On the way to ZNO. Exam Preparation Tips
YELENA KONSTANTINOVA ,
Honoured Teacher of Ukraine,
Head of the intensive English language
schools Methodology Center of Kyiv.
The words “assessment” and “testing” are often enough to send goose bumps up the arms of many students and teachers. By learning a few assessment strategies, however, you can help your students through even the most anxious moments and help them score higher in the process.
Test preparation provides students with strategies that will enable them to focus on content and not become frustrated with unfamiliar formats and situations. These tips can help your students improve their performance at ZNO and their comfort with assessment in general.
Writing can be some people’s favourite or least favourite type of exam. The good part of the writing exam is that students can truly explain their knowledge of the subject matter in many ways. People with better writing skills tend to favor these types of exams, if they know the strategy.
The tips below will help prepare your students for the “writing” part of the assessment.
Let’s start from letter writing.
Letter Writing.
| Informal Letters
To people you know well (friends, parents…) informal style
|
| Transactional Letters
Which respond to written information (advertisements, notes, other letters…) or visual prompts (maps, drawings…) formal/informal style
|
| Formal Letters
To people in an official position or people you don’t know well (manager, director…) formal style
Semi-formal Letters To people you do not know well or people you know but you want to sound polite and respectful (teachers, your friend’s parents…) |
| LETTERS |
Стратегії виконання
- Уважно прочитайте завдання і визначте головні питання, про які треба написати. З’ясуйте формат письмового завдання (вид листа).
- З’ясуйте, кому адресовано листа і виберіть відповідний стиль.
- Складіть план листа і підберіть необхідні слова і висловлення.
- Пишіть відповідно до плану і пам’ятайте про поділ тексту на абзаці.
- Намагайтеся вживати не тільки прості речення, але й складнопідрядні, використовуючи засоби логічного зв’язку.
- Намагайтеся правильно використовувати часові форми дієслова, різноманітні граматичні структури.
- Уважно перевірте роботу, звертаючи увагу на наступне:
- Чи дотримано формат і стиль висловлювання;
- Чи логічно поділено текст на абзаці
- Чи вірно використані засоби зв’язку всередині речень, між реченнями, між абзацами;
- Перевірте написання кожного слова.
Структура листа
| № |
Що потрібно |
Рекомендації |
Приклади |
| 1 | Address | Адреса відправника вказується у правому верхньому куті. | 2. Victoria street
Oxford OX2 006 |
| 2 | Date | Під адресою (пропустивши рядок) | Saturday, March 1st, 2012
September 9, 2012 |
| 3 | Greeting | Лист починається зі звертання, після якого ставиться кома (з нового рядку, пропустивши рядок) | Dear Sally,
Dear Mr. Brown, My darling, |
| 4 | Introduction | На початку листа автор зазвичай
|
Thanks for…, Many thanks for…, How nice of you …, I was awfully glad to get your letter…
I must apologise for not writing…, I really should have written sooner…. |
| 5 | Main Body | В ній мають бути розкриті всі аспекти, вказані в завданні. Кожний абзац починається з нового рядка. | |
| 6 | Conclusion | В кінці листа автор згадує про подальші контакти (з нового рядка) | I’ll write again soon.
Looking forward to seeing you. Hope to hear from you soon. |
| 7 | Ending | Ця фраза залежить від ступеню близькості автора і адресата. Після неї завжди ставиться кома(з нового рядка). | I love you so much,
Lots of love, Much love, Best wishes, All the best, Yours….., |
| 8 | Signature | Особисті листи підписують без вказівки прізвища(з нового рядка). | Sally , David |
| Informal letters |
Моделі листів і основні рекомендації до написання листів.
Personal Letters .
