IELTS express intermediate part 6

signpost words to indicate final paragraph open question that supports your position question with answer that supports your opinion personal experience to support your opinion Opposing

Trang 1

VRITING

70

Essay 1

A As & non-smoker myself, I totally agree with this

statement that smokers should pay for any

treatment For smoking-related illnesses

B Locking at the smokers’ argument, they say that

they should receive free health treatment like everyone else because also taxes like

cer ta, aaa

is ld becuse they ae wars many ware healt

services than non-smokers, but they pay the same amount in taxes Smokers also say that they pay

very high cigarette taxes, which covers the cost oF higner health costs for smokers

in many countries people buy cigarettes on the black market at a very low price,

and so the government receives no money in taxes

C Smokers are killing themselves and killing other

people too Smokers pay more For life insurance and

health insurance to private companies, so it is Fair

that they also pay more for treatment in the public health service In fact, they should be contributing to the health care oF non-smokers too:

as passive smoking causes major health problems

D To summarise; I would say that it is right that

smokers pay extra for all the extra costs that they place on society LF smokers paid more money

to cover their extra health costs, it would help smokers and the govemment Unfortunately, it would not help non-smokers as we have to breathe

in their smoke every day in bars and restaurants

and at work 1 think smokers should pay more

taxes, and the goverment should ban smoking in

all publc places too!

UNIT 8 Sickness and Health

Essay 2

the idea that smokers

should not receive free treatment for smoking-

related illnesses if other people in the country are

receiving free medical treatment without any limits

or conditions

B Anti-smokers think that smokers have chosen a

‘dangerous lifestyle’ and should therefore not expect

free health treatment paid for from general taxes,

we are

making a judgement about someone’s lifestyle before

we decide to give them free treatment or not

Of course not Most reasonable people would argue that it is impossible

to decide who has a ‘dangerous lifestyle’ and who does not

government every time they buy a packet of cigarettes through cigarette taxes

which

means that | pay two euros to the government for

every packet of cigarettes | buy

| pay more money in taxes than a non- smoker, 60 | should get more from the health system That is logical

| would say that it is very important

that smokers are treated in the same way as other

people It is very dangerous to say that someone's right to free health treatment should be on the basis of their lifestyle

Trang 2

WRITING

C Both essays are organised in the same way Skim the essays again Match the paragraphs (A-D) with the paragraph descriptions (1-4)

1 Briefly summarise your arguments and re-emphasise your opinion

2 List your arguments to support your opinion

3 Clearly state your agreement/disagreement and rewrite the original question in your own words

4 Briefly state the opposing arguments and attack this position

D Look at the useful language structures highlighted in the essays Find an example of the writing features below There may be more than one example for each of the writing features

signpost words to indicate final paragraph open question that supports your position question (with answer) that supports your opinion

personal experience to support your opinion Opposing an argument

phrase to express agreement/disagreement with essay question

[BỊ Academic and General Training: Essay

forthistask — =—

> Read the question and decide if you personally agree or > Use some of the wring features in 4D, like using

| disagree with the statement questions and personal experience to support your

|) Take three to four minutes to note down your points arsumsris: using puncprsion’ and shoreeetances <9)

to support your position (agree or disagree) You will add impact etc:

also need to note down one or two opposing > Allow a few minutes at the end to read through and arguments in order to attack them check your essay |

}

> Use the simple four-paragraph organisational structure |

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task

Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic Governments around the world spend too much money on treating illnesses and diseases and not enough

on health education and prevention

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples

and relevant evidence

Write at least 250 words

UNIT 8 Sickness and Health

Trang 3

Sut An Introduction to Letter Writing

> Exam task > Writing a letter of request

» Exam focus > General Training Writing Task 1

> Skills > Recognising types of letters; planning a letter; using appropriate language and organisation

Discuss these questions with a partner

[2] Recognising types of letters

gel A Read the opening sentences of the letters below

=express tip

It's common to Sic/Madam,

use short forms 1 | DeasiSe(teeee

(I, she'd, they're, T am writing to enquire about your courses in Business Studies starting next year

etc.) in informal

and semi-formaL

letters

2 Hi Andrea,

How are doing? Can you let me have a copy of your report by the end of the week? We've got a presentation on Monday and it would be really useful

