ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - … · 3 Ethics in public administration Ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality, such as what …

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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION

2nd YEAR

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ETHICS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................................................. 3

THE TENSE SYSTEM: MEANS OF EXPRESSING FUTURE ........................................................................................... 4

PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................ 7

THE TENSE SYSTEM: PAST PERFECT....................................................................................................................... 8 THE TENSE SYSTEM: REVISION ............................................................................................................................... 9

BUREAUCRACY ..................................................................................................................................................... 11

NUMERALS ............................................................................................................................................................. 12 MODAL VERBS ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 17

ACTIVE/PASSIVE VOICE ........................................................................................................................................ 18

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS .................................................................................................... 21

LANGUAGE FOCUS – CONDITIONALS ....................................................................................................................... 21 LANGUAGE FOCUS – QUESTION FORMATION ........................................................................................................... 22

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW ...................................................................................................................................... 23

LANGUAGE FOCUS – RELATIVE CLAUSES ................................................................................................................ 24 LANGUAGE FOCUS – TIME CLAUSES ....................................................................................................................... 25

PUBLIC POLICY ..................................................................................................................................................... 26

LANGUAGE FOCUS – THE INFINITIVE ...................................................................................................................... 26 LANGUAGE FOCUS - -ING FORMS ............................................................................................................................. 27

THE EUROPEAN UNION....................................................................................................................................... 28

LANGUAGE FOCUS – REPORTED SPEECH ................................................................................................................. 30

APPENDIX – LIST OF IRREGULAR VERBS........................................................................................................ 31

APPENDIX: SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................ 39

FURTHER LANGUAGE STUDY ............................................................................................................................. 39

APPENDIX: EXAMPLE OF AN INFORMAL LETTER / WRITING FORMAL LETTERS / REPORTS ... 41

EXAMPLE OF AN INFORMAL LETTER ........................................................................................................... 41

COMMERCIAL ENGLISH - LETTERS ............................................................................................................... 42

WRITING TECHNIQUES FOR COVER LETTERS, ADVERTS, BROCHURES, SALES LITERATURE, REPORTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 44

WRITING LETTERS ................................................................................................................................................. 47 WRITING REPORTS - TEMPLATE STRUCTURE ........................................................................................................ 47

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Ethics in public administration

Ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality, such as what

the fundamental semantic, ontological, and epistemic nature of ethics or morality is (meta-

ethics), how moral values should be determined (normative ethics), how a moral outcome can be

achieved in specific situations (applied ethics), how moral capacity or moral agency develops

and what its nature is.

General business ethics overlaps with the philosophy of business, one of the aims of which is to

determine the fundamental purposes of a company. If a company's main purpose is to maximize

the returns to its shareholders, then it should be seen as unethical for a company to consider the

interests and rights of anyone else. General business ethics includes corporate social

responsibility or CSR: an umbrella term under which the ethical rights and duties existing

between companies and society is debated. It also covers issues regarding the moral rights and

duties between a company and its shareholders: fiduciary responsibility, stakeholder concept v.

shareholder concept. Ethical issues concerning relations between different companies: e.g.

hostile take-overs, industrial espionage. Leadership issues: corporate governance. Political

contributions made by corporations. Law reforms, such as the ethical debate over introducing a

crime of corporate manslaughter.

In administration is it called bureaucracy? This is a question that is becoming increasingly

pertinent as the days go by. Has the civil service been able to live up to the expectation of the

people who it was appointed to serve? Has it followed the role that the constitution bestowed

upon it or has it usurped a role for itself, which gives it more powers and privileges and a

redefined value system that is conveniently flexible? The answers to these daunting questions are

depressing. The bureaucracy has more or less failed the people as public servants and has also

failed their political counterparts as straightforward advisers on policy formulation.

Perhaps one most important step to be taken is to view critically the existing relationship

between the policy maker and the policy implementer, i.e., the politician and the civil servant.

Unfortunately, the executive arm follows the diktat, said and unsaid, of the political head. Where

the political head is committed to public welfare and takes to heart the oath he swears to uphold

the provisions of the constitution, the executive arm has no option but to follow suit.

(http://www.boloji.com/opinion/0026.htm)

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The tense system: Means of expressing future

The verbs in bold in the following sentences express the idea of future.

If our authorities cannot solve our problem, we will address the European Court of Justice.

We are going to start a new business in Holland after the business plan is agreed on by all

parties.

There are several ways in which one can express future in English:

1. will + the short infinitive of the verb: He will come. Will he come?

Yes, he will. No, he will not (won’t).

It indicates: a future event/ activity

2. Be going to + short infinitive: I am going to read this book.

It indicates: intention, probability

3. Be to + short infinitive: He is to deliver a speech.

It indicates: a future action very close to the moment of speaking

4. simple present: The train leaves at 9 o’clock.

It indicates: a future action, included in a schedule

5. present continuous: We are visiting our subsidiary in London.

It indicates: an arrangement for immediate future

Specific adverbs: tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next month/ week, year…, soon, shortly, in

a month’s time, in three months’ time, etc.

Put the verbs in brackets in the right future form:

1. We cannot attend the meeting tonight – we (visit) our best friends.

2. According to the programme, the trial (start) at 10 o’clock sharp.

3. His teachers are sure he (be) a successful lawyer one day.

4. You look very tired. If you want I (finish) the report for you.

5. It’s already ten to nine. The witness (be) late.

6. I am simply exhausted. I think I (have) a coffee break.

7. Look out! That file (fall) from your desk and you (have) to put all the papers in order

again.

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8. We (attend) the opening session of the conference on Monday. Would you like to join

us?

9. I (win) that contest, whatever it takes!

10. Don’t worry about the meeting! I (help) you to prepare the folders.

The tense system: Future Continuous/ Progressive

The verb in bold in the following sentence is in the Future Continuous tense:

Will you be meeting the president of the board tomorrow?

Form: to be (in the future) + verb + ing: I will be writing. Will I be writing? Yes, I will. No, I

won’t.

It indicates:

- a developing action in the future: Tomorrow we will be reading all day long.

Specific adverbs: in a minute, in a second, at one o’clock, at noon, tomorrow, this time next

week/ month/ year…, all day long, all day tomorrow, all the week through, from two to five, by

then, by that time tomorrow, all the time

- an action in progress, related to a conditional or a time clause: When I return,

Tom will be watching TV.

- A future action, part of a schedule: What will you be doing tomorrow? I will be

swimming.

A polite way of asking about someone’s plans: Will you be meeting them tomorrow?

Choose the correct future form of the verb in the following sentences:

1. This time tomorrow they will be debating/will debate the issue in the Parliament.

2. I will have/will be having a look at your report in ten minutes.

3. You should try to find another copy of the report. I will use/will be using it until evening.

4. She cannot handle the correspondence. I will fire/will be firing her.

5. There’s no problem for me to give you a lift to the airport. I will be going/will go that

way anyway.

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6. Let me break the news to her. I will be meeting/will meet her in the office tomorrow.

7. This time next week our representative will be flying/will fly to London to conclude the

agreement.

