Professional Documents
Culture Documents
English I - Business and Leadership Management Program
English I - Business and Leadership Management Program
Distance Education
ENGLISH I MODULE
Moçambique
TECHNICAL DETAIL
ii
Contents pages
PRESENTATION ...................................................................................................................................................VIII
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................................ 2
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
1.ARTICLES ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
3. ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY................................................................................................................................. 14
VOCABULARY....................................................................................................................................................... 24
TASKS .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
I. ARTICLES ........................................................................................................................................................... 25
V. POSSESSIVE ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
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I.ARTICLES ............................................................................................................................................................ 27
II.CONNECTIVES ................................................................................................................................................... 28
IV.DO/MAKE ........................................................................................................................................................ 29
V.POSSESSIVE ...................................................................................................................................................... 30
I.ARTICLES ............................................................................................................................................................ 30
IV.DO/MAKE ........................................................................................................................................................ 32
V.POSSESSIVE ...................................................................................................................................................... 33
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 33
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 34
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 35
OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 35
TASKS .................................................................................................................................................................. 42
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I. INTERVIEWS ...................................................................................................................................................... 42
II.MEETINGS ......................................................................................................................................................... 42
SELF-ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 43
I. INTERVIEWS ...................................................................................................................................................... 43
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 45
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 45
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 46
OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 46
TASKS .................................................................................................................................................................. 50
SELF-ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 50
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 53
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 54
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 55
OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 55
II. LANGUAGE....................................................................................................................................................... 59
SELF-ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 60
II.LANGUAGE ....................................................................................................................................................... 60
II.LANGUAGE ....................................................................................................................................................... 61
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 62
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 62
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 63
OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 63
TASKS .................................................................................................................................................................. 76
SELF- EVALUATION............................................................................................................................................... 77
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 84
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 84
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 86
OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 86
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CONTENT DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................................... 86
TASKS .................................................................................................................................................................. 93
SELF-ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 93
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................... 94
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 95
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................................................... 96
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Presentation
Dear student
On your hands is the Study Guide for English I which includes the Course Outline for Business
Leadership and Management programs offered throughout the Distance Education study program
from the Wutivi University. This guide aims to help you cope with your individual study needs
in the first semester of the program. The team of teachers in English I, who made efforts in the
writing, adaptation and organization tasks so as to enable you engage in this study guide, will
feel honoured to have their students interact actively and progressively in constant dialogues. We
also expect that this course will help you achieve your educational and professional training
goals within the country and elsewhere.
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Introduction
These topics are organized into 6 learning units, each with sub- units or topics related to the
above list of topics. Unit 1 has 5 topics related to the use and misuse of English grammar. Unit 2
has 2 topics related to job interviews and on holding meetings at the workplace. Unit 3 is
dedicated to writing and speaking with 2 topics related to direct and indirect speech. Unit 4
focuses on reading and comprehension on 2 important issues- Education and Language- and on
how these 2 may or may not help us develop ourselves. Unit 5 focuses on another important
language use- verb tenses. Here the focus will be on 5 tenses only because of time constraints but
these will certainly help you improve your grammar inputs. And unit 6, the last one, will focus
on 2 important aspects- formal and informal correspondences for comparative purposes.
Each unit is sub-divided into Introduction, Objectives, Content development, followed by Tasks,
Self –assessment exercises, Answers to self-assessment, Important definitions, Summary and
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Reference texts. Every 2 weeks your tutor will show you the contents you must read, practice
tasks and the self –assessment component to facilitate and guide you throughout the block.
This module will help you, along with other modules, to progress in your academic studies and
train you so as to meet today’s professional demands at the workplace as well as at international
domain.
Objectives
At the end of the English I Module I, student will be able to:
Study Guide
This is English I module I which will be studied in 8 weeks. This will be followed immediately
by module 2 in the second block. How do you go about it?
Here are some useful hints on how you can make good use of the module and get good results.
Distance learning demands a lot of commitment on the part of you as a student.
1. You will definitely need to have a study timetable for English so that you complete the
69.5 compulsory self- study hours for this module alone. Pin it in your bedroom and in
your office. At least you should spend 1.5 to 2.0 hours of study of English on a daily
basis.
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2. Consult the study guide given on the platform to improve your study habits. The
discussions on study methods will also help you learn good study habits.
3. On studying this module read more than once before you start answering the questions
given as exercises or homework.
4. Have a separate notebook to write vocabulary and phrases you encounter as you read and
later consult a dictionary.
5. You can also make some notes in your module using pencil as you read.
6. Consult also some references given at the end of each unit for a better understanding of
the topics in the module.
7. Then during tutorials with your tutor on weekends you are expected to ask questions on
the material you have been reading all along.
Activity Icons
Along this manual you will come across a series of icons on the page margins. These icons serve
to identify different parts of the learning process. They can indicate a specific area of a text, a
new task or activity, a change in activity, etc.
You can see the complete collection of icons of this module below. Each one of the icons has a
description of its use/meaning and this reflects our own interpretation of their use/meaning to
represent various activities along this module.
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Summary
Objectives
Important Definitions
Time to complete the Lesson
4
Help Tips
If you have any difficulties you can consult your tutor using various communication methods
which will be defined at the beginning of your course.
Study Time
The duration of this module is 8 weeks. You should spend a total of 85 hours, out of which 61
hours is for individual study, 8 hours is for contact the teacher, plus 16 hours of virtual tutorials
through technological means such as Platform, Skype and others.
Tests/ Examination
In this module you are going to write 2 tests in class (Class Tests) and various other assessments
through distance learning. A final examination will be written at the end of the lesson, followed
by a supplementary examination, if necessary.
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Unit 1: Use and Misuse of English
Introduction
Can you remember what aspects are common from what we call ‘grammar’, be it Portuguese,
English or any other language? In this unit you are going to revise some of the main issues that
are dealt with in the English grammar. These issues are in no way new to you since you have
come a long way studying English. We will engage on revision of the main aspects of grammar
which have remained as a problem to some students of English as a foreign language. We will
not cover all because of time constraints. Bear in mind that every language has its own way of
treating each of the following issues because each language is unique and has its own rules. This
constitutes use and abuse of a language. The following issues will be dealt with in this chapter:
Articles.
Connectives.
Adverbs of frequency.
Using ‘do’ and ‘make’.
The possessive.
Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
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Punctuate possessives correctly.
Content Development
1.Articles
Trying to define Articles is no easy task. Asking one to define the term is much -ado –about-
nothing. It would give you unnecessary headaches. We can call articles special adjectives or
determiners but what is important is to know that these are words that are used to qualify or
change the meaning of nouns. It is not easy to define articles except to say that the article in
English is one of the following words:
A
An
The
In this topic you will learn how and when to use, these three words in your day to day English.
I want you to begin by reading the following sentences and then tell which one is correct or
incorrect and say why:
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9. I like to eat apples.
I hope you have done everything right! Number 3, 4 and 8 are all correct while number 1, 2 and
5 are wrong. Number 6 and 7 can be right or wrong depending on the situation or what you
intend to say. And number 9 is correct and this tells us that it is not always that we have to use
articles in sentences with nouns. Number 10 is also correct. I will now turn to give explanation
about these.
First, don’t ask me why number 1, 2 and 5 are wrong. It is a matter of Grammar, in the last
chapter we said that grammar is about rules on how language is used!
a) We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ only with singular nouns, to mean only one thing. This means there is
no way you can say; ‘I ate an 3 apples yesterday’ but you can say ‘I ate an apple
yesterday’ to mean only one apple. You can also not say, ‘I have an headaches’ but ‘I
have a headache’.
b) We do not use articles with proper nouns, which are nouns which start with capital
letters, for example, you cannot say ‘a Maputo’, nor ‘an Maputo’ nor ‘the Maputo’.
c) We cannot use articles ‘a’ or ‘an’ with plural nouns. You cannot say ‘a buses’ nor ‘an
hours’. It is wrong.
d) ‘A’ is used with nouns that start with a consonant: (a consonant is a letter in the alphabet
which is not a, e, i, o, u) to say that it is correct to say;
A ball
A cat
A day
A frog
A girl
(But note that there are few exceptions and these are explained below)
1. ‘An’ is used with words that begin with vowel sounds - vowels are letters a, e, i, o, u in
the alphabet. This means you can say:
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An alphabet
An element
An incident
An onion
An ulcer
A teacher
A student
An engineer
An operator
(But take note also that there are exceptions and these are explained bellow)
2. There are some irregular nouns or adjectives which, because of their pronunciation that
is different from the way the word is written, we have to break the rules!
An hour
An heir
An honor
An honorable person
An honorific title
An umbrella
An umpire.
This is because with these words we don’t pronounce the ‘h’. The words are pronounced as
‘awa’, ‘eia’, ‘onna,’ respectively. It seems that they start with vowels except for the last 2
examples.
