time you can see the news on BBC One. 20.27 BBC News and Regional News The latest national and international news stories from the BBC, followed by the weather. a) 20:00

b) 20:27

c) 20:30

14) Scan the TV programme to find out who presents 'Great Movie Mistakes'. 20.00 Great Movie Mistakes Robert Webb uncovers the clangers and gaffes in Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. a) Robert Webb

b) John Stansfield

c) Kate Humble

15) Scan the TV programmes to find out what is on at 19.30. 18.15 Local News 18.30 Countryfile 19.30 World News 20.00 The Science of Space

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Self-Assessment Tests

a) World News

b) Countryfile

c) Born to be Wild

16) Scan the TV programmes to find a science programme. 18.15 Local News 18.30 Countryfile 19.30 World News 20.00 The Science of Space a) Born to be Wild

b) Countryfile

c)The Science of Space

17) Skim the TV programmes to find out how many times you can watch the news. 18.15 Local News 18.30 Countryfile 19.30 World News 20.00 The Science of Space a) once

b) twice

c) three times

18) Skim the TV programmes to find out what time you can watch a programme about the countryside. 18.15 Local News 18.30 Countryfile 19.30 World News 20.00 The Science of Space a) 18.15

b) 18.30

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c) 19.30

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

PLANNING YOUR WRITING ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

1) Which of these is a reason why we plan writing? a) to get it on one piece of paper b) to put our ideas into order 2) Which of these is a reason why we plan writing? a) to make our writing clear to read b) to make it look nice 3) Which of these is a way to plan writing? a) writing very fast b) using a spidergram 4) Which of these is a way to plan writing? a) using sticky notes b) writing down the first thing you think of 5) Which of these is a way to plan writing? a) going shopping

b) making a list

6) If you were writing about your holiday what order would you plan these two ideas? Sightseeing The journey to your hotel a) sightseeing first, then the journey to your hotel

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Self-Assessment Tests

b) the journey to your hotel first, then sightseeing 7) Would you plan your writing if you were sending a postcard? a) Yes

b) No

8) Would you plan your writing if you were sending an email? a) Yes

b) No

9) Which of these is a way to plan writing? a) checking your spelling

b) using headings

c) using capital letters 10) Which of these is a way to plan writing if you are using a computer? a) using the internet

b) using the space bar

c) using bullet points 11) If you were writing an advert to sell your car, in what order would you plan these points? the price a description of the car a) the price first, then a description of the car b) a description of the car first, then the price 12) What does a spidergram look like? a) a snake

b) a snail

c) a spider

13) How would you use sticky notes to plan your writing? a) Write a separate idea on each one. Then sort them into a good order. b) Write a separate idea on each one. Then mix them up into any order. c) Write a separate idea on each one in different colors.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

14) When you have done a plan for your writing what could you do next? a) Copy it out again.

b) Read it out loud.

c) Show your plan to a friend to get their feedback. 15) Would you check your spelling in a writing plan? a) Yes

b) No

16) How could you plan your shopping list? a) Write everything in alphabetical order. b) Write it in capital letters. c) Plan all your meals for a week. Then write a list of all the food you need. 17) To show the order of your ideas when you plan your writing, in what order would you use these adverbs? a) first, next, last

b) first, last, next

c) next, last, first

18) Where would you write a conclusion? a) at the end of your writing

b) at the start of your writing

c) in the middle of your writing

256

Self-Assessment Tests

BUILDING UP PARAGRAPHS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

1) What does putting your writing in paragraphs help you to do? a) write less

b) write longer sentences

c) organize what you want to say 2) When might you want to write a formal letter? a) to apply for a job

b) to keep in touch with a friend

c) to write to family overseas 3) A formal letter is usually just one paragraph. True or false? a) True

b) False

4) What does a paragraph not help you to do? a) separate out your ideas

b) make your writing clearer

c) make your writing more funny 5) What would you say to start a formal letter? a) why you are writing

b) the story of your life

c) what the weather is like 6) If you are writing a letter of complaint, what should the last paragraph say? a) your feelings about the situation b) what you want the person to do

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

7) When you write a report you can use different headings for each paragraph. a) True

b) False

8) What is the first paragraph in a story called? a) ending

b) plot

c) introduction

9) What is a story you write about your own life called? a) autocare

b) autobiography

c) autograph

10) What is a true story that someone writes about somebody else's life called? a) plot

b) novel

c) biography

11) You write a story in paragraphs. True or false? a) True

b) false

12) You write a poem in paragraphs. True or false? a) True

b) False

13) What is a paragraph made up of? a) names

b) numbers

c) sentences

14) A paragraph has one or more sentences. True or false? a) True

b) False

15) What is the best number of sentences in a paragraph? a) more than 12

b) more than one

c) less than one

16) Which writing does not usually have paragraphs? a) a report

b) a story

c) a short text message

17) Which of these words is the odd one out? a) beginning

b) ending

c) conclusion

18) Which word lets you know that you are near the end of a story or report? a) begin

b) finally

258

c) but

Self-Assessment Tests

TYPES OF TEXT ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ●

1. What sort of a text is this? Bob, Your dinner is in the oven, love Pat x a) letter

b) bill

c) note

2. What sort of a text is this? Dear Sir/Madam I am writing in response to your letter of 11 October. a) letter

b) postcard

c) note

3. What sort of a text is this? 10.00 ITV News and Weather 10.30 Local News/Weather a) bill

b) TV listings

c) recipe

4. What sort of a text is this? Add the egg and stir well. a) recipe

b) ticket

c) letter

5. What sort of a text is this? Please use BLOCK capitals. Tick the boxes that apply to you. a) letter

b) bill

c) form

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

6. What sort of a text is this? Try some today. It is delicious. Half price for this week only. a) postcard

b) letter

c) advert

7. What sort of a text is this? BBC Homepage www.bbc.co.uk - Breaking news, sport, TV, radio and a whole lot more a) shopping list

b) website search listing

c) list of recipes

8. What sort of a text is this? Leo: Friday could be an important day for your love life. a) horoscope

b) TV listings

c) recipe

9. What sort of a text is this? Use two AA batteries. Put them in the battery compartment. a) bill

b) form

c) manual

10. What sort of a text is this? Admit one. Odeon cinema. Blackpool. a) bill

b) ticket

c) manual

11. What sort of a text is this? Minimum payment is due by 10th July. a) bill

b) ticket

c) manual

12. What sort of a text is this? Log on here. User name. Password. a) letter

b) website

260

c) form

Self-Assessment Tests

13. What is the purpose of this text? 8.00 EastEnders 8.30 Miranda 9.00 Strictly Come Dancing a) to inform

b) to entertain

c) to instruct

14. What is the purpose of this text? Turn left at the lights and then go straight on until you get to the Post Office. Turn right and you will see the building in front of you. a) to inform

b) to persuade

c) to instruct

15. What is the purpose of this text? One of the funniest films ever made. A film you must see. In cinemas from Wednesday. a) to entertain

b) to persuade

c) to instruct

16. What is the purpose of this text? Paris is a hub of European air, road and rail travel. You can fly direct from many British airports. a) to entertain

b) to persuade

c) to inform

17. What is the purpose of this text? Chapter 4 He was still on the run. Paul put up his hood and stayed in the shadows. He didn't want to be spotted. a) to instruct

b) to entertain

261

c) to persuade

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

18. What is the purpose of this text? If you vote for me, I promise I will work to make your neighbourhood safer and your streets cleaner. a) to entertain

b) to persuade

262

c) to inform

Self-Assessment Tests

FORMAT AND STYLE ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

1) A text message is informal writing. True or false? a) True

b) False

2) When you write a text to a friend, you always need to write your name. True or false? a) True

b) False

3) What is a blog? a) a type of pudding

b) a lot of trees

c) a personal diary or log 4) What does a newspaper heading tell you? a) what you need to do

b) what the story is about

c) the cost of the paper 5) A website address may start with which of these? a) Mary Brown