8. They will stay/will be staying here until next Friday.

9. Will you use/will you be using the computer this evening?

10. We are deeply sorry for his retirement. We will be missing/will miss him.

The tense system: Future Perfect

The verb in bold in the following sentence is in the Future Perfect tense.

We hope that by 2010 Romania will have become a member of the European Union.

Form: will + have + past participle: I will have managed to deliver the goods. Will I have

managed…? Yes, I will. No, I won’t.

It indicates:

- a future action that will take place before a certain moment in the future or before

another future action: We will have met them by 4 o’clock tomorrow. // He will

have posted the letter before you have time to complain.

- A supposition, referring to the past: They will have found out from newspapers.

- Adverbs: by, before, by the time

Use the correct future form of the verbs in brackets:

1. By the time you return they ... (finish) translating the materials for the conference.

2. He ... (file) charges against you before you meet him to apologise.

3. According to the action plan the project ... (end) in December.

4. The Chairman cannot come tomorrow. He ... (see) the President.

5. The witness ... (leave) the premises before you can stop him.

6. She ... (finish) investigating the crime scene by the time the police arrive.

7. Our conference ... (take place) after all participants are informed about the date.

8. Before the end of the year the United States ... (emerge) as the market leader in this

domain.

9. The European Parliament ... (issue) some new regulations after the plenary session.

10. The budgetary proposals of the commission ... (be considered) next week.

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Public budgeting and financial administration

Budget (from French bougette, purse) generally refers to a list of all planned expenses and

revenues. It is a plan for saving and spending. [1]A budget is an important concept in

microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods.

In other terms, a budget is an organizational plan stated in monetary terms.

In summary, the purpose of budgeting is to:

Provide a forecast of revenues and expenditures i.e. construct a model of how our business might

perform financially speaking if certain strategies, events and plans are carried out.

Enable the actual financial operation of the business to be measured against the forecast.

The process of calculating the costs of starting a small business begins with a list of all necessary

purchases including tangible assets (for example, equipment, inventory) and services (for

example, remodeling, insurance), working capital, sources and collateral. The budget should

contain a narrative explaining how you decided on the amount of this reserve and a description

of the expected financial results of business activities. The assets should be valued with each and

every cost.

The budget of a company is compiled annually. A finished budget usually requires considerable

effort and can be seen as a financial plan for the new financial year. While traditionally the

Finance department compiles the company's budget, modern software allows hundreds or even

thousands of people in various departments (operations, human resources, IT etc) to contribute

their expected revenues and expenses to the final budget.

If the actual numbers delivered through the financial year turn come close to the budget, this

suggests that the managers understand their business and have been successfully driving it in the

intended direction. On the other hand, if the actuals diverge wildly from the budget, this sends an

'out of control' signal, and the share price could suffer as a result.

Other types of budgeting: Event management budget, Government budget, Personal or family

budget.

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The tense system: Past Perfect

Form: had + Past Participle: I went to work after I had finished my lunch. Had I finished…?

Yes, I had. No, I hadn’t.

It indicates: - a past, completed action that takes place before another past action: He gave me the book when he

had finished reading it.

- An action finished before a certain moment in the past: I had written the paper by ten o’ clock.

The Past Perfect is not compulsory when after and before establish the sequence of the actions.

Use the Past Perfect where necessary.

1. The two parties (reach) an agreement when the member of our group made the

suggestion, so he had to accept it.

2. The Parliament (pass) this law a very long time ago.

3. By the time I called the office the secretary (leave).

4. When we wanted to complain about the PR officer being rude, the manager (fire) him.

5. Discrimination (be) a current practice in the company long before she brought up the

issue.

6. They changed their policy after a group of unsatisfied clients (sue) the company.

7. When they arrived the conference (begin) and they did not want to disturb the

participants, so they left.

8. The chairman opened the session after everybody (consult) the agenda.

9. We wanted to help them but by the time we got there they (finish) writing the

recommendations.

10. When she decided to accept the offer it was too late. Someone else (hire) as an assistant

manager.

The tense system: Past Perfect Continuous

Form: to be (in the past perfect) + verb + ing: I had been writing. Had I been writing? Yes, I had.

No, I hadn’t.

It indicates: a past action in development before another past action and also continuing that moment: When he

came she had been reading for two hours.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

often used in past perfect and past perfect progressive sentences: when, after, as soon as, before, by the time

e.g. After they had been quarrelling for minutes, I asked them to stop.

We had been waiting for weeks before we got the money.

They had been negotiating for hours by the time I got there.

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Choose the correct form of the verb in the following sentences:

1. The staff complained that they had asked/had been asking for better working conditions

for two months.

2. We had hoped/had been hoping to solve our problem easily and were very disappointed

when we couldn’t.

3. Our partners had looked forward/had been looking forward to the contract to be signed

and became quite angry when it had been cancelled/had been being cancelled.

4. The whole staff had worked/had been working until the last minute and they had no time

left to decorate the room for the meeting.

5. The newspapers had been publishing/had published a lot of articles on the accident for

weeks when they found out about it.

6. We had been discussing/had discussed all day with our partners and by 10 o’clock the

agreement wasn’t signed.

7. Our competition had done/had been doing everything they could to attack us and we had

to take steps towards fighting back.

The tense system: Revision

Simple tenses – Continuous tenses

Present Simple

used for actions in the present, for things that

are always true or that happen regularly, and

for opinions and beliefs

I/we/you/they enjoy (do not enjoy)

he/she/it enjoys (does not enjoy)

Present Continuous/Progressive

used for actions or events that are happening or

developing now, for future plans, or to show

that an event is repeated

I am enjoying (am not enjoying)

we/you/they are enjoying (are not enjoying)

he/she/it is enjoying (is not enjoying)

Past Simple

used for completed actions and events in the

past

I/we/you/they enjoyed (did not enjoy)

he/she/it enjoyed (did not enjoy)

Past Continuous/Progressive

used for actions or events in the past that were

not yet finished or that were interrupted

I was enjoying (was not enjoying)

we/you/they were enjoying (were not

enjoying)

he/she/it was enjoying (was not enjoying)

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Future Simple

used for actions and events in the future

I/we/you/they will enjoy (will not enjoy)

he/she/it will enjoy (will not enjoy)

Future Continuous/Progressive

used for actions or events in the future that will

continue into the future

I/we/you/they will be enjoying

(will not be enjoying)

he/she/it will be enjoying

(will not be enjoying)

Perfect tenses – Continuous tenses

Present Perfect

used to show that an event happened or an action was

completed at some time before the present

I/we/you/they have enjoyed

(have not enjoyed)

he/she/it has enjoyed

(has not enjoyed)

Present Perfect Continuous/ Progressive

used for actions or events that started in the past but are

still happening now, or for past actions which only

recently finished and whose effects are seen now

I/we/you/they have been enjoying

(have not been enjoying)

he/she/it has been enjoying

(has not been enjoying)

Past Perfect

usually used to show that an event happened or an action

was completed before a particular time in the past

I/we/you/they had enjoyed

(had not enjoyed)

he/she/it had enjoyed

(had not enjoyed)

Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive

used for actions or events that happened for a period of

time but were completed before a particular time in the

past

I/we/you/they had been enjoying

(had not been enjoying)

he/she/it had been enjoying

(had not been enjoying)

Future Perfect

used to show that something will be completed before a

particular time in the future

I/we/you/they will have enjoyed

(will not have enjoyed)

he/she/it will have enjoyed

(will not have enjoyed)

Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive

used for actions or events that will already be happening

at a particular time in the future

I/we/you/they will have been enjoying

(will not have been enjoying)

he/she/it will have been enjoying

(will not have been enjoying)

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Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity, usually in large

organizations and government. As opposed to adhocracy, it is represented by standardized

procedure (rule-following) that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body,

formal division of powers, hierarchy, and relationships. In practice the interpretation and

execution of policy can lead to informal influence.