-
Your address The date
Greeting
Dear….,
Introduction (§ 1-opening remarks)
Main Body (§§ 2-3/4 – development of the subject )
Conclusion (§ 5 - closing remarks)
Ending (say goodbye and sign your name)Greeting
- never begin Dear friend / Pen friend; write - the name Dear Jane,
- Introduction
- reasons for writing;
- an apology for a delay in writing
- a thank you to the person for his last
letter -questions / wishes about recent events
- Main Body
- divide your letter into paragraphs and
include 2-3 points in each paragraph
- Conclusion
-an excuse to stop writing;
- greetings to the person’s family / friends
- an invitation
- a promise to write again soon,
- a request to the person to reply soon
- Ending
– Lots of love/ Best wishes + your first name
ATTENTION! You shouldn’t write addresses and dates in your ZNO letter!
Useful Vocabulary
|
Introductory Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
|
|
Asking for advice
| Introductory Phrases | Closing Phrases |
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Giving advice
|
Introductory Phrases |
Main Body Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Letters of apology.
| Introductory Phrases | Closing Phrases |
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Letters of invitation.
|
Introductory Phrases |
Main Body Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
- Catch a tram / bus No… to….. - Get off at… -Go as far as…. -I live in an apartment building. -My flat is on the …. floor.
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Accepting an invitation
|
Introductory Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
Formal
invitation…….
honored to accept.
|
Formal
anticipation…..
kind invitation. |
Refusing an invitation
|
Introductory Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
Formal
we will be unable to attend….
but……
|
Formal
other time
might have the opportunity to meet.
opportunity of…
opportunity to meet you at a later date. |
Semi-formal Letters
To people you do not know well or people you know but you want to sound polite and respectful (teachers, your friend’s parents…)
Formal Letters
To people in an official position or people you don’t know well (manager, director…) formal style
- Letter of application
- Letter to the editor
- Letter of complaint
- Letters of request
Remember that in formal letters we use:
Formal vocabulary, usually not using phrasal verbs
(‘Tolerate’ instead of ‘put up with’)
More complex sentence structure
(Knowing what a good reputation the restaurant has, I was disappointed with the service)
Punctuation using semi-colons
The library offers no facilities for borrowing videos; this is because of the high cost involved
|
|
Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam, |
|
Reason for writing |
I am writing to …
I am writing with regard to … I am writing on behalf of … |
|
Asking questions |
I would be grateful if …
I wonder if you could … Could you …? Could you tell me something about …? I would particularly like to know … I would be interested in having more details about … |
|
Referring to their letter |
As you started in your letter, …
Regarding … Concerning … With regard to … |
|
Complaining |
I am writing to complain about …
You said … but in fact what happened … We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house. |
|
Closing |
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me if you have any further questions. |
|
Signing off |
(If Dear surname) Yours sincerely,
(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully, Yours, |
|
|
First name + surname |
Style characteristics
- Advanced vocabulary (I am writing to enquire whether…)
- Formal linking words / phrases ( however, for this reason…)
- Passive voice (better : I can be contacted…. than : You can contact me…)
- Polite forms without contractions ( I would be grateful if,,,,)
LETTERS OF APPLICATION
|
|
Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam, |
|
Reason for writing |
I am writing to apply for the post/position of …
… as advertised in … I am writing with reference/in response to your advertisement, which I saw … I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Star on May 11th … With reference to your advertisement … |
|
Experience Qualifications CV |
I gained some experience while …
I am currently working as … I have been working for … for the last four years. I worked part-time for three years as … At the moment I am employed by … My qualifications include … I have a diploma in … I graduated from Barcelona University last year with a degree in … Please find attached my CV As you can see from the attached CV … |
|
Endings |
Please do not hesitate to contact me if/should you require further information.
I look forward to hearing from you. I am available for interview at your convenience. I shall be available for interview any day apart from Wednesdays. |
|
Signing off |
(If Dear surname) Yours sincerely,
(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully, Yours,
|
|
|
First name + surname |
Useful Vocabulary (for a job) Only Formal style
|
Introductory Phrases |
Main Body Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
the post / job / position of…., which I saw advertised in….
about the job advertised in…….
to your advertisement in… for….
r advertisement, I am writing to…
applying for the position of……… |
experience in this field, I feel that I can….
working as….
to be…
experience of….
as……..
last two years.
|
your earliest convenience
any queries you may have….
be glad to attend an interview at any time convenient to you.
