ESSAY

STRUCTURE

Introduction
Present the essay topic in your own words.

1st body paragraph

Comment on the first point
2nd body paragraph
Comment on the second point
3rd body paragraph
Comment on the third point (your idea)
Conclusion
Give final opinion

USEFUL PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

 Introduction
- The trend nowadays is towards ….
- Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of
- Recent research indicates that ….
- Although most people would generally agree that …… few would deny that
……..

 Stating your opinion

- As I see it
- It seems to me that ………… I would also say that ….
- I am convinced that ……………
- There is no doubt in my mind that ………………
- One of the drawbacks of ……. is ……….

 Presenting arguments
- One justification is often given for ……….. is that……………..
- Another objection is that ……
- However, it should not be forgotten that …………..
- From the point of view of ……………..
- According to ………………..

 Describing causes
- One factor which has led to ………… is …………..
- ………….. has only made the situation worse.
- One consequence of ……………. is …………….

 Proposing steps and measures

- As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion
would be to ………

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 - The first step to be taken would be to ……..
- In addition, they ought to ……………
- This can only be dealt with if …………
- To overcome this problem, …………..

 Concluding
- All in all it seems to me that ………..
- The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that …………………..
- All things considered, ………….
- On balance, I tend to believe that …………

EXAMPLE

Some people recommend that school students have a shorter, three-week break in the
summer. There are some good arguments both for and against this idea.

Nobody can deny that we have a lot to learn and shorter holidays would give us more
time to study important topics. However, most students would probably be horrified at
the thought of shorter summer holidays. That’s because after months of hard work, we all
need a holiday. People are said to learn better when they have good breaks too.

It is true, though, that the summer break may not need to be as long as six weeks, as it is
in my country. When both parents work, it can be difficult to find childcare for their
younger children. It can also be difficult to get back into the routine of school after such
a long break. If we had more time off in the winter, then students might get ill less often.

On balance, I think it might be a good idea to have a shorter summer holiday, as long as
we could have the other two or three weeks at another time of year.

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 REPORT

STRUCTURE

Introduction
The purpose of this report is to….

Subheading + Paragraph
Give the relevant facts

Subheading + Paragraph
Give the relevant facts

Conclusion
Make your recommendations

USEFUL PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

 Introduction (objeto del informe)

- The aim of this report is to
- As requested, I am writing this report to
- The purpose behind this report is to

 Further information
- The first observation to make concerns…
- According to (the majority of respondents)…
- In spite of (the fact that)…
- Despite (the fact that)…

 Recommendations
- I suggest/recommend
- I advise you (not) to
- I believe it would be beneficial
- You may wish/want to consider

 Conclusions
- Provided that these recommendations are taken into consideration,…
- In conclusion

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EXAMPLE

Swimming facilities

Introduction
The aim of this report is to provide information about the swimming facilities in the town
of Bamford.

General
There are three swimming pools in Bamford; the Temple Meads Pool, the St Helens Pool
and the Scartho Pool (outdoor).

Temple Meads Pool

This pool is located in the city centre. There are eight lanes and there is also a pool for
children. The pool facilities are all new. The admission costs are the highest as it costs
£3.00 per session and £1.50 for under 12s.

St Helens Pool
This pool was built over 100 years ago and the architecture is very beautiful. The pool is
colder than the Temple Meads pool. The admission cost is only £2.00 and £1.00 for under
10s.

Scartho Pool
This outdoor pool is open from the 1st June to 15th September. It is a very big pool and
it is extremely popular on hot summer days (It is sometimes full). It also opens to 9.00 on
summer evenings. It is the same price as Temple Meads.

Recommendations
I really think your group would enjoy Scartho Pool but if it’s raining or full Temple Meads
would be fine.

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 REVIEW

STRUCTURE

Título
Ingrese el título de la película, libro o nombre del restaurante.

Introducción
Especifique lo que está revisando (actores, director, etc.).
Trate de atraer la atención del lector (haga una pregunta narrativa).

