TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC DUY TÂN

KHOA TIẾNG ANH

BỘ MÔN: ANH VĂN KHÔNG CHUYÊN

GIÁO TRÌNH
WRITING LEVEL 4
Mã môn học: ENG 267

Giảng viên biên soạn: Th.S. Nguyễn Vĩ Thông

LƯU HÀNH NỘI BỘ

Đà Nẵng, năm 2018

WRITING LEVEL 0
4
 TABLE OF CONTENT
Page
Chapter 1: Revision:
sentence building
Lesson 1: Revision: simple
sentences
Lesson 2: Revision:
compound sentences
Lesson 3: Revision: complex
sentences
Lesson 4: Sentence building:
practice
Chapter 2: Responding to an
email complaining letter
Lesson 5: An overview of an
email complaining letter
Lesson 6: Useful languages
for emails of complaining
and explaining
Lesson 7: Responding to
email complaining letters (1)

Lesson 8: Responding to
email complaining letters (2)

Lesson 9: TOEIC practice –

writing response for
complaining email letter
Chapter 3: Writing opinion
essays
Lesson 10: Writing a
concluding paragraph (1)
Lesson 11: Writing a
concluding paragraph (2)
Lesson 12: Writing a simple
essay (1)
Lesson 13: Writing a simple
essay (2)
WRITING LEVEL 1
4
Lesson 14: Writing a simple essay (3)

WRITING LEVEL 2
4
 Chapter 1

Revision: Sentence Building


 Lesson 1
REVISION: SIMPLE SENTENCES
A-LANGUAGE FOCUS

Basic clause elements

1. SV
It is raining.
2. SVA
The company is growing steadily.
3. SVO
The secretary is checking an email.
4. SVOO
The clerk has sent her manager a report.
5. SVC
The report looks amazing.
6. SVOC
The memo makes employees confused.
7. There + to be + S
There will be hundreds of inviters.
8. Expanding patterns (SVOA, SVCA…)
She has checked the report carefully.

B-LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I- Add an objective complement of the type indicated to each of the following sentence.

1. They named our new cat (noun) _.

2. The board member considered the company’s new president (adjective)
.
3. Unanimously, all of my officemates appointed me (noun) .
4. The writer of the high school appointed me (noun) .
5. The neighborhood parents think my yard (adj) .
6. Our fraternity elected Terry (noun) .
7. The new bedroom curtains make the room (adjective) and (adjective)
.
 8. We named the twins (noun) and (noun) .
9. The craftsman made the housing development (noun) .
10. My husband judges me (adjective) .
II- Underline and name the sentence elements

1. We have added an extra unit to our department recently.

2. Your channel must change all the programs tomorrow.
3. I can’t get my hands warm.
4. His wife made him curry for dinner.
5. The present should be wrapped up in colored paper.
6. Thomas grew his hair very long.
7. Honestly, he is becoming a real bore.
8. The news about your illness reached me very late.
9. I haven’t told anyone about my problems yet.
10. She must change her attitude to young people.
11. Some students turned out quite good in the test.
12. She can make you happy in the end.

C-PRACTICE IN TOEIC

In this part of the test, you will write ONE sentence that is based on a picture. With each picture,
you will be given two words or phrases that you must use in your sentence. You can change the
forms of the words and you can use the words in any order.

1. catch / bus
2. traffic / busy

3. fix / laundry-room

4. hand / car
5. lesson / sleepy

6. nobody / park

7. discuss / lounge
8. work / exhausted

9. chefs / carefully

10. ready / guests

11. coffee / client

12. happily / park

13. porter / luggage

14. breakfast / serve

15. harvest / farmers

 Lesson 2
REVISION: COMPOUND SENTENCES
A-LANGUAGE FOCUS

 A compound sentence is two or more independent clauses joined together.

 There are three ways to join independent clauses to form a compound sentence.

 Coordinators (coordinating conjunction)

Independent Clause, + Coordinator + Independent Clause

(Coordinator: FAN BOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

E.g. Nuclear accidents can happen, so nuclear power plants must have strict
safety controls.

 Conjunctive Adverbs

Independent clause; Conjunctive Adverb, Independent clause

(Conjunctive Adverb: besides, furthermore, moreover, also, however,

nevertheless, accordingly, hence…)

E.g. Students must take final exams; otherwise, they will receive a grade of
incomplete.

 Semicolon

Independent Clause; + Independent Clause

E.g. My older brother studies law; my younger brother studies medicine.

B-LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I- Complete the sentences with appropriate coordinators or conjunctive adverbs

1. She did not cheat on the test, it was not the right thing to do.
2. I think I will buy the red car, I will lease the blue one.
3. I really want to go to work, I am too sick to drive.
4. There were white-out conditions in the town; , the roads were impassable.
 5. He said he was not there yesterday; , many people saw him there.
6. I am counting my calories, I really want dessert.
7. He ran out of money, he had to stop playing poker.
8. He turned in the research paper on Friday; , he would have not passed the
class.
9. They got there early, they got really good seats.
10. There was no ice cream in the freezer, did they have money to go to the
store.

II-In the following exercise, turn the sentence pairs into single compound sentences, each
with a coordinating conjunction. You can rearrange or add words in the sentence to
make it sound better, but only if it's necessary.

1. The black dog has won many prizes. He doesn't know many tricks.

2. She saw a cat run in front of her. She fell down while roller-skating.

3. There was a meteor shower. The crew did not know how to avoid the meteors.

4. I wanted to buy a baby Chihuahua. I started to save my money.

5. Gillian did not like to read. She was not very good at it.

6. Pam liked Wayne. Leena also liked Wayne.

7. The little boy did not like going to school. He went anyway.
 8. You can cry like a baby. You can clean your room like an adult.

9. She didn't want to play with Jill. She didn't want to play with Tim.

10. Arleen could not play with that boy. Arleen could not play with that other boy.

C-PRACTICE IN TOEIC

In this part of the test, you will write ONE sentence that is based on a picture. With each picture,
you will be given two words or phrases that you must use in your sentence. You can change the
forms of the words and you can use the words in any order.

