Everyday English 1 Printable

Everyday English 1
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2 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

Contents
Introduction and guidance 6
Introduction and guidance 6
What is a badged course? 7
How to get a badge 8
Speaking and listening 10

Introduction 10
1 Speaking and listening in everyday life 11
1.1 Speaking 11
1.2 Articulation, volume and speed 13
1.3 Listening 16
1.4 Body language 19
1.5 Discussions 27
2 Formal and informal language 31
2.1 Register 31
2.2 Tone 32
2.3 Being informal 34
3 Non-verbal communication 37
3.1 Expressions 37
3.2 Verbal signals 39
3.3 Body language 40
4 Taking part in discussions 43
4.1 Types of discussion 43
4.2 Asking questions 44
4.3 Answering questions 46
4.4 Disagreeing 48
4.5 Taking turns 49
4.6 Encouraging others 50
4.7 Making your point 50
4.8 Speaking and listening assessments 52
5 This session’s quiz 55
6 Summary 56
Reading 58
Introduction 58
1 The texts you read 59
1.1 What do you read? 59
1.2 Why do you read? 60
1.3 Being an active reader 61
1.4 The purpose of texts 61
1.5 Texts that instruct 63

1.6 Texts that describe or explain 64
1.7 Texts that persuade 65
1.8 Texts that inform 67
1.9 Intended audience 67
2 Ways of reading 70
2.1 Skimming or skim-reading 70
2.2 Scanning 72
2.3 Finding the main points 73
2.4 Reading in depth 77
2.5 Finding your way around texts 78
3 Structure, presentation and layout 82
3.1 Structure 82
3.2 Layout and presentation 83
3.3 Images 87
4 Reading for detail 89
4.1 Reading longer texts 89
4.2 Answering the question 91
5 Using the information you read 96
5.1 To read or not to read 96
5.2 Facts and opinions 97
5.3 Finding and using information 98
6 Reading different texts 103
6.1 Reading for fun 103
6.2 Highlighting the main points 105
6.3 Reading important texts 106
6.4 Topic sentences 108
6.5 Guidance on reading assessments 110
7 This session’s quiz 113
8 Summary 114
Writing 116
Introduction 116
1 The writing process 117
1.1 What you write down 117
1.2 Planning writing 118
1.3 Drafting 120
1.4 Editing your writing 122
1.5 Final version 124
2 What you write 126
2.1 Letters 126
2.2 Emails 129
2.3 Articles and news reports 130
2.4 Speeches 130
3 Spelling 132
3.1 Look Say Cover Write Check 132
3.2 Commonly misspelled words 132
3.3 Memory aids 133

3.4 Homophones 134
3.5 Common spelling patterns and the exceptions 135
3.6 New words 138
3.7 Correcting your spelling 139
4 Grammar 141
4.1 Proper sentences 141
4.2 Subjects and verbs 142
4.3 Longer sentences 143
4.4 Past, present and future 145
4.5 Verb and subject agreement 146
5 Punctuation 150
5.1 Capital letters 150
5.2 Ending sentences 151
5.3 Commas 153
5.4 Apostrophes 154
5.5 Punctuation practice 157
6 Writing for real 160
6.1 Paragraphs 160
6.2 Handwriting 161
6.3 Writing for assessments 162
6.4 Self-assessing 165
7 End of course quiz 167
8 Summary 168
End of course summary 169
Acknowledgements 170

Introduction and guidance

This free badged course, Everyday English 1, is an introduction to Level 1 Functional
Skills English and Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Communication. It is designed to inspire
you to improve your current English skills and help you to remember any areas that you
may have forgotten. Working through the activities and learning the tips and techniques
outlined in this course will help you to communicate more effectively in everyday life and
make progress in your career.
You can work through the course at your own pace. You may find it helpful to have at hand
a notepad and pen, although you can make and save notes online within the course
material.
The course has three sessions, with a total study time of approximately 48 hours. The
sessions cover the following topics: speaking and listening, reading and writing. There are
plenty of examples to help you as you progress, together with opportunities to practise
your understanding.
The regular interactive quizzes form part of this practice and the end-of-course quiz is an
opportunity to earn a badge that demonstrates your new skills. You can read more on how
to study the course and about badges in the next sections.
After completing this course you should be able to:
● understand how to make a range of relevant and extended contributions to formal

and informal discussions
● read and understand the main points and ideas in a range of straightforward texts
● utilise information contained in various texts and identify suitable responses
● construct a range of texts to communicate information, ideas and opinions
● utilise accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar to communicate clearly in writing.
Moving around the course

The easiest way to navigate around the course is through the ‘My course progress’ page.
You can get back there at any time by clicking on ‘Back to course’ in the menu bar.
It’s also good practice, if you access a link from within a course page (including links to the
quizzes), to open it in a new window or tab. That way you can easily return to where
you’ve come from without having to use the back button on your browser.

What is a badged course?
What is a badged course?

While studying Everyday English 1 you have the option to work towards gaining a digital
badge.
Badged courses are a key part of The Open University’s mission to promote the
educational well-being of the community. The courses also provide another way of helping
you to progress from informal to formal learning.
To complete a course you need to be able to find about 48 hours of study time. It is
possible to study at any time and at a pace to suit you.
Badged courses are all available on The Open University’s OpenLearn website and do
not cost anything to study. They differ from Open University courses because you do not
receive support from a tutor. But you do get useful feedback from the interactive quizzes.
What is a badge?
Digital badges are a way of demonstrating online that you have gained a skill. Schools,
colleges and universities are working with employers and other organisations to develop
open badges that help learners gain recognition for their skills, and support employers to
identify the right candidate for a job.
Badges demonstrate your work and achievement on the course. You can share your
achievement with friends, family and employers, and on social media. Badges are a great
motivation, helping you to reach the end of the course. Gaining a badge often boosts
confidence in the skills and abilities that underpin successful study. So, completing this
course should encourage you to think about taking other courses, for example enrolling at
a college for a formal qualification. (You will be given details on this at the end of the
course.)

How to get a badge
How to get a badge

Getting a badge is straightforward! Here’s what you have to do:
● read all of the pages of the course

● score 70% or more in the end-of-course quiz.
For all the quizzes, you can have three attempts at most of the questions (for true or false
type questions you usually only get one attempt). If you get the answer right first time you
will get more marks than for a correct answer the second or third time. Therefore, please
be aware that for the end-of-course quiz, it is possible to get all the questions right but not
score 70% and so not be eligible for the OpenLearn badge on that attempt. If one of your
answers is incorrect you will often receive helpful feedback and suggestions about how to
work out the correct answer.
If you’re not successful in getting 70% in the end-of-course quiz the first time, after 24
hours you can attempt it again and come back as many times as you like.
We hope that as many people as possible will gain an Open University badge – so you
should see getting a badge as an opportunity to reflect on what you have learned rather
than as a test.
If you need more guidance on getting a badge and what you can do with it, take a look at
the OpenLearn FAQs. When you gain your badge you will receive an email to notify you
and you will be able to view and manage all your badges in My OpenLearn within 24
hours of completing the criteria to gain a badge.
Now get started with Session 1.

How to get a badge

Speaking and listening
Introduction

Introduction
Video content is not available in this format.
For most people, speaking and listening is the part of English they do the most. From
short ‘hellos’ or commands to our dogs, to detailed discussions to plan for tomorrow’s
work, to telling a story, we all speak and listen throughout the day, every day.
People typically speak thousands of words a day and hear even more, especially if you
count television and radio.
Employers regularly say that being able to speak clearly and confidently and to listen
carefully is the most important English skill they look for in their employees. Good
speaking and listening skills are vital in almost every workplace to communicate
effectively with customers, colleagues and managers.
This session is the longest in the course but is broken up into clear and easily
manageable sections to help you in your studies.
If you are doing this course to prepare you for either the Functional Skills English Level 1
qualification or the Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 qualification,
remember that speaking and listening is an important part of both programmes.

1 Speaking and listening in everyday life
● For the Functional Skills English Level 1 qualification, the speaking and
listening assessment consists of two assessed discussions. You must pass them
both to gain the Level 1 qualification.
● For the Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 qualification, there are
two parts: a controlled task and a confirmatory test. The controlled task includes a
speaking and listening assessment in the form of a small group discussion, as well
as a reading and a writing assessment.
Figure 1 Everyday speaking and listening

You start this session by thinking about the speaking and listening you do in your
everyday life. How can you speak so that people understand you? Why is this course
about listening as well as speaking? And just how important is body language?
1.1 Speaking
Whether you consider yourself to be quiet and shy or bubbly and chatty, you have to do
some speaking from day to day. It is a basic part of your life.
Activity 1 The people you talk to

Allow about 10 minutes
Take a few minutes to think about a typical day – yesterday, for example – and make a
list of the people you talked to.
Provide your answer...
Discussion
You may have thought of some of these:
Children
Partner

Pets
Boss
Colleagues
Mum
Dad
Shop assistant
Teacher.
Now think about what you said to the people you have named.
Go back to your list and note down what you talked to each person about and how long
you spoke to them.
Discussion
Did you find this difficult? If so, it’s not surprising – speaking is so embedded into your
daily life and you do it so much that it can be hard to remember the detail of what you
actually say.
When you speak it is usually important that you are understood. You usually do many
things to make sure this happens. Most of these things you do without really thinking
about them, but if you can identify how you make yourself clear and understood, you can
get better at them and reduce the likelihood of being misunderstood.
Activity 2 Misunderstandings
Try to think of a time when someone did not understand what you said. Why was that?
Were you clear? What did you do about it?
Discussion
If you’re a teacher and your students don’t understand what you’re saying, you might
repeat it or reword it – or say it more loudly!
Generally, there are a number of things you might do when you are not understood.
You might speak more loudly or more slowly; you might try repeating or rewording
what you said; you might ask your listener if they understood you. Sometimes you
might even try writing it down.
Activity 3 Speaking clearly

Take a few minutes to think of things that might affect how clearly you speak. Note
them down in the box.

Discussion
You may have thought of some of these:
Distance
Having something in or over your mouth
Being too loud or too quiet
Other noises around you
Being distracted.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you are understood completely, but at other times, such as
in an emergency, it is vital.
To be understood completely, what you say has to be heard. But how do you ensure that?
1.2 Articulation, volume and speed
Figure 2 Making sure you are heard

To make sure you are heard, you have to consider how clearly you speak, whether you
are using the right volume and the speed at which you talk.
Articulation
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand what people are saying because they don’t say the
words clearly or they run the words into each other. It may sound as if they’re talking too
fast, but it’s just that they’re not taking the trouble to speak clearly. Saying each word
clearly is called articulation. Some people can speak very fast but still manage to say
every word clearly: newsreaders, for example.

Activity 4 The importance of articulation

Note some occasions when it is important to articulate clearly.
Discussion
You might have thought of some of the following:
Speaking on the phone or leaving a voicemail message

Speaking to someone from another country
Speaking to your boss
Speaking to an official
Giving an announcement
Speaking in a meeting.
Activity 5 Say what?

Listen to the two short audios below. What is the difference between the two?
Audio content is not available in this format.
Discussion
You probably found the first audio difficult to understand as it sounds muffled and
unclear. The speaker’s articulation is not good.
The second version is much easier to understand. The words are clear. The speaker’s
articulation is good.
Volume
Speaking at the right volume is also very important if you want to get your message
across. Whispering to a large group in a big hall would be as unsuitable as shouting at
someone who is right next to you.

Activity 6 Speaking at the right volume

Note down occasions when it may be necessary to speak fairly loudly and occasions
when you can speak quietly.
Discussion
Compare your answers to these:
Times when you have to speak loudly
● When asking a question after someone has given a presentation.

● When giving instructions to a group of children.
● When speaking to someone with machinery noise in the background.
● When speaking to someone and there’s loud music playing.
Times when you have to speak quietly
● When sitting close to someone.

● When you don’t want other people to overhear.
● When you are in a place where everyone is quiet, like a doctor’s waiting room.
● When someone else is asleep.
You need to be able to raise your voice when speaking in a large room or when a number
of people are listening. You may be the sort of person who feels very nervous about
speaking to a group of people. Perhaps you’ve never had to do this. There may well be a
day when you do have to, though, and there are some practical things you can do to help
yourself sound confident. One is speaking loudly enough!
Speed
Do you ever wish people would slow down so that you can work out what they’re saying?
Some TV presenters seem to speak very quickly. Can you pick out everything they say?
On the other hand, some people speak so slowly you wish you could wind them up!
It helps to think about how quickly you speak. When you’re nervous you may tend to
speak too fast. You need to take a few slow breaths and remember to breathe while
speaking. Have you ever run out of breath mid-sentence?
Varying the speed can make what you’re saying sound more interesting. Slowing down
can make something sound more serious. Speeding up can make something sound more
exciting. You can also add pauses for effect.
Activity 7 Fast talking

Listen to the two short audios below. What is the difference between the two?

Discussion
In the first, it’s hard to understand what the person is saying as he talks too fast. He
does not pause at all between sentences so they run into each other, making it difficult
to understand.
The second audio is easier to understand as the person speaks more slowly and uses
short pauses between sentences.
Activity 8 Practising speaking

Have a go at recording yourself speaking in different ways. Most people don’t like the
sound of their own voice, but it can help to hear what you sound like when you talk at
different speeds and volume. You could try answering the question, ‘Why are you
doing this course?’ in various ways – slowly, quickly, loudly, quietly, clearly and not
clearly. Just have a play!
You can try doing this on your phone or you can use the built-in voice recorder below,
although this does not work on mobiles or in Safari on Macs or some other browsers.
Recordings saved in the voice recorder are completely private.
Voice Recorder is not available in this format.
1.3 Listening
Listening is as important as speaking. Remember – you probably hear more words than
you speak. You do not remember every word, phrase or discussion, so how do you know
what to use or remember, or what is important?
You probably listen attentively to the things that matter to you and ‘filter out’ the things that
don’t matter so much. When you’re listening to things for entertainment, it may be just a bit
annoying if you miss something, but in other situations it can be very important to hear all
the right information.
Activity 9 What affects your listening?

Select True or False for each of these statements.

1. Your thoughts can interfere with your listening.
¡ True
¡ False
2. You may resist listening to others who criticise, blame or get angry with you.
¡ True

¡ False
3. You are more likely to listen to people with whom you feel comfortable.
¡ True
¡ False
4. If you have something you can’t wait to say you are likely to listen well.
¡ True
¡ False
5. Some people use listening as an excuse for not revealing anything about
themselves.
¡ True
¡ False
6. If you are feeling emotional about an issue you are likely to listen more attentively to
other people.
¡ True
¡ False
7. Angry people are rarely good listeners.
¡ True
¡ False
8. Talking is more important than listening.
¡ True
¡ False
9. You are less likely to listen when someone agrees with your views than when
someone challenges your views.
¡ True
¡ False
10. Fatigue never affects the quality of your listening.
¡ True
¡ False
It may be useful to keep these points in mind during any kind of discussion. They are listed
in the box below.
10 useful things about listening to keep in mind

1. Your thoughts can interfere with your listening.
2. You may resist listening to others who criticise, blame or get angry with you.
3. You are more likely to listen to people with whom you feel comfortable.
4. If you have something you can’t wait to say you are not likely to listen well.
5. Some people use listening as an excuse for not revealing anything about
themselves.
6. If you are feeling emotional about an issue you are likely to listen less attentively
to other people.
7. Angry people are rarely good listeners.
8. Listening is as important as talking.

9. You are more likely to listen when someone agrees with your views than when
someone challenges your views.
10. Fatigue can affect the quality of your listening.
When should you listen carefully?

As you have seen, lots of things can affect your listening. Often the main factor is whether
or not you are interested in what is being said. It really is worth considering what you
should listen to and when it is particularly important to listen carefully. Although there are
times when things are interesting and important, this is not always the case. Being able to
pick out what is important can save you time, money and sometimes your life.
Activity 10 When to listen carefully

Can you think of occasions when listening carefully is important? Take a few minutes
to write down some ideas.
Discussion
You might have thought of some of these:
When someone is sharing personal things

When being given instructions at work
When planning something with other people
During legal proceedings
When discussing financial details
When being told evacuation procedures
When being given health and safety instructions.
Responding appropriately
You may be very good at listening to other people and sometimes it is not necessary to
say very much at all in response. For instance, if a distressed person is telling you their
troubles, they probably just want you to listen in a way that shows them you care.
At other times you need to say quite a bit in response and say something relevant. An
instance of this would be when planning an event like a birthday celebration or something
at work. Other people need you to join in with what’s being said.
In a formal setting, like an appraisal at work, you need to speak positively and be careful
how you respond, especially if you feel that you’re being criticised.
Some situations are more serious. When asked to give evidence in court or asked
questions about an incident, you need to be careful not only to word things very carefully,

but also to consider how much information to give. It is not a time for making jokes or
trying to make things seem unimportant.
Active listening is an easy way of showing someone that you are listening and of
encouraging them to continue. Active listening includes things like:
● nodding
● short verbal prompts (such as ’hmm’ or ’yep’)
● eye contact
● asking questions
● a positive body position (such as leaning forward).
1.4 Body language

Your body language is very important for both listening and speaking. It gives a lot of
information to others about how you are feeling, if you are concentrating and if you are
interested, among other things. Non-verbal communication can make up a high proportion
of what you communicate. Clearly body language is something you should be very aware
of when you are speaking to other people. You will look at this in more detail later.
Activity 11 Read the body language

What does the body language, expressions or gestures in each of these pictures
tell you?
Figure 3 Body language (a)

Figure 4 Body language (b)
Figure 5 Body language (c)

Figure 6 Body language (d)
Figure 7 Body language (e)

Figure 8 Body language (f)
Figure 9 Body language (g)

Figure 10 Body language (h)
Figure 11 Body language (i)
Discussion
See if you agree with the ideas below on the messages that each person’s body
language sends.

Figure 12 Body language (a)

This person looks very relaxed and at ease, with their feet on the table and their hands
behind their head.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 13 Body language (b)

She seems to be concentrating hard and is focused on what she is doing.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 14 Body language (c)

He is leaning forward and looks interested and engaged.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 15 Body language (d)

She looks angry and frustrated.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 16 Body language (e)

He looks shocked and dismayed by something that’s just happened - possibly
because the other side have just scored!
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Figure 17 Body language (f)

She looks rather fed up and annoyed.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 18 Body language (g)

He looks nervous and anxious.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 19 Body language (h)

She looks tired and rather worried.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Figure 20 Body language (i)

He looks full of energy and happy.
1.5 Discussions
You will consider discussions in more depth in Section 4, but it is worth thinking about
them in the light of what you have looked at regarding everyday speaking and listening.
Discussions combine both speaking and listening.
If you are preparing for either a Functional Skills English Level 1 or an Essential Skills
Wales Communication Level 1 qualification, you will practise and be assessed on your
ability to take part in discussions. This means being able to speak and listen, ask questions,
give opinions, state facts and express feelings, among other things. This is slightly different
to everyday discussions, which are usually less structured and more unpredictable. To
communicate successfully you need to be able to take part in both short and long
discussions, which can be formal or informal.
Activity 12 Everyday discussions

Think about the types of discussion you have every day. Who do you have them with?
How long do they last for? What are they about?
Discussion
Your everyday discussions might include something like the following:
Colleagues – what you are working on today (10 minutes)

Parents – how they are and what they have been doing (20 minutes)

Friends – what you are doing at the weekend and with who (20 minutes).
Children – what they did at school (a few minutes)
Your answers are likely to be very personal and depend on your own preferences
when speaking and listening.
The next activity is a quick recap of what you’ve covered so far. It will help you to
remember what you’ve learnt.
Activity 13 Check what you’ve learnt: speaking and listening in everyday life
1. What three things should you consider when speaking to ensure you are
understood?
Discussion
You should think about your:
articulation (clarity)
speed/pace
volume.
2. Give an example of a situation when it would be vital that you are understood.
Discussion
Here are some examples.
Speaking on the phone

Speaking to someone in authority
Speaking to someone for whom English is not their first language
Speaking in a meeting.
3. Give an example of a situation in which you would need to speak loudly.
Discussion
Here are some examples of when you would need to speak loudly.
Speaking to a group
Speaking to someone who is far away

Speaking in a large room

Speaking when there’s background noise.
4. What things can affect how well you listen?
Discussion
Here are some things that can affect how well you listen.
Your emotions
Knowing the speaker
Agreeing with the speaker
Wanting to say something
Your concentration
Tiredness
Your reason for listening, for example as part of a general chat or to gain specific
information.
5. Give an example of a time when you would need to listen very carefully.
Discussion
Here are some examples of when you would need to listen very carefully.
Being given directions

Being given work instructions
During legal proceedings
Discussing financial information
Planning something with others.
6. Give an example of an active listening technique.
Discussion
Here are some examples of active listening techniques.
Nodding
Verbal prompts
Eye contact
Positive body position
Asking questions.

