UNIT 7 Witness Statements = 211 Read the following questions, then listen to the cassette and answer them. What event is described? Looking at the notes, retell the incident. 1. What time did the event happen? 2 Where was the witness going? 3. What did the witness see? | 4 What was the burglar wearing? 5 Where did the burglar go? 6 Was there anyone in the house? 7 How did the burglar manage to get into the house? | 8 What did the witness do then? 9 What happened in the end? Matroduction A witness statement describes an incident as it was experienced by someone who aes was there, whether involved or not, at the time the event happened. It is always in Paragraph 7 the first person and is normally rather form. A good witness statement should consist of: hehe coro Cro, ree ) an introduction in which you mention the time and place the incident (peed Invved fr the facidet) happened as well as the people involved. style. )_a main body in which the incident is described clearly in detail Accurate Main Body descriptions of people or objects involved in the incident should be siaileaiee sie included. paraetante zi) ©) a conclusion which includes the final result ofthe incident. Such pieces of wing are addressed to the police, insurance companies, courts etc eri etmte) evens Points to consider an peace pote © Information should be given in chronological order. Events should be linked together with appropriate time words. Conclusion © Evidence can be supported by hypothesis (your own ideas about what must have Set happened). To join hypothesis and evidence you can use words such as: because, Fiaal Paragraph 80, therefore, etc. &.g, We found no fingerprints; therefore, the burglars must have been wearing gloves Final results of the incident 3]Unit 7 Witness Statements 38 2 Read the following witness statement and write down the topic of each paragraph. What is the witness statement about? In which person is it written? What examples of hypothesis have been used? As was making my nightly rounds on Monday evening, 1 noticed a faint light coming from a third floor window of Scope Lid, It must have been about 11.15 pm because | had ‘checked my watch just minutes earlier. As I was proceeding to the main entrance to check for signs of a break-in | witnessed two men running out of the door towards the gate. Both men appeared to be in their mid thirties and were rather tall with short brown hair. They were wearing dirty ripped jeans and black leather jackets. They must have been professionals because they managed to get in and out of the building without setting off the sophisticated alarm system. | tried to pursue them but was unable to catch them because they got into a black Ford Cortina and drove off in the direction of Tackinton. ‘About two minutes later | heard a bomb explode and saw flames coming out of the third floor windows. The fire soon spread to other floors, and the whole building was in flames within minutes. 1 immediately called the police and the fire brigade who arrived at 11.30. 3 Decide which sentence is a hypothesis and which is evidence, then join the sentences. 1. The burglars managed to de-activate the burglar alarm. The alarm didn't g0 off. The burglars must have de-activated the burglar alarm (hypothesis) because the alarm didn't go off (evidence) 2. There were no signs of a break-in. The back door was left unlocked. 3. The kidnappers got scared. They let the victim go before the ransom was paid. 4 The security guard didn't try to stop the robbery and disappeared afterwards. He was a member of the gang. 5 The burglars had been watching the house for days. They knew that the owners were away. 6 The thief was a store employee. Money was stolen from the hidden safe. Link the sentences using appropriate words/phrases from the list below, as in the example. at the same time, meanwhile, later, all of a sudden, then, while, as, when, at once, immediately finally, eventually, as soon as 1 Twas waiting in the bank. Two men carrying guns came in. Another man was waiting outside in a car. As I was waiting in the bank, two guns Meanwhile, another man was waiting men carrying came in outside ina car I turned the corer. I noticed a woman running down the street. A policeman came out of a building and ran after her. ‘The car skidded. It crashed into the one in front. I heard the sound of alass breaking. Both drivers jumped out. I smelt something burning, 1 was watching TV. I decided to investigate, I discovered that my oven was on fire. I saw a man with a gun. I panicked. I started screaming for help. The ‘man ran away down the street.Unit 7 Witness Statements 5 Read the following notes then try to expand them into a proper witness statement. Start the statement as shown in the example. ‘Tuesday evening about 7.00 pm B27 road flashing lights car engine stopped got out of car huge, grey metal object 100 metres away thought it must be a UFO it spun around quichly and then disappeared looked at watch, butt had stopped car sated again, crove back home 6 Read the following witness statement and fill in the missing words from the list below. Then look at the diagram below and using words from the list, describe the incident as if you had been a witness to it. injured, crashed, speeding, colliding, swerved, passer-by, direction, skidded, damaged th 1 as wating forthe 7 sotto vt raring when ¢ Se eee ee oor, roundabout, the iver seme tee eat into a red Ford Meee Ail vias coming inthe oppose 8) Tec ae Pee) en rt 10208 8) ie Be i onteiy suas at cre ino asin, aT iver calle Fk ei Ca Wile 27) om te envi 0 tive at ot he Dak Sa Ne aio alcobo, soe musta been tg while nk "re anblance avd and took te tree 8) hospital. All three