Exercise 1 Read the following parts of letters, and underline the extra sentence or sentences in each one that shouldn t be there. Letter 1 Dear Mr Preston I am writing to apply for the position of web designer, which was advertised in last week s Weekly News. Since gaining a degree in information technology two years ago, I have been working in a design agency, where I specialise in internet advertising. Thank you for offering me the post. I have enclosed my CV, including contact details of my line manager, Jean Rooksby. I hope my application will be of interest to you, and look forward to hearing from you. Carol Diamond Letter 2 Dear Ms Diamond Thank you for applying for the post of web designer. This company was founded in 2005. I am pleased to invite you to visit us on 17 March at 11 am. The day will begin with an informal presentation about the firm. After lunch you will be asked to create a web page and then interviews will be held. We hope to make the appointment the same day. I wish you every success for the future. David Preston Letter 3 Dear Mrs Rooksby We have received an application from Carol Diamond for the position of web designer. I understand you have employed her for the last two years, and I am writing to ask you for a reference. According to her CV she plays tennis in her spare time. Would me mind telling me about her employment with you and how satisfied you are with her work? We are a very successful company. As we hope to make the appointment on 17 March, I would be grateful if you could reply before then. With many thanks David Preston Page 6 of 10
Exercise 2 Read the following parts of letters. In each one, the underlined sentence doesn t fit the rest of the letter. Decide why it doesn t fit, and replace it with a sentence that makes sense. Letter 1 Dear Mr James We are pleased to inform you that your company has won this year s Western Region Business Award for the best small business in the service sector. The award will be presented at a reception at the Marshfield Hotel, Bristol, at 7.30 pm on 24 June. I would be grateful if you would let me know as soon as you can whether you will be able to attend, and also whether you would be prepared to give a short talk during the evening. If your company is a winner, as well as the award itself you will receive a cheque for 500. I hope will you be able to attend this reception. Kelly Whitwell Letter 2 Thank you very much for choosing this company for an award. I shall be delighted to attend the presentation on 24 June. Could some of my colleagues also come, please? Would you like me to give a short talk during the evening? Page 7 of 10
Letter 3 Dear Mr James I m very pleased that you are able to attend the awards presentation on 24 June and are willing to give a talk. Please let me know what your topic will be. Will you need any equipment for your talk, such as central heating? Your colleagues will be very welcome to attend, but could I ask you to limit the number to three, including yourself? Please let me know their positions in your company. Kelly Whitwell Letter 4 What is wrong with this letter as a reply to Kelly Whitwell s letter above? I suggest that I talk about new export opportunities, if you think that would be interesting for the audience. Three of my colleagues will attend the event, as well as me: the finance, production and human resources directors. Could you tell me how much the cheque will be for, please? A better Letter 4 Page 8 of 10
Exercise 3 Facts about Writing Part 2 Right or wrong? 1 You have an hour to spend on Part 2....... 2 You need to read part of a letter or email....... 3 You need to reply to the writer of a letter or email....... 4 You normally need to write a letter or email....... 5 You can write about anything you like....... 6 You must write at least 80 words....... 7 You must write your postal address....... 8 You must write in pencil....... 9 You must write the whole answer again to make it clear....... 10 You must write in British English....... Advice about Writing Part 2 Decide whether you should follow this advice before or after you write your answer. 11 Check and improve the grammar, spelling and punctuation....... 12 Think about what to write....... 13 Read what you have written....... 14 Make sure you have dealt with all the bullet points....... 15 Read the instructions, letter, etc. carefully....... 16 Make sure your letter or email is clear to the reader....... Page 9 of 10
BEC Preliminary Writing Part 2 Sample Task Read this part of a letter from Mary Bennett applying for a job. With reference to your advertisement in The Times, I am writing to apply for the post of training assistant. I am moving to your country next month with my husband. As you will see from the enclosed CV, I have had a lot of experience in training and I feel that I have much to offer your company. If I am selected for interview, please could you give me information about how to reach your offices by public transport? Write a letter to Mrs Bennett: acknowledging her letter offering her a date and time for an interview requesting the names and addresses of two referees telling her the best way to reach you by public transport. Write 60 80 words. Do not include any postal addresses. BEC Preliminary Writing Part 2 Sample Task Page 10 of 10