Letter to the editor

Task Type: Letter to an Editor

Question
You have read the letter below which was sent to a newspaper by a reader. Other readers were invited to give their views in response. You decide to write to the editor giving your opinion about the points made:

I have just returned from a holiday to a destination that would once have been described as 'exotic'. Imagine my dismay at being confronted with the kinds of shopping centres and fast-food outlets that I can find on my own doorstep back home! Is it inevitable that different cultures merge into one or can we do more to ensure that local traditions are kept?

Write your letter for the newspaper editor, but do not use postal addresses. (around 280 - 320 words)

Makeover: Laura

Read Laura's answer to this question below. Try correcting the piece of writing yourself first: use the marking codes to think about what might be wrong (or what's good) about the piece of work. Then when you're ready, click the green buttons in the text for our feedback.

Dear Sir/Madam, I have read the letter entitled 'Merging cultures-can it be stopped?', which appeared in Monday's edition of your newspaper and I was very pleased to see that other readers were invited to give their opinions on the subject. Although I am an eighteen year-old student I have been all over Europe and have heard the opinion of many teenagers concerned with WW this problem. It is obvious that American culture has gained popularity in the past fifty years due to so many fields of activity that are being dominated by Americans. Nevertheless, European kids in WW my generation are turning their back on American culture and displaying a much greater enthusiasm for European culture than their elders. Home-grown youth culture is the unifying force of the new generation. People watch US films, but do not consider the US or its culture the source of all inspiration. European kids listen to music, wear French and Italian jeans and also enjoy the particularities of European culture. When they do look beyond Europe it is to the East or the Orient. They seem to be extremely interested in the Oriental culture. In this case it seems clear to me that there is still hope for places with centuries-old cultural traditions. Gd On the other hand, there are already many spots - that were once considered 'exotic' - on the verge of becoming a cultural desert. On one of my journeys - to the Middle East - I visited the city of Jeddah, a wonderful combination of old and new, /\ sense of history and rapid development. Surprisingly enough, people here didn't just thought WW of the city's modernization, they were also concerned with the preservation of the old city. On one side there was the old town with its strange odors and sounds of the old shopping streets, and on the other there was this whole new occidental-like city with big shopping malls. It was just amazing to see it all in front of your eyes, like history speeded up on one side and yet at the same time, what stayed the same was what retained. PE Surely there can be a wide range of cultural influences, but I cannot entirely agree that cultures are merging into one. There is still that feeling of culture shock when visiting a foreign country. Gd

I am writing about the article on ... , which appeared (in last night's paper).

I am writing with reference to the article you published (in last month's issue).

I have just read your article on ... and I feel I must ...

You raised some issues which I feel strongly about.

At the start of your article, you appear to claim that ...

I am afraid I totally disagree.

I am completely in agreement.

I am sure readers will agree with me when I say that ...

Source: http://www.flo-joe.com/cpe/students/writing/makeover/makeover2.htm

Now answer this question:

A popular English-language magazine has invited readers to send in letters sharing their recent experience of making an important decision. You decide to send in a letter in which you briefly describe the situation and explain the reasons why you took an important decision, and assess what the consequences of that decision might be in the future.

Write your letter. You do not need to write any postal addresses.

