Essays

For and against essays

One type of argumentative essay is that which gives advantages and disadvantages. It is a
formal piece of writing in which a topic is considered from opposing points of view.
a. An introductory paragraph in which you state the topic. This means that you talk generally
about the topic without giving your opinion
b. A main body in which the points for and the points against, along you justification, appear
in two separates paragraphs.
c. A concluding paragraph in which you give either your opinion or a balanced consideration
of the topic.
Note: in this type of essay writing, you must not include opinion words (I believe, I think, etc)
in the introduction or main body. Opinion words can ONLY be used in the final paragraph,
where you state your opinion on the topic.

Points to consider
 Make a list of the points for and against a topic before you start writing
 Write well-developed paragraphs in which the points you present are supported with
justification (reasons or examples). Make sure each paragraph has more than one sentence.
E.g. one advantage of using a word processor is that it saves time. It is much quicker to make
corrections on one than it is to do them by hand.
 Do not use informal style (short forms, colloquial language, etc) or strong language (I firmly
believe, etc).
 Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence which summarises what the paragraph is
about:
Topic sentence→ however, there are disadvantages to owning a house
Point and justification→ firstly, it can be rather expensive and tiring to maintain. For
example, repairs to the outside of the house can be costly, not to mention the time-
consuming task of caring for a backyard or garden.

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Plan:
Introduction
Paragraph 1→State topic (summary of the topic without giving your opinion)
Main body
Paragraph 2→ Arguments for
Paragraph 3 →Arguments against
Conclusion
Final paragraph→ Balanced consideration opinion

Linking words/phrases
 To introduce points: on major advantage/ disadvantage of, a further advantage, one point
of view in favour of/ against
 To list points: in the first place, first of all, to start with, secondly, thirdly, finally, last but not
least
 To add more points to the same topic: what is more, furthermore, also, in addition to
this/that, besides, apart from this/that, not to mention the fact that
 To make contrasting points: on the other hand, however, in spite of, while, nevertheless,
despite, even though, although, it can be argued that
 To introduce examples: for example, for instance, like, especially, such as, In particular
 To conclude: to sum up, all in all, all things considered, in conclusion, on the whole, taking
everything into account, as was previously stated
You can end a for and against essay by:
a. Giving a balanced consideration of the points on the topic
b. By giving your opinion, that is, for example, by expressing whether the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa

Techniques for beginnings and endings

The first paragraph may:
 Address the reader directly, e.g. are you aware of any characteristics which may have
inherited your parents?
 Ask a rhetorical question, e.g. isn’t it amazing how some children look so much like their
parents?

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 Make reference to a strange scene or situation, e.g. some scientist believe that in the future
everyone will be genetically perfect
The last paragraph may:
 State a personal opinion, e.g. in my opinion, I believe, in my view, it seems to me, the way I
see it, I think, etc
 Give the reader something to consider, e.g. perhaps the world would be a safer and more
efficient place if everyone was genetically perfect

Opinion essays

Opinion essays are formal in style. They require your opinion on a topic which must be clearly
stated and supported by reasons. It is necessary to include the opposing viewpoint in another
paragraph.
A successful opinion essay should have:
a. An introductory paragraph in which you state the topic and your opinion
b. A main body which consists of two or more paragraphs. Each paragraph should present a
separate viewpoint supported by your reasons. Another paragraph giving the opposite
viewpoint and reasons may be included
c. A conclusion in which you restate your opinion using different words

Points to consider
 First decide whether you agree or disagree with the subject of the topic and make a list of
your opinions and reasons
 Write well-developed paragraphs consisting of more than one sentence
 Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence which summarises what the paragraph is about
 Linking words should be used throughout your composition

Plan:
Introduction
Paragraph 1→State topic and your opinion clearly
Main body
Paragraph 2→ viewpoint 1 and reason
Paragraph 3 →viewpoint 2 and reason

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Conclusion
Final paragraph→ restate your opinion using different words

Useful language
 To express opinion: I believe, in my opinion, I think, in my view, I strongly believe, the way I
see it, it seems to me (that)
 To list points: in the first place, first of all, to start with, secondly, thirdly, finally, last but not
least
 To add more points to the same topic: what is more, furthermore, also, in addition to
this/that, besides, apart from this/that, not to mention the fact that
 To introduce contrasting viewpoints: it is argued that, people argue that, opponents to this
view say, there are people who oppose, contrary to what most people believe, as opposed to
the above ideas
 To introduce examples: for example, for instance, such as, in particular, especially
 To conclude: to sum up, all in all, all things considered, taking everything into account

