ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS

jID M N C ED

WRITING
SKILLS



CONTENTS
U N I T 7 Protest and C om plaint

A cknow ledgem ents iv
Forew ord v
G eneral In tro d u ctio n vi
In tro d u ctio n to S tudents vii
T e a c h e r’s H an d lin g Notes viii
U N I T 1 Advice and O p in io n

P rotest, c o m p la in t a n d a p o lo g y ; c o n tra st
a n d concession; q u ite /f a ir ly /r a th e r ; reactio n .

U N I T 8 C ontroversy

69

C o n tro v e rs y ; reasons, causes a n d
e x p la n a tio n s; g e ru n d s as subjects a n d
o b jects; w ork.

1

A d v ic e ; fu tu re tim e c la u se s;

i t is

a d je c t iv e

t h a t . . .; c o n s u m e r

U N I T 9 C ontrast and
C om parison 79

v o c a b u la ry .

U N I T 2 Plans an d A rrangem ents

10

A rra n g e m e n ts a n d in v ita tio n s ; relativ e
clauses - d efin in g ; it is a d j e c t i v e + i n f i n i t i v e ;
e n te rta in m e n t.

U N I T 3 Permission

19

P e rm issio n ; su b stitu tin g infinitives for
re la tiv e c la u se s; p re se n t a n d p erfect
p a rtic ip le s; c h a ra c te r.

U N I T 4 Suggestions

U N I T 5 O b ligation

A d v a n ta g e s a n d d isa d v a n ta g e s; w hile a n d
w h e re a s ; q u a lify in g a n d d escrib in g
n o u n s ; to w n a n d co u n try .

U N I T 10 P robability

29

39

O b lig a tio n ; re la tiv e clauses —n o n ­
d e fin in g ; few /a few, e t c .; life a b ro a d .

U N I T 6 G eneralisations

49

Q u alify in g g e n e ra lisa tio n s; inversion
after neg ativ e in tro d u c tio n s; q u alify in g
a n d re-expressing s ta te m e n ts ; holid ay s
a n d tourism .

89

P ro b a b ility - p re se n t a n d f u tu r e ; w h a t a n d
w h ic h ; th a t a n d w h e th e r clauses as
su b jects; leisure tim e.

U N I T 11 P lanning

S uggestin g courses o f a c tio n ; expressing
c o n trasts a n d c o n cessio n ; focus a n d
id e n tific a tio n ; food a n d h e a lth .

60

97

P la n n in g ; p u rp o se clauses; in v erte d
c o n d itio n a ls; e q u a lity a n d p reju d ice.

K ey 108
Resources File

117


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

W e w ould like to thank the following people for their help and cooperation
in the developm ent o f this book: the principal, teachers, an d students of
E urocentre, B ournem outh for their help and encouragem ent; students at
the In stitu to A nglo-M exicano in M exico C ity; an d the secretarial staff at
E urocentre, B ournem outh, in p artic u la r H eath er W oodley and M ary
Parsa. W e w ould especially like to th an k J e ff Stranks for his contribution,
and R oger Scott for his help an d advice.
J o h n A rnold
Jerem y H arm er

FO REW O RD
W ith this book, the ten th E u ro cen tre p ublication in o ur series Teaching
Languages to Adults, we continue our program m e of providing m aterials
and techniques for language teaching in areas not yet fully covered.
T h e recent developm ents w ithin the field of linguistics have shown a need
for a new ap p ro ach to teaching English at the A dvanced level; w ith their
experience as teachers in an organisation teaching adults, the authors have
recognised the need to in te rp ret such developm ents at a strictly practical
level both for teachers an d students.
T hus Advanced Writing Skills concentrates on the production o f w ritten
English and incorporates new concepts o f A dvanced learning by leading the
students from controlled use to free an d individual production o f
ap p ro p riate language. In addition, this book provides the teacher w ith
m aterial suitable for a variety of learning situations.
It also offers m any opportunities for really challenging and varied
hom ew ork and encourages the responsible student to m ake full use o f his
self-study potential.
W e believe - and the testing of the m aterial in the English Eurocentres has
proved it - th at this book can m ake a valuable contribution to the teaching
of English at the A dvanced level for both teachers and students.
E rh. J . C. W aespi
Director o f thefoundation fo r
European Language and Educational Centres


GENERAL IN T R O D U C T IO N
In this book, language is treated u n d er three headings
F u n c tio n s

T o p ic N o tio n s

G ram m ar

U n d er F u n c tio n s we consider ways in w hich language is used, for exam ple,
Giving Advice. W e then present some of the forms o f language th a t can be used
in perform ing such Functions, for exam ple, i f you take my advice you w ill. . .
U n d er T o p ic N o tio n s we deal w ith the vocabulary related to a p artic u la r
subject or topic, for exam ple, Work. U n d e r G r a m m a r we present and
practise certain structural patterns.
THE COURSE

T h e course is designed for students w ho have either passed the C am bridge
First Certificate exam ination or successfully com pleted an equivalent course
o f study.
By the end o f this book, successful students will be able to use the Functions,
T opic Notions, and G ram m ar studied to express themselves fluently and
accurately, particu larly in w riting. Such students will be in a position to take
the C am bridge Certificate o f Proficiency exam ination after further training
in the specific techniques necessary for th a t exam ination.
U N IT LAY O U T

