DISCUSSION ESSAY

Many people say...

It is true that…
This is not an easy
question.
There is not a clear
answer.
We must look at both
sides of the question.

DIALOGUE
Characters
 A DESCRIPTION OF A PERSON

OPENING: Introduce the person and describe his/her personal

appearance (I will never forget the day when I first met …, my English
teacher…. Useful language: good-looking / stunning/ overweight/ thin
/pale/straight /curly hair /average-looking

BODY: Describe the person’s nature and personal characteristics:

sense of humour / kind/ outgoing / curious / extrovert / pleasant /
fascinating

CLOSING: State your personal feelings towards the person you have
chosen. (I admire / adore / hate him/her,
 A FORMAL LETTER

YOUR ADDRESS

27th May, 2015

RECEIVER’S
ADDRESS

Dear Sir or Madam,

Dear Mr. or Mrs. Smith,

Introduction (introduce yourself and give the reason for writing)

Body (give your arguments, using connectors)

Closing: I am very grateful for your attention and I am looking forward to

hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,
Yours sincerely,
Signature and name

Introduction

You can write to complain about something, to make suggestions, to

request information, to give information or to request permission for
something, for example.

Useful phrases
Writing formal letters generally:
Greetings:
 Dear Sir
 Dear Madam
 Dear Sir/Madam
 Dear Mr Brown
 Dear Ms Jones etc.
Reason for writing:
 I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter
 I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter
 I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter
 I am writing on behalf of

Ending the letter:

 I look forward to receiving your reply
 I look forward to your reply
 I look to hearing from you
 I am, yours faithfully (if you don't know the name of the person you are
writing to)
 I am, yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person you are
writing to)
 Yours faithfully (if you started with Dear Sir or Madam,)
 Yours sincerely (if you started with Dear Mr/Mrs. Johnson,)

Writing formal letters to complain:

Reason for writing:
 I am writing in order to complain about
 I am writing to complain about

Introducing the complaint:

 Firstly
 In the first place
 First of all
 My first complaint is
 The first problem is
 The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is
 My first concern is

Introducing further complaints:

 Secondly
 In the second place
 Not only …….but also
 In addition
 In addition to this
 Added to this
 …….was also unacceptable
Demanding action:
 I suggest that you replace the item
 I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund
 I would be grateful if my money was refunded
 I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund

Ending the letter:

 I look forward to hearing from you
 I look forward to receiving a full refund
 I look forward to receiving a replacement
 I look forward to receiving your explanation

Writing formal letters to make suggestions

Reason for writing:

 I am writing to suggest
 My first suggestion is
 First of all I suggest
 I would like to suggest

Making further suggestions:

 Another possibility is
 A further possibility is
 I further suggest
 I would further suggest
 Secondly

Offering a choice:
 Would you therefore mind choosing between ….?
 Either……or
 You might choose either ……. or

Writing formal letters to request information

Reason for writing:

 I am writing to receive further information about
 I am writing to enquire about
 I am writing to receive more detailed information about
 I am writing to receive further details about
Requesting first piece of information:
 The first thing I would like to know is
 First of all I would like to know
 I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all ….?

Requesting further information:

 Could you also tell me….?
 Could you also inform me ….?
 Would you also mind informing me ….?
 Would you also mind telling me ….?
 I would also like to know if
 I would also like to know whether
 I hope you might also let me know about …

Thanking for information:

 I would like to thank you in advance for this information
 Thanking you in advance for this information

Writing formal letters to give information:

Reason for writing:

 I am writing to inform you about
 I am writing to provide you with information about
 I am writing to let you know that

Providing first point:

 The first thing I would like to inform you of is
 The first thing I would like to tell you is
 I would like to begin by informing you

Providing further points:

 I would also like to let you know that
 You might also find the following information useful
 It might also be useful for you to know that

Ending the letter:

 If you require further information, please do not hesitate to
 If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask
 I am at your disposal should you need further assistance
 Please do not hesitate to ask should you require further information
Writing formal letters to request permission

Reason for writing:

 I am writing to ask/request permission to
 I am writing to request permission for
 I am writing to ask if I might

Making first request:

 Firstly I wonder if you would
 First of all I wonder whether you would mind
 The first request I would like you to consider is
 I would be grateful if you would also consider
 I wonder if it might be possible for me to
 I would also like to request permission to

Thanking for permission

 Many thanks for kindly considering my requests

 Thank you for considering my requests
 AN INFORMAL LETTER
Your address
Date

Dear Sue,

INTRODUCTION: Gives the reason for writing ( How are things? / It

was great to hear from you / I’ve got so much to tell you / Sorry I
haven’t written for so long / I was happy/sorry to hear that…