1. feeding time / ground

it is feeding time, and the birds are eating on the

ground

2. late / arrive

the bus has not arrived, so she may be late for

work
3. fix / broken

4. try / unable
The boys are trying to catch the ball,but they are
unable

5. explain / otherwise

The woman is explaining a problem; otherwise , the man

hardly understand it
6. chat / prepare

7. effort / win

8. choices / difficult
9. morning / water

10. tired / water

11. break / enjoy

12. over / empty

13. hard-working / collect

14. contract / feel

15. dance / carnival
 Lesson 3
REVISION: COMPLEX SENTENCES
A-LANGUAGE FOCUS

 Adverbial clauses
o Time: when, whenever, as, before, after, as soon as, while, until…
-Before we go on vacation, we must make reservations.
o Places: where, wherever, everywhere, anywhere…
-Wherever there is a beach, sun worshippers will gather.
o Manner: as, as if, as though…
-The cat made herself at home in the apartment as if she had always lived there.
o Condition: if, unless…
-Unless you run fast, you will miss the bus.
o Reason: because, since, as, now that…
-Because he loved her, he didn’t believe she had an affair.
o Result: so…that, such…that…
-More orders are coming in so rapidly that she has expanded her production facilities.
o Purpose: so that; in order that
-In order that consumers can enjoy perfect fruits and vegetables, farmers also spray
their fields.
o Contradiction: whereas, while
-While others saw the glass half empty, Barry saw it half full.
o Concession: although, even, though…
-There may come a time when I would do this, though I can’t imagine when that would be.

 Relative clauses
o Relative pronouns: who, whom, which, that, whose
-Microwave cooking is not popular with most professional chefs, who say that
fast cooking does not allow flavors to blend.
-I returned the book, the cover of which was torn.
o Relative adverbs: when, where, why
-New York City, where millions of immigrants live, is sometimes called a
Melting Pot.
-In the 1970's, when many new rights and freedoms had been gained,
people began to lead quieter, more private lives.
 Noun clauses
o Subject of a verb
- What these sociologists had observed was a fundamental shift in U.S. marriage.
-That he believes his own story is remarkable.
o Object of a verb
 - It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.
- But do you know why more Americans are born on Tuesday than any other
day of the week?
-They haven’t decided whether they should enhance promotion.
o Subject Complement
- My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.
-The problem now is how they can improve their sales.
o Object of a preposition
- Harry is not the provider of what Margie needs.
- Josephine is not responsible for what Alex decided to do.
o Adjective complement
-The team members are still not sure how they can finish the project on time.
-The customer is dissatisfied that the shipment is never punctual.

B-LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I- Combine each of the following sets of simple sentences into one complex sentence.

1. The strike was going to be called off. The leader told me that.

2. We can succeed only by combined effort. It goes without saying.

3. He may become a member. I don’t know.

4. He is not educated. He is well experienced.

5. I sank into the water. I felt great confusion of thought. I cannot describe it.

6. I went there. I found the door locked.

7. There is heavy rainfall here. Grapes will not grow in such places.

8. It may rain. Then the match will be cancelled.

9. You finish dressing. I will wait here.

II- Write a dependent clause that turns the simple sentence into a complex sentence
1. , parents recorded the show with their video
cameras.
2. , I froze like a statue.
3. , the officer walked into the room and asked,
“Who’s in charge here?”
4. Patsy put her face in her hands and started crying .
5. We bought a huge tub of popcorn .
6. , the boys began chucking snowballs everywhere.
7. , the captain had to wash the deck of the boat.
8. The kids jumped in the air and screamed .
9. Rover did all kinds of tricks .
10. , Frank wondered why no one was here.
11. , the teacher wrote their homework on the board.
12. , a bear broke into our tent and ate our food.
13. We waited in line for tickets .
14. Julian stuffed a dozen marshmallows into his mouth .
15. Everyone stampeded out of the room .

C-PRACTICE IN TOEIC

In this part of the test, you will write ONE sentence that is based on a picture. With each
picture, you will be given two words or phrases that you must use in your sentence. You
can change the forms of the words and you can use the words in any order.
1. samples / observe

2. reach / prefer

3. traffic jam / hardly

4. gardening / real

5. hot / picnic

6. present / attentively
7. harvest / empty

8. happy / improvement

9. achievements / award
10. although / cosmetic surgery

11. operation / wash

12. drought / chapped

13. rush hour / in which

14. topic / cheerfully

15. ask / whether

 Lesson 4
SENTENCE BUILDING: PRACTICE
A-LANGUAGE FOCUS

Types of sentences:

 Simple sentences
 Compound sentences
 Complex sentences

B-LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I- Read the following sentences. Check the box marked “simple” if it is a simple sentence.
Check the box marked “compound” if it is a compound sentence. Check the box marked
“complex” if it is a complex sentence.

1. We have to go to bed when the clock ❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex

chimes ten o’clock.
2. Jennifer liked William’s friend, and she
also liked his cousin.
❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex
3. The big brown dog ran after the blue and
red ball.
4. James and Eve rode their bicycles after
❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex
they ate lunch.
5. The teacher and the principal met in the
hall near the library.
❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex
6. Many brave soldiers fought in the war,
and they received medals.
7. The drummers played a long time, but the
❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex
piano players stopped early.
8. Before the queen rode in the parade, she
gave a speech.
9. After midnight the ghosts will come out of ❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex
the haunted attic.
10. She dropped the pan and the plate, but she
held on to the spoon. ❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex

❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex

❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex

❑ Simple ❑ Compound ❑ Complex

II- The following sentences are made up of two independent clauses with one or more
dependent clauses. You are to identify the clauses telling what kind each is. The choices are
independent clause, noun clause, adjective clause or adverb clause.

1. Rulon steered the jeep down the muddy road to the camp site, and then he discovered

that it was the wrong road.

2. When Carl came up to bat, the bases were loaded, and there were two outs.

3. I've just learned that our vacation plans must be changed; as a result, we'll leave later in

the month.
 4. Older television sets had tubes; the newest models, which take less space, are

digital televisions.

5. My Uncle Al drove a snow-removal truck, and when there was a big snow storm, he

would be called to work at any time.

6. If you are an election judge, you distribute the ballots, and you count them after the

polls close.

7. Many monuments are found around the White House, and foreign leaders who come

to Washington often visit them.

8. The doctor told us how we could revive a heart-attack victim, and she demonstrated on a

dummy, me.

9. Jeff tried the new dance steps that had been demonstrated, and he mastered them quickly.

10. The bola is a rope which is used to catch animals; it has weights on the end of it.

C-PRACTICE IN TOEIC

In this part of the test, you will write ONE sentence that is based on a picture. With each picture,
you will be given two words or phrases that you must use in your sentence. You can change the
forms of the words and you can use the words in any order.