E ach u nit contains
a) A T ext, w hich exemplifies one or m ore F unctional areas, and w hich is
also about a p artic u la r topic, thus providing m aterial for discussion and
vocabulary extension.
b) C om prehension and S um m ary exercises.
c) R evision-Test (except U n it 1).
d) P resentation and practice of F unctional Language.
e) Sentence construction (i.e. G ram m ar).

f ) F eatures o f S tructure an d Style occurring in the text.
g) V ocabulary extension.
h) F inal W ritten Tasks, designed to integrate ( d)-(g) above.
DESIGN

T h e course is designed in such a w ay th a t it can be used, at the one extrem e,
for intensive courses, and at the other, for private study. As m any students at
this level follow non-intensive courses they will find the private study
potential of the book p articu larly valu ab le; a key is provided for the
m ajority o f the exercises. T hus, w here tim etabling makes this necessary,
p artic u la r parts of the unit m ay be d ealt w ith outside the classroom.
T h e following publications have been p articu larly useful in the p rep aratio n
of this book
Leech and Svartvik, A Communicative Grammar o f English, Longm an, 1975.
Q uirk and G reenbaum , A University Grammar o f English, Longm an, 1973.
W ilkins, Linguistics in Language Teaching, E dw ard A rnold, 1973.
VI


IN T R O D U C T IO N TO STUDENTS
R ead this, as it will help you to get the best out of the book.
T his book is especially designed for students who have passed the
C am bridge First C ertificate exam ination or who have done a course to
ab o u t the sam e level, an d com pleted it successfully. T his book will help you
tow ards a higher level o f English know ledge, and if you wish, tow ards the
C am b rid g e C ertificate o f Proficiency ex am in atio n .
THE L A Y O U T OF EACH U N IT

Text designed to provide discussion m aterial and show exam ples of the
language you will be studying.

Exercises on the Text designed to test your ability to u n d erstan d and take
inform ation out of the text and to give you p ractice in selecting p artic u la r
points from the text and linking this inform ation together w ithin a lim ited
n u m b er of words.
Revision- Test designed to give fu rth er p ractice in elem ents o f language which
you have already studied in previous units.
Functional Language p r o v i d e s o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o s t u d y a n d p r a c t i s e t h e
l a n g u a g e y o u n e e d for p a r t ic u la r p u r p o s e s , s u c h as s u g g e s t i n g c o u r s e s
OF ACTION.

Sentence Construction this section revises an d extends your g ram m atical know l­
edge of English.
Structure and Style provides opportunities to study an d practise special stylistic
features of w ritten English.
Topic Vocabulary here you can learn words in groups w'hich are all concerned
w ith a p a rtic u la r topic.
Writing Tasks this is the m ain piece of p ractice in w hich you can use the
language you have studied in the unit (as well as in previous units). These
compositions have been chosen to represent the kinds o f w ritten tasks which
you m ight one day w an t to perform in English.
T HE RESOURCES FILE

At the back o f the book you will find a section m arked r e s o u r c e s f i l e . H ere
you will find pictures, forms, and oth er visual aids taken from new spapers
and other sources. These aids are designed to give you extra practice and
revision of w hat you have studied in the units.
(lO o rm o re lessons a week),
you can use this book u n d er the guidance o f your teacher(s). It is a good idea
to read the passage of an y unit in advance and look at the T alk in g Points
section. T h ere is a key to all of the exercises m arked (K), so you can use the

exercises for revision an d extra practice as necessary.
if y o u a r e f o l l o w i n g a n i n t e n s i v e c o u r s e


IF YOU AR E FO LLO W IN G A N O N -IN T E N S IV E COURSE (2-10 lessons a Week),
you will have to do the m ajority o f the exercises on your own. T h ere is a key
provided for all the exercises w here this is possible. I f there are points in the
explanations or exercises w hich you do not understand, ask your teachers
about them w hen you have the opportunity.
Y ou will have plenty of opportunities w hen using this book to talk about
yourself, give your personal opinions, and say w hat you think. R em em ber
th a t learning ano th er language, especially at an advanced level, should be
an opp o rtu n ity to express yourself an d your ideas clearly and fluently, and
to enjoy learning to do this. W e wish you every success in bringing your
know ledge o f English to an a d v a n c e d level.

T E A C H E R ’S H A N D L IN G N O T E S
THE TE X T

It is suggested th at students read the text to be w orked on before com ing to
class.
EXERCISES ON THE TE X T

1 Vocabulary
This section is designed to show the students a variety o f vocabulary in
context. I t should be done orally, preferably before the other exercises on
the text.
2 Talking Points
These true/false questions are designed as oral classroom activity, e.g. the
teacher reads the sentences an d the students say w hether the answ er is

true or false. T he questions are not designed to focus on any p artic u la r
aspect of language, b u t should form the basis for discussion on the subjectm atter of the text.
3 Writing Points
These questions could be done orally, b u t the intention is th at the student
should be able to w rite complete answers, as he will have to do in the
Proficiency exam ination.
4 Context Questions
These questions could be d ealt w ith either orally, or in w riting. T hey are
designed to test the stu d en t’s in -d ep th understanding of the text.
5 Summary Work
T h e m ain aim of this is to train students to sum m arise, w ithin given word
limits, inform ation they have read. T h e exercises can be used successfully
as group work in the class.