Primer párrafo
Describir el libro, película, restaurante
El segundo párrafo
Comentar las preguntas que se incluyen en la tarea
Conclusiones y recomendaciones
Resuma su opinión y agregue una recomendación

USEFUL PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

 Expresiones que describen el fondo

- This show stars…
- The play is directed by…
- The film is about…
- It‟s set in……….
- The story is based on (a book…)
It‟s about…..
- There are many memorable characters including ….
- The main theme of the film is…..

 Expresiones de contraste
- On the plus side,…
- On the down side,…
- On the one hand,…
- On the other hand,…

 Recomendaciones
- Overall, I‟d recommend…
- All in all, the film was…
- I wouldn‟t hesitate to recommend…
- I would recommend this film to anyone.
- Although I enjoyed it, I would not recommend it for…

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EXAMPLE

I couldn’t live without my headphones. Basically, they’re fantastic. I love listening to

music, and when I’m on my way to school or on my way home, my music makes me feel
OK, even if I’m not having such a great day.

And it’s really important for me to hear that music clearly. I used to have in-ear
headphones, but they weren’t very good and they often broke. Then I got these really
good quality overear headphones for my birthday. They look so cool, and all my music
sounds completely different. My family like them too! If I’m listening to my music in the
living room, they don’t get irritated by the noise from my headphones. In fact, they can’t
hear a thing … but I can hear everything!

The only thing that could be better about them is the range of colours available. At the
moment, you can only choose between black, red and blue. I’d prefer a different colour,
to be honest, like bright green. Apart from that, I’d recommend these headphones to all
other teenagers who like me, are ‘slaves to the rhythm’!

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 ARTICLE

STRUCTURE

Title
Think of an interesting title which will make people want to read your article
Introduction
Start your article in an interesting way. You could ask the reader a question or make a
strong statement.

1st body paragraph

The first paragraph should involve the reader in some way.
2nd body paragraph
Build on the interest you have raised in the first paragraph by telling the next part
of the story
Conclusion
Finish the article in an interesting way. This could be humorous or thought-provoking

USEFUL PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

 Rhetorical phrases: - Another consideration

- Have you ever ……..? - Yet another consideration
- What do you think about - Another thing to consider is
……..? - Added to that
- Are you one of those people - Apart from that
who thinks that ……? - In addition to this
- Are you one of those people
who …….?  Introducing your final points:
- What would life be like if ……? - In conclusion
- Will the future bring us ….. ? - To conclude
- To sum up
 Introducing your first point: - So
- Firstly
- In the first place  Introducing your opinion:
- First of all - I think
- The first thing to consider is - In my opinion
- One thing to consider is - Personally, I believe that
- To begin with - In my view
- If you ask me
 Introducing more points: - To my mind
- Secondly - My personal opinion n

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EXAMPLE

I quite like playing sport, but I’m not crazy about it. Maybe I’m just a bit lazy. What I do
love, though, is watching my favourite basketball team. My brothers and sisters all
support them too and we watch every match we can on TV or online. If we miss the live
match, we often see it later, even if we already know the final score!

I may not be great at sport myself, but it’s still amazing to watch top players display their
skills. I like listening to the commentators too. They give all sorts of fascinating
background information about the players on both sides, and interesting statistics as well.

Some professional sportsmen and women make a huge amount of money. It’s true that
compared to doctors and firefighters, who save people’s lives every day, they probably
earn too much. It’s also fair to say, though, that they entertain large numbers of people
nearly every week, and they have to train really hard every day. They are also heavily
criticised and risk losing their place on the team when they don’t perform well. So I think
they deserve it!