b) 56 Old Street

c) www

6) You usually find a heading on which of these? a) poster

b) text message

c) letter to a friend

7) You always start a text message 'Dear Sir or Madam'. True or false? a) True

b) False

8) What is a cartoon? a) a car manual

b) songs to play in a car 263

c) a drawing

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

9) An email may be formal or informal. True or false? a) True

b) False

10) You are writing a birthday card for your friend. Which is the correct spelling? a) Bst wishes b) Best wiches

c) Best wishes

11) When you write a poem, you need to write in full sentences. True or false? a) True

b) False

12) What is an online dictionary? a) a long line of words

b) a list of computer word

c) a dictionary on a computer 13) If you are writing a letter, which of these is an informal ending? a) With love

b) Yours sincerely

c) Regards

14) When you write an email you can send it to more than one person. a) True

b) False

15) What's the best way to make a formal complaint? a) a poem

b) a poster

c) a letter or email

d) a blog

16) When you are writing a recipe, what do you need to start with? a) a list of ingredients

b) instructions

c) how to eat it

17) What is a film review? a) when you go to see a film a second time b) what someone writes about a film

c) a poster

18) What is a computer menu? a) best things to eat when using a computer b) a list of your files on the computer c) a list of options or commands on the computer

264

Self-Assessment Tests

WRITING LETTERS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ●

1) If you are writing about a job, what do you need to start a letter with? a) Hello

b) Hi

c) Regards

d) Dear

2) A formal letter is when you are writing to your best friend. a) True

b) False

3) What do you write to end a letter to a friend? a) Yours faithfully

b) Best wishes

c) Yours sincerely

4) When you write a letter by hand, the date is usually… a) at the bottom of the page b) before the address of the person you are writing to c) under the address of the person you are writing to 5) A note is like a short letter. a) True

b) False

6) What is a good way to end a letter? a) I am very tired now. b) I am looking backwards to hearing from you. c) I am looking forward to hearing from you. 7) What is an email? a) electric mail

b) electronic mail

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c) end mail

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

8) What do you press to send an email? a) Send

b) Go

c) Now

9) When you write a letter or email, you need to think about… a) who you are writing to

b) what you need to do next

c) who you are writing to and why you are writing d) why you are writing 10) When do you usually write 'Yours sincerely' at the end of a formal letter? a) When you don't know the name of the person you are writing to. b) When you know the name of the person you are writing to. 11) You are writing to book to see somebody. Which of these is the correct spelling you should use? a) apintment

b) appointment

c) appointment

12) When you are writing a letter, what is the best way to say sorry for something you have done? a) I would like to apologise. b) I could not help it. c) It wasn't my fault. 13) What does the subject of an email tell you? a) who the email is going to

b) who you are

c) what the email is about 14) When you write an email, you use the 'To' box to write the email address of the person you are writing to. a) True

b) False

15) When you write an email, you cannot send copies to other people. a) True

b) False

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Self-Assessment Tests

16) If you have already sent an email to someone, you probably don't need to write their email address again. a) True

b) False

17) When you write an email, what do you need to type? a) your email address

b) today's date

c) what the email is about 18) You can send a formal letter as an email attachment. a) True

b) False

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

EDITING AND PROOFREADING LETTERS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

1) Which of these sentences is correct? a) I saw your adert in the paper. b) I saw your advert in the paper. 2) Which of these sentences is correct? a) I can attend the interview on Monday. b) I can attend the interview on Munday. 3) In a formal letter where do you put your address? a) top right hand corner

b) bottom right hand corner

4) How should you write the date in a letter? a) 20 march 2015

b) 20 March 2015

5) What should you put at the end of your address? a) your security code

b) your postcode

6) What should you check when you have written a draft? a) your spelling

b) the time

7) You are writing to Ms Jones in Housing. How would you start the letter? a) Hi there

b) Dear Ms Jones

8) How would you end a formal letter? a) Cheers

b) Regards

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Self-Assessment Tests

9) Which of these contains the correct spelling? a) 19 June

b) 19 Joon

10) Which of these sentences contains a mistake? a) can I make an appointment please? b) Can I make an appointment please? 11) Which of these sentences contains a mistake? a) My address is 39 boris close. b) My address is 39 Boris Close. 12) Which of these things is NOT something you do after you've written a draft? a) Check for full stops.

b) Tear it up and start again.

c) Check for capital letters for names and places. 13) What is the missing word in this sentence? Please could send me an application form. a) I

b) man

c) you

14) What is the missing word in this sentence? I enjoy going the gym. a) to

b) from

c) of

15) What is the missing word in this sentence? My son missed school yesterday because was ill. a) she

b) he

c) they

16) If you write a birthday card which is the best greeting? a) Happy Birthday Tom! With love from Mari b) Happy Birthday Tom! Yours sincerely, Mari

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17) When you type, sometimes you hit the wrong letters. What do you think this was meant to say? a) Best washes

b) Beat it

270

c) Best wishes

APPENDICES

8

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

8.1

NATO STANAG 6001 WRITING PROFICIENCY LEVELS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●

1. A comparative analysis of the descriptors and levels of outcomes used in NATO STANAG 6001 and in the Council of Europe Framework (CEF) as interpreted by the UK Ministry of Defence and University of Westminster Languages Examinations Board (MODLEB): STANAG 6001

CEF Listening

Level 0

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Below A1

Below A1

Below A1

Below A1

A2

A2

A2

A2

B1

B1

B1

B1

B2.2/C1

B2/C1

B2/C1

B2/C1?

C1/C2

C1/C2

C2

C1/C2

Level 5 – Highly-

C2 or

Above C2

Above C2

Above C2

articulate native

above

– No proficiency Level 1 – Survival Level 2 – Functional Level 3 – Professional Level 4 – Expert

(Source: http://www.linguapeace-europe.net/)

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Appendices

2. Language proficiency profile Language proficiency profiles are recorded using a sequence of 4 digits, with plus indicators if/when applicable, to represent the four language skill areas, and those skills will be listed in the following sequence: -

Skill L (CP in French) Listening

-

Skill S (EO in French) Speaking

-

Skill R (CE in French) Reading

-

Skill W (EE in French) Writing

This four-digit number will be preceded by the code letters SLP (PLS in French) to indicate that the profile shown is the Standardised (S) Language (L) Profile (P). (For example: SLP 3321 means level 3 in listening, level 3 in speaking, level 2 in reading and level 1 in writing.) 3. Writing skills focus 

Giving and asking for information;



Expressing thanks and apologies;



Making and responding to requests;



Writing and replying to invitations;



Asking for and giving reasons for a course of action;



Descriptions and comparisons;



Narrating and explaining a sequence of events in paragraphs;



Asking for clarification;



Expressing own opinion on wide range of topics, both personal and

professional.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

4. Topics 

Personal information, job, family, home, free time activities, general

routines, holidays, travelling, food, festive occasions; 

Art, science and technology, culture, economics, politics and military

domain. 5. Types of tasks 

Short personal correspondence related to job, family, home and other

everyday activities, e.g. lists, short notes, postcards, e-mails, 

Short questionnaires asking for description, letters, phone messages,

filling-in forms; 

Personal and routine workplace correspondence and related

documents, such as memoranda, brief reports, and private letters on everyday topics, 

CVs (resumes), summaries;



Official correspondence, reports in a special field and extended pieces

of writing of analytical, hypothetical and argumentative nature, such as briefings, extended reports, speeches and discussion papers. 6. Writing Proficiency Levels Level 0 – No proficiency 

No functional writing ability.

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Appendices

Level 1 – Survival 

Can write to meet immediate personal needs.



Examples include lists, short notes, post cards, short personal letters,

phone messages, and invitations as well as filling out forms and applications. 

Writing tends to be a loose collection of sentences (or fragments) on a

given topic, with little evidence of conscious organization. 