7. What does eye contact with someone you are talking to show?
Discussion
It shows that you are involved, engaged, listening, interested.

2 Formal and informal language
Figure 21 A formal and informal situation

The term ‘formal language’ can sound intimidating. When told you have to take part in an
assessment of your formal discussion skills, your immediate response might be to avoid it.
However, a formal discussion does not mean you have to be involved in a discussion
where you have to speak as though you are in a courtroom or the Houses of Parliament.
You just need to be able to take part in a sensible, thoughtful, serious discussion. It is the
type of discussion you might have in the workplace rather than in the pub.
In this section, you look at what makes a conversation formal or informal.
2.1 Register
The formality of language is called register. You use different registers depending on who
you are speaking to. For example, you speak to your boss differently to the way you speak
to your friends. You speak to your children differently to the way you speak to your
grandparents.
You adapt your register to suit the situation you are in and do so without really thinking too
hard about it. The activities below will help you to do this more deliberately and
consciously.
Activity 14 Formal or informal?

Take a few minutes to think about the people you speak to every day. Do you think you
speak to them formally or informally?
Discussion
For example:
Formal: colleagues, boss, teacher, grandparents.

Informal: pets, partner, siblings, friends.
Do you agree with these suggestions?
It is useful to think about the difference between spoken and written English. Due to the
changes in the way people communicate in everyday life, the world is generally becoming
more informal.

Spoken language is generally more flexible and informal than written language. However,
texts, tweets and other posts often do not follow the old rules and therefore written
language is becoming less formal. For example, it is getting more and more common to
hear people say ’OMG’ or ’LOL’ rather than the actual words.
Formal spoken language is different from formal written language. In most situations that
require formal speaking, if you spoke in exactly the same way as a formal letter is written,
it would appear strange. In most cases it would sound too formal.
There are still times when you need to speak more formally than you do with friends or
family. A typical example is when you talk to someone you do not know – you would not be
informal and risk being rude. Phone conversations in a workplace are often more formal
than face-to-face conversations. When you answer the phone you do not know who you
will be speaking to so you start by being formal and polite.
2.2 Tone
In relation to language, tone is the mood or feel of something that is said or written. The
formality of language affects the tone. As noted earlier, you usually speak formally and
politely when answering the phone, when at work or when talking to someone you don’t
know. But being overly formal can become rude in certain situations. Speaking too
formally to a friend in the pub would be out of place and might be considered rude.
It’s usually quite easy to tell the difference between formal and informal language. Formal
language often uses longer words, like ‘depart’ instead of ‘go’ and ‘commence’ instead of
‘begin’, and sometimes a less friendly tone – ‘We regret we cannot assist you’, not ‘I’m
sorry I can’t help’.
Activity 15 Matching formal and informal

1. Match the informal word to the formal word that means the same.
go down
tell
ask
saw
at the end
go
Match each of the items above to an item below.
descend
report
request
observed
finally
depart

2. Now identify the formal phrase in each of the following pairs. Drag the relevant
phrase to ‘Formal’ or ‘Informal’.
Can you explain why one is formal and the other informal? Is there one word in each
phrase that shows this?
Could I have a coffee, please?
Could you grab me a coffee?
Formal
Informal
Discussion
‘Please’ is often formal.

‘Grab’ is informal.
Morning, mate.
Good morning, sir.
Informal
Formal
Discussion
‘Mate’ is informal.
‘Sir’ is formal.
Can I have a word?

We need to discuss this further.
Informal
Formal
Discussion
‘Have a word’ is informal in this case.

‘Discuss further’ is more formal.
I don’t feel so bad.

I am well today.
Informal
Formal
Discussion
‘I am well’ is quite formal.

‘I don’t feel so bad’ is informal.

Usually it is obvious when language is formal or informal, but when speaking it is easy to
slip into slang without really noticing, such as ‘oh my goodness’ rather than ‘that is
surprising’.
Activity 16 Formal situations

Think of situations in which you might have to speak quite formally. See how many you
can note down below.
Discussion
You may have thought of some of the following:
interviews
presentations
meetings
classes/lectures
work reviews
1-1s.
2.3 Being informal

Generally you tend to be more informal with people that you know, in places where you
feel comfortable.
It is not just language that tells you when a discussion is informal. Body language is also
part of this. For example, if someone has their feet on the table it is not likely to be a formal
situation. We keep coming back to body language so it seems right that you will look at
non-verbal communication in more detail in the next section.
A Functional Skills English Level 1 or an Essential Skills Wales Communication Level

1 formal discussion won’t be like an overly formal business meeting. Likewise, a Functional
Skills English informal discussion should not be as informal as friendly banter in the break
room or the pub. The Functional Skills English assessed informal discussion is more
relaxed than the formal one, but there are still lines that must not be crossed. You need to
minimise slang and you should certainly not swear.
Remember that, if you are preparing for an Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1
qualification, you will only be required to take part in one assessed formal discussion, not
an informal discussion as well.

Activity 17 Informal situations

How many discussions or situations that would be thought of as informal can you
name?
Discussion
You might have thought of some of the following:
Catch-up chats with friends

Discussing the day with your kids
Telling stories or describing memories
Discussing hobbies
Planning holidays
Having arguments with your family.
Activity 18 Language changes (1)

Think of people you know well and the way you speak when you’re with them. Think of
examples of words that you say informally or examples of slang words you use.
Then listen to the audio below. See if you can identify slang words or words that are
spoken informally. You may want to pause the audio after each sentence to write them
in the box.
Discussion
Here are some of the informal words that were used:
‘Grab me coat, wudja?’: ‘me’ is used instead of ‘my’ and ‘wudja’ is used instead of
‘would you’.
‘I’m goin’ out tonight’: ‘goin’ is used instead of ‘going’ and the ‘t’ at the end of
tonight is not pronounced.
‘What time dyou wanna meet?’: ‘do you’ run into each other to become ‘dyou’ and
‘want to’ becomes ‘wanna’.
‘Are you boaf goin out?’: ‘th’ becomes ‘f’ so ‘both’ becomes ‘boaf’
‘’Ello mate!’: the ‘h’ at the beginning of ‘hello’ and the ‘t’ at the end of ‘mate’ are not
said.
‘’Ow you doin’, fella?’: the ‘h’ is not said in ‘how’, ‘doing’ becomes ‘doin’ and the
informal ‘fella’ is used.

‘Can I ’ave a cuppa, please?’: the ‘h’ in ‘have’ is not said and ‘cuppa’ is used for ‘a
cup of tea’.
Activity 19 Language changes (2)

Three informal statements are given below. Think about how you would say them in a
more formal way.
If you like, try recording yourself doing this, either on your phone or using the voice
recorder below. The voice recorder does not work on mobiles or in Safari on Macs or
some other browsers. Recordings saved in the voice recorder are completely private.
1. Pass us the butter, wudja?

2. What on earth was all that this morning?
3. What d’you make of that report?
Voice Recorder is not available in this format.
Here are some examples of saying the three statements in the last activity more formally:
● ‘Would you pass the butter, please?’ is a more formal version of ‘Pass us the butter,
wudja?’
● ‘What was going on this morning?’ is a more formal version of ‘What on earth was all
that this morning?’
● ‘What do you think about that report?’ is a more formal version of ‘What d’you make
of that report?’
You’ve now thought about the differences between formal and informal language. Another
important way of working out what someone is communicating is through their body
language.

3 Non-verbal communication
Figure 22 Examples of body language

Much of what you communicate is not through words at all but through your tone of voice,
facial expressions and body language.
You now look at these different ways of communicating and specifically at how non-verbal
communication can show others whether or not you are listening and have understood,
and whether you agree with them.
3.1 Expressions
If someone frowns while you’re speaking, you will probably assume that they don’t
understand what you’ve said. Of course, it could also mean that they have a stomach pain
or are thinking about something else entirely! You can’t always assume that you know
what is meant, but expressions usually help you to know what is going on. They add
meaning.
Activity 20 Common expressions

1. Take a few minutes to note down some common facial expressions or gestures that
people use when talking with others.
Discussion
You may have thought of some of the following:

Nodding
Smiling
Frowning
Shrugging your shoulders
Rolling your eyes
Pointing
Shaking your head
Raising your eyebrows.
2. Now try to add meaning to the list of expressions and movements you created. Write
down next to each what you think it usually means.
Discussion
Here are some common gestures and what they usually mean:
Nodding — agreeing
Shaking head — disagreeing
Raising eyebrows — showing surprise or disapproval
Shrugging — I don’t know
Rolling eyes — disbelief/frustration/dismissing an idea.
Sometimes people can say one thing with words and another thing with their expression
or tone of voice. For example, they may tell you that they are very excited but they actually
look bored and speak as if they are reading the phone directory. What conclusion would
you draw?
Perhaps such a person wants you to believe that they are excited because they want to
make you happy, but are not really excited at all.
Activity 21 Real-life situations

In the video below, various people make a statement and then repeat it using a
different expression, tone of voice and body language. How does this change the
meaning of what the person says?
Discussion
Here are some of the ways in which facial expression, tone and body language seem
to change the meaning of what’s said.
I’m sorry about what I said earlier. In the first clip, she frowns and has her arms
folded. You wonder if she really means it. In the second clip, she reaches out with
her hands as if to emphasise that she really is sorry.

I saw someone run a key down the side of your car. In the first clip, she looks
down while she’s speaking and has her arms folded. It makes you doubt her story
and wonder if she was the person responsible for scratching your car! In the
second clip, she looks at you as she speaks and she sounds concerned.
Have a lovely time tonight. In the first clip, he looks down, has his arms folded and
sounds rather bored and unhappy as he says it. But in the second clip, he looks at
you, has a brighter tone of voice and sounds as if he means it.
So tell me, what do you think of my idea? In the first clip, she has her arms folded
and frowns as she asks the question. You get the impression she’s not actually
that interested in what you think. In the second clip, her expression is more open,
as is her body language, and it seems as if she really does want to hear your
thoughts.
I’d love to go to the cinema with you tonight. In the first clip, she leans back with
her arms folded and you’re not sure whether she means what she says. In the
second clip, her facial expression and her outstretched hands suggest that she
really would like to go out.
3.2 Verbal signals

One example of when you can’t see the other person is when you’re talking on the phone.
When you’re on the phone, you can find other ways of signalling to the other person while
they are speaking. These tend to be little words or sounds like:
yes, no, mmm, oh, ah-ha, go on
or they may be longer phrases, like:
Does that mean …?

Can you repeat that?
What do I do if …?
These are some of the ways that you can ask people to clarify what they’ve said or check
that you’ve understood correctly.
Activity 22 Spot the signals

Listen to the audio below. In the box note down all the verbal signals used in the
exchange.

Discussion
Here are the verbal signals the woman uses in the conversation. Some of them are
short words or phrases just to show that she was listening:
Right
Oh no
OK
Others are follow-up questions, encouraging the speaker to continue his story:
Did you make it?

What did you do?
Was it raining?
3.3 Body language

You can also communicate how you feel by the way you sit or stand, and you can give
signals to other people by your movements.
Sitting back in a chair when talking to someone indicates that you feel relaxed. You may
tend to sit forward when you’re a bit tense, such as when you’re trying to give a good
impression, express interest or concentrate.
Moving from a relaxed position to sitting upright may indicate that you’re about to get up or
leave. It may also mean that something has just grabbed your attention.
Of course, you tend to adapt your body language according to the situation you’re in. You
probably take a much more relaxed position when you’re with friends and family, but even
with these people you may change your behaviour at a formal occasion like a wedding.
Society has expectations about the way people sit and move at different occasions and in
different places. There is also an accepted ‘personal space’: norms for how close we get
to each other.
Activity 23 More real life

Consider the following situations.

1. How would you feel if someone moved to stand between you and the door (facing
you) when you have just stood up to leave?
Discussion
Depending on how well you know the person, you might feel a bit intimidated. You
would feel that they were deliberately trying to stop you going. They may want to talk to
you about something before you leave.
2. How do you feel if someone moves into your personal space and asks you for a
favour?

Discussion
You would probably feel that you were being intimidated or manipulated into doing
what they want.
3. You are at a friend’s house having a chat and about 10 minutes ago you said that
you must leave. You’re still sitting. Your friend stands up. What message does that
give you?
Discussion
You would probably feel that they want you to go.
4. You are in a job interview. The interviewer has been sitting on a wooden chair with
one leg crossed over the other. While you are answering a question they suddenly shift
to a leaning-forward position. What message does that give you?
Discussion
You would probably feel that they were either disapproving or particularly interested in
what you had just said.
Activity 24 Check what you’ve learnt: body language

1. A friend of yours is in trouble that you didn’t know about. A mutual friend comes to
you to tell you about it. You are very concerned and want to help. How will you show,
without using words, that you are interested?
Discussion
You would probably look at your friend intently and nod gently. You may frown a little
and raise eyebrows to express surprise.
2. What gestures, expressions or body language would be appropriate for you in the
following situations?
a) A young child is telling you about something that happened to them at school today.

Discussion
You would lean towards them. You would smile and make little comments to
encourage them to tell you.
b) You are being introduced to the personnel manager at the place where you have
just arrived for a job interview.
Discussion
You would stand up straight, look them in the eye and offer a hand to shake. You would
hopefully not be too nervous to remember to smile!
c) Your doctor’s receptionist has just given you an instruction and you’re not sure you
understood.
Discussion
You would frown a little. If she didn’t respond to that you would have to ask her to
explain again.
d) You are in a group doing some training at work. You don’t understand a procedure.
Discussion
Again, you would probably frown or maybe shake your head a little. If the instructor
didn’t respond you may raise your hand a little to get their attention.
e) You are in a group training session and you’ve just asked a question of the trainer.
While they start to answer, you realise that you know the answer.
Discussion
You would probably nod your head very obviously.

4 Taking part in discussions
Figure 23 A family discussion

A discussion is simply when people talk about something and tell each other their ideas or
opinions. It may also (but not always) have a purpose, such as to make a decision on
something.
Discussions vary considerably according to what they’re for and who is taking part. You
will be involved in discussions at some time or another, even if it’s only a family discussion
about what kind of takeaway to have. This kind of discussion is aimed at a decision being
made. Some discussions are more relaxed or leisurely and do not need to reach a
decision or conclusion.
4.1 Types of discussion

Some discussions arise naturally. For instance, you may be with a group of people
discussing last night’s football match or a scandal involving a celebrity. These sorts of
discussions are for sharing views, but no conclusion is necessary. They help people to get
to know each other better.
Other discussions are more formal. These would include discussions at meetings
such as:
● staff or team meetings at work

● your local residents’ meetings
● neighbourhood crime prevention meetings
● committee meetings of a society you belong to
● AGMs (Annual General Meetings)
● parent–teacher meetings
● school governor meetings.
In meetings, items are presented for discussion. The chairperson may ask you to state
your point of view.

The purpose of these discussions vary and may be:
● to reach a decision such as when and where to have a staff party

● to feedback ideas to people with more authority
● to get reactions to a proposal.
Some discussions are arranged especially for interest or entertainment. They may be
arranged so that people who feel strongly about something have the opportunity to share
their views. Examples of these would be discussion programmes on the television or
radio.
When you are involved in a discussion, it helps to know what the purpose is. It also helps if
everybody involved knows what the purpose is. This helps the discussion to stay on
target.
In a formal discussion, if other issues are raised, it’s best to agree to discuss them later.
4.2 Asking questions

How you ask questions depends on what you want and who you’re talking to. Even with
people you know well, you may think twice before asking them to do things for you. You
may be afraid to ask them for information if you think they won’t want to tell you. You may
feel that some subjects are off limits.
When you are with people you don’t know, you usually have to ask questions to get
information. You may find it difficult to find the right words to use.
In an assessed discussion for a Functional Skills English Level 1 or an Essential Skills

Wales Communication Level 1 qualification, you are expected to ask questions as well as
answer them.
Asking questions is arguably more difficult than answering them as you need to think of
what you want to know and how you want to ask it. Often asking questions requires you to
be more proactive and thoughtful than answering questions.
Asking for information

This is a key part of any discussion, but also something you have to do almost every day.
Activity 25 When do you have to ask for information?

Try to think of as many different situations as possible in which you might have to ask
for information. Make a note of them below.
Discussion
Here are some suggestions:

asking for directions when you don’t know where to go

asking for information at the local Citizens Advice
asking the nurse in a hospital about a sick relative
asking for information on benefits or jobs at the local job centre
asking about something at work
asking a child why they’re upset
asking your partner about their day at work
asking a passer-by what the time is
asking about courses at your local college.
Sometimes you might ask questions that the other person is embarrassed to answer or
that make them feel uncomfortable. Knowing when a question is appropriate is a useful
skill.
Activity 26 Being appropriate

Decide whether each question below is appropriate or inappropriate.

1. You are at a school parents’ evening. You ask how your son gets on with other
children.
¡ Appropriate
¡ Not appropriate
2. You’re paying for goods at a checkout. You ask the assistant what they think of their
manager.
¡ Appropriate
¡ Not appropriate
3. You’re in the canteen at work. Your supervisor comes in and you ask why your friend
was turned down for promotion.
¡ Appropriate
¡ Not appropriate
4. Your car has broken down. The breakdown service arrives after you’ve waited for
two hours. You ask them what took so long.
¡ Appropriate
¡ Not appropriate
5. You meet someone at a party and discover that they have seven children. You ask
why they have so many.
¡ Appropriate
¡ Not appropriate

4.3 Answering questions

Different situations involve different kinds of question. Answering questions appropriately
means understanding the situation and working out what kind of response to give. In
familiar settings this may be easy, but when you’re with people you don’t know so well,
you may have to weigh things up quite quickly.
You might be asked questions in all sorts of different settings, from children asking ‘Why?’
to being asked for information by the police.
Types of answers
Questions take on different forms. Sometimes the person wants a very short, simple
answer like ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or they want you to choose between very few options like tea or
coffee. These are called closed questions.
At other times, people ask questions in order to let you speak. These are questions like
‘What do you think about …?’ These are called open questions.
Sometimes a question may pose as both. The question ‘How was your day?’ could be
given a one-word answer or could be given a full answer. It is up to you to work out what
kind of answer the person wants.
Activity 27 Open or closed?

Look at the questions below and decide whether each is open or closed.
1. Did you come by train?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
2. What are you doing at the weekend?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
3. How many children do you have?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
4. Are you married?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
5. Are you enjoying your course?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
6. What did you think of the film?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
7. Shall we go out for lunch?
¡ Open

¡ Closed
8. Where were you last night?
¡ Open
¡ Closed
Deciding how to respond

Sometimes it’s easy to know what kind of answer you should give. This is particularly true
when you’re with people you know well. You will be used to communicating with each
other.
The same is true of very formal situations. You know what kind of answer to give when, for
example, a nurse is asking about your medical history. The context tells you how to
answer.
You can be asked the same question in different contexts and be expected to give very
different answers.
For example, think about the question ‘How are you?’ What kind of responses might you
be expected to give?
Sometimes ‘How are you?’ can just be another way of saying ‘Hi’ and you’re
expected to say no more than ‘Fine, thanks’.
If a doctor asks you how you are, you are expected to tell them what’s wrong.
If you’ve been unwell and your friends ask how you are, you’re expected to reply that
you’re getting better or that you’re fine now.
If someone knows you’ve been having a hard time, they’re expecting you to tell them
about your situation or how stressed you feel.
Someone you’re very close to may want you to share quite deeply about your
feelings.
If you meet someone in the street and they say ‘How are you?’ it might be totally
inappropriate to start telling them all your troubles!
Activity 28 Responding appropriately

Think of different people who might ask you what you did last night. What would be an
appropriate response to each? Try to think of three examples.
Discussion
You could be asked by your family or friends. You might give a short answer or you
might tell them in detail.
You could be asked by a colleague at work, especially if you look a bit tired! You would
probably give them an honest but short account.