1. nothing / tray
2. wedding ceremony / beach

3. although / complete

4. seem / understand
5. special / water

6. desert / trees

7. rain / work
8. abate / fall down

9. helmet / so that

10. traffic / again

11. shout / as if

12. cool / hot

13. widely / masks

14. allow / still

15. angry / care

 Chapter 2:
RESPONDING TO AN EMAIL
COMPLAINING LETTER

 Lesson 5
AN OVERVIEW OF AN EMAIL COMPLAINING LETTER

I. ABOUT THE TOEIC WRITING TEST

Generally, The TOEIC® test was developed to measure the ability to listen and read in
English, using a variety of contexts from real-world settings. Recently, ETS added the TOEIC
Speaking and Writing tests to the TOEIC product line in order to directly assess the ability to
speak and write in English in a workplace setting. This addition was in response to multinational
corporations’ need for employees with high-level speaking and writing skills. In contrast to the
paper-and-pencil TOEIC Listening and Reading test, multiple-choice tests requiring test takers to
select correct answers, the computer-delivered TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests’ measures
require test takers to produce responses that are then scored subjectively by highly trained human
raters. The new measures thus complement the TOEIC Listening and Reading test. Together, the
four components of the TOEIC test battery now provide measurement of all four English-
language communication skills.
The new tests were developed to align as closely as possible with theories of
communicative competence. To accomplish this, an evidence-centered design (ECD) approach
was used. In short, ECD methodology entails
• Looking at the population for which the test is intended and the uses to which the test
will be put
• Articulating the desired claims to be made about test takers based on their performance
on the assessment
• Identifying test-taker behaviors that would allow these claims to be made
• Creating (and evaluating) tasks to elicit these behaviors, thus providing evidence to
support the claims Specifically, for the writing measure, the three hierarchical claims are
that test takers can:
1.Produce multi-paragraph length text to express complex ideas, using, as appropriate,
reasons, evidence and extended explanations
2.Produce multi-sentence length text to convey straightforward information, questions,
instructions, narratives and so on
3.Produce well-formed sentences (including ones with subordination)
Writing is assessed by three different task types, with responses evaluated according to
the following criteria: grammar, relevance of the response to the stimulus, quality and variety of
sentences, vocabulary, organization, and the extent to which the examinee’s opinion is supported
by reasons and examples.
 Scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 200. For writing, nine proficiency levels are
reported. Examinee performance at the highest level (Level 9, the TOEIC writing score of 200) is
described as follows:
Typically, test takers at Level 9 can communicate straightforward information effectively
and use reasons, examples or explanations to support an opinion. When giving straightforward
information, asking questions, giving instructions or making requests, their writing is clear,
coherent and effective. When using reasons, examples or explanations to support an opinion,
their writing is well-organized and well-developed. The use of English is natural, with a variety
of sentence structures and appropriate word choices, and is grammatically accurate.
At the next to lowest level (Level 2, TOEIC writing score of 40), examinee performance
is described as follows:
Typically, test takers at Level 2 have only very limited ability to express an opinion and
give straightforward information. At Level 2, test takers cannot give straightforward information.
Typical weaknesses at this level include:
• not including any of the important information
• missing or obscure connections between ideas
• frequent grammatical mistakes or incorrect word choices
When attempting to explain an opinion, test takers at this level show one or more of the
following serious flaws:
• serious disorganization or underdevelopment of ideas
• little or no detail, or irrelevant specifics
• serious and frequent grammatical mistakes or incorrect word choices
At Level 2, test takers are unable to produce grammatically correct sentences.

II. AN EMAIL COMPLAINING LETTER

Email letters of complaint usually include the following stages:
1. Background
2. Problem - cause and effect
3. Solution
4. Warning (optional)
5. Closing
(1) Background
This section describes the situation; e.g.
 I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company
have not been supplied correctly.
 I attended your exhibition Sound Systems 2015 at the Fortune Hotel (22-
25 January) and found it informative and interesting. Unfortunately, my
enjoyment of the event was spoiled by a number of organizational
problems.
  I am a shareholder of Sunshine Bank and I am very concerned regarding
recent newspaper reports on the financial situation of the bank. Your
company is listed as the auditor in the latest annual report of the bank, so I
am writing to you to ask for an explanation of the following issues.
 I am writing to inform you of my dissatisfaction with the food and
drinks at the 'European Restaurant' on 18 January this year.
(2) Problem
* Cause:
 On 14 July 2015 we placed an order with your firm for 12,000 ultra
super long-life batteries. The consignment arrived yesterday but
contained only 1,200 batteries.
 Firstly, I had difficulty in registering to attend the event. You set up an on-
line registration facility, but I found the facility totally unworkable.
 You sent us an invoice for $10,532, but did not deduct our usual 10%
discount.
 We have found 16 spelling errors and 2 mislabeled diagrams in the sample
book.
* Effect:
 This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some
emergency purchases to fulfill our commitments to all our customers. This
caused us considerable inconvenience.
 Even after spending several wasted hours trying to register in this way,
the computer would not accept my application.
 I am therefore returning the invoice to you for correction.
 This large number of errors is unacceptable to our customers, and we
are therefore unable to sell these books.
(3) Solution
 I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to
ensure that such errors do not happen again.
 Could I please ask you to look into these matters.
 Please send us a corrected invoice for $9,479
 I enclose a copy of the book with the errors highlighted. Please re-print the
book and send it to us by next Friday.

(4) Warning (optional)

 Otherwise, we may have to look elsewhere for our supplies.
 I'm afraid that if these conditions are not met, we may be forced to
take legal action.
  If the outstanding fees are not paid by Thursday, 30 July 2015, you
will incur a 10% late payment fee.

(5) Closing
 I look forward to receiving your explanation of these matters.
 I look forward to receiving your payment.
 I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

 Notes:
1. Politeness
The tone of complaint letters should not be aggressive or insulting, as this would
annoy the reader and not encourage them to solve the problem. In addition, questions
such as 'Why can't you get this right?' should not be included.
2. Content
o The content should contain enough details so that the receiver does not have to
write back requesting more.
o Legal action is not normally threatened in the first letter of complaint, unless the
situation is very serious.

Sample complaint email letter

Fortune Goods 317 Orchard Road Singapore

21 July 2015

Attn: Mr David Choi Sales Manager Everlong Batteries 171 Choi Hung Road Hung Hom
Hong Kong Dear Mr Choi
Re. Order No. 768197
I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company have not been supplied c

On 14 July 2015 we placed an order with your firm for 12,000 ultra super long-life batteries. The con

This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some emergency purchases to fulfil

I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to ensure that such errors d

I look forward to hearing from you by return. Yours sincerely

J. Wong

J. Wong Purchasing Officer

PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Point out the 5 parts of the following complaint email letter
56 (1)
Disgruntled Street
Somewhere Unhappy
1AM MAD