….
hearing from you
your respond in the near future
interview in….
would consider my application |
Useful Vocabulary (for a course) Only Formal style
|
Introductory Phrases |
Main body phrases |
Closing Phrases |
for admission to the……….beginning….
for a place on the …… course which commences….
considered for……..
in joining your……classes /course |
in……
course
|
hearing from you
your earliest convenience
me for entry
my education and qualifications ….. |
( Use: Present Perfect /Present Perfect Continuous to talk about recent work / studies or experiences;
Past Simple to talk about past experiences;
Present Simple to talk about your personal qualities )
- 1. Your interest in the job
- I want a job that will give me satisfaction and good prospects
- I believe that I have the proper qualifications and experience for the position of….
- I believe I have the education, experience and personality that an excellent……..needs.
- I think I would be a good………….due to my experience.
- I would like to work for you because…………
- I am very interested in………….
- I enjoy helping people with their problems
- I hope that my experience coupled with the practical nature of my completed training would make me a good candidate for this job.
- Despite my lack of formal work experience, I feel that I would be well-suited for the position.
- I have studied English for six years but I want to spend some time in England in order to improve my spoken English.
- I would like to broaden my experience as a …….
- 2. Your qualifications and training
- I have………./ I received…… last year
- two A levels in maths and geography
- a driving license
- a degree in Media Studies
- a certificate / a diploma in…..
- top grades there, and…….
- I obtained…..
- a degree in Sports Science at….. (place) in…….(date)
- three A levels in History, Latin and Arts
- I have completed….
- a Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology at London University
- my second year…..
- I passed the examination for the First Certificate in English with grade A.
- I have been awarded certificates in both English and French and I speak both fluently.
- I am fluent in spoken and written……….
- At present I am still studying at college, but I am taking my final exams in May.
- I am a competent……….as I have completed a course in……….
- I am a graduate of………..college and my degree is………..
- I graduated from………University with a degree in……….
- 3. Your experience
- For the last six months I have worked as a ………..
- For the past two years I have been working as a………in……..
- I have spent two years working as a …………
- I have been working for……..since ………..(date)
- I am good at organizing………
- I have a good knowledge of……….(history, places of interest, tourist resorts…)
- I am experienced in ……… (doing something)
- I have three years experience in this position.
- I have done a number of training courses
- I had previous experience with……….. My responsibilities included………..
- After graduating from the University I was employed as………
- This has given me a lot of experience of working with different kinds of people.
- While studying, I worked on a part-time basis at………..as a ………….
- 4. Your qualities and skills
- I am considered to be………./ I consider myself to be…………/ In my school report I was described as…./
I regard myself as……../ I think I am a…….person. For example, I have….
- patient, alert, open-minded, dedicated, organized, approachable, understanding, calm, imaginative, creative, knowledgeable, kind, confident, polite, conscientious, tolerant, skilful, logical, able to cope in a crisis, able to work under pressure, punctual, hard-working, fair, enthusiastic, reliable, energetic, sociable, outgoing, a good listener…….
- I have……….
- good communication skills, sense of humour, good manners, ability to cope in a crisis, leadership qualities, good organisational skills,
- I get on very well with people and I like making new friends
- 5. Your additional information and reference
- I am available for an interview at your earliest convenience.
- I am available for interview any weekday morning.
- Since the school holidays include the months of July and August, I will have no other commitments and would be available to work at any time, excluding Saturdays, for as many hours as needed.
- I have enclosed my C.V. which lists my educational background and work experience.
- I enclose a detailed curriculum vitae in the hope that you will consider my application for entry.
- I enclose a reference from my present employer.
- I have enclosed my C.V. and would be glad to supply any further information required.
- I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience.
A Letter of Complaint.