Bureaucracy is a concept in sociology and political science referring to the way that the

administrative execution and enforcement of legal rules are socially organized. Four structural

concepts are central to any definition of bureaucracy:

a well-defined division of administrative labor among persons and offices,

a personnel system with consistent patterns of recruitment and stable linear careers,

a hierarchy among offices, such that the authority and status are differentially distributed among

actors, and formal and informal networks that connect organizational actors to one another

through flows of information and patterns of cooperation.

Examples of everyday bureaucracies include governments, armed forces, corporations, non-

governmental organizations (NGOs), hospitals, courts, ministries and schools.

Max Weber has probably been one of the most influential users of the word in its social science

sense. He is well-known for his study of bureaucratization of society; many aspects of modern

public administration go back to him; a classic, hierarchically organized civil service of the

continental type is — if perhaps mistakenly — called Weberian civil service several different

years between 1818 and 1860, prior to Weber's birth in 1864.

Weber described the ideal type bureaucracy in positive terms, considering it to be a more rational

and efficient form of organization than the alternatives that preceded it, which he characterized

as charismatic domination and traditional domination. According to his terminology,

bureaucracy is part of legal domination. However, he also emphasized that bureaucracy becomes

inefficient when a decision must be adopted to an individual case.

According to Weber, the attributes of modern bureaucracy include its impersonality,

concentration of the means of administration, a leveling effect on social and economic

differences and implementation of a system of authority that is practically indestructible.

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Weber's analysis of bureaucracy concerns:

the historical and administrative reasons for the process of bureaucratization (especially in the

Western civilisation)

the impact of the rule of law upon the functioning of bureaucratic organisations

the typical personal orientation and occupational position of a bureaucratic officials as a status

group

the most important attributes and consequences of bureaucracy in the modern world

A bureaucratic organization is governed by the following seven principles:

official business is conducted on a continuous basis

official business is conducted with strict accordance to the following rules:

the duty of each official to do certain types of work is delimited in terms of impersonal criteria

the official is given the authority necessary to carry out his assigned functions

the means of coercion at his disposal are strictly limited and conditions of their use strictly

defined

every official's responsibilities and authority are part of a vertical hierarchy of authority, with

respective rights of supervision and appeal

officials do not own the resources necessary for the performance of their assigned functions but

are accountable for their use of these resources

official and private business and income are strictly separated

offices cannot be appropriated by their incumbents (inherited, sold, etc.)

official business is conducted on the basis of written documents

Numerals

Look for these words in the text:

“these three phases” (par. 1)

“for the first… the second…the third…” (par. 1)

Numerals

Number Cardinal number Ordinal number

1 One The first

2 Two The second

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3 Three The third

4 Four The fourth

5 Five The fifth

6 Six The sixth

7 Seven The seventh

8 Eight The eighth

9 Nine The ninth

10 Ten The tenth

11 Eleven The eleventh

12 Twelve The twelfth

13 Thirteen The thirteenth

14 Fourteen The fourteenth

15 Fifteen The fifteenth

16 Sixteen The sixteenth

17 Seventeen The seventeenth

18 Eighteen The eighteenth

19 Nineteen The nineteenth

20 Twenty The twentieth

21 Twenty one The twenty-first

30 Thirty The thirtieth

40 Forty The fortieth

50 Fifty The fiftieth

60 Sixty The sixtieth

70 Seventy The seventieth

80 Eighty The eightieth

90 Ninety The ninetieth

100 A/ one hundred The one hundredth

200 Two hundred The two hundredth

201 Two hundred and one The two hundred and first

1, 000 A/ one thousand The one thousandth

2, 000 Two thousand The two thousandth

1, 000, 000 A/ one million The one millionth

2, 000, 000 Two million The two millionth

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Mathematical operations: plus +; minus -; divided by :; times, multiplied by *; equals =

The right word order: ordinal number, cardinal number: The first two chapters are useful.

Use: comma for thousands: 1, 000, 000 and point for decimals: 1. 23

Hundred, thousand, million do not get “s” when accompanied by numerals: five hundred/

thousand/ million BUT: Hundreds of people/ thousands of flowers/ millions of stars

Modal Verbs

Read the following examples from the text:

Later on… you may be able… (par. 4)

You must enter as an immigrant… (par. 5)

The job seeker…should be prepared… (par. 4)

A college in foreign commerce would definitely help… (par. 1)

Modals

May

Form: may// May he?// may not

It indicates:

Possibility: He may come today. (to be possible)

Probability: We may get that contract. (to be probable)

Permission: You may leave. (to be allowed/ to be permitted)

Might

Form: might/ might he// might not

It indicates:

- NOT the past of may BUT a stronger possibility/ probability/ uncertainty: You might be right

(but I strongly doubt).

Must

Form: must// Must he……..?// must not = mustn’t

It indicates:

necessity/ obligation imposed by the speaker: I must be punctual.

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invitation, emphatic affirmation: You must see the exhibition.

Probability, logical necessity: He must be at home.

An unexpected/ contrary action: They must annoy us with their problems!

It is replaced by: to have to, to be obliged/ forced/ compelled to….

Should

Form: should// Should you?// should not = shouldn’t

It indicates:

obligation: You should be present at the meeting.

Instructions/ advice: He should welcome them at the airport.

Expectation: The business should be profitable.

Past, unfulfilled expectation: They should have discussed the matter in detail.

Ought to

Form: ought to/ ought not to

It indicates:

Moral obligation: You ought to visit him at the hospital

Duty: You ought to write that report.

Not a very strong obligation in the past, present or future: He ought to play chess that day/ now/

to morrow.

Advisability: You ought to organise that meeting as soon as possible.

Necessity: He ought to be present at the conference.

Desirable, not performed action: You ought to have helped them. They ought not to have gone

there alone.

Supposition, probability: You ought to communicate them the decision by now.

Would

Form: would/ would you?/ would not = wouldn’t

It indicates:

Polite request: Would you listen more carefully?

Opposition/ resistance/ unwillingness: They would not meet us.

Past habit = used to: I would stay in that chair, drink my tea and read a book.

Invitation: Would you have some more cake?

Refusal (in the negative): I wouldn’t accept that.

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Criticism of somebody’s behaviour: She would keep talking without listening to her friends.