cars: were badly 9) = hivers to 7 Choose one of the topics below and vrite it in the appropriate style using 120 - 180 words. While shopping in a supermarket, you notice someone stealing goods. You have been asked to report the event as a witnes You were in a bank when you witnessed a robbery. Write your description of the event. While coming home from work late last night you saw someone trying to set your neighbours’ house on fire. Write your descrip- tion of the event.WNIT 9. tronsoctional Letters other letters, notes, invitations, etc) and/or visual prompts (maps, drawings, eto). They can either be formal or informal, depending on who you are writing to. © Transactional letters can be of any type (complaint, application, invitation, asking for/giving advice/information, etc) © When you write a transactional letter you should include all the relevant factual information given in the rubric, using your own words. © You should also make sure that each paragraph deals with only one topic. jt fe Transactional letters are letters which respond to writing input (advertisements, 1 Read the advertisement and the two letters, then decide which model is good and which is bad, giving reasons for your answer. Dear Sir/Madam, 1am writing to inquire about your advertisement in the september issue of Favourite Pets magazine. | am interested in dog obedience classes but 1 would be grateful if you could send me further details | Firstly, | would like to know what breeds of dogs are accepted for | the classes and whether the dog must be a certain age in order to take part. | have a six-month-old male cocker spaniel which | am anxious to | train, He is very excitable and especially needs to learn how to walk | without pulling on his lead | 1 also require information on the cost of the course, when it will commence and how long it is likely to last. I look forward to receiving details about the dog obedience classes Thank you in advance for your help. Yours faithfully, Kristen Miller | was reading the sey ptember issue of Favourite Pets magazine when | saw an ad for your dog-training school, so 1 decided to drop you a line. |'meed some information, you see. particular M = ay puppy ee AX fronths old. will you accept him at this a ‘age or breed if He's really sweet. it would be great if you coon LO Ne wtion\ exactly, do classes begin and end? SS Dear Sir/Madam, j | let me know about this, I | to control, so 1 begin and end? Tm looki oking forward to your reply. Thanks a lot, Notes: - breed/age of dog s: = breedlage of do = specific aspects it needs training in Best wishes, ~ cost of the course John Riley eth esting 5]Unit 9 Transactional Letters Useful Language for Letters Requesting Information Opening Remarks: (Formal) | am writing to inquire about/in connection with, etc.; (informal) | want you to tell me; Can you let me know, etc, To Introduce first request: (Formal) Could you possibly send; | would be grateful if you could; Would it be possible for you to tell/send me; | would appreciate some information about, etc. (Iniormal) Can you senditell me, | want to know, etc. To introduce further requests: (Form!) Could you also please send me; ‘Another matter | need information on is; | would also like some information Con, ete. (informal) Can you also find out; | also want to know, ete. Closing Remarks: (Fo'mal) | look forward to receiving; | would appreciate itif you could inform me as soon as possible, etc. (normal) Please, let me know; Send me the details; Tell me soon, etc. 2 Read the instructions and the model letter. Have all the points been covered in the letter? What kind of letter is it? Replace the underlined examples of useful language with similar ones from the table above. You belong to an activity club at school, At the last meeting, it was decided that the group would arrange a river-rafting trip. Your friends, Danny and Kim, went river-rafting ast term with a school group, and you want to ask them about it. Read the notes and then write a letter to Danny and Kim, telling them about your plans and asking for information. Dear Danny and Kim, How are you both? our school iver- trip nex! nd. Lwant_v CM iP ent on a similar trp a ite while ago ‘Can you tell me how many st are about thirty plannin. any? Like you, We V rae Nnat the price was per person for a Wi rafting so want to _know what it costs to hire a coach, for one day. see ould be helpful as that is how we intend to Beal did you have to take any spe to go rafting? Obviously we will want to {hope you can help me with these detail as soon as you can Love, sue na X i 1 activity club is planning tt month and |_want you to tell me a few There ‘tudents went on your trip? There g to go in our group. Do you think that s i day. Can you wil probably just go for a day. can yor cial safety precautions ibe properly prepared and equipped before we start. ee,Unit 9 Transactional Letters Useful Expressions for Letters Giving Information Opening Remarks: (Foirnal) | am writing in reply to your leter asking for information aboutil am writing to inform you about; In reply to your query, etc, (informal) This is what | found out ...; Remember the information you wanted?; You wanted me to tell you a few things about... etc. Closing Remarks: (Formal) | hope that | have been of some assistance to you: Please inform me if| can be of any further assistance/ | hope | have answered some of your questions; Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information, ete. (Informal) | hope this will help you: Let me know if you need any more help..., eto. 3 First read the advertisement (a) and the extract from Megan Jones’ letter (b). Circle the key words in the extract which