You could be asked by a police officer. You would immediately wonder why they
wanted to know and you might be very wary of the answer you give. You would be
careful to be accurate about times and places.
4.4 Disagreeing
When you feel strongly about something, it can be difficult to keep your cool when stating
your views. You need to remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion and learn to
disagree agreeably. Most people don’t want to cause hard feelings because of a
disagreement, but unfortunately it’s very easy to do!
Activity 29 Disagreements
Think of some disagreements you’ve had with people.
1. How do you feel when people disagree with you?

2. How do people express their disagreement with you?
Discussion
1. Your answer will be somewhere between feeling quite comfortable and able to
discuss things in a friendly way, and feeling really upset and getting angry.
2. Disagreement can be expressed through irritability, silence, interruptions,
repetition and anger.
Handling disagreements and debate is an important part of a discussion. How you react to
disagreement reflects the way in which people have responded to you and your
experiences in the past.
Activity 30 Responding to disagreement

Think about what you do when someone says something you disagree with or when
someone disagrees with something you have said. What do you do? How do you feel?
Think about the last time you disagreed with someone. How did you both express your
views? What was the result?

Discussion
People respond in different ways when someone disagrees with something you’ve
said. Would any of the following apply to you?
You take their view as a personal attack and respond defensively.

You go silent and avoid any conflict.
You put your view forward very strongly.
You disagree with the view and still manage to make the person feel good about
themselves.
How do other people feel when you tell them that you don’t agree with them?
When you disagree with someone it’s important to try to make them feel that you’re not
disapproving of them or rejecting them.
You can say something to show appreciation and then put forward your view:
‘I appreciate what you’re saying, but have you thought about ...’
‘I see that that may work in some situations, but what about ...’
‘I understand what you’re saying. What would you do if ...’
‘I realise that you’ve given it a lot of thought, but there is another way of looking at it.’
‘I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with that.’
You will notice that the examples above show respect for the person but disagree with the
view they’ve put forward. Notice, ‘I don’t agree with that,’ not, ‘I don’t agree with you.’
Always try to avoid being personal!
There are other things to avoid. Certain things people say in the heat of the moment can’t
possibly be true:
’You always ...’ or ’You never ...’
None of us are that consistent! Using words like ‘always’ and ‘never’ raises the emotional
temperature and they don’t help to maintain relationships during disagreements.
‘You make me feel ...’ is another phrase which isn’t true. Other people are not responsible
for the way you feel.
4.5 Taking turns

Discussions where one person does most of the talking are not enjoyable for most people.
The one person who may enjoy it is the person who won’t stop talking!
Good discussions are ones in which everyone gets a chance to speak and no one is afraid
of saying what they really think. Discussions should make you think about the views you
have. You can change the way you think by listening to what others have to say. They may
help you to think about things that you hadn’t noticed before.
There are different ways of ‘not listening’ in a discussion.
When one person keeps putting their view across and refuses to let others get a word in, it
is not a proper discussion!

Sometimes a discussion group may be dominated by the sort of person who doesn’t let
anyone finish what they’re saying. This person has to comment on everything everyone
says. Less confident people will have a lot of difficulty taking part in this kind of situation.
Some people can be very insensitive to others when sharing their views on controversial
or sensitive subjects. For example, they may put forward an extreme view about how
young offenders should be punished when there is someone in the group whose son is in
trouble with the police.
4.6 Encouraging others

You may be in a discussion where one person sits quietly, saying nothing. You may know
the person and know that they have some views on the subject or some experience to
share. Or you may not know what they have to contribute, but you’re aware that they’ve
not spoken.
The short video below shows different ways that you can encourage someone to speak in
a discussion.
The points made in the video are summarised in the box below.
Ways of encouraging others to speak during a discussion

● Address them directly and invite them to share their experience. ‘Martha, tell us
about your experience with …’.
● Address them directly and ask what they think. ‘Gary, what do you think about …?’
● Use less direct, more subtle way of giving them a chance to speak:
○ catch their eye just as you finish what you’re saying
○ give a little nod in their direction
○ open your hand towards them
○ smile towards them.
4.7 Making your point

Whenever there is a group of people together there will be some who have more to say
than others and some who are comfortable letting others do the talking. All of them have
views that are equally valid. You will look now at how to get people’s attention when you
want to say something.
Imagine the situation: a discussion is in full swing, you keep opening your mouth to speak,
but no one seems to notice. You feel you have something important to say. What do
you do?
Some people have the knack of getting attention when they open their mouths. Some
have to think about strategies to use.

Two people you know are involved in an intense discussion. You need to interrupt to ask
one of them to give you a lift later in the day. You go up to them hoping that they’ll notice
you want to speak, but they just carry on talking.
You will probably say something like:
‘Sorry to bother you but ...’

‘I don’t want to interrupt; I just want to ask quickly …’
In this way you acknowledge that their conversation is important but still get to say what
you want.
Likewise, there are times when you want to get your own point across in a discussion but
everyone else is talking and you don’t get a chance. There are ways of interrupting:
‘May I make a point here?’

‘I’ve been listening to all that’s been said. I think …’
A loud ‘er’ can be very effective!
Depending on what stage the discussion is at, you may need to use different strategies. It
may be that you’ve been wanting to say something and have been waiting for an
opportunity. Now the discussion has moved on, but you still think that what you have to
say is important. You could say:
‘May I return to the point you were making earlier about ...? I think ...’
Always make sure that you are following the discussion and that your points are relevant.
It helps to get other people’s attention if you introduce what you are going to say, for
example:
‘There are two points I think we need to consider here ...’
Activity 31 Self-reflection
Think carefully about how you behave when discussing things with other people. How
do you feel? What do you do? What do you say?
Discussion
You might recognise yourself in one or more of the following:
I have a lot to say and I say it.

I enjoy listening to different points of view.
I’m conscious of how other people are reacting even if they don’t say anything.
I prefer to sit quietly and let other people speak.
I feel embarrassed speaking in a group.
People don’t listen to me. I can never get a word in.
I have strong opinions.
I’m easily influenced by others.

After working through this section, how do you think you need to change when discussing
things with people?
4.8 Speaking and listening assessments

This section specifically introduces the discussion assessments for Functional Skills
English Level 1 and Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1. However, if you
are not studying for these qualifications you will still find the activity useful so please read
through the section, watch the film and try out Activity 32.
To pass a Functional Skills English Level 1 assessment, you need to take part
successfully in two discussions. To pass an Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1
assessment, you need to take part in one formal discussion.
Functional Skills English Level 1 speaking and listening

assessments
Of the two group discussions you need to take part in, one is formal and the other is
informal. They both last for about ten minutes, although different exam boards have slightly
different rules, so this might vary depending on where you do the course.
One of the discussions you take part in will be on an unfamiliar topic. This will be a topic that
you have little or no knowledge of. The topic will be agreed with everybody before the
discussion takes place. It means you will need to do some research on the topic as
preparation for the discussion. This research can be done on a computer or even your
phone and you will need to make notes on the topic so that you can contribute with relevant
information, ideas and opinions.
The other discussion will be on a familiar topic, so you will not have to research it. You still
need to prepare and make notes on what you want to say.
Below is an outline of the kind of things you need to do or show to pass the assessments.
All exam boards are different, but these are typical things that your teacher needs to see
you do well.
You need to do (and show) the following things to pass the Functional Skills English Level 1
discussion assessment.
Functional Skills English Level 1 discussion assessment criteria
● Prepare for discussions of ideas and opinions.

● Contribute to discussions of ideas and opinions.
● Make relevant contributions to discussions.
● Make extended contributions to discussions.
● Allow for others’ input – listen to others’ contributions.
● Respond to others’ input.
● Make different kinds of contributions – ask questions, answer questions, ask for
things to be clarified or repeated if necessary.
● Present information and/or points of view clearly .
● Use appropriate language.

● Use appropriate body language, gestures and facial expressions, and maintain
eye contact.
Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 speaking and

listening assessment
You will need to take part in a formal discussion on a given topic. You will be asked to read a
document about the topic (which may be unfamiliar to you) and make notes about what you
want to say during the discussion based on what you have read.
The discussion will be with at least two other people. It will last for a minimum time of 10
minutes with 3-6 people in the group and a minimum time of approximately 20 minutes for
larger groups. You will be able to use your notes during the discussion.
Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 discussion assessment

criteria
You need to do (and show) the following things to pass the Essential Skills discussion
assessment.
● Say what you think/feel about the subject, expressing your ideas in an
appropriate way.
● Provide information about the subject, using appropriate language throughout the
discussion.
● Make clear and relevant contributions.
● Use appropriate phrases or gestures in order to join in the discussion.
● Respect the turn-taking rights of others.
● Use strategies to support what you are saying, such as eye contact and positive
body language.
● Pay close attention to what others say and respond to them appropriately.
● Ask others in the group about their opinions.
Activity 32 Observing a discussion

Watch the video below of a discussion about drones. Observe closely the participant
on the right-hand side. Using either the Functional Skills discussion criteria or the
Essential Skills discussion criteria above, evaluate her performance. Do you think she
does all of the things needed to pass an assessment?
Discussion
The participant on the right meets the criteria to pass both assessments.

● She had clearly prepared – saying she had looked online – and she shared the
information she had found.
● She contributed regularly throughout the discussion, taking the lead role and
opening and closing the discussion and asking questions of each of the others
more than once.
● She offered facts, opinions and ideas about drones and made more than one
extended contribution.
● It was clear she was listening to others as she prompted and agreed when
others were speaking, and nodded and smiled appropriately.
● She allowed others to speak and if she did add comments they were often
supportive and encouraging.
● Her use of language was suitable for the topic and the situation; it was
considered, audible and clear at all times.
● Her body language was positive – she sat upright and used hand gestures
positively throughout.
It was a strong performance.

5 This session’s quiz

Check what you’ve learned this week by taking the end-of-session quiz.
Session 1 quiz
Open the quiz in a new window or tab then return here once you’ve finished it.

6 Summary
6 Summary
Here are the key learning points from this session.
● For most people, speaking and listening is the part of English they do the most.
● Being able to speak clearly and confidently and to listen are vital for success in any
workplace.
● In order for people to understand you, you need to speak at the appropriate volume
and speed and to speak clearly.
● Listening is as important as speaking.
● Lots of things can affect your ability to listen, such as how relevant the subject is to
you, how strongly you feel about it, and feeling tired or angry.
● Active listening can show someone that you are listening. It includes things like
nodding, short verbal prompts, eye contact, asking questions and a positive body
position.
● Body language can be used to support clear communication. Be aware of how body
language can change the meaning of what you say.
● It is useful to be aware of the differences between formal and informal
conversations. Generally, the world is becoming more informal but there are still
times when you need to speak formally such as in meetings or interviews.
● You can improve the way you take part in discussions by following some practical
strategies for asking and answering questions, taking turns, disagreeing with
someone without it becoming personal, and encouraging others to speak.
● The key to improving your speaking and listening skills is to practise using them in
day-to-day life.
Speaking and listening are considered very important in Functional Skills English and
Essential Skills Wales Communication qualifications.

6 Summary

Reading
Introduction
Reading
Introduction
Although technology in the world today means there is less and less paper, there seem to
be more words than ever and reading remains a vital skill. Words are everywhere. Being
able to choose which ones to read, to read and understand them, and to find the
information you need are all vital to living, working and studying successfully.
In this session you will develop these skills by looking at different types of written material
and their purpose, format and structure.
Much of what you read every day is short and involves single words, phrases and short
sentences. But being able to read, understand and use longer texts is just as important.
Being able to tell the difference between facts and opinions is also important, particularly
in a world of social media and ‘fake news’.
Reading is a skill that needs practice. Although this session concentrates on functional or
practical reading for life, work and study, reading for pleasure is a great way to practise. It
does not matter what you read but if you can make even a small amount of time every day
to read something you enjoy, the benefits are huge. It does not have to be fiction, but it
should be something you find interesting, funny or entertaining.

Reading
1 The texts you read

Figure 1 Different kinds of text
A text is any kind of written material. The word has only recently come to mean a ‘text
message’ on a mobile phone. There are lots of different kinds of text. They were all written
for a particular reason. Almost all texts are meant to be read by other people.
In this section you look at different types of text, what they aim to do and how to pick out
what’s important.
1.1 What do you read?

Reading is something you do every day. What you actually read depends on who you are,
what job you do, your age, your interests and the reason for reading a particular text.
Activity 1 Your average day

Think about your average day. Take a few minutes to note down as many things as
possible that you usually read.
Discussion
Your list might have included some of the following:
Text message
Tweet
Facebook post
Email
Newspaper
Fiction book
Text book
Magazine
Shopping list
Website
Note from a family member
Letter
Poster
Road signs
Adverts
TV guide.

Reading
1.2 Why do you read?

The reasons for reading something affect how you read it. For example, you probably
ignore most road signs if you know where you’re going, but if you are looking for
somewhere in particular you pay more attention.
Some things have to be read more carefully than others. They may take longer to read.
You may have to read them in a set time if you are taking a test.
These could be things like:
a textbook on a subject you are studying

a job application form
a letter from a car insurer
instructions for recording a TV programme
a passport form
a rail timetable.
Sometimes you can read things more quickly. You don’t need to read every word really
carefully. You may just be reading for pleasure.
These kinds of texts could be:
a football report in the newspaper

an advert in a magazine
a chapter of a story
a letter from a friend
a text message on your phone.
Activity 3 Why you read what you read

In Activity 1, you noted down the things you read on an average day. Try to briefly
explain why you read each of them in the box below.
Discussion
Here are some examples:
Newspaper or news website: to get the news for the day

Text message: because it has come from a friend, family member, colleague
Facebook post: to see what friends are doing

Reading
1.3 Being an active reader

Becoming more aware and active as a reader is the most effective way of improving your
reading skills. You are bombarded by words all the time and deciding what to read is very
important.
The following questions will help you decide whether a text is important:
● What is it?
● Where does it come from?
● What is it for?
● Why was it written?
● Who is it for?
Try to follow these tips when reading a new text:
● Read the title of the text. This helps you to decide what it is about.
● Look at the cover, pictures and logo. These may help you decide what it is
about, too.
● Think about whether you need to read it. Ask yourself if it is likely to contain helpful
information.
● Look quickly at the main part of the text to see if it seems to be written in a style that
you can understand and with the level of detail that you need.
Some of these features are shown in the advert below. Notice how the title helps you
decide what it’s about, as well as the images, both in the logo and the main picture. The
detail below the main picture consists of key words to show what the company is offering.
All these features help you decide quickly whether it’s something you need or are
interested in.
Figure 2 An advert for gardening services
This leads nicely on to other important questions when reading a text: what is its purpose
and who is its intended audience?
Your reason for reading a text is important when deciding whether or not to read it in the
first place and then how carefully and how quickly to read it. But equally, it is important to
be able to work out and understand the reason it was written and who it was written for.
1.4 The purpose of texts

Every text is written for a reason. For example, every text message you send has a
purpose, whether that is to let your mum know when you will be home or to share a joke
with a friend.
If someone sends you an invitation to a party, for example, they are telling you what time
to arrive and what the sender is celebrating, and they might even suggest what to wear.
Figure 3 A party invitation
An electricity bill may be less welcome than a party invitation. It tells you how much
electricity you have used, how much you have to pay and when the money is due.
Everyone deals with many kinds of written texts. Some texts are printed: books,
magazines, leaflets and memos. Other types of texts are handwritten: letters, notes and

Reading
lists. Some texts are on a screen: web pages and emails, texts, Facebook posts, tweets
and blogs.
Most people see the same kind of text each day, like:
● newspapers and magazines (online or printed)

● advertisements (usually just called ‘adverts’)
● sets of instructions (how to do something)
● texts full of information like Wikipedia or a dictionary
● personal texts like letters, cards and notes
● texts that are read for pleasure, like novels, short stories and poems.
Writing can be broadly broken down into fiction and non-fiction. A fictional text’s main
purpose is to entertain its readers. It does other things as well, but its main purpose is to
entertain. Functional Skills English and Essential Skills Wales Communication only
require you to read non-fictional texts, so that is what you will concentrate on here.
Activity 4 Newspapers
You need a newspaper for this activity. It doesn’t have to be today’s, it can be local or
national, and it can be printed or online.
Although the newspaper is one big text, it contains lots of smaller texts, too.
Find each of the following types of text in your newspaper (you can cut them out if you
have a printed newspaper):
● cartoon
● front-page news item
● letter to the editor
● job advert
● weather forecast
● sports article.
Try to say why each of these texts was written.
Discussion
Here are some ideas as to why each of these texts was written:
● cartoon: to entertain you or make you laugh

● front-page news item: to tell you what is happening in the world
● letter to the editor: to share an idea or opinion with other readers
● job advert: to let people know about a vacancy so they can find a job and an
employer can recruit staff
● weather forecast: to tell you what weather to expect today and/or to tell you the
forecast for tomorrow
● sports article: to give you the latest sports news.

Reading
There are four main purposes of non-fiction texts:
● to instruct
● to describe or explain
● to persuade
● to inform.
1.5 Texts that instruct

Instructions are everywhere. Whether you choose to follow them is another matter
entirely. Instructions can be anything from how to open a box of cereal to the step-by-step
details of how to put together a flat-pack piece of furniture.
Instructions contain imperatives (bossy verbs) – commands which tell you what to do or
what not to do, such as ‘shake the packet’ or ‘do not leave the box open’.
Activity 5 Safety instructions

Read the following text and note down:
● who it is written for

● why it was written
● what makes its message successful.
Road safety
checklist
DO DON’T
ALWAYS DON’T
wear a leave
seatbelt valuables
in a
parked car
ALWAYS DON’T
plan your leave your
route and driving
have a map licence in
your car
DO tell NEVER
someone leave your
where you car
are going unlocked
DO join a NEVER
national leave
breakdown children
service alone in
the car
DO park in NEVER
well-lit pick up
places hitchhikers

Reading
Discussion
Who? The text is written for drivers and people who travel by car.
Why? The purpose of the text is to instruct people on how to keep safe when travelling
by car.
What makes it successful?
The way the text is laid out highlights the key points that you are likely to
remember.
It tells you what you should do and what it is best not to do.
The instructions are very clear and easy to understand.
The first words – ‘ALWAYS’, ‘DO’, ‘DON’T’ and ‘NEVER’ – are in capital letters so
that you notice them.
It uses short sentences.
It uses imperatives to tell you clearly what to do and what not to do, such as plan,
tell, leave and pick.
The purpose of texts like these is to tell somebody what to do or how things should be
done. You get instructions if you buy a new piece of equipment like a food processor.
Instructions are often in a particular order and may be numbered or in bullet points. They
are often arranged under subheadings.
1.6 Texts that describe or explain

Descriptive texts tell you about what has happened or about people and situations. This
means that they don’t try to tell you what you should do or think; they leave you to make
up your own mind.
These texts tend to be longer because they are not just giving information but explaining
or describing something in more detail. Newspaper, magazine and internet articles are
good examples of this.
Descriptive texts often contain describing words to help build up an image in the reader’s
mind. They may draw upon your five senses (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and
tasting) to help you to imagine what something is like. For example:
The white sandy beach stretched around the gently curving cove.
The familiar smell of bonfire smoke hung in the cold air.
Activity 6 Descriptive texts

Read the texts below and decide which one is descriptive.
Text A
The cottage was probably built in Tudor times. It has a thatched roof and
black beams. Surrounding the cottage is a small garden with old wooden

Reading
fencing. There is a narrow entrance from the lane and a small apple orchard
at the back.
Text B
Have you ever thought how wonderful it would be to live in a country
cottage? Away from the fumes and smoke of the city you could enjoy a
happier life in a real community setting. People in the country always have
time to stop for a chat, not like in the town, where nobody knows or cares
about their neighbours.
Text C
You should renew a thatched roof about every 80 years. Remove the old
thatch and replace any rotten joists. Then lay the new layer of thatch onto
the roof. Reed thatch lasts far longer than thatch made from wheat straw,
but is much more expensive. Norfolk reed makes the best thatching
material.
Which text is descriptive?

¡ Text A
¡ Text B
¡ Text C
Discussion
Text A is descriptive as it describes the cottage and its surroundings. It uses describing
words like thatched, black, small, old and narrow.
Text B sounds like a text that persuades, as it tries to persuade you that life in the
country is great!
Text C sounds like a text that instructs, as it tells you how to replace a thatched roof.
1.7 Texts that persuade

Persuasive texts are all around, from the company logos on almost everything you buy to
the letters from the bank offering loans, which appear formal and serious but are really just
adverts. A major benefit of being an aware and active reader is understanding the
influence and techniques of persuasive texts.
Persuasive texts try to ‘talk you into’ doing something. It may be joining a club, sending
some money to charity or buying a new car. They are written to make you agree with a
point of view. They usually give you good reasons to do what they want.
Texts can use different methods to persuade you to do something:
● The layout and style of the text catches your eye.

