Leaflet

Look at this task.

You work in a fitness centre. The centre would like to encourage more business

people to use its facilities after work. There are many companies in your town

which have English-speaking employees and you have been asked to prepare the

text for a leaflet aimed at them.

You should:

1. introduce the fitness centre and its facilities.

2. emphasise the benefits of regular exercise.

3. give brief general advice on ways of avoiding stress in daily life.

Write the text for the leaflet using about 250 words.

First, you will need to think about the content of your leaflet.

-       make a list of possible exercise and other facilities (such as a shop, café etc)

-       make notes about the benefits of regular exercise (and the dangers of inactivity)

-       think about what to include in the “general advice” section.

Layout and organisation

Information sheets, leaflets and brochures are intended

to inform, persuade orwarn. The two main aims are therefore to catch the reader’s

attention and to present the message as clearly as possible. To do this, layout and

organisation need to be as effective as possible. Short paragraphs with clear headings

are much easier to read and absorb than long blocks of text, for example. The best

approach is to imagine yourself as the reader and to ask what you would want to know,

and in what order you would find it easiest to absorb the information. Consider these

points:

Main heading:

-       Is this as direct and eye-catching as possible?

-       Does it give the reader a clear idea of what the subject is?

-       Does it make the reader want to read on?

Subheadings:

-       Are these short and clear? Asking a question in your heading may be more interesting

than stating a fact.

Text:

-       Is the information broken up into short, easy-to-read sections?

-       Is the order logical?

Look After Your HeartA Simple Guide To Feeling Fitter

Looking BetterAnd Living Longer

Why do I need to look after my heart?

By looking after your heart you can feel fitter and look

better – and you’ll be protecting yourself against heart disease too.

England is one of the worst countries in the world for heart disease.

It causes one in three of all deaths among 55-64 year olds.

What causes heart disease?

Your heart needs a supply of oxygen that comes from the blood

 in its arteries. Over a number of years these arteries can get clogged up

and the supply of blood to the heart can stop. This causes a heart attack.

I’m fit and healthy. Why should I worry?

Heart attacks usually happen to people in middle age, but the damage

 to your arteries can start long before that, without you realising it.

It can even start to develop in childhood.

So it’s important to look after your heart now, whatever your age.

Isn’t a heart attack a quick way to go?

Not always. Heart disease can cause years of pain, discomfort and worry.

How can I avoid getting heart disease?

There are no guarantees, but the best way to avoid heart disease is:

Don’t smoke

Eat healthily

Take regular exercise

Go easy on alcohol

Avoid stress if you can

If you have heart disease in you family you may have a greater risk of

getting it yourself so it’s especially important to follow this advice.

REPORT/PROPOSALReport on the Annual Student Games in London

Introduction

The aim of this report is to describe my experience of attending the Annual Student Games in London, which took place in August of this year. This report will also give some recommendations for the organisation of next year´s event in Lima, Perú.

Accommodation, food and transport

Finding cheap accommodation in London was firmly easy. There were plenty of youth hostels and bed and breakfasts available, which offered incredible discounts to Latin American students. And, as breakfasts and dinners were included, I only had to worry about paying for lunch (8-10 dollars a day).Travelling through London was not difficult. There were special buses which could take you for free to the venues of the sporting events.

The social programme

The event lasted a week and was packed with enthusiastic young people. Universities from all over the world sent their "champion Olympians" to participate in track and field, football, basketball and swimming competitions.The highlight of the event was, of course, the closing ceremony, in which the winners were presented with a medal and a posy by no other than the Queen herself.

Communication

The organisers of the event had the innovative idea of announcing the schedule for the games via e-mail, as 99% of students use smart phones and iphones. However, there was a problem with the wifi signal in some parts of the city, which made internet connectivity slow and in some cases impossible.

Recommendations for next year´s games

I strongly recommend we follow in the London´s organising committee footsteps and offer accommodation, food and transport facilities to foreign

students. I also believe we can adopt their communication-via-mobile-phone idea, but we have to make sure we will have a good wifi signal available in all the youth hostels and b&bs.Finally I suggest we invite a huge celebrity or very important political figure to be present in the closing ceremony.2. Useful language / Phrases to use in a Report.