Can convey basic intention by writing short, simple sentences, often

joined by common linking words. However, errors in spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation are frequent. 

Can be understood by native readers used to non-natives’ attempts to

write. Level 2 – Functional 

Can write simple personal and routine workplace correspondence and

related documents, such as memoranda, brief reports, and private letters, on everyday topics. 

Can state facts; give instructions; describe people, places, and things;

can narrate current, past, and future activities in complete, but simple paragraphs. 

Can combine and link sentences into connected prose; paragraphs

contrast with and connect to other paragraphs in reports and correspondence. 

Ideas may be roughly organised according to major points or

straightforward sequencing of events. However, relationship of ideas may not always be clear, and transitions may be awkward. 275

Effective Writing for Military Leaders



Prose can be understood by a native not used to reading material

written by non-natives. 

Simple, high frequency grammatical structures are typically controlled,

while more complex structures are used inaccurately or avoided. Vocabulary use is appropriate for high frequency topics, with some circumlocutions. 

Errors in grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation may

sometimes distort meaning. 

However, the individual writes in a way that is generally appropriate for

the occasion, although command of the written language is not always firm. Level 3 – Professional 

Can write effective formal and informal correspondence and

documents on practical, social, and professional topics. 

Can write about special fields of competence with considerable ease.



Can use the written language for essay-length argumentation,

analysis, hypothesis, and extensive explanation, narration, and description. 

Can convey abstract concepts when writing about complex topics

(which may include economics, culture, science, and technology) as well as his/her professional field. 

Although techniques used to organise extended texts may seem

somewhat foreign to native readers, the correct meaning is conveyed. 

The relationship and development of ideas are clear, and major points

are coherently ordered to fit the purpose of the text. 

Transitions are usually successful.

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Appendices



Control of structure, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation is adequate

to convey the message accurately. 

Errors are occasional, do not interfere with comprehension, and rarely

disturb the native reader. 

While writing style may be non-native, it is appropriate for the

occasion. 

When it is necessary for a document to meet full native expectations,

some editing will be required. Level 4 – Expert  Can write the language precisely and accurately for all professional purposes including the representation of an official policy or point of view.  Can prepare highly effective written communication in a variety of prose styles, even in unfamiliar general or professional-specialist areas.  Demonstrates strong competence in formulating private letters, jobrelated texts, reports, position papers, and the final draft of a variety of other papers.  Shows the ability to use the written language to persuade others and to elaborate on abstract concepts. 

Topics may come from such areas as economics, culture, science, and

technology as well as from the writer’s own professional field.  Organises extended texts well, conveys meaning effectively, and uses stylistically appropriate prose.  Shows a firm grasp of various levels of style and can express nuances and shades of meaning.

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Effective Writing for Military Leaders

Level 5 – Highly-articulate native 

Writing proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of a well-educated

native writer. 

Uses the organisational principles and stylistic devices that reflect the

cultural

norms

of

natives

when

writing

formal

and

informal

correspondence, official documents, articles for publication, and material related to a professional specialty. 

Writing is clear and informative.

7. Scoring criteria: In assessing candidate’s performance, the following criteria are taken into consideration: -

Task completion

-

Organization

-

Vocabulary

-

Syntax and Grammar.

8. Description of the Writing Test The Writing Test consists of two parts. Part One -Candidates are expected to produce up to 130-150 words of connected, factual, coherent writing. They are instructed to spend 20 minutes on this task. Part Two - Candidates are expected to produce up to 220-250 words of effective and extended pieces of writing demonstrating appropriate command of language). They are instructed to spend 40 minutes on this task. Duration of the Writing test: 60 minutes. 278

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8.2

DESCRIPTORI STANAG 6001 PENTRU DEPRINDEREA SCRIS Nivelurile 1-2-3 Tip de subiect/format

Subiectul 1

Tematică

Liste, notiţe, cărţi poştale, scrisori personale scurte, mesaje telefonice, invitaţii; completare de formulare şi cereri. Memo, rapoarte scurte, scrisori personale; naraţiuni, descrieri, relatări. Naraţiuni, descrieri, relatări, tematici uzuale

Nevoi sociale Esenţiale

Argumentările sub formă de eseu,

Economie, cultură,

Subiectul 2

Nr. Timp/ cuvinte/ subiect subiect

80-120 cuvinte

Activităţi zilnice şi Activităţi legate de rutina la locul de muncă Activităţi zilnice şi Activităţi legate de 250-350 rutina la locul cuvinte de muncă.

279

Timp total

20 min

70 mi

50 min

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

analize, ipoteze, precum şi explicaţii, narări şi descrieri ample, redare concepte abstracte.

ştiinţă, tehnologie, domeniul propriu de activitate.

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8.3

CRITERII STANAG 6001 DE EVALUARE A DEPRINDERII SCRIS 

Nivelul 1

Mod de rezolvare a subiectului şi conţinut : Tematica familiară şi concretă este tratată cu relevanţă şi claritate limitată, cu foarte puţine detalii, astfel încât conţinutul lucrării este foarte restrâns şi mesajul nu este transmis cu acurateţe.

Organizare: Lucrarea este structurată, în general, sub forma unor propoziţii simple, legate între ele prin conjuncţii simple, cu tendinţe de organizare sub formă de paragrafe.

Vocabular: Relativ modest, cu greşeli în ceea ce priveşte folosirea cuvintelor în context, nu poate face diferenţierea în ceea ce priveşte registrul adecvat.

Structuri gramaticale: Structurile gramaticale de bază sunt stăpânite în mare măsură deşi uneori înţelesul propoziţiei poate fi distorsionat.

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Ortografie, ortoepie şi punctuaţie: Erori frecvente de ortografie, ortoepie şi punctuaţie, deranjante pentru cel care citeşte lucrarea. 

Nivelul 2

Mod de rezolvare a subiectului şi conţinut: Tematica familiară este tratată cu relevanţă, claritate şi în detaliu; conţinutul se rezumă la înşiruirea de fapte concrete dar mesajul este în cea mai mare parte transmis.

Organizare: Propoziţiile, legate prin cuvinte de tranziţie de uz comun sunt organizate sub forma unor paragrafe, înşiruite în mod secvenţial.

Vocabular: Adecvat tematicii concrete, uzuale; uneori se recurge la parafrazări.

Structuri gramaticale: Structurile gramaticale de bază sunt folosite eficient şi cu acurateţe în proporţie de 70%, în timp ce folosirea structurilor mai complexe este incorectă şi/sau adesea evitată. Ortografie, ortoepie şi punctuaţie: Erorile nu împiedică transmiterea corectă a mesajului.

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

Nivelul 3

Mod de rezolvare a subiectului şi conţinut: Subiectul este tratat corect, cu relevanţă, claritate şi detaliile necesare, astfel încât mesajul este transmis cu acurateţe aproape în întregime.

Organizare: Tratarea subiectului este clară iar ideile principale sunt ordonate în mod logic şi coerent. Trecerea de la o idee la alta este adecvată în proporţie de cel puţin 70%. Vocabular: Vocabular bogat, adecvat unei tematici complexe, abstracte; mesajul este transmis cu acurateţe, chiar dacă se mai întâlnesc greşeli ocazionale.

Structuri gramaticale: Structurile gramaticale sunt folosite corect şi adecvat, cu greşeli puţine, care nu afectează receptarea corectă a mesajului. Ortografie, ortoepie şi punctuaţie: Cunoaştere adecvată a normelor de ortografie, ortoepie şi punctuaţie.