BODY: Adds more information, news, details…

CLOSING: That’s all for now. Please write soon / Give my regards
to… / Can’t wait to hear from you / Take care / Best wishes

SIGNATURE

Useful phrases
Informal Letters - Greetings:
 Dear Jim
 Hello Jim
 Hi Jim
Informal Letters - Introductory paragraph:
 Sorry I haven't written for ages
 Sorry it's taken me so long to write
 How's it going?
 How are you?
 How are things?
An informal letter referring to good news:
 Glad to hear about
 I'm really glad to hear about
 I'm very happy to hear about
 I was very happy to read about

An informal letter referring to bad news:

 I'm very sorry to hear about

 Sorry to read about
 I can't tell you how sad I am that

Informal letters - Introducing points

 By the way
 Did you hear about
 Have you seen
 Tell me about
 Oh, another thing

Ending an informal letter or email:

 Well, time to go
 Well, it's time to go
 Well, got to go
 Write soon
 Make sure you write soon
 Love
 Lots of love
 Look after yourself
 Take care of yourself
 All the best
 A FILM / A BOOK REVIEW

IMAGINATIVE TITLE: Can indicate if the review will be positive or

negative (play with words…)

OPENING: Summarise the film/book and give suggestions about your

general view of it. Don’t say too much about your personal opinion
here.

BODY: Go into detail about what you thought of the film/book. Use
descriptive words, the story, the setting, the effects, music,
characters…

CLOSING: Final comments. General comments that summarize your

view of the film, say something inspiring to get the reader want to go
out and see the film or read the book.

Useful words: spectacular visual effects, breathtaking, irresistible, plot,

wonderful, hilarious, disappointing, unoriginal, thrilling, excessive
violence, atmosphere, poorly, unsuccessful, scenery, plot, wonderful,
hilarious, unexpected plot twists, unbelievable, disappointing, genre,
unoriginal, I was impressed by, a mixture of, classic, captivating

Useful phrases

What I liked
 What I liked most was …..
 The thing I liked most was ….
 I was pleasantly surprised by …..
 ….. would appeal to …..
 If you get a chance to ….

What I disliked
 What I disliked most was …..
 I was disappointed by ……
 I was disappointed with …..
 I was very disappointed by …..
 I was very disappointed with ….
Reviews of books:
 main character
 is set in
 comedy
 science fiction
 thriller
 romance
 comedy:
 author
 written by
 chapter
 factual
 fiction
 unbelievable
 bestseller
 chapter . ending

Reviews of films, tv programmes, plays:

 lead role
 star role
 star
 star actor
 star actress
 starring
 secondary role
 He plays a …….
 She plays a …….
 written by ….
 is set in …..
 based on a true story …..
 believable
 true to life
 not very believable
 comedy
 romance
 science fiction
 ending
Useful words and phrases:

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc:

 location
 service
 setting
 attractive setting
 disappointing setting
 owned by
 run by
 head chef (restaurant)
 waiters (restaurant)
 staff …….
 staff at reception …….(hotel)
 hotel facilities ….
 reasonable prices …..
 good value for money …..
 excellent value for money …..
 expensive
 a bit expensive
 overpriced
 not worth the money
 poor value for money
 always fully booked
 book in advance

A NARRATIVE / A STORY

TITLE

Paragraph 1 – background information.

Paragraphs 2 and 3 the main part of the story.
Paragraph 4 – EITHER the climax or key moment of the story OR what
happened after the climax.

- Use past continuous for background information. For example – It

was raining heavily as we left the house….
 - Use past perfect before the main events of the story. but Anne
had kindly lent me her umbrella.
- Use simple past for the main events. There wasn't a single person
on the street.
- Try to include some direct speech.
- You can use contraction (haven't, couldn't, etc). But a story
should not be as informal as an email to a friend, for example.

WRITING STORIES
Useful phrases

Time phrases:
 It all began
 Shortly afterwards
 Meanwhile
 Not long afterwards
 Some time later
 Later that day
 A little later
 Finally
 In the end
 Eventually

Phrases for dramatic effect:

 Suddenly
 All of a sudden
 Without warning
 Out of the blue
 Just at that moment
 Quite unexpectedly
 As if from nowhere
Direct speech:
 “…..”, said Fred
 “…..”, shouted Fred
 “…..”, screamed Fred
 “…..”, whispered Fred
 “…..”, announced Fred.
 ”…..”, thought Fred
 “…..”, cried Fred
 “…..”, promised Fred

Concluding stories:
 When it was all over
 Looking back now
 In retrospect
 In the end
 After all that had happened

AN ARTICLE

TITLE

Make sure you have at least 4 paragraphs.