Rephrase the following sentences so that they contain one of the modals above:

1. If you cannot find a job in your country, you emigrate to a foreign job-rich place.

2. Don’t consider heading overseas to seek work without money in your pocket.

3. Don’t go unless you are prepared to accept any job.

4. Sometimes you are forced to accept a monotonous job.

5. There are jobs you didn’t accept in your native country.

6. Later on, of course, you will have the opportunity to apply for creative work.

7. The job seeker heading overseas has to take on jobs that have been turned down flat by

natives.

8. To work overseas you need to obtain a work permit.

9. It is advisable you find a job for which no work permit is needed.

10. Women will be able to work au pair. Under this arrangement, any girl is supposed to get

bed and board.

11. Their duty is to act as baby sitters. Their daily activity is to give general household help.

12. Their employers are also obliged to pay them a sum of money.

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Nonprofit organizations

A nonprofit organization (abbreviated NPO, also not-for-profit) is any organization that does not

aim to make a profit, and which is not a public body. Whereas for-profit corporations exist to

earn and distribute taxable business earnings to shareholders, the nonprofit corporation exists

solely to provide programs and services that are of public benefit. Often these programs and

services are not otherwise provided by local, state, or federal entities. While they are able to earn

a profit, more accurately called a surplus, such earnings must be retained by the organization for

its future provision of programs and services. Earnings may not benefit individuals or stake-

holders[1]. Underlying many effective nonprofit endeavors is a commitment to management.

Twenty years ago, management was a dirty word to those involved in nonprofit organizations. It

meant business, and non-profits prided themselves on being free of the taint of commercialism

and above such sordid considerations as the bottom line. Now most of them have learned that

nonprofits need management even more than business does, precisely because they lack the

discipline of the bottom line. The nonprofits are, of course still dedicated to "doing good." But

they also realize that good intentions are no substitute for organization and leadership, for

accountability, performance, and results. Those require management and that, in turn, begins

with the organization's mission.

In the United States one of the largest Non-Profit Organizations is the Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation, which has an endowment of $38 billion[14], and the Howard Hughes Medical

Institute, which has an endowment of approximately $14.8 billion. Outside the United States,

another large NPO is the British Wellcome Trust, which is a "charity" in British usage. See: List

of wealthiest foundations. Note that this assessment excludes universities, at least a few of which

have assets in the tens of billions of dollars. For example; List of U.S. colleges and universities

by endowment

Measuring a NPO by its monetary size has obvious limitations, as the power and significance of

NPOs are defined by more qualitative measurements such as effectiveness at carrying out

charitable mission and goals.

Some NPOs which are particularly well known, often for the charitable or social nature of their

activities conducted over a long period of time, include Amnesty International, the Better

Business Bureau, Oxfam, Carnegie Corporation of New York, DEMIRA Deutsche Minenräumer

(German Mine Clearers), Goodwill Industries, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Teach For

America, the Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations, UNESCO, IEEE, World Wide Fund for

Nature, Heifer International, and SOS Children's Villages.

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However, there are also millions of smaller NPOs that provide social services and relief efforts

on a more focused level (such as Crosswind - Community Outreach Ministry) or the arts to

people throughout the world and in the US. There are more than 1.6 million NPOs in the United

States alone. For more see Wikipedia articles on non-profit organizations

Active/Passive Voice

Look at these examples:

Performances are held everywhere (3)

His photographs were exhibited…………..were presented (5)

Works that have never been shown (5)

Life couldn’t be imagined (6)

Active/ Passive Voice

Rule: to be (any tense required) + the Past Participle of the verb to be conjugated

They give her flowers.

Flowers are given to her.

She is given flowers.

The use of the passive

� When the logical subject is obvious or is not important: Goods should be delivered as

soon as possible.

� When the object is more important than the logical subject: The manager was informed

on the situation.

� When the speaker avoids mentioning the logical subject: The order has already been

placed.

� In formal notices: Passengers are requested not to…

� Newspapers: President sacked because…

� Processes in science or engineering: The wheel is tested…

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Rules for changing from active into passive

Active Passive

1. Subject + tr. Verb + direct object

I wrote a report.

S (=dir. Obj.) + passive + (by….)

A report was written (by me).

2. Subject + tr. Vb. + Dir. Obj.1 + Dir. Obj. 2

I asked him a question.

S1(= dir. Obj.1) + passive + Dir.

Obj.2 + (by….)

He was asked a question (by me).

S2 (=dir. Obj. 2) + passive + (by…)

A question was asked (by me).

3. Subject + tr. Vb. + Direct object + Indirect

object

They will pay us the money.

S(=dir. Obj.) + passive + ind. Object.

The money will be paid to us.

S(=ind. Obj.) + passive + direct

object

We will be paid the money.

4. Subject + intr. Prep. Vb. + prep. obj.

I rely on Tom.

Ex. to talk to/ about, to send for, to agree

upon, to look at/ after, to explain to, to

speak to/ of, to arrive at, to account for, to

laugh at, to refer to…

S (prep. Obj.) + passive + preposition

Tom is relied on.

5. Subject + verb phrase + prep. object

You have to pay attention to the problem.

Ex. to put an end to, to take care of, to take

notice of, to make use of, to take hold of, to

find fault with, to take possession of, to lose

sight of, to do away with, to put up with

S (prep. Object) + passive +

preposition

The problem must be paid attention

to.

20

6. Passive constructions:

It is said that

It is believed that…

It is understood that…

It is reported that

It is expected that….

It is thought that…

7. Intransitive verbs with a passive

meaning: read, eat, wear, wash, act,

sell, open, feel, taste, shut, peel,

perform: Sweets sell well.

8. Passive forms with ‘to have’, ‘to

get’: S + have + direct object + past

participle: I had my car repaired.

S + get + past participle: We got

stuck in the traffic.

Verbs that have no passive: escape, fit, get, have, let, like, suit, survive: The skirt doesn’t suit

me. They escaped from prison.

Verbs used with the passive: to be born, to be said: He is said to be a good businessman.

Passive Structures:

� modals + passive: The meeting can be postponed.

� Passive + infinitive + object: with the verbs: advise, believe, expect, feel, forbid, mean,

order, report, request, require, say, teach, understand: They were advised to negotiate the

price.

� It + the passive of: agree, announce, discover, expect, hope, suggest: It was suggested

that they would work hard.

Read the following text and change some of the sentences from active into the passive. The italicised words

will help you. Make all the other necessary changes.

Sometimes it is a real adventure not being sure if you have downloaded a virus or if it is only a hoax. You

cannot be sure whether you are alone or not: is there someone else working on my computer or it is only

me? To have more security you have to install a firewall, buy anti-virus programmes and up-date them

regularly. So, you have to spend much money only for preventing a virus-caused break down or hacker-

attacks. It is annoying not being sure if the money you have spent will prevent all those things or if they

create a new virus and a new way of hacking into computers.

21

Non-governmental organizations

Non-governmental organization (NGO) is a term that has become widely accepted for referring

to a legally constituted, non-business organization created by natural or legal persons with no

participation or representation of any government. In the cases in which NGOs are funded totally

or partially by governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status insofar as it

excludes government representatives from membership in the organization. Unlike the term

intergovernmental organization, "non-governmental organization" is a term in generalized use

but not a legal definition, in many jurisdictions these type of organizations are defined as "civil

society organizations" or alternative terms.