In the introduction- The aim of this report is to...- The purpose of this report is to outline...- This report will also provide some recommendations on...

In the conclusion- I strongly recommend...ing- It would be highly advisable to...- I would no doubt suggest...ing- I also believe we should...

REPORTS/PROPOSALS

Introductory comments

I recently visited (the new Leisure Centre) and have prepared the following report for your consideration.

Further to my visit to ... , I have prepared the following report.

The following report relates to my recent visit to ...

General comments

On the whole, I found that ...

Although ... , I should point out that ...

It is a fact that ...

Concluding comments

All things considered, I believe that ...

Taking all these points into consideration, I would recommend ...

I recommend that we look into the possibility of ...

Comparing places or facilities

One of the main differences between X and Y is that …

X is completely/entirely/totally different from Y in that …

Unlike X, Y is ...

While/Whereas/Although X is ... , Y is ...

X is a little/slightly/somewhat/a great deal (bigger/more elegant than Y.

X is not quite/nearly as (comfortable/expensive/ convenient) as Y because ...

X is virtually/exactly the same as Y when it comes to ...

Title: Report into …….Paragraph Titles: Introduction, Strengths, Weaknesses, Conclusion. (for example) Fixed introduction: The aim of this report is to evaluate/put forward ideas for/examine etc.Introduction:The purpose/aim of this report is to….

This report sets out to…

The report will comment on…

Below is an explanation of…

The focus of this report is…

This report will offer an in depth critique of…

Fake survey/questionnaire:It can be a good idea to base the report on a survey/questionnaire.This report will present the findings of/This report is based on the findings/results of an extensive survey carried out by…

Concluding:-To sum up,…To conclude,…

-I hope that the plan outlined/presented in this

report meets with your approval…

-I hope that the recommendations outlined/

presented in this report will receive your serious

Grammar check listHave you included?

·         An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)

·         An inverted conditional (Were we to…)

·         A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)

·         A double comparative (The

consideration.

Should the recommendations outlined in this report be carried out, I have no doubt that …. Will be a resounding success.

 

more we… the more)

·         A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)

·         Linkers (Nevertheless/despite/due to/consequently)

·         Impressive verbs (bring about change/undergo development)

To, From, Subject, Date

The purpose/intention/aim of this report is to outline / present / discuss / give a brief comment / suggest / sum up the last...The report contains the relevant details concerning the problem as you required.It's based on my observations/extracts from the questionaries / the feedback from participants...As requested I am submitting this report concerning...This report is submitted in support of our request for...

I suggest ... as it would result in...Consideration should be given...It would be prudent / inadvisable / advisable to ... on the grounds that it / owing to the fact that / due to the fact that...I am opposed to the idea of...It would be mutually advantageousI suggest that the problem of... can be addressed through...Therefore...For the satisfaction of... the ... should be...Another problem was that...I would strongly recommend...More steps also need to be taken to...

The obvious conclusion to be drawn from these facts is that...I hope / believe / trust you will consider this proposal favourably / the proposal will be given due consideration / the proposal will receive a due consideration.

CPE REPORT SAMPLEReport on the Water Circuit Park

The aim of this report on the Water Circuit Park in Lima city is to display some recommendations on how to enhance the park facilities and to give account on why making these positive changes would attract more tourists and visitors to this venue.

The facilitiesThe Circuit Park, is one of the best well-known tourist attractions in Lima. It is a site which has thirteen ornamental fountains of water which offer an unforgettable lights show when darkness reaches the Limenian sky. Since all the fountains are interactive it allows children to play in the water as well. Each fountain reflects colourful lights and plays enchanting music. Appart from that there are resting areas for adults to sit down and use the free wi-fi.

Improvements to take into accountA first recommendation is to display posters outside the park which warn the public to wear appropiate clothes. All children and any adult standing near the fountain to play or to take photos is inevitably going to get wet. They should be aware of that.  It would also be wise to have more guardians to ensure the security and the order outside the park, for it has been a matter of great concern that there might be pickpockets in the sometimes crowded queues.