Likewise, we say:
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A uniform
A university
A union
A eucharist
A euphemism
A united nation
A European girl
This is because the letters ‘u’ and ‘eu’ are pronounced as if they start with ‘Yu’
Note also that it is not only with nouns that we use articles but also with adjectives. Even when
you combine adjectives with nouns the same rule applies to nouns. For example,
A beautiful girl
An innocent child
An honorable person
You can see from these examples that it is the adjective and not the noun which determines the
article.
Note that ‘a’ and ‘an’ are called Indefinite articles because they do not refer to any particular or
definite thing while ‘the’ is called a Definite article because it refers to a particular thing already
known to the speaker and the listener.
1. You can use ‘the’ with singular or plural nouns and adjectives as in; The boy. The boys.
2. You use ‘the’ when you are referring to the noun again or you want to refer to something
that you listener already knows. That explains why I said above that numbers 6 and 7 can
be correct if you want to mean that the thing you are talking about is known to the
listener. If you say ‘I saw the dog’ you want to tell me that it is the same dog I already
know. If you say ‘I saw a dog’ it means it is any dog that I don’t know about.
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Now, like it was said earlier that it is not obligatory that we use articles; let’s explain when you
don’t need articles with nouns: you do not use articles when you talk about something in general
as in;
I like sunshine
Take note that ‘a’ and ‘an’ are used when you are mentioning a thing for the first time in
continuous speaking or writing. This is when you are introducing the thing for the first time and
thereafter you can substitute these with ‘the’ because now the thing is known to the listener or
reader. Study this example:
Last week I met a beautiful girl in town. The girl’s name is Clarisa.
2.Connectives (Conjunctions)
Do you still remember that each language function consists of sentences and/or paragraphs that
are joined together or linked by connectives (words or phrases that indicate a logical
relationship)? In this discussion we shall look at the linking of sentences by means of the 3 basic
connectives- namely, and, or and but and their variations.
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Just as a reminder; you should note that AND, BUT and OR indicate that they rejoin the main
discussion and proceed towards the conclusion of the argument.
AND
The discussion, argument or comment in the development of the topic may be very clear and
straightforward in which case, ideas will simply be added together, one after another: the basic
connective AND is used here. This connective means result and there are a lot other connective
that have same meaning of ‘and’ which we can us to substitute ‘and’ and still have the same
meaning. Study the following example to get what we are saying here;
He passed his examinations therefore, he had good news to tell his parents.
as a result
accordingly
consequently
thus
hence
and
OR
Sometimes the comments may be expressed in another way, or an alternative proposal, etc. may
be made. This is represented by the basic connective OR. The basic meaning of this connective
is reformulation of the idea and thereafter the idea continues. As with ‘and’ there are many
other connectives which have a similar meaning.
He said he had kept the library book hidden for several years.
In other words,
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Or
Note that the connectives in italics introduce a reformulation of what has been said before. The
reformulation appears in different words and is used to make the idea clearer or to explain or
modify it.
BUT
There are also occasions in arguments, etc. when the opposite is considered or referred to. This
is represented by the basic connective BUT. The basic meaning of this connective is to
contradict what has been said before. Like with ‘and’ and ‘or’ there are also a number of other
connectives with a similar meaning. After the opposite or opposing idea has been considered,
the main idea is continued. Study the following example to get a clear picture of what we are
saying;
but
nonetheless arguments.
yet
in spite of that
despite that
although
Note that the connectives in italics indicate the surprising nature of what follows in view of
what was said before; a kind of contrast is indicated.
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3. Adverbs of Frequency
There are many kinds of adverbs; common types include adverbs of manner that tell how
(easily, quietly), adverbs of time that tell when (afterwards, later), adverbs of place and
direction that tell where (there, downstairs, backward, up), adverbs of degree that tell how
much (very, almost, extremely) and adverbs of frequency that tell how often (always,
sometimes, never).
Never -0%
Rarely/Seldom-30%
Sometimes-40%
Often/ frequently-60%
Usually -80%
Always -100%
The percentages show the relative frequencies of these adverbs. The idea is to show you the level
of chance that an action happens. It is important to understand that the percentages only show
approximate frequencies; other sources will have slightly different measurements but you don’t
need to worry much about this.
constantly routinely
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generally repeatedly
normally occasionally
regularly infrequently
frequently hardly
Adverb of
Verb
frequency
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The adverbs often, usually, sometimes and occasionally can go at the beginning of a sentence.
Sometimes I go swimming.
Often we surf the internet.
The following tables show the position of the adverbs of frequency in affirmative, negative,
interrogative, and imperative sentences.
Affirmative Sentence
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Negative Sentences
Interrogative Sentences
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Interrogative Sentences with “BE”
Imperative Sentences
Always Be honest!
B:I
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A: Do they ever study
together? sometimes do.
B:They
If placed in initial position, subject-verb inversion (or word order inversion) occurs. See below
for examples.
Subject-Verb Inversion
Scarcely Had He finished speaking than the door of the queen's apartment
opened the door.
No sooner
Take note that most of the adverbs which end in---ly are derivatives of, or borrowed from,
adjectives. Don’t get confused with this. Also, some adjectives can be adverbs. Only that to
function as an adverb it should be qualifying a verb. That is one way you can decide if a word is
adjective or adverb.
Adverbs of frequency are best used to accompany verbs in the Simple Present tense.
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words correctly. It is mostly through repeated practice that you can make a difference between
the 2 words. You can find the difference only when you combine with certain nouns in
sentences. Often I have heard students saying ‘I make homework’. ‘I make an exam.’ This is
wrong. I also discovered that it is more often easy to abuse ‘make’ than ‘do’ because it is more
often that we use ‘do’ than we use ‘make’ in day to day speech. Consequently when we use
‘make’ we get confused because we are not used to it. How can we differentiate between ‘do’
and ‘make’ then?
DO
We use ‘do’ with nouns that depict non touchable objects. We use ‘make’ when we talk about
production of something touchable.
MAKE
A cake
My bed
A mistake MAKE
A cup of tea
A noise
An effort
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Things
Study the nouns and see if you can get the difference. It looks like most of the nouns that go
together with ‘do’ do not involve producing something tangible- something you can touch. They
are all abstract nouns. Examples are ‘homework’, ‘my best’ and ‘work’. On the other side,
‘make’ is used with nouns that are tangible and it means cooking preparing something out of
some ingredients. However, they are not all tangible nouns that work with ‘make’. Exceptions
are such words as ‘noise’, ‘effort’ and ‘mess’ which are also abstract. That is why we said it is
not easy to explain but you only will get used to it with constant practice.
Then see how confusing it is when it comes to the noun ‘things’. It belongs to both lists and adds
to our confusion! How can you explain this? Maybe to say that making things is preparing
something you can touch, while doing things is action that does not produce things you can
touch. You can also say that ‘doing’ things is less specific than ‘making’ things.
Suffice to say that with ‘make’ you have to add nouns that involve producing touchable, eatable
and visible things. The meaning of ‘make’ is producing something out of some things- through
processes! Once you remember this it will help you to decide when to use ‘do’ or ‘make’ without
doubt. For instance, ‘making coffee’ is mixing water with sugar, coffee, milk, etc to produce a
drink called coffee.
5. The Possessive
Portuguese and English languages differ a bit on how they make possessive forms. A good
number of students of English confuse the use of ‘S’ to make plural nouns with the ‘S’ to make
the possessive form in English. These kind of errors are shown in the following examples:
This is wrong. I hope you understood why this is wrong. We use the apostrophe and ‘s’ to make
possessives which mean that something belongs to someone or something. We also use
possessive pronouns to the same effect but these pronouns differ depending on their position in
sentences. All these are used instead of the word ‘Of’ which means the same as ‘belong’. Using
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‘of’ is awkward in sentences and, therefore, we have to find alternatives. In this lesson you are
going to explore how we make possessives in English and I hope after this discussion you will
teach others how we do it.
In the possessive case, a noun or pronoun changes its form to show that it owns or is closely
related to something else. Carefully read the following considerations:
First, you can form the possessive case of a singular noun that does not end in "s" by
adding an apostrophe and ‘s’, as in the following sentences:
The only luggage that was lost was the prime minister's.
The exhausted recruits were woken before dawn by the drill sergeant's screams.
Also, you can form the possessive case of singular nouns and names that end in "s" by
adding an apostrophe alone or by adding both an apostrophe and "s," (both ways are
correct) as in the following examples:
Felicia Hemans's poetry was once more popular than Lord Byron's.
Felicia Hemans' poetry was once more popular than Lord Byron's.
Also, you can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does not end in "s" by adding
an apostrophe and an "s," as in the following examples:
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The sheep's pen was mucked out every day.
Since we have a complex appeal process, a jury's verdict is not always final.
The men's hockey team will be playing as soon as the women's team is finished.
The hunter followed the moose's trail all morning but lost it in the afternoon.
Also, you can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does end in "s" by adding
an apostrophe only:
The concert was interrupted by the dogs' barking, the ducks' quacking, and the babies'
squalling.