● They use language in a way that makes something sound exciting or worthwhile.
● They may even make you feel that you’ll be left out if you don’t do what they say: ‘Do
you want to be the only family without a new computer?’
● They may make you feel sad in order to persuade you to give money.

Reading
Activity 7 Persuasive texts

Look at the advert below and answer the questions that follow.
Figure 4 An advert for children’s charities
1. What is this text trying to persuade its readers to do?
Discussion
It’s trying to persuade readers to donate money.
2. How does it try to persuade readers to do this?
Discussion
The poster speaks directly to the reader – ‘YOU’.
It also draws on the reader’s emotions – it uses the image of a child and says, ‘please
help’.
Activity 8 More persuasion

Look at the following advert carefully. What layout, presentation and language features
does it use to try to persuade its readers to go to the car boot sale?
Figure 5 An advert for a car boot sale
Discussion
The advert uses bigger and bigger letters and capital letters – ‘MASSIVE’,
‘MONSTER’, etc. – so that it seems really big and exciting.
It uses bullet points to list the events so that they stand out.
It tells you about the money you could save: ‘bargains’, ‘cheapest prices’, ‘free
parking’, ‘free valuations’.
Later on you will see this advert in a very different format.

Reading
1.8 Texts that inform

These texts give the reader information about something. They contain facts and avoid
repetition. They can be very short, such as a street name sign, or longer, like a news
article. The longer a text is, the more likely it is to describe or explain rather than inform.
The difference is not always clear.
Think about the persuasive advert for the car boot sale you saw earlier. The same
information is presented in the text below.
Big car boot sale to be held at the Bridgnorth Leisure Centre, Northgate,
Bridgnorth on 25 Sept 2019. It opens at 6.30am. £5 per car. Parking available.
Cheap prices. Special ‘£1 only’ stall. Farm shop and café. Dog show. Seconds
direct from manufacturers. Telford Marching Band display at 11am. Repre-
sentative from the Antiques Roadshow. Entertainment for children.
This text contains the same information, so it still tells you:
● when the car boot sale will be held

● where it will happen
● what attractions there will be.
But now it seems dull, so not so many people will be persuaded to go along. It is giving
information rather than persuading.
1.9 Intended audience

The intended audience is linked closely to the purpose of the text. If a text is trying to
persuade its readers to buy children’s toys, it is likely to be aimed at children and parents
and perhaps grandparents. If an advert is trying to sell beer it will not be aimed at under-
18s. At least, legally it shouldn’t!
When it comes to entertainment, audiences watch or read the things they enjoy. Arsenal
fans watch Arsenal and Tom Cruise fans watch Tom Cruise films. People who love poetry
read poetry and cycling fans read cycling magazines. Interestingly, the writer’s intended
audience isn’t always the one that reads the text. For example, the Harry Potter books
were initially aimed at older children and young teenagers, but they have been read by
millions of adults around the world.
Audiences can be categorised by age, gender, interests/hobbies, work and language,
among other things. The reason you are reading this text is because you are interested in
studying and improving your English. You are the intended audience of this text.
Activity 9 Match the audience

Match the intended audience to the appropriate text.

Students on an Introduction to Psychology course
Football fans
Pop music fans
Vegetarians or those cooking for them

Reading

And do the same for these ones:
Older people
Young children
A manager
Parents
Activity 10 Check what you’ve learnt: the texts you read

1. For each of the following texts, select its main purpose from the options given.
a. Advertisement for a car
¡ instruct
¡ persuade
¡ inform
b. Instructions for a new printer
¡ instruct
¡ describe
¡ persuade
c. Leaflet with flat-pack furniture
¡ instruct
¡ describe
¡ persuade
d. OXFAM appeal advert
¡ instruct
¡ describe
¡ persuade
e. Review of a new film
¡ instruct
¡ describe
¡ inform
f. Letter from a friend telling you about her new flat
¡ instruct
¡ describe
¡ persuade
2. Read the following two texts.
Can you identify the format of each text (or where it might have come from), its
purpose and the intended audience?
Text A
Figure 6 Text A

Reading
Discussion
This is a postcard. Its purpose is to inform and the intended audience is friends or
family.
Text B
Figure 7 Text B
Discussion
This comes from a passport information leaflet.
Its purpose is to inform.
The intended audience are people travelling to the country in question.
Now that you’ve thought about different types of text and their intended audience, you’ll
now look at deciding what and how to read.

Reading
2 Ways of reading
2 Ways of reading
Figure 8 Working out what you should read

Different types of text have different purposes and different audiences. But how can you
work out what you should read or how carefully you should read it? How can you pick out
what’s important?
You don’t read every single word of every text you see each day. You have a number of
ways of filtering texts. These mean you can find the information you need from a text to
decide if you should read more of it or not.
2.1 Skimming or skim-reading

Skimming means looking at a whole page quickly, to find out:
● the main topic

● whether you need to read it all or just some important parts of it
● how much time you might need to spend on it.
Skimming helps you to find out information quickly. It helps you to decide if something is
going to be useful to you. When you skim, you might look at the title, headings and
pictures to get a sense of what it’s about and whether it’s worth looking at it in more detail.
You might skim the information on the packaging of a product to see if it is what you need
to buy.
Activity 11 Choose your text

Imagine you are standing in the newsagent’s shop looking at the rack of magazines
and newspapers.

Reading
2 Ways of reading
Which one would you buy?

Figure 9 A choice of magazines
Why would you choose that one? What did you do to make that decision?
Discussion
How did you skim the texts to decide which one you would choose? Did you skim the
titles to see which one interested you or did you skim the pictures for something that
stood out? You would perhaps do things slightly differently if you were looking for
something new rather than something based on your interests. If you were choosing
something for someone else you might have to be a bit more careful or skim more
slowly.
Sometimes you will need to read a longer text, like a book. You may need to look up
information in a reference book. You may want to read an article on a website or a large
leaflet or booklet.
Reading a whole booklet or book takes up a lot of time. You need to be sure that you are
reading the right thing at the beginning.
Activity 12 Choose your book

Imagine you are in a bookshop or a library and are choosing a book to read. Books
don’t have as many clues to help you choose which to read as newspapers and
magazines. How would you pick a book to read?
Discussion
You could look at the description of the book on the back cover.
The picture on the front cover may look interesting.
You may have read another book by the same person.
Perhaps you have seen the film of the book.
Activity 13 Practise skimming

Find a book that is close to you. It does not matter what topic or style. Quickly read the
front and back covers and the inside of the covers. How much do you now know about
the book?

Reading
2 Ways of reading
Discussion
From a quick skim, you probably now know:
● what it’s called

● who wrote it
● what it’s about
● who published it
● how much it costs
● if it has had good reviews
● whether or not you would read it.
It is amazing how much information you can pick up in a few seconds of skimming.
2.2 Scanning
If you decide that you need to read a text more carefully, you begin to scan it.
Scanning is looking at a text to discover what information it contains that you may need
and whether it has key words linked to the topic you’re interested in. You scan a text when
you have an idea in your head beforehand about what you are looking for.
Scanning is another quick way of getting information from a text without having to read it
all through.
Activity 14 Practise scanning

Take a look at the questions below. Then read the text, a bit faster than you normally
do. Scroll down the page so you can’t see the image and see if you can answer the
questions.
1. What is the cost of the holiday phonecard?

2. Where can you buy a holiday phonecard?
3. Name two advantages of a holiday phonecard.
Figure 10 An advert for a phonecard

Here are the questions again:
1. What is the cost of the holiday phonecard?

2. Where can you buy a holiday phonecard?
3. Name two advantages of a holiday phonecard.
Discussion
1. The phonecard costs £10.
2. You can buy it from a main Post Office.

Reading
2 Ways of reading
3. Its advantages are that you can call from almost any phone, you can use it in
almost 50 countries and you get low-cost call rates.
There was something in how the main points were laid out in the phonecard advert that
might have helped you pick them out: they were laid out with bullet points. These make it
easier to spot the important things.
2.3 Finding the main points

It’s often harder in a longer text to pick out the main points as they will not always stand
out like they do when they are bulleted. It can help to practise spotting the main points in a
paragraph of text.
Activity 15 Find the main points

Below is a text from a leaflet on safety in the home.

Read the questions first so that you know what to look out for. This means you will be
reading the text in an active way, looking for information. You need to find the answers
to the following questions:
1. How much do the cheapest smoke alarms cost?

2. How does the smoke alarm let you know when a fire has started?
3. If you are living in a rented house or flat, does your landlord have to fit a smoke
alarm for you?
4. How can you be sure that the smoke alarm you choose is a good quality one?
Try to read the text quite quickly.
Smoke alarms for the home

Smoke alarms are cheap, easy to get hold of and, used properly, they are
lifesavers. There’s no excuse for not having one.
Smoke alarms save lives. David and Michelle Clarke and their two young
children owe their lives to their smoke alarms. In April 2018, an electrical
fault started a fire in their home while the family were asleep. Luckily, the
smoke triggered the smoke alarms fitted in both the downstairs and upstairs
hallways and the family escaped safely. ‘I can’t believe that some people still
don’t have smoke alarms’, adds Dave. ‘What’s £5 when it comes to your
family’s lives?’
A smoke alarm is a warning device that detects smoke at the earliest stages
of a fire. If there is a fire in your home it sounds a piercing alarm to warn you.
Many people killed in house fires are asleep at the time. A smoke alarm will
wake you up and give you vital extra time to escape.
Smoke alarms cost from as little as £5. They are available from DIY stores,
electrical shops, many supermarkets and other high-street retailers.

Reading
2 Ways of reading
Many people believe that if you are living in rented accommodation the
landlord has the responsibility for fitting and testing smoke alarms. This is
not completely accurate; your safety is your responsibility. Your landlord
must fit the smoke alarms but you need to test them monthly to make sure
you are protected.
There are several models of smoke alarm to choose from. The officers from
the local fire service will always be happy to help you to choose the best one
for your home. Whichever kind you choose look out for the British Standard
Kitemark so that you know it is manufactured to the highest standards, and
follow the manufacturer’s instructions when fitting the smoke alarm.
Now try the questions. Here they are again:

1. How much does the cheapest smoke alarm cost?
Answer
As little as £5.
2. How does a smoke alarm let you know when a fire has started?
Answer
It sounds a piercing alarm to wake you.
3. If you are living in a rented property does your landlord have to test the smoke
alarms for you?
Answer
No. You should test the smoke alarms yourself.
4. How can you be sure that the smoke alarm you choose is a good quality one?
Answer
By buying one with a British Standard Kitemark.
Now look again at the article. As it is about fire safety, many of the words and phrases
(groups of words) are linked to this subject.

Reading
2 Ways of reading
Note down all the words and phrases that you think are connected with fires, alarms or
safety.
Discussion
Did you find the following words?
smoke, alarms, lifesavers
Did you find these phrases?
owe their lives

house fires
electrical faults
local fire service
save lives
escaped safely
warning device.
Being able to find words and phrases that are linked closely to the subject of a text is a
useful skill. It means that you can find important information quickly by scanning. It also
allows you to work out what the text is about and understand the main points.
Activity 16 More scanning practice

Read the following text quickly and answer the questions that follow. Try to scan rather
than reading it in detail.
The European Computer Driving Licence

The ECDL is an internationally recognised qualification that allows people to
demonstrate their ability to use a computer for all kinds of tasks.
It is the best-known IT certificate in Europe and will soon become the most
widely studied computer qualification in the rest of the world.
The ECDL is split into two parts: Level 1 and Level 2. It is designed to cover
the key concepts of computing and its practical uses at home, in education
and in the workplace.
Registration for the ECDL takes place at any college or school that is a Test
Centre. Each student is given a logbook to record his or her progress. As the
students pass the tests the results are recorded in their logbook. When all
the tests have been completed and passed, the logbook is handed in. Then
the full ECDL Certificate is issued to the student.
Most leading companies and other employers understand the importance of
the ECDL. They know that any of their workers who has an ECDL Certificate
has shown that they have an up-to-date computer qualification. The

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2 Ways of reading
employers also know that the ECDL is a well-organised course that helps
their workers to use computer skills in their jobs.
When you check your answers, note that they may use different words from the
answers given but should basically be the same.
1. What do the initials ECDL stand for?
Answer
The European Computer Driving Licence.
2. How many parts of the course have to be studied to gain the full Certificate?
Answer
There are two parts: Level 1 and Level 2.
3. What is recorded in the logbook?
Answer
The logbook is used to record the student’s progress on the course.
4. What happens when the logbook is completed?
Answer
When the logbook is completed it is handed in and the ECDL Certificate is issued.
5. Why do employers like their workers to have an ECDL Certificate?
Answer
Employers like their workers to have an ECDL Certificate because it will improve the
computer skills of their workers.

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2 Ways of reading
2.4 Reading in depth

Reading in depth means reading a text more carefully. This does not mean that you have
to read every word out loud or stop every time you come to a word you do not know or
even read very slowly. It does mean that you should take enough time and focus to make
sure that you truly understand what the text is saying.
Many people feel nervous or worried about reading official letters or filling in long forms.
Figure 11 Examples of an official information sheet and letter
The best way to deal with these sorts of texts is a three-step method:
1. Read sections of the text in a steady way without stopping.

2. Go back for a second reading.
3. If you are reading something on paper, use your pencil to mark out any words or
short sections of the text that you don’t understand. You can go back to these
sections and read them again or get someone else to help. You can also use a
dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words. If you are reading
something online, you can make a note of any parts you don’t understand.
Activity 17 Three steps

You’ll now practise the three-step method.

Read through the whole passage below at your normal speed, without stopping. Even
if you come to difficult words that you don’t understand, just keep going.
Regular Car Maintenance

It is very important to maintain your car properly, especially in the winter
months and if you make many long journeys on motorways. Proper car-care
and regular servicing are essential elements to protect you and your
passengers.
Getting to know your car
Familiarise yourself with your vehicle. Check the handbook to know exactly
what the warning and hazard lights signify. Ensure that you know the
location of the spare wheel and jacking points. Never jack up a car except at
the proper jacking point. It is not safe to prop up a car on bricks or planks of
wood; it may fall over, or roll onto you or someone else.
Tyres
Make weekly checks on the tyre pressures and visual examinations for
sharp and penetrative objects in the treads of the tyres. Ensure that you
replace tyres that do not meet the minimum legal requirements. Failure to
do so could result in prosecution, but might also endanger you and other
road users. Never drive on tyres that are below the legal limits as you could
skid.
Coolant system

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2 Ways of reading
Ensure that the coolant system is topped up to the correct level with the
correct coolant. Never attempt to add coolant whilst the engine is hot as this
may result in scalding accidents.
Oil
Check the oil level at least every month and under your car where you park
regularly to make a visual inspection for leakages. Use the dipstick to
ensure that the oil is topped up slowly to the correct level – the vehicle
handbook will help – and only add extra oil when the car is safely parked on
a level surface, and when the engine has been switched off for at least ten
minutes. Never leave patches of spilt oil on the ground as these could cause
accidents.
Now try the three-step method.

You have already done Step 1 which is to read sections of the text in a steady way
without stopping.
So, now try Step 2. Read it through again.
Then Step 3. Note down any words or short sections of the text that you don’t
understand. You can look up any words you don’t know in a dictionary later.
2.5 Finding your way around texts

Did you notice in the last text how the title and subheadings helped you to find
information?
Titles and subheadings are like signposts that help you to find your way around roads.
They break the text into sections and help you to find specific information on a particular
topic. A subheading also summarises the section that it covers, to give you an idea of
what to expect. You will look at layout and presentation features in more detail in
Section 3.
Activity 18 A lack of headings

In the following text, the title and subheadings have been deliberately left out. This
makes it more difficult to decide on the subject of the text. Read the text quite quickly
and answer the questions that follow. Your answers may be slightly different from the
ones given.
Make sure that children are secured in the correct kind of car seat or
seatbelt for their age and weight.
Remember that it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that all the
passengers under 14 years old comply with the seatbelt laws.

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2 Ways of reading
Always buy new car seats unless you are very sure that second-hand ones
are safe and undamaged. Your garage will usually check them for you. No
restraint which has been involved in the stress of a collision or violent stop
should be used again, until it has been checked by a professional.
Pregnant women should still continue to wear a seatbelt, but making sure
that the lap belt does up under the ‘bump’, across the hip bones. The
diagonal belt should be worn across the chest, as usual.
Children may become bored on long journeys. Plan your route carefully to
allow times to stop and let them stretch their legs in safe surroundings.
Providing them with some kind of in-car entertainment would be a good
idea, too, but it must not be distracting for the driver.
1. What is the passage about?
Answer
The passage is about safety in cars.
2. Who is responsible for making sure children are safely ‘belted-up’ in the car?
Answer
The driver of the car is responsible for making sure children are safely ‘belted up’.
3. Who will be able to check the safety of second-hand car seats?
Answer
The staff at the garage will be able to check the safety of second-hand car seats.
4. How should pregnant women wear their seatbelts?
Answer
Pregnant women should wear their seatbelts with the lap strap below their ‘bump’ and
the diagonal strap across their chest, in the usual way.
5. Can you suggest two ways to make sure children don’t become bored on the
journey?

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2 Ways of reading
Answer
By planning the journey so that the children can stretch their legs every now and again
and by providing some in-car entertainment for them.
6. Can you suggest a suitable title for the text?
Answer
A good suggestion would be ‘Seatbelts for safety’. Using two ‘s’ sounds might make it
stand out more for the reader. Perhaps they would remember it better. Lots of adverts
use letter sounds this way, like ‘Typhoo Tea’, ‘Rolling Rock’ or ‘Pretty Polly’. Can you
think of any more examples?
7. Would you use a sub-heading for each paragraph?
Answer
You probably wouldn’t use a subheading for every paragraph as they are quite short.
However, some of them could have one. For example, the last paragraph could be
headed ‘Beating boredom’.
Activity 19 Check what you’ve learnt: ways of reading

1. What kind of reading are you doing when you skim a text?
Discussion
When you skim a text, you look through it very quickly to try to get an idea of what it is
about. You might use skimming when you’re looking at a book to decide whether to
buy it.
2. What kind of reading are you doing when you scan a text?

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2 Ways of reading
Discussion
When you scan a text, you read it quickly to find information that you need; you scan
when you have an idea in your head beforehand about what you are looking for. You
would use scanning to look more carefully at a text before deciding to read it more
deeply.
3. What kind of reading are you doing when you read in depth?
Discussion
When you read a text in depth, you read it carefully to get as much information as you
can. You would need to read in depth if the text was very important or complicated.
4. What method of reading would you use for the following tasks?
a. Picking a magazine to read on the train.

b. Reading the telephone bill to check that it’s correct
c. Reading a novel
d. Reading a job description when applying for a job
Discussion
a. To pick a magazine at the newsagent’s you would skim or possibly scan it if it was
very expensive, to be sure you wanted to buy it.
b. To read the telephone bill, you would skim or scan if you didn’t recognise some of
the telephone numbers.
c. To read a novel, you would usually read in depth.
d. To read a job description, you would read in depth because it is important to know
exactly what you would have to do in a new job.