R E V ISIO N -T E ST

These can be done m ost effectively in the classroom u n d er quasi-test
conditions. T h e very act of doing the test should reinforce students’ ability to
use the language w hich they have studied and help them to com m it th a t
language to their m em ories.
FU N C T IO N A L

L A N G U A G E , SEN TE N C E C O N S T R U C T IO N , S T R U C T U R E A N D

STYLE

Since these various aspects o f language are often treated in sim ilar ways they
will be dealt w ith together here.
It is suggested th a t the stu d en ts’ atten tio n be d raw n very carefully to the

w ay language is used in the text to perform certain functions. T h ey thus see
th a t they are not m erely studying g ra m m a r b u t are studying a language
whose use is exem plified in the text.
W hen studying the charts, before doing the exercises th a t follow them , it is
suggested th a t the teach er m ight point out the g ram m atically tricky aspects
o f the language. A n exam ple o f this is on page 43 w here the ch art includes X
has no alternative but to DO . . . A com m on m istake w ith this construction is
the omission o f but. This can be pointed out to the student as he studies the
chart, helping him to avoid the m istake in the future.
T h e exercises th a t follow, for exam ple, a d v i c e , are designed for classroom
use. It is suggested th a t the controlled exercises th a t usually begin the
exploitation should be done o rally; indeed, most of the exercises are suitable
for oral use, b u t to provide variety it is often a good idea to m ake the students
w rite one or two sentences from a p a rtic u la r exploitation. Wrhere, at the end
of each section, the practice is o f a freer n atu re, group-w ork is often very
profitable.
As was said in the g e n e r a l i n t r o d u c t i o n , constraints o f tim e m ay m ake
it im possible to do all the w ork in class. F or this reason there is a key at the
back o f the book, and parts o f the units can be set as hom ew ork/self-study.
W here m aterial from the r e s o u r c e s f i l e is ap p ro p riate to the language
being studied a note will be found in the unit, an d the m aterial can then be
used as a m ore interesting, or extra, or alternative, stim ulus for the students.
t o p ic

vocabulary

In this section the stu d en t is presented w ith a vocabulary area. T his section
is not inten d ed for classroom u se ; the stu d en t should discover the m eaning of
the words him /herself. T each in g vocab u lary is usually a fruitless exercise,
an d w ould certainly be so here. T h e exercises w hich follow the section,

how ever, could be set as hom ew ork. It is suggested th a t all the students be
equipped w ith a good dictionary.
W R IT IN G TASKS

T h e m ain objective of these tasks is th a t the student should practise w h at he
has learnt. Students m ust be encouraged therefore to use the language from


the units. O ne w ay of doing this is to p u t a tick on the page every tim e the
student uses language he has studied from this book. T h e O p tio n Boxes
simply provide m ore com position titles, should they be needed.
THE RESOURCES FILE

As has been already pointed out, the r e s o u r c e s f i l e can be used as a
source of extra practice m aterial, p articu larly w here this is suggested. Its
m ain function, however, is to provide interesting and real m aterial for
revision. Suggestions will be found u n d er each item , b u t teachers should feel
free to exploit this m aterial as they see fit.

x


MARKETING
CONSULTANCY
SERVICES
Tel: 725380
Mr J.K. Farringdon,
Sales Director,
World Motor-cycles Ltd.,
Dudley Drive,

Birmingham,
United Kingdom.

Dear Mr

North Africa Division
Hamra Street
Beirut, Lebanon
Telex: 52413

22nd August.

Farringdon,

We are writing in reply to your letter of August 2nd, which was
passed on to us by MCS Head Office in London. In your letter, you
asked for our advice concerning the marketing of motor-cycles in
North African countries, in particular Tunisia.
5 At the moment, it would seem to us that it is not possible to give

a definitive answer about the prospects for such a plan. This is
especially so, since, in our opinion, there are such vast differences
between the various countries in this area. It would appear to us
that your best course would be to have an area sales survey made, a
10 task we would gladly undertake on your behalf. At the same time as
finding out about sales prospects, it is essential that possible future
dealers should also be investigated, and this service is part of all
sales-surveys we make.
In addition to having a survey made, we would also advise you to make
15 a personal visit to the area, perhaps while the survey team is making

its investigations. This would enable you to 'get the feel' of the
countries concerned, which, in our opinion, is vital for any
businessman planning a major marketing venture.
We look forward to hearing from you again in the near future.