Religion is usually the subject of the roommates' many late night debates.
b) The Possessive Pronouns- her, his, hers, your, yours, its, our, ours
In case of not having to repeat the noun, we use possessive pronouns. They vary
according to gender and also whether they are subject pronouns or object pronouns as I
will hasten to demonstrate below:
Her and Hers
Subject and Object feminine pronouns are different:
Tania has a beautiful mother. Her mother’s name is Lucia. The mother is hers.
His, His
Subject and Object male pronouns are the same:
Hermani has a bicycle. His bicycle broke down. The bicycle is his.
Your, Yours
Subject and Object gender-neutral pronouns are different:
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You boys have money. You do not know how to use your money. However, the
money is yours!
Our, Ours
Subject and Object gender- neutral pronouns are different:
Brian is our teacher. He is ours.
Its, Its
Subject and Object gender- neutral pronouns are the same:
The cat broke its tail. The tail is its.
My, Mine
From these examples take note of the changes that happen when the possessive pronoun comes
at the end of the sentences.
Vocabulary
Much- I do- about -nothing- fazer coisas inúteis.
Irregular nouns- nomes irregulares.
Consonant- consoante.
Vowel- vogal
Belong- pertencer.
Hurry up - depressar.
Abstract nouns- nomes de coisas não palpáveis
Tangible- palpável.
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Tasks
I. Articles
1. Read again the notes above, carefully.
2. Write down any difficult or interesting words or phrases and consult a dictionary for their
meanings.
3. In your note book, write in your own words and in summary form any point or idea that you
think is important about this topic so that you don’t forget the main points raised in this
discussion
Read the following passage and underline all the articles you can identify.
The basic structure of the English language is constant, only the application is different
between classes. This study guide assumes a basic knowledge of English. A good student
will make an effort to study it at home, alone.
II. Conjunctions
1. Write your own 5 sentences each using ‘and’ ‘or’ and ‘but’. This should give you 15
sentences in all.
2. Re-write these sentences substituting ‘and’ ‘or’ ‘but’ with the variations you have learned in
this discussion.
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III. Adv. of Frequency
Write an essay to explain what your typical week is like from Monday to Sunday. Write what
you normally do. Use the simple present,do not forget to use adverbs of frequency. Send the
essay to your tutor for marking.
IV. Do/Make
1. Make your own list of 10 other nouns that you think combine with ‘do’ and 10 others that
combine with ‘make’.
2. Use these words to construct 20 meaningful sentences with ‘do’ and ‘make’.
Write 2 compositions of ¾ pages each-in one explain the things you did last year and in
another write about the things your friend made last year. Send the finished drafts to your
tutor for marking. Please take note of the difference between ‘do’ and ‘make’ as you write
your compositions. Refer to this discussion for help.
Good luck!
V. Possessive
1. Write 5 example sentences each of your own to add to the examples in this module on how
you make the possessive with:
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Her-hers
Your-yours
My-mine
Self- Assessment
I.Articles
Now do the following exercise:
1. This morning I bought ___ newspaper and___ magazine. ___newspaper is in my bag but I
don’t know where I put___ magazine.
2. I saw___ accident this morning. ____car crashed into___ tree. ___ driver wasn’t hurt but___
car was badly damaged.
3. There are 2 cars parked outside:___ blue one and __ grey one.___ blue one belongs to my
brother: I don’t know who ___ owner of ___ grey one is.
4. My friends live in __ old house in__ small village. There is__ beautiful garden behind __
house. I would like to have __ garden like that.
5. This house is very nice. Has it got__ garden?
6. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s sit in ___ garden.
7. I like living in this house, but it is a pity that ___ garden is small.
8. Can you recommend___ good restaurant?
9. We had dinner in a___ very nice restaurant.
10. We had dinner in___ most expensive restaurant in town.
11. She has___ French name but in fact it is English, not French.
12. What’s ___ name of that man we met yesterday?
13. There isn’t ____airport near where we live.___ nearest airport is 200km away.
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14. Our plane was delayed. We had to wait at___ airport for three hours.
15. Excuse me, please. Can you tell me how to get to___ airport?
16. I’m going away for___ week in September.
17. George has a part-time job. He works 3 mornings___ week.
As you do the exercise again, explain in each case why you chose your answer, based on the
notes and what you learnt in this topic.
II.Connectives
Now do the following exercise, inserting only the variations of ‘and’ ‘or’ ‘but’ where
necessary.
4. I ran too fast on the slippery floor………. I tripped and fell down.
8. Xavier did not pass a single subject last year………he is not a brilliant student.
9. I can’t pay you your money back now……. you can come next week.
10. Marta is a very beautiful girl………I don’t like her performance at school.
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2. ---------------- I do not like to eat outside my house.
5. Mr. Shumba is --------------- seen at the bar drinking and chatting with friends.
IV.Do/Make
Choose the correct answer to complete the sentences- “do” or ‘make”.
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V.Possessive
Correct the following sentences, rewriting them altogether removing ‘of’
g) Mozambique is of us.
Note that you will have to effect some changes to some pronouns. Good luck.
I.Articles
1. a, a, the, the;
2. an, a, a, the, the;
3. a, a, the, the;
4. an, a, a, the, a;
5. a;
6. the;
7. the;
8. a;
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9. a;
10. the;
11. A;
12. The;
13. an, the;
14. The;
15. The;
16. A;
17. A.
II. Connectives
1. although
2. therefore
3. in other words
4. as a result
5. yet
6. however
7. in other words
8. to put it more simply
9. nevertheless
10. however
III.Adverb of Frequency
1. occasionally
2. sometimes
3. never
4. never
5. often
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6. sometimes
7. often
8. never
9. no sooner
10. often
IV.Do/Make
1. Doing
2. Making
3. Doing
4. Make
5. Makes
6. Makes
7. Make
8. Doing
9. Make
10. Do
11. Make
12. Do
13. Doing
14. Doing
15. Make
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V.Possessive
1. This is my mother’s book.
7. Mozambique is ours.
Summary
In this unit you have learned various aspects related to grammar and discovered that grammar is
all about the rules of how to use different types of words such as adverbs, articles, possessives
etc. to do well in our communication in English there are rules we have to follow. For example,
‘do’ and ‘make’ are not the same. You have to learn when use them. Also, the possessive in
English has its way of punctuation which should not be confused with making plurals.
Connectors ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘but’ have variations and each of the 3 connectors has its own
meaning. Adverbs of frequency have their positions in sentences which can be shifted. However,
except for ‘never’ which does not change much. Articles in English must not be confused with
masculine and feminine names as is in Portuguese and it is sometimes no need to use articles
with every nouns. Learning about how to apply these grammatical rules is very important so as
to help realize the use and misuse of English otherwise it will show lack of knowledge. That’s all
we tried to deal with in chapter.
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References
1. Azar, B.S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. Longman: London.
2. Carr, J.C. and Eales, F. (2006). New Cutting Edge: Upper- Intermediate. Longman:
London.
5. Jenkins, H. (2001). Creative Ways of Teaching English. The British Council: London.
6. Lewis and Masters, (2000) Use and Abuse of English, Longman: Harare.
10. Rozakis, L. (2002). English Grammar for the Utterly Confused. McGraw Hill: New
York.
11. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002). New Headway English: Pre- Intermediate. Oxford
University Press: London.
12. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002). New Headway English- Upper Intermediate. Oxford
University Press: London.
34
Unit 2: At the Workplace-Professional issues
Introduction
After the revision of some English language issues in the foregoing chapter, let us now shift to
practical English- that is, how we can put into good use of various language aspects at the
workplace. In this chapter we are only going to focus on interviews and staff meetings. Other
issues will come in the next module. The whole idea is to be able to communicate fairly well at
work. In these days it is almost impossible to get a good job if you can’t express yourself well in
English- at least in Mozambique. Take your time to study the two topics and do the exercises that
follow! Good luck.
Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
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Content Development
36
“I had philosophical differences with a new group of bosses!”
“The job they put me in wasn’t the one I was hired for and so I quit!”
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2.2 “What type of boss do you like?”
This question wants to test if you are likely to have conflicts with bosses. Don’t say you like a
boss who you see once in a year and don’t criticize your former bosses. Define your ideal boss
something like this:
“A competent and strong leader who I can learn from, who will let me take chances, coach me
and tell me off when I need it.”
Beside these 8 questions, expect to be tested even more. For example, they can give you a certain
example of a company problem and ask how you would solve it. They can also ask what you
would do in case someone wants to bribe you.
Normally interviews wrap up with the question: “Do you have anything else to say?”
This is your chance to ask about things like the job, the boss’ expectations, the job demands, and
why the last person who had the job left.