Customer Service Manager

That Awful Company
Somewhere Awful
UR BAD
June 15, 2008
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing today to complain of the poor service I received from your company
on June 12, 2008. I was visited by a representative of That Awful Company, Mr.
Madman, at my home on that day.
Mr. Madman was one hour late for his appointment and offered nothing by way of
apology when he arrived at noon. Your representative did not remove his muddy
shoes upon entering my house, and consequently left a trail of dirt in the hallway.
Mr. Madman then proceeded to present a range of products to me that I had
specifically told his assistant by telephone I was not interested in. I repeatedly
tried to ask your representative about the products that were of interest to me, but
he refused to deal with my questions. We ended our meeting after 25 minutes
without either of us having accomplished anything.
I am most annoyed that I wasted a morning (and half a day's vacation) waiting for
Mr. Madman to show up. My impression of That Awful Company has been
tarnished, and I am now concerned about how my existing business is being
managed by your firm. Furthermore, Mr. Madman's inability to remove his muddy
shoes has meant that I have had to engage the services, and incur the expense, of
a professional carpet cleaner.
I trust this is not the way That Awful Company wishes to conduct business with
valued customers—I have been with you since the company was founded and have
never encountered such treatment before. I would welcome the opportunity to
discuss matters further and to learn of how you propose to prevent a similar
situation from recurring. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,

V. Angry
Exercise 2: Point out the language mistakes in the following complaint email and suggest
solutions
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about the quality of service in your restaurant
beginning from the welcoming and continuing with the food quality.
Well, frankly speaking, I'll never ever again visit your place, and will
definitlely not recommend it to my friends and acquintances.
First of all, when we have just came in nobody from the staff came to
us. Then, we were waiting for about 15 minutes for menu and waitress,
who came to us as if we had offended her. Having accepted the menu
we decided what we were going to order, and again the same story
happened. Where is our "well-wishing" and "fast" waitress. So, as you
have already understood, we waited for her. Finally, she took our order,
and to our question about how soon we are gonna to have it, she
indifferently said that she didn't know as she weren't going to cook it. I
hope you understand how rude was it.
For quite a long time we were looking forward for our dish, but imagine
our dissapointment when the main course happened to be cold. That
was more than enough. So I have asked for a manager, but he was out
that day, so we had to complained to the head waiter, but he asked me
to put into writing.
To make matters worse, waitress has brought us wrong receipt, it was
the last straw.
I feel that a refund of at least all the sum of the real receipt would be
fair enough.
I look forward to receiving a satisfactory reply within a week.
Yours sincerely,
S.
 Lesson 6:
USEFUL LANGUAGES FOR EMAILS OF
COMPLAINING AND EXPLAINING

I. USEFUL LANGUAGES FOR A TYPICAL EMAIL LETTER

Greetings:
• Dear Sir
• Dear Madam
• Dear Sir/Madam
• Dear Mr Brown
• Dear Ms Jones etc.
Reason for writing:
• I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter
• I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter
• I am writing regarding your
article/advertisement/letter Ending the letter:
• I look forward to receiving your reply
• I look forward to your reply
• I look to hearing from you
• I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are writing to)
• I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are writing to)
• Yours faithfully
• Yours sincerely
II. WRITING FORMAL LETTERS OF COMPLAINT
Reason for writing:
• I am writing in order to complain about
• I am writing to complain about
Introducing the complaint:
• Firstly
• In the first place
• First of all
• My first complaint is
• The first problem is
• The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is
• My first concern is
Introducing further complaints:
• Secondly
• In the second place
• Not only.......but also
• In addition
• In addition to this
• Added to this
•was also unacceptable
Demanding action:
• I suggest that you replace the item
• I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund
• I would be grateful if my money was refunded
• I would be grateful if you could give me a full
refund Ending the letter:
• I look forward to hearing from you
• I look forward to receiving a full refund
• I look forward to receiving a replacement
• I look forward to receiving your explanation
* Making a complaint:
I am writing to complain about …
You said … but in fact what happened …
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house

III. WRITING TO EXPLAINING A PROBLEM AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS

Reason for writing:

• I am writing to explain …
• I am writing to arrange
• I am writing to offer suggestions for ….
• I am writing make arrangements for….
Making apology
I regret to ….
I am (very) sorry about …
I would like to apologize for …

Making first suggestion:

• My first suggestion is
• First of all I suggest
• I would like to suggest
Making further suggestions:
• Another possibility is
• A further possibility is
• I further suggest
• I would further suggest
• Secondly
Offering a choice:
• Would you therefore mind choosing between.....?
• Either.....or
• You might choose either........or

IV. ABBREVIATIONS USED IN LETTER WRITING:

asap: as soon as possible
btw: by the way
bfn: bye for now
brb: be right back
iow: in other words
cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this
abbreviation to let them know)
enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter)
pp = per procuration (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else’s
behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc)
ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you’ve finished and signed it)
RSVP (French: répondez s’il vous plait) = please reply
PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Complete the complaints with words and phrases from the box
Apology complain items sorry to say speak to the manager

Store clerk unhelpful yourself regular customer

To: customerservice@compuworld.com
From: fdmiles@gmail.com
Subject: Bad service
Dear Sir or Madam:
I wish to (1) …………………. about the behavior of the (2)..............................in your store
Marina Square shopping mall. I wanted to buy some software yesterday, November 16. I am (3)
………………….that the young man in your store was very (4)..............................and could not
give me any information about the (5)...............................I was interested in. I asked to (6)
…………………., but I was told he was not in the store.
I have been a (7).............................at your store for many years, so I was surprised at the bad
behavior of the store clerk. Do you not train (8).............................?
I expect an (9)............................., and I won’t enter your store again until I receive one.
Sincerely,
Frank D. Miles.

Exercise 2: Read the reply. The sentences are in the wrong order. Put them in the correct
order and edit them into a good email.
 We are very sorry that you were not happy with the service in our store.
 In the meantime, please accept this $10 voucher, which you can use at any of our
stores anytime during the next sic months.
 Dear Mr. Miles:
 All of our sales clerks are trained both in IT and in customer service.
 Sincerely,
 Thank you for your email dated November 17 complaining about the unhelpful store
clerk in our store in the Marina Store shopping mall.
 However, we have asked the store manager to deal with the problem, and he will be in
touch with you in the next few days.
 We apologize once again and hope you will continue to be a valued customer.
 Shuna Hsu
Customer Service Manager
 The complete email letter:

To: …………………………………………………………………..…..

From: ……………………………………………………………………

Subject: …………………………………………………………………

Dear...................,

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 Lesson 7:
RESPONDING TO
EMAIL COMPLAINING LETTERS (1)
Dealing with Complaints
|

Acknowledging receipt of a complaint

letter
|

Rejecting a
| Complaint

Accepting a |
Complaint
Regret at
| dissatisfactio
n
Apology for the error or
fault |

| Rejecting
responsibilit
Accepting the
y for the
Complaint
problem
leading to
the
complaint
|
|
| | |

A
short
explanatio n Investigation
of the fault to be made
Reasons for
the rejection
 | | |

| |

|
Proposal to settle the
difficulty
|

If a third
party
|
(another
An offer to take goods back, make a person or
replacement, give a discount etc. organisation
) is to blame,
direct the
complainer
to that party

| |

A concluding paragraph aiming at retaining the goodwill of the

customer

Useful Expressions
Acknowledging receipt of a complaint letter
o Thank you for your letter of … regarding / concerning / in connection with …
o I refer to your letter of … about / relating to
… Apology for the error or fault
o We must apologise for …
o We sincerely apologise for …
o Please accept our apologies for …
o I would like to apologise for the error made by our company in (verb+ing)
Accepting the Complaint
o We agree that the usual high standards of our products / services were not met in
this instance.
A short explanation of the fault
o Introductory phrase
 As a result of our investigation, we found that... (Not: After our
investigation...)
o Causes
 The error was caused by … / was due to …
 Apparently, the problem was the result of … / resulted from …
 The cause of / reason for the mistake was …
o Effects
 As a result …
 This led to …
 Consequently …
o Solutions
 We have modified / changed our ...
 We have implemented a system to...
 To prevent re-occurrences we have set up a verification procedure.
o Assurances
 We assure you that this will not happen again.