 Ask rhetorical questions to get your readers' attention. Eg. What would the world be
like without oil? What will life be like in 20 years time?
 Speak directly to your readers. Eg. Let's just imagine some of the possibilities.
 Give examples where appropriate.
 Use humour where appropriate
 Give a conclusion and summary in the last paragraph.
 Finally, give your opinion where appropriate.

Useful phrases
Rhetorical phrases:
 Have you ever ……..?
 What do you think about ……..?
 Are you one of those people who thinks that ……?
 Are you one of those people who …....?
 What would life be like if ……?
 Will the future bring us ….. ?

Introducing your first point:

 Firstly
 In the first place
 First of all
 The first thing to consider is
 One thing to consider is
 Introducing more points:
 Secondly
 Another consideration
 Yet another consideration
 Another thing to consider is
 Added to that
 Apart from that
 In addition to this

Introducing your final points:

 In conclusion
 To conclude
 To sum up
 So

Introducing your opinion:

 I think
 In my opinion
 Personally I believe that
 In my view
 If you ask me
 To my mind
 My personal opinion is

AN ESSAY
TITLE

 4 or 5 PARAGRAPHS, with Introduction and Conclusion

 The first paragraph should be a general introduction to the subject
 Develop your arguments in the middle paragraphs
 Give reasons to support your argument
 Use a variety of discursive words and phrases
 Give examples where possible
 Use formal language
 Don't use contractions (we're, I've etc.)
 Sum up your argument in the final paragraph
 The final paragraph is the best place to express your opinion clearly.
Useful Phrases

Presenting two advantages or disadvantages together:

 not only … but … also
 not only … but also

Presenting two opposing views:

 on the one hand, on the other hand

Expressing Contrast:
 nevertheless -despite
 even so -but
 even though -although
 however
 in spite of

Expressing results:
 because of this
 therefore
 thus
 as a result
 for this reason
 consequently

Giving examples:
 such as
 like
 for example
 for instance

Expressing the opinion of someone else:

 some people say
 some people say that
 many people say
 many people say that
 people often say
 it is said
 it is said that
 according to
 A REPORT

 Make sure you have at least 4 paragraphs.

 Every paragraph should have a heading which explains what the paragraph is
about.
 You first paragraph heading will be INTRODUCTION and your last, CONCLUSION
 Always start with To: E.g. To: Ms Jones
 Put From: on the line below and then add your name.
 Put Subject: on the next line. Choose a heading that describes clearly what the
report is about.
 You do not need to put the date but you can if you want to.
 Use formal language.
 Do not use contractions.
 Try to make recommendations in the final paragraph.

Useful phrases
Introductory Information:
 To:
 From:
 Subject:
 Date:

Headings - to include:
 Introduction:
 Subject of each paragraph:
 Conclusion or recommendation(s):
Introductory Paragraph

 As requested I have …..

 This involved visiting …….
 This involved looking at …….
 This involved investigating …..
 My findings are outlined below.
 My findings are presented below.
 I outline my findings below.
Recommending:

 I would like to suggest ……

 I would like to recommend ……
 I therefore suggest ……
 You may wish to consider ……
 I therefore suggest that we do not ……
 I therefore recommend that we do not ……
 I therefore do not suggest ……
 I therefore do not recommend ……

OPINION ESSAY

PARAGRAPH 1
∙         Introduce the topic and give your opinion. Say whether you agree or disagree with the statement

PARAGRAPH 2
∙         Give a reason to support your opinion.

PARAGRAPH 3
∙         Give a second or third reason to support your opinion.

PARAGRAPH 4
∙         Summarize your ideas and repeat your opinion using different words.

 
BASIC DOS IN WRITING AN OPINION ESSAY
Introduce each paragraph with a topic sentence, outlining the main ideas.
Do not write about advantages or disadvantages or points for or against.
Write in formal style.

BASIC DON’TS IN WRITING AN OPINION ESSAY

Don’t use colloquial expressions.
Don’t use short forms.
Don’t use emotive vocabulary.
Don’t give personal examples.

