Download - Creating a Positive Impression Lesson 3

© Donna Millen (content) ● Web: http://www.ieltsontrack.com Design & layout by IELTS‐Blog.com ● Web: http://www.ielts‐blog.com

IELTSBlog.com presents:

How to get a higher IELTS score

by building a positive image in the examiner’s mind This series of lessons was prepared by Donna Millen especially for the readers of ELTS‐Blog.comI . The lessons are brilliant and will do amazing things for your IELTS core if you study and implement them. s

You will learn:

Lesson #1: ositive, psychological impression on your How to create a pIELTS assessors.

Lesson #2: How to write a Task 1 report that will impress your assessors (Academic Module).

Lesson #3: r that will impress your assessors How to write a Task 1 lette(General Training Module)

Lesson #4: l influence your assessors How to write a Task 2 essay that wilpositively (Academic and General).

esson #5

L : test score by How to improve your Speaking connecting with your assessor.

Lesson #6: How to optimize your performance in the Listening and Reading

tests.

Donna Millen, co‐author of the Centre for English Language in the University of South Australia’s IELTS on Track series of books (ieltsontrack.com) talks about what may create a positive psychological impression on assessors who may be scoring the Writing and Speaking (interview) components of your IELTS test.

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Lesson #3: How to write a Task 1 letter that will impress your assessors (General Training Module)

Before beginning Lesson #3, here is a short summary of what we learned last week. Summary of Lesson #2.

t’s important not become a ‘clock victim’ in the IELTS Writing test. I A ‘clock victim’ wastes time by: • too much clock watching • too much word counting building up too much anxiety about time

ly, without thinkin •• writing immediate g about how to organise the response

est situation by: This is not helpful. Manage your time and yourself in the t

ofessional test persona’ constructing an ‘academic and pr•• taking time to plan your answer

hese give you more control of, and more feeling for, the reader‐writer relationship. T In your Academic Writing Task 1 response, a positive impression can be made on the assessor by:

ion,

ormattion,

• taking care with accuracy of infa• focussing on important inform

• comparing rather than listing, avoiding personal comments presenting a systematic layout •• It’s also important to:

elementary • write in a style and tone that is formal and professional. • reduce those grammar mistakes that assessors may consider• construct sentences that have clear and correct boundaries. Now let’s move on to Lesson #3.

http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/

Important background issues

n the IELTS General Training I Writing Task 1 you are asked to write a letter, and are sked to include in your letter 3 different, listed pieces of information. a

Read the task parts

The assessor will be impressed if your letter offers balanced consideration of all three arts of the letter, meaning that your paragraphs contain similar amounts of information

carefully

pabout each of the three parts of the letter. hey will be much less impressed if you leave out one of the three parts because you spent oo much time writing about the other two parts and came to the end of your time. Tt


Think carefully about the key purpose of the letter

when the letter is written. Ask yourself: ‘Why am I Make sure that this purpose is clear writing this letter?’ Do I… :

omething to be done? • …want someone to do something?

d ask for something?

• …want to complain about something an …want to give reasons why I can’t do s•• …want to invite someone to an event? hatever the central purpose of the letter, it helps if that purpose is clear in the letter you rite.

Ww

A ‘test persona’ for General Training Writing Task 1 We have suggested that a ‘test persona’ is an expression referring to the importance of aving a writing identity that enables you to imagine writing authentically to a real person, hrather than seeing yourself as just a ‘test taker’ writing to get a score. A ‘test persona’ for Task 1 is much easier to create as the type of letter immediately creates a clear writer–reader relationship. The task tells you who you are writing to and why, so you can really be more or less yourself and write realistically as if really in that situation.

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Creating a good impression in your WRITING – GENERAL TRAINING Writing task 1

In some ways a letter is an easy context in which to write and in which to impress the assessor since the situation for the content and the relationship of letter writer – letter receiver are clear. Also you have more freedom to choose what to say than in the Academic Writing task 1. Even so, there are still numerous ways in which you can create an even better impression through your writing:

8 Tips to Writing an Impressive Letter 1. Use real experiences ou may be asked to write a letter to a friend to discuss a holiday or a visit; you may be

plain about some problems in your apartment. Yasked to write to a landlord to com Whatever the nature of the letter, try to connect it to some actual experience from your own life, if that is possible. This helps the context of the situation to seem more real and may make your written communication appear more convincing and realistic to the ssessor. It also means that then you don’t need to struggle to think of so many new deas. ai 2. Write ‘in good faith’ Even though this is a test of English and you are not in fact writing an actual letter to a real person, try not to turn the letter into a sort of ‘joke letter’ by writing things like, ‘Dear Mickey Mouse, … ‘ or ending your letter with something like, ‘Yours sincerely, Mr. Bean’. You may feel like being playful in the letter but it’s much better to ‘act in good faith’ by writing the letter in a straightforward and authentic way. This is more likely to impress he assessor. t 3. Choose the appropriate tone You will impress the assessor if you are able to choose a style of English expression that fits the type of letter and fits the relationship between you, the letter writer and the receiver.