ask for information, Now, read Mr Williams’ letter (c) and check if all the information is given. Finally, write down the topic of each paragraph. Dear Miss Jones, 1 am writing in reply to your letter asking for information about our summer camp. The camp lasts from July 22nd to August 30th. ur staff are required to work during the whole of. this period. Regarding payment, we are offering a ee Ce includes a shared room with bathroom. There is a large on-site dining hall where campers and staff are provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner. As far as the working day is concerned, we ask ‘our leaders to be available for duty ten hours a day, including supervision time. Leaders are allowed one day off per week, but this is not tobe \ taken at weekends. hope that | have been of some assistance to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you require any further information. Yours sincerely, | Gareth Williams eee ate in s loking Omer nrer nt) an Ten On Ts ce Cee a gt CT me ae LOOM IVR Cea i Gea ace at te mela Cea a made 1 would also like to know long | ind what. summer camp lasts ee will be paid to the |e ae of could you also tell me what neat ;ccommodation is available ani 4 aa hours per day your leaders ai required to work? Yours sincerely, ‘megan Jones |Unit 9 Transactional Letters 4 Read the advertisement and the letter of complaint. Then circle in the advertisement the points covered in the letter and make your own notes. The first one has been done for you as an example. How many complaints are stated and what reasons are given? Is it a mild or strong letter of complaint? Justify your answer. Come and stay at our glorious hotel, situated right on the sea © tennis courts and gym facilities © beautiful rooms with sea views wonderful cuisine look 1d cod al rae ise from te fa 4 doy, Sunnysands Hotel t close in emai 25, Longside Place, beh ia ie went do was ein cleaned. tt geoppotmert | Brine whet the re onan ey e fully compensate for ow fest. convenience \ of ur chat we snould oa reply ours faithful fe fet day. we 10k f an Parker closed for “cleaning! | with this hol a ‘throughout our stay 5 You attended an intensive Spanish course but you were dissatisfied with it. Using the advertisement and the notes you made, write a letter to complain about the course. Castile Spanish School Intensive Courses Learn Spanish fast! Our system guarantees huge improvements in f just two weeks. very unfriendly mine waen't! cancelled & money not refundedUnit 9 Transactional Letters Style in Letters of Application ‘Aletter of application should be similar in style to the advertisement; that i, if the job advertisement is written in a less formal style, the letter could also be written in a less formal style. On the other hand, if the job advertisement is writen in a formal style, the letter must be formal too, | Note: Advertisements for temporary jobs (holiday or summer jobs) may be ‘written ina less formal style. A letter of application for such a job may Not include extensive reference to experience, qualifications or skills. G Read the advertisement and the two letters which respond to it. ‘Then answer the following questions: a) Is the advertisement formal or less formal? b) Which of the two letters uses the wrong style? Give reasons. c) What is the topic of each paragraph in MODEL B? Finally, underline expressions in both the advertisement and MODEL B which show the style of language that has been used. Dear Sir/Madam, Toa In response to your advertisement in this morning's Brighton Advertiser | would like to indicate my interest in the post of waiter. Iam twenty-two years old and have completed my B.A, in Oriental studies. 1 plan to do a Master's degree in Medieval Chinese Literature in the next academic year, and am therefore seeking to improve my economic situation over the summer months. 1am highly qualified for a position of this kind. | am used to dealing with people as 1 am on the Executive Committee of the Student Union at City University. 1 would also like to ask about the following: the free days and the pay you offer. 1 trust meals are provided. | look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Yours faithfully, James White Dear Mr Murphy, oa newspaper and advertising, ing to go to university in x der to earn some rf Summer werk in the pase mes a, don't mind hard work and i mesons, tough such as what fac Het ae say you will need me to work, Provide any meois for your stay. “WS Off and whether you 'm looking forward to hearing from ‘you soon, Yours sincerely, Celia Dobbs ma ! saw your advertise imerested in the waitressin 7a 'm eighteen ye September, 30 i looking, have done a ina coffee bar. 1 ‘Ve got a few offering and how Could you also tell nt in the 1g job you are and I'm plannii for @ job in orc tm very Need A SuwmeR job? Do you enjoy meeting new people? We're looking for lively young waiters and waitresses to work at our sea-tront café, Drop in or drop us a line if you'd like to earn some extra cash this summer. gee Contact: Barry Murphy Bright ‘n’ Bubbly Bistro 3, Apple Street Brighton Tel: 8432712 Questions to ask: ay? hours? days off? meals? 7 You have seen the job advertisement below. What notes would you make about the underlined words? Write a letter of application for the post, including all the relevant information, Use an appropriate style for your letter. CO oececeeecccoe Busy high street music store requires part-time assistant to work Saturdays and one evening per week. Pay negotiable depending on experience. Ideal job for someone interested in music, oS Apply in writing to: Mr G. Joreys (Manager) RGM Music Store 2, High Street Perth eeecceeeevccece fl