Benefits of the improvementsBeing informed of what clothes to wear will prevent people from leaving the park because they got wet. If they stay in the park for longer it means they can buy more souvenirs and it means extra money for the Park. As for the security guards on the doors, having a safer place will surely give a better impression on the public who will no doubt recommend your friends to come. 

ConclusionProvided these recommendations are taken into consideration, we will be able to offer a better service to people and they will respond back by visiting more frequently the Circuit, and not only that but also recommending us to others.

By Salomé Aguilar

Formal   Essay Introduction

Present the topic of discussion and ask questions the essay will

answer.

Hardly a week goes by without another report of …………….. appearing in the

media.

Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of

……………

The trend nowadays is towards (gerund)

How has the public’s opinion on this issue shifted over the last few years?

Although most people would generally agree that …………… few would deny that

…………….

This raises the issue of whether or not……………..

This issue strikes a chord with the vast majority of the general public.

What impact, if any, have these shifts/changes/developments had on the general

public’s psyche?

How are we to gauge the effect of such shifts/changes/developments?

EMPHASIZING

-I would like to stress that the research is still at an early stage.

-It should be noted that there are a number of alternative methods available.

-It is worth bearing in mind that 90% of the scientists researching herbicides

in the US are employed by chemical companies.CAUSE

-lead to: The research could lead to a cure for many serious illnesses.

-result in: The fire resulted in damage to their property.

-be responsible for: He was responsible for the accident.

-bring about: The war brought about enormous social change.

-give rise to: Poor performance in exams can give rise to depression and even

thoughts of suicide.

-trigger: to make something suddenly start to happen, especially a bad situation

such as a crisis or a war, or a medical condition: Certain foods can trigger allergies.

-contribute to: Passive smoking could contribute to the development of

respiratory diseases among nonsmokers.

-factor: Cost is often the deciding factor when choosing any product.

Describing causesOne factor which has led to ………… is …………..

One of the factors which has brought this about is ………

The problem often stems from ………………..

The situation has been exacerbated by …………….

………….. has only made the situation worse.

One consequence of ……………. is …………….

Proposing steps and measuresAs regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion

would be to .........

The first step to be taken would be to ........

To alleviate the situation people should ...........

In addition they ought to ...............

To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s

to ..........

.............. would certainly ameliorate the situation.

This can only be dealt with if ............

To overcome this problem, ..............

Were the government to ..............., the situation would doubtless improve.

Individuals can do a great deal to ............

The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ........

It is vitally important that .........

Legislation should be introduced to control .................

It would be a grave error if we .................

ConcludingAll in all it seems to me that ...........

The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that .......................

All things considered, .............

On balance, I tend to believe that ............

The world would surely be a better place to live in if ..............

If people stopped ....ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ...............

The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ...................

Text Type Structural Features Language features

Article / Contribution Title (article + contribution)Paragraph headings (contribution)

Has to catch and hold readers’ attention – so needs interesting opening and effective ending.

Use direct questions.

Try to personalise it.

Register depends on target reader but usually informal – neutral.

Competition Entry Title Has to stand out from other pieces on the specified topic – so needs a striking opening and memorable ending.

Register depends on target reader but usually informal –

neutral.

Report TitleParagraph headings

Clear introduction explaining the reason for the report

Very clear language describing something precisely

Objective / impersonal style.

Neutral to formal register depending on target reader.

Clear conclusion, usually a recommendation.

Proposal TitleParagraph headings

Clear introduction explaining reason for writing.

Very clear language, persuasive language, recommendations / suggestions.

Objective / impersonal style.

Neutral to formal register depending on target reader.

Argument backed up by crystal clear reasons.

 

Essay Title usually provided. Neutral – formal register

Academic piece of writing

Examine both sides of an argument in a clearly organised structure.

Likely to come to a definite conclusion.

Information Sheet TitleParagraph headings

Neutral – formal register

Clear language explaining rules and regulations for example.

Distinct paragraphs about different subjects, no links between paragraphs.

Review Title Early statement of the subject of the review (film, book, website etc.)

Some factual information about the subject.

More of the content should be devoted to the writer’s opinions on the subject.

Writer’s opinion supported by examples related to subject.

Formal Letter Opening and closing conventions:Dear sir / madam – yours faithfully

Dear Mr. Smith – yours sincerely

Clear opening paragraph giving reason for writing.