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What other questions can you think of?
the problems that obtain at the workplace. Also, meetings are meant to disseminate and share
new information among workers and more so, between management and ordinary workers. Now
read what I prepared for you on the art of holding meetings:
The first thing to note is that you have to call for a meeting when the agenda is well thought and
prepared to avoid wasting time and getting embarrassed during the meeting. Setting an agenda
means delimiting the topics to be discussed and informing the other workers of the agenda well
before the meeting so that they also come prepared. You should have a time limit which you
stipulate for the meeting so that you don’t take days discussing simple issues which would
otherwise take an hour to discuss. Note that your fellow workers do not want you to waste their
time or detaining them for long as if they are your objects. This will portray you as a bad leader
and may lead to further problems at your workplace.
Also, as you chair the meeting have someone to take notes of the proceedings for a record to be
printed and distributed to the participants and other people interested later. The notes you take of
the meeting are called minutes. The minutes of the previous meeting will be read on the
following meeting and passed as a correct record or corrected by the participants.
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Present the agenda of the meeting of that day.
“Thank you Mr. chairman. I want to respond to what our colleague engineer said about
rentals… I beg to differ… My opinion is that why don’t we try… perhaps we will solve this
problem…you never know.”
The above language is full of respect and you don’t expect anyone to get offended in this case.
You proceed like this until you finish with the issues on the agenda.
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3.1.4 And now to Any Other Business (A.O.B)
Here you give a chance to your colleagues to open themselves up and discuss any other pertinent
issues. This plays the trick of ironing out any other hidden problems. Note that A.O.B means
Any Other Business!
From there release your staff as they have other fish to fry!
And to cap off, holding meetings and holding them well and frequently is part of what we call
good leadership! Try holding meetings at your workplace and enjoy the fun.
Vocabulary
Hire- empregar
Bribe- suborno
Integrity- integridade
Meeting- reunião.
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Tasks
I. Interviews
1. Read carefully the text again.
2. Write down any word that you think is interesting or difficult in your portfolio.
3. Write brief explanations of not more than 5 lines each on how you would respond to these
sample job interview questions:
II.Meetings
1. Go over this topic again taking good note of the stages and language used.
2. Watch any English parliamentary session on TV and take note of language frequently used in
expressing opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, asking for repetition etc.write down the main
phrases in these conversations.
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3. Write a page reporting on the proceedings of any meeting (minutes)that you still remember
well at your workplace.
Compare and contrast the proceedings with what you have learned here.
Self-Assessment
I. Interviews
Write brief notes about yourself under the following headings;
II. Meetings
Write some sentences using the following words as a guide to how you can express opinions in a
meeting:
In don’t think……
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Don’t you think also that…….?
And
My experience is that……..
I think….
I agree that….
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Summary
The foregoing unit focused on 2 important aspects in professional situations- meetings and
interviews. One thing to note is that you have to prepare well for both, otherwise these can
terminate in an awkward way. There is special language to be mastered. About interviews we
have seen that you should be prepared to give a brief history about your professional life
contained in what we call a CV (Curriculum Vitae). In a CV you should select only information
that helps you get the job- your professional achievements. You should be able to convince the
panel that you are the right person for the job. Concerning staff meetings one important thing to
note is that you have to use polite language to control your colleagues and to avoid fist fights that
have characterized some meetings not well managed. Speaking politely is what every worker and
every manager has to do. It’s part of what we call ‘professional ethics’ and ‘good leadership
skills’. You will have to learn this language until you can do it right.
References
1. Kerridge, D. (2003). Skills for Business English. Delta Publishing: U.K.
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Unit 3: Punctuation- Direct and Indirect Speech
Introduction
This topic is exclusively for punctuation of words directly spoken and words reported. The idea
is to compare and contrast how we should speak and write- the rules. You will discover that
there are certain changes you cannot avoid, otherwise your communication will fail to convey
the intended meaning.
Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
Content Development
46
them quotations or quoted words. What is quoting then? It is applying certain punctuation marks
called quotation marks or inverted commas, “………”.The idea is to separate the speaker’s
words from those of the reporter. What this means is that the spoken word has its own form of
punctuation to which I have devoted this whole topic under study. (Study this topic together with
topic on indirect speech which deals with removing the quotation marks for better understanding
of this topic). Enjoy the spoken word!
To start with, study the following 2 sentences and find out what direct speech is and is not:
1. Joana said standing on the mountain I am the most beautiful girl in this world.
2. Joana said, standing on the mountain, “I am the most beautiful girl in the world.”
What can you say about the 2 sentences? Which of the 2 makes good reading? Justify your
answer.
You will find that number 1 is awkward and causes confusion whilst number 2 shows the
distinction between what came from the horse’s mouth and the words of the reporter. There are
rules to be followed!
Now read the following sentences and the explanations given thereafter.
2. Her friend replied, “Fine,” but he looked ill. She held his hand and it felt cold.
3. “It’s just a bit of flu,” he whispered, ‘so it will soon be much better. I won’t miss the
football match on Saturday.”
4. “You are an optimist!” she said, “You should stay in bed till Monday.”
1. Use opening inverted commas at the beginning of words spoken directly and closing
inverted commas at the end of the spoken words. “……” . It doesn’t matter if it is a single
word, phrase, sentence or whole paragraph.
2. Leave outside the quotes all that is not the speaker’s but the narrator’s words.
3. You must not forget necessary punctuation like full-stops, commas, exclamation and
question marks. These should be included inside the quotations.
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4. You can have fun by breaking into pieces the spoken words, not forgetting the quotation
marks.
5. You can say who the speaker was either at the start or at the end of the quote- the choice
is yours. See numbers 1 and 2
Study the following examples of direct and indirect speech and then read the rules that follow
immediately.
1. You do not need special punctuation like quotation marks for indirect speech as you can see
from the examples.
2. ‘That’ is used after ‘said’ or ‘replied’ but never after ‘asked’ as in example 3.
3. Pronouns should be changed to reflect the reporter’ s point of view and not that of the
speaker. For example, ‘I’, changes to ‘he’ or ‘she’; ‘my’ changes to ‘his’, etc.
4. The verb tenses must be returned on step back into the past tense. For example in 1, ‘have
passed’ changes to ‘had passed’; ‘am feeling sick’ changes to ‘ was feeling sick’ in 2; ‘are’
changes to ‘were’ as in 3.
5. Adverbs of time and place must also be changed to show the reporter’s point of view. For eg,
‘here’ changes to ‘there’; ‘last week’ changes to ‘the week before’ as in 4. In the same way,
‘today’ changes to ‘ that day’ ; ‘yesterday’ changes to ‘the day before’; ‘this’ becomes
‘that’, etc.
7. Lastly, in questions in indirect speech you exchange the positions of the subject and verb. As
in 3A.B; ‘where are the kids’ changes to ‘where the kids were.’ Note the changed positions
of the subject noun (or pronoun) ‘kids’ and the verb ‘are/were’. In the same way, ‘he is’
changes to ‘was he’.
Vocabulary
Reporter- Jornalista
Quotation marks-aspas
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Tasks
I. Direct Speech
1. Read a good story from any English novel of your choice and study carefully how quotes are
written.
2. Write down in your notebook a few interesting quotes from the story, just to demonstrate the
separation between the spoken and the reported word.
2. Write down any 5 differences you can make between reported and direct speech.
3. Write a one-page report of a meeting you attended and remember to write in reported speech
what the speakers said. Use ‘said’ and ‘told’ also. Refer to the unit on meetings for a quick
reminder of what a report is like.
Self-Assessment
I.Direct Speech
Now do the following exercise to show that you have been following this discussion well and
with understanding. Punctuate the following passage, correctly inserting quotation marks where
required:
Once there was a man named Vladimir. He had a big family and he lived in a small house.
He wasn’t very happy. One day he went to town. He talked to a wise woman. Please help me,
he said. My wife and I have six children. We live in a very small house. Eight people in a few
rooms! We can’t live this way. The wise woman listened. She closed her eyes for a minute.
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Then she asked, How many animals do you have? We have eight animals. We have a horse, a
cow, two pigs, and four chickens, said Vladimir. Good. Go home now, said the woman. Take
all your animals into the house with you. In the house! said Vladimir. But he went home and
did what the wise woman had said. The next week, he went back to the wise woman. This is
terrible! he said. The animals eat our food. They fill all the rooms. They sleep in our beds!
The wise woman closed her eyes again. Then she told Vladimir, now go home. Take the
animals out of the house. Vladimir went home and took the animals out of the house. The
next day he went back to the wise woman. This time he was happy. Thank you, thank you, he
said. It’s very different without the animals! Now we can eat and sleep. Now we like our
house. Thank you for your help. You are a very wise woman!
g) Brian told the students, “You will all pass the test next week”.
j) “The weather will be fine tomorrow in Maputo”, said the weather man.
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2. Complete the sentences with SAID or TOLD. Remember the difference between the two
similar words.
1 (Indirect Speech)
a) The boy said it was not the way to do it,
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b) Hans said He (Brian) was right.
c) Nero said he would see us the next day.
d) The teacher said the girl was sick the previous day.
e) Mauro told me his head was aching on that day.
f) Stella’s mother asked her to bring the pot which was near.
g) Brian told the students that they were going to pass the coming week.
h) I told Lucia that my mother was very strict.
i) The teacher asked if I knew the answer.
j) The weather man said the weather was going to be fine in Maputo on the next day.