NGOs vary in their methods. Some act primarily as lobbyists, while others conduct programs

and activities primarily. For instance, an NGO such as Oxfam, concerned with poverty

alleviation, might provide needy people with the equipment and skills to find food and clean

drinking water, whereas an NGO like the FFDA helps through investigation and documentation

of human rights violations and provides legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses.

Language focus – Conditionals

Have a look at the following sentences, taken from the text entitled Customers Buy When They

Feel Good.

1. Prospective customers will not buy unless they feel good about you, your company and

your product or service.

2. A prospective customer will not buy if they have any doubt that you will deliver exactly

what you promise.

3. Avoid using any claim that sounds exaggerated – even if it is true.

In examples 1, 2, and 3 unless, if and even if introduce conditional clauses.

(For details, see suggested bibliography:

Vince, Michael. Advanced Language Practice, London: Heinemann, 1994, Unit 8 – pp. 41-47

Vince, Michael. Intermediate Language Practice, London: Heinemann, 1994, Units 12-13 – pp.

49-55

Thomson, A.J., Martinet, A.V. A Practical English Grammar. Fourth Edition, London: OUP,

1986 – pp. 196-205)

22

Fill in the blanks with the required form of the verb given in brackets:

1. Now we’re lost! If you ___ (take) Mr Leary’s advice, this ___ (not happen).

2. Don’t be afraid! If we ___ (comply with) the terms of the contract, they ___ (not sue) us.

3. Did you enjoy your meal? If you ___ (finish) eating, I ___ (clear away) the plates.

4. If the marketing assistant ___ (not notice) the mistake in the marketing plan, we ___ (not

succeed) in launching the product as planned.

5. Communication skills are essential in this job. All our PR assistants are communicative.

If they ___ (not be) friendly we ___ (lose) half our clients.

6. There was no mistake in his report. If there ___ (be) of course I ___ (correct) it.

7. I’m afraid we have to take action. If we ___ (not punish) him this time, he ___ (only

make) more serious mistakes.

8. They can’t lend us any money. But I know that if they ___ (have) it, they___ (lend) it to

us.

9. It’s always the same! If you ___ (decide) to leave the office early, the boss ___ (call) you

after you’ve left!

10. Last year we had the lowest turnover in our company’s history; but only because of

inflation. If we ___ (take) the inflation rate into account, we ___ (lose) so much money.

Language focus – Question formation Have a look at the following questions, taken from the text entitled What is PEST Analysis?

1. What are attitudes to foreign products and services?

2. Does language impact upon the diffusion of products onto markets?

3. How long are the population living? Are the older generations wealthy?

4. Is the government involved in trading agreements such as EU, NAFTA, ASEAN, or

others?

5. Will government policy influence laws that regulate or tax your business?

Questions may be classified as follows:

� yes/no questions questions with the answer yes or no

� wh-questions questions with what, where, who, whose, which, why, when, how

� tag questions added at the end of a statement; formed by using auxiliaries;

their

meaning depends on whether the statement is positive or

negative, and on intonation

23

Administrative law

Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of

government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the

enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public

law. As a body of law, administrative law deals with the decision-making of administrative units

of government (e.g., tribunals, boards or commissions) that are part of a national regulatory

scheme in such areas as police law, international trade, manufacturing, the environment,

taxation, broadcasting, immigration and transport. Administrative law expanded greatly during

the twentieth century, as legislative bodies worldwide created more government agencies to

regulate the increasingly complex social, economic and political spheres of human interaction.

Taxation decisions are the decisions based on administrative law that are most often contested in

courts. Civil law countries often have specialized courts, administrative courts, that review these

decisions.

Generally speaking, most countries that follow the principles of common law have developed

procedures for judicial review that limit the reviewability of decisions made by administrative

law bodies. Often these procedures are coupled with legislation or other common law doctrines

that establish standards for proper rulemaking. Administrative law may also apply to review of

decisions of so-called semi-public bodies, such as non-profit corporations, disciplinary boards,

and other decision-making bodies that affect the legal rights of members of a particular group or

entity.

While administrative decision-making bodies are often controlled by larger governmental units,

their decisions could be reviewed by a court of general jurisdiction under some principle of

judicial review based upon due process (United States) or fundamental justice (Canada). Judicial

review of administrative decisions, it must be noted, is different from an appeal. When sitting in

review of a decision, the Court will only look at the method in which the decision was arrived at,

whereas in appeal the correctness of the decision itself will be under question. This difference is

vital in appreciating administrative law in common law countries.

The scope of judicial review may be limited to certain questions of fairness, or whether the

administrative action is ultra vires. In terms of ultra vires actions in the broad sense, a reviewing

24

court may set aside an administrative decision if it is unreasonable (under Canadian law,

following the rejection of the "Patently Unreasonable" standard by the Supreme Court in

Dunsmuir v. New Brunswick), Wednesbury unreasonable (under British law), or arbitrary and

capricious (under U.S. Administrative Procedure Act and New York State law). Administrative

law, as laid down by the Supreme Court of India, has also recognized two more grounds of

judicial review which were recognized but not applied by English Courts viz. legitimate

expectation and proportionality.

The powers to review administrative decisions are usually established by statute, but were

originally developed from the royal prerogative writs of English law, such as the writ of

mandamus and the writ of certiorari. In certain Common Law jurisdictions, such as India or

Pakistan, the power to pass such writs is a Constitutionally guaranteed power. This power is seen

as fundamental to the power of judicial review and an aspect of the independent judiciary.

Language focus – Relative clauses

Have a look at the following sentences taken from the text.

SWOT analysis is a basic, straightforward model that provides direction and serves as a

basis for the development of marketing plans.

When writing down strengths, it is imperative that they be considered from both the view

of the firm as well as from the customers that are dealt with.

Managers who are caught up in developing strengths and capabilities may ignore the

external environment.

The words in bold introduce relative clauses.

Relative clauses can be defining or non-defining. They can be introduced by relative pronouns,

or the relative pronouns can be omitted.

(For details, see suggested bibliography

Vince, Michael. Advanced Language Practice, London: Heinemann, 1994, Unit 18 – pp. 101-

106


1986 – pp. 81-90)

25

Language focus – Time Clauses

Many businesses reduce their advertising when they are getting plenty of sales.

In the example above, when introduces a time clause.

Time clauses are introduced by conjunctions of time such as: after, as, as soon as, before,

hardly…when, immediately, no sooner…than, since, the sooner, till/until, when, whenever, while.

Remember!

We do not use a future form, or a conditional tense in a time clause.


Vince, Michael. Intermediate Language Practice, London: Heinemann, 1994, Unit 29 Time

expressions – p. 115


1986 – p. 301)

Use as soon as, till, when, whenever, while or as to fill the gaps in the following sentences:

1. Go on ___ you come to a large square with an old statue in the middle. Then turn right

and you’ll find his house on your left.