Letter
Formal letter

Formal letters may be written to an individual or to an organisation. The purpose may be:
 to apply for part-time or vacation work (application letter)
 to apply for study or scholarship opportunity (application letter)
 to complain about something (complaint letter)
 to make suggestions about something
 to request information (enquiry letter)

How to write formal letters

Salutation or Greeting
 If you know the name of the person you are writing to use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms)
and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss,
you can use Ms, which is for married and single women. E.g. Dear Mr Simpson, Dear Mrs
Flanders, Dear Miss Skinner, Dear Ms Van Houten

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 If you do not know the name of the recipient of the letter begin with "Dear Sir," / "Dear
Madam," (if you know you are writing to a man or a woman) or "Dear Sir or Madam," (if you
do not know the sex of the person you are writing to).
Body
 Opening: The first paragraph states the reason(s) for writing and, if needed, what you are
responding to (an advert, a prospectus...). In addition, an opening paragraph is needed to
make reference to previous correspondence.
 Main content: The rest of the body will be organized in paragraphs: that will make reading
easier and the effect on the target reader will be better.
 Closing: The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. You usually state what you
would like the recipient to do, make a reference to a future event, offer to help...
 Final salutation: Depending on how you started your letter, you will end your letter with
o Yours sincerely,
o Yours faithfully,
 Sign your name and then print your name clearly underneath on another new line
Formal language
 Use full verb forms and not contractions (do not instead of don't, would like instead I’d
like...)
 Formal vocabulary, usually not using phrasal verbs.
 More complex sentence structure.
 Connectors: All good writing makes good use of connectors. You need to use some of the
connectors that are more specific to formal language.

Useful vocabulary
Useful phrases for the opening
 I would like to apply for one of the scholarships I saw advertised in your
prospectus. (applying for a scholarship)
 I am looking for an outdoor work during the summer holidays and I would like to apply for
the position of hotel lifguard assistant which I say advertised in my university's student
newspaper. (applying for a job)
 I have seen your advertisement for the post / vacancy / job of… advertised in the local
newspaper on 16 June. I am writing because I would like to apply for the job. (applying for a
job)

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 I am the secretary of my college Science Club. I saw your advertisement for the exhibition
"The Next 100 Years" and I am interested in organising a group visit. I was wondering if I could
ask you some questions about it. (requesting information)
 I am writing (in order) to complain about the advertisement for your new game. Having just
played the game, I realise that the advertisement is misleading. (complaint letter)
 I am writing with regard to ... I am writing with reference to... I am writing in response to...
 Thank you for /your letter of 9 May... /for your letter regarding...
 In reply to your letter of 8 May, ...
Asking politely
 Could you tell me...?
 I would be grateful if you could ...
 I would be interested in having more details about...
 I would like to know if/when/when/...
 I would like information on...
 Do you know if...?
Complaining
 I would like to complain about + noun or -ing
 ... is not what I expected / was expecting
 I am not satisfied with...
 I would be grateful if my money was refunded / if you could give me a refund
 I look forward to hearing from you soon / I look forward to receiving your reply
 I look forward to receiving a full refund (in a complaint letter)
 I would like to know what you are going to do about this situation (in a complaint letter)
 I would like to thank you in advance for this information (in a enquiry letter -requesting
information)
 If you require/Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact
me/feel free to contact me.

Informal letter

An informal letter or email is usually between people who know each other fairly well. In
addition to giving news, they are often used to request information, congratulate people, give
advice and ask questions. There are a lot of similarities between informal letters and

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conversation. Informal letters ask a lot of questions, show interest and enthusiasm, and
imagine a lot of shared information.

How to write informal letters or emails

Salutation or Greeting
 Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing. In
emails, you can also start with Hi (and the person's name). Dear Ben, or Hi Ben.
 Informal letters sometimes have a comma after the person's name, and the letter starts on
the line below. The important thing is to be consistent with the style that you choose to use
(so if you use a comma after the person's name at the start of the letter, use a comma after
the closing statement at the end).
Body
 Openings: When writing an informal letter, you are usually replying to another letter. You
would normally start with a greeting, and then acknowledge the letter to which you are
replying. It is often a good idea to acknowledge some key information given in the original
letter too. You can also make a comment on your own reply.
 Closing: The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some standard
ways of finishing an informal letter or email.
o Give a reason why you're ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I
guess it's time I got on with that studying I've been avoiding.
o Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact: Give my love / regards to... / Say
hello to... / anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates of the party. / I'll try and phone you
at the weekend to check the times. / We must try and meet up soon. / I can't wait to hear from
you / Look forward to seeing you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See you soon / Write
soon
o Closing statement such as Love, Lots of love, all the best, Take care, Best wishes, should be
written on a new line. If you used a comma after the opening greeting, use a comma here too.
 Signing off: Your first name then follows on another new line.
Other things to consider
 Range: It is important that you use grammatical expressions and vocabulary appropriate to
the level of the exam. Even if there are no mistakes in your writing, you will not be able to get
a good grade if you use only the language and vocabulary that you learnt at elementary level.
Even in informal writing, there is a good range of language you can use (conditional sentences,
a range of perfect and continuous tenses, indirect questions...)