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8.4

WRITING SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●●

Writing is a process. As a writer, we develop a topic, write a thesis, or shape our point of view. We write to present to an audience, and we hope that our audience accepts our ideas, and that these ideas inspire them. Selfassessment is important because it can improve our writing, editing, and critical thinking skills. It allows us to review our strengths and weaknesses as a writer to see how we can continue to grow. Therefore, after writing a first or a second draft, remember to check the following: General - Is it clear why you are writing (i.e. what your purpose is)? - Does your writing make sense? - Is all the information there? Is there too much information for your reader? (e.g. Is there any unnecessary repetition? Can points be combined?) - Is your style too wordy or too abrupt for the purpose? - Is your text easy to read? Have you expressed yourself clearly? - Is it organized clearly and logically? Is the text divided up appropriately? Organization - Is the layout appropriate? (e.g. Is the address in a letter in the correct place?) - Have you included an introduction and conclusion, if appropriate? Are they sufficiently ‘eye-catching’? 284

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- Is your writing divided into paragraphs appropriate to your purpose? - Are the paragraphs themselves clearly organized? Do you need to rearrange them? - Would it be useful to include a ‘topic sentence’ in each paragraph (a sentence which summarizes what the paragraph is about) - Have you included linking expressions within and between sentences? Language Vocabulary - Is the style of vocabulary appropriate? (e.g. Is it formal enough for the situation you are writing for?) - Have you included a range of words and expressions, and included words with a specific, rather than just a general meaning when necessary? (e.g.

She crept upstairs, rather then went upstairs, if you want to make it clear that she was trying to be quiet). - Is your choice of vocabulary appropriate to the purpose? (e.g. If you are writing a brochure, is it interesting and colorful enough?) - Is your spelling accurate? Grammar - Have you included a range of verb forms and tenses? (e.g. If it is a narrative, have you included, for example, the Past Perfect and Future in the Past, as well as the Past Simple and Continuous?) - Have you considered using a range of sentence structures (e.g. complex sentences, such as relative and participle clauses, as well as simple and compound sentences)? Obviously this will depend on what you are writing. 285

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

- Have you looked through your work to check areas of grammar that you find problematic (e.g. articles)? Punctuation - Check this carefully: an error in punctuation can convey a completely different meaning to the one that is intended.

286

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8.5

UNDERSTANDING INSTRUCTION WORDS ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ●

Instruction Account for

Meaning Give reasons for; explain. Examine

Analyse

in

detail;

identify

key

features. If appropriate, examine critically. Decide

Assess

how

important,

useful,

valuable or effective something is. Identify merits and limitations. Justify your decision.

Clarify

Literally make something clearer and, where appropriate, simplify it. This could involve, for example, explaining in simpler terms a complex process or theory, or the relationship between two variables.

Comment upon

Pick out the main points on a subject and give your opinion, reinforcing your point of view using logic and reference to relevant evidence, including any wider reading you have done.

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Identify

similarities

between

two

items, concepts, methods or theories. It may also be appropriate to identify Compare

both similarities and differences, even if the question does not specifically ask you to ‘compare and contrast’. If appropriate, justify your choice.

Consider

Say what you think and have observed about

something.

Back

up

your

comments using appropriate evidence from external sources, or your own experience. Include any views which are contrary to your own and how they relate to what you originally thought. Contrast

Identify differences. If appropriate, give reasons for your preference. Make a judgement based on careful

Critically assess/evaluate

consideration of the evidence for and against something. Give the exact meaning of a word or phrase. You may have to consider

Define

different definitions and examine the issues involved in attempting to define a term.

Demonstrate Describe

Show how, with examples to illustrate Identify and explain the features of something. 288

Appendices

Explain; present both sides of an Discuss

issue;

take

a

position;

explore

implications. Distinguish/differentiate

Identify differences (especially where

between

confusion is possible).

Elaborate Evaluate Examine

Explain

Illustrate

Give a full answer, exploring the issues and justifying conclusions. See ‘Assess’. Consider in detail; investigate. If appropriate, critically assess. Give

reasons;

describe

how

something happens. Use examples or evidence to explain something/to make something clear. Use

evidence

to

support

an

argument; explain how conclusions Justify

or decisions were reached; anticipate and deal with objections to your point of view.

Outline

State

Summarise

Give main points only; do not include detail. Present key points or features clearly, avoiding elaboration. Select the main points and present them concisely.

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Trace

Present events or stages of a process in order. (Source : http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/learning/academic/)

290

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8.6

CONNECTORS AND USEFUL EXPRESSIONS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●●

CONTRAST but although/though in spite of/despite + noun or –ing /despite the fact that however nevertheless/nonetheless on the other hand by contrast on the one hand … on the other hand … in contrast to/ with As opposed to On the contrary Alternatively Instead of The former… the latter Conversely ADDITION Furthermore / moreover / in addition to As well as Apart from this/that Also Besides 291

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Additionally What is more On top of that EXAMPLE one such example is such as in other words for example / for instance let me exemplify this concept by/with that is / that is to say one instance could be SEQUENCE / TIME first of all first / firstly second / secondly later / after that / afterwards then / next finally / in the end TIME once alter meanwhile / in the meantime before reaching that stage prior to after that stage 292

Appendices

subsequently eventually whenever while as soon as before until / till now that since for all of a sudden / suddenly PURPOSE so that / in order that +sentence in order to / so as to / to + infinitive RESULT as a result (of) / consequently therefore for this / that reason so / that is why / because of this/that hence with this in mind an account of the fact that … bearing this in mind taking this into account thus

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CAUSE because of / on account of owing to / due to as result of by virtue of thanks to following in view of / in the light of in the face of for fear of for the simple reason that given that caused by / brought about to 1. SOME USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR ESSAY AND REPORT WRITING TO PRESENT A TOPIC -

It is often said / asserted / claimed that …

-

It is universally acknowledged that …

-

It is a well-known fact that …

-

For the great majority of people …

-

A problem that is often debated nowadays is that of …

-

One of the most striking features / aspects of this problem / issue / topic / question …

-

A number of key issues arise from …

-

First of all, let us try to understand / consider …

-

By way of introduction …

-

What we are mainly concerned with here is …

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Appendices

SEQUENCE OF IDEAS IN A PARAGRAPH -

This brings up to the question of whether …

-

On the one hand … on the other …

-

As for …

-

Incidentally, we must not forget …

-

As far as … is concerned …

-

Added to that, …

TO EXPRESS PERSONAL OPINION -

I think / don’t think that …

-

I think it is probable that …

-

I believe that …

-

I agree / don’t agree that …

-

My own view of this is that …

-

Speaking personally …

-

It seems to me that …

-

My personal opinion of …

-

I feel strongly that …

-

In my opinion …

-

In my view …

-

For my part …

-

I maintain that …

-

My point of view is that …

-

From my point of view …

-

For me …

-

It seems to me that …

-

As I see it …

-

A lot of people claim that …

-

For me, the gist of the matter is that … 295

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TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY AND PROBABILITY -

It is highly probable that …

-

There is a strong chance that …

-

It is reasonable to think that …

-

It stands to reason that …

-

It would appear …/ It would seem that …

-

It is within the bounds of possibility that …

-

There is reason to believe that …

-

There are grounds for believing / for the belief that …

TO EXPRESS COMPARISONS -

In comparison with / compared with / when compared with

-

By comparison …

-

If you compare …

-

Whereas / whilst

-

In contrast to …

-

As opposed to … / Unlike …

-

The former … the latter

-

There is some resemblance / similarity between …

-

It is greatly superior to …

-

It is much inferior to …

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8.7

GLOSSARY OF WRITING TERMS AND DEFINITIONS ● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ●● ● ● ● ● ● ●● ●

A Abstract: A brief summary of an article, a standard part of most academic writing. Acrostic: A sentence where the first letter of each word of the sentence helps to remember the spelling of a word, or order of things. For example – Never Eat Sour Wieners = North, East, South, West. All rights: The publisher holds all rights to publish in any form, but does not own the copyright. Allegory: A method of telling a story using characters or objects to deliver a message metaphorically. Usually used for satirical or political purposes. Alliteration: A series of words in a sentence all beginning with the same sound. For example: Sing a song of six-pence. Ambiguity: Allows for two or more simultaneous interpretations of a word, phrase, action, or situation, all of which can be supported by the context of a work. Analogy: A comparison of two unlike things, used to explain or illustrate a concept. Anaphora: Several consecutive sentences all starting with the same words. For example: I will not give up. I will do it. I will succeed. Antagonist: The main character or force in a fiction that tries to stop the protagonist (the hero or heroine of the story) from achieving his/her goal.

