Collins English for Life B1+ Intermediate a t a Kirsten Campbell-Howes & Clare Dignall ©@ POWERED BY COBUILDCONTENTS Introduction Section 1 - Writing socially Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Emails to friends Texting Instant Messaging Invitations and RSVPs Thank-you letters Postcards Section 2 - Writing to exchange information Unit 7 Unit 8 Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 11 Writing notes Making polite enquiries Giving instructions Writing to confirm arrangements Writing a summary Section 3 - Writing formally Unit 12 Unit 13 Unit 14 Unit 15 Unit 16 Writing an article or essay Writing formal notes and notices A letter or email of complaint Applying for a job: your CV Applying for a job: your covering letter Section 4- Writing online for a reading public Unit 17 Unit 18 Unit 19 Unit 20 Travel blogging Tweeting Reviewing online Selling and advertising online Appendix Useful phrases Appendix 2 Sentence structure Appendix 3 jiscourse markers Appendix 4 Punctuation Appendix 5 Short forms Appendix 6 Proofreading Mini-dictionary ‘Answer key 12 16 20 24 32 36 40 48 52 56 60 64 72 76 80 90 92 93 96 98 99 105INTRODUCTION Collins English for Life: Writing will help you to develop your writing skills in everyday life. You can use Writing: + asa self-study course * asa supplementary mat. on a general English course. Writing consists of 20 units, divided into the following four sections: + Section 1 Writing socially + Section 2 Writing to exchange information * Section 3 Writing formally * Section 4 Writing online for a reading public Unit structure For ease of use, each unit follows a similar structure. It is recommended that you follow the order of exercises when working through a unit. Each unit includes a selection from: * A 'Before you start’ section introducing the topic of the unit. * Exercises under the heading ‘Understanding’ to check your comprehension. * ‘Looking more closely’ exercises that ask you to look again at the texts that have been presented and notice new things. + Language focus exercises that ask you to look in more depth at the language that has been presented. * Exercises under the ‘Writing clearly’, 'Writing appropriately’ and ‘Get Writing’ headings that ask you practise writing texts. Other features + There are boxed texts highlighted in green that present addi relevant to the unit. ‘© There are also ‘Useful Tips’ boxes that provide useful information on the topic of the unit. nal information At the back of the book there are the following useful documents: + Useful phrases for writing formal and informal emails, invitations, reviews, etc. Information on sentence structure, punctuation and short forms A checklist for proofreading your own writing A glossary providing definitions and example sentences for some of the more difficult words in the units. ‘A comprehensive answer key which includes sample answers for all the questions in the book. How to use this book There are two ways to use this book: 1. Work through from units 1-20. 2. Choose from the Contents page the units that are most useful or interesting to you. 2 WritingLanguage Level Writing has been written to help learners at B1 level and above (Intermediate to Advanced). Other titles Also available in the Collins English series: Speaking, Listening, and Reading. How to improve your writing skills Many students think of writing as the hardest skill to master, but this doesn’t have to be true. There are a number of simple steps you can take to improve your writing rapidly. The most important of these are: 1. Read as much as you can in a variety of media. Reading widely will improve your vocabulary and introduce you to new grammatical constructions. 2. Practise by writing as often as possible and experimenting with different styles and media. Don’t be scared of writing. Think of it as a skill you will develop over time, just like speaking. Enjoy experimenting and welcome all feedback, even if it is negative at first. 3. Learn the rules of English grammar, sentence construction and punctuation. English isa large and complex language, but there are rules to guide you in how you use it. Don’t be put off by these rules - once you have learned them, they will make life easier for you. Doing the exercises in this book is a very good start! What is ‘good’ writing? It is sometimes hard for people to agree on this question, especially when you are talking about literature such as novels and plays. But for general, everyday writing, there are some common characteristics that identify it as good. These include: 1. It is easy to understand. This is not the same as ‘boring’ or ‘simple’. Good writing can contain many unusual words and complex sentences but still be simple to read. 2. Itis pleasurable to read. ‘As well as being easy to read, good writing should ‘flow’. This is a hard concept to describe, but it is one we all understand instinctively. Think of a time when you have read something so quickly you can’t believe you have finished it already — that is writing which ‘flows’. 3. It is neither too long nor too short. Sometimes this is about individual taste, but common sense can help. A 50-page list of instructions for how to turn on a television is far too long; a five-word summary of the causes of climate change is most probably too short! 4. It is communicative. All good writing should communicate something to its readers, whether that is facts, opinion, feelings or inspiration! Introduction 3EMAILS TO stl NBD} — BEFORE YO) ve Have you ever emailed a friend in English? Emails are a quick and easy way to write to anyone, wherever they are in the world. Because they are so adaptable, you will find that there are very few rules about what makes a ‘good’ email. However, there are a number of different approaches you can take when writing emails to a friend ~ practising these will help you improve your writing style. Understanding Read the email opposite. What two things does Nicole ask Katy to do? 1 2 Writing appropriately Colloquia! language is natural language that is used between friends in informal speech and writing. Example Yo, what's up! (colloquial way to say ‘Hello. How are you?’) @ Read the email ag each phrase mean? Underline five examples of colloquial language. What does Example — How's it going? = How are you? @ Read the sentences and phrases 1-5 below. Rewrite them using colloquial language. Hello. How are you? I don’t understand, 2 3 4 Please tell me about what is happening. 5 I'm sad that | can’t see you very often. 4 Writingyo.. | [email protected] mall® ee send i Subject:| New job! Hi Katy! How's it going? Thanks for the lovely birthday card you sent - it made me smile! My sister remembered to send one this year, but it was 2 weeks late ~ so typical! ;) Thope you're doing fine and that you're settling in okay to your new apartment. How does it feel to be a homeowner? Tell me all about it You won't believe this but I’ve got a new job! I’m working in a bar right in the city centre. So far, they seem like good people to work for, because the pay’s great and they're giving me proper training. With bar experience I'll be able to find work wherever Igo. I'm so relieved to have some extra cash. ll wait to see how we get on together, but I think I might eventually look for a flat with a couple of new friends from work. It’d be good to have somewhere to call home. What do you think? Anyway, I start work in an hour so I should go and get ready. Write soon! Miss you, Nicole —————— Colloquial language Colloquial language varies considerably from place to place. No one expects you to learn it all, but don’t be afraid to ask the meaning if you see a phrase you don’t understand. Here are a few examples: USA/Canada: Sure. (= Certainly.) Australia: See you this arvo. (= We'll meet this afternoon.) Scotland: Nae bother. (= It’s not a problem.) Ireland: Grand! (= Great, Excellent) USA/Canada: Yeah, | reckon. (= Yes, | agree, Yes, that's right.) England (Yorkshire): Eyup. (= Hello.) England (London): Innit. (= short for ‘isn’t it?', often used at the end of a statement) Section 1: Writing socially 5