Summary
The unit was dealing with direct and indirect speech and there came out the fact that there is
more punctuation to do on direct speech and some words to add when we change from direct to
indirect speeches. Failure to effect such changes makes our sentences change their original sense
or not make sense. We can use the reported speech to write minutes of meetings because
everything is in the past tense.
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References
1. Azar, B.S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. Longman: London.
2. Carr, J.C. and Eales, F. (2006). New Cutting Edge: Upper- Intermediate. Longman:
London.
5. Lewis and Masters, (2000) Use and Abuse of English, Longman: Harare.
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Unit 4: On Education- Reading and Comprehension.
Introduction
This unit is reserved for reading, writing and comprehension skills. You will explore issues
related to the importance of education and how languages help you develop. The key debate in
the latter issue is whether the languages we use in our studies really engage well with our
historical and current situation. You should be able to read and understand the 2 texts and make
informed conclusions which will also contribute to the ongoing debates. Your originality in
giving your opinions will contribute immensely to the development of education and in turn to
our own development too.
Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
Analyze the basic ideas and the personality about Nelson Mandela as a hero.
Discuss the importance of education to people.
Debate and contribute meaningfully using the language on past and current issues.
Content Development
55
Global Campaign for Education. It is a compilation of short stories from influential figures
around the world. The compilation is called, ‘The Big Read’ and it tells remarkable tales of
education and the struggles of those who are denied the chance to learn. One in five people
around the world cannot do what you are doing right now-reading. Close to one billion people
are illiterate and they do not benefit from education- and that means those who are poor will stay
poorer. Therefore, unable to read and write, they will be trapped in a lifetime of poverty and will
struggle for survival means, to look after their relatives, feed them, and get them to school. Most
of these are women. It is a simple fact that can be fixed. Everyone can be given a chance to get
education. Nearly every government has promised to provide its citizens with free and quality
education by 2015. But sadly, these promises are being broken. Education is not only a right, but
also it is one of the cheapest investments governments can make.
Now read an extract from Nelson Mandela’s speech at the launch of the National Campaign for
Learning and Teaching in 1997.
“Our country is well endowed with natural resources. But our most valued treasure is our
people, especially the youth… our struggle against poverty, crime and all the maladies of our
society requires us to invest in the development of our human resources….
At the forefront of this effort is education and training. We are obliged to make it possible
for everyone to develop their potential to the full; to provide opportunities for everyone to learn
and nurture their talents. We have a duty to create a conducive environment and to provide the
necessary tools and mechanisms to support people in their endeavors to better themselves…
The potential to be reclaimed is immense. The millions of our adults who never had the
chance to learn to read and write; the hundreds of thousands of our youth displaced from
education without any meaningful skills; the nation’s workers who must ensure that our country
embraces new technologies- we can tap this power to build a better life by using every
opportunity to ensure that our nation learns.
Our message to teachers on this occasion is this: let your watchword be unqualified
commitment to the interests of those whose education has been entrusted to you. Among other
things this means meticulous punctuality; thorough preparation of every lesson; dedication to
ensuring that every student learns something from each lesson. It involves keeping abreast with
developments in your subject areas…. If you fail our children you fail our country.
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To students, this campaign is a call to make learning your main, if not your only, priority.
For you too, punctuality, attendance and diligence in study must be the order of the day. Active
participation in class and inquisitive probing to aid your own learning, respect for fellow
students and for teachers; and a resolve not to use drugs or take dangerous weapons t school…
We can no longer afford to sit by while some schools are turned into havens of drug
abuse, violence and vandalizing of valuable property. We can no longer sit and watch while any
of our country’s children are held back in the mire of ignorance and lack of skills… Let us join
hands and work together to make our schools work for us.
I thank you”.
(Nelson Mandela is a renowned South African academic, lawyer and politician born in
1918. He has fought against apartheid in South Africa and became the world’s most famous
political prisoners after spending 27 years in prison and became South Arica’s first
democratically elected president in 1994. He is South Africa’s most famous hero to date, a
supporter of education and a defender of human rights).
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Most of the problems associated with colonial powers have been a problem of language. To what
extent, if any, should the colonial language be used and the indigenous languages promoted?
Colonial language and influence seems to have been considerable. Within Africa, major colonial
powers have left their mark: ‘Francophone’ Africa, ‘English-speaking’ Africa and ‘Portuguese-
speaking’ Africa. Even after independence in most African countries, the ex-colonial language
continued as the second language used in administration and in the courts of law. The languages
continue to have considerable prestige- perhaps stemming from the fact that emerging African
elites have taken advantage of the colonial education to prepare to confront the colonial powers.
English is, perhaps, a special case. It was the language of the largest ever colonist, Britain. It
continues to be the dominant language of the First World, reinforced by the presence of the
super-power, America, within that grouping. It is the language of Science and Technology; most
published papers in this area are in English. It is the language of international communications of
diplomacy and commerce.
This dominance of English has been, and continues to be, a major problem for ex-British
colonies in particular. Political leaders who claim to have ended colonial rule still speak in public
in ex-colonial language (they often do so with admirable fluency by any standards). Sometimes,
political leaders use that language when their audience cannot understand them. They are
accused of undermining the indigenous languages by neglect. They are also open to the charge of
failing to recognize the importance of one’s own language. That it is the best vehicle for
expressing one’s ideas and culture generally.
Some commentators point out that the reason why many newly independent countries retain
English for many purposes have less to do with any residual colonial influence than with internal
politics. In the case of India and a number of African countries, English is retained as the only
acceptable language. If any other language were to be chosen as the working language, other
linguistic and ethnic groups would feel very threatened. The result could be political instability.
Vocabulary
Conducive- condigno
Endeavor- esforçar-se
Treasure- riqueza
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Nurture- cultivar
Mire- dificuldades
Prestige- prestígio
Elite- elite
Tasks
I. Big Reader
1. Read carefully the speech again, more than 3 times.
2. As you read, write down any word you think is difficult or interesting in your portfolio. You
will use a dictionary later to find out the meanings and how the words can be used in your
daily communication. You can also ask your friend to help you find the meanings. This will
enrich your vocabulary base in the long run.
3. Read again the speech and underline every sentence that talks about the problems that are
troubling education around the world. After this in your portfolio copy these sentences and
number them.
II. Language
1. Read the passage again and make a summary of the main points raised, in your own words.
2. Write down a list of any words that you don’t know their meanings and consult your
dictionary for their meanings and how they can be used in sentences.
3. Try to create arguments relating to your context of Mozambique, saying what are the
advantages and disadvantages of keeping Portuguese as the official language.
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Self-Assessment
I.Big Reader
Answer the following comprehension questions about Mandela’s speech:
2. Is Mandela happy in his speech? Give at least two reasons based on your reading of the text.
6. Mention any 5 problems that are affecting education in the world according to the speech.
7. Do you think our society is paying attention to Mandela’s speech? Support your answer.
II.Language
Now answer the following questions in your portfolio and send the answers to your tutor for
assessment.
1. Discuss the extent to which the ex-colonial language is still used in your country. Write half
a page.
2. Discuss the extent to which English is a prestigious language. Write half a page.
3. Does the position of English threaten indigenous languages? In what ways? Write half a
page.
4. To what extent is English retained on a political basis? Write half a page.
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5. Given the prevailing language and political constraints, what, if anything, would you do -if
you were the president- to affect the role of English in Mozambique? Write half a page.
I.Big Reader
1. Education is The Key
2. Not happy. Talks about problems. Happy. Talks hope
3. Young and old
4. Rids them of poverty
5. The parents, government, everyone
6. Politics, corruption, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, violence, etc
7. Sometimes, not always. Problems continue
8. Any relevant idea
9. Education is a must, governments have responsibility, education is a Human Right, we need
to guide our children, education if is future
10. Will develop from strength to strength. It has tangible indicators.
II.Language
1. In Mozambique Portuguese is the official language. It is spoken at home, at school, at shops,
etc…
2. One of the top languages of the world… spoken in former colonial countries also… English
for tourism… internet.. computers… business…etc
3. In some parts yes… especially in towns… in rural areas it is a bit slow…at schools it is
prohibited speaking in vernacular …
4. English’s history to Africa is a colonial tool …and this trend continues as neo-
colonialism…in businesses…finance…
5. Promote learning of local languages alongside colonial languages…open language
institutions for local languages… finance and promote the teaching and research…etc
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Summary
From this chapter it has come out that Mandela advocates for the provision of education to
people to make them flee from poverty. Denying people an education is to deny them
development means. Governments have the responsibility to ensure access to education by its
people. Also, students, parents, teachers and the community at large have a responsibility to
safeguard our education from maladies such as violence and drug abuse. Also, while colonial
languages can be associated with development of mankind, there is still debate on the effects of
these languages to the once- colonized people. However, we can conclude that studying and
speaking English gives us more advantages than disadvantages in relation to what we call
‘globalization’. As Mozambicans we don’t want to be left behind others. It has become evident
that education is power.