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Anthology: A collection of short stories written by various authors, compiled in one book or journal. Antonyms: Words which are opposites in meaning. For example – come and go, clean and dirty, good and bad, etc. Argument: Process of promoting an idea or issue around which there is tension or disagreement. Arrangement: The order in which details are placed or organized in a piece of writing Assessment: A process of evaluation of writing that takes place according to a certain set of desired outcomes Assignment: A piece of writing that a writer has been assigned to write by an editor or publisher for a pre-determined fee. Assonance: Repetition of internal vowel sounds in nearby words that do not end the same, used to emphasize important words in a line. For example:

Asleep under a tree. Attribution: Giving credit for a quote, illustration or other element to its source. Audience: The real or imagined readers of the writing; those to whom a writer directs his or her work Author: The person whose byline is on the work, not necessarily the same as the writer (such as when a ghost writer has done the writing). Author’s note: A document created by a writer to guide a reader’s response to his/her work; author’s notes typically explain where the piece is in the writing process, what the writer thinks is working well, where the writer feels stuck or needs feedback, and what kind of response the writer hopes to receive. Autobiography: The writer’s life story told in the first person.

298

Appendices

B Backlist: Books published before the present year, but still in print. Ballad: A narrative folksong, usually created by common people and passed on orally. Bibliography: The list of books, magazines, journals, people, websites, or any other resources that you consulted in the process of writing a book, article, or paper. Biography: A life story of someone other than the writer’s. Bionote (Bio): A short 2 or 3 sentence description of the author written in the 3rd person, usually to accompany an article. Blank Verse: Poetry that doesn’t rhyme. Blurb: A short summary of a book published on its back cover. Book Review: A summary of a book, including its critique. Byline: The author’s name appearing with his/her published work. C Canon: Works generally considered by scholars, critics, and teachers to be the most important to read and study. Caption: A brief description of a picture, graph, table, or diagram. Characterization: The author’s expression of a character’s personality through the use of action, dialogue, thought, or commentary. Citation: Reference to the source of information. Clarity: The extent to which a reader is able to understand an idea expressed by the writer in accordance with the writer’s purpose Cliché: An overused expression. Climax: The culminating point of highest tension in a story. Clips: Published samples of writings that a writer submits with queries to prospective markets. Sometimes called “tear sheets”. 299

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Closet Drama: A play written to be read rather than performed on stage. Cognition: The process of thinking Coherence: The organization or arrangement of ideas so that the reader can easily follow from one point to the next Connotation: Implications that go beyond the literal meaning of the word. Content: Words and ideas included in a work which express the major message of the sentence, paragraph, or entire product Context: Conditions around which a writer is writing; context may include time, place, and other circumstances such as the political, social, economic climates, etc. Conventions: Qualities of writing/communication agreed upon by a majority of the members of a particular community; conventions may be genre specific--for example, a lab report has different conventions (form, tone, sentence length, word choice, etc.) than does a poem Copyediting: Checking for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and word usage. Copy writing: Writing fairly straightforward text, usually for business or administrative purposes. Copyright: The ownership by an author of his or her work. Copyright laws recognize the author’s right of ownership of anything that the author writes immediately upon its creation. Couplet: Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter. Cover Letter: A short letter accompanying a manuscript, proposal, or resume that introduces you, your work, and your credits. No more than one page. CV: Curriculum Vitae - a short one-page resume.

300

Appendices

D Denotation: The exact meaning of a word, without the feelings or suggestions that the word may imply. Denouement: The final results of a story, once all conflicts and mysteries have been resolved. Description: Detailing or precisely reporting sensory impressions and perceptions or an item, incident, moment, etc.; writing that paints a colorful picture in the reader’s mind Details: Words used to describe, convince, explain or in some way support a central idea; to be effective details should be vivid, colorful and appeal to the senses Dialogue: Words spoken by the characters in a story. Diction: A writer’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning. Didactic: Instructional or informative literature. Double Entendre: A phrase that can be interpreted in two different ways. Double-Entry Journal: A journal with two columns. In the left hand column brief quotes, first impressions and ideas are written. In the right hand column, the responses to the writings of the left hand column are written – like what they remind you of, their implications, and your final thoughts on them Draft: An initial product wherein the writer has made steps toward putting words on paper; an initial or “rough” draft may undergo substantial revision, but its purpose is to generate ideas, define a focus and think about an organizational structure Dummy: Hand drawn mock-up of what a page will look like in print. Dustjacket: Paper covering, usually in full color, covering a hardcover book.

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E eBook: Electronic version of a published book. Edit: To rework a draft for grammar, flow, length or any other factor required to polish it for publication. Editing: Revising a close to final draft for sentence-level errors, spelling, grammar, and typos; not to be confused with revision, which often happens early on and throughout the writing process Editor: The person who edits a manuscript or manages the writing of a publication. Editorial: A short article expressing an opinion or point of view. Often, but not always, written by a member of the publication staff. Electronic Submission: Submission made through electronic means – that is, e-mail or computer disks. Elegy: A mournful, contemplative lyric poem written to commemorate someone who is dead, often ending in a consolation. Embargo: Prohibition against publishing information until a specific date. This is done in journalism to ensure that all news outlets release the news on the same day. Endnote: An explanation of a point, placed at the end of a book. Energy: Degree to which a writer shows her or his enthusiasm for the subject whether by sentence structure, vivid language or other means of expression Epic: A long narrative poem, told in a formal, elevated style that focuses on a serious subject and chronicles heroic deeds and events important to a culture or nation. Epigram: A short witty poem, usually makes a satiric or humorous point.

302

Appendices

eReader: Device for reading and storing eBooks. Euphemism: A phrase used in place of something disagreeable or upsetting. For example – “passed out” for “fainted”. Euphony: Smooth and musically pleasant language. Evidence: Materials offered to support and further a writer’s purpose; types of evidence might include personal experience, factual information, research, etc. Exigence/Exigency: That which gives rise to a piece of writing; its reason for being Explication: Writing that explores a subject’s value, impact or significance, its strengths and weaknesses, and its place in the scheme of the subject or area being addressed Exposition: Writing that explains E-zine: Electronic magazine. A magazine published online. F Fair use. The use of a small portion of a work (generally less than 10 percent) for educational or illustrative purposes, with attribution, and not infringing on copyright. Fees: Money paid to the writer for his/her services. Figurative language: Language used to create a special effect or feeling; goes beyond the immediate meaning of the words used; writing in which a word or phrase is used to heighten the meaning by using comparative or exaggerated language or means something other than what it first appears to mean Figures of Speech: Ways of using language that deviate from the literal meanings of words in order to suggest additional meanings or effects. 303

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First Electronic Rights: The rights to publish a piece of writing electronically (online) for the first time. Once the rights have been assigned, the work cannot be published in another electronic medium, however reprint rights can be sold. First Print Rights: The rights anywhere in the world to a piece of writing in the medium it’s published in. First rights. The right to publish first, but does not preclude others from publishing at a later date. There can be qualifying first rights, such as “first electronic rights” or “first print rights” or “first North American rights”. Flash Fiction: A piece of fiction written in less than 500 words. Flat Fee: Money paid to the author for his or her work in one lump sum. The author does not receive any royalty after this payment. Flow: Word students often use to describe the organization and progression of a piece of writing; flow should be smooth with logical transitions or worthwhile leaps Fluency: Written material which flows in a smooth, effortless, and correct manner to a given or desired outcome in order for the reader to easily follow the writer’s thoughts or arguments Font: The typeface. Footnote: An explanation of a point, placed at the bottom of a page. Format: The layout aspects of a manuscript, including spacing, margins, indentations and font; different disciplines use different formats such as Modern Language Association (MLA), the Council of Biology Editors (CBD) or the American Psychological Association (APA) Formative assessment: Involves feedback designed to help the writer improve writing during the writing process