2. We’ll be glad ___ everything is over and we can start working.

3. They were writing the report ___ we were discussing the details of our campaign.

4. ___ they were approaching the building, they realised that they had forgotten the

contract.

5. You can sign the letters ___ I am out. Let’s agree on this rule..

6. Peter hasn’t arrived yet and I need someone to help me. But you can leave ___ he arrives.

Rewrite the following sentences twice, using no sooner… than and hardly… when.

I had just sat down but the boss called me to his office.

I opened the file and a minute later someone rang the bell.

26

Public policy

Public policy can be generally defined as the course of action or inaction taken by a

governmental entities with regard to a particular issue or set of issues. Other scholars define it as

a system of "courses of action, regulatory measures, laws, and funding priorities concerning a

given topic promulgated by a governmental entity or its representatives.

In the United States, this concept refers not only to the end result of policies, but more broadly to

the decision-making and analysis of governmental decisions. Public policy is also considered an

academic discipline, as it is studied by professors and students at public policy schools of major

universities throughout the country. The professional association of public policy practitioners,

researchers, scholars, and students is the Association for Public Policy Analysis and

Management.

haping public policy is a complex and multifaceted process that involves the interplay of

numerous individuals and interest groups competing and collaborating to influence policymakers

to act in a particular way. These individuals and groups use a variety of tactics and tools to

advance their aims, including advocating their positions publicly, attempting to educate

supporters and opponents, and mobilizing allies on a particular issue.

In this context, advocacy can be defined as attempting to influence public policy through

education, lobbying, or political pressure. Advocacy groups "often attempt to educate the general

public as well as public policy makers about the nature of problems, what legislation is needed to

address problems, and the funding required to provide services or conduct research. Although

advocacy is viewed as unseemly by some in the professional and research community, it is clear

that public policy priorities are influenced by advocacy. Sound research data can be used to

educate the public as well as policy makers, thereby improving the public policy process."

Language focus – The Infinitive Have a look at the following sentences, taken from the text entitled What is Money? by Roy

Davies.

1. They would probably be less willing to accept them.

2. In complete contrast, a form of money with virtually no tangible properties whatsoever -

electronic money - seems set to gain rapidly in popularity.

3. These commodities, being widely desired, would be easy to exchange for others and

therefore they came to be accepted as money.

27

In examples 1, 2, and 3 the infinitive is used.



114


157-166


1986 – pp. 212-228)

Language focus - -ing Forms

Have a look at the following sentences from the text:

1. High risk investing is exactly like gambling – in fact it is gambling. (noun/gerund)

2. As we shall see, this risk taking then often leads to devaluation of foreign currencies.

(noun/gerund)

3. Compounding this problem is the fact that speculators trade against other countries’

currencies.

4. It is not comforting to know that the type of risk taking prevalent in the LTCM case is

increasing.

5. Banks are supposed to manage risks to prevent themselves from going insolvent or losing

market confidence. (verb + - ing form)



114


157-166


1986 – pp. 228-239)

28

The European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member

states, located primarily in Europe. It was established in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty, adding

new areas of policy to the existing European Community. With almost 500 million citizens, the

EU combined generates an estimated 30% share of the world's nominal gross domestic product

(US$16.8 trillion in 2007).

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws which apply in all

member states, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital.It

maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development

policy. Fifteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro. It has developed a role

in foreign policy, representing its members in the World Trade Organization, at G8 summits and

at the United Nations. Twenty-one EU countries are members of NATO. It has developed a role

in justice and home affairs, including the abolition of passport control between many member

states under the Schengen Agreement.

EU operation is a hybrid of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. In certain areas it

depends upon agreement between the member states. However, it also has supranational bodies,

able to make decisions without the agreement of members. Important institutions and bodies of

the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the

European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central

Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six

countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Since then the EU has grown in size through

the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy

areas to its remit. The Treaty of Lisbon, signed in December 2007 and intended to be ratified by

the end of 2008, is planned to amend the existing treaties to update the political and legal

structure of the union.

One of the first successful proposals for European cooperation came in 1951 with the European

Coal and Steel Community. This had the aim of bringing together control of the coal and steel

industries of its member states, principally France and West Germany. This was with the aim

that war between them would not then be possible, as coal and steel were the principal resources

for waging war. The Community's founders declared it "a first step in the federation of Europe",

29

with the hope that this would enable Europe to pursue the development of Africa. The other

founding members were Italy, and the three Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and

Luxembourg.In 1973 the European Communities enlarged to include Denmark, Ireland and the

United Kingdom. Norway had negotiated to join at the same time but a referendum rejected

membership and so it remained outside.The first direct, democratic elections of members of the

European Parliament were held in 1979. They were the first European elections to be held,

allowing citizens to elect 410 MEPs to the European Parliament, and also the first international

election in history.Greece, Spain and Portugal joined in the 1980s. The Schengen Agreement in

1985 created largely open borders without passport controls between most member states

Austria, Sweden and Finland joined in 1995.The European Union is composed of 27 independent

sovereign countries which are known as member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the

Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,

Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia,

Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. There are three official candidate countries,

Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Turkey; the western Balkan countries

of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia are officially recognised as

potential candidates. Kosovo has been granted similar status.

The European Commission acts as the EU's executive arm and is responsible for initiating

legislation and the day-to-day running of the EU.

The European Parliament forms one half of the EU's legislature. The 785 Members of the

European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by EU citizens every five years. Although

MEPs are elected on a national basis, they sit according to political groups rather than their

nationality. Each country has a set number of seats.

The Council of the European Union forms the other half of the EU's legislature.

Highest-ranking political leadership in the EU is provided by the European Council, which is

composed of one representative per member state plus the President of the Commission. The

member states choose as their representative either the head of state (e.g., the president) or the

head of government (e.g., the prime minister). The European Council meets on at least four

summits a year, and is lead by the representative of the rotating presidency. The European

Council should not to be mistaken with the Council of Europe, an intergovernmental institution

independent from the EU.

The judicial branch of the EU consists of the European Court of Justice (ECJ)

30

Language focus – Reported Speech

Have a look at the following sentences:

1. They said they had bought a new car.

2. I told you I would be at the meeting.

3. They asked if we wanted to sell the business.

4. He wanted to know why he had to pay so many taxes.

5. The Chief Accountant suggested we finish the paperwork as soon as possible.

6. Tom advised travelling by plane.

These sentences report what someone said/ asked/ ordered etc.


