USING SYNONYMS WHEN WRITING

  Avoid repeating the same words many times in your writing (essay or letter). Use synonyms as much as you can. These lists can be helpful.

ESSAYS WRITTEN BY STUDENTS

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad

   Making the decision of where and what to study can often be difficult for students who have just finished secondary school. It is an important time in our lives when we have to decide whether we like to continue our education in our country or abroad and what we want to study. But is studying abroad a good decision?

   Firstly, when you study abroad you become more independent because you live on your own and you have nobody there who can help you. Furthermore, you meet a lot of people with different nationalities and cultures which is a great thing. Finally, you gain a different experience from the others who study in their own country and this can be useful further in life.

   On the other hand, there are a lot of disadvantages. In the first place, you do not know the language that is spoken in that country. What is more, you can easily become homesick and want to go back home. Not to mention that studying in another country is far more expensive than studying in our home country.

   All things considered, there are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of studying in another country. In my opinion, studying abroad is better because you learn how to live on your own and how to face the difficulties that can stand in your way.

Elizabeta Stojcheva IV¹

If you had enough money to travel anywhere in the world, which three places would you choose to visit and why?

    If I had enough money to travel all around the world, I would try to visit as many places as possible, but if I had to choose the top three places, they would be Dubai, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro.

    First of all, I would like to visit Dubai because it is a unique destination that is both a dynamic business centre and a tourist paradise, offering many attractions and astonishing buildings and hotels.

    Furthermore, I would like to visit one of the greatest small cities in the world, located in Netherlands, Amsterdam. From its canals to world-famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

    Finally, I’d love to visit Rio de Janeiro too. It is one of the most visited cities in the world, known for its famous beaches, the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer and Maracana Stadium.

   To sum up, if I had enough money, I’d travel to different places all the time, but these three cities would definitely occupy the first three places on my list.

Hristo Trajkovski IV⁴

  Many students choose to attend schools and universities outside their home country. Why do some students study abroad? Give your opinion and use specific reasons to explain it

   In the last few decades more than half of the students decided to go to college. As we are nearing the end of our high school education we are beginning to wonder where to continue our education. I think it’s better to go to another country and continue our education there.

   First of all, universities abroad are better than ours because they have better equipment and they pay more attention to practice classes than theory.

   Secondly, universities outside our home country offer scholarships, free accommodation and food for excellent students.

   In addition, studying abroad is good for us because we can meet new people from different countries, practise our language and find a better profession.

   To finish, it seems to me that studying outside our home country is the best way to get a diploma recognized in many countries and as a result use all the advantages that were mentioned before.

Ana Petkova IV²

If you could choose any job in the world

what would you choose to do and why?

   If I could choose any job in the world, I would choose to be a movie producer. Although many people think that being a movie producer is easy, it is a very challenging job and you must have a vast imagination and knowledge if you want to succeed. Despite this movie producing would be my choice for several reasons.

   First of all, it is a well-paid job. Although you could be under a lot of pressure, it’s worthwhile. What is more, you have the chance to meet movie stars and work with them.

   Moreover, you would be an example to people and they would look up to you. If you are good at your job and create versatile films which attract the attention of the audience, you will earn the respect from most of the crowd. On the other hand, there is always going to be someone who dislikes what you do, but you can't please everyone.

   All in all, it is a risky business, but the benefits are more important and the pleasure to create art outweighs every negative side.

Veljan Vuchkov IV⁴

LETTERS OF APOLOGY

A letter of apology can be either formal or informal. It can be written when someone has made a mistake, has failed to perform a duty or is not able to fulfil a promise. The main body contains reasons for the inconvenience caused. In the final paragraph you can express your hope to improve the situation or promise to make up for any problems that have been caused.

Organization of paragraphs

Introduction: paragraph 1 - state the reason(s) for writing

Main Body: paragraphs 2, (3) - reasons to explain the inconvenience caused

Conclusion: final paragraph - express understanding/regret or promise to make up for the situation and closing remarks

 

Useful language for letters of apology

Formal

Opening Remarks:

I am writing to apologise for ….

I must apologise for ….

Please accept my sincerest apologies for …

How can I apologise enough for …

I must apologise profusely for, etc.

Closing Remarks:

Once again, sincerest apologies for …

I hope you will accept my apologies …

I hope my apologies will be/are accepted, etc.

