Assessment of General Writing tasks 1 is generally based on the following criteria:
• Task Achievement - how thoroughly you do what is asked.
• Coherence and Cohesion - how organized your letter is.
• Lexical Resource - the range of vocabulary you use.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy - how correct your grammar is.
General Method:
Dear Sir/Madam,
1-State the purpose of the letter –why? (1-2 sentences)
2-Details-Explanation (3-4 sentences) - Basic details of purpose
3-What we want to happen (3-4 sentences) – Basic request
Common expressions:
In reply to your letter, I am writing to... (if the question indicates that you
have had a letter)
Apologizing
I'm sorry about...
I am sorry that...
I'm very sorry about...
I'm very sorry for...
Please forgive me for...
I'd like to apologize for...
Please accept my apologies.
Please accept my sincere apologies. (very formal)
Asking for Help
I'd be grateful if you could...
I would be grateful if you could...
I would appreciate it if you could...
Could you please...
I was wondering of you could help me.(informal)
I would like to know...
Asking for Information
I am writing to enquire about...
I am writing to find out about...
What I am looking for is...
I would like to know about/if...
Closing
I look forward to seeing you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I look forward to meeting you.
For a formal letter, you could use:
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanking you in advance for your help, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
For a more informal letter you could use:
If you need to know anything else, just get in touch with me as soon as you can. Thanks a lot for your help and I hope to hear from you soon.
Complaining / expressing dissatisfaction
I'm writing to express my dissatisfaction with...
I'm writing to express my annoyance with...
I am not happy about...
...was very disappointing.
Conveying regards
Please give my best regards to your family.
Please pass on my best wishes to your wife and children.
Please give my regards to your parents.
Expressing satisfaction
I was delighted to hear that...
I was very happy to learn that...
I was thrilled to find out that...
I was glad to hear that...
...was very enjoyable.
Expressing concern / sympathy
I was sorry to hear about... (your accident/ illness)
I am writing to express my concern about...
Giving bad news
I regret to inform you that...(semi-formal)
I am sorry to tell you that...(informal)
I regret to advise you that...(formal)
I am afraid I have some bad news.(informal)
Giving good news
I am pleased to inform you that...(semi-formal)
I am delighted to tell you that...(informal)
I am happy to advise you that...(formal)
I thought you might like to know that...
Giving reasons
This is because...
This is because of...
This is due to... (formal)
This is as a result of...(formal)
This is owing to...(formal)
Making suggestions
Would it be a good idea to...
Perhaps it would be a good idea to...
Thanking
Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you kindly.
I can't thank you enough.
No words can express my gratitude.
I am extremely grateful for...
I very much appreciate your ______ing
Some Tips
DON'T copy any part of the question in your answer.
Don't repeat yourself or the same ideas.
If you are weak at English grammar, try to use short sentences.
Think about the tenses of your verbs. If you're writing about something that happened in the past, your verbs will need to be in the past tenses. If you're arranging something in the future, you will need to use the future tenses. If it's a habitual action, you'll need the present simple tense and so on. If you have time, a quick check of your verbs at the end of the exam can help you find errors.
If you have time after the check, check again. And so on....
Don't be irrelevant
If you want to improve, there's no secret. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
MYANMAR-INDIA BORDER REGION Earthquake Details
Magnitude 6.4
Date-Time
* Friday, February 04, 2011 at 13:53:47 UTC
* Friday, February 04, 2011 at 08:23:47 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 24.616°N, 94.740°E
Depth 88.8 km (55.2 miles)
Region MYANMAR-INDIA BORDER REGION
Distances 85 km (50 miles) ESE of Imphal, Manipur, India
130 km (80 miles) SSE of Kohima, Nagaland, India
690 km (425 miles) ENE of Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India
1800 km (1120 miles) E of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 14.4 km (8.9 miles); depth +/- 1 km (0.6 miles)
Parameters NST=275, Nph=291, Dmin=674.6 km, Rmss=0.83 sec, Gp= 18°,
M-type="moment" magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=7
The earthquake was also felt almost across Bangladesh Friday evening.
"Yes, I felt it. The water bucket was rocking while I was in bathroom... I felt a little bit scared," said Tahmina Yasmin, a school teacher in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh.
The authorities said no damage and casualties have been reported so far.
Source:
Internet
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