Vince, Michael. Advanced Language Practice, London: Heinemann, 1994, Unit 16 – pp. 89-95


41-47


1986 – pp. 269-288)

Report the following commands, requests and suggestions:

1. Type these letters and post them till tomorrow.

2. Don’t forget to pay the telephone bill.

3. Don’t leave before you finish your work!

4. Will you arrange a meeting for tomorrow?

5. Speak more quietly, please.

6. Would you mind waiting for a minute?

7. Please, work more carefully.

8. Will all those in favour raise their hands?

9. Let’s visit the car Trade Fair tomorrow, shall we?

10. You must attend that interview.

31

Appendix – List of Irregular Verbs

Infinitive Past Simple Past Participle

arise arose arisen

awake awoke awoken (US also awaked)

be was/were been

bear bore borne (US also born)

beat beat beaten (US also beat)

become became become

begin began begun

behold beheld beheld

belie belied belied

bend bent bent

bet bet, betted bet, betted

bid bid, bade bid, bidden

bind bound bound

bite bit bitten

bleed bled bled

bless blessed, blest blessed, blest

blow blew blown

break broke broken

breed bred bred

bring brought brought

broadcast broadcast broadcast

(US also broadcasted) (US also broadcasted)

build built built

burn burnt, burned burnt, burned

burst burst burst

buy bought bought

cast cast cast

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

32

cling clung clung

come came come

cost cost, costed cost, costed

cut cut cut

deal dealt dealt

dig dug dug

dive dived, (US also dove) dived

draw drew drawn

dream dreamed, dreamt dreamed, dreamt

drink drank drunk

drive drove driven

dwell dwelt, dwelled dwelt, dwelled

eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

feed fed fed

feel felt felt

33


fight fought fought

find found found

flee fled fled

fly flew flown

forbid forbade, forbad forbidden

forecast forecasted, forecast forecasted, forecast

foresee foresaw foreseen

forget forgot forgotten

forgive forgave forgiven

forsake forsook forsaken

freeze froze frozen

get got got, (US also gotten

give gave given

go went gone

grind ground ground

grow grew grown

hang hung, hanged hung, hanged

have had had

hear heard heard

hide hid hidden

hit hit hit

hold held held

hurt hurt hurt

keep kept kept

kneel knelt, kneeled knelt, kneeled

knit knitted, knit knitted, (US also knit)

know knew known

lead led led

learn learned, (UK also learnt) learned, (UK also learnt)

leave left left

lend lent lent

let let let

lie lay, lied lain, lied

34

light lit, lighted lit, lighted

lose lost lost

make made made

mean mean meant

meet met met

mislead misled misled

misspell misspelled, misspelled,

(UK also misspelt) (UK also misspelt)

mistake mistook mistaken

misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood

mow mowed mown, mowed

overcome overcame overcome

overdraw overdrew overdrawn

oversee oversaw overseen

overtake overtook overtaken

overthrow overthrew overthrown

35


overwrite overwrote overwritten

partake partook partaken

pay paid paid

plead pleaded, (US also pled) pleaded, (US also pled)

preset preset preset

prove proved proved, proven

put put put

quit quit, quitted quit, quitted

read /ri d/ read /red/ read /red/

rewrite rewrote rewritten

rid rid rid

ride rode ridden

ring rang rung

rise rose risen

run ran run

saw sawed sawn, (US also sawed)

say said said

see saw seen

seek sought sought

sell sold sold

send sent sent

set set set

sew sewed sewn, sewed

shake shook shaken

shed shed shed

shine shone shone

shoe shod, (US also shoed) shod, (US also shoed)

shoot shot shot

show showed shown

shrink shrank shrunk

shut shut shut

sink sank sunk

sit sat sat

36

slay slew, slayed slain

sleep slept slept

slide slid slid

smell smelled, (UK also smelt) smelled, (UK also smelt)

sneak sneaked, (US also snuck) sneaked, (US also snuck)

sow sowed sown, sowed

speak spoke spoken

speed sped, speeded sped, speeded

spell spelled, (UK also spelt) spelled, (UK also spelt)

spend spent spent

spill spilled, (UK also spilt) spilled, (UK also spilt)

spin spun spun

spit spat, (US also spit) spat, (US also spit)

split split split

37


spoil spoiled, spoilt spoiled, spoilt

spotlight spotlighted, spotlit spotlighted, spotlit

spring sprang sprung

stand stood stood

steal stole stolen

stick stuck stuck

sting stung stung

stink stank, (US also stunk) stunk

strike struck struck, (US also stricken)

string strung strung

strive strove, strived striven, strived

swear swore sworn

sweep swept swept

swell swelled swollen, swelled

swim swam swum

swing swung swung

take took taken

teach taught taught

tear tore torn

tell told told

think thought thought

thrive thrived, (US also throve) thrived, (US also thriven)

throw threw thrown

thrust thrust thrust

tread trod, (US also treaded) trodden, (US also trod)

undergo underwent undergone

underwrite underwrote underwritten

understand understood understood

undertake undertook undertaken

undo undid undone

unwind unwound unwound

uphold upheld upheld

upset upset upset

38

wake woke woken

wear wore worn

weave wove, weaved woven, weaved

wed wedded, wed wedded, wed

weep wept wept

wet wet, wetted wet, wetted

win won won

wind wound wound

withdraw withdrew withdrawn

withhold withheld withheld

withstand withstood withstood

write wrote written

39

Appendix: Suggested Bibliography

*** Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (London: Collins ELT, Harper

Collins Publishers, 2003)

Budai, L., Gramatica engleză – teorie şi exerciţii (Bucureşti: Teora, 2001)

A.J. Thomson, A.V. Martinet, A Practical English Grammar (London: Oxford University

Press, 1996)

Vince, M., Advanced Language Practice (London: MacMillan Heinemann ELT, 1994)

Vince, M., Intermediate Language Practice (London: MacMillan Heinemann ELT, 1998)

Further Language Study

THE TENSE SYSTEM

Michael Vince – Advanced Language Practice

Tense consolidation – Units 1 – 4 (pp. 1-24)

Progress Test (pp. 25-29)

Michael Vince – Intermediate Language Practice

Units 2 – 9 (pp. 3-36)

Problems, Errors and Consolidation (p. 37)

A.J. Thomson, A.V. Martinet – A Practical English Grammar

The present tenses (pp. 152-162)

40

The past and perfect tenses (pp. 161-179)

The future (pp. 180-194)

GERUND/INFINITIVE


Unit 19 (pp. 107-113)


Units 38 – 39 (pp. 152-165)


The infinitive (p. 212-227)

The gerund (pp. 228-233)

Infinitive and gerund constructions (pp. 234-238)

ACTIVE/PASSIVE


Units 6-7 (pp. 30-40)


Units 15 – 16 (pp. 58-63)


The passive voice (pp. 263-268)

MODALS


41

Units 11-12 (pp. 59-70)


Units 17 – 18 (pp. 64-71)


May and can for permission and possibility (pp. 128-133)

Can and be able for ability (pp. 134-136)

Ought, should, must, have to, need for obligation (pp. 137-146)

Must, have, will and should for deduction and assumption (pp. 147-149)

Appendix: Example of an informal letter / Writing formal letters /

Reports

Example of an informal letter

2nd May

Dear John(,)

Thanks for your last letter and the nice photos................

.....................................................................................................................

Sorry, but I have to finish.

Hope to hear from you again.

Take care.

