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Exercise 4. Students will write a letter (50 word limit) on the

following case:

You have just had an interesting meal in a restaurant with some friends. When you arrive home you will find an email from your English pen friend who asks you what you have been doing. Write an email to describe your evening.
Exercise 5. Students will write a letter (20 word limit) on the following

case:

You forgot your friend’s birthday. Write an email to apologise, and suggest taking your friend out for a meal. Suggest a place and time.
Sample letter

I am so sorry I missed our appointment last Tuesday morning. It must have been very upsetting for you to make all the effort to get to my office on time, only to have me fail to arrive. Unfortunately, my daughter was involved in a car accident, and everything else simply slipped my mind. Would you prefer to reschedule next time you are in Springfield, or simply speak on the phone? I will be visiting Centerville during the week of June 10, and we could arrange to meet then if you like. In any case, when we do meet, let me take you out to lunch. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sample letter

This is very embarrassing for me to have to admit, but I simply cannot find the book you lent me. I have searched everywhere I can think of, but it seems to have disappeared. I’m very sorry, John, particularly as you warned me that it is out of print. I have contacted all the second-hand bookstores in town, and they have agreed to look out for it, and Doe Books also told me about a book search service located in Springfield. I am waiting to hear back from them. I will keep on trying until I locate another copy in good condition for you, but in the meantime I ask you please to accept my sincere apologies.

Exercise 6. Students will write a letter (50 word limit) on the

following case:

You have just got back from a two-week language course in Ireland where

you stayed with Mr and Mrs Brecon. Write an email to say thank you, say what you enjoyed and ask them to visit you. Invite some students with interesting letters to read out to the whole class.

Sample letter

I can’t tell you how much I appreciated your kindness in letting me stay at your home when I was in Springfield. It was a delight to see a loving family interact and enjoy each other’s company. It showed me how a family can be close in spite of everyday pressures. You and John have created a great home atmosphere. I would really like for all of you to come on vacation to our house near the seashore next July. I have plenty of room, and Jane would like to meet you all. I’ve told her a lot about you. If July is not a good time, how about August?

Sample letter

Our sincere thanks for having us in your home when we attended the Doe conference last week. It gave us a chance to catch up on the news and get acquainted with your family. We especially enjoyed our evening conversations over bedtime tea. I hope we didn’t impose too much on your busy schedule. Please remember that you are always welcome to stay at our place when your travels bring you to Kansas. Thanks again for your warm hospitality.

Exercise 7. Students will write a letter (50 word limit) on the following case:

You were recently on holiday with some friends when your car broke down in a small town which none of you had visited before. Write a letter to an English speaking friend.

- describe what happened to your car

- tell your friend about the place where you stopped

Exercise 8. Revise the writing strategies with your students. Writing

strategies can be compared with the building a house.

For your own review

Strategies for Academic Writing

How to Respond to Writing Assignments
Step 1: Analyze the Assignment

• If the assignment was given orally, write it out and read it until you’re

thoroughly familiar with it.

• Look for key words. Pay particular attention to the thought process your

instructor expects you to use, which is often captured in a single or set of

key words.

• Look for what form your paper is expected to take; most will take one of

these forms.

Step 2: Consider the Writing Situation

Successful college writers look beyond the assignment to the larger picture

and seek to understand the purpose and audience for the assignment.

• Purposes: Why has my professor given me this assignment? Is it

intended primarily to test my knowledge of the reading for the study, or

is it asking me to go beyond the reading? Am I expected to break new

ground? What might I hope to accomplish? Why is the subject important?

• Audience: Who is the intended audience? Who will be my audience

beyond the professor? Who else might be interested in reading this

paper? Why should my reader be interested in what I will do in this paper?
Step 3: Ask Questions

If the assignment’s purpose, subject or audience is not clear ask your

professor questions such as:

• What would you like me to learn from writing this?

• Who is the target audience?

• What form do you want me to use?

Make sure you understand what kind of thinking and what type of paper is

expected. Sometimes your questions help a professor clarify an assignment.

Step 4: Ask to See a Sample

Ask to see a model of what the instructor wants. Student models are often

the most help. Seeing models of what is expected will help you respond to the assignment effectively.
Step 5: Make the Assignment Your Own

After you are sure about what’s expected in an assignment:

• turn the question around; instead of asking, «What does the instructor

want?» ask, «What do I want to say about the assigned subject or

question?»

• ask yourself about your knowledge and experience of the subject: «What

are the limits of my knowledge and how can I learn more?»; write down

what you already know about the topic, why you care about it and why

you think your reader should care about it

• answer the question, «Why write about this, anyway?»; look for a slant on

the question that reflects who you are

• relate the assignment to something you’re familiar with; don’t hesitate to

ask if you can modify the assignment a little so you can do something you

really want to do

• read over what you have written until you can «hear» it; when you can let

it flow through your hands onto the screen or paper, you have found your

voice.