Greeting
– Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Green or Dear Sir/ Madam,
Introduction
- state the reasons for writing
- state your complaint
- details of what has happened
- when and where the incident took place
Main Body
-present each of the specific points you are complaining about
-give examples/ reasons
Conclusion
-what you expect to happen
Ending
- Yours faithfully /Yours sincerely + your full name
Useful Vocabulary
|
Introductory Phrases |
Main body phrases |
Conclusion Phrases |
|
|
|
| Complaints about |
| Treatment
Rude/rudeness; hot-tempered; unfriendly; irresponsible; irritable; incompetent; indifferent; impolite; lazy; slow-minded; sloppy; wicked ; tactless; abusive |
| Things/Goods
Zip broken; button missing; sweater shrunk; lining torn; It didn’t work / was out of work/ doesn’t work properly; the mechanism is stuck; It was not up to standard. |
| Hotels/Rooms
Noisy; dirty; damp; uncomfortable ; the bed was hard ; the room was not cleaned at all; the rooms were not up to standard; there were cracks everywhere;….. was cracked……
|
| Food
Overdone/underdone; salty/ unsalted; cold; sour; bitter; tough; tasteless; uneatable; stale bread; it smells bad; badly-cooked; |
- 1. to complain about the quality of the holiday and service:
- I am writing to tell you about the problem we had with…….
- the tickets you arranged
- service offered by your travel agency
- I am writing to complain about……..
-the service I received during a visit to your restaurant on 8th October. Firstly, I had booked a table for eight o’clock, but when we arrived, our table was not ready and it was half an hour before we were seated. I was very annoyed.
-the quality of the service and food I received on Eagle Airways flight 723 from London to Kyiv on 6th May.
- unpleasant evening at your café on 8 June.
- I am writing ……..
- to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the Caribbean holiday I booked with your agency
- to express my disgust at the facilities and service offered by your travel agency
- to make the strongest possible complaint about the way your ordering office works.
- I have to say it was the worst holiday I have ever had
- As you will realize, we are thoroughly disgusted with the holiday your company provided
- To begin with,……..
- the hotel was not at all as we had been led to expect from your brochure.
- we expected to be met at the airport but unfortunately nobody turned up…
– I booked the room with a private bathroom. However, I had to share a bathroom with other guests.
- Your advertisement clearly stated that ………..
- everything was included in the price but we discovered that excursions were extras
– all tours included the price of lunch in a traditional restaurant…….
– all rooms had a view of the sea, mine had a view of a car park and dustbins….
– all rooms had air-conditioning
– all your guides spoke good French, but……
-your guides were very knowledgeable……
- Your advertisement promised a stay in a top-class hotel. However, the lift was not working at any time during the weekend, despite my repeated requests to have it repaired.
- Contrary to what the advertisement stated, there was no swimming pool, the rooms were extremely small and there was no maid service
- Firstly, / Secondly…. / Moreover,…/ In addition, …../ What is more,……/ Furthermore…..
- the service was extremely slow
- the resort was crowded with tourists but I had been told that it was quiet and unspoilt.
– the hotel was near a construction site and the constant noise was very irritating.
– it was really noisy as it was on a main road
– the noise made by the children’s portable radios was unbearable
– I could not sleep all night because of the noise from the night club
- the noise from the disco was so bad that getting to sleep before 2 am on any night was virtually impossible
- the bed was hard …
– none of the hotels had a sports centre
– my room was not cleaned at all during my stay…
- the bedrooms , were not up to standard: in our room, the walls were damp, the basin was cracked……
– the …..in my room was broken, and despite my three/ repeated requests for it to be repaired, nothing was done
– I had to take a long bus ride every day to get to the beach. However, the brochure said that the beach was only a ten-minute walk away
– I went on the sightseeing tour, which I had been looking forward to. I was very disappointed to find that the guide clearly knew nothing about the area. / ……… the guide knew less about Scotland than I did.
– I paid for a tour. However, the tour guide was sick, and no replacement guide was found.
- I was not at all satisfied with the service or the food.
– Firstly, the service was very slow. We had to wait……minutes to be seated although we had booked a table a week in advance.
– Moreover, the food was badly cooked as our steak was tough and the chips were greasy.
-Despite the restaurant’s claim of fast service, we had to wait 20 minutes to give our order and a further 20 minutes for the food to be served
-Furthermore,……… The advertisement describes the food at….as delicious. However, the chips were raw, the meat was still frozen in the middle and the tomatoes were rotten.