So, for example, if you are writing to an organisation and to someone you don’t know there, your language will be formal not chatty. Conversely, if you are writing to a close friend you will naturally use informal styles of English in order to reflect the closeness of the relationship. It would seem strange to write to a friend in cold, formal language (For xample: ‘Similarly’, ‘Conversely’, ‘An exception to this trend is…’, Compared to…’, ‘This attern changed from…… to….’) ep 4. Use suitable language. Your assessor will be impressed if you: • Choose lan or formaExample 1: I am writing to you to report the loss of my suitcase on ….. (formal) xample 2: How are things with you? I’m writing to see if you want to come over to my place or a dinner party on Saturday. (informal)

guage that reflects the appropriate tone – informal l

Ef

variation in verb tense en require a skilful mix of verb tense and modal use

• ManageLetters oftExample: I was travelling on your bus but I left my suitcase on it. …. I should be very rateful if you would return it to me…. I can arrange to collect it from your office…. I shall in the city on Monday…Please let me know if this is a suitable time….

gbe • Use variety of suitable linking language between the sentences in your letter In letters, it is appropriate occasionally to use expressions that suggest the attitude or udgment of the writer, especially adverbs like, ‘Obviously’, ‘Clearly’, ‘Fortunately’,

ly’, j‘Unfortunate Examples: Unfortunately, I can’t come to your party……

Obviously, I expect to be reimbursed for the damage caused to my…. Fortunately, I have been able to change my travel plans

5. Try not to be too repetitive A letter is an opportunity to show command of synonym and range of formal or informal expression. Richness of vocabulary use gives your written style more personality’ and this gives a stronger impression of you (the writer) to your ssessor. Being over‐repetitive reduces the colour and texture of your letter.


‘a

6. Try to use interesting expressions and vocabulary Especia authentic English idiomatic and ph

lly in informal letters to friends there is scope for some rasal verb forms. But, it’s NOT a good idea to: • translate idioms from your own language into English • use idioms unless you are really confident that they are currently used, and

hen and how they are used confident about precisely w

xample from an informal letter: E I can’t come to the office do with you on Saturday as I’ve run out of cash and my car’s. nyway, I’m trying to stop being such a party animal……. A 7. Give any explanations in your letter economically and clearly ometimes the letter will ask you to explain something or give reasons. Try not to be oo detailed in case the explanation becomes too long, too confusing and unclear. St 8. Use an appropriate way of drawing the letter to a close Every letter has to be drawn to a close smoothly. There are various expressions that an work well, but of course it depends not just on tone (formal or informal) but

purpose of the letter calso on the Examples: Formal

– I’ll look forward to hearing from you –– I trust you will give this matter due consideration and respond at your

earliest convenience

I should be grateful if you would reply to my letter with some urgency.

Informal

– Hope to hear from you soon –

e end of the letter you can use various suitable options

Looking forward to hearing from you

Right at th

xamples:


E Your faithfully, / Yours sincerely, (formal)

All the best, / Best wishes, (informal)

5 Simple Rules for a Good Looking Letter Even though these days most people write letters on their computers, try to make our letter look attractive and neat so that it seems a little like the ‘look’ of a omputer‐generated letter. This care with presentation will impress the assessor. yc

How? 1. After starting your letter with ‘Dear…. (plus name of person to whom you are writing – Mr/Ms + family name, for formal letters; first name only, for friends)..,’ eave an empty line before starting the content of the letter. (Remember, you don’t

rite any addresses in the letter) lneed to w

xample: E “Dear Mrs Smith, I am writing to inform you…” . Use paragraphing clearly so that the letter has sections, preferably one for each ask part. Leave an empty line after each paragraph. 2t

. Try to write lines of about the same, even length, like a computer does. 3 . Leave one line space after the end of the letter before writing, ‘Yours sincerely’ more formal), or ‘All the best’ (more informal) 4( 5. Leave another line before signing your name. Remember to just use your given ame if you are writing to a friend, but use your full name if you are writing to an rganization or to someone you don’t know. no



To summarise

With the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 it is important to: • read the task parts carefully think about the purpose of the letter think before you write to help your answer to be well‐organised. •• You can help to create a positive impression in General Training Writing Task 1, if you:

th ideas for your letter • use real experiences from your life to help you wi• write ‘in good faith’ • choose the appropriate tone for the type of letter

e which successfully controls varied verb forms needed, uses • choose appropriate languagvariety of vocabulary, and occasional adverbial linking expressions

d endings to your letter • try not to be too repetitive choose appropriate formal or informal beginnings an set out the letter neatly and in a well‐organised way •• In the next lesson I’ll look at creating a positive impression when writing your response to the longer 250word IELTS Academic and General Writing Task 2. Hope you’ll come back and join me for Lesson #4.

© 2009 Donna Millen and ieltsontrack.com

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Download - Creating a Positive Impression Lesson 3

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