B.-  VOCABULARY

EXPRESSING OPINIONS
In my opinion, ….   En mi opinión…
Personally, I think/ I believe (that)… Personalmente, creo que…
I strongly believe that…. Creo firmemente que…
It is clear (to me) that… Me parece evidente que…
I feel very strongly that… Siento firmemente que…
I (completely) agree/disagree with … Estoy (totalmente) de acuerdo/ en desacuerdo con….
It seems to me that… Me parece que..
As I see it, … Como yo lo veo…
To my mind…. En mi opinión,…
In my view,… Desde mi punto de vista,…
From my point of view, …. Desde mi punto de vista,…
As far I am concerned, … En cuanto a lo que a mí respecta,…
I am sure/ convinced that … Estoy seguro / convencido de que…
I (dis)agree with the statement, because … Estoy de acuerdo/ en desacuerdo con la afirmación
porque…

GIVING REASONS
My main reason is…. Mi razón principal es..
Another reason is… Otra razón es…
One reason for… is …. Una razón para…. es….
Many people say/ believe that… Mucha gente dice/ piensa que..
Because… Porque…
Since… Puesto que/ ya que…
Because of/ due to… Debido a…

EXPRESSING FACTS
It is widely known that… Es ampliamente conocido que..
It is a well-known fact that … Es un hecho bien conocido que…
Research has shown that… La investigación ha demostrado que…
There are definitely… Definitivamente hay…
It is a fact that… Es un hecho que…
It is clear/ true that… Está claro que/ es verdad que…
For example/ for instance,... Por ejemplo,…
 
 
ADDING IDEAS
What is more,… Y lo que es más,..
Moreover/ furthermore/ in addition (to) Además,…
Apart from (that)… Aparte de…
Firstly,… En primer lugar,…
First of all,… En primer lugar,…
Secondly,.. En segundo lugar,..
Thirdly,… En tercer lugar,..
Lastly,… Por último,..
Finally,… Finalmente,…
 
EXPRESSING CONTRAST (LINKERS OF CONTRAST)
ALTHOUGH (aunque) Although I was feeling depressed, I went to the party.
DESPITE (a pesar de) Despite the rain, I went to the party.
Despite feeling depressed, I went to the party.
IN SPITE OF ( a pesar de) In spite of the rain, I went to the party.
In spite of feeling depressed, I went to the party.
EVEN IF (incluso si) I will go to the party, even if I feel depressed.
WHEREAS (mientras que) Adults can make their own decisions, whereas
teenagers have to do what other people tell them.
HOWEVER (sin embargo) Mike is a very good singer. However, he can’t play any
instruments.
IN CONTRAST  
BUT (pero) Their music is very good. But, their lyrics are not very
interesting.
ON THE ONE HAND….. ON THE OTHER HAND On the one hand, they are extremely rich. But on the
(por una parte…. por la otra) other hand, they have lots of debts.
  

EXPRESSING PURPOSE (LINKERS OF PURPOSE)

We use linkers of purpose to introduce reasons:

SO (THAT) (para) I have brought a microphone so that the

audience will be able to hear us.

IN ORDER TO ( para) We need to register with the council in order

to vote.

TO (para) I am phoning to ask information about the

event.

SO AS TO(para) We all need to vote so as to express our

opinions.
 

CONCLUDING THE ESSAY

TO SUM UP,… Para resumir…

TO CONCLUDE,… Para concluir…

IN CONCLUSION,… En conclusion…

IT IS CLEAR THAT… Está claro que

IN SHORT En resumen…

ON THE WHOLE En general…

ALL IN ALL,… En conjunto, en terminus generals,…

 ORAL PRESENTATIONS

INTRODUCTION
    ‘Today I will inform you about…’

    ‘In this presentation I will explain the…’

    ‘This morning I will illustrate the complexity of…’

Present an outline of your talk, using phrases:

    ‘I will concentrate on the following points….’.

    ‘First of all…’

    ‘Then…’

    ‘This will lead to…’

    ‘And finally…’

Body

Present your main points one by one in logical order. Make it absolutely clear when
you move to new point:
    ‘The next point is ...’

    ‘OK, now I am going to discuss ...’

    ‘Right. Now I'd like to explain ... ’

    ‘Of course, we must not forget that ...’

    ‘However, it's important to realise that...’

Conclusion

Leave your audience with a clear summary of everything you have covered, using
phrases like:
    ‘To sum up...’

    ‘So, in conclusion...’

    ‘OK, to recap the main points…’

Thank the audience and ask it there are any questions.

“Thank you very much for your attention. If there are any questions now, I’ll be please
to answer them.”

A NEWSPAPER STORY

A HEADLINE to grab the reader’s attention

INTRODUCTION: The 5 W’s (who, what, where, when and why). A

summary of the story.

MAIN BODY: Explain the story in detail.

CONCLUSION: Briefly explain what will happen in the future regarding

the story.

- Write in the past tense!