If you

20 need any details about the kind of survey we undertake, Head Office

will be very happy to supply them.
Yn u y a

a -i nr»OT*oT \r

C. Clark

Tài li u đư c chia s t i “TÀI LI U LUY N THI IELTS”
/>

ADVICE >1ND
OPINION
a
1

| Exercises on the text
VOCABULARY
F ind words or phrases in the text th a t m e a n :
a) advertising an d selling a com m odity
b) an organisation giving professional advice

c) sure and final
d) chances of success
e) very great
J) investigation to find out the chances of selling som ething
g) for you
h) people who sell for an organisation
i) extrem ely im p o rtan t

2 T A L K IN G P O IN T S
Say w hether the following statem ents are true or false. If you think the
answ er is false, give your reasons.
a) M r F arrin g d o n ’s letter arrived at the H ead Office on A ugust 2nd.
b) M r F arrin g d o n ’s letter asked for advice ab o u t selling m otor-bikes in
N orth A frican m arket-squares.
c) M arketing C onsultancy Services cannot yet say w hether it is a good
idea to sell m otor-cycles in N o rth A frican countries.
d) M r F arrin g d o n w on’t be able to sell motor-cycles in all N orth A frican
countries because they are so different from each other.
e) M r F arringdon is advised to m ake an area sales-survey.
f ) W hen M C S do sales-surveys, they also find out about places which
could sell the articles concerned.
g) M C S think th at it is im p o rtan t for businessmen to visit areas where
they w ant to sell things.
h) I f M r F arrin g d o n writes to H ead Office asking for details, he will
m ake them very happy.
3 W R IT IN G P O IN T S
Answ er the following questions w ith com plete sentences.
a) W hy did M r F arrin g d o n w rite to M C S ?
b) W h at reasons do M C S give for being unable to answ er M r
F arrin g d o n ’s questions ab o u t m arketing?

c) W h at advice do M C S give ab o u t finding out w hether m arketing
prospects are good ?
d) W h at do M C S advise M r F arrin g d on to do personally, and w hy?
4 C O N T E X T Q U E S T IO N S
a) ‘Such a p la n ’ in line 6 refers to . . .
b) ‘T his a re a ’ in line 8 refers to . . .
c) W h at does ‘this service’ in line 12 refer to?

2


j4DVICE

4ND
OPINION

d) W h a t does ‘w h ich ’ in line 17 refer to ?
e) ‘T h e m ’ in line 21 refers to . . .
5 SU M M A RY W O R K
Im agine you are M r F arrin g d o n . Y ou are p rep arin g a very short
m em o ran d u m for the o th er directors o f W orld M otor-cycles L td. on the
advice given by M C S. W rite the rep o rt in not m ore th a n 50 words.

b

| Advice

1 Look a t the following ways o f giving advice, some of w hich a p p e ar in the
text.
1 would { advUe

J 1 you to D O ...
[ recommend J
If you take my advice you will DO . . .
If I were you I would DO . . . (informal')
Susan Fisher is a stu d en t w ho is a b o u t to leave school. Use the following to
give her advice a b o u t h er future.
a) advise/learn/foreign languages
b) m y ad vice/continue/study
c) recom m end/get/job as soon as possible
d) if I/you/go/night-school/learn/profession
e) advise/earn enough m oney/travel ro u n d the world
f ) if/you/w ork/shop w ith your father
g) m y advice/get m arried , settle dow n/have a fam ily
N ow m ake m ore sentences o f your ow n, using the language in this section,
in w hich you give advice to
a) Som eone whose new car keeps going w rong
b) Som eone whose p et tiger has vanished
c) Som eone whose w ife/husband spends m ost o f her/his tim e aw ay from
hom e
2 Look a t m ore ways o f giving advice (some of w hich a p p ear in the text) in
w hich the w riter/speaker gives his opinion before giving his advice.
OPINION

ADVICE

In my opinion
As far as I ’m concerned
From my point of view I think

you should DO . . .

the best thing you can DO .. .
is DO . . .

It would | seem i (to me) that
[ appearJ v

your best course would be to
DO . . . <(formal)

3


ADVICE AND
OPINION
a . N ow you are giving opinions and advice to someone whose neighbours
are always holding parties and throw ing litter over the fence.
a) seem /m e/best course/tell them how/feel
b) point/view /should call/police
c) opinion/throw /rubbish back
d) seem /best course/letter/com plaint
e) as far/concerned/best thing/take them /court
f ) appear/best course/law yer
g) opinion/sue them /dam ages/nervous disorder due to the continual
noise

b. Now m ake m ore sentences o f your own, using language from this section,
in w hich you give advice to
a) Som eone who dresses shabbily, has untidy hair, seldom washes, and
gets turned dow n at all the interview s he/she goes for
b) Som eone w ho has been accused, by one of his/her colleagues, of

em bezzling m oney, even though it is not true
c) Som eone w ho is having problem s w ith his/her English
3 Look at the following ways of asking for advice.
What* do vou \ aC^ *SC

, 1 me to DO ?

[ re c o m m e n d J

Could you give me some advice about DOING:
Where*
* Other W H -q u e s tio n s

j

f \ DO ? (slightly informal}

are also c o m m o n ,

e.g. How/when,

etc.

a. U sing the language from the ch art above ask for advice in the following
situations
a) Y ou w ant to know w here to live in E ngland in a ru ral area, b u t near
London
b) Y ou w ant advice about learning a m usical in s tru m e n t-i.e . you do not
w ant to learn a very difficult one
c) You have been offered two jobs. O ne is in a nice tow n b u t the pay is

low, the other is w ell-paid, b u t in a horrible area
d) W hen you try to be nice to your children, they are rude to you
e) You w ant to give up smoking, b u t you do not know how to
4 Below are five situations in w hich people need advice. U sing the language
from 1, 2 and ^ ( o n pages 3 an d 4), im agine you are w riting the letters in

w hich advice is asked for and given.