Investigation to be made
o We are currently investigating the cause of ...
o We will investigate the cause of...
Proposal to settle the difficulty
o As a gesture of our regret, we are prepared to …/ we are willing to …/ we
would like to …
o To show goodwill, we will …
An offer to take goods back, make a replacement, give a discount etc.
o We have dispatched the new items by express courier. They should
arrive by Monday, 27 July 2015.
o To show our goodwill, we would like to offer you a 5% discount on your next
order with us.
Regret at dissatisfaction
o While we can understand your frustration, ...
o We understand how disappointing it can be when your expectations are not met.
Rejecting responsibility for the problem leading to the complaint
o I regret to inform you that …
 o I am afraid that …
o Unfortunately, I must point out that …
Reasons for the rejection
o This is because the guarantee period has expired.
o This is due to the fact that the guarantee period has expired.
If a third party (another person or organisation) is to blame, direct the complainer to that
party
o We therefore suggest that you contact...
A concluding paragraph aiming at retaining the goodwill of the customer
o We look forward to receiving your further orders, and assure you that they will
be filled correctly / promptly.
PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Match the items in the boxes on the left with the items on the right:
Functions to match Phrases to move

1 Apology for the error or fault This was caused by an unexpected

malfunction.

2 Accepting a Complaint We assure you that this will not

happen again.

3 Acknowledging receipt of a This is because the item was on sale,

complaint letter and therefore refunds and returns are
not permitted.

4 Explanation of the fault We understand how disappointing it

can be when your expectations are
not met.

5 Assurance I regret to inform you that we cannot

take responsibility for this occurence.

6 Replacement of goods We look forward to your continued

custom, and to serving you again.

7 Regret at dissatisfaction We agree that the usual high

standards of our products were not
met in this instance.

8 Rejecting responsibility I would like to apologise for the error

made by our company.

9 Reasons for the rejection We have dispatched the new items.

10 A concluding sentence aiming at Thank you for your letter of 3

retaining the goodwill February.
Exercise 2: Read the following email letters and analyze them in terms of the diagram
above

Everlong Batteries
171 Choi Hung Road
Hung Hon, Hong Kong
Tel/Fax 2235 2449
24 Jul 2015

Mr J Wong
Purchasing Officer
Fortune Goods
317 Orchard Road
Singapore

Dear Mr Wong
Order No. 2639/L
Please accept our apologies for the error made by our company in filling your order no.
2639/L dated Tuesday, 21 July 2015.
You ordered 12,000 size Ultra super-long-life premium batteries, but our dispatch office
sent 1,200. This was due to a typing error.
The balance of 10,800 batteries was dispatched by express courier to your store this
morning and will arrive by Monday, 3 August 2015.
Since we value your business, we would like to offer you a 10% discount off your next
order with us.
We look forward to receiving your further orders and assure you that they will be filled
correctly.
Yours sincerely
David Choi
David Choi
Distributions Manager
 Lesson 8:
RESPONDING TO
EMAIL COMPLAINING LETTERS (2)
I. BUSINESS EMAIL PRINCIPLES – EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Four things to make sure when following email etiquette:
(1) Appropriate format (Organization)
(2) Appropriate language (Vocabulary and phrases)
- Polite and (semi) formal
- Accurate and word choice
(3) Appropriate sentence structures (Variety and quality)
- Complete, grammatical sentences

II. WRITING RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS

Complaints may be received in person, by telephone, by email or by letter.
Some principles that should be borne in mind when responding to complaints, however they were
made:
1. Check whether your college or department has a policy for dealing with complaints – it might
specify who should respond and/or a response time.
2. Check any departmental policy or standards relevant to the complaint (such as service level
agreements) – sometimes complaints are not based on reasonable expectations.
3. It is essential to respond to all complaints with sympathy and understanding, regardless of the
appropriateness of the complaint or the decision about remedial action. Remember that the person
who has made the complaint is another human being who deserves respect. Focus on issues and
solutions, not personalities or emotions.
4. Always demonstrate a willingness to understand a customer's feelings and situation, whether or
not you actually agree with their stand-point. This will go a long way towards soothing anger and
disappointment, even if you are unable to provide a response which fully meets their expectations
or their initial demands. a. Use phrases like, "I understand that must be very upsetting for you,"
rather than "Yes, I agree, you've been badly treated." Remember that you can understand without
necessarily agreeing with the point b. Try to make contact by phone, even if you are sending a
written response – this is often more reliable and effective when trying to diffuse conflict and
rebuild trust.
5. Before sending your response
a. check again that it reflects relevant policy (see 1 and 2)
b. read it back to yourself and ask "What would I think if I received this? How would I
feel?" If your answers are less than positive you should re-write the letter
6. Finally, remember that positive things can arise from complaints:
a. when a complaint is dealt with properly, it often makes the person who complained a
much stronger ally than they were before the incident that gave rise to the complaint
b. a complaint often identifies a weakness in procedure and thus offers an opportunity
to improve See overleaf for a simple template for a response to a complaint. It should be used
as a guide and altered to suit the situation.

Template response

Name and address

Date

Reference

Dear.........

I am writing with reference to (situation or complaint) of (date).

First of all, I apologise for the inconvenience/distress/problems created by

our error/failure.

We take great care to ensure that important matters such as this are
properly managed/processed/implemented, although due to (give reason – but be
careful as to how much detail you provide - generally you need only give a broad
outline of the reason), so on this occasion an acceptable standard has clearly not
been met/we have clearly not succeeded in meeting your expectations.

In light of this, we have decided to/that (solution or offer). We hope this will
be acceptable to you.

I will call you soon to check that this meets with your approval/Please
contact me should you have any further cause for concern.