Informal

Opening Remarks:

I hope you will understand when I say that …

What can I say, except I'm sorry that …

I'm sorry for …

I owe you an apology …

I'm so sorry if I upset you in any way …

I can't describe how sorry I am and how guilty I feel, etc.

Closing Remarks:

I hope you believe me when I say how sorry I am …

I can't tell you how sorry I am …

I beg you to forgive me for …

There is no excuse for ... and I hope you'll forgive me, etc.

Example letters

There are two letters below - one formal and one informal. Read them and fill in the gaps with expressions from the list. Then underline the opening and closing remarks and replace them with others from the list above.

1 to apologise / to say how sorry I am

2 bad behaviour /disgraceful conduct

3 I know / I realise

4 severely reprimanded / properly told off

5 be sure / rest assured

6 what happened / this incident

7 put you off / deter you

Letter A

Dear Mr Johnson,

I am writing to you 1) …. for the 2) …… of a member of our staff towards you on Saturday April 23rd. 3) …. how much this must have upset you.

I always take such incidents extremely seriously and, following your letter of complaint, the member of staff has been 4) ….. You can 5) ….. that he will be treating our customers quite differently in future.

I hope that 6) …… will not 7) …… from using our store in future. In an attempt to make up for the inconvenience caused, we are sending you a complimentary gift.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Brown (Manager)

Letter B

Dear Belinda,

   I’m writing 1)…… for my son’s 2) …… last week. 3) …… how upset you were, and I thought I’d write to you to try and sort out the problem.

   I didn’t realize what had happened straight away, but when I got your letter, I promise you that he got 4) …… You can 5) …… he’ll never speak to you like that again.

   I hope 6) …. won’t 7) …… coming round to our house. I’d like to make up for my son’s behaviour by inviting you to dinner on Thursday so that he can have the chance to say how sorry he is himself.

                                                                              Love,

                                                                            Joanne

Key to exercise

Letter A                                          

1. to apologise

2. disgraceful conduct

3. I realise

4. severely reprimanded

5. rest assured

6. this incident

7. deter you

Letter B

1. to say how sorry I am

2. bad behaviour

3. I know

4. properly told off

5. be sure

6. what happened

7. put you off

Adapted from: 

Successful Writing - Upper-Intermediate - Student's book - Express Publishing UK_Ltd

Successful Writing - Proficiency - Student's Book - Express Publishing UK_Ltd (2010)

LINKING WORDS / PHRASES

  We can use words or short phrases called linkers which help to guide readers through our writing, and to link ideas, sentences, paragraphs or sections. They are used to develop coherence within the paragraphs or sections by linking one idea to another. Here is a list of words and phrases that can be used in writing.

To express personal opinion: In my opinion, / In my view, / To my mind, / To my way of thinking, / Personally I believe that /I feel very strongly that / It seems to me that / As far as I am concerned /

e.g. I think that the world would be a much better place without nuclear power.

To introduce and list advantages: One advantage of / Another advantage of / A further advantage of / The main advantage of /

e.g. The first advantage of travelling to work by bicycle is that it is cheap; you don't have to pay for fuel.

To introduce and list disadvantages: One disadvantage of / Another disadvantage of / A further disadvantage of / The main disadvantage of /

e.g. The first disadvantage of travelling to work by bicycle is that you have no protection from the wind or rain.

To list points: Firstly, / First of all, / In the first place, / Secondly, / Thirdly, / Finally, /

e.g. To start with, people who live in the country suffer far fewer health problems than those who live in the city.

To list points in a specific sequence/order:

BEGINNING - First, / To start with, / To begin with,/

e.g. First of all, wash the wound with cold water.

CONTINUING - Secondly, / After this/that, / Afterwards, / Then, /

e.g. Next, wrap a bandage around the cut.

CONCLUDING - Finally, / Lastly, /

e.g. Last but not least, place the patients in a comfortable position and allow them to rest.

To add more points on the same topic: What is more, / Furthermore, / Apart from this/that, / In addition (to this), / Moreover, / Besides, /

e.g. ..... not to mention the fact that cars are extremely expensive to maintain.

- Cars are also extremely expensive to maintain.

- Cars are extremely expensive to maintain too.

- Not only are cars harmful to the environment, but they are extremely expensive to maintain as well.

- Cars are both harmful to the environment and expensive to maintain.

To give examples:

e.g. For instance, / For example, by reducing your intake of red meat you can decrease your chances of having a heart attack in later life.

- By reducing your intake of foods such as / like beef and lamb you can decrease your chances of having a heart attack in later life.