4


ADVICE >1ND
OPINION
F red erick C la y b o rn

Age 37

Heavy drinker, drink affecting his
health; has been told by doctor
to stop.
Executive in electronics firm,
says drink helps him to fulfil
work-load.
H e c o rre s p o n d s w it h a frie n d

corresponds

unde

,a Fernandez As

ants to learn Eng)
,de or secretary

e corresponds with

Resourcesfile references 1 C2 caption b)

2 G2 caption a)

c | Sentence construction
F U T U R E T IM E C LA U SES
Look at the following sentence from the text
. we w ould also advise you to m ake a personal visit to the area, perhaps
while the survey team is making its investigations' (Lines 14—16)
T h e second p a rt of the sentence refers to the future, b u t the present
continuous tense is used because it is a t i m e c l a u s e beginning w ith while.
T h e sentence is p ro d u ced in the following w a y :
W e w ould also advise you to m ake
a personal visit to the area.

P erhaps the survey team will be
making its investigations ( then).

D epending on the situation an d context, there are four possible tense forms
w hich can ap p e ar in t i m e c l a u s e s
you
you
you
you

DO ( Present Simple)
A R E DOIJVG (Present Continuous)
H A VE D O N E ( Present Perfect Simple)
HA VE B E E N D O IN G (Present Perfect Continuous)

5


ADVICE >4ND
OPINION
EXAMPLES

i)

will
You
T om
He will arrive

m eet

11!

I can m ention it
I will be talking
to Jack

iii)

D o n ’t come

I will have had my
lunch

iv)

Y ou will get to
know our m ethods
You will have been
working here fo r a
while

w hen

You will m eet T om when he arrives.

w h il e

I can m ention it while I am talking to
Jack.

u n t il

D o n ’t com e until I have had my lunch.

w hen

You will get to know our m ethods
when you have been working here fo r a
while.

Im agine you have been m ade red u n d an t, and you are being given
inform ation at an unem ploym ent office. C om bine the following pairs of
sentences in the same w ay as in the examples.
a) You will get welfare m oney.
t il l / u n t il
You will get a new job.
b) Y ou will be able to find work.
AS SOON a s / o n c e
T h e economic situation will have im proved.
c) W ould you fill in this form ?
W H IL E
Y ou will be w aiting.
d) You can apply for help w ith your rent paym ents. a s s o o n a s
Y ou will have been receiving welfare m oney for
a m onth.
e) W e will also help you.
WHEN
Y our children will need to buy school books.
f ) Please inform us.
IM M EDIATELY
You will be offered a new job.
! In the following sentences people are talking ab o u t their forthcom ing
holidays. Com plete the sentences w ith a suitable tim e clause.
a) W h e n ____ , yo u ’ll need a long holiday.
b) I ’ll be lying in the sun, w h ile _____
c) As soon a s ____ , m y own holidays will be starting.
d) I ’m going to book m y flight im m e d iately _____
e) 15 there any chance o f you seeing m y father, w h ile ____ ?
f> By the tim e ____ , yo u ’ll be too tired to enjoy your holidays.
g) I ’m not going to work so h ard , once

or you’ll get
h) Y ou’d b etter learn to drive properly, before
arrested.

6


ADVICE AHD
OPINION
3 H ere is an advertisem ent for a career in banking. Im agine you are giving
inform ation ab o u t jo b prospects to someone who is thinking o f taking up
the career.

nager
iationally oriented
c in Kuwait. The
/ing within a fast
.ondary objective
oarate subsidiary
•lent full service

A CAREER IN
BANKING ?
Salary £2,400 rising to £4,800 after 7 years.
In-service tra in in g . Special 1 m onth course in
London after 1 year's service. Low interest
loans fo r hou se-pu rch a sers w ith no m inim um
service requirem ent. S a tisfa ctory experience
in all d epartm ents leads to a u to m a tic co n ­
sideration fo r deputy m anager's post. Free

m edical insurance after 3 m on ths' service.
Please repty in complete confidence to M r H urst,
R ecruitm ent Officer.

e.g. When you start, you will be earning at least £2,400 ayear.
Resourcesfile reference B1 caption a)

d

| Structure and style

T h ere are a n u m b er o f adjectives w hich, w hen used in the p a tte rn
It is a d j e c t i v e t h a t . ..
often use s h o u l d w ith the verb in the ‘th at-clau se’.
In the text, line 12, there is the clause
‘. .. it is essential th a t possible dealers should also be investigated
This p a tte rn occurs after adjectives expressing
Surprise an d shock (e.g. amazing, horrifying, crazy, etc.)
D isapproval and disap p o in tm en t (e.g. typical, sad, etc.)
A dvisability an d im p o rtan ce (e.g. better, essential, vital, etc.)
Ju stice (e.g. (only) fa ir, (only) natural, etc.)
T h e m ain use of this p a tte rn is to com m ent on an idea ra th e r th an on a fact,
an d such sentences w ith ‘should’ are ra th e r subjective.
C om pare
i) It is surprising th a t you believe him .
= The f a c t thatyou believe him is surprising.
ii) It is surprising th a t you should believe him.
= j u s t t h e i d e a o f you believing him is surprising.
(A lthough in m any cases there is very little, if any difference, betw een a
exam ple