References
1. McGunley, K. (1999). Bridging Skills, Harare: Longman.
2. www.campaignforeducation.org/bigread
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Unit 5: Some Verb Tenses
Introduction
This unit is dedicated to some verb tenses. This issue is not new to you. We only want to revise it
to ensure that your language use skills does not fail when exercise the shifts from one tense to
another. The verb is the ‘engine’ of any language. We will not cover all tenses. Bellow is the list:
Simple present
Present continuous
Past simple
Future simple
The conditionals
Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
Compare and contrast the different verb tenses.
Create your own sentence using various tenses correctly.
Rewrite a text from one tense to another.
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Content Development
Which one is correct and which one is incorrect? I guess you agree that number 1 is wrong and
number 2 is right. This is because of tingles I Business and Leadership Management programme
‘s’ that is missing in 1. Take your time to study the following notes:
How and when to use the simple present tense? There are various circumstances as shown
below:
Note that to form the simple present tense we need to reinforce the sentence with adverbs of time
suitable for the present simple. These include; always, every time, never, sometimes, frequently
and often.
We use ‘Be’ to say who we are. ‘Be’ has various forms: Am, Is, Are
Example:
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Note: 'am’ is always used together with the first person pronoun ‘I’
‘Are’ is used together with plural nouns or pronouns and ‘is’ is used with singular nouns
Example:
It is hot today.
Example:
It is ten o’clock.
Example:
Example:
Example:
Example:
I am sorry.
NB. Note that you can use the short form of the verb ‘be’ as follows:
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I’m Brian. You’re always late for work.
To state facts.
Here you are talking about how things are as a matter of fact. Something you cannot
argue about. For example:
Here it is all about activities that are almost always repeated. For example:
NB: Also note when to use ‘s’ and when not to.
All the examples above are responses you can give if someone asks you in the simple present
tense. How do you formulate questions in the s.p.t? It is easy! All you need are the verbs Is, Are
.Am, Do and Does. But, wait a minute: you have to know where to position these words!
Generally to form questions in the s.p.t you have to follow the following formula:
For example:
Am I happy?
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Is Brian a nice person?
Note that to add ‘s’ to the verb you have to check for the following noun/pronoun combination:
You
We eat food.
They
Dogs
People
He
It
Brian
A dog
An Ass
NB. You will have to memorize these combinations and get used to these combinations with
time. A good speaker of English knows how to make these changes without thinking a lot.
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tense? This is because, especially with irregular verbs, there is no clear rule on how you change
to the past. You have to study verb by verb to change it, memorizing the word and using it. You
learn by applying it. Yet with regular verbs you can just learn the formula and change. The first
important thing is to see if a word is regular or irregular before you attempt to change it. Regular
verbs are those verbs which accept the normal formula whilst irregular ones are those that do not
accept the normal formula. In this discussion you are going to learn the simple past tense of some
regular and irregular verbs. Study the following sentences which demonstrate the verbs in past
simple tense:
Bruno was a South Australian musician. He lived from 1902 to 1939. He started singing at the
age of 12 and wrote more than 5000 pieces of music. He was only 37 years when he died.
From the above the words in italics are verbs in the past simple tense. They are both regular and
irregular verbs and the way we change them to the past is different. Read the explanation below
to understand better what we are trying to learn here.
• We use the past simple and past continuous to talk about a complete event in the past
and these are normally accompanied by adverbs of time which indicate the past.
• We can also use the past simple to talk about an event that followed another event.
Example; When Anne left university, she went to work for a bank .
• We form the past simple of regular verbs by adding the suffix –ed to the verb. See
examples bellow:
• -Most verbs ending with one consonant you double the last letter+-ed e.g. stop-
stopped; plan-planned.
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Many verbs have an irregular Past Simple form: here you will have to learn the these by heart
because there is no formulae as compared to regular verbs.
Note that the past simple of the irregular verbs am, is are: was, were. Read the following
examples:
The following is a list of common irregular verbs for you to practice their past tenses:
Awake- awoke; Begin- began; Bite – bit; Bleed- bled; Break- broke; Bring- brought; Build-
built; Buy-bought; Catch- caught; Choose-chose; Come- came; Deal- dealt; Dig- dug; Do-
did; Draw- drew; Dream- dreamt; Drink- drank; Drive- drove; Eat- ate; Fall- fell; Feed-
fed; Feel- felt; Fight- fought; Find- found; Fly- flew; Forget- forgot; Freeze- froze; Give-
gave; Go- went; Grow- grew; Have- had; Hear- heard; Hide- hid; Hold- held; Keep- kept;
Know – knew; Lad- led; Learn- learnt; Leave- left; light- lit; Lose- lost; Make- made; Mean-
meant; Meet- met; Pay- paid; Read- read; Ride- rode; ring- rang; Rise- rose; Run- ran; Say-
said; See- saw; Sell- sold; Send- sent; Shake- shook; Shine- shone; Shoot- shot; Shut- shut;
sing- sang; sit- sat; Sleep- slept; Smell- smelt; speak- spoke; Spend- spent; Stand- stood;
Steal- stole; Sweep- swept; Take- took; Teach- taught; Tell- told; Think- thought; Throw-
threw; Wake- woke; Wear- wore; Win- won; Write- wrote.
What difference can you make of the 2 phrases? What are the 2 different tenses used here? You
probably noticed that the second phrase is in the present simple tense while the first is in the
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Present continuous tense. What is the Present Continuous Tense then? Read the following
explanations.
We use the continuous forms for actions and happenings that have started but not finished (they
are eating/ it is raining, etc). Action that is happening(in progress) at the time of speaking.
Some verbs, (for example, Know and Like) are not normally used in this way.
We do not say:
‘I am knowing’ or ‘They are liking’:
We say:
‘I know’, ‘they like’.
Note that the following examples of verbs are not normally used in the pres.c.t:
like, love, hate, want, need, prefer, know, realize, suppose, mean,
understand, believe, remember, belong, fit, contain, consist, seem
However, most of the verbs you know can be used in the pres.c.t.
To make verbs in the present continuous form we need the following grammatical elements:
Forms of the verb ‘BE’- (AM, IS, ARE) + ---ING suffix to the action verb
That is to say, for example:
Brian is eating a banana.
I am writing a letter.
You are reading an English text.
Take note of the essential elements in italics,
Will
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1. To make predictions- this means to guess what will happen in future. To express an opinion.
Note that to guess is not to be 100% sure. What is predicted may or may not come to pass
(happen). Study this example;
Going to
‘Going to’ should be taken as a whole phrase and should not be understood as 2 separate words,
otherwise you will miss the whole meaning of it. It is a phrase which we can use to say the same
thing as ‘will’. We can simply substitute ‘will’ with ‘going to’. The only slight difference which
can be seen between these 2 forms is that ‘will’ expresses simple intentions without much
probability whilst ‘going to’ expresses more certainty. But, don’t worry your head. The
difference is the same! The formula is:
Reminder:
If you study well the above e.gs you discover that you will most probably need to add some other
word - AM, IS, or ARE- which are forms of the auxiliary verb ‘BE’. Don’t forget this!
It is correct to say;
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Can you explain why?
The last reminder is that the action verb in both cases will always be in the infinitive. E.g eat,
drink, run, etc.
5. Conditional Tenses
Conditional phrases are phrases that have a seemingly confusing mixture of tenses. To this end,
some scholars would call them ‘the future in the present’. But this definition is not always true.
What is true is that conditionals are based on the word ‘IF’ which means we are imagining
things that have not yet happened and may happen or may not happen. A kind of a fantasy world.
The various levels of conditionality will depend on the degree of imagination or the probability
of these things coming to pass, to some extent. It is important to note that the word ‘if‘ has its
variations and can change positions in the sentences. Study the following discussion carefully
and attempt the given tasks at the end.
5.1.Zero Conditional
It is used to say what is obviously going to happen as a result of something else, or to talk about
something that almost always happens in response to another action. An action- reaction
situation. Usually it is used to talk about scientific facts.
Structure:
E.g. If I am ill, I see the doctor. ( I am not ill now, but when I am, I always see the
doctor.) e.g
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In this conditional we can use ‘When’ or ‘Whenever’ instead of ‘If’, the sense is still the
same. This is because the result is almost all the same, 100% probability.
5.2.First Conditional
Is used to say what is likely going to happen if something else happens. This is when there is
some probability of it happening, or when there is 50% chance that something will happen in the
future. This has to do much with predictions or guess work.
Structure:
E.g. If I see Mary I will give her the book. ( I am not sure that I will see Mary, but if I see her I
will definitely give the book to her)
The ‘if’ clause can come before or after the main clause, but if it comes before, we write a
comma (,) before the main clause.