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 Informal language, including phrasal verbs, informal vocabulary ("I guess you loved the
pics"), contractions, question tags.
 Simpler sentence structure: I’ll be late for the party. It’s because of my French exam.
 Connectors: All good writing makes good use of connectors. However, many of the
connectors you have learnt for other styles of writing are inappropriate in an informal letter or
email. For informal writing, you need to use some of the connectors that are more specific to
spoken language.

Useful vocabulary
 To introduce a topic: Well, you'll never guess who I bumped into yesterday. / I know how
much you love tennis, so I've got us some tickets to Wimbledon. / By the way, did you know
that John's got a new job?
 To go back to a previous topic: Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I really wasn't very happy
there. / Now where was I? Oh yes, I nearly forgot, Mary asked me tell you about the cinema.
 To introduce surprising or bad news: Actually, he came to the party after all. / I'm really
sorry but I can't make it. / To tell you the truth, I don't really like sports much.
 To summarise what you've already said: Anyway, we had a really nice time in the end.
/ Well, to cut a long story short, we didn't get there on time.
 Referring to news: Great news about … Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about …
 Giving news: Listen, did I tell you about …? You’ll never believe what … Oh, and another
thing … This is just to let you know that … I thought you might be interested to hear about /
know that … By the way, have you heard about / did you know that …?
 Apologies: I’m writing to apologise for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu; I’m
really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.
 Invitations: I’m / We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I / we hope you’ll be able to
come; Would you like to come / go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me at the weekend?; I was
wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre / come on holiday with us; Could you let me / us
know if you can come / you’d like to join us?; Thank you very much for your invitation. I’d love
to come; thank you for asking / inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to …
 Requests: I’m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favour; I wonder if / I
was wondering if you could help me / do me a favour; I hope you don’t mind me asking but
could you (possibly) …?; I’d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could …;
 Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck: I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality / the
wonderful present; It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you; I really appreciated all

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your help / advice; Congratulations on passing your exams / your excellent exam results!; I wish
you good luck / Good luck in / with your exams / your driving test / your interview.; Don’t
worry, I’m sure you’ll do well / pass; Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to …
 Making suggestions and recommendations: Why don’t you …? / Maybe you could …? /
How about …? you can’t leave New York without (...doing sth); I’m sure you will enjoy (...doing
sth). If you like, we can …; do visit ... / don’t forget to ...

Transactional letters
 Transactional letters are letters which respond to writing input (advertisements, other
letters, notes, invitations, etc) and/or visual prompts (maps, drawing, etc). They can either be
formal or informal, depending on who you are writing to
 Transactional letter 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

Useful language for letters requesting information

 Opening remarks: (formal) I am writing to inquire about/in connection with. (informal) I
want you to tell me, can you let me know
 To Introduce first request: (formal) could you possibly send, I would be grateful if you could,
would it be possible for you to tell/send me, I would appreciate some information about.
(informal) can you send me/tell me, I want to know
 To introduce further requests: (formal) could you also please send me, another matter I
need information on is, I would also like some information on. (informal) can you also find out,
I also want to know
 Closing remarks: (formal) I look forward to receiving; I would appreciate it if you could
inform me as soon as possible. (informal) please let me know, send me the details, tell me soon
Useful expressions for letters giving information
 Opening remarks: (formal) I am writing in reply to your letter asking for information about,
I am writing to inform you about, in reply to your query. (Informal) this is what I found out,
remember the information you wanted?, you wanted me to tell you a few things about...
 Closing remarks: (formal) I hope that I have been of some assistance to you, please inform
me if I can be of any further assistance, I hope I have answered some of your questions, please

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do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information. (informal) I hope this will
help you, let me know if you need any more help.