– When the food arrived, it had not been properly heated. Apart from being unappetizing, this is extremely dangerous, as inadequate heating can result in severe food poisoning.
-To make matters worse, the waiter was rude. He spilt coffee on my wife’s dress and didn’t even apologise.
- In view of all the problems we had, I feel your company should refund our money.
- I look forward to receiving a satisfactory reply. If I do not receive satisfaction, I am going to write to the TV programme ‘Inform TV’ and expose your operation.
- 2. to complain about the quality of the things you bought:
- I am writing to complain about…………….
- a VGC stereo which I gave my son for Christmas. Almost immediately, things started going wrong…
- the poor quality of the items which I received from your company
- a damaged…..I bought at your shop
– the quality of an appliance I recently purchased from your company.
– a faulty computer I bought in your shop, and also about your inadequate after-sales service.
- You advertise “top quality”, I felt that the product I purchased was well below the standard I expected…
- Firstly,……/ Secondly,……/ Moreover,…/ In addition, …../ What is more,……
- the product I was given was not the model I had asked for.
– the model I received was not the model advertised on television. It was a huge , ugly, old-fashioned model.
– ……..worked perfectly for the first few days but now it has gone wrong.
– the battery went flat after only two hours. However, the instructions said the battery lasted for 16 hours.
– ……….has broken in spite of the fact that I have only used it three times
-………..has a scratch across the front.
- In spite of the fact that I paid for a set of five compact discs, there were only three in the box.
- Although / Even though………..
- your advertisement says that the………..will run for 10 hours on the same batteries, this is not the case. I had to
change the batteries after only 5 hours of use.
- I have only used the……. once, it no longer works.
- the bicycle was brand new, the chain came off the first time I rode it.
- My two-year-old daughter cut herself on the toy even though you claim it is safe for children
- The shirt’s bright red collar has turned pink, despite the fact that the label states that it can be washed at high temperatures without the colours fading
- I still haven’t received the goods I ordered in spite of the fact that I sent you cheque three weeks ago.
- I would like to hear your explanation for the above problems, and I would also like to have all or part of my money refunded
- I have now been waiting a month for a replacement.
- I trust that you will give this matter serious consideration and that this won’t be repeated
- I insist that the product be replaced .
- I would appreciate it if the faulty appliance could either be replaced or repaired as soon as possible
- Unless I receive the equipment by the end of this week, I will have no choice but to cancel my order.
- As you can imagine, I am extremely upset. I feel I am entitled to a full refund, in addition to a written apology from the local manager.
- I am returning the………. with this letter and would be grateful if you could send me a new one or refund the money.
- I demand that I should be given a full refund, or I will be forced to take legal action.
- I should be grateful if you could arrange either for a technician to come and put the fault right, or for a substitute computer to be delivered to me immediately.
- I have already written to you twice. Nevertheless, / However , you have not taken any action.
- 3. to complain about the disgraceful treatment you received from somebody:
- I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction at/ with ……
-.the disgraceful treatment I received from one of your shop assistants.
-the terrible behavior …..
-attitude / rudeness of….
- I was deeply offended by the behavior of the sales assistant when I went to complain…….. I find this behavior unacceptable.
- I am writing to inform you that I was absolutely horrified by the rudeness of ……… She/he was not only…..but also……….
- The crew were totally indifferent to the passengers. A fellow passenger, an elderly man, required assistance and repeatedly pressed the call button. He received no attention whatsoever.
| Transactional Letters |
|
Definition |
Letters Types |
Style |
Tasks |
| These are letters which respond to writing input (advertisements, other letters, notes, invitations, etc.) and /or visual prompts (maps, drawings, etc.) |
|
(depending on who you are writing to) |
|
Asking for information
|
Introductory Phrases |
Main body phrases |
Closing Phrases |
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Giving information .
|
Introductory Phrases |
Closing Phrases |
Formal
- to your letter asking for information about… -to your query…
Informal
|
Formal
Informal
|
Не забувайте час від часу відвідувати сайт Українського центру оцінювання якості освіти: http://testportal.gov.ua/