3 Dear Mc White,

T have been a customer of yours for several years However, T am writing to

Complain about the quality, of service I received at your bank last week

4 Dear Ms Davis,

T am writing to let you know that unfortunately I cannot stact my studies as Planned at the beginning of the academic year

5 Dear Me and Mrs Johnson,

Tam a member of the Student Exchange Programme, and I'm writing to tell you a little bit about myself as Tl be coming to stay with your familly next month

IN THE EXAM

General Training: Writing Task | a minimum of 150 words, include relevant details

ise

in Welding Task | fhe General Tralnt dale; appropriate language and style so that the purpose of your

required to write a leeer usualy based ona stuavion ‘etter i clear to the reader There is no choice of questions

related to living and studying abroad You may be asked to — IAsk Ì pons: one ES ‘the writing exam,

complain, explain or enquire about something, to request pee ae ah SREN Tư t hird of the time on

information or to introduce yourself You will need to write is part of the exam (20 minutes)

72

Trang 4

6GT

B What is the main purpose of each letter? Match the opening sentences (1-5) to the purpose of each letter esxsiosl S121 72a751-.59zznixe requesting information introducing yourself

explaining a situation

đ4.984151548025/5050054836 requesting a favour

C What is the relationship between the writer and the reader of each letter? Are they friends, student and teacher? Is each letter formal, semi-formal or informal? Discuss your ideas with a partner

D Which of the following endings is the most appropriate for each letter? Match the endings (a-e) with the

opening sentences of the letters 1-5

Lê 3: gga0wabis 4 Š Gia:

'=express tịp "` :

Thank very much for your Yours sincerely and hearing from you soon đc NE y dT very much look

Yours faithfully can Yours fattinfuliy, understanding, I will write again as forward to seeing

both be used to ae ee soon as I know more informacion You soon

close formal and Yours arcerely tech eae

semi-formal letters

Yours faithfully is

used when you

don’t know the C Many thanks - say hello to Boris for me

name of the person Best wishes,

you are writing to Devi

eT look forward to receiving your reply

Yours sincerely, Anjelica Mactin

[3] Planning a letter

A Study the exam question below What is the main purpose of this letter? What is the relationship between the person writing the letter and the reader? What is the level of formality required? Discuss with a

partner

As an international student in Australia, you have an account with a local bank The monthly bank transfer you receive from your parents has been delayed this month due to an error at your parents’ bank

Write a letter to your bank In your letter

* say why you need the money (b)

Cexpress tip| B Imagine you are the student speaking to your bank manager What would you say to him or her? Discuss PVESS UP your ideas with a partner

You will need to use

your a C Study the following list of points Decide which five points are the most relevant to include when answering

come up wr

details to include in

the exam question above

Kế He ne 1 Student at Sydney University - Business 5 Bark transfer delayed - banking error

evant to the situa- 2 Enjoy my studies - always get good grades 6 Need temporary loan - 4 month

tion 3 Interested in travelling around Australia 7 When bank transfer arrives - repay loan

4 Need to pay landlord rent

D Match the points you identified in 3C with the bulleted points (a-c) of the exam question

GT 1A_ An Introduction to Letter Writing 73

Trang 5

E Can you think of any other information to include in your letter? Write notes for the three bulleted points (a-c) in the exam question

(a) -

(b)

(9) -

F Use your notes and the handwritten notes in 3C to write full sentences

| am a student at Sydney University studying Business

[4] Using appropriate language and organisation

A Most formal and semi-formal letters are organised in the following way:

1 In the opening paragraph, you introduce yourself and state the reason for writing the letter

2 In the main paragraph(s), you describe or explain the situation or problem

3 In the closing paragraph, you ask the reader to take action

Read the sample letter below, and discuss these questions with a partner

Dear Sir/Madam, [am an international student from Malaysia studying Business Administration at Sydney University

| have had my account with you for about two years since | arrived in Australia and have always kept thio account in credit | am writing to you as | would like to request a temporary loan so that | can meet my expenses this month