304

Appendices

Formatting: The manner in which a manuscript is prepared and presented. Free Verse: Verse that has neither regular rhyme nor regular meter. Alsocalled open formpoetry. Freewriting: Writing continuously without worrying about how well you are writing. This kind of informal writing is meant to explore one’s thoughts, unload one’s feelings, or reflect on something. Freshness: The unique quality of a piece of writing displaying creativity and originality of ideas or presentation Front matter: Pages at the beginning of the book that support the manuscript, such as title page, table of contents, etc. Frontlist: Books being published in the current year. Funds of knowledge: Life experiences, extensive reading, developed hobbies or any other source of information which allows a writer to pull from a wellspring of information about a given topic G Galleys: The initial typeset of a manuscript sent to the author for review before it is printed. Type size and column format are set, but page divisions are not made. Gendered language: Using nouns or pronouns which limit a subject to a specific gender Generalities: Ideas or statements that emphasize vague or imprecise characteristics rather than the specific details of a subject Genre: The form that writing takes; genre governs and is defined by style, conventions, tone, voice, etc., of a piece of writing; types of genres may include newspaper article, lab report, essay, poem, song lyrics, recipe, poster, etc. or category of writing – like mystery, science fiction, romance, fantasy, etc.

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Ghostwriter: A writer who is paid to write for someone else. A ghostwriter does not get a byline or any credit. Usually celebrities hire ghostwriters and then sell the book under their own names. Global revision: A holistic set of changes that significantly alters the scope, form, structure or purpose of a piece of writing Glossing: Process by which a reader moves through a piece of writing, paragraph by paragraph, recording what the writer is saying (what information is expressed) and what the writer is doing (what strategies the writer is using to communicate with a reader); glossing can be used as a reading or revision strategy Go-ahead: A positive response to a query that assigns an article to you. Grammar: A set of generally agreed upon rules for language use in a certain community around specific tasks including punctuation, word use, sentence structure, etc.; grammar conventions may differ slightly or significantly according to audience, purpose, and context Guidelines: Instructions for submitting work to a publication. H Haiku: A three line, seventeen syllable poem, usually about nature. Half title: The page at the beginning of the book that contains nothing but the title. Hard copy: The printed version of a manuscript. Hardcover: A book bound with a thick cardboard stock cover, usually with a paper dust jacket. High Concept: A storyline that can easily be described in one sentence and seems to be especially unique and commercially viable.

306

Appendices

High-stakes writing: Assignments for which professors expect polished academic writing that demonstrates knowledge of the course's subject matter; writing for tasks with momentous consequences whether for publication, passing a class, or other significant reasons Historical fiction: Fiction set in the past, attempting to fit in with the events and activities of the time. Homographs: Words which are spelled alike but are different in origin, meaning, or pronunciation. For example – fair (the adjective meaning beautiful or not dark) and fair (the noun meaning a periodical gathering with sales, shows and entertainment). Homonyms: Words that are spelled and pronounced alike but have different meanings. For example – pool (of water) and pool (the game). Hook: A line that draws the reader into the book from the very beginning. House style: A specific publisher’s preferred style. Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration. Short form is “hype”. I Idiom: Phrase or expression which means something different from what the words actually say; generally, an idiom is usually understandable to particular group of people; e.g. using “over one’s head” for not comprehending Illustration: Writing that uses an experience to make a point or clarify an idea Imagery: Words or phrases that a writer selects to create a certain picture in the reader’s mind; based on sensory detail and dependent upon freshness of the phrase or word choice Imprint: Division within a publishing house that deals with a specific category of books.

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Informal writing: Assignments meant to develop students' understanding and their ability to communicate it; rarely assessed for the conventions of writing these assignments are meant to generate ideas and clarify thoughts Inquiry: Process by which students investigate a particular idea, question, or problem; inquiry involves posing questions, suspending judgments, reflecting on initial assumptions, searching for multiple answers, generating more questions Invention: Process by which a writer discovers a subject, question or problem that he or she would like to pursue Investment: The amount of time and degree of energy either physically or intellectually a writer contributes to a project Invoice: A record of payment due, given to an accounting department or person of a publication. Irony: When a person, situation, statement, or circumstance is not what it seems to be, but the exact opposite. ISBN: Stands for International Standard Book Number, a unique identifier assigned to each published book for inventory and ordering. J Jargon: Mode of speech familiar only to a group or profession. For example – medical jargon or technical jargon. Journal: A diary or record of events, feelings, and thoughts usually recorded by date. Journaling: Writing to create a record of thoughts and feelings that a writer can return to and perhaps use as the starting place for a finished piece of writing; journal entries are generally freely written, with no concern for punctuation or polished prose, evaluation or ideas or editing 308

Appendices

Juxtaposition: Placing two ideas, words or images side by side so that their closeness creates an original, ironic or insightful meaning. K Key words: Terms that precisely pertain to the concepts, properties, topics or ideas of a writing piece Kicker: In journalism - a sudden, surprising turn of events or ending; a twist. Kill fee: Payment made to a writer for an article that was written, but not published. Knowledge: Informed opinions, facts, evidence and reason about a given topic L Lead paragraph: The first paragraph of a book, article or chapter. Lead Time: The time between getting the query or article and the publication of the article. Vital for seasonal articles and stories. Lead: The first paragraph of a manuscript. This is where the “hook” (to grab the reader’s attention) should be. Learning letter: An informal narrative written by a writer describing his or her process of working on a particular writing project or series of projects; a learning letter gives students the opportunity to reflect on and document their process of writing and thinking, as well as name any questions or concerns Limerick: A light, humorous style of fixed form poetry, usually of five lines and a subject matter which is silly. Literal: Actual or dictionary meaning of a word; language which means exactly what it appears to mean Literary agent: Someone who represents authors to publishers.

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Local revision: Small-scale revision, often called sentence-level revision, and might include rearranging sentences or words within a sentence; local revision most often takes place at a later stage in the revision process. Logic: The science of correct reasoning; correctly using facts, examples and reasons to support claims in writing Logline: One sentence description of a screenplay or TV script. Loop Writing: A type of writing that helps you develop your thinking. Stories, dialogues, prejudices, etc are written that take off from a word, phrase, or paragraph in some informal writing. Later you think about how you can use this loop writing to discover another point of view by bringing in relevant personal experiences. Low-stakes writing: Writing that is characteristically ungraded and exploratory; generally, this material has greater meaning to the writer since s/he is also the intended reader Lyric: A brief poem that expresses the personal emotions and thoughts of a single speaker, not necessarily of the poet. M Manuscript: Final copy of a work prior to publishing. Marginalia: A type of writing often literally written in the margin of a text which defines terms, asks questions or generally dialogues with the text for the reader’s edification Mark up: To add editing notes on a manuscript. Massmarket: A paperback book smaller in trim size than trade paperback, usually with a different cover illustration than the hardcover edition, and considerably cheaper. Meaningful writing: Writing that is significant to the author

310

Appendices

Memoir: An autobiography or a lengthy narrative of a specific period of one’s life. Mentor: A person such as a peer or instructor a writer seeks out for support, advice and modeling during any phase of the writing process Metacognition: Refers to thinking about thinking, or writing; it allows a reflection on thinking or writing that an author produces. Metaphor: A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, without using the word like or as. For example – Life is a briefcandle. (Macbeth) Meter: A recurring rhythmic pattern of stresses and unstressed syllables in a poem. Mood: The feeling that the author is trying to convey in the story. Motif: A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil. Myth: A story that attempts to explain events in nature by referring to supernatural

causes,

like

gods

and

deities.