Yours sincerely,
 PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Read the following email of complaint, make some corrections to make it
more formal and identify the problem

To : Jim Hudson, Northeastern Airlines

From: Jane Stewart
Subject: Complaints
Hello.
I would like to explain what I experienced and felt uncomfortable in your
airplane.
First, I asked a cabin attendant for cold water but she gave me really hot
water, which almost burnt me.
Second, another attendant spilt orange juice on me but she never apologised at
all!
I understand they are too busy to concentrate on everything on board but I was
really disappointed with this.
I need a cleaning coupon for my clothes and proper apologies from the
attendants.
I look forward to your reply.
Regards, Jane Stewart

Exercise 2: Respond to the email above as if you are Jim Huston, the service
customer manager of this airline company. In your email, acknowledge the problems, make
ONE explanation and suggest ONE solution.
 Your response email letter:

To: …………………………………………………………………..…..

From: ……………………………………………………………………

Subject: …………………………………………………………………

Dear...................,

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 Lesson 9:
TOEIC PRACTICE – WRITING RESPONSE TO
COMPLAINING EMAIL LETTER
For this task type, there are 2 questions. You need to write a response to an e-mail that
you will read for each question. What your response needs to include is in the directions so make
sure you also read the directions carefully. Your reply will be scored on the quality and variety of
your sentences, vocabulary, and organization. You have 20 minutes in total to complete this part
of the writing section; you're given 10 minutes to read and reply to each e-mail. Note that once
you go onto question 7, you will not be able to return to question 6. The test will look as follows:

Question 6-7: Respond to the written request - TOEIC Writing

Directions: In this part of the test, you will show how well you can write a response to an email. Your response will be scored

The
· quality and variety of your sentences Vocabulary, and
Organization
·
·

You will have 10 minutes to answer each email.

PRACTICE:
Exercise 1: You would read the following e-mail:

To: Manager Customer

Services Air blue airlines
Head office San Francisco
Subject: complaint about flight
crew Date: 16 February 2015
Dear Sir,
I am very sorry to inform you that but I am here to make a formal complaint about your flight
crew of the flight AN456 from London to New York. I took this flight last week and during this
flight, the flight crew was very rude and unpleasant to the passengers and I am not the only
one who felt disrespected by them but I am pretty sure you will receive number of complaints
from other passengers of the same flight. There were two flight attendants with names Amber
and Ashley and they were ruder to me as compared to other staff members.
I am writing this formal complaint letter to you so that you can take notice of this problem
and make sure that the flight crew is reprimanded appropriately so that they don’t behave like
that again. I have provided my contact details with this letter so that if you want to talk to me
or discuss the matter directly, we can talk on phone or meet in person.
Regards,
Robert Anderson

Directions: Respond to the e-mail as if you are the Manager of Customer Services.
Provide at least TWO explanation about the condition of the flight and give ONE offer to
customer.
 Your response email letter:

To: …………………………………………………………………..…..

From: ……………………………………………………………………

Subject: …………………………………………………………………

Dear...................,

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 Chapter 3
WRITING OPINION ESSAYS

Lesson 10: WRITING A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH (1)
A. FOCUS

The final paragraph in an essay is the conclusion, which tells the reader that you have completed
an essay. First, you write a summary of the main points discussed in the body of the essay or
rewrite the thesis statement in different words. Then you add your final comments on the subject.
Take this opportunity to make a strong, effective message that the reader will remember.
The concluding paragraph consists of:
1. A summary of the main points, or a restatement of your thesis in different words.
2. Your final comment on the subject, based on the information you have provided.
Be sure to introduce the concluding paragraph with a conclusion transition signals.

Transition signals:
 In conclusion,
 In summary,
 In short,
 In a word,
 In brief,
 To sum up,
 On the whole,
 Altogether,
 In all,

 Model of a concluding paragraph

Essay question:Different types of industries require different types of personal qualities in

workers. What do you think are the necessary qualities for people working in a bank? Give
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Thesis statement:I think accuracy and trustworthiness are the two necessary qualities for people
working in a bank.
Main point 1:Accuracy is what bankers need, without a doubt, when we think about their work
dealing with money.
Main point 2:Trustworthiness is probably one of the most important characteristics in the
banking field.

Sample concluding paragraph:

In conclusion, possessing the ability to handle their work and building a certain level of trust are
the traits that workers, especially in the banking field, have to demonstrate to be good at their
jobs. Thus, I strongly believe these two valuable qualities should be considered more important
than others.

B. PRACTICE
TASK 1 Which three paragraphs are introductory paragraphs (write IP) and which three are
concludingparagraphs (write CP)?
Match the concluding paragraphs to the introductory paragraphs.

However, as well as lots of advantages, there I

are visit with my family and friends. However,
several disadvantages to eating out. I will start my
by exploring the advantages. favourite restaurant is the local one, at the end

out in restaurants, is one of the most important to

things we can do as a family. This has always
been the case in the past in our culture, and it
should be in the future too.
So you can see there are many reasons to
visit this restaurant. Food, price, location –
there
is not a single disadvantage with going there.
Try
it for yourself!
eating too much fast food. However, in
general
there are more advantages than disadvantages
to going to restaurants. Just be careful what
our culture. Families need to spend lots of
time
together to be happy and close, and eating
together is a good way to do this. In this essay
I

TASK 2 Choosing correct concluding paragraphs

Read the outline and each concluding paragraph, decide if the concluding paragraph given
matches the outline or not. Check (√) the correct concluding paragraphs.
Outline
Thesis statement: The time for the legalization of marijuana has come.
Main point 1:Tobacco and alcohol are more harmful than marijuana
- Finding on marijuana, tobacco and alcohol:
Main point 2: Marijuana offers medical benefits
- relieves symptoms of many diseases
- no physical addiction
Main point 3: Economic benefits of legalizing marijuana
- cutting law enforcement costs saves money
- taxing marijuana sales

Concluding paragraph 1
In short, as a society, we can’t continue to label substances legal or illegal based on
arbitrary reasons. If drugs more harmful than marijuana are legal, marijuana too should be
legalized.

Concluding paragraph 2
To sum up,given that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, given its medical
benefits, and given the economic benefits its legalization would bring, marijuana should not be
illegal any longer. If we continued to label marijuana illegal, we would actually be supporting a
system of arbitrary laws and denying all citizens the benefits this drug could bring. Think of it,
can we as a society afford to do this?

Concluding paragraph 3
In conclusion, marijuana should not be illegal because it is less harmful than other legal
drugs, has medical benefits, and legalizing it would even bring economic benefits. Besides,
legalizing marijuana will ensure that children won’t have access to it. Who can argue against
such benefits?

Concluding paragraph 4
In short, though marijuana is less harmful than other legal drugs, has obvious medicinal
benefits, and legalizing it would bring economic benefits, we must not legalize it without first
carefully considering the societal impact its legalization would have.