- If you want to decrease your chances of having a heart attack in later life, you should reduce your intake of meat, particularly / in particular / especially red meat.

To state other people's opinion: It is popularly believed that / People often claim that / Some people argue that / A lot of people think that /

e.g. A lot of people believe that the earth is the only planet in our solar system that has ever supported life.

To make contrasting points:

e.g. It is a known fact that smoking causes cancer; yet / however, / nevertheless, / but / at the same time / even so, / still, / nonetheless, millions of people around the world continue to smoke.

- Although / Even though / In spite of the fact that / Despite the fact that / While it is a known fact that smoking causes cancer, millions of people around the world continue to smoke.

To express balance (the other side of the argument):

e.g. Dogs are good pets in that they provide companionship; however, / but / on the other hand, / yet, feeding and grooming a dog can be expensive and time-consuming.

To conclude: All in all, / Taking everything into account, / On the whole, / All things considered, / In conclusion, / In summary, / To finish, / As I have said / As was previously stated, /

e.g. To sum up, it is unlikely that mankind will ever bring an end to all wars.

Time:

e.g. Press the button when / whenever / before / until  / till / after the light comes on.

- I haven't seen him since June.

- I saw him as I was leaving the shop./I saw him while I was doing my shopping.

- I never see him now that he lives in Canada.

Relatives:

e.g. That's the man who/that gave me the bag.

- That's the man whose bag it is.

- That's the dog which/that bit me.

- That's the place where I live.

- That's the woman who/whom/that I live with.

To express condition:

e.g. I told him that he could borrow my car on the condition that / provided (that) /providing (that) / only if / as long as he didn't drive it too fast.

- Take an umbrella in case of rain/in case it rains.

- He asked me whether (or not) I wanted to go.

- You had better lock all the doors otherwise/or (else) you will be in trouble.

To express result/effect:

e.g. He passed his exams; thus, / therefore, / so / consequently, / as a result, / as a consequence, /for this reason, he was able to go to university.

- It was so cold that we decided to light a fire.

To express purpose:

e.g. The government decided not to introduce the death penalty for fear (that) innocent people would die.

- The government decided not to introduce the death penalty so that innocent people would not die.

- The government decided not to introduce the death penalty so as to / in order to avoid the deaths of innocent people.

- The government decided not to introduce the death penalty in case it resulted in the death of innocent people.

Summarising: In short / Briefly /To put it briefly, the film was the best I've ever seen.

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LETTERS GIVING NEWS

Informal (friendly) letters giving news are normally written to relatives, friends or other people we know very well. A good informal letter should be divided into paragraphs. Each paragraph should deal with one aspect of the subject and start with a topic sentence which gives the main idea of the paragraph.

Introduction: paragraph 1 - reason(s) for writing

Main Body: paragraphs 2, (3,4) - development

Conclusion: final paragraph - closing remarks

Tenses

• Present Perfect and Past Simple are often used in letters giving news.

The Present Perfect is used to refer to recent activities and the Past Simple to refer to activities which happened at a stated time in the past.

Read the following letter and correct the mistakes.

Dear Jenny,

    How are you? I hope you’re very well. I’ve got so many to tell you that I don’t know  where to begin! Visitting Kenya was fantastic so far!

    The beaches are absolutely wonderful. The sea is like glass and the white sand is soft as powder. I’ve collected the loads of shells already and yesterday I have ridden on an elephant. The local people also are very friendly and almost every night we had the opportunity to watch traditional dancing. You’d love africa.

    The most excited part of the holiday was the hot air balloon safari last week, it was amazing! We floated quietly above all these teams of wild animals. The scenery absolutely was breathtaking. I have never seen nothing like it before.

    As soon as I will get back, I’II phone you and tell you all about it. Till then, take care.

     Love,

     Fiona

Read the following letter and replace the underlined formal phrases with more appropriate informal ones.

  Dear Mum,

  I felt obliged to write to inform you how everything is going here in Spain since I started university. Please accept my sincere apologies for not writing sooner but I've been so busy I really haven't had a suitable opportunity.

  I managed to find a nice place to live. It’s a small flat just around the corner from the university. I'm sharing the flat with a girl called Anita who seems really nice and has been here for a year.

  I have become familiar with my surroundings and have been practicing my Spanish, which is improving considerably every day.

  I hope to return home for Christmas once the examinations are over, it  will be wonderful to see everyone again. I do get homesick, you know.

  I look forward to hearing from you soon.

  Yours sincerely,

  Julie