CPE Report

Register: Formal, impersonal, cold and factual. DO NOT USE: ·         Contractions ·         Colourful language (gorgeous/stunning/awesome etc.) ·         Informal phrasal verbs (meet up/break down/check out etc.) ·         “I/we think….” (too personal)	Forms and Conventions: Title: Report into ……. Paragraph Titles: Introduction, Strengths, Weaknesses, Conclusion. Fixed introduction: The aim of this report is to evaluate/put forward ideas for/examine etc.
Planning, 6 step system: 1.        Read task, underline content points. 2.        Decide paragraph titles. Are they obvious from the task? Or do you have to be creative. Maximum of 5 paragraphs. 3.        WHAT do you want to say? Add your notes to each paragraph in simple form. 4.        HOW are you going to say that? Brainstorm advanced grammar and vocabulary for each note. 5.        Forms and conventions: Title paragraph titles, fixed introduction. 6.        Write! Remember word limit is: 280-320	Introduction: The purpose/aim of this report is to…. This report sets out to… The report will comment on… Below is an explanation of… The focus of this report is… This report will offer an in depth critique of… Fake survey/questionnaire: It can be a good idea to base the report on a survey/questionnaire. This report will present the findings of/This report is based on the findings/results of an extensive survey carried out by… Ending Introduction: It will go on to give recommendations regarding…
Expressing general opinions/info: ….is considered/thought/said to be… …is highly regarded in (place)…(good reputation) There is widespread agreement that… Opinions are divided regarding… It is common knowledge that… Recent research indicates that… Interviewees who had first-hand knowledge of the situation stated… There is considerable disagreement regarding…	Comparing and Contrasting There is a world of difference between… and… … and… are fundamentally similar … and… bear little resemblance to each other There is a clear distinction between… and… …compares favourably with… … and… are polar opposites There is a yawning gap between… and… There is a subtle difference between… and… There is a growing disparity between rich and poor. … is strikingly different to…
Advantages/disadvantages: …’s advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages. advantages benefits/pros/strengths disadvantages downsides/weaknesses/drawbacks	Giving Recommendations: -In light of the above, we believe the following   measures should be adopted… -In the short/long term, we suggest you should   consider… -My recommendations are as follows:… -In my view, in future, we should… -To improve the situation, we recommend… -It is recommended that…
Concluding: -To sum up,…To conclude,… -I hope that the plan outlined/presented in this   report meets with your approval… -I hope that the recommendations outlined/   presented in this report will receive your serious   consideration. Should the recommendations outlined in this report be carried out, I have no doubt that …. Will be a resounding success.	Grammar check list Have you included? ·         An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom) ·         An inverted conditional (Were we to…) ·         A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…) ·         A double comparative (The more we… the more) ·         A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…) ·         Linkers (Nevertheless/despite/due to/consequently) ·         Impressive verbs (bring about change/undergo development)

CPE Exam. Write a report 280-320 words

You belong to an international film club and have been asked to write a report for the club members including information about the main events held over the last twelve months, the present plans for activities in the coming years and a summary of the current financial position of the club in respect of money received and payments made.

The international film club annual report (title)

The aim of this report is to give our club members an overview of the current annual activity and inform you of our future projects for the coming year. In addition, we have included an insight of our financial annual budget. (Note: Reports tend to be formal in style, so avoid using contractions)

Events of the year (subheading/ or subtitle)

The growing enthusiasm for Italian films is such that we considered necessary to organise a whole weekend on the subject. No need to say that organising it was really worth the effort. We had a high number of members participating who enjoyed a wide range of films courtesy of our Italian partners.

Additionally to this event, we achieved great success in our annual dinner. Not only new contracts were signed with our current international partners but also with many new ones.

Extending our video library (subheading/ or subtitle)

Due our successful meetings, which included a talk by a famous film director, we are now going to be able to provide our club with a large quantity of new films.

For that, we plan to build an extension of the video library for next year with a section dedicated to all these new Italian films.

Healthy finances (subheading/ or subtitle)

It can be said that our financial position this year is in good stead:

- We have been granted 15000€ by the national organisation to help us develop a more enriched library.

- 32 new members have subscribed this year.

As a result, the coming money amounts to more than 20000€ this year

Regarding the expenses:

- The films rentals cost no more than 5000€ this year

- We have reduced  on stationery  expenditures spending only 700€

Conclusion

Our activity is really blooming and there is no doubt that our project will be undertaken for the coming year trouble free. We also believe your ideas will be helpful to make the club still more enjoyable. Therefore we suggest taking a bit of your free time to fill the idea form available at the entrance of the club.