Articles, News Reports & Reviews

5. Match the beginnings and endings below, and then identify the purpose of writing the letter from which each pair of paragraphs is taken.

BEGINNINGS…

1. I am writing in response to your advertisement in yesterday's Daily Scope concerning a vacancy in your sales department.

2. I am writing in reply to your letter requesting information about our products.

3. I am writing in my capacity as chairman of the residents' association to draw your attention to the problem of excessive noise levels in our neighbourhood.

4. I am writing to request permission to use the company premises for a meeting which will be held during the holidays.

5. I am writing to advise you of the changes in the schedule for the forthcom-­ ing seminar on "Safety in the Home."

…ENDINGS

I hope that these changes will not cause you too much inconvenience and that you will still be able to attend.

We feel confident that you will find something in our range that meets your requirements and look forward to receiving your order.

I am available for interview any weekday between 9 am and 5 pm, and I look forward to meeting you in person to discuss the possibility of my employment.

We trust that you will give this matter your urgent consideration and look forward to receiving any suggestions you might have to help overcome the problem.

We would be extremely grateful if you were to allow us to use the facilities for the duration of our meeting. Thank you in anticipation of your kind cooperation.

 6 Read the following sentences and say which are formal and which are infor­mal. Which sentences are beginnings of a letter, and which are endings? What kind of letter (e.g. complaint) does each sentence belong to?

1. 
   It would be lovely to see you again, so please do your best to make it.
   

2. 
   Please do not hesitate to telephone if there should be any further problems.
   

3. 
   I was most concerned to hear that you are not completely satisfied with one of our products.
   

4. 
   I trust that this situation will be recti­fied without further delay.
   

5. 
   I am writing to express my dissatisfac­tion with the meal I had at your restau­rant last week.
   

6. 
   I am writing with reference to the vacancy in your accounts department.
   

7. 
   I assure you that we will give this mat­ter serious consideration and would like to thank you for bringing the sit­uation to our attention.
   

8. 
   I'm just writing to let you know how sorry I am about missing your gradu­ation ceremony.
   

Reviews
 1. You will hear part of a programme in which critics discuss films appearing on TV. Look at the table below, then listen to the cassette and fill in the missing information. Finally, using the information, describe the film.

Name of film: Set in: Type of film: Story theme: Star(s): Acting-Script: Characters Recommendation.

Rain 1)………………………………………. 2) ……………………….. human 3) …………………………………… a brother who finds out he's got an autistic brother after he inherits money Hoffman and Cruise superb 4) ………………………… very 5) ………………………. don't 6) …………………………….. it

A review is a special type of article written for publication in a magazine, newspaper, etc, giving a brief description and evaluation of a film, book, play, TV/radio pro­gramme, etc. It may be formal or semi-formal in style, depending on its intended read­ership, and is usually written using present tenses.

A successful review should consist of:

1. 
   an introduction which mentions the title, the type of book/play/film/etc, the setting (when/where), the theme, the main characters, etc,;
   
2. 
   a main body of two or more paragraphs containing the main points of the plot (without revealing the ending), and evaluating such features as the acting, wri­ting style, direction, characters, etc.; and
   
3. 
   a conclusion which includes an overall assessment of the work and/or a rec­ommendation, usually with justification.
   

You may also be asked to give reasons why someone should see the film/play or read the book, how it has influenced you, etc. Note that the number and length of paragraphs varies depending on the topic.