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3 Structure, presentation and layout

As you have already seen in this session, texts are written with a particular audience in
mind. The way the writer of the text arranges their message can add extra meaning.
Some texts have a title that tells you what they are about. Some will also have smaller
headings. These are like signposts to help you find information in the text. For example,
the headings in this online session are listed in the menu on the left. They act as signposts
to particular parts of the session and allow you to find what you want easily.
The way the text is written will usually tell you who is meant to read it and why it was
written.
3.1 Structure
Structure is the way something is put together.
When someone talks about the structure of a house, they mean the way it is built. The
foundations come first. They anchor the whole house into the ground, so they have to be
firm and strong. The floor and walls are built next. Then the roof and chimney are added at
the end.
Texts are built the other way round – from the top.
They begin with a title, which is the name of the text. The title usually tells you what it is
about.
For example, look at the cover of this book, called Smart Money.
Figure 12 A book cover
This book also has a sub-title, which tells you more about the title. The sub-title is
‘Shortcuts to becoming rich’.
The book also shows the name of the author, the person who wrote the text:
George Taylor.
Sometimes the author is more than one person. It could even be an organisation, like the
author of a report called:
Pollution in the West Midlands by the West Midlands Health Authority.
The contents page of the text tells you about what it contains. If the text is a book, it may
have chapter numbers and page numbers:
Smart Money: shortcuts to

becoming rich
Contents
Chapter 1 You can get page 6
rich quickly
Chapter 2 Choose a page
way to 25
make your
fortune

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Chapter 3 Wise page

investment 37
strategies
etc…
Each chapter may be divided into sections. The sections in Chapter 1 of Smart Money:
shortcuts to becoming rich are:
Decide what you do best

You may have top-executive skills
Learn how to earn money quickly
Take positive action today.
Activity 20 Finding out a book’s structure

Find a non-fiction book and find the following information about it:
● Title
● Sub-title (if there is one)
● Author
● Chapters (if they are not named, how many are there?)
● Are the chapters divided into sections?
Discussion
You can find out a lot about a book from its cover and even more, quite quickly, without
even having to read any of the main text. If you know where to look, it takes very little
time to find key information that allows you to decide if you need or want to read the
book.
3.2 Layout and presentation

There are many layout and presentation features that writers use to make texts easier to
read or more attractive, or to highlight the message they are trying to get across.
Layout and presentation features that make texts easier to read

● Headings/titles tell you what the overall topic is
● Subheadings break up the text, tell you what each section is about
● Pictures/photos give visual information related to the topic, attract readers, add
interest
● Captions give information about pictures or photos
● Straplines give further information about the text, sometimes a short summary

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● Logos advertise or show the company involved

● Bullet points/numbered points list or summarise key information
● Paragraphs break up the text into readable sections
● Spacing makes the text attractive, interesting and breaks it up
● Colour adds interest and makes the text attractive
● Text size highlights key words, phrases or points
● Different fonts add variety and highlight words, phrases or information
● Bold, underling and italics also highlight words, phrases or information
● Text boxes separate particular pieces or sections of the text
● Graphs, charts and tables show mathematical information
Activity 21 Presentation features

Read the text below and answer the questions.

Figure 13 A sign in a college room
1. Who is the notice written for, and why?
Discussion
The notice is written for students to tell them how they should use the computer room.
2. Who might have written it?
Discussion
It was probably written by the computer room staff.
3. Can you identify any layout features?
Discussion
Layout features include bold text, underlining, various fonts and uppercase/capitals.
Typical layout features vary according to the kind of text. Longer texts, like novels, reports
or text books, are usually broken down into chapters and sections to help you cope with
the information. Shorter texts, like text messages or greeting cards, often have pictures to
add interest or meaning.

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Activity 22 Layout and structure of texts

What kind of layout and structure would you expect to find in the following types of
text?
Short story
School text book
Birthday card
News article
Bank statement
Poster about a school fete
Here are some ideas you can choose from: cartoons, colour, chapters, columns of
figures, diagrams, headlines, logo, paragraphs, pictures, sections, short message,
short paragraphs, short words, title, verse
The first example has been added to help you think about the texts.
Short story: title, paragraphs:
Discussion
Here are some of the layout features for the different kinds of text.
Short story – title, paragraphs

School text book – sections, chapters, diagrams
Birthday card – short message, picture, verse
News article –headline, picture, short paragraphs
Bank statement – columns of figures, logo
Poster about a school fete – headline, short words, cartoons, colour
Different types of layout and style can be used to make the important points stand out, like
bullet points (see example below) and subheadings.
Most texts in newspapers and magazines use:
● different font sizes

● bold, underlining and italics.
A good example of something which uses a presentation style designed for its audience is
a story book for young children. A storybook uses simple sentences and lots of coloured
pictures. This encourages young readers to practise their reading skills. There may only
be three or four words on each page.
Activity 23 Appropriate presentation

Take a look at the pages from two children’s books below.

Reading
Version 1 was written for children who are just learning to read. Version 2 is for children
of 7–8 years of age.
Figre 14 Version 1 of a children’s book
Figure 15 Version 2 of a children’s book

Find four differences between the ways these two stories are written and printed. Then
think about why the stories are presented in these ways.
Discussion
Text 1 has a larger font, is in bold, has a picture, uses short words and is separated into
short sentences.
Text 2 is in italics, uses a smaller font and is in a whole paragraph.
The versions are different because they are adapted to be suitable for the age and
ability of the reader. Older children who read more confidently can cope with the
challenge of smaller fonts and longer words, sentences and paragraphs. Children just
learning to read need fonts that are easier to read and a structure that helps them
practise but doesn’t put them off.
Activity 24 Web pages

Take a look at the features of web pages listed below. Then see if they are present on
this Open University web page (open the link in a new tab or window):
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell wins physics prize. Tick each one that you can see.
Then take a look at the Open University Courses web page (again, open the link in a
new tab or window). Can you see features that aren’t used in the previous example?
Interactive content is not available in this format.
Discussion
The first web page has:
● a logo, to show the reader they are on an Open University website

● a short, clear heading, so it is immediately clear what the page is about
● links to other web pages within the article and along the side of it
● pictures, both under the heading to draw readers in and within the article to add
interest.
It doesn’t have a subheading, but it has a summary of what the article is about. It
doesn’t have boxes, but the section down the right-hand side of the page separates
out the links to other articles.
You may have noticed that the second web page has many of the other features, like
boxes and sections, coloured backgrounds, coloured fonts and different sized fonts.
These make it easy to find your way around the page and make it look attractive.

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3.3 Images
Figure 16 Different kinds of images

All of the following are types of image:
photographs, charts, maps, illustrations, cartoons, diagrams, graphs, logos and

symbols.
Many people spend hours each week watching television and films or playing computer
games. You will be used to seeing all kinds of images. Your computer and phone screens
are full of images. These are the symbols that tell you which apps you can open.
Often a picture can tell you much more than a written text. You may have heard of the
saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’
This means that it can be very difficult to explain what something is like or how to do
something, whereas one simple picture can make something easy to understand.
You now look at why images and symbols are used in texts and how images can add extra
meaning.
Activity 25 Images around you

1. Take a few minutes to think about all the images you see on a typical day and
note down as many as you can. Include the images you see around you right now.
2. There are two examples below. What do these road signs mean?
Figure 17 Two road signs

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Discussion
1. The kind of images you see every day include the following:
company logos
app logos
road signs
ID badge photos
health and safety signs
pictures on packaging.
2. The first road sign means warning or caution.
The second road sign means ‘Danger of driving off the road’.
Activity 26 Symbols and meanings

Now look at the following symbols. What does each one mean to you? Drag each
symbol to the meaning you usually give to it.
pirates, danger
a Red Cross organisation, first aid
Christianity
correct, good or finished
Olympics, unity
United States of America
Signs and symbols are important because they:
● can be understood by people who do not speak the language of the text
● can help to explain how to do something
● add meaning to written texts
● can make texts more interesting and keep your attention.
In summary, you can tell a lot about a text from the way it looks and how it is laid out.
You now turn to reading a text: reading carefully and finding the information you actually
need.

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4 Reading for detail

Being able to read texts carefully to find the information you need is a vital skill for life,
work and study. When you can read for detail confidently, you can study new subjects,
learn new information and understand key texts for both work and general life.
At a very basic level, reading a text carefully keeps you safe. The sign below is very short,
but the information it provides is vital for people’s safety. It allows you to answer the
question, ‘Where do I go if there is a fire?’
Figure 18 A fire point sign
Similarly, the sign below gives information about what you should wear to be safe in a
particular area. What should you wear?
Figure 19 A safety sign
4.1 Reading longer texts

The two signs you just looked at are very short texts. Most of the texts you have read to
this point have also been quite short. You are now going to practise reading and
understanding longer texts and finding specific information in them. The ability to do this
well really can make a huge difference in your work, study and everyday life.
Activity 27 Practise reading for detail

Read the following text and answer the questions:
Rocking horses have been made since at least 1600, for a painting of the
young King Charles I shows him playing with one when he was an infant.
They were very popular in Victorian times, when they had flowing manes
and tails made of authentic horsehair. Various types of wooden horses for
children to sit on and propel themselves with their feet, known as ‘dobbins’,
were also made in Europe by wood-turners, mainly for the children of their
employers and for affluent families.
1. How do you know Rocking Horses have been around for over 400 years?
Answer
There is a picture of King Charles on one painted around 1600.
2. What does authentic mean? Can you work it out?

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Answer
Authentic in this case means real or genuine.
3. What about affluent? If you do not know its meaning, can you guess based on the
information in the text?
Answer
Affluent means rich or wealthy.
Now you look at some more detailed or complex texts and practise reading for detail.
Activity 28 More practice in reading for detail

Read the following text and answer the questions.
From the back cover of a best-selling book about John Peel:

A tribute biography to the immensely popular DJ and broadcaster, John
Peel.
John Peel was born in Cheshire in 1939 and was educated at Shrewsbury
School before going on to do National Service. After that, he went into
broadcasting while travelling in America.
In 1967 he returned to the UK and joined Radio 1 at its start. His late-night
radio shows quickly became cult listening for music fans of all ages, and he
was the first national DJ to play records by bands such as the Undertones,
Pulp, the Smiths and Joy Division. Many bands admit that without his
support, they would never have become famous. While Radio 1 changed,
he remained a constant factor in its schedules. In 1998 he was awarded the
OBE for his services to broadcasting. It was in that year that he also began
his multi-award-winning show Home Truths. Now, Saturday mornings will
never be the same.
1. What did John Peel do for a living?
Answer
He was a DJ and broadcaster.
2. When did he return to the UK?

Reading
Answer
1967
3. Where did he get involved in broadcasting?
Answer
In America.
4. Why did he get an OBE?
Answer
For services to broadcasting.
5. Name two bands he supported.
Answer
You could have chosen from: the Undertones, Pulp, the Smiths, Joy Division.
4.2 Answering the question

It is important to be able to read texts and find the information you need confidently and
accurately. It is as important to be able to record that information clearly.
In a Functional Skills English Level 1 assessment, you need to write your answers down
and it is very important that you only give the required information. It is very easy to misread
questions and provide an incorrect answer. It is also very easy to write too much if you are
unsure of the answer. You may lose marks if you do this. To answer correctly you must
always read the question carefully.
The Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 reading assessment has two parts:
● Part 1 is the controlled task element. You have to read two source documents of
about 250 words and identify the main points. You then use some of the
information gained to complete two pieces of writing. You also use some of the
information from one source document to take part in a discussion.
● Part 2 is a confirmatory test. You read texts and answer a range of questions
based on the information in those texts. The questions are all multiple choice.

Reading
Activity 29 Read the question (1)

Read the following text carefully and answer the questions. Read the questions
carefully to ensure your answers are correct.
FLOODS AND GALES BATTER SOUTH COAST AND DAMAGE

PIER
Violent wind and rainstorms swept across southern England yesterday
causing severe disruption to road and passenger transport. The end of the
pier at Bognor Regis was washed away, homes were flooded and
holidaymakers had to move to more sheltered accommodation.
Severe gale warnings were in place on the coast last night after force 8
south-westerly winds were forecast for the rest of the weekend, an
Environment Agency spokesman said. A Sussex police spokesman said
about 60 feet of Bognor Pier had been washed away, causing more than
one million pounds’ worth of damage, but no-one has been reported injured.
Similar storms were recorded in this area in the winter of 1934, and in
November 1965 22 people were drowned in a storm of similar intensity in
Bognor, which lasted for two days.
1. What part of England did the storm hit?
Answer
The south.
2. What is the cost of the damage likely to be?
Answer
More than £1 million.
3. What happened in 1934 and 1965?
Answer
Similar storms.

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Activity 30 Read the question (2)

Now practise again. Read the following text carefully and answer the questions.
The Anglo-Saxons
Today we use the term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ to describe the part of history between
450 AD and 1066, when the Battle of Hastings established the Norman
Kings in England. This is the period generally referred to as the Dark Ages in
British history.
Although the early part of Anglo-Saxon history would have been unsettled
and only partly civilised, people still lived productive lives. Though urban
centres tended to fall into decay in the fifth century, trade still continued with
Europe. Mediterranean pottery was imported and grave goods found with
cremation and urn burials from the time include imported bronze, glass and
ivory. Pottery sherds and flint adze heads show that although new
technologies were being introduced, older tools from the Bronze Age were
still in use, particularly in more remote areas of Britain.
Glossary:
Adze blade A type of stone tool designed for woodworking by our very
ancient ancestors. An adze blade differs from an axe in that it is mounted on
a shaft at a 90-degree angle. It was probably used for stripping bark from
timbers. This helped to produce a smoother surface for sinking piles or
posts and helped to preserve the wood by removing wood-worms, moulds
and fungi.
Ages The terms ‘Bronze Age’, ‘Iron Age’ and so on are used by
archaeologists as easy and quick ways for talking about the time periods of
the past. In fact, the changes from one period to the next would have been
far more gradual than it seems. After all, our prehistoric ancestors didn’t
stop using stone tools on 31 December 2301 BC and switch to bronze tools
overnight!
Anglo-Saxons ‘Anglo-Saxon’ is used as a general way to refer to the
peoples who invaded and settled in England in large numbers during the
fifth and sixth centuries AD. As well as the Angles (who came from the
southern part of the Danish peninsula and eventually gave their name to
England) and the Saxons (who came from the north German plain to the
west), there were also Jutes from Jutland as well.
Dark Ages A way of speaking of the centuries after the Roman period, from
about 400 AD, when it is very difficult to know what was happening in Britain
in terms of farming and settlement. In most of Britain, people stopped using
and making pottery, did not mint any new coins, built in wood (which has
rotted away) rather than stone and left little trace of the past.
Sherd A broken piece of pottery.
1. What three types of people made up ‘Anglo-Saxons’?

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Answer
Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
2. Where did the Saxons come from?
Answer
Germany.
3. What is the period between 460 AD and 1066 AD often called?
Answer
The Dark Ages.
4. What material did people during this time mainly build with?
Answer
Wood.
5. Who controlled or ruled Britain (i) before and (ii) after the Dark Ages?
Answer
(i) the Romans (ii) the Normans
6. True or false? An adze is the same as an axe.
Answer
False
7. Why were the Dark Ages called this?

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Answer
No one knows much about them.
This section has given you some practice in reading carefully and picking out the
important parts of a text. You will now extend those skills and look at how to use the
information you read.

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5 Using the information you read

As you have seen, all texts have an audience and a purpose. Sometimes this means that
the reader has to do something about what they have read. Understanding what a text is
about and its purpose is key to deciding whether you need to do anything more. You now
look at how you make those decisions and develop those good habits around reading
texts and using the information they contain.
5.1 To read or not to read

As you saw in Section 2, there are techniques you can use to decide whether or not to
read a text. By skimming and scanning texts you can see quite quickly whether you want
or need to read further.
For example, every text message you receive requires you to make a decision: do you
need to reply or not? This will depend on the purpose of the message. If the text is from a
friend asking how you are, you will probably reply. If it is from a friend telling you when
they can meet you later, you may not need to reply. In both cases you are deciding what to
do with the information.
When an advert for a takeaway lands on your doormat you have to decide whether to
keep it or throw it away. This decision will depend on whether you like that kind of food or
always go to another restaurant. Alternatively, you might ring them immediately and order
food. In this case their persuasion has worked perfectly.
Other texts must be dealt with in some way. You have to respond to the letter that is sent
to all homes each year by local councils asking for confirmation about voters in the house
or you might be fined.
The email or letter you receive from your car insurance company telling you when your
insurance will be renewed can be ignored if you are happy with your current insurance or
you can decide to reply and cancel it and shop around.
You make decisions like this every day without really giving it much thought. Being an
active and aware reader means that you should pay a little more attention to these texts
and the decisions you make about what to do with the information they contain.
Activity 31 Skim, scan, read, ignore?

Look at each of the labels below and decide whether you would most likely read it in
full, skim or scan it, or ignore it. Then drag it to the relevant column.
Discussion
Take a look at your three columns. Are there any texts in the ‘Ignore’ column that
perhaps need more attention? Or any in the other two columns that perhaps need less
attention?

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5.2 Facts and opinions

Many texts contain true and accurate information called facts.
Other texts tell you what the writer believes, even if it is not always true. These kinds of
text contain opinions that are biased. This means that they tell what the writer thinks.
Sometimes the writer thinks something that isn’t true.
It can be quite difficult to decide what is a fact and what is an opinion. Sometimes facts
and opinions are mixed up together in a text.
Being able to tell facts from opinions is important, because:
● Factual information tells the reader what they want to know and is accurate.
● Reading biased texts can mean you are reading information that is not always true.
● In reading someone else’s views, you are really being persuaded to believe
something.
● It helps you to decide what to do with the information in the text.
Activity 32 Fact or opinion?

This activity will help you to understand the difference between facts and opinions.
Read the following advert for a new kind of fruit cordial. Using the two different
highlighting colours, highlight two facts and four opinions.
What is the purpose of the text? To persuade you to buy the cordial.
To give you an example, here’s one fact and one opinion:
● Fact: The cordial is made from 100% crushed fruit.

● Opinion: The cordial is a key ingredient for all your recipes. (This is not a fact.
The cordial could be useful in some recipes. It probably won’t be the most
important ingredient.)
Discussion
Here is another fact and three more opinions:
Fact: The cordial is made from spring water.
Opinion: Using the cordial will help you to save time.
This is not a fact. Yes, it may save you having to crush some raspberries, but how
much time will that really save?
Opinion: It is ‘super-concentrated’.
What does ‘super’ actually mean? Is it more concentrated than all other cordials? Or is
it just more concentrated than others they used to make?
Opinion: This cordial is ‘the best you can buy’.
This is only their opinion. You may prefer some other cordial that is cheaper and better
value for money.

Reading
Adverts are designed to get you to buy products. They have hidden messages to
persuade you. Sometimes the opinions are hidden very subtly. You have to look carefully
to find them.
Activity 33 Opinions or facts?

Highlight three facts and three opinions in the following extract from a letter.
Discussion
See if you spotted any of these.
Facts
● I’ve lost 48 pounds in 4 months.

● I can now wear size 12 dresses
● She is following the Sherwood Weight Loss Plan.
Opinions
● It’s all down to the marvellous new Sherwood Weight Loss Plan. (This may be
true, but there may be some other reason or reasons. She could be walking to
work instead of going by bus.)
● You’ll be green with envy. (The reader may not care at all!)
● No other time of day will do – it [exercise] needs to be before the biggest meal of
the day for maximum benefit. (This is not likely to be true. She will burn up the
same number of calories whenever she takes her walk.)
5.3 Finding and using information

For some texts it is obvious if and how you will use the information. When you buy a new
phone or television, you may well need the instructions to help you set it up. You might not
read every part in detail. You will select what to read carefully and what to skim over
quickly.
What you do with a text often depends on if its purpose matches your needs.
Activity 34 Information to match your needs

Read the following text and answer the questions.

Reading
QuickMail helps you keep in

touch
Weight Europe World World
not Zone Zone
over 1 2
10g £1.25 £1.32 £1.32
20g £1.42 £1.78 £1.78
40g £1.55 £2.12 £2.47
1. What is the purpose of this text?

