Rewrite these sentences in the Reported Speech. Pay attention to the words in bold.

1.  “ I am watching a documentary on TV with my brother”.

Mary said_______________________________________

2. “ This will be my first trip abroad”.

James told me____________________________________

3. “She goes to the cinema with my sister and her brother.”

She said ________________________________________

4. “ Open the window, please.”

The teacher told me _______________________________

5. “ I don’t like my aunt’s food.”

Mike said ______________________________________

6. “ My father works as an engineer in that building company.”

The boy said ___________________________________

7. “ Now, we are painting our house with our friends and neighbours.”

They said _______________________________________

8. “ I am going to visit my relatives tomorrow. ”

Joan said _______________________________________

9. “ My boyfriend givesme flowers today. ”

The girl said ____________________________________

10. “ I will build a new school right here. ”

The businessman said _____________________________

 

 

APPENDIX I.

How to write a personal letter

 

Personal letters are not as formal as business letters and can be hand-written or typed.

 

1. Your address and date must be in the upper right-hand corner of the paper.

2. The closing and signature will also be on the right hand side.

3. The first line of each paragraph in the body of the letter is indented.

4. Your street address is on the first line, with the town, state, and zip on the second line.

5. The third line contains the date.

6. Skip a line before the salutation. This can be informal, since this is a personal letter, and put a comma after it.

7. The paragraphs in the body of the letter are single spaced and have a skipped line between them. The first paragraph is usually an introduction and a summary of the reason you are writing. The next paragraphs(s) go into more detail, and the closing paragraph summarizes. You may want to thank them or ask questions.

8. The closing comes after two skipped lines, can also be informal, and ends with a comma.

 

Example of Letter inviting friend to visit

12 Hill Road Navan Co. Meath 17th May 2016     Dear Carol   I hope all is well with you. It has been ages since we saw you here in Meath.    I am writing to ask you to come and stay with us the weekend of the 12th June. We are having a little get together because Jeffrey is going to New Zeland for a year. It would be lovely for him to see you before he goes, you are his godmother after all. Let me know if you can make it, don’t worry if not, any weekend before then is fine.   We are all in good form here. Very busy trying to get Jeffreyorganised. I will miss him while he’s away. I do hope all the family are well.   Love Susan

APPENDIX II.

Essay (argumentation)

I ntroduction: State the topic of controversy

Suggested phrases: The issue of living healthy lifestyle is highly debatable

Body 1: State views in favour of the topic

Suggested phrases: Some/most people argue that…/ supporters of the issue claim that…./ on the one hand/ some people believe that…/ one argument in favour of this issue is that …/ viewing one side of the coin.

Body 2: State views against the topic

Suggested phrases: Other people argue that…/ opponents of the issue claim that… /on the other hand/ other people believe that…/ one argument against this is …/ critics maintain that/ point out that…. /Viewing the other side of the coin.

Conclusion: State your opinion clearly.

Suggested phrases: In conclusion/on balance/ in a nutshell/ All points considered/ Taking everything into account/consideration/

I firmly believe/ I am convinced that/ I am inclined to believe that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

APPENDIX III.

How to Write a Report

1) Title Section - the front cover can include information including the author(s) and the date prepared.

 

2) Introduction - The first page of the report needs to have an introduction. You will explain the problem and show the reader why the report is being made. You need to give a definition of terms if you did not include these in the title section, and explain how the details of the report are arranged.

 

3) Body - This is the main section of the report. You can write about the main events, describe details and your general opinion on the event.

 

4) Conclusion - This is where everything comes together. Make a summary of what have been said and make a conclusion based on your opinion.

 

(Abriged from http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/report-writing-format.html#xzPOf9wwhYFfeD5x.99)

Include some of these phrases to help you to organize your report.

whereas, achieved, personal,

however, therefore, develop,

in my opinion,

it looked as if

APPENDIX IV. O PINION ESSAY

Study the following tips on writing AN O PINION ESSAY:

A successful opinion essay should have:
1. An introductory paragraph in which you state the topic and your opinion;
2. A main body which consists of two or more paragraphs.
2.1. Each paragraph should present a separate viewpoint supported by your reasons.
2.2. Another paragraph giving the opposing viewpoint and reasons may be included; and
3. A conclusion in which you restate your opinion using different words.

Paragraph 1: INTRODUCTION
(state the topic and your opinion clearly)

MAIN BODY
...........................
Paragraph 2:
(viewpoint 1 <--> support: reason/example)

Paragraph 3:
(viewpoint 2 <--> support: reason/example)

Paragraph 4:
(give the opposing viewpoint <--> support: reason/example # your viewpoint<--> support: reason/example)

Paragraph 5: CONCLUSUIN
(restate your opinion, using different words)
=====
*(you may include more viewpoints, and therefore more paragraphs in the main body)

Suggested phrases

INTRODUCTION

 

It is often said / argued that... It is a fact that... Recently we have all become concerned that... These days, / Nowadays,............ it seems that............we are becoming aware of the fact that... In the past, people..., but now...