Peter

tips:

42

- the date: top right hand corner (day/month-BE - or month/day-AE)

- comma after name not necessary, but begin after that with a CAPITAL letter

- ending: Take care, Cheers, Yours, Love, then a comma and your name

Commercial English - Letters

You write to How to begin the letter How to end the letter

an unknown

firm/person (BE) (AE)

Dear Sir/Madam (BE)

(AE) Yours faithfully (BE)

Dear Sir or Madam (BE)

(AE) Yours truly (AE)

To whom it may concern

(AE) Truly yours (AE)

a woman whose name

you don't know Dear Madam (BE) (AE)

Yours faithfully (BE)

Yours truly (AE)

Truly yours (AE)

a man whose name you

don't know Dear Sir (BE) (AE)

Yours faithfully (BE)

Yours truly (AE)

Truly yours (AE)

a person whose name

you know

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Fisher

(BE) (AE)

Yours sincerely (BE)

Very truly yours (AE)

Sincerely (yours) (AE)

43

a person you know

personally Dear Ann/John (BE) (AE)

(With) Best wishes (BE) (AE)

Yours (BE)

Love (BE)

All the best (AE)

Kindest/Best regards (AE)

Example of a formal letter

MICHAEL WARRENS LTD - 78 Court Street - Nottingham - UK

Mrs Sara Fisher

Manager

18 St. James Avenue

Bournemouth HB3 4LN 4th October 2001

Our ref: US / HK 1082

Your ref: SP / T

Dear Mrs Fisher,

Your order

We are pleased to acknowledge your order no. 202 dated 1st October 2001. Your

order is already dealt with. We will inform you when the consignment is ready for

delivery.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information.

We thank you for your custom and again look forward to being of service to you in

the future.

Yours sincerely,

44

M Warrens (Mr)

Enc

The envelope

The position of the address is the same like in the letter. Steet, Road and Avenue can

be written in abbreviations (St), (Rd) (Av).

The postcode/zip code you write under the town

Write the name of the country in CAPITAL LETTERS.

Example:

Mr Michael Warrens

Software

78 Court St

Nottingham

WQ1 6P0

UNITED KINGDOM

Writing techniques for cover letters, adverts, brochures, sales literature,

reports

Writing letters, reports, notes and other communications are important skills for business

and personal life. Good letters help to get results, where poor letters fail. People judge

45

others on the quality of their writing, so it's helpful to write well. Here are some simple

tips for writing letters and communications of all sorts:

Generally, whatever you are writing, get to the main point, quickly and simply. Avoid

lengthy pre-ambles. Don't spend ages setting the scene or explaining the background etc.

If you are selling, promoting, proposing something you must identify the main issue (if

selling, the strongest unique perceived benefit) and make that the sole focus. Introducing

other points will distract and confuse.

Use language that your reader uses. If you want clues as to what this might be imagine

the newspaper they read, and limit your vocabulary to that found in the newspaper.

Use short sentences. More than fifteen words in a sentence reduces the clarity of the

meaning. After drafting your communication, seek out commas and 'and's, and replace

with full-stops.

Write as you would speak - but ensure it's grammatically correct. Don't try to be formal.

Don't use old-fashioned figures of speech. Avoid 'the undersigned', 'aforementioned',

'ourselves', 'your goodselves', and similar nonsense. You should show that you're living in

the same century as the reader.

As to how informal to be, for example writing much like normal every day speech (I'd,

you'd, we've, etc.) bear in mid that some older people, and younger people who have

inherited traditional views, could react less favourably to a writing style which they

consider to be the product of laziness or poor education. Above all it is important to write

in a style that the reader is likely to find agreeable.

Avoid jargon, acronyms, technical terms unless essential.

Don't use capital letters - even for headings. Words formed of capital letters are difficult

to read because there are no word-shapes, just blocks of text. (We read quickly by seeing

word shapes, not the individual letters.)

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Sans serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica and this one, Tahoma) are modern, and will give a

modern image. Serif fonts (like Garamond, Goudy and this one, Times), are older, and

will tend to give a less modern image.

Sans serif fonts take longer to read, so there's a price to pay for being modern. This is

because we've all grown up learning to read serif fonts. Serif fonts also have a horizontal

flow, which helps readability and reading comfort. (Serif fonts developed before the days

of print, when the engraver needed to create a neat exit from each letter.)

Avoid fancy fonts. They may look clever or innovative, but they more difficult to read,

and some are nearly impossible.

Use 10-12 point size for body copy (text). 14-20 point is fine for main headings, bold or

normal. Sub-headings 10-12 bold.

Any printed material looks very untidy if you use more than two different fonts and two

different point sizes. Generally the fewer the better.

If your organisation stipulates a 'house' font then use it.

If your organisation doesn't then it should do.

Black text on a white background is the easiest colour combination to read. Definitely

avoid coloured backgrounds, and black.

Avoid background graphics or pictures behind the text.

Italics are less easy to read. So is heavy bold type.

If you must break any of these font rules, do so only for the heading.

Limit main attention-grabbing headings to no more than fifteen words.

In letters, position your main heading between two-thirds and three-quarters up the page.

This is where the eye is naturally drawn first.

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Use left-justified text as it's easiest to read.

Avoid fully justified text as it creates uneven word spaces and is more difficult to read.

Remember that effective written communication is enabling the reader to understand

your meaning in as few words as possible.

writing letters

Generally if you can't fit it all onto one side of a standard business sheet of paper, start

again.

Whether writing a letter of complaint, introduction, or proposition - you must keep it

brief.

If your letter can't be read and understood in less than 20 seconds it has limited chances

of success. It used to be 30 - this time limit gets shorter every year.

Think about the purpose of your letter. It will rarely be to resolve something completely.

It will more often be to establish a step along the way. So concentrate just on that step.

For example - letters of introduction should not try to sell a product. They should sell the

appointment.

writing reports - template structure

Typical structure template for writing a report:

• Title, author, date.

• Contents.

• Introduction and Terms of Reference (or aims/scope for report).

• Executive Summary (1-2 pages maximum) containing main points of evidence,

recommendations and outcomes.

• Background/history/situation.

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• Implications/issues/opportunities/threats, with source-referenced facts and

figures evidence.

• Solution/action/decision options with implications/effects/results, including

financials and parameters inputs and outputs.

• Recommendations and actions with input and outcomes values and costs, and

if necessary return on investment.

• Appendices.

• Optional Bibliography and Acknowledgements.

Map out your structure before you begin researching and writing your report.

Ensure the purpose, aims and scope of the report are clearly explained in your terms of

reference.

The executive summary should be be very concise, summarising the main

recommendations and findings. Provide interpretation of situations and options. Show the

important hard facts and figures. Your recommendations should include implications,

with values and costs where applicable. Unless yours is a highly complex study, limit the

executive summary to less than two sides of standard business paper.

The body of the report should be divided into logical sections. The content must be very

concise. Use hard facts and figures, evidence and justification. Use efficient language -

big reports with too many words are not impressive. The best reports are simple and

quick to read because the writer has properly interpreted the data and developed viable

recommendations.

Do not cram lots of detail, diagrams, figures, evidence, references etc., into the main

body of the report. Index and attach these references as appendices at the end of the

report.

Where you state figures or evidence you must always identify the source.

Show figures in columns. Try to support important figures with a graph.

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If it's appropriate to acknowledge contributors then do so in the introduction or a separate

section at the end.

Documents

ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - … · 3 Ethics in public administration Ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality, such as what …