Concluding paragraph 5
In brief, as we have seen, there really is no direct connection between the legal status of a
drug and its harmfulness. Some harmful drugs are legal, while marijuana which is less harmful is
illegal. Given this fact, along with all the evidence of marijuana’s medical benefits of its
legalization, we must conclude that it is in society’s best interest to legalize marijuana.
Lesson 11: WRITING A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH (2)
A. FOCUS

The final paragraph in an essay is the conclusion, which tells the reader that you have completed
an essay. First, you write a summary of the main points discussed in the body of the essay or
rewrite the thesis statement in different words. Then you add your final comments on the subject.
Take this opportunity to make a strong, effective message that the reader will remember.
The concluding paragraph consists of:
3. A summary of the main points, or a restatement of your thesis in different words.
4. You final comment on the subject, based on the information you have
provided. Be sure to introduce the concluding paragraph with a conclusion transition
signals.

B. PRACTICE

Write concluding paragraphs for the following thesis statements and main points.

1. Thesis statement: I would rather be a worker who starts the day’s work earlier than
later because it gives me more free time and is good for my health.
Main point 1:Getting up early in the morning offers employees more free time
Main point 2: Working in the morning helps workers (to) stay healthy.

2. Thesis statement:I think education is the most important factor for anyone to succeed in
their new field.

Main point 1:Education opens up a whole lot of opportunities to prospective career

changers.
Main point 2:Sometimes education is not just to improve one’s personal intellectual
level, it also provides the grounds for creating invaluable relationships.

3. Thesis statement:I believe that indirect communication has more advantages than direct
communication.
Main point 1:By using indirect communication, people can easily keep in touch.
Main point 2:Throughindirect communication, people can get a chance to think of what
they want to say before they begin instead of regretting saying something they shouldn’t.
Lesson 12: WRITING A SIMPLE ESSAY (1)
FOCUS: DRAFTING AN ESSAY

Language building: Language to express opinions and organize your work

A. Match opinion expressions 1-8 to descriptions a-c.
Expressing opinions
1. I (strongly/firmly) believe
2. In my opinion
3. I'm totally opposed to
4. It's a difficult choice, but I think I would prefer to
5. I'm completely in favor of
6. If I had to choose, I would pick/say
7. I really don't agree with
8. I would prefer to

a. Positive opinion (strong)

b. Positive position (neutral or weak)
c. Negative opinion (strong)

B.Answer questions 1-3 giving your opinion in ONE sentence. Use the phrases in A to help
you. Compare ideas with your partner.
1. Would you rather work in a quiet town or a big city?

2. Which is the best way to travel to another country, by air or over land?

3. Do you agree or disagree that health care should be free for the whole population?

C. Read the question and the essay below. Label paragraphs A-E with the following
headings.
Second reason Conclusion Introduction Third reason
First reason
 D. Read the essay again and choose the correct phrase from the chart below to complete gaps
1-9. More than one phrase may be suitable.
Phrases for organizing ideas
First ideas Adding to reasons
first of all Moreover
the first (dis)advantage also
what's more
Second ideas To introduce contrasts
another (dis)advantage on the other hand (at the start of a sentence
another point only)
in addition although
whereas
however
Final ideas To conclude
a final (dis)advantage in conclusion
a final point

Would you prefer to work longer hours on a daily basis and, as a result, have most
vacation time? Give your opinion and explain why.
A
There ane a number of advantages and disadvantages to working longer hours and having
more days off in compensation. In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

B
(1) , I believe having an extra day of leisure time would make people
more relaxed. This would obviously be beneficial to people's general health. (2)
being more relaxed would also benefit employers, as their workers
would probably concentrate better during their work time and have fewer days off sick.

C
(3) advantage is that if more people had an extra day off during the
week, shopping malls and supermarkets would be less crowded on weekends. (4)
people would be able to use sports facilities and leisure services at off-
peak times.

D
(5) , at least for me, is that two extra hours added on to the day wouldn't
seem like a huge addition, (6) _ a whole day off is an added bonus. (7)
, I can understand that the longer day may not be suitable for people
with families or for people who have a long commute to work.

E
(8) , (9) working hours may not suit everyone, for
me the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks and I would definitely favor this system.

F. Add the extra words and phrases 1-6 to the correct place in the chart in E.
1. but 4. all in all
2. finally 5. secondly
3. most importanyly 6. too

Follow up: With your partner make more sentences using the contrast words, e.g. I love
living in the city. However, it is rather noisy.
Lesson 13: WRITING A SIMPLE ESSAY (2)
A. FOCUS: DRAFTING AN ESSAY

Language building: Creating a draft

A. Read Opinion question 1 below and underline the key words. Then summarize the test
question. Compare summaries with your partner.
Opinion question 1
Recently in your town, construction of a new factory that would employ thousands of
workers has been halted because it would endanger the wild animals living in the area. Do
you agree or disagree with this decision? Give reasons or examples to support your opinion.

B. Answer the question you wrote in A with a complete sentence. Use the phrases from
Language building A (Lesson 12). This is your thesis statement (statement of your opinion),
which you should include in the introduction of your essay.
Example
I strongly agree that they should stop the construction of the new factory.
C. Read Opinion question 2 below and complete the same tasks, listed 1-4.
Opinion question 2
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?The most important factor you
should consider when choosing a job is the salary.Give reasons or examples to support your
opinion.
1. Read the question and underline the key words.
2. Make a sentence that summarizes the question and the task.
3. Write a suitable thesis.
4. Compare answers with a partner.
D. Read notes 1-6 giving reasons agreeing and disagreeing with the decision in Opinion
question 1 in A. Which ideas do you agree with?
Reasons for agreeing
1. It is wrong to endanger animals just to make money.
2. The factory could be built in another place.
3. It is important not to build in rural areas if possible.
Reasons for disagreeing
4. The factory will be good for the economy.
5. Many jobs might be lost.
6. Land is there to be used in whatever way necessary.

E. Brainstorm three reasons either agreeing or disagreeing based on your thesis for Opinion
 question 2 in C.

F. Read the outline below for agreeing with the decision in Opinion question 1. Look carefully
at how the notes from D have been developed.
I strongly agree that they should stop construction of the new factory.

First of all,
Although the factory will be good for the economy,
it is wrong to endanger the animals just because of this.
I don’t want to kill something to get money.

Next,
It’s true that many possible jobs might be lost.
However,
The factory could be built in another place.
There is free space on the west side of town that is almost as good.

Finally,
It’s important not to build in rural areas if possible.
Although cities may be crowded and people don’t want to live too close to a factory, there
are usually old, unused places in cities where the factory could be located.