7


ADVICE >4ND
OPINION
sentence w ith ‘should’ an d one w ithout, an advanced student ought to
begin to note exam ples where ‘should’ is used and try to im itate them .)
1 R ew rite the following sentences beginning w ith ‘It is a d j e c t i v e th at
exam ple

You know m y uncle. T h a t is ra th e r odd.
It is rather odd thatyou should know my uncle.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

C hildren are allowed so m uch freedom . T h a t is crazy.
It is essential for children to be tau g h t discipline.
I t is only n atu ra l for parents to spoil their children.
It is extrem ely im p o rtan t for children to learn to share things.
No two children learn in the sam e way. This is strange.
It is m uch b etter for parents to know about the problem s their children
have at school.
g) It is only right for parents to get involved in the education of their
children.

h) Some parents consider school a w aste of tim e. This is sad.

2 M an y people are w orried ab o u t the increase in noise and air pollution in
towns. Im agine you believe th a t noise an d air pollution should be
reduced. M ake statem ents on the subject beginning as follows
a) It is only fair t h a t . . .
b) I t is typical t h a t . . .
c) I t is horrifying t h a t . . .
d) I t is absurd t h a t . . .
e) I t is u nfortunate t h a t . . .
f ) It is absolutely vital t h a t . . .
g) It is only reasonable t h a t . . .
h) I t is quite incredible t h a t . . .

e
1

8

|Topic

vocabulary

CO N SU M ER VOCABULARY
U sing a dictionary or any other source find out the m eaning of the
following words connected w ith advertising, buying and selling.
a) m arket; to m arket
b) p ro d u c t; article
c) ad v ertise; ad v ert(isem en t); co m m ercial; advertising cam paign
d) to h ire; to ren t; hire-purchase (agreem ent)

e) guarantee
j ) re d u c tio n ; to re d u c e ; cu t-p ric e ; value (for money)
g) second-hand; shop-soiled; b arg ain ; to be (not) w orth it
h) b a d ly -m a d e ; w ell-m ad e; to la s t; to break d o w n ; to w ear out


ADVICE >4ND
OPINION
2 U sing the vocabulary from 1 above, com plete the blanks in the following
sentences
a) ‘W o o f’ dog food has started a new a d v e rtisin g ____ T hey have p u t
____ in the new spapers a n d _____on the television.
b) Som ebody ow ned m y car before m e, so it is _____
c) ‘S m ooth’ shirts a r e _____Y ou can still w ear them after ten years
because they n e v e r_____
d) I f you are going to buy a new cam era, m ake sure you get a -------so th a t
you can have it rep aired free for the first year.
e) T h e d ep a rtm en t store is holding a sale. Prices have b e e n -------, so th a t
everything is very cheap. You can pick up some really fa n ta stic ------f ) T h ey are n o t ____ buying. T h ey a r e _____and they o n ly _____ for two
m onths.
3 Now w rite sentences of your ow n (using consum er vocabulary) ab o u t
things you have b o u g h t recently.

f

| W ritin g tasks

(K)

150-200 words

1 Y ou w an t to m ake a career as a tourist guide, an d since you speak English
you w ould obviously be interested in w orking w ith English-speaking
tourists. W rite a letter to the British Em bassy in your country asking for
advice ab o u t the best w ay to achieve this am bition.
2 O P T IO N BO X
a) A letter to an English person w ho is com ing to stay in your cou n try for
two m onths. Give them advice ab o u t clothes, m oney, etc.
b) A letter to som eone you know in E n g lan d asking for advice ab o u t
w here to study English. Y ou should explain w hy you w an t to continue
w ith English, and w h at sort of things you w an t to do, etc.
Resourcesfile reference E2 caption c)

9


34, Clareville Mansions,
Trebelwyn,
Nr. Wadebridge,
Cornwall.

9th November.
Dear Mr

Huntley,

I am writing to you in your capacity as the Member of Parliament
for this constituency about a matter .which has angered and worried
many of us who live in Trebelwyn and nearby.
We have always known about the Craven Hill government research

station, two miles from this village, and until a month ago we
had always believed that it was used for the purpose of
agricultural investigation.
But as you must be aware, the recent
revelations in the Sunday Star, and the comments which the Prime
Minister made mean we now know for certain that Craven Hill is
10 used for the development of materials for biological warfare.
5

A lot of us have become extremely alarmed by this, and we have
formed a group called 'Craven Hill Action Group'. I am the
appointed leader and I am therefore writing to you to ask for
help. Many of the members of our group have very strong moral
15 objections to the idea of biological warfare.
It is frightening
to realise that a small test-tube full of germs could destroy a
whole civilisation. Even those, however, who do not feel strongly
about this are determined to get the Craven Hill station closed
down so that our families and children do not have to live in
20 fear of some terrible accident.