Usuallypassed

on

fromgeneration to generation. N Narration: Writing that relates an event or a series of events; relaying an account of something; a story Narrative: A collection of events that tells a story, which may be true or not, placed in a particular order. Narrator: The person recounting a story, usually in the third person. Networking: Creating and maintaining informational relationships with others whose expertise benefits the writer Newbie: A new writer.

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Novel: A work of fiction consisting of 45,000 words or more. Novella/Novelette: Short works of fiction consisting of between 7,500 and 40,000 words. Nut Graf: In journalism, the paragraph that contains the main point of the story. O Objective description: Involves as little judgment as possible Objective: The goal, purpose or target for a piece of writing; may be established by the author or created by an outside force such as an instructor, editor or publisher Ode: A lengthy lyric poem that often expresses lofty emotions in a dignified style. On acceptance: An arrangement whereby a writer is paid if and when the editor accepts the article for publication. On publication: An arrangement whereby a writer is paid if and when the article is published. On spec: When there is no arrangement between the writer and an editor, and the writer prepares an article with the hope that an editor will accept it. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that resemble the sound they denote. For example – hiss or buzz. Originality: The quality of newness that exists in a piece of writing; that which has neither been produced before nor derived from any other source Outline: A point form or list of short sentences that describe the action or major ideas in a written work.

312

Appendices

Over-the-transom: Unsolicited materials submitted to editors. Overview: A brief description of a novel or non-fiction book intended to introduce the work to a publisher. Oxymoron: A phrase composed of two words with contradictory meanings. For example – original copy.

P Pace: The speed or rhythm with which a story is told. Palindrome: A word or phrase that means the same when read in either direction. For example – ‘mom’, or ‘Ma handed Edna ham’. Paperback: A softcover book, usually with a cardstock cover slightly thicker than the paper within. Parable: A brief and often simple narrative that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. Paradox: A statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on closer inspection, turns out to make sense. Paraphrase: A prose restatement of the central ideas of a poem, in your own language. Paraphrasing: To restate a phrase by using other words in order to shorten the passage or to make it more comprehensible to the author or reader Parody: An imitation of a serious work or narrative, usually in a sarcastic or humorous fashion. Passive voice: A grammatical term indicating that a subject has something done to it rather than performing the action itself; often, passive voice is considered weak writing and may, therefore, be undesirable to many readers Payment: What an editor pays a writer for his work.

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PB: Abbreviation for Picture Book. Peer review: Process by which a group of writers reads and responds constructively to each others’ work; processes for peer review vary but often allow time for the writer and reviewers to raise questions and generate discussion about a particular piece of writing; peer review sessions typically aim to support writers in the revision process Permission: A fee paid by anyone who wants to reprint part of a book for uses like - excerpts of the book appearing in an anthology; teachers reproducing all or part of the story for class use; or another writer using more than 50 words from the book in a published article. The publisher handles permissions for the author, and splits the proceeds. Persona: In literature, the persona is the narrator, or the storyteller, of a literary work created by the author. Personal narrative: A storied piece which relates the parts and core of the piece to a personal experience, observation or idea Personification: Human traits assigned to an animal or inanimate object. Personification: A form of writing where human characteristics are attributed to non-human things. Pica: A measure in typesetting equal to 1/6 of an inch. Pitch: The approach of an author to an agent or editor. For a book, this is typically a query letter with a synopsis. Plagiarism: The unauthorized use of another person’s words. Plot: The main events of a story. POD: Abbreviation for Print on Demand – publishing a book or books as they are demanded.

314

Appendices

Point of view: The perspective from which a story is told, expressed as through whose eyes the reader perceives the events. Point: A measure in typesetting equal to 1/72 of an inch (also a form of ballet, but that’s not the point here). Portfolio: A collection of a writer’s work including several drafts of projects as well as artifacts from different stages of the writing process; portfolios are often used as assessments tools that allow teachers to see a writer’s growth and to value different moments in a writer’s process POV: See “point of view”. Prefix: An auxiliary syllable that attaches to the beginning of a root word to change the meaning of the word. For example: marital, premarital. Premise: The idea on which the story is based. Pre-write: Process by which an author or class generates ideas about a topic, questions those ideas and develops lists or other organizational means of understanding the need for the questions Print On Demand: A process of remotely printing books as they are ordered. Print run: The number of books or magazines printed at one time. Process approach: encouraging writers to move through a series of actions directed toward a specific aim or purpose thus allowing for correction of errors and allowing time for review and revision Process: the recognition that writing is an on-going series of actions directed toward a specific aim or purpose; the “writing process” consists of prewriting, drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and proofreading Proofreading: Checking for technical errors in the text. When we proofread, we look for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and related items, not for style or structure. Proposal: Summary of a book and the business case for publishing it, usually written before a manuscript is drafted. 315

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Prosody: The overall metrical structure of a poem. Protagonist: The main character or hero of a story whose actions and goal drive the plot forwards. Pseudonym: An alias used by a writer desiring not to use his or her real name. Alsoknown as “penname”. Public Domain: Any material that can be freely used by the public, and does not come under the protection of a copyright, trademark, or patent. Publishing: The distribution of a piece of writing with the intent that it will be read by people other than the writer; publishing may be as informal as sharing in a small group or as public as submitting a piece to a professional journal or publishing house Pun: A play on words that relies on a word’s having more than one meaning or sounding like another word. Purpose: The reason or aim, explicit or implicit, for writing a particular piece; the intended purpose of a piece of writing is often dependent upon the audience and context for writing, and may determine the form or genre chosen Q Quality: An essential identifying nature or character of a piece or writing that demonstrates the writer’s ability to synthesize the valued elements of the writing process, express knowledge of a subject, and help the reader develop an understanding of the subject Quatrain: A four-line stanza. Quatrains are the most common stanzaic form in the English language, having various meters and rhyme schemes.

316

Appendices

Query Letter: A letter sent by the author to literary agents or publishers to seek representation or publishing. Query: A one-page letter pitching an article or a book idea to an editor. It usually consists of a catchy introduction, a bit of background on the topic, and a synopsis of the writer’s credits. Quotations: A piece of speech or writing from another source which is used in a piece of writing to clarify a point, juxtapose ideas, illustrate a concept or intrigue the reader’ adequate citation should always be included with a quotation in order to avoid plagiarism R Rambling: Writing which is not clearly organized, continues for too long and fails to follow a direct course or reach a goal, target or understanding Record of Submission: A formalized record of where and when an author has sent article or manuscript submissions. Rejection Slip: A letter from an editor indicating that the publisher is not interested in the author’s submitted work. Reminiscence: Recollection of a past experience or event that may serve as an illustration or the basis for a personal narrative or creative non-fiction piece Report: An objective account of an event, situation or episode Reprints: Previously published articles made available for publication in other magazines or journals. Research: A process of inquiring into a topic through various means including exploring what one believes and knows about the topic, seeking out other voices in the conversation, investigating and documenting others’ ideas, considering them in relation to one’s own.

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Response: Written commentary from a reader to the author conveying his or her reaction to the author’s writing, questions or needs Review: An examination of a piece of writing to ensure it adequately and accurately meets the targets set by the reviewer or the high-stakes reader Revising: Making changes to improve the writing. Revision: Process by which a writer looks again or re-sees ideas presented in an early draft Rhetoric: A way of communicating that encompasses audience, purpose, and context Rhyme: The similarity between syllable sounds at the end of two or more lines. Rights: Ownership of all the various ways in which a creative work may be reproduced, used, or applied. Rough Draft: The first organized version of a document or other work. Royalties: A percentage of the cover price of a book paid to the author. Royalties are only paid after the book has earned out and are usually paid on a monthly or quarterly basis. Run-on Sentence: Two or more sentences in a paragraph without appropriate punctuation or connecting words. S SASE: Abbreviation for Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope, usually sent with a query or manuscript so the editor or publisher can mail it back to the writer. Satire: The literary art of ridiculing a folly or vice in order to expose or correct it. Scansion: The process of measuring the stresses in a line of verse in order to determine the metrical pattern of the line.

