Composition Exercise 4

1. Composition Exercise 4 4 An interview 56 Acol Road London N.W.6 October 8,197-

2. Sample Writing • Dear Derek, • 1. I have just heard from the Dalaba Tourist Company, and they have given me the job! Thank you very much for your introduction to them. • 2. I was sure I had not done very well in my interview, so the news that I had got the job was quite unexpected.

3. 3. I went for the interview two weeks ago at the company’s office in Baker Street, and I was very nervous beforehand, but even more so when I saw that there were three people in the room. • 4. First of all, they greeted me in French and I was so surprised that I replied in English. If I had not been so stupid, I would have realized that they were going to test my languages.

4. 5. I managed to keep up a conversation with them, first in French and then in German, but then they began to question me on my knowledge of Europe; I have visited very few places in Europe and I felt very ignorant when I told them this. • 6. Still, it seems that they were impressed by the fact that I was able to describe those places that I had visited in some detail.

5. 7. I had to pretend that I was in a place I knew and talk about it as I would have done if I had been describing it to a party of American tourists. • 8. One question I was sure I had answered wrongly was : “What would you do, if you were traveling in a coach which had a breakdown?”I replied that I would immediately hire another one.

6. 9. I decided afterwards that I would have been much more sensible if I had answered that I would have sent for a breakdown lorry from a garage; but it seems that they will go to any expense in order to spare their clients any inconvenience. • 10. Still, obviously you went through this kind of interview yourself and you won’t want to hear any more about mine; I start work at the beginning of November, and I hope to see you some time after that. • Yours, • Michael

7. Dear Derek, • 1. I have just heard from the Dalaba Tourist Company, and they have given me the job! Thank you very much for your introduction to them. • Dear Derek, • 1.Thank you very much for ____(introduce)______________from whom______________________.

8. Key • 1.Thank you very much for having introduced me to the Dalaba Tourist Company from whom I have just heard that I have been given the job

9. 2. I was sure I had not done very well in my interview, so the news that I had got the job was quite unexpected. • 2. It _____________news, as I was sure _________enough _________to be accepted for the job.

10. Key • 2. It was quite unexpected news, as I was sure I had not done well enough in my interview to be accepted for the job.

11. 3. I went for the interview two weeks ago at the company’s office in Baker Street, and I was very nervous beforehand, but even more so when I saw that there were three people in the room. • 3. I went _______(interview)___ (fortnight)______________________, and I was even more nervous than ____________________________three people in the room.

12. Key • 3. I went to be interviewed a fortnight agoat the company’s office in Baker Street, and I was even more nervous than I had been beforehand on seeing that there were three people in the room.

13. 4. First of all, they greeted me in French and I was so surprised that I replied in English. If I had not been so stupid, I would have realized that they were going to test my languages.   4. They (start)____________and this surprised me so much__________________, which was ______of me , as I (should) ____________that they were going to test my languages.

14. Key 4. They started by greeting me in French and this surprised me so much that I repliedin English, which was very stupid of me , as I should have realized that they were going to test my languages.

15. 5. I managed to keep up a conversation with them, first in French and then in German, but then they began to question me on my knowledge of Europe; I have visited very few places in Europe and I felt very ignorant when I told them this. • 5.After__________(succeed)_____________a conversation (go) with them, first in French and then in German, _______________ and I felt very ignorant when I told them ____few places I have visited in Europe.

16. Key • 5. After I had succeeded in keeping a conversation going with them, first in French and then in German, they began to questionme on my knowledge of Europe and I felt very ignorant when I told them how few places I have visited in Europe

17. 6. Still, it seems that they were impressed by the fact that I was able to describe those places that I had visited in some detail. • 6.Still, they seem ______by the fact that I was able _______a fairly ______of those places that I had visited.

18. Key • 6.Still, they seem to have beenimpressed by the fact that I was able to give them a fairly detailed description of those places that I had visited.

19. 7. I had to pretend that I was in a place I knew and talk about it as I would have done if I had been describing it to a party of American tourists. • 7.They (make)_______be somewhere _____________________as if______________________________________________________________.

20. Key • 7.They made me pretendto be somewhere I knew and talk about it as if I had been describing it to a party of American tourists.

21. 8. One question I was sure I had answered wrongly was : “What would you do, if you were traveling in a coach which had a breakdown?”I replied that I would immediately hire another one. • 8.There was one question ___I was sure _____________they asked me ________if the coach ____I was traveling ______and I replied that I would immediately hire another one.

22. Key • 8.There was one question to which I was sure I had given the wrong answer they asked me what I woulddo if the coach in which I was traveling broke down and I replied that I would immediately hire another one.

23. 9. I decided afterwards that I would have been much more sensible if I had answered that I would have sent for a breakdown lorry from a garage; but it seems that they will go to any expense in order to spare their clients any inconvenience. • 9. I decided afterwards that it would have been much more sensible ____have answered that ______got a garage to___________; but it seems that _______________in order to_____________________________.

24. Key • 9. I decided afterwards that it would have been much more sensible of me to have answered that I would have got a garage to send a breakdown lorry; but it seems that they are ready to go to any expense in order to avoidinconveniencing their clients.

25. 10. Still, obviously you went through this kind of interview yourself and you won’t want to hear any more about mine; I start work at the beginning of November, and I hope to see you some time after that. • Yours, • Michael • 10.Still, obviously having______ (similar)________, you won’t want to hear any more about mine. I hope that _______seeing you some time after the beginning of November___________________. • Yours, • Michael

26. Key • 10.Still, obviously having gone through a similar interview yourself, you won’t want to hear any more about mine. I hope that I shall be seeing you some time after the beginning of November when I start work. • Yours, • Michael