 

EXPRESSING OPINION

 

In my opinion,… / In my view,… / To my mind,… / To my way of thinking, … Personally I believe / think / etc. that… It is my firm belief that... I firmly / strongly believe that... I am inclined to believe that... It strikes me that… I feel very strongly that… It seems to me that... As far as I am concerned, I think that...

BODY

 

On the other hand, / However,... It is argued that... (Some) People argue / claim / etc. that... Some may argue / claim / etc. that... It is also possible to make the opposing case. It is often argued that in fact … Opponents of this view say... There are people who oppose... Contrary to what most people believe... Asopposed to the aboveideas…

 

RESPONDING TO OPINIONS

 

Some people claim that.... What they forget is that.... Despite claims that..., it is a fact that... It may be true that... but all too often... While it might be argued that..., the truth is that... Although..., it must be remembered that...

 

MODEL ESSAY. The Plane Is the Most Convenient Means of Travel

Over the past few years, people have begun to travel to places they would only have dreamt of visiting thirty years ago, thanks to the possibilities offered by air travel. In my opinion, travelling by aeroplane cannot be compared with any other means of transport.

To start with, there really is no faster way to travel. You can go from one country to another in a matter of hours which gives you more time to enjoy the actual purpose of your trip, rather than waste time travelling and dragging your luggage around. Furthermore, you always feel well looked after on an aeroplane. You are served drinks and meals and offered newspapers and blankets which all help to make the journey more comfortable and enjoyable.

Of course, there are people who argue that travelling by plane can be a nightmare, with airport delays, cramped seats and turbulence to put up with. What is more, aeroplanes and airports are often targeted by terrorists, which makes some people think that travelling by plane is unsafe. They forget, however, that the number of deaths caused by cars is larger than that caused by planes.

To sum up, I firmly believe that air travel will always remain popular. Its speed, comfort and convenience are hard to beat.

(230 words)

(From http://www.idiomcenter.com/dictionary/opinion-essays)

APPENDIX V.

Writing an Abstract

Often when asked to write a report or article, you will be required to include an abstract. This is usually a very concise summary of what the report or article is about and is usually placed before the body of your writing. The abstract can be read to get a quick overview. It tells the reader what to expect in your work and it should be based on all you have written.

The word abstract comes from the Latin abstractum, which means a condensed form of a longer piece of writing.

There are two main types of abstract:

the (1) descriptive and

the (2) informative abstract.

The type of abstract you write depends on your discipline area.

Abstracts are important parts of reports and research papers and sometimes academic assignments. The abstract is often the last item that you write, but the first thing people read when they want to have a quick overview of the whole paper. We suggest you leave writing the abstract to the end, because you will have a clearer picture of all your findings and conclusions.

1) First re-read your paper/report for an overview. Then read each section and condense the information in each down to 1-2 sentences.

2) Next read these sentences again to ensure that they cover the major points in your paper.

3) Ensure you have written something for each of the key points outlined above for either the descriptive or informative abstract.

4) Check the word length and further reduce your words if necessary by cutting out unnecessary words or rewriting some of the sentences into a single, more succinct sentence.

5) Edit for flow and expression.

 

A good abstract:

- uses one well-developed paragraph that is coherent and concise, and is able to stand alone as a unit of information

- covers all the essential academic elements of the full-length paper, namely the background, purpose, focus, methods, results and conclusions

- contains no information not included in the paper

- is written in plain English and is understandable to a wider audience, as well as to your discipline-specific audience

- often uses passive structures in order to report on findings, focusing on the issues rather than people

- uses the language of the original paper, often in a more simplified form for the more general reader

- usually does not include any referencing

- in publications such as journals, it is found at the beginning of the text, while in academic assignments, it is placed on a separate preliminary page.

 

(1) Descriptive abstracts are generally used for humanities and social science papers or psychology essays. This type of abstract is usually very short (50-100 words). Most descriptive abstracts have certain key parts in common. They are:

- background

- purpose

- particular interest / focus of paper

- overview of contents (not always included)

(2) Informative abstracts are generally used for science, engineering or psychology reports. You must get the essence of what your report is about, usually in about 200 words. Most informative abstracts also have key parts in common. Each of these parts might consist of 1-2 sentences. The parts include:

- background

- aim or purpose of research

- method used

- findings / results

- conclusion.

Here are two abstracts with the key parts identified.