E.g. If I become ill, I will go to the hospital. (I am not ill now, but if I become ill in the future I
will go to the hospital.
What differentiates the First from the Zero conditional is the use of ‘will’ in the second clause
while in the Zero conditional it is as if the result will definitely be realised and the verb is in the
infinitive. Also, in the First conditional the sense of the sentence is not scientific facts.
5.3.Second Conditional
Is used to say what is unlikely to happen if something else happens. Here there is very less
probability of it, we only mean what would happen, if another thing happened. Or rather, to talk
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about imaginary present situation, where we imagine something different from what is really the
case. This is what we call ‘wishful thinking’, ‘day-dreaming’ or ‘utopianism’. We use the past
tense in the ‘if’ clause and ‘would’ for the anticipated result.
Structure:
E.g. If you were ill, I would take you to a private clinic, (or I would take you to a private clinic
if you were ill). - I am not going to take you to a private clinic because you are not ill. I am only
imagining a situation which is not real at the moment.
Note: In the first and third persons singular, when using the verb ‘to be’ we often use ‘were’
instead of ‘was’.
E.g. If I were (not was) a doctor, I would look well after the patients.
If my car were fast, I would not take much time on the road.
Structure:
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If + Subject + had + Verb(in past participle)+subject + would + have + Verb(in past participle)
E.g. If I had seen the doctor, my illness would have got better. (In the past- My illness did
not get better because I did not see the doctor).
If you had gone to a healer, you would have taken plants as medicines. (you did not take
plants as medicines because you did not go to a healer).
If Vasco da Gama had not discovered Mozambique, we would have been a British
colony. (Vasco da Gama discovered Mozambique, therefore we are not a British colony,
but Portuguese one).
If I had studied hard, I would have passed all the exams. (I did not study hard, that is
why I did not pass all the exams).
Last month Ann was in the hospital for an operation, but her class did not know about it because
she did not phone to inform, so the class didn’t go to visit her. After some days her brother told a
student that she was in the hospital.
Conclusion:
a) If Ann had informed the class, we would have gone to visit her.
b) If Ann had informed us, we would have known it.
c) If her brother hadn’t informed a student, we wouldn’t have known it.
Note:
a) Given that-------
b) Suppose--------
d) Provided that---------
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Given that I had a lot of money I would buy a beautiful car.
What would you do in the case that you lost all your money.
Vocabulary
Habit- hábito
Reinforce- reforçar
Suffix- Sufixo
Regular verbs- Verbos regulares, normais
Irregular verbs- Verbos irregulares, nao usual
Habit- hábito
Reinforce- reforçar
Suffix- Sufixo
Regular verbs- Verbos regulares, normais
Irregular verbs- Verbos irregulares, nao usual
Tasks
2. Against each example given in the notes, give 2 more examples of your own to reinforce
your concentration and understanding of the lesson.
2. Find out from a dictionary the meanings of each of the words and translate to Portuguese
writing in your notebook.
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3. Use each of the word in its past simple tense in your own sentences to demonstrate you now
know their meanings.
1. In your jotter write down 10 more verbs which we can’t use in the pres.c.t
Future
Write a one- page essay describing your predictions of what you think will happen to you this
year. Use the various ways of saying the future you have learned so far, including ‘will’ and
‘going to.’
Conditionals
1. Write a one- page composition about all the things that you think can happen if something
else happens. Use a mixture of the various conditionals you learned to make your essay
interesting. Use also the various substitutes of ‘if’ that you have learned. Be imaginative.
The sky is the limit. Start by this phrase:
‘Imagine, ladies and gentlemen.----------------
Self- Evaluation
1. I (believe) in you.
3. I (have) no money.
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5. We (learn) English.
Re-write the following passage in the Simple Past tense. Start by underlining all the verbs before
attempting to change them.
I usually get up at 6 o’clock and have a heavy breakfast. I walk to work, which takes me
about 30 minutes. I never have lunch. I finish work at 4 o’clock. I am always tired when I get
home. I usually cook a meal in the evening. I do not usually go out. I go to bed at about 10
o’clock and I always sleep well.
Write 10 sentences in your exercise book explaining what is happening where you are at the
moment. Use various verbs to describe who is doing what at the moment.
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Also attempt the following. Use the verbs in brackets to make full sentences in the pres.c.t. Take
careful note of the verbs which you can and cannot use in the pres.c.t:
a) I (believe) in you.
b) Peter (drink) beer.
c) I (have) no money.
e) We (learn) English.
Future
Complete the sentences with either ‘will’ or ‘going to’ along with the verbs in brackets. In some
cases both ways are suitable.
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Conditionals
5.1 Use the following pairs of verbs to write your own sentences, using at least two conditionals
you think are possible to be used.
a) Invite-accept.
b) Ask- Answer.
c) Love-Marry
d) Read – Understand
e) Win – Travel
f) Help –Thank
g) Invite – Dance
h) Kiss – Feel
i) Visit – Visit
j) Travel – Arrive
Also, put the verb in the correct form and say what conditional (Zero, First, Second or Third) it
is.
E.g. If I found 500Mt in the street, I would keep it.
If John comes tomorrow, I will give him his money.
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Answers to Self- Assessment
1. I usually got up at 6 o’clock and had a heavy breakfast. I walked to work, which took me
about 30 minutes. I never had lunch. I finished work at 4 o’clock. I was always tired when I got
home. I usually cooked a meal in the evening. I did not usually go out. I got to bed at about 10
o’clock and I always slept well.
a) I (believe) in you.
c) I (have) no money.
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e) We (are learning) English.
Future
Conditionals
a) Invite-accept.
________If you invite I me will accept the offer.
b) Ask- Answer.
_________If i asked you would you answer me?
c) Love-Marry
________If you love me marry me then
d) Read – Understand
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____If you had read well you would have understood.
e) Win – Travel
__if Brian won the lottery, he would travel to the moon.
f) Help –Thank
____if you had helped me I would have thanked you.
g) Invite – Dance
_____If I invited you would you dance with me?
h) Kiss – Feel
___If I kissed you how would you feel?
i) Visit – Visit
_________If I visit you will you also visit me next week?
j) Travel – Arrive
___If I travel I will arrive early
Also,
c) If you had read this book, you __would have ___ (known) the story it tells.
g) I’m sure Tom will lend you the money. I would be very surprised if he __ (refuses).
h) Mom gave me this phone. She would be very upset if I __(lost) it.
j) If Dércio _had _(not) _been in a meeting, he ___would have (answered) the phone.
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Summary
We can conclude the following about the foregoing unit: that the various verbs have their own
context and rules to apply them in sentences. Each tense has its own behavior as explained in the
discussion. When you speak or write you have to take apause and think about how your verb
should be. Not forgetting that the conditional sentences are a mixture of various tenses in one
sentence. Conditionals are characterized by ‘if‘ and its variations. Conditionals are usually about
an action that has not happened or should have happened.
References
1. Azar, B.S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. Longman: London.
2. Carr, J.C. and Eales, F. (2006). New Cutting Edge: Upper- Intermediate. Longman:
London.
5. Jenkins, H. (2001). Creative Ways of Teaching English. The British Council: London.
6. Lewis and Masters, (2000) Use and Abuse of English, Longman: Harare.
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10. Rozakis, L. (2002). English Grammar for the Utterly Confused. McGraw Hill: New
York.
11. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002). New Headway English: Pre- Intermediate. Oxford
University Press: London.
12. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002). New Headway English- Upper Intermediate. Oxford
University Press: London.
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Unit 6: Writing Formal and Informal Letters
Introduction
What difference can you make of personal and business letters? This unit you will focus on two
types of letters- business (commercial) and friendly (informal) letters. The essential difference is
on the structure. You have to learn to write these 2 types of letters without problems. Don’t
forget the structural differences! And a bit of the contents.
Objectives
At the end of this unit you will be able to:
Write formal and informal letters correctly.
Explain the structural differences between formal and informal letters.
Explain the linguistic differences between formal and informal letters.
Write letters applying for a job.
Write appropriate responses to letters.
Content Development
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follows you are going to specifically deal with informal (personal) letters. Personal letters are
written to people you know while business letters can be to a person you do not know. You can
write on any topics that have to do with what your relationship is like with the reader in personal
letters.
A personal letter is informal by nature. This means the language you can use here is not very
strict and you can write it the way you feel, depending on the kind of relationship between you
and the recipient of the letter. Personal letters are those letters we can write to our family and
friends and this means we are free to say what we want to them without paying strict attention to
language. Here we can use those kinds of words which include slang and jokes. This is different
with business letters because imagine when you communicate with your superior at your job,
you cannot say any joke you wish. In the same sense the layout or structure of personal letters is
different and less strict compared to business letters.
Bairro de Choupal
Maputo
23 November 2020
Hi Sweetie,
It has been a long time since we wrote to each other. Anyway, how are you doing my
sweetheart? Here it is half orange half lemon. And guess what, I just managed to get a place
to study Cookery at the varsity. In five years I will be the best cook in the world! Hahahaha!