Language that persuades by giving reasons supported by examples.

LETTERSLetters to the editor

I am writing about the article on ... , which appeared (in last night's paper).

I am writing with reference to the article you published (in last month's issue).

I have just read your article on ... and I feel I must ...

You raised some issues which I feel strongly about.

At the start of your article, you appear to claim that ...

I am afraid I totally disagree.

I am completely in agreement.

I am sure readers will agree with me when I say that ...

LETTER TO THE EDITORDear Sirs,

I am writing with reference to the article on... published in one of your latest issues.I have just read an article published in...I am writing to express my disappointment with the content of the article, concerning..., published in...I have read the article commenting on the debt problem of developing countries and would like now to share my views with other readers.I wish to protest about the article which makes totally false claims.

I hope you will not take amiss what I am going to say.

To begin with...Furthermore...Moreover...What we also need to consider is...A good example of this would be...This is due to / This can be attributed to...There's another factor as well...Apart from this / that...

I am looking forward to seeing my letter published in one of the next issues of your newspaper.

INFORMAL LETTERTASKYou recently tried to buy an old camera on an internet auction site but had some problems. You want to tell your friend what happened. Write a letter to your friend explaining what happened, what you did and giving your friend advice about buying things on auction sites.

Write your letter 220-260 words

Dear Jenny,

How are you doing ? It seems it has been ages since we last wrote to each other. I just hope everything is fine with you.  Let me tell you about a terrible experience I had trying to buy a camera via an auction site.

You remember how fond I am of old cameras, right? Well, I spot this one on a website. This was no ordinary camera, this is the camera I had long wanted to complete my collection. So, without hesitation,  I bid for it until it was mine. I  was on seventh heaven. I sent a juicy cheque to the seller and was confident to receive the valuable item.

But days passed  and you know what? I didn't receive it. And the worst thing is that my cheque had been cashed already. There’s no doubt I had been coined .

So I decided to write to the owner without success. I was so blue in the face that  I complained to the website which in return said that they couldn’t control sellers and that it was the bidders to watch their backs. They weren’t  sympathic whatsoever!

I really blame myself for having been so naive . Believe me, I’ve learnt a lesson from it . If you decide to buy in an auction site, don't trust anyone. It is better to contact the owner via the web and then make the money transaction face to face.

Have you ever bid on an auction website ? Drop me a line and tell me how it was, I’m sure you can give me a few tips.

With love,

Brian

INFORMAL LETTERThanks so much for your letter. It was really great to hear from you.Sorry not to have written / been in touch for so long / such a long time.Thought I'd better / drop you a line / write to let you know...

Do you remember.... you mentioned in your last letter?You said in your letter...Last time you wrote you asked...

Phrases

The words and expressions below are often used by native speakers when writing to friends and

relatives. Using them will help you write in an informal style and will also help you organise your

letter into clear paragraphs.

Starting your letter (Paragraph 1)

Thanks for your letter. 

Lovely to hear from you. 

How are you? 

How are things? 

Hope you're well.

Commenting on something (Paragraph 1)

I'm sorry to hear/learn ... 

I'm so pleased to hear ... 

It's great to hear ... 

What wonderful news about ...

Moving the topic on (Paragraph 2)

Anyway, the reason I'm writing ... 

I thought I'd write to tell/ask you 

Anyway, I was wondering ...

Ending your letter (Paragraph 3)

Well, that's all for now 

Write back soon 

Looking forward to hearing from you again 

All the best 

Best wishes 

See you soon 

Take care 

Yours 

Love 

Lots of love 

ARTICLE

Task: " You are a student at an international college. Your tutor has asked you to write an article for the college website on ways students can improve language skills outside the classroom. In your article, you should suggest ways in which students can make contact with English-language speakers. You should also assess whether the most effective way of improving language skills is to make friends with speakers of the language"

               A fun way to learn English (give your article a title)

(State your main idea in the first paragraph) 

In today's intercultural society, no one can deny the importance of learning a second

language, especially English. In our college we believe that major action should be taken to

guarantee that all of us, the students, are given the chance to practice this ability to

communicate with for people from all over the world. This task will require working with a

holistic approach and will imply the participation of a very committed group of people willing to

help each other. So are you ready? (use a question to motivate readers)

(organise your text into paragraphs)Our first idea is to use the Internet. For young people surfing the net is as easy as pie and we all have access to it. We suggest getting in touch with other students from around the world. Some highly recommendable sites include a wide range of social networks as Facebook and Twitter. It is also a good idea to encourage students to chat via Skype with people from English speaking countries.

