STUDY AND WRITING SKILLS
74
7.5
STUDY SKILLS
PROOFREADING
1
Work in pairs or small groups to discuss these
questions.
1
When you write a formal document, e.g. a formal
email, essay or report, do you prefer to use pen and
paper first or to write directly onto a screen? Explain
your answer.
2
Do you ever edit your own work or other
people’s work?
3
Which of the tools do you use in your work or studies?
a
an online dictionary
c
a grammar check
b
a spell check
d
a word count
4
What other digital tools do you use?
2
a
It is important to make sure your writing is accurate
and your meaning clear. You are going to listen to a
lecturer giving some tips on checking written work. Work
with a partner. What points do you think she will mention?
2
b
7.5
Listen to the conversation. Note down the
points the lecturer mentions. Are they the same as the
points you discussed in Exercise 2a?
2
c
Listen again and answer the questions.
1
What examples does the lecturer give of the
following mistakes?
a
spelling
b
irregular verbs
c
prepositions
2
Complete the final piece of advice she gives.
‘Is my meaning
?’ ‘Will someone
my
work
what I’m trying to say?’
3
What are the main problems you have when you
write in English? What mistakes do you often make?
4
Proofreading
Eastern University plans to buy a
hundred bicycles for students to hire during the
university year. Read the report on two bicycles,
written by the university’s Purchasing Officer, Debora
Carr. There are some errors in it. Find the following
errors in the report.
a
four incorrect spellings
b
two missing capital letters
c
one missing full stop
d
two incorrect apostrophes
e
one example of incorrect word order
f
a phrase that is repeated unnecessarily
g
one incorrect tense
h
two incorrect prepositions
Performance:
35
a
Riding along
Trekker 101 is lighter. It is, therefore,
much faster on flat ground, but is it not
good on bumpy surfaces.
Groundbreaker is slower but gives a
40
much smoother ride on rough surfaces.
b
Cornering
Both bicyles corner well and feel
stable, even in slippery conditions.
Groundbreakers’ stability is good when
45
cornering but it is slower because of its
extra weight.
c
Climbing
Both bicycles are performing well when
climbing. Trekker 101 can accellerate
50
faster on the steep sections of a hill.
Groundbreaker is better if the rider has
to climb several hills in a short time.
Gears
The highest and lowest gears of both
55
bicycles are the same. Nevertheless,
Groundbreaker has a big advantage. It’s
gear change is much faster and smoother.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The university should purchase the
60
Groundbreaker model. It is built for
strength and durability, which are
important qualities for hire bicycles. It
performs much better on rough surfaces.
This is important because many of our
65
students will want to ride the bicycles in
the forest and mountain areas.
Signed: Ms Debora Carr, Purchasing Office
Date: 16 September …
Introduction
At the request of Jeremy
Schooler, vice President of
eastern University, this report
5
compares two hybrid bicycles
and recommends one of the
models to be purchased by the
university
Price
10
There is a significant price
diference between the two
bicycles. Trekker 101 costs
€460. It is much cheeper than
Groundbreaker which costs €540.
15
Size
The bicycles are similar on
length but not in weigh. Trekker
101 weighs just 14.1 kg whereas
Groundbreaker weighs 16.4 kg.
20
Rider Position
On both bicycles, the rider is
positioned right at the back so
that so that he or she is centred
over the rear wheel. Both
25
bicycles are suitable to riders up
to 175 cm tall. For someone over
that height, Groundbreaker is
more suitable.
The seat
30
The Groundbreaker seat is more
comfortable and can be adjusted
easily. To adjust the Trekker 101
seat, you need a special tool.
Report on two hybrid bicycles: Trekker 101 and Groundbreaker
TREKKER
101
GROUNDBREAKER