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 FORMAL LETTER

STRUCTURE

1. Salutation
- If you know the name: Dear Mr / Ms name
- If you don’t know the name: Dear Sir or Madam
2. The first paragraph (opening)
Say why you are writing. Clearly state the subject or context.
3. The next paragraphs (main content)
Give the details about why you are writing. Organise all the essential information in a
clear and logical way. Use linking structures to make your letter flow
4. The last paragraph
Say how you expect the other person to respond to your letter if this is appropriate.
5. Closing and signing off
Finish your letter with an appropriate comment. Don’t just stop abruptly.
- If you know the name: Yours faithfully
- If you don’t know the name: yours sincerely

USEFUL PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

 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 regarding your article/advertisement/letter.

 Referring to their letter

- As you stated in your letter, …
- Regarding … Concerning … With regard to …

 Ending the letter:

- I look forward to your reply.
- I look to hearing from you.
 Closing
- 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.
- Yours sincere

Letters to complain: Useful phrases

 Reasons for writing
- I am writing in order to complain about.

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  Introducing the complaint:
- Firstly.
- 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.
- ….was also unacceptable

 Demanding action:
- I suggest that you replace the item.
- I would be grateful if my money was refunded

Letters to request information: Useful phrases

 Reason for writing:
- I am writing to receive further information about.
- I am writing to enquire about.

 Requesting first piece of information

- First of all I would like to know
- I wonder if you would mind telling me first of all ….?

 Requesting further information:

- Would you also mind informing me ….?
- 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

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EXAMPLE

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing with regard to the advertisement posted in yesterday’s newspaper about the
camp for diabetic children. I would like to take part as a volunteer if it is possible.

As you can see in my résumé, I completed a degree in nursing, so I am qualified to teach

children about it. Besides, I suffer from diabetes, so I am quite familiar with this illness
and how to deal with it.

Furthermore, I have some experience organising entertaining events for children, as I

worked at a regular camp for children last summer. For this reason, I am capable of
organising and playing fun games with children.

Finally, I must say that I can speak 3 languages, since I have spent some time abroad, in
England and Germany. Therefore, apart from Spanish, I am fuent in English and German.

Can I ask about the duration of the camp? What is the daily timetable?I look forward to
hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

José

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 INFORMAL LETTER

STRUCTURE

1. Salutation
Dear…
2. The first paragraph (opening)
Begin by asking some personal questions or making some personal comments
3. The next paragraphs (main content)
Say why you are writing. If you need to change agreements or turn someone down, give
reasons. Give the information that you have been told to give. Add some more details of
your own if you like.

4. Closing and signing off

Give a reason why you’re ending the letter.
Send greetings and/or make references for future contact. Sign off with your name.

USEFUL PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

 Greetings  Referring to bad news:

- Dear Jim - I’m extremely sorry to hear
- Hello Jim about.
- Hi Jim - Sorry to read about.
- I can’t tell you how sad I am
 Introductory paragraph that.
- Sorry I haven’t written for
ages.  Introducing points:
- How’s it going? - By the way
- How are you? - Did you hear about
- Tell me about
 Referring to good news: - Oh, another thing
- I’m really glad to hear about
- I’m very happy to hear about  Ending:
- Well, time to go.
- Write soon.
- Love

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EXAMPLE

Hi Paula,

Thanks for your letter. I may not be the best person to ask for advice about fitness, but I
do have a few ideas.
First of all, you asked me what sport you could do. Personally, I enjoy swimming, but I
know you don’t live near the sea, and I don’t know whether there’s a pool near where
you
live. If there is, though, I’d recommend it, because it’s an easy way to keep fit.

If swimming’s not for you, then you could go jogging, or join a gym. If a gym’s too
expensive, then running would be better – you just need a pair of trainers. Otherwise,
contact clubs for different sports in your area, and ask whether you can do a trial
beginner’s session, so you can find out what you enjoy.

Doing a sport is not the only way to get healthier, as I’m sure you know. You also need
to review your diet, and make sure you eat plenty of protein, as well as lots of fruit and
vegetables. And get plenty of sleep, too.

Write back soon and tell me how it goes!

Jana

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