¡ To instruct readers how to weigh a letter
¡ To inform readers about world postage prices
¡ To describe how airmail helps keep people close
2. Why would you need to read this text?
¡ To find out where to buy stamps
¡ To find out how much your letter weighs
¡ To find out prices to post packages abroad
3. You want to send a present to your brother in Germany. It weighs 36g. How much
would it cost?
¡ £1.55
¡ 42p
¡ £1.05
4. Your sister lives in Brazil, which is in World Zone 2. You send her the same present.
How much would this package cost?
¡ 47p
¡ 68p
¡ £2.47
5. The package to your brother in Germany is actually 46g. How much would that cost?
¡ 60p
¡ 80p
¡ The information is not there.
Activity 35 Instructions
Read the following text and answer the questions relating to it.
Instructions for building a garden wall

Foundations
By far the most important part of any wall is its foundations. If it is not
possible to lay foundations you will have a hard job producing a stable and
long-lasting wall.
Always cut your foundations horizontally. On sloping ground this may
involve stepping them to accommodate the slope. Make each step

Reading
equivalent to a whole number of bricks, plus mortar. Make sure the

foundation is strong enough to bear the weight of the wall.
For a light garden wall, 30 cm deep should be sufficient if the soil is firm and
well drained. On unstable or weak ground, make the depth 46 cm. Make the
trench twice the width of the brickwork. Lay a concrete footing of about 1
part cement to 6 parts ballast to a depth of about 15 cm (6 inches) in the
bottom of the trench.
1. What is the purpose of the text?
Answer
To give instructions on how to build a wall.
2. Why would you need to read the text?
Answer
If you were planning to build a wall.
3. What should you do with your foundations on sloping ground?
Answer
Step them.
4. How deep in inches should your footing be?
Answer
About 15 cm (6 inches).
5. Is there really enough detail in the text to build a wall? If not, what would help?
Answer
There is probably not enough information. Some of the vocabulary is not explained -
what is ’ballast’ or ‘stepping’? How do you make mortar? Pictures would help.
100 Tuesday 12 February 2019

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Reading
When you study a subject, you use texts to learn new information. You have to read
carefully to ensure you understand all of the information you need. You are using this text
to develop your English skills.
In both Functional Skills English and Essential Skills Wales Communication

assessments (and other courses you might study), the questions you are asked about a
text may not simply be a case of finding information. Sometimes you need to decide what is
relevant to the question and judge how much you need to include in the answer.
Activity 36 Careful reading

Below is a letter from a friend of yours. Read the letter and answer the question.
Yesterday I went to a job interview that had been arranged through the Job
Centre. I went to the place I was told to go to, but when I arrived I was sent
to a different building about 5 minutes’ walk away. I arrived just in time, to be
told that the person who was going to see me had been called out and
would be back shortly. I waited for nearly an hour!
When the interviewer finally arrived, I was ushered into an office where at
least four people were working. Phones kept ringing and people kept
interrupting. I found it really difficult to concentrate and answer questions.
I suggested that the interview be postponed to another time when the
interviewer was less harassed. This did not go down well and the
interviewer got really angry! I was accused of wasting time and told to get
out if I didn’t want the job. I tried to reason but decided it wasn’t worth it.
Help! I’m really concerned I’ll lose my benefits for failing the interview. I need
your advice – what do you think I should say to the Job Centre, who set up
this interview for me?
If you were replying to your friend, what key points would you suggest she make when
she reports back to the Job Centre?
Discussion
You might suggest the following key points:
● You were given incorrect information about the place and time for the interview.
● The interview wasn’t private.
● You made a positive suggestion for improving the situation, but got a hostile
response.
● You are worried about losing benefits.

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Reading
You have had practice in this section with working out the purpose of different texts,
recognising what is fact and what is opinion, and picking out important points. These are
all really useful skills which you can try using in whatever you read.

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6 Reading different texts

Improving your reading means that you can more easily:
● understand the main points of a text

● get to grips with the details of a text
● understand what the person who wrote the text is trying to tell you.
You can also make better use of your reading time.

If you are a student:
● you can learn more easily as you study

● you can quickly pick out the main points of anything you read
● you can understand what you read more easily.
If you are at work:
● you can read instructions more easily

● you can understand memos and reports more quickly.
If you are looking for a job:
● you can cope better with job adverts

● you can fill in long forms more easily.
If you are a parent:
● you can help your children with their reading skills

● you can enjoy reading with your children.
In this section, you think about your reading habits and look at ways of making the most of
your reading.
6.1 Reading for fun

Reading is a functional requirement of everyday life, but it is also a leisure activity. It can
be something that is enjoyable to do. If you enjoy it, you are likely to do it more and get
better at it.
Activity 37 Your reading

List any texts you can remember reading for pleasure during the last week. These are
texts that you didn’t have to read. Try to name four different kinds of texts.
If you can remember, note down the time of day and the place where you read each
item.

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Discussion
Here is some of the reading I did last week:
Text Time Place

News Morning Bus to
website work
Crossword Morning Doctor’s
puzzle waiting
room
Magazine Morning Lounge
Facebook Break Coffee
shop
Novel Evening Sitting
in bed
Activity 38 Reading review

The labels below show examples of texts that people read for pleasure. For each label,
think about how often you read it and drag it to the relevant column.
Discussion
Take a look at your three columns. Does anything surprise you? I didn’t expect so
many things to end up in my ‘Not at all’ column!
This and the previous activity have encouraged you to review your reading habits. It’s
always worthwhile trying something new. You could think about skimming and
scanning some of the other types of texts. You might find that you enjoy them more
than you expect.
Most people have to make time to read. Others are put off by longer texts. They might
enjoy skimming and scanning the newspaper or a magazine, but they don’t want to tackle
a whole book.
Here are some tips for dealing with longer texts:
● Skim and scan the text before you begin to see if you might enjoy it.
● Look at the synopsis (the summary, usually on the back of a book or inside its front or
back cover). This tells you what the whole book is about.
● Don’t forget that you don’t need to understand every word to enjoy a text.
● Read a whole section of the text first, but don’t feel you have to stop and go back to
check up on something. This will spoil your reading ‘flow’.

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6.2 Highlighting the main points

When reading is necessary for work or study, a helpful way of making important
information in a text stand out is to mark it with a pen. Using a highlighter pen in this way
helps you to:
● think carefully about the main points in the text

● focus on the important information
● mark the main points to make it easy to read the text again.
Students often mark the important points in a text in this way when they study for an
exam.
Each text is made up of paragraphs. Each paragraph is about one topic of information.
Finding the main point in each paragraph makes the text easier to understand.
You can ask yourself:
● What does this paragraph tell me?
Activity 39 Highlighting the main idea

This gives you practice in picking out the main idea in a paragraph.
1. Read the paragraph below fairly quickly.

2. Highlight the sentence that sums up the information in the paragraph.
3. Note down a title for the paragraph.
Discussion
The paragraph is about the first moon landing in 1969. The best sentence to sum up
the subject content is ’Man had landed on the Moon.’
A title could be: The First Moon Landing.
Activity 40 More highlights

Let’s try another. Read the text below and highlight the most important sentence. This
is the one that sums up what the whole paragraph is about.
Discussion
The paragraph is about the flu epidemic after the First World War. The first sentence
gives the main point of the paragraph:
‘After the First World War a terrible flu epidemic swept Europe.’

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Reading
Activity 41 Highlighting a longer text

In the text below, highlight the sentence in each paragraph that sums up the main point
of that paragraph.
Discussion
The important sentences are:
1. Forget travel agents; the new way to pick up a cheap break is by entering a
holiday auction on the internet.
2. Getting a holiday by auction is quite different, and much more exciting, than
booking up in the normal way.
3. Most of the holidays on offer are cut-price breaks.
Often the first sentence of a paragraph contains the main point. This is sometimes
called the topic sentence.
Being able to pick out the main points in a text is very useful. It saves time and helps you
to understand a text more quickly. It makes you a more effective reader.
6.3 Reading important texts

You now look at using active reading skills to cope with important and official texts.
When you read an important text it may be longer than the usual ones you read. You need
to be able to follow the content of the whole text.
What kinds of important and longer texts do you read? You’ll think about this next.
Activity 42 Important texts

List any longer and important texts that you have read in the last few weeks. Also
include any that you may need to read fairly soon.
The first one is given as an example. Try to list as many as you can.
Income tax form
Discussion
Here are some examples of longer, important texts:
A letter from the local council or water company about water rates
A house insurance form
A letter from school about subject options
A job application form
A survey on a new house

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Reading
These kinds of texts may be difficult to cope with because:
● they may use difficult language

● they are sometimes quite long
● they may have lots of important points
● they may need a reply quite quickly.
Use your active reading skills to first:
● skim the text to get an idea of what it is about; then

● scan it to get the gist and
● decide if you need to read it more deeply.
When reading longer, important texts, you need to think about the following sorts of
questions. They will help you to make sense of what you read.
● What is the purpose of the text? Why has it been sent to you? What is it about? What
do you expect it to tell you?
● What do you already know that will help you? Look for ‘clues’ in the text to help you
understand the meaning.
● What action do you need to take? Does it need a reply?
Activity 43 Confirmation letter

Read the following letter and answer the question:
Jay’s Removal and Storage Company

Winwood’s Corner
Hagley
Worcs
DY10 8KJ
Dear Madam
Thank you for your acceptance of our quotation. We have pleasure in
confirming the following schedule for your removal:
Monday 13 December, arrive at 8.30 am. Pack and load furniture.
Tuesday 14 December, arrive at 8.30 am. Deliver to new property.
We acknowledge receipt of payment and enclose a receipted invoice for
your attention.
Assuring you of our best attention at all times.
Jay’s Removal and Storage Company
What three pieces of key information in the letter show that it is important and needs to
be read carefully?

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Reading
Discussion
The three key pieces of information are:
● The company is confirming the removal job.

● The letter contains times and dates.
● The company is confirming they have already been paid.
Sometimes important texts are much longer. The next activity will give you practice in
dealing with a longer text.
Activity 44 Texts for study

Everyone remembers playing as a child. This means that you already know something
of what this text is about.
It is from a psychology textbook about child development.
1. Quickly scan the text. Look at the section headings to get a feel for what the
passage is about.
2. Then read the text more deeply, section by section.
3. Highlight the sentence that sums up the information in each section.
Discussion
If you were reading this text for an exam, you might decide to make notes. You could
use your highlighter pen to pick out the main points as you read through the text.
I highlighted the following sentences:
For a child, playing is their work.

Playing is an activity which seems only to occur in mammals.
Play is a special activity because it allows young mammals to practise
actions which they will need in adult life, but in such a way that they will not
come to any harm if things go wrong.
By reading these topic sentences – sentences that sum up what a text is about – you
can quickly grasp the general meaning of the text.
6.4 Topic sentences

The following activities give you more practice in recognising topic sentences.

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Reading
Activity 45 Recognising topic sentences

Read the following text and answer the questions below:
Generally, people all over Britain speak the same form of English. Many
forms of English use dialect words, however, which may not be easily
understood by English speakers in other parts of Britain. One example
concerns the shoes that school children wear for sport. In the south they are
known as ‘daps’; they are ‘pumps’ in the Midland counties and usually
known, more formally, as ‘gym shoes’ in the rest of Britain.
1. What is the text about?
Answer
It’s about the use of the English language across Britain.
2. What sentence tells you this (the topic sentence)?
Answer
The first sentence.
3. Suggest a title for the text.
Answer
‘The English Language in Britain’ is one possibility.
Activity 46 Topic sentences in a longer text

Read the following text and highlight the topic sentence in each paragraph.
Now answer these questions in the box below:
● What is the text about?

● What do you think is the purpose of the whole text?

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Discussion
● These are the topic sentences I highlighted:
Operations for removing children’s tonsils used to be very popular
Small children have many coughs and colds, especially in the winter months
The young child’s tonsils are usually very large and seem to fill the throat,
especially when they are sore and inflamed; after the age of about seven, as
the child grows larger, the tonsils seem smaller in proportion.
● The text is about children and tonsillitis.
● The main purpose of the text is to inform parents and other adults about tonsillitis
and why taking out a child’s tonsils is less common now than in the past.
6.5 Guidance on reading assessments

This section specifically introduces the reading assessments for Functional Skills English
Level 1 and Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1. However, if you are not
studying for these qualifications you will still find the activity useful, so please read through
the section and try out Activity 47.
Functional Skills English Level 1 reading assessments

The way you approach the reading assessments is really important. You can know all the
things you need to know, but if you are unfamiliar with the assessment you may not be able
to show your knowledge and skills.
Different examining organisations use different formats for their assessments. This means
that there can be different styles of questions or a different number of questions, or the total
mark can be different. However, some things are the same and so general guidance can be
given.
Texts
In a Functional Skills English Level 1 reading assessment you will be required to read and
answer questions on two different texts. The topics of these texts could be anything, but
they generally relate to the real world in some way. They will be based on situations or
subjects that should not be completely unfamiliar to you, such as work, interests or hobbies.
Available marks
Regardless of the type of question or the topic, you will be told how many marks each
question is worth. It is important that you consider this information and ensure that your
answer is detailed or complete enough to get all the marks. For example, if a question is
worth four marks the answer will need to contain four things. This could be four separate
pieces of information or two answers and two bits of evidence from the text.

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Question formats
Different examining organisations use different types of questions. The two main types of
questions you will come across are multiple choice and those that need short written
answers.
In both cases you need to take care with your answers and check you have given the
answer you intended. In answering multiple choice questions, it is very easy to tick the
wrong box. It is also likely that two answers will be quite similar and therefore hard to
choose between. If you can eliminate the two that are almost certainly wrong, you give
yourself a better chance of working out the correct answer.
It is important with questions that need short written answers that you only give the
information required. If four facts are needed, write down four facts. If you don’t need to
explain something in detail, don’t. Lots of waffle could lead to you losing marks rather than
picking up extras.
Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 reading

assessment
The Essential Skills Level 1 Communication qualification consists of two parts: a
confirmatory test and a controlled task.
● In the confirmatory test, you are asked to read documents and answer multiple
choice questions on them.
● The controlled task also assesses your reading skills, alongside your speaking
and listening and writing skills. In the controlled task, you have to read two given
documents (of about 250 words) and pick out the main points, such as by
highlighting and/or making notes. You use the information from one of the
documents to take part in a discussion and complete a piece of writing of about
250 words. You use the information from the other document in a second piece of
writing.
Activity 47 Practising assessment questions

Read the following text, which you first read earlier on in this session, and answer the
questions.
Smoke alarms for the home

Smoke alarms are cheap, easy to get hold of and, used properly, they are
lifesavers. There’s no excuse for not having one.
Smoke alarms save lives. David and Michelle Clarke and their two young
children owe their lives to their smoke alarms. In April 2018, an electrical
fault started a fire in their home while the family were asleep. Luckily, the
smoke triggered the smoke alarms fitted in both the downstairs and upstairs
hallways and the family escaped safely. ‘I can’t believe that some people still
don’t have smoke alarms’, adds Dave. ‘What’s £5 when it comes to your
family’s lives?’

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Reading
A smoke alarm is a warning device that detects smoke at the earliest stages
of a fire. If there is a fire in your home it sounds a piercing alarm to warn you.
Many people killed in house fires are asleep at the time. A smoke alarm will
wake you up and give you vital extra time to escape.
Smoke alarms cost from as little as £5. They are available from DIY stores,
electrical shops, many supermarkets and other high-street retailers.
Many people believe that if you are living in rented accommodation the
landlord has the responsibility for fitting and testing smoke alarms. This is
not completely accurate; your safety is your responsibility. Your landlord
must fit the smoke alarms but you need to test them monthly to make sure
you are protected.
There are several models of smoke alarm to choose from. The officers from
the local fire service will always be happy to help you to choose the best one
for your home. Whichever kind you choose look out for the British Standard
Kitemark so that you know it is manufactured to the highest standards, and
follow the manufacturer’s instructions when fitting the smoke alarm.
1. What does the text say many people are doing when they are killed in fires? (1
mark)
¡ Testing smoke alarms
¡ Sleeping
¡ Escaping
¡ Cooking
2. What three pieces of advice does the text give about ensuring your smoke alarms
are fit for purpose? (3 marks)
Discussion
1. Test them monthly.
2. Buy alarms that have the British Kitemark.
3. Follow manufacturer’s guidance when fitting.

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Check what you’ve learned this week by taking the end-of-session quiz.
Session 2 quiz
Open the quiz in a new window or tab then return here once you’ve finished it.

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Reading
8 Summary
8 Summary
Here are the key learning points from this session.
● In today’s world, there is so much you could read that it’s important to be able to
choose what to read, to identify what you don’t have to, and then to be able to read
and understand.
● Much of what you read every day, often on your phone, is short and involves single
words, phrases or brief sentences. But being able to read, understand and use
longer texts such as letters, emails and forms is just as important.
● Being able to tell the difference between facts and opinions is also important,
particularly in a world of social media and ‘fake news’.
● You can become more aware and active as a reader by asking yourself, when
reading something, why it was written, where it comes from and who it is for.
● The four main purposes of non-fiction texts are: to instruct, to describe or explain, to
persuade or to inform.
● Skimming can help you to see whether a text is relevant to you and how carefully you
should read it.
● Scanning can help you to see what information a text contains and whether it has the
key words that you are seeking.
● Structure, presentation and layout make a big difference to how easy a text is to read
and how well it gets its message across. Layout features include pictures, logos,
bullet points, paragraphs, colour, graphs, charts and text size and formatting.
● Heading and subheadings are like signposts that help you to find your way around.
They give you an idea of what to expect in each section.
● When answering a question about a text in a Functional Skills English or Essential
Skills Wales Communication assessment, it is very easy to misread the question and
give an incorrect answer. You should always read the question carefully.
● The same goes for reading in everyday life. When you extract information from a text
for a particular purpose, make sure you extract the information you really need.
● Reading is a skill that needs practice. Reading for pleasure is a great way to practise.
It does not matter what you read, but it should be something you enjoy and find
interesting, funny or entertaining.

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8 Summary

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Writing
Introduction
Writing
Introduction
Writing has changed a lot already during this century. For many people, what they write,
how they write and where they write are completely different from a decade or two ago.
Shopping lists are no longer scribbled on bits of scruffy paper; they are tapped into the
Notes app on our phones. The work Christmas party is no longer organised by memo but
by email. Fewer people write their thoughts in a diary; they now tend to tweet or blog or
post online in another way.
A lot of this writing is now short, quick and informal, and therefore expectations around
being accurate all the time have changed. For example, ’hi m8 omg last nite’ is perfectly
acceptable in a text message now. It has no capital letter, no full stop, no other
punctuation, an acronym, a number to rhyme with ate and night misspelled. In the past
you would not have considered writing this in a note to a friend for a second.
These changes do present a challenge. The need for complete accuracy all the time may
no longer apply to modern daily writing, but the rules for written English have not changed.
Being clever with English to fit 280 characters is a real skill, but if you cannot also write for
other, more formal, situations you have a problem.
If you know the rules and can both follow those rules when you need to and break them
when you want to, you have the tools for modern writing.