25

30

We are asking, therefore, for your help. In two weeks' time we
are holding an afternoon fete to raise money for our campaign,
and in the evening some of our members will be putting on a
concert. We were wondering if it would be possible for you
to

come and meet us, and maybe give a speech since we know that you
have spoken against nuclear and biological warfare,
and you are a
man whose outspoken views on this subject are well known. If you
are not able to join us then we would like to come to London and
visit you at the House of Commons, and we were wondering what day
would be most convenient for you.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Pringle
Craven Hill Action Group

10


PLANS >JND
ARRANGEMENTS
a

| Exercises on the text

1 VOCABULARY
F ind words or phrases in the text th a t m ean:
a) position
b) an area th a t elects one m em ber o f P arliam en t
c) concerned w ith the land an d farm ing
d) disclosures, surprising new facts
e) organise, p u t together
f ) feelings th a t som ething is bad, against som ebody’s principles

g) an open-air sale ru n by people who are not shopkeepers, w hich tries to
raise m oney

®

2 T A L K IN G P O IN T S
Say w hether the following statem ents ab o u t the text are true or false. I f
you think the answ er is false, give your reasons.
a) M r H u n tley is a politician.
b) C raven H ill investigates agriculture.
c) All the villagers are m em bers o f the A ction G roup.
d) Some m em bers of the group think it is w rong to use biological
weapons.
e) T h e group thinks th a t C raven H ill endangers local people.
j ) T h e group w ants M r H u n tley to play in their concert.
g) T h e group wishes to arran g e a m eeting in L ondon w ith M r H untley.

®

3 W R IT IN G P O IN T S
A nsw er the following questions w ith com plete sentences.
a) W h a t is M r H u n tley , an d w ho does he represent?
b) W h at is ‘biological w arfare’ ?
c) H ow could a ‘small test-tube full o f germ s’ destroy a whole
civilisation?

®

4 C O N T E X T Q U E S T IO N S

®

a) W ho is ‘us’ in line 3?
b) W h at d o e s ‘it’ refer to in line 6?
c) W ho are ‘those’ in line 17 ?
d) W hose families are ‘our fam ilies’ in line 19?
5 SU M M A RY W O R K
Im agine you are one of the ‘C raven H ill A ction G ro u p '. Y ou w an t to
place an advertisem ent in a n atio n al new spaper explaining w hat you are
an d w hat you object to. Y ou hope th a t the advertisem ent will bring a lot
o f people to your next m eeting. A dvertisem ents are expensive, so you
m ust lim it your w ords to 60. W rite the advertisem ent, using o n l y
inform ation from the text.
11


PLANS AND
ARRANGEMENTS
b

|Revision-test

1 J o in the following pairs of sentences to m ake one sentence.
a) J o h n will not stop working.
H e will have finished w hat he is doing.
b) H e will stop work.
H e will go and have a drink.
c) H e will feel a little drunk.
H e will have been drinking for a couple of hours.

(3 marks)

2 C hange each of the following sentences so th a t they start w ith the phrases
given.
a) ‘Give up d rinking’
I f I were you . . .
b) ‘Stop smoking so m any cigarettes’
It w ould ap p ear . . .
c) ‘H ow can I stop sm oking?’
C an you give me . . .
d) ‘E at sweets instead’
In m y opinion . . .
(4 marks)
3 Choose the right answer, a , b, c , or d in the following questions.
a) W hen he got a jo b , he h ad no difficulty i n ____ his family.
a b u y in g
b d e se r tin g
c su p p o r tin g d h o ld in g u p
b) W hen the factory closed dow n he w a s _____
a sacked
b m ade redundant
c fired d g i v e n u n e m p l o y m e n t
c) This was very serious because he had signed a ____ agreem ent for a
new car.
a

rent

b

h ir e -p u r c h a se

c secon d -h an d

d

sh o p -so ile d

(3 m a r k s )

4 W rite three sentences to someone whose son has ru n aw ay from hom e,

an d has disappeared. You should use
Advice language
T im e clauses

(5 marks)
(T o tal: 15 marks)

c | Arrangements and invitations
1 M A K IN G A R R A N G E M E N T S
Look at the following ways o f m aking arrangem ents some of w hich occur
in the text.
I was wondering J if
\
I wonder
[whetherJ

,,
.

...
/convenient!
►for you
Monday would be <
...
'
[possible
we could DO . . . on Monday.
it would be possible for X to DO .

Would it be <( possible \ for x t o Z)0 . . . on Monday?
Lconvenient^
Could XD O . . on Monday? (slightly informal)>

12


PLANS AND
ARRANGEMENTS
Use the following to m ake arrangem ents.
a) I w o n d er/w e/m eet/F riday
b) W ould/possible/m e/see you/T uesday
c) C ould you com e/m y house next week
d) I/w ondering/possible/you/visit us/the sum m er
e) w e/lunch together next week
j ) W ould /co n v en ien t/m e/p ay y o u /visit/T hursday
g) I w o n d er/F riday/convenient/you
h) we h ave/drink to g eth er/S atu rd ay
2

E X T E N D IN G IN V IT A T IO N S
Would you like to DO . . . ?
Would you be interested in D O ING.. . ?