Style in letters of application

A letter of application should be similar in style to the advertisement; that is, 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 written in a formal style, the letter must
be formal too.

Useful language for letters of application (for a job)

 Opening remarks: I am writing with regard to your advertisement; I am writing to apply for
the post/job/ position of... which I saw advertised in...
 Reference to experience: ... for the last/ past year I have been working as... since/ for.../ I
have had the experience of.../ two years ago I was employed as.../ I worked as... before...
 Closing remarks: I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience/ please contact me
regarding any question you may have/ I enclose my cv and I would be glad to attend an
interview at any time convenient to you/ I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Applying for a course

Plan:
Introduction
Paragraph 1→reasons for writing
Main body
Paragraph 2 & 3→ qualifications/ reasons for writing to take the course
Conclusion
Final paragraph→ closing remarks, full name

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 Articles
Articles about a place
When we write a descriptive article about a place, we can divide it into four paragraphs:
1. In the introduction you mention the name and the location of the place and the reasons for
choosing it
2. In the second paragraph we write about what a visitor can see and do (sightseeing,
museums, shopping)
3. In the third paragraph we write about entertainment, nightlife and eating out (clubs,
restaurants)
4. In the conclusion we make general comments and recommend the place to visitors.
 We normally use present tenses in this type of writing.

Articles about an event

When we write a descriptive article about an event, a special occasion/celebration, we
attended, we divide it into four paragraphs:
1. In the introduction you mention the name of the event and the time, place and reason it is
held
2. In the second paragraph we describe preparations which are made before the event
3. In the third paragraph we describe what happened during the event itself
4. In the conclusion we mention our feelings and make general remarks about the event.
 We use present tenses to mention the name, time, place and reasons the event is held.
 We use past tenses to describe the preparations before the event and what happened
during the event itself.

Reviews
Reviews are short descriptions of books, films, plays, TV programmes, etc. They are written to
inform readers and viewers and to give them your opinion/recommendation about whether
(or not) they should read a book or see a film/play.

A review should consist of:

 An introduction in which you summarise all the background information of the book/film
(title, name of author/director, time, setting)

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 A main body consisting of two paragraphs: one about the main points of the plot,
presented in chronological order, and another including general comments on the plot. The
main characters, the acting, the directing. You should not reveal the end of the story to the
reader.
 A conclusion in which you recommend or do not recommend the book/film/play, giving
reasons to support your recommendation.
o Reviews are normally found in newspapers, magazines or as parts of a letter. The style you
use depends on the publication and the intended reader and can be formal or semi-formal.
o You normally use present tenses and a variety of adjectives to describe the plot and make
your comments more clearly and to the point.

Plan:
Introduction
Paragraph 1→background information (title, name of the author/director, type, setting)
Main body
Paragraph 2→ main points of the plot
Paragraph 3→ general comments
Conclusion
Final paragraph→ recommendation

Useful vocabulary
 Background: the film/book tells the story of...; the film/book is set in...; the book/novel was
written by...; it’s a comedy/horror film/love story.
 Main points of the plot: the story concerns/ is about/ begins...; the plot is (rather) boring/
thrilling; the plot has an unexpected twist.
 General comments: it is rather long/boring/confusing/slow; the cast is
excellent/awful/unconvincing; the script is dull/exciting; it si beautiful/poorly/badly written; it
has a tragic/dramatic end.
 Recommendations: don’t miss it, it is well worth seeing; I wouldn’t recommend it
because...; I highly/thoroughly recommend it; it’s bound to be a box-office hit; wait until it
comes out on video; it is a highly entertaining read; it’s a bore to read.

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 Reports

When we write an assessment report we divide it into three parts:

 In the introduction we clearly state the purpose of the report.
 In the main body we present each main topic in a new paragraph with an appropriate
heading. We discuss the positive and negative aspects of each feature. The number of
paragraphs depends on the number of main topics.
 In the conclusion we give an overall impression and make our recommendation.
o We always write assessment reports in formal style, it means: passive voice, full verb forms,
impersonal language, etc.

Plan:
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Introduction→ purpose of the report
Main body→ accommodation (good/bad points, examples); facilities (good/bad points,
examples); cost (good/bad points, examples)
Conclusion → overall impression; recommendation

Remember that your reader will be a person in authority with a busy, sometimes stressful job.
Your report should be written in such a way that:
 The reader can see at a glance the point of the report from your introduction and
conclusion
 The reader can quickly skim over the main headings and numbered details, to pick out
important information in a hurry
 The language is clear and concise with relatively short sentences.

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