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1 The writing process
In this session you look at the key parts of writing that you need to know about and use to
be able to write appropriately and accurately whatever the text or situation.
Figure 1 Different ways of writing

Everybody has their own habits when writing. Some of these will be good and some not.
This section encourages you to think about your own habits and to develop good ones.
The main thing is to be attentive and aware when writing – check, review and re-read all
the time so that your writing is as good as it can be.
1.1 What you write down

It might surprise you how much you actually write every day. A lot of our communication is
now written.
Activity 1 Daily writing

Make a list of the things you might write during a typical day. See if you can think of at
least six and then make a note of what you use to write each one.
Discussion
Your list probably included some of the following:
Text message – mobile phone

Email – computer or mobile phone
Social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) – mobile phone
Shopping list – phone, pen or, pencil
Telephone message – pen or felt-tip or pencil
Letter – computer or pen
Form – pen or online

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Writing
Cheque – pen
Instructions – pen or felt-tip or pencil
Notes – pen or felt-tip, tablet or computer, pencil
Essay – computer or pen
You might have included some that aren’t on the list. You may well have found that you
actually write more than you thought you did!
When you write a shopping list, you might use your phone, or a scrap of paper or the back
of an envelope and write with whatever comes to hand – pencil, pen, felt-tip. However, if
you write an important letter to apply for a job you are likely to use a computer. If you wrote
by hand, you would need to be incredibly neat. In fact, handwritten formal letters are very
rare. For most people, writing a job application letter by hand is out of the question.
How often, and how much, you write probably depends on how confident you feel about
your handwriting and spelling. You may feel quite happy about sending a text to a friend
but feel less confident if you have to write a formal letter or fill in a form.
Activity 2 Your writing

Go back to the list you made in Activity 1 and note down whether you feel confident
(C), quite confident (Q) or not confident (N) about writing in each of these ways.
Discussion
Did you notice a pattern in your answers? Maybe you found that you were confident
writing emails and texts, but less so with business letters and forms. You probably felt
most confident with those things that you write most often or that are going to be read
by family and friends.
1.2 Planning writing

Much of what you write every day doesn’t need to be planned. However, when writing
longer or important texts, planning is vital to ensure your writing does what you need it
to do.
Planning before you start writing helps you make sure that you include all the information
that you need to. When you plan you need to consider why you are writing, who you are
writing for and what that person needs to know.
There are generally two useful ways of planning: making notes or drawing a diagram.
These diagrams are sometimes called spider-diagrams, mind-maps or thought-showers.
Figure 2 A spider diagram
For example, when you write a formal letter, you need to plan it carefully. Planning will
make sure that:
● you include all the important information

● you put your points in the right order
● your letter makes sense

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● your letter uses the right language and tone.
Activity 3 Planning a letter

Imagine this has happened to you:
You bought a new vacuum cleaner on 25 September from Ultra-Cool Electrical

Products but it has stopped working. It has lost all suction power.
The machine cost £75 and you want the shop to give you a replacement. You are
going to write explaining what has happened and telling them that you will come in
on Saturday to bring it back and collect a new one. You need them to let you know if
they won’t have a replacement in stock because you don’t want a wasted journey.
The address of the shop is 54 West Street, Anytown, Allshire, ABC 345 and the
manager’s name is Steve Trent.
Use one of the planning methods suggested above – making notes or drawing a
diagram – to create a plan for a formal letter of complaint to the store. Do not write the
letter.
Discussion
Your plan may have looked something like this:
Address of shop
Name of manager
Do they have one in stock?
Will they replace it?
What has happened?
When it was bought
When you will come in
What the product is
Your details
There is no right way of doing this, but all the main points need to be included. They
don’t have to be in any particular order.
If you drew a spider diagram, it may look something like this:
Figure 3 A spider diagram for the vacuum cleaner letter

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Activity 4 More planning

You have been asked to help plan a family party and you need to design the
invitations. Read the details below and then make a note of the points you will need to
include on the invitation.
John and Sylvia are going to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on 1 June
with a party at the Village Hall in Bridham. They are hoping that all the family will be
able to come and expect that there will be about 60 guests. There will be a buffet
supper and disco. The party will start at 7.30 p.m. and carry on until midnight. They
need to know by 1 May how many people are able to come. Replies will need to be
sent to you.
Discussion
Well done if you included the following points:
Who: John and Sylvia

What: 40th Wedding Anniversary Party
Where: Bridham Village Hall
When: 1 June, 7.30 p.m. – midnight
Details: buffet supper and disco
RSVP: 1 May
Your contact details for people to send their replies to.
When you plan your writing, you should think about what you are writing, who is going to
read it and its purpose. Planning helps you focus on the main points and think about the
style and tone that you will need to use for your final piece of work. Use your plan to check
that you have included all the necessary information.
1.3 Drafting
In an ideal world, every time you write a longer text you would plan it and then draft it
before writing the final version. This would give you the best chance of writing a text that
was as good as it could possibly be.
However, in everyday life this does not happen. This is partly because computers allow
you to read and edit your writing as you are doing it, so you write it once and then adapt it
if you need to. Drafting also takes time and this is something that you often do not have.
Time is something you have to be aware of in any kind of writing assessment. In a

Functional Skills English Level 1 writing assessment, you may not have time to write a
draft. In the Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 controlled task, you must
produce a draft or you will lose marks.

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In general, drafting is a worthwhile activity and can only add quality to your writing.
Activity 5 Drafting a letter

Elements of the letter that you planned in Activity 3 are given in the interactive below.
Drag the points into a sensible order for a letter.
Discussion
Your points might be ordered something like this:
1. Address of shop
2. Name of manager
3. What the product is
4. When it was bought
5. What has happened
6. Will they replace it?
7. Do they have one in stock?
8. When you will come in
9. Your details
Activity 6 Further drafting

Now write a sentence or add the details for each of the numbered points. Here’s the list
again:
1. Address of shop
2. Name of manager
3. What the product is
4. When it was bought
5. What has happened
6. Will they replace it?
7. Do they have one in stock?
8. When you will come in
9. Your details
And here’s the original information you were given:
You bought a new vacuum cleaner on 25 September from Ultra-Cool Electrical

Products but it has stopped working. It has lost all suction power.
The machine cost £75 and you want the shop to give you a replacement. You are
going to write explaining what has happened and telling them that you will come in

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on Saturday to bring it back and collect a new one. You need them to let you know if
they won’t have a replacement in stock because you don’t want a wasted journey.
The address of the shop is 54 West Street, Anytown, Allshire ABC 345 and the
manager’s name is Steve Trent.
Discussion
Here are suggestions for each point:
1. Ultra Cool Electrical Products, 54 West Street, Anytown, Allshire ABC 345
2. Steve Trent
3. The product is a vacuum cleaner.
4. It was bought on 25 September 2018.
5. After three weeks the cleaner stopped working. It turns on but does not have any
suction power and will not pick anything up.
6. Please confirm that as the product is under guarantee you will replace it.
7. Before I make the journey to the shop please can you let me know if you have
another cleaner in stock as I do not want to have a wasted journey.
8. I will come into your shop on Saturday 2 October to collect the replacement.
9. My telephone number is 01357 234789.
You now have a basic draft of the letter. Notice that for the draft you do not need to put
in your address. When drafting you don’t need to use the full structure of a letter.
Addresses can be added when you write the final version.
1.4 Editing your writing

Editing means checking, improving, re-reading or proofreading your writing. It is the point
at which you correct errors and make changes so that it looks and sounds as good as it
can. It should be something you do whenever you write anything – you should really read
every text message you send as it is easy to say something you don’t mean.
Checking or proofreading what you have written is a vital part of the writing process. This
means reading your work carefully to find any errors in spelling, punctuation and
grammar. If you are not absolutely sure that something is correct it is important that you
check it, to make sure mistakes are found and corrected. Obviously in an assessment or
exam you will lose marks for errors if you don’t check your work, but in real life there are
equally serious consequences. If there are errors in your writing, at best the reader might
think you are lazy; at worst they may think you do not have the knowledge or skills to get it
right. In both cases you are judged negatively. If you are applying for a job, your chances
of getting it will shrink.

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Activity 7 Proofreading
Read the draft of the letter below. Using the highlighting tool, highlight as many errors
as you can.
Then write the correct spellings of the misspelt words in the box.
Discussion
Check how many of the errors (shown in bold) you found and your corrected spellings
(in square brackets):
On 25 Sepmbeber [September] I bought a vacum [vacuum] cleaner, model

Ultra Cool ZX3 costing £75, from your shop.
After three weeks the the cleaner stopped working. It turns on but does not
have any sucktion powder [suction power] and will not pick anything up.
Please confirm that as the product is under guarantee you will replase
[replace] it. I will come into your shop on Saturday 2 October to collect the
replacement. Before I make the journey to the shop please let me know by
telephone if you have another cleaner in stoke [stock].
My telephone number is 01357 234789.
Note the corrected spellings: September, vacuum, suction, power, replace, stock.
Notice also that the longest paragraph needed to be broken up into three sentences,
like this:
Please confirm that as the product is under guarantee you will replace it. I
will come into your shop on Saturday 2 October to collect the replacement.
Before I make the journey to the shop please let me know by telephone if
you have another cleaner in stock.
Activity 8 More proofreading

The text below explains how the ‘Chip and PIN’ system works. There are several
spelling errors. Highlight the misspelled words. Then in the box below, write the correct
spellings of the words you’ve highlighted.

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Discussion
Check if you found all the errors – here are the correct spellings:
introduced
for
offers
security
debit
identification
typed
required
receipt.
Here are the errors in the paragraph along with the corrected spellings:
In 2004, banks intoduced [introduced] a system four [for] payment called

‘Chip & PIN’. This ofers [offers] greater secrity [security] than a signature
when a debit or credit card is used for payment. Card fraud cost around £2
billion in the UK in 2018. Debt [debit] and credit cards are issued with a
‘smart’ chip that contains the cardholder’s PIN (personal identifiction
[identification] number). When the card is used for payment the PIN
number is typped [typed] into a keypad at the till and a signature is not
requird [required]. In some situations, customers will still need to sign a
rceipt [receipt].
1.5 Final version

In everyday writing (and for Functional Skills English and Essential Skills Wales
Communication assessments), your final version of a written text is the most important
part. It is the bit that gets marked or judged. You should have corrected all the errors up to
this point so that your final copy is exactly as you want it to be.
Activity 9 Final letter

Use your plan and draft from Activity 6 to write a final version of the letter about the
vacuum cleaner. You can do it either in the box below or in a word processing app like
Word.
Here’s your draft from Activity 6:
Display of content entered previously

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Discussion
Did you remember that you need to put your address and the date on the letter? As
this is a business letter, you should also include the address of the person you are
writing to.
The letter must start and finish appropriately. If you don’t know the name of the person
you are writing to, start with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ and finish with ‘Yours faithfully’. If you
do know their name, start the letter with ‘Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs … (add their name)’ and
finish with ‘Yours sincerely’.
Your final version should look similar to this:
123 My Street
Anytown
Allshire
AB1 2CD
Tel 01234 234789
28 September 2019
Steve Trent, Manager
Ultra Cool Electric Products
54 West Street
Anytown
Allshire
ABC 345
Dear Mr Trent
On 25 September I bought a vacuum cleaner, model Ultra Cool ZX3 costing
£75, from your shop.
After three weeks the cleaner stopped working. It turns on but does not have
any suction power and will not pick anything up.
Please confirm that as the product is under guarantee you will replace it. I
will come into your shop on Saturday 2 October to collect the replacement.
Before I make the journey to the shop please let me know by telephone if
you have another cleaner in stock.
Thank you for your help with this matter.
Yours sincerely
A. N. Customer
You’ve now gone through the process of planning, drafting and producing the final version
of a formal letter. You’ve had some practice at proofreading. You’ll now go on to look at the
different kinds of text you may have to write.

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2 What you write
2 What you write

Figure 4 Different kinds of text: a speech, a report, an email and a letter
When you think of writing while doing an English course you think of spelling, punctuation
and grammar. These will be covered later, but another important aspect is what you write.
A Functional Skills English Level 1 assessment requires you to write texts of around 200
words. The Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 controlled task requires you
to write two documents, one of which will need to be at least 250 words long.
The types of text you could be asked to write in the writing assessments are letters, articles
(newspaper or magazine, printed or online), emails, speeches or reports. How these texts
look on the page and how they are put together is really important.
In reality most people don’t actually write texts as long as articles, speeches or even
letters very often. Your everyday written communication probably revolves around shorter
texts and often there is no need for perfect spelling, punctuation and grammar.
In this section you look at the key texts that you should be comfortable writing and their
format, content and purpose.
2.1 Letters
Most people struggle to remember the last time they wrote a letter, whether formal or
informal. Formal letters are usually written for work or to complain or apply for a job. In
many of these cases, emails, tweets and other social media posts are taking over. For
example, people often tweet about bad customer experience or post a picture of poor food
on their social media accounts.
Informal letters are more likely to be to someone you know, for example to thank them.
Again, messaging is used more and more for this.
Activity 10 Writing letters

Can you remember the last letter you wrote (other than the one you’ve just written
about the vacuum cleaner!)? Was it informal or formal? Who was it to? What was it
about?
Discussion
If you struggled to answer these questions, this section might be particularly helpful to
you. Improving your writing comes with practice and if you do not write a lot of letters,
this section gives you the opportunity to develop skills that you will need to pass a
Functional Skills English or Essential Skills assessment.

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2 What you write
Formal or informal?
A letter can be formal or informal. Which one it is depends on its purpose, content and
intended audience. This is similar for other types of writing, but letters are a good way to
show the differences between formal and informal writing.
When you write anything, your reader understands its meaning in two different ways: what
the text says and how it is written.
The words in the text give you information, but the tone of the language is also important.
This tells you whether the text is serious or funny, friendly or official, angry or light-hearted.
It tells you about the purpose of the text. It also gives you clues about who it is meant for.
Whenever you begin to read a text, especially a letter, you usually know straight away
whether it is:
● formal – from an organisation like the local council or a college

● informal – from a friend or relation.
This is because you notice clues like these in the text:
● the style of address: how the letter begins.

● the kind of language that is used: very formal or friendly and personal.
● the way it ends: for example, ‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Best wishes’.
Activity 11 Informal language

The information in Texts A and B below is the same, but the style and language used is
quite different.
In Text B, highlight examples of:
● slang words
● a friendly/casual style
● use of capital letters.
Text A
Dear Sir/Madam
Owing to unforeseen circumstances, it will be necessary to make an 8% increase in
water rates in your area from April 2019.
Yours faithfully
Fred Bloggs
Hampshire County Council Water Rate Manager
Text B
Discussion
Here are examples of the three signs of informal language from Text B:
Slang words: ‘dosh’, ‘’cause’

Friendly/casual style: ‘Stay cool, man!’

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2 What you write
Capital letters: ‘RIGHT NOW’
You would not use this kind of language in a formal letter of complaint or a job
application letter.
You can probably picture a letter in your mind, but what does a piece of writing actually
need in order to be considered a letter?
Elements of a letter
The letter below is a formal letter of application.
Figure 5 The elements of a letter
There is some flexibility as to where certain parts of a letter go. For example, the writer’s
address can also be in the top left of the letter and you may also see it run along the top of
the page. However, following the traditional format ensures that you do not run the risk of
the reader missing key information or losing marks for using the wrong format in an exam.
Below is the usual format of a formal letter:
● The writer’s address in the top right-hand or top left-hand corner

● The date underneath that address
● The address of the person/company being written to is lower down on the left-hand
side
● The greeting is underneath that address
● The body of the letter follows the greeting
● The closing or sign-off is on the left-hand side, underneath main text
● Your signature (if hand-written) underneath
● Your name underneath
The greeting and closing/sign-off

The usual greetings used in a formal letter are ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. If you know the person’s
name, it’s ‘Dear’ and then their name.
If you use Sir/Madam, the closing should be ‘Yours faithfully’.
If you use their name, the closing should be ‘Yours sincerely’.
It is becoming more acceptable to break these rules and it is quite common to end even
formal letters with ‘Kind regards’ or ‘Yours truly’. However, when asked to write a formal
letter it is sensible to follow the traditional rules.
Activity 12 Informal letters

Informal letters are less likely to stick to the rules. Can you think of some examples of
why you might write an informal letter and who you might write one to?

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Discussion
You might have thought of thank you letters to family members or friends, pen-pal
letters or catch-up letters to friends living far away.
2.2 Emails
You could be asked to write a formal email for a Functional Skills English Level 1 or an
Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 assessment.
In general, emails have taken over from letters in everyday life. Emails are usually more
informal than letters but can be formal. A formal email is less formal than a formal letter,
but you still need to ensure that the correct parts of an email are present. Below is an
example of a formal email of complaint, based on the same case as in the letter you wrote
earlier.
To: [email protected]
Subject: Faulty Vacuum
Dear Mr Trent
On 25 September I bought a vacuum cleaner, model Ultra Cool ZX3 costing
£75, from your shop.
After three weeks the cleaner stopped working. It turns on but does not have
any suction power and will not pick anything up.
Please confirm that as the product is under guarantee you will replace it. I will
come into your shop on Saturday 2 October to collect the replacement. Before I
make the journey to the shop please can you let me know by telephone if you
have another cleaner in stock? My telephone number is 01234 567890.
Thank you for your help with this matter.
Kind regards
A N Customer
This is the usual structure of an email, although not all will be exactly the same:
● the recipient’s address (this needs to be selected or written)

● the subject of the email
● the greeting
● the body of the email
● the closing/sign-off.
Greetings and closings in an email are much more flexible than in a letter.
If you are writing a formal email (for a job application, for example), you can still use the
formal ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ used in a letter. However, you are more likely to know the name
of the person you are writing to, so to set a friendly tone the name of the person is usually
used in the greeting. It is also acceptable to write ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’.
If the email is formal and you don’t know the person you are emailing well, use ‘Dear’. If
the email is not formal and you know the person, ‘Hi’ is often fine.

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2 What you write
You can use ‘Yours faithfully’ to close an email, but ‘Kind regards’ or ‘Best regards’ are
much more common.
2.3 Articles and news reports

Articles and news reports are similar kinds of writing. They both give information, ideas
and opinions on a particular topic. They can be a variety of lengths, from short summaries
to detailed descriptions.
Articles and news reports are written for newspapers and magazines, both printed and
online. In terms of format, they must have a title, heading or headline, and the author’s
name may be included at the beginning or the end. They often include pictures or other
images to add information and interest.
The text below is an example of a short article. Notice how it has a title or heading and
gives information on a particular topic.
The European Computer Driving Licence

The ECDL is an internationally recognised qualification that allows people to
demonstrate their ability to use a computer for all kinds of tasks.
It is the best-known IT certificate in Europe and will soon become the most
widely studied computer qualification in the rest of the world.
The ECDL is split into two parts: Level 1 and Level 2. It is designed to cover the
key concepts of computing and its practical uses at home, in education and in
the workplace.
Registration for the ECDL takes place at any college or school that is a Test
Centre. Each student is given a logbook to record his or her progress. As the
students pass the tests the results are recorded in their logbook. When all the
tests have been completed and passed, the logbook is handed in. Then the full
ECDL Certificate is issued to the student.
Most leading companies and other employers understand the importance of the
ECDL. They know that any of their workers who has an ECDL Certificate has
shown that they have an up-to-date computer qualification. The employers also
know that the ECDL is a well-organised course that helps their workers to use
computer skills in their jobs.
2.4 Speeches
In work or studies (including in a Functional Skills English Level 1 assessment), you may
be required to write a speech, that is, the written version of something that someone
would present. Because a speech is written for someone to speak, you have to take
account of the fact that it will be spoken, so it can be a little less formal than a report or
article.
When a speech is written down, it can look similar to an article. For example, they both
need a title, but rather than having the author’s name at the beginning or the end, in a
speech the presenter introduces him- or herself at the start. For example:

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2 What you write
’Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Sara and I am here today to
talk to you about business loans.’
At the end of the speech there will be some form of ending. Again, the speaker mentions
the audience in some way:
’Thanks to you all for listening today. If you have any further questions I will be
here for a little while when we finish, or feel free to contact me by email.’
Activity 13 Check what you’ve learnt: what you write

1. What type of text is most likely to have a headline?

¡ Speech
¡ Article
¡ Email
2. If a letter ends, ‘Yours sincerely’, is it likely to be formal or informal?
¡ Formal
¡ Informal
3. Which is likely to be more formal: a speech or a report?
¡ Report
¡ Speech
4. Name one place articles are published.
Answer
Newspapers or magazines, printed or online.
5. In what type of text are you most likely to use the sign-off ‘Kind regards’?
¡ Email
¡ Letter
¡ Article
6. Readers read articles, but audiences ______ to speeches.
Answer
Listen.

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3 Spelling
3 Spelling
There is no proven link between spelling and intelligence, but people often read a text with
lots of spelling mistakes and make a connection anyway. There are many reasons for
spelling mistakes, from tapping the wrong key to learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
However, there are times when it is vital that your spelling is correct. Exams are a good
example of this, but also when writing formally such as in work emails, job application
letters and essays.
There are two parts to good spelling: being able to spell the words you want to spell in the
first place and, more importantly, checking your spelling to make sure it is correct.
Spelling is something that you never stop learning. You will never be able to spell every
single word correctly every single time, but there are ways to get better at it.
3.1 Look Say Cover Write Check

This is one of the most basic and common methods used to improve spelling. It does not
work for everybody, but no method does. This one can be very powerful when learning
spellings.
Activity 14 Look Say Cover Write Check

Think of three words that you know you have difficulty spelling correctly and find the
correct spelling for each one.
Now follow the Look Say Cover Write Check process for each word: look at it; read it a
few times and say it carefully and clearly three times; cover it over so you cannot see
it (don’t cheat!); write it out; check it. Repeat this three times for each word.
Discussion
This method can be very effective when focused on key words that you need to spell.
Often it can take more than one session to really get the correct spelling to stick in your
memory. So it will be worth doing this activity, with your three words, again over the
next few days.
3.2 Commonly misspelled words

It is easy to find a list of the most commonly misspelled words. Spelling errors follow
general patterns and looking at just ten of the most commonly misspelled words shows
this.
Ten of the most commonly misspelled words

separate: often spelt ‘seperate’
accommodate or accommodation: often an ‘m’ or ‘c’ or both are missed

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3 Spelling
a lot: often spelt as one word

definitely: often spelt ‘definately’
unnecessary: often two ‘c’s are put in or an ‘n’ or ‘s’ is missed
embarrass: one ‘r’ or ‘s’ or both are often missed out
acknowledge: the ‘c’ or ‘k’ is often left out
receive: often spelt ‘recieve’
until: often double ‘l’ put on the end
occurred: a ‘c’ or ‘r’ or both are often left out
government: the ‘n’ is often not included
These words tend to be commonly misspelled either because the way they sound doesn’t
exactly match the letters used or because they have double-letter patterns that are tricky
to remember.
If you can identify the common words that you misspell, you can learn ways to remember
them such as with rhymes or memory prompts.
3.3 Memory aids

One way to remember how to spell a word is to find something in the word itself that
makes it memorable. In the examples below, note how the letters in bold type can help
you remember how to spell the word.
Ways of remembering some spellings

Separate – Pull apart (to pull things apart is to separate them)
Stationery – Paper (paper is one sort of stationery); or an envelope is an item of stationery
Stationary – Car (when a car is not moving it is stationary)
Accommodation – two cots and two mattresses
Secretary – a good secretary keeps a secret
February – brrrrrr it’s cold in February
Necessary – one collar, two sleeves
Another way of remembering spelling is by associating each letter with a word.