Use the following to extend invitations.
a) you like/stay w ith us next w eekend
b) you /in terested /g o in g /th eatre next T h u rsd ay
c) come to a p arty /F rid a y
d) going hitch-hiking/sum m er
3 R E S P O N D IN G T O A R R A N G E M E N T S A N D IN V IT A T IO N S
I will not be able to DO .. .
I can not manage to DO . . .
I am afraid <
it will not be possible for X to D . . .
tim e will not be convenient

No

Yes

I would be delighted to DO . . .
It will be possible for X to DO . . . ^weak)>
I would love to DO . . . (slightly informal')

Below are some situations concerning invitations or arrangem ents. Say
w hat you w ould w rite in each case.
a) A friend has asked you to stay for the weekend. Y ou wish to accept.
b) T h e gas board have w ritten you a letter asking if they can come and
‘read your m ete r’ on T h u rsd ay . T his w ould be a b ad day for you.
c) You have w ritten to an English com pany for a jo b interview . T h ey

replied, asking you to go at 12.30 next W ednesday. You wish to
confirm the ap p o in tm en t.
d) A friend has asked you if you could arran g e a p arty for some visitors he
has. You cannot.
e) Y ou have been asked to a concert by one o f your distant relations. Y ou
accept.

13


PLANS >4ND
ARRANGEMENTS
4

G eorge is a student w ho is in his last term at college. H e is trying to get a
jo b teaching. Below is his diary for the next two weeks.

July

July

^
O b l u s i o k lA /v ttP i/f& y

M onday Week 38

C // A j - . A

t/VWWkjJ

C oK C M -fr l/tf/fL J tfc /h jy
Tuesday

5

' uosda'
a J Schtnrf
fo y itA c /u k a /O jb /S ~ 3 0

^ ^

------------------------------------------------- -------------------

6 w7;esday , ■,

_

¥% + >

.

l4-(Tb F tlv h c S ^ U u v i^ y

Wednesday

1 o

* /

/

/

y

------ — ---------------------------

----------- .____________

0M

7 ThursdavB/iAAAM^ PAYEW
eok23

1%

Thursday

t

1^ /ftHrfi/iiAJ fr j

Pul w it JiK,^M,]MaMc

PAYE Week 24 .

a S o h s tttf w '

/«A. //-Jo

____________ ____________ ____ ______

8 Friday ft- r o

/

L o h vcJw K k a u y K

Friday

T u * n n JJ frU £ ~ ~ 1 ® / 6 ■(fo h y b r i d y w fT

P n fa tv r B radhtM i?

__

--------------------------.------- -------------

P ^ fe a !^ B ra d I

g fl

Saturday

0M

Sunday

Saturday

F ro th e d /

foi/L C A w s
___________________

15tha"°'Tr,n',v

16th after Trinity

lA ft/l J& tU vt] rS p o u f l i d s

Using the language o f a r r a n g e m e n t s an d i n v i t a t i o n s w rite sentences
from the letters betw een G eorge and others. G eorge will refuse an
invitation if he has som ething arranged for th a t time.
a) G eorge’s bank m anager wants to see him at 11.00 on W ednesday the
6th.
b) A school wants George to go for an interview during the afternoon of
T hursday the 7th.
c) J e n n y ’s parents invite G eorge for lunch on Sunday the 10th.
d) G eorge’s landlord wants to call and see him on the m orning of
Tuesday the 12th.
e) G eorge’s m aiden a u n t wants to have dinner w ith him on the evening
of M onday the 11th.
f ) Professor B radbury wants to change the tim e of the tutorial to 12.00 on
T hursday the 14th.
g) O ne of G eorge’s lecturers invites G eorge to go sailing on S atu rd ay the
16th.
h) G eorge’s bank m anager now wants to see him on the m orning of
Friday the 15 th.
Resourcesfile references

14

1 D1 caption b)

2 D2 caption a)


PLANS AND
ARRANGEMENTS
d

| Sentence construction

R E L A T IV E C L A U S E S - D E F IN IN G
In using relative (who, that, which, etc.) clauses you need to concentrate on
the following p o in ts:
i) w hen it is necessary to have a relative pronoun, an d w hen it can be left
out;
ii) w hether the style is Look at the following exam ples from the text an d notice w hen the relative is
the subject, w hen it is the object o f the following verb, an d w hen it is a
possessive.
su b ject
. . . a matter which has angered and worried many o f us (1. 2 )
ob ject
. . . the comments which the Prime Minister made . . . (1. 8/9)
p o s s e s s i v e . . . a man whose outspoken views on this subject. . . (1. 27)
T h e basic rules for using relatives can be sum m arised as follows.
People and pets

Subject
( inform al)

that
(who)

Object
*
(that)

( formal)

who

who(m)

Possessive

whose

whose

With preposition
*
, , \ ■ PREPOSITION
(that)
who . . .

PREPOSITION

PREPOSITION

whom

(veryformal>
Things
■(i n f o r m a l )

that

*
(that)

■(f o r m a l )

which

which

whose
(of which)
(veryformal}

*
, .
.
(that)

. . . PREPOSITION

preposition + which

* Cases where no relative is used are known as contact clauses. (The words in
brackets are the less usual forms.)
In m any cases the idea o f possession is shown by a w ^ -p h ra s e ,
. | man) . , ,. f ears.
e.ff. A {
> with big { ,
,
\car I
° I headlights.
is m ore com m on th an
A I man)
,
) ears
(
,.
A <
> whose < ,
are big.
Icar j
[headlightsJ
*
1 M ake the following pairs or groups o f sentences into one sentence by using
relative or contact clauses an d om ittin g the w ord in italics. W rite each
sentence in the style indicated.

15