And how are your mum and dad and all? Send them my kisses. Until next time.
Yours ever,
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While reading again the letter, take note of the following:
1. There is only one address, your address. You can shift the address from right to left to
start on the margin, if you wish.
3. The greeting or salutation is very informal, consisting in words such as ‘Hi’, ‘Sweetie’
which are informal words which mean ‘Hello’ and ‘friend’ respectively. Note that you
can also greet by saying, ‘Dear------‘, ‘My Dear-----‘, ‘Dearest-----‘ or starting just by the
name of your friend. This is interesting and you should experiment with different words,
informal words. You can write nicknames of your friends or relatives.
4. In the body of the letter you state your purpose of writing the letter and any other jokes
you wish to say to tour friend. From this letter you can find informal words such as
‘sweetheart’, ‘varsity’ ( which means ‘university’), ‘mum’ and ‘dad’, phrases such as
‘half orange half lemon’ and interjections such as ‘Hahahaha’ which means you are
laughing with your friend. No problem with this.
5. In the conclusion of the letter you are also free to say as you wish. Here the writer says,
‘Yours ever’. You can also say, ‘Yours truly’, ‘ Yours sincerely’, ‘Love’, ‘Kisses’, ‘Best
wishes’, ‘Bye for now’ etc.
6. Your identity or signature can be only your first name (not complete name) or your
nickname which your friend likes to call you. In this letter the writer identified herself as
‘Yoyo The Great’. This is not her real name but a nickname known to the 2 friends. Her
real name is Yolanda Marcos Sitoe. You can try this exercise with as many nicknames
you can. After all, friends are known to give each other nicknames and that is what
friendship is all about.
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introduced briefly in the topic on personal letters. Business or Formal or Commercial letters -
whatever you want to call them. This is a kind of letters used for purposes of doing business or
for commercial transactions. Because of this nature, the language and structure of these letters
are special and a bit different from personal letters in that the language is strict and you have to
forget about the slang you have learnt to use with your friends. This time it should be formal or
official English which you can verify through use of a dictionary. You cannot go about creating
your own vocabulary. And saying anything you want as you use to do with your friends.
Business letters are used when you are applying for jobs in companies, when you communicate
with your subordinates or your colleagues at the workplace. We can safely say that business
letters are workplace letters. You can also write business letters to solicit information on orders,
make complaints and a whole lot of other purposes. You can write business letters to a person
you don’t know. Now let’s turn to the structure and language of commercial letters below.
Read and analyze the following letter bearing in mind the language and structural features.
I.S.T.E.G
Belo Horizonte
Maputo
Cell-84238596700
22 January 2022
Harvard University
Cambridge
Britain
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Dear Sir or Madam:
Yours Faithfully,
(Applicant)
1. The first address is your own address together with your contact numbers. You can also
add fax and e-mail details on this address. Take also note that you can shift your address
to the far right hand-side to appear diagonal to the other address, depending on your
choice. Also, if you are using letterheads you do not need to repeat your address.
2. After the first address skip a line and write the date, separately. You can use another
format to write the date, for e.g, April 23, 1989, starting with the month this time. Others
would prefer to start with the year as in, ‘2013, January 30.’
3. Skip another line and write the title or position of the recipient and underline. Then you
write the address of the recipient immediately after, always starting on the left hand-side
margin.
4. Skip another line and write the greeting or salutation. This time you don’t have much
freedom but to use formal greeting- ‘Dear----‘, ‘Dear Sir’, ‘Dear Madam’, ‘Dear Mr--,
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Mr--‘. Note that you say ‘Sir or Madam’ when you don’t know the person who is going
to receive the letter. And you can say ‘Mr ---‘ or ‘Mrs---‘ or ‘Ms---' when you know the
name of the recipient and write the surname of the person.
5. Skip another line and write the reference, In CAPITAL LETTERS. And UNDERLINE.
This reference should contain a summary of the purpose of the letter in brief and
normally not exceeding a single line. Here you have to learn to write good summaries!
6. The body of the letter- here you have to start by introducing yourself, your position or
title. Note that it should not be your name here. Then straight away you explain your
purpose for writing the letter. As you do this no slang, no jokes, no beating about the
bush. You should only write what you have to write because in business they say; ‘time
is money’ and you can’t waste their time. You should not ask about the recipient’s health
or family. Neither should you ask to know about latest news as you do with your friends.
7. After the main body of the letter you now need to dedicate a line to say about what your
expectations are. If you need an urgent reply you say it, or, if you need something to be
done about your letter you say it. You may find the following phrases useful one day you
write a business letter:
Can you think of any other ways you can express your expectation from the recipient? I hope
you can find 5 more suitable expressions but note that it depends on the nature of the issue
under discussion in the letter.
8. To close the letter you have to show that you are about to sign off. You cannot suddenly
sign off your letter. You need those phrases such as:
Faithfully Yours
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Truly Yours
Best Regards
9. After this you can sign off your name in rubric in pen and then print your full name
below legibly and below it you have to state who you are in relation to the recipient, in
brackets (……). See this in the example letter above. Note the difference with personal
letters in which you don’t need to write you real or full name.
10. If you have any annexes or attachments to make you can now talk about them as post-
script (P/S) but this is not compulsory.
Vocabulary
Letterhead- cabeçalho
Slang- calão
Purpose- intenção
Nickname- sobrenome
Jokes- piadas
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Tasks
1.Informal Letters
Read again the letter and the notes carefully
a) Write in your portfolio any 20 slang words that are common between friends and then
write the formal equivalents or explanations of these words. You can ask your friend to
help you out and a dictionary also. You will us these words to write to your family and
friends and make your letters informal and interesting.
b) Also write a list of 10 names you know and their slang equivalents. Start with your own
name: what do your friends call you or what do you want your friends to call you?
2. Business Letters
a) Read the letter again, this time slowly and carefully.
Make any five (5) points to compare any differences you can make between a business
and a personal letter.
Self-Assessment
1. Informal Letters
Write a letter to your friend telling her or him about your adventures at the beach last
weekend. Take note of all the features that we said constitute informal letters. You will
need a good English dictionary to help you with vocabulary.
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Write a first, second and final draft after giving your friend to correct the mistakes and
submit the final draft to your tutor for correction.
2.Business Letters
Now do the following exercise:
Imagine you have finished your course at UniTiva. Write a letter to any company
applying for a job. Include all the details you think can help you get the job.
Write the first and second draft correcting your mistakes until you are satisfied with your
work and then write a final draft to submit to your tutor for assessment. Ask your friend
to correct the first and second drafts and discuss with him how you can make your letter
interesting. Don’t forget about what you learnt about the structure and language of
business letters in this discussion and good luck!
1. Informal Letters
Check the language and components of the letter, such as; one address, date, salutation,
body, closing salutation, signing off.
2. Business Letters
Check 2 addresses, date, salutation, topic sentences, purpose ,personal details, body,
language, closing remarks, signature, etc.
Summary
This unit focused on structural differences between formal and informal letters. The formal letter
has more restricted form and more details than an informal one. In terms of language you have to
be more careful when you write formal letters than when you write informal letters. Formal
letters are used in business and therefore you have to be more careful how you write them. In
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today’s context it is almost taboo for you to handwrite business letters. You have to try by all
means to type the letter and print on the computer.
References
1. Blanchard, K and Root, C.(2000). Ready to Write. MacMillan Heinemann: London.
2. Bosher, K, (2007). Correspondência em Inglês. Maskew Miller Longman, UK.
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Bibliography
1. Azar, B.S. (1996). Basic English Grammar. Longman: London.
4. Carr, J.C. and Eales, F. (2006).New Cutting Edge: Pre-Intermediate. Longman: London.
5. Carr, J.C. and Eales, F. (2006).New Cutting Edge: Intermediate. Longman: London.
6. Carr, J.C. and Eales, F. (2006).New Cutting Edge: Upper- Intermediate. Longman:
London.
9. Jenkins, H. (2001). Creative Ways of Teaching English. The British Council: London.
10. Kerridge, D. (2003). Skills for Business English. Delta Publishing: U.K.
11. Lewis and Masters, (2000) Use and Abuse of English, Longman: Harare.
16. Rozakis, L. (2002). English Grammar for the Utterly Confused. McGraw Hill: New
York.
17. Seaton, A and Mew, Y.H. (2007). Basic English Grammar- Book 1. Saddleback: U.S.A.
18. Seaton, A and Mew, Y.H. (2007). Basic English Grammar- Book 2. Saddleback: U.S.A.
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19. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002).New Headway English- Beginners. Oxford University
Press: London.
20. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002).New Headway English: Pre- Intermediate. Oxford
University Press: London.
21. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002).New Headway English- Intermediate. Oxford University
Press: London.
22. Soars, L and Soars, J. (2002).New Headway English- Upper Intermediate. Oxford
University Press: London.
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