A second idea is to organise reading or conversation clubs, which can have monthly gatherings in different spots in the city. Needless to say this will be a very effective way to learn while making friends and having a blast. There are several attractive places in town such as parks, art galleries, cafés, and social artistic venues where students and professionals can give a boost to their social and language skills.A final idea is for the college to create a web page. With the support of this effective tool, our students can have blogs with a variety of engaging tasks and games. We can have fun getting familiar with collocations and structures that can be shared as part of an exercise on our creative website. It will definitely be highly engaging for students regardless of their backgrounds and specializations, they will find an enjoyable site where they can put language into practice, as they will be well-connected and comfortable with the cuttingedge technology.

LETTER OF COMPLAINT

BANK OF USEFUL EXPRESSIONS AND SET PHRASES TO USE IN A LETTER OF COMPLAINT.A) STATING THE CIRCUMSTANCES(introduce the general reason for writing the letter)I am writing-to draw your attention to-to complain about/make a complaint about-to express my concern aboutwit regard to /regarding/in connection with/on account of

I regret that I am obliged to complain aboutI feel I must complain about

It was completely different fromI feel it is absolutely unacceptableI am dissatisfied withUnfortunately, it was nothing like I expected

B) LISTING COMPLAINTSMy most serious complaint isNot only(+inversion e.g. Not only did your employee insult us)...but alsoFirstly,....Secondly,....Finally..If this were not enough...../As if that was not bad enough....To make matters worse'

C) EXPRESSING INDIGNATION IN A TACTFUL MANNERI was shocked/surprised/dissapointed...To my amazement/surprise...I must mention/point out...Sadly, in your advertisement/brochure you state otherwiseYour advertisement/brochure was misleading in this respect as you failed to mention that..../led me to believe that...

D) CONTRADICTING FALSE OR INNACURATE STATEMENTS MADE IN ADVERTISEMENTS, BROCHURES, LETTERS, ARTICLES, ETCMake your points clear and forceful:1)We were supposed to spend four hours sightseeing but IN FACT we ACTUALLY spent just twenty minutes in a flying visit to the History museum.2)Some fellow travellers said the trip was good in parts WHEREAS those less charitablewould say the whole thing was a disaster.3)WHEREAS in your article you claim that..................., AS A MATTER OF FACT this was not the case at all.4)As far as.....is/are concerned, I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY(=it is true to say) that although.....5)I REALLY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND how you can possibly make such irresponsible claims without....6)ANOTHER POINT/CLAIM OF YOURS I WOULD LIKE TO CONTARDICT CONCERNS THE ALLEGEDLY excellent service offered7)AS FOR trhe superb facilities that you mention, THERE WAS, IN FACT, a small swimming poolin the hotel, BUT swimming in it was impossible AS it was more crowded than a shuttle bus during the rush hour.

E) INCLUDING NARRATIVE SECTIONS TO ILLUSTRATE A POINTUSE TIME EXPRESSIONS1)in no time at all2)by the time3)earlier on that day4)as time went by

F) USE REPORTING VERBS

support/accuse/blame/deny/threaten/insist/warn/suggest/offer/disregard

AND FINALLY, USE SET PHRASES FOR THE CLOSING PARAGRAPH-DEMANDING ACTION TO BE TAKEN1)Considering all the above, I believe I am entitled to a partial/full refund2)I demand a full refund/immediate action/ a replacement3)I expect to be compensated/all expenses to be paid4)I would be grateful if you(would) deal with this matter immediately5)I would appreciate it if we could sort out this matter as soon as possible6)I feel sure/ I am confident that this matter will receive your prompt attention7)I am afraid that if this matter is not dealt with immediately, I will....

 Unless you,.....I have no ption but to....9)If I do not...., I will have no choice but to....