My parents send me a regular bank transfer of $2000 every month Until now, | have always received this monthly bank transfer without any difficulty Unfortunately, however, there has been an error at the bank

branch in Kuala Lumpur and so my parents have not been able to send me the money this month This will

be a problem for me because | have to pay rent to my landlord of $800 per month which is due next week

| algo need money to cover general living expenses, such as transport to and from college, etc

| estimate that | will be able to keep my living expenses down to $600 this month in order to save money

| would therefore like to request a temporary loan of $1400 for a maximum period of one month until my

parents’ bank transfer arrives Your assistance would be greatly appreciated

| look forward very much to hearing from you soon

Best wishes

Zainab Anmad

74 GT1A_ An Introduction to Letter Writing

Trang 6

graphs

press tip

ter in three para-

B These are guidelines that you should follow when writing a formal or semi-formal letter Which guideline has not been followed in the sample letter on page 74?

ted paints m the 1 Write one paragraph for each of the bullet points in the exam question

exam question to 2 Start each paragraph at the left margin

structure your let- 3 Leave a blank line between paragraphs

4 Sign the letter with your first and last names

5 Use the same level of formality for the opening and the ending of the letter

6 Use an appropriate phrase to finish main body of letter (after the closing paragraph)

C Formal letters use formal language Find examples of formal language in the sample letter above which mean the same as the following:

1 I want to ask for

2 Sadly, the bank made a mistake

3 I think I can

4 If you can help, I’d be really happy

5 I'd like to get your reply quickly

[5] General Training Writing Task 1: Letter

C3 | > Look carefully at the key words in the exam question informal or semi-formal letters (Dear Kelly, etc.) use

in order to understand the reason for writing the Best regards, Kind regards, or Best wishes

letter > Use the bulleted parts of the question as a guide for

> Decide what level of formality you should use, based on structuring your letter Try to follow a simple, three-

| your understanding of the relationship between you paragraph structure Plan each paragraph of your letter

and the person you are writing to in note form, and use your imagination to add any

> Use appropriate expressions at the beginning and end Petecaireezalis tt sre ne lisved Inthe dueston:

of your letter When you use Dear Sir/Madam, end with > Remember that for Writing Task |, you only have about

|

person's name (Dear Ms Tan, etc.), use Yours sincerely; for minutes at the end to check your spelling, punctuation —

L

Yours faithfully; for formal letters where you know the 20 minutes in total Make sure you allow yourself a few

and grammar

You are going to visit Manchester in the UK for a short training course but you have not arranged accommodation yet

Write a letter to the accommodation office of your future college In your letter

° introduce yourself

You do NOT need to write your own address

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Trang 7

> Exam task > Writing a letter of complaint

» Exam focus > General Training Writing Task 1

> Skills > Beginning a letter of complaint; imagining the situation; describing past events; giving reasons for a complaint

[1] Introduction

Discuss these questions with a partner

in writing? What was the situation and what did you say?

[2] Beginning a letter of complaint

A The following letters are from people who have just returned from holiday What is each person complaining about? Match the letters (1-3) to the complaints

hotel staff

1 | am writing to express my disappointment regarding the standard of accommodation

aa

aX 4]

=express tip that your company arranged for my holiday in Malta last month

Try to memorise

bold for introduc- 2 I am uriting to express my total dissatisfaction and frustration with the amount oF

ing letters of com- time L had to wait For my Flight to Rome last week

plaint

3 LZ am writing to complain about the level of customer service at your

hotel during my stay last weekend

B Who do you think each person is complaining to? Match the letters (1-3) to the businesses

"— package holiday company seeeeeeeeee Hotel seeeesevees airline

C Which writer feels the most strongly about his/her complaint? How does he/she express it?