318

Appendices

Self-publishing: A branch of publishing in which the author publishes his own works, cutting out the middlemen and raking in all the profits himself. With the advent of computers and desktop publishing programs, this approach has become increasingly viable. Sentence Fragment: A sentence that is missing the subject, the verb, or both. Serial: A publication

that appears periodically,

such as

magazines,

newspapers, or newsletters. Sestet: A stanza consisting of exactly six lines. Setting: The total environment for the action of a fictional work. Short Short: Fiction under 1,000 words. Short story: Fiction typically under 5000 words and published in a publication along with other material, rather than as a stand-alone. Side Bar: Extra information or hints and tips put together aside from the main article. Simile: Comparing two different things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example – The water was cold as ice. Simultaneous submissions: Sending a manuscript to multiple publishers or agents at the same time, sometimes considered acceptable and sometimes not. Slang: Informal words and expressions formed by a particular group of people as replacements for standard usage Slant: The angle or perspective a writer uses to approach a story. Slush Pile: Common term for unsolicited manuscripts received by a publisher or editor. Small press: A publishing company other than one of the major ones, often specializing in one or a few genres. Softcover: See “paperback”.

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Solicited Manuscript: A manuscript that an agent or editor has asked to see. Soliloquy: A monologue, usually to reveal inner thoughts of a character, or in film used by the antagonist to give audiences the chance to prepare for the hero’s attack. Soliloquy: A dramatic convention by means of which a character, alone onstage, utters his or her thoughts aloud - used to inform the audience about a character’s motivations or thoughts. Sonnet: A fixed form of lyric poetry that consists of fourteen lines, usually written in iambic pentameter, with a varied rhyme scheme. Spine: The end of a book that is visible when it is placed between two other books on a shelf. Stanza: A group of lines in a poem that form a metrical or thematic unit, set off by a space. Stress: The emphasis, or accent, given a syllable in pronunciation. Structure: The system within a paper that organizes it by relating details to form a coherent whole Style sheet: A list of grammar or word use specifications for a publication. Style: The manner of expression of a particular writer, produced by choice of words, grammatical structures, use of literary devices, and all the possible parts of language use. Subject: The main topic in a sentence, paragraph, essay, or book. Subjective description: Involves whatever personal judgment or experience is appropriate to a writer’s purpose Subjective: Points included in a piece of writing that express the author’s attitude, opinions or feelings

320

Appendices

Submission Guidelines: The guidelines given by the editor or the publisher for submitting queries or completed manuscripts to the publication. Subplot: The secondary action of a story, complete and interesting in its own right, that reinforces or contrasts with the main plot. Subtext: An underlying meaning or message within a text Suffix: An auxiliary syllable that attaches to the end of a root word to change the meaning of a word. For example – suggest, suggestive. Summary: A shortened version of text relaying the key elements of the piece Summative assessment: Involves a final judgment about a piece of work, usually a score or grade Supporting details: Secondary points which may help to clarify a point, illustrate a concept or prove a point as they serve to scaffold the points which are of primary concern Symbol: A word that on the surface is its literal self but which also has another meaning or even several meanings. Synonyms: Words which have the same or almost the same meaning. For example – happy and glad. Synopsis: Brief summary of a story, manuscript, or book, told in present tense prose which is usually two to three paragraphs in length. Syntax: The order and relationship between words and other structural elements, such as punctuation, in phrases and sentences; the arrangement these elements, and their re-arrangement, may significantly impact the meaning an author wishes to convey T Tardis: I threw that one in just to see if you were still listening. Tearsheet: Sample of an author's published work; once the actual “torn” page containing the article or story, but today a photocopy of it. 321

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Tense: Form of a verb that indicates time; verb tense may fall into categories of present past and future Terms: The deal made between the writer and the editor/publisher for the publication of a particular work - including types of rights purchased, payment schedule, expected date of publication, and other similar items. Theme: The central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work. It is the unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized. Thesis statement: An explicit statement of the purpose, intent or main idea of a piece of writing Thesis: The key argument the author puts forward, generally in non-fiction. Tone: The author’s implicit attitude toward the reader or the people, places, and events in a work as revealed by the elements of the author’s style. Topic Sentence: The sentence at the beginning of a paragraph that includes the main idea of the paragraph. Topic: The specific subject covered in a piece of writing Trade paperback: A softcover book larger in trim size than a massmarket paperback. Transitions: Words or phrases that link ideas together, show relationships and move one idea smoothly on to the next Travesty: A work that treats a serious subject frivolously, ridiculing the dignified. Often the toneismockserious and heavyhanded. Trim size: The width and height of a book’s pages. Triplet: A tercet in which all three lines rhyme. Typeface: The font specifications.

322

Appendices

U Understatement: The opposite of hyperbole, understatement (or litotes) refers to a figure of speech that says less than is intended. Unity: Combining sentences, paragraphs, ideas and details to form a coherent piece of writing Unsolicited Manuscripts: An article, story, or book that a publication did not request. Usage: The way in which people use language; standard, non-standard, formal and informal are variations on the usage of language; standard usage is generally the acceptable format used in written expression V Validity: Writing which demonstrates premises from which the conclusions logically follow Vanity publishing: A service to help authors publish books mostly for their own use, rather than for massmarket distribution. Venn diagram: Connected, overlapping circles which are used to express their relationship by expressing what characteristics are shared and those which are set apart; Venn diagrams are one of a multitude of graphic organizers which can be used for pre-writing exercises Verbs: Words which show action, or indicate existence of state of being; sentences crafted from vivid verbs add enthusiasm and interest to a writing piece Verse: Poetic lines composed in a measured rhythmical pattern, that are often, but not necessarily, rhymed. Villanelle: A type of fixed form poetry consisting of nineteen lines of any length divided into six stanzas. Visual texts - images rather than printed words or texts which convey messages, meaning and ideas 323

Effective Writing for Military Leaders

Vivid language - words selected to appeal to the senses and to help the reader see, feel, smell, taste and hear the subject; energized words incorporated into a piece to move it beyond the ordinary and expected prose of most writers Voice. The persona that the author adopts to convey his message, which will be reflected in the style of the writing. W WAC: Writing Across the Curriculum is a philosophy that maintains that writing is a valuable learning tool that can help students to synthesize, analyze, and apply course content; clear writing helps to develop clear thinkers in any curriculum Weight: The boldness of the text. White space: Any are of a page without text or images. WID: Writing in the Disciplines is the idea of supporting teachers to see themselves as teachers of writing as they incorporate writing into their classes in a meaningful and manageable ways Widows and Orphans: In publishing, a “widow” is the last line of a paragraph, printed alone at the top of a page. An “orphan” is the first line of a paragraph, printed alone at the bottom of a page. Withdrawal Letter: A politely worded letter to a publication or publishing house withdrawing a manuscript from consideration. Word Count: The estimated number of words in a manuscript. Wordiness: Using an excessive number of words in writing to express what could have been expressed in just a few Work for hire: An arrangement whereby a writer is hired for a specific project, and is not considered an employee and does not retain any rights.

324

Appendices

Writer: The person who wrote the work, either the author or the ghostwriter. Writer’s Block: The inability to write for some period of time. It can be the inability to come up with good ideas to start a story, or extreme dissatisfaction with all efforts to write. Writer’s Guidelines: A set of guidelines to which a publication wants its writers to adhere. Writing centers: On-campus sites where writers of all levels are supported in a one-to-one program which provides writers with feedback on their work and helps them develop strategies for approaching future writing tasks; teachers who are interested in better supporting their students´ writing may also use the writing center as a valuable resource for instruction Writing process: Recursive progression of thinking and writing undertaken by a writer in the development of a particular text; steps in the writing process usually include invention workshops, peer review workshops, and several stages of revision.

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9

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