G. Write an outline similar to the one in F, based on your thesis and reasons for Opinion
question 2 in C and E.

Follow up: Explain your outline to your partner and compare your reasons.
B. PRACTICE
For Opinion question 3, draft an outline by completing steps 1-4. After each step, compare
answers with your partner.
1. Analyze the question and pick out the key points. Rephrase these points into a single
sentence.
2. Write a thesis statement that answers the question.
3. Brainstorm reasons supporting your opinion.
4. Drop any weak points, and organize the rest into the order you think is best. Add as many
reasons/examples as you can and add appropriate connecting words.
Opinion question 3
Some people enjoy jobs that include traveling a lot and meeting new people. Others like to
work in a fixed location with the same group of coworkers. What is your preference?
Explain why.
 Lesson 14: WRITING A SIMPLE ESSAY (3)
FOCUS: COMPLETING AN ESSAY
Language building:Language for giving reasons and examples
A. Match beginnings 1-5 to the endings a-e. Note the common phrases for introducing
examples in bold.
1. There are several disadvantages to working in a big city. Some examples include … -

2. Spending money on research can have a great impact. One clear exampleof this is ... -

3. I think the most important factor is practical experience. By this I mean…

4. We could save money by reducing costs. For example, ...
5. One example of the problems we faced was high material costs. Another example was
...

a. Zentex's development of the first biochip in 2004.

b. a lack of understanding of the market.
c. we could stop giving free samples to all visitors.
d. expensive housing, heavy traffic, and a stressful lifestyle.
e. actual time spent working in the field.

B Look at each of the sentences in A and match the phrase in boldto the definition of how it is
used below. The first one is done for you.
a. Used for providing a single and easily understood example. 2
b. Used to provide a second example of something.
c. Used to clarify an example you have given.
d. Used as a simple and common way to introduce an example.
e. Used to introduce a list of example points to support your idea.

C. Use common phrases from A to write examples for the statements in 1-3.
1. Many countries in the world make cars.

2. People in my country get to work in many different ways.

3. After work, people like to relax.

GRAMMAR NOTE
Conditional sentences consist of two clauses. Generally, one clause uses if (or unless) and
 shows the situation or condition. The second clause shows the result.
An opinion essay may include a present condition, e.g. If it rains, …Since you will probably
be giving ideas about possible present or future results, you will generally use will or modal
verb plus the infinitive, e.g. ... I will/may/could get wet. Note that the order of the clauses
can be switched, e.g. I may get wet if it rains.
D. Complete conditional sentences 1-6 with the words and phrases a-f.
1. The will melt if we don’t do something to stop .
2. If you study the in school, you can get the .
3. If employees are forced to do , they will often do a .
4. You should look for a if you really don’t like the .
5. If we reduce , we might be able to attract .
6. Unless we change , our will stay very high.

a. prices/more customers
b. right subjects/job you want
c. suppliers/costs
d. ice caps/global warming
e. different job /working conditions
d. things they don't like/poor job

E. Complete sentences 1-3.

1. Unless I finish my work .
2. If you are always polite to your coworkers,
.
3. If you don't get enough sleep, .
Follow up: Compare answers with your partner and see if you agree with his or her ideas.-
Lesson 15 WRITING A SIMPLE ESSAY (4)

A. FOCUS: COMPLETING AN ESSAY

Language building:Completing and editing
A. Read the Opinion essay title in 1. Then choose the more general introductory sentence to start
your essay, a or b. This would appearjust before the thesis statement, which states your opinion.
Compare answers with a partner. Say why the other sentence is not appropriate. Repeat for
questions 2 and 3.
1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Consulting with a group of
people is the best way to make an important decision.
a. Making an important decision is not an easy thing to do, and there are different
ways to do it.
b. If you want to make an important decision, you should definitely always do it by
 yourself.
(Thesis statement)
Many people believe that getting the opinion of other people is the best way to make an
important decision; however, I disagree with this approach.

2. When traveling medium distances, some people prefer to fly.Others prefer to take
express trains. Which do you prefer?
a. Trains and airplanes have both advantages and disadvantages.
b. I don't really like flying because it is very expensive and I often get airsick.
(Thesis statement)
Although some people prefer to fly, I prefer to take the train.

3. What would you consider the best type of job?

a. I really don't like my current job much and would like to find a newone soon.
b. Choosing the best type of job involves considering many factors.
(Thesis statement)
I think the best type of job for me would be one that involves both sales andtravel.
B. In Lesson 13, you looked at an example draft of the following essay question. Now write an
introductory sentence following the examples in A above.

1. Recently in your town, construction of a new factory that would employ thousands
of workers has been halted because it would endanger animals living in the area.

(Thesis statement)
I strongly agree that they should stop construction of the new factory
C. Now we will look at ways of expanding the draft you looked at in Lesson 11. Study the
Grammar note below
GRAMMAR NOTE
Use conjunctions to join shorter sentences into longer, better-formed sentences.
If the two sentences are of equal importance, use coordinating conjunctions(and, but, or, so,
not yet, for):e.g.I work hard, but I never work on weekends.If one idea is more important
than another, join them using subordinating conjunctions(although, because, unless): e.g.I
left my job because the pay was too low.

D. Now use conjunctions to link the ideas together as shown in the Grammar note. Read the
example question 1 then complete 2 and 3 in the same way. Compare answers with your
partner after you have completed each one.
 1.
(Draft)
First of all,
Although a factory will be good for the economy
wrong to endanger animals
building a factory in the area proposed - many animals would lose their home
(Expanded sentences)
First of all, although the factory may be very good for the economy, I think it is wrong to
endanger animals. If we build the factory, many animals would lose their home. I definitely
don't think we should risk killing animals in order to make money.

2.
(Draft)
Next
It's true that many possible jobs might be
lost. However,
factory could be built in another place
free space on the west side is almost as good

3.
(Draft)
Finally,
Important not to build in rural areas if possible
Although cities crowded - usually places (old, unused) where the factory could be located

E. Read the example introductions and conclusions. In what way does the conclusion relate
back to the introduction?

Introductory paragraph
Making an important decision is not an easy thing to do and there are different ways to do it.
Some people believe that getting the opinion of other people is the best way to make an
important decision; however, I disagree with this approach.

Concluding paragraph
In conclusion, although some people believe it is best to make important decisions by
 talking with other people, I think that important decisions are best made by a single
knowledgeable person.

F. Write a concluding paragraph to complete the opinion essay about building the factory or
saving the animals.

Follow up: When you have finished, compare paragraphs with your partner.

B. PRACTICE
Complete steps 1-4 to write a complete essay using the outline you drafted for Opinion
question 3 in Unit 13. After each step, compare answers with your partner.
1. Expand your introduction.
2. Expand the body, joining simple sentences into more complex ones, and supporting your
ideas with reasons and examples.
3. Write a conclusion that reflects your introduction and summarizes the points you made
(using different words).
4. Use the last few minutes to edit your work and look for obvious errors.

Opinion question 3
Some people enjoy jobs that include traveling a lot and meeting new people. Others like to
work in a fixed location with the same group of coworkers. What is your preference? Explain
why.