English Practical Writing

1. English Practical Writing

2. Unit 1 Notes

3. Students will be able to: 1. know the basic contents and structure of a note; 2. write notes for different occasions. Teaching Objectives

4. Notes are short letters written for various purposes. Compared with a letter, a note is simple in form and often informal or colloquial in language. Notes are not sent through the mail but left for the recipients to read or passed to the other by hand. In daily life, people use notes to give information and conduct communication. Teaching ContentsI. Definition

5. Please read the following examples and try to understand their format. • Any differences between letters and notes? • Any similarities? II. Samples of notes

6. May 1 Tony, Go down to the corner shop when you come home from school, please, I want a Goldfish. Here is the money. Mum Sample 1

7. Mar. 8 Dear Miss Zhang, Just a line to tell you that I came to your office this morning and wanted to have a talk with you about my exchange program. But you were not in. Please give me a call. Bill Wise Sample 2

8. Date Mar. 1st Billy, I’ll be back at 3:30. Wait for me. Brown The person reading the information (Salutation) The information (Body) Notes Format The person writing the information (Signature)

9. The usual rhetorical conventions associated with formal letters can be absent in notes. • The following should be included: • date • salutation • body • signature

10. Directions: Mike waited for Jennifer till almost 10 o’clock at the place where they should meet, but Mike did not see Jennifer. Then Mike came to Jennifer’s apartment, and he found that Jennifer was out. So Mike will have to return home and wait for Jennifer there. Class Practices Exercise 1

11. Key 1 Mar. 5 Jennifer, Waited till almost 10 a.m.. Came here, you were out. Wait for you at my home. Mike

12. Directions: You are going to work and leave the key to the back door on the desk by the window. Instruct your family members where they can find it. Exercise 2

13. Key 2 Sept. 26 Key to back door on desk by window. Tom

14. Directions: You are dealing with a rat problem in the house. You have bought some rat poison, and you want to leave a note for your parents before going on a trip. In the note you will tell them the rat poison is on the top shelf above the washing machine, and the directions are on the container. You ask them to put the poison out tonight and make sure the poison is put at a place children cannot reach because your sister Sue’s child will be coming tomorrow. Exercise 3

15. Key 3 Feb. 25 Mom and Dad, There’s rat poison on the top shelf above the washing machine. The directions are on the container. Please put it out tonight. Sue’s baby will be here tomorrow, so please put it where the baby can’t reach. Nick

16. 唐小姐： 请为我预订一张10月10日星期日上午8：50从天津开往上海的G123次火车票。 请把应付的钱记在我的帐上。多谢。 鲍勃·霍伯 9月28日 Exercise 4Translation

17. Key 4 Sept. 28th Dear Miss Tang, Please reserve me a seat in the train No. G123 leaving Tianjin for Shanghai at 8:50 a.m. on Sunday Oct.10th. Please charge the expenses entailed to my account. With kindest regards, Bob Hope

18. 皮特小姐： 你于6月6日在系内所借的下列录像带已逾期，请速归还。 系办公室 9月7日 附所借录像带名称： 1．《教父》 2．《乱世佳人》 Exercise 5Translation

19. Key 5 Sept.7 Dear Miss Pitt, The following copies of videotapes borrowed from the Department on June 6 are now overdue. Please return them as soon as possible. Department Office Videotapes borrowed: A) The Godfather B) Gone With the Wind

20. Language Features & Reminders

21. simple understandable language • plain, familiar, homespun words • avoid bookish, artificial and stilted language 1) Notes should be simple and plain

22. (1) Be brief • omit the superfluous words • simplify the expressions eg. There are two things which are necessary here. → Revised: Two things are necessary here. 2) Pay attention to ellipsis

23. (2) It is not always necessary to use complete sentences. • Some determiners (eg. a, the , some) and some of the verbs (eg. is, are) can be left out. eg. (I’m) leaving Guangzhou immediately. (I’ll be) back (on) Friday.

24. Mar. 5 Jennifer, (I) waited till almost 10 a.m.. (I) came here, (but) you were out. (I’ll) wait for you at my home. Mike Example

25. Sept. 26 Key to (the) back door on (the) desk by (the) window. Tom Example

26. Feb. 25 Mom and Dad, (There’s) rat poison on (the) top shelf above (the) washing machine. (The) directions are on (the) container. Please put it out tonight. Sue’s baby will be here tomorrow, so please put it where (the) baby can’t reach. Nick Example

27. Notes for Different Occasions A) Request for leave

28. a) Asking for sick leave

29. Oct. 29 L. J. Westwood Office Secretary Dear Sir, I’m very sorry that I cannot come to office today owing to a bad cold. Enclosed please find a certificate from the doctor who is attending me, and I wish to ask for leave of absence for 2 days. I trust my absence will not cause you any serious inconvenience. Very truly yours, Tom Smith Encl.: doctor’s certificate for sick leave

30. July 17 To the Manager Dear Sir, Will you kindly excuse Smith’s absence from office today owing to a severe attack of illness. So I am writing to ask you for several days’ sick leave and will let him resume his duties if he feels better. I trust his absence will not bring you any serious inconvenience. Yours respectfully, Jones

31. b) Asking for business leaveTranslation钟老师： 兹因我老父亲病重，今不能前去上学，敬请原谅。恳准事假五天以便回老家探望。今附上老家发来的电报一份，以兹证明。 王江2月2日附：电报一份

32. Feb. 2 Dear Mr.(Ms.) Zhong, May I be excused from attending school today on account of the serious illness of my aged father? Would you be so kind as to grant me five days’ leave of absence in order to return hometown to see him. To support my application, I enclose (herewith) a telegram from my hometown. Jiang Wang Encl.: a telegram

33. Oct. 31 L. J. Westwood Office Secretary Dear Sir, I am still lying in bed with the bad cold and unable to get up. The doctor advised a rest of three more days. Please give an extension of leave for as many days. Yours faithfully, Tom Smith Encl.: doctor’s certificate of advice c) Asking for an extension of leave

34. ailment • to catch a cold • to have a cough • to have a headache • to have a stomachache • to have diarrhea • to have a toothache • to sprain one’s ankle Useful Vocabularies

35. I’m very sorry that I cannot come to office / school / class today owing to a bad cold. • I wish to ask leave of absence for several days. • I am writing to ask you for several days’ sick leave. • Would you be so kind as to grant me five days’ leave of absence. • Will you kindly excuse Smith’s absence from office today owing to a severe attack of illness. • Enclosed please find a certificate from the doctor. • Please give my extension of leave for three days. • I trust my absence will not cause / trouble you any serious inconvenience. Useful Expressions

36. B) Receipt

37. 收 条 今收到王子豪同学交来本月学费五百元整。 外语学院财务科 经手人 李曼 2015年10月23日 Chinese version

38. Oct. 23rd, 2015 Received from Zihao Wang five hundred yuan (RMB) for this month’s tuition fee. Man Li For the Finance Office of Foreign Language Institute English version

39. Please write two notes according to the directions: • You can’t get to your English class this morning because you are ill. Write a note to your English teacher asking for sick leave. Tell the teacher that you have asked a classmate to collect exercise materials. • You’ve got two tickets to a concert. Write a note to your friend to go with you. After-Class Assignment