Discuss with a partner

In General Training Writing Task |, you may be required to —_your feelings Your writing will be assessed according to

write a letter of complaint or a letter of explanation to an content, organisation and use of language The assessment

organisation, company or individual To do this, you will need _ criteria are the same for the Academic and General Training

to describe a sequence of events in the past and express Writing module

76

Trang 8

1B

[3] Imagining the situation

el

—=express tip

Asking yourself

questions about

each part of the

exam task will

help you ‘see and

feel’ the scene,

before you start

writing

A Study the exam question below and discuss these questions with a partner

You are a student at an English language school in London and are living in private accommodation with other flatmates You have not had hot water or heating for some time The landlord's workmen have tried to fix the problem but without success

Write a letter to the landlord In your letter

e state your reason for writing

e describe the problems and explain how you feel

B Work in pairs Imagine that one of you is the tenant and the other the landlord The tenant has decided to phone the landlord Role-play the telephone conversation The tenant should cover the following points:

1 Why are you contacting the landlord?

2 What are the problems?

3 How do the problems affect you personally?

4 What do you want from the landlord?

C Note down the language that the tenant used during the conversation

[4] Describing past events

For letters of expla-

nation or com-

plaint, you will

need to use time

expressions like

first, then and ten

days ago to describe

the order in which

events occurred

A Read the letter below Does it contain the information that came up during the role-play in 3B? What additional information has been included?

Dear Mr Smith,

| am one of the tenants at your property in Brick Lane, and am writing to complain about the fact that we

do not have any hot water or heating in our house

As you know, we have been living in this house 1 June and have always paid our rent on time However,

we have now been without heating or hot water 2 This is making our lives very uncomfortable, especially

as it is now the middle of winter 3 you said you would send a workman to our house within 4

but no one came 5 calling many times, the workman 6 arrived at the house 7 Unfortunately, he said he could not fix the problem because the water heater was too old! We are &

extremely unhappy about this situation

We are prepared to continue to rent your house but we would ask you to fix the problem 9 We also request a 50% discount on our rent for the period we have been without any hot water or heating

We look forward to hearing from you 1O

Svetlana Asimov

B Now use the words and expressions in the box to complete the letter

soon since for two weeks immediately eventually

GT 1B Writing a Letter of Complaint 77

Trang 9

1B

[5] Giving reasons for a complaint

A Indirect speech is used to report what someone says, writes or thinks Read the dialogue between Svetla

and her landlord, Mr Smith Then read Svetlana’s letter to Mr Smith Notice the difference between direct

and indirect speech in the dialogue and letter below How is indirect speech formed?

Hello, Mr Smith Unfortunately, oar heating system has broken down

Don't worry I'll send someone

Ten days later

Dear Mr Smith,

You said you would send someone round to fix

the heating in the next two days, but no one came!

=express tip B Read the letter in 4A again and find another example of indirect speech What do you think were

the exact words the person used?

When imagining the

situation surround-

‘ing the exam ques-

tion, try to make up

conversations like

this, which you can

include as evidence

in your letter

C Imagine you are one of Mr Smith’s tenants Mr Smith made a lot of promises to you when you signed

the contract on the house nine months ago Remind Mr Smith what he said

1 ‘Tama responsible landlord.’

You told us that

Trang 10

1B

[6] General Training Writing Task 1: Letter

& > Remember that you should only spend about 20 exam question You can use the different parts of the

minutes on this task, including time for planning and question to help you structure your letter in

checking at the end You need to write at least 150 paragraphs Be sure to specify your proposed solution

words in the last part of your letter

» Read the question carefully and try to imagine the > Include specific details with appropriate time

| situation Ask yourself questions for each bulleted point expressions to explain the sequence of events.Try to

in the exam question to help you prepare and target imagine what people may have said or what brochures

| your letter may have promised, etc., to use as evidence in your

letter

» You are normally given three bulleted points in the

You are a student at a language school in New Zealand studying Business English Part of the course is a summer work placement programme Unfortunately, you have just learnt from the

school that this programme has now been cancelled

Write a letter to the School Principal In your letter

° state your reason for writing

¢ describe the problem and your concerns

¢ explain what you would like the Principal to do

You do NOT need to write your own address

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Tiêu đề	Sickness and health
Chuyên ngành	English
Thể loại	essay

Định dạng
Số trang	15
Dung lượng	3,14 MB