For example, here’s one way of remembering how to spell ‘necessary’:
Never Eat Cake Eat Salmon Sandwiches And Remain Young
Even just thinking of cake and salmon sandwiches should help you remember that the
word has one c and two ss.
Here’s one for rhythm:
Rhythm Has Your Two Hips Moving.
And because:

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3 Spelling
Big Elephants Can’t Always Use Small Exits.
Activity 15 Word play

You might know ways of remembering how other tricky words are spelt. If so, make a
note of them in the box below.
Then choose one of the words you identified earlier that you find difficult to spell. See if
you can make up some word play to remember it.
Discussion
There are at least two other good examples for necessary:
the cesspool in the middle

the shirt prompt for the c and the ss - one collar, two sleeves.
If you can make up your own rhymes or prompts for the words you struggle to spell,
you are far more likely to remember them. This is a flexible and fun way to remember
correct spellings.
Chunking
If a word is very long you can break it down into small chunks like this:
Environment: Env – iron – ment.
Then remember that there is an ‘iron’ in the middle!
3.4 Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different
meanings. They are often mixed up. Below are the ten most commonly mixed-up
homophones:
two, to, too

there, their, they’re
weather, whether
would, wood
sea, see
four, for, fore
our, are
hear, here
no, know

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3 Spelling
knew, new
Activity 16 Using homophones

Select the correct homophone in the following sentences.
Discussion
Here are the correct sentences again:
1. They’re over there in their car.

2. It’s too late for the two of you to go.
3. There is no way you know her.
4. If we sit here we will be able to hear the radio.
5. We are going to visit our favourite beach tomorrow.
6. I just don’t know whether the weather is going to improve.
3.5 Common spelling patterns and the exceptions

Another helpful strategy is to recognise patterns of letters that are always spelt the same
way. These are generally easy to see when they come at the beginning or the end of a
word. They are then called prefixes and suffixes.
Prefixes
Prefixes are patterns of letters that come at the beginning of a word.
Activity 17 ‘Pre’ pattern

How many words can you think of that start with the letters pre?
Discussion
How about present, preview, pretend, prefix, presume, precise? You may have thought
of others.

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Activity 18 More prefixes

How many words can you think of that start with the following prefixes? Aim for two for
each.
un, in, mis, re, anti, im, dis
un:
in:
mis:
re:
anti:
im:
dis:
Discussion
Here are some examples:
undo, unimpressive
instinct, intense
misunderstand, misinform
respect, resist
anticipate, antidote
impressive, imperfect
discount, disturb
Prefixes often have a specific meaning and can change the meaning of a word. For
example, ‘re’ means to do again (as in ‘rerun’) and ‘im’ means the opposite of (as in
‘impossible’).
When you add a prefix to a word, you don’t change the spelling of the original word; for
example, it is ‘misspelling’, not ‘mispelling’.
Activity 19 Matching prefixes

Match each of the following words with one of the prefixes from the previous activities
to make a new word.
take, port, social, appear, likely, patient, member, sent
Here are the prefixes again:

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3 Spelling
un, in, pre, mis, re, anti, im, dis
Discussion
Here are some examples. You may well have thought of others.
mistake, import, antisocial, disappear, unlikely, impatient, remember,

present
Suffixes
Let’s look at word endings now. Lots of words end in -ing, but some other common
endings are:
ment, tion, ally, ness, ly, ful
Activity 20 ‘ment’ suffix

How many words can you think of that end in ‘ment’?
Discussion
Here are some:
establishment, encouragement, agreement, apartment.
You probably thought of different ones.
Activity 21 More suffixes

How many words can you think of that end with the following suffixes?
ally, tion, ness, ly, ful
Discussion
Here are a few:
basically, physically

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recreation, intention
usefulness, calmness
hopefully, carefully
hopeful, careful.
You may well have thought of different ones.
3.6 New words

English is a constantly changing language. The meaning of words shifts and new words
are used all the time.
Lots of words and names have come into the English language as people begin to eat
new foods, for example:
Colby cheese, Feta cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Guacamole, Jalapeño

peppers
Other relatively new words include:
kebabs, tacos, chilli, pizza, pasta, latte, espresso.
A new invention or technology means someone has to think of a word to describe it, like
internet, email, spam, WiFi, smartphone and selfie.
Some words have been combined with others to make new words:
brunch (breakfast + lunch)

smog (smoke + fog)
ginormous (gigantic + enormous).
English is sometimes called a ‘living language’. This means that it is changing all the time,
as new words are added and old ones go out of fashion.
Activity 22 New everyday words

Take a minute to look at the picture and see if you can spot things that have had new
words created for them or that use an old word in a new way. List them in the box
below.

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Figure 6 The technology in a modern living room
Discussion
You might have spotted:
a smartphone
headphones
a laptop with a mouse and a memory stick
an extension lead
a CD or DVD in a case
a WiFi router
a television screen and a digital box/recorder.
speakers.
There was a time when none of these things existed, so these words would not have
been understood by anyone!
3.7 Correcting your spelling

As you’ve already noted, checking your work is vital. Proofreading is a key part of the
writing process. It enables you to identify and correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
errors. It also gives you the opportunity to improve the content, order and style if you
need to.
When proofreading for spelling, the rule must be that if you are unsure of something,
check it.
There are some easy ways of checking words you are not sure about:

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● Look it up in a dictionary. You can use an online or book dictionary, or a dictionary

app. Online or app dictionaries are not restricted by physical size so tend to have
more words.
● Use the spell checker on your computer. It can check either as you write or specific
words that you type in. Be aware that a spell checker may not pick up all your
mistakes, such as incorrect use of homophones.
● Use predictive text on your phone messaging app.
● Find other texts that are likely to contain the word, and that you know are reliable,
and check there.
It can be helpful to keep a personal spelling dictionary for you to log the words you find
difficult to spell.
Activity 23 Finding spelling mistakes

In the text below, highlight all the words that you think might contain spelling errors.
Discussion
Check to see if you found all of them:
February, worried, appointment, necessary, journey, accommodation, two,

received

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4 Grammar
Grammar is basically the set of rules for the way words are put together to form
sentences.
As you have seen in previous sessions, spoken language is more flexible than written
language. In fact, everyday communication is becoming more and more informal and
regularly breaks the rules. However, for formal or important written pieces you cannot
break the rules as much. You have to be careful and accurate.
4.1 Proper sentences

A sentence is a group of words that are put together to give a complete piece of
information. There are no rules for how many words there has to be in a sentence.
A sentence must make sense on its own, begin with a capital letter and end with a full
stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
Activity 24 Recognising sentences

Read each group of words below. Check the box next to the ones you think are
sentences.
o This is my favourite programme.
o The form fill.
o It will soon my birthday.
o Send me a text tomorrow.
The pen is table.
o
Discussion
Only two of these examples are sentences: ‘This is my favourite programme’ and
‘Send me a text tomorrow.’ They are the only ones that make sense on their own.
A sentence can also ask a question or give a command. For example:
Where are you going?

Go away!
Activity 25 More recognising sentences

Select which of the statements below you think are sentences.

o What time does the film start?
o Be quiet!
o We’ve the bus!
o How is it to the bus stop?
o He was late.

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Discussion
The only three statements that make sense are ‘What time does the film start?’, ‘Be
quiet!’ and ‘He was late.’ These are all sentences.
The other two statements seem to have words missing and don’t make sense.
4.2 Subjects and verbs

Most sentences also need to contain a subject and a verb.
The subject
The subject tells you who or what the sentence is about. The rest of the sentence will give
more detail about the subject.
For example, in
The driver took the wrong turn.
the driver is the subject.
Activity 26 Spot the subject

Read the sentences below and see if you can pick out the subject. Write them in the
box below.
The car needs more petrol.

I will ring the bank tomorrow.
Jane has bought a new digital camera.
Birmingham is a major city.
The stadium is quite new.
Discussion
The subject of each sentence is in bold:
The car needs more petrol.

I will ring the bank tomorrow.
Jane has bought a new digital camera.
Birmingham is a major city.
The stadium is quite new.

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Verbs
Verbs describe what is happening in a sentence. You may remember a verb being called a
‘doing’ word.
For example, in this sentence:
I read this web page last week.
’read’ is the verb – it is the action that happened.
Activity 27 Spot the verb

Look at the following sentences and this time identify the verb. Write them in the box
below.
I always buy petrol from here.

She sent him a message.
They drive to London every weekend.
The team played at home.
Gardeners work outside.
Discussion
The verb in each sentence is in bold:
I always buy petrol from here.

She sent him a message.
They drive to London every weekend.
The team played at home.
Gardeners work outside.
4.3 Longer sentences

So far, all the sentences you have looked at have been short. They are called simple
sentences – there is only one part to them. Simple sentences can be joined together to
make a compound sentence by using a conjunction.
Examples of conjunctions are:
and, so, but, because, although
A compound sentence could look like this:

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I enjoy my job and I work near my house.
Each part would still make sense on its own: I enjoy my job. I work near my house.
Activity 28 Using conjunctions

Look at the following short sentences and use a conjunction to make them into one
compound sentence. Write your answer in the space underneath.
I am going on holiday. I am looking forward to it.
Mark has got a new job. It is a very long journey each day.
The computer is quite old. It is still reliable.
The shop is convenient for me. It is on the corner.
I am going to buy that coat. It is quite expensive.
Answer
You can see the conjunctions in bold:
I am going on holiday and I am looking forward to it.

Mark has got a new job but it is a very long journey each day.
The computer is quite old but it is still reliable.
The shop is convenient for me because it is on the corner.
I am going to buy that coat although it is quite expensive.

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4.4 Past, present and future

The verb describes the action in a sentence. It also tells you when the action happens – in
the past, the present or the future. This is called the tense.
For example, ‘I walked’ or ‘I was walking’ is past tense, ‘I walk’ or ‘I am walking’ is present
tense and ‘I will walk’ is future tense.
Activity 29 Past, present or future?

Read the following sentences and decide whether they are in the past, present or
future tense.
1. I am walking.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
2. You lost the match.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
3. He will run in the race.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
4. She posted it.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
5. It was raining.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
6. We are cooking.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
7. You will be going on holiday.
¡ Past
¡ Present
¡ Future
8. They like singing.
¡ Past
¡ Present

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¡ Future
Activity 30 Tenses in texts

In the text below, highlight the ten mistakes in the use of tenses. Then rewrite the text
correctly in the box underneath.
Discussion
Here are the ten mistakes, in bold:
Last Tuesday I will go to the Post Office when I see a dog in the road. It will
bark and is running in circles. I will go to talk to it when a lady came round
the corner and calls ‘Henry, Henry’. He runs up to her and she will put him
on the lead.
Here is the corrected text:
Last Tuesday I was going to the Post Office when I saw a dog in the road. It
barked/was barking and was running in circles. I went to talk to it when a
lady came round the corner and called ‘Henry, Henry’. He ran up to her and
she put him on the lead.
Well done if you spotted some or all of these. When tenses get mixed up the result can
be quite confusing.
4.5 Verb and subject agreement

Earlier you practised identifying the subject of the sentence. You have just looked at
making sure the verb is in the right tense. What you are going to look at now is making
sure that the verb and the subject agree so that the sentence makes sense.
Two of the most common verbs in English are ‘to be’ and ‘to have’. Look at the following
tables that show how these verbs are used in the past, present and future tenses.
‘To be’: past, present

and future tense
Past Present Future
I was I am I will be
You You are You
were will be

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He/ He/she/ He/

she/ it is she/it
it was will be
We We are We
were will be
You You are You
were will be
They They are They
were will be
‘To have’: past,

present and future
tense
Past Present Future
I had I have I will
have
You You You will
had have have
He/ He/she/ He/
she/ it has she/it
it had will
have
We We have We will
had have
You You You will
had have have
They They They
had have will
have
Activity 31 Verb–subject agreement

Look at the following sentences which all use the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’. They all
contain errors. Rewrite them in the box using the correct form of the verb. Keep the
tense the same; for example, if the original sentence is in the present tense, rewrite it
in the present tense too.
The girls is tired.
I has a very bad cold.
They was late for the appointment.

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He will had a birthday next week.
Answer
Here are the sentences with the correct tenses:
The girls are tired.

I have a very bad cold.
They were late for the appointment.
He will have a birthday next week.
Now try four more.

We is going to Liverpool on the train.
They will has a new person starting work next week.
The film were really good.
They has moved to a new house.
Answer
Here are the sentences with the correct tenses:
We are going to Liverpool on the train.

They will have a new person starting work next week.
The film was really good.
They have moved to a new house.

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Activity 32 Correcting verb–subject agreement

Rewrite the following sentences, changing either the subject or the verb so they agree.
There might be more than one alternative that would make sense.
Six boys is looking for a lost memory stick.
They goes to the cinema on Wednesdays.
Sarah have left her book on the bus.
The last train leave at 7.30 pm.
I loves fishing at the weekend.
Answer
Here are some alternatives:
‘Six boys are looking for a lost memory stick’ or ‘A boy is looking for a lost memory
stick.’
‘They go to the cinema on Wednesdays’ or ‘She goes to the cinema on
Wednesdays.’
‘Sarah has left her book on the bus’ or ‘They have left her book on the bus.’
‘The last train leaves at 7.30 pm’ or ‘The last trains leave at 7.30 pm.’
‘I love fishing at the weekend’ or ‘She loves fishing at the weekend.’
You now move on to look at the other thing that can help you to write clearly: punctuation.

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5 Punctuation
5 Punctuation
Like spelling and grammar, accurate punctuation is very important in communicating
clearly in writing. Punctuation is the set of marks or symbols that help keep meaning clear
and ensure the reader understands what is being communicated.
There are many complicated rules around punctuation that can be confusing and
intimidating. In this section you will focus on the basic punctuation that ensures your
everyday writing, and the writing you need to do for Functional Skills English or Essential
Skills Wales Communication Level 1 assessments, is accurate and clear.
There are 14 punctuation marks commonly used in English – you will have heard of many
of them. However, not all of them are vital for everyday writing, so you concentrate here
on five of them: full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, commas and apostrophes.
As you develop your English skills and work through the levels and qualifications, you will
meet the other punctuation marks.
In this section you also think about the use of capital letters. Like punctuation marks, there
are many rules and guidelines for the use of capitals. You look now at the key points to
ensure your use of capitals is accurate for everyday life, work and study.
5.1 Capital letters

Capital letters are the ‘large’ versions of the 26 letters of the alphabet. Some letters
change shape as a capital – A instead of a, B instead of b. However, some do not; they
are just a larger version: C instead of c, K instead of k.
Capitals are also known as upper-case letters, while the smaller, standard versions are
known as lower-case letters.
It is very important that when you use a capital letter, it is clear that it is a capital letter. For
those letters that change their shape it is usually obvious. When only the size changes,
you have to be careful. You may be forgiven for using capitals incorrectly in everyday
writing, but in an exam you will lose marks. Also, like spelling errors, mistakes often mean
that the reader will assume you either don’t know the rules or can’t be bothered to get
them right.
The basic rules for capital letters are quite straightforward: use them at the start of
sentences and for names (also called proper nouns).
You must use them at the start of sentences – this is very important. You should usually
use them for proper nouns, although there are exceptions to this. It is more and more
common for companies to use lower case at the start of their name. This is particularly
common with online companies like ebay and also applies to some companies’ products
such as Apple’s iPhone. Sometimes the only option is to check a written version of a
name and copy that.
So, to summarise: capitals must be used at the start of sentences and they must be used
for proper nouns (David, Birmingham, Scotland, Monday), but it is always worth checking!
‘I’ always needs a capital letter, wherever it appears in the sentence. Abbreviations – such
as the OU, the BBC, the UK – also need capitals.
Finally, the best guideline to go by is that if you are unsure don’t use them. Follow the
rules above and you should be accurate most of the time. Too many capitals rather than
too few is more likely to suggest to the reader that you don’t know what you are doing.

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The table below gives a summary of when capitals are needed.
When to use
capitals
Type of Examples
word
Names of David
people Beckham, J.
K. Rowling
Names of Manchester,
places Cardiff,
Scotland
Days of Monday,
the week Tuesday
Names of January,
months February
To start a Usually I
sentence take the bus.
I Sometimes I
go by train.
Activity 33 What needs a capital?

In the box below, write the following sentences, putting in capital letters where
necessary:
j. k. rowling wrote harry potter.

david beckham played for manchester united.
cardiff is in wales.
Discussion
Your sentences should look like this:
J. K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books.

David Beckham played for Manchester United.
Cardiff is in Wales.
5.2 Ending sentences

There are only three ways to end a sentence: with a full stop (see the end of this
sentence), a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!).

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Full stops
The most common way of ending a sentence is the full stop. If you look back over what
you have read in the last few minutes, you will see that most of the sentences end with
one. In the grammar section you looked at what a sentence is, but in terms of the
punctuation that shows a standard (not a question or exclamation) sentence has finished,
a full stop is the only option.
Question marks
The rule for question marks is straightforward. If a sentence is a question, it needs a
question mark at the end.
How are you?

What are you doing at the weekend?
Where did you go on holiday?
A helpful pattern to be aware of is that very often, sentences that begin with words such as
is, can, when, why, what, how, where and who need a question mark.
Exclamation marks
Exclamation marks are the least common of the three sentence endings. They are used to
show that the sentence contains some sort of strong emotion such as anger, surprise, joy
or fear.
That’s amazing!
Get out of here!
I don’t believe it!
They can also be used at the end of commands:
Sit down!
Activity 34 Full stop, question mark or exclamation mark?

Look at the sentences below. Add the correct mark to the end of each of them.
It is Saturday today
Is it Saturday today
Wow - it’s Saturday today
What’s your favourite kind of music
I mostly listen to talk radio
I can’t live without music

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Answer
Check your endings against these:
It is Saturday today.
Is it Saturday today?
Wow – it’s Saturday today!
What’s your favourite kind of music?
I mostly listen to talk radio.
I can’t live without music!
Discussion
5.3 Commas
The rules for commas could fill a course on their own. They are often complicated and
confusing. However, to write well you do not need to know all of them. In fact, there are
probably only a few people in the world who genuinely do!
So what do commas do? Look at the following sentence:
I like to go out with friends on Saturday nights to the pub cinema or a nightclub
after I’ve been busy all day.
This is quite a long sentence and is much easier to read and understand if commas are
added; they provide structure for the reader so that the meaning is clear:
I like to go out with friends on Saturday nights, to the pub, cinema or a

nightclub, after I’ve been busy all day.
Like capital letters, it is best to use a comma only when you are sure that one is needed.
If in doubt, leave it out.
With that guidance in mind, there are some key situations that definitely need commas.
One of these is in lists. The commas separate the things in the list. If you don’t use
commas the list could be unclear.
For example, look at the difference between these two sentences:
I went shopping and bought fruit, bread, chocolate, milk and eggs.
I went shopping and bought fruit bread, chocolate milk and eggs.
Putting the commas in different places changes the things that were bought.
Another situation where commas are needed is when you are adding information to a
sentence.
In the example below commas are needed to separate the additional information:
My best friend Jane unlike me is always late.

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My best friend Jane, unlike me, is always late.
Activity 35 Adding commas to lists

Add commas in the correct places for each of the three sentences below.
To complete a study guide you will need a pen pencil paper and enough time.
The children were excited tired and noisy.
Every day before I leave the house I take the dog for a walk make my sandwiches and
check my email.
Discussion
Check your commas against these:
To complete a study guide you will need a pen, pencil, paper and enough time.
The children were excited, tired and noisy.
Every day before I leave for work, I take the dog for a walk, make my sandwiches
and check my email.
Activity 36 Commas for additional information

Add commas in the correct places for each of the sentences in the box.
It was sadly the last day of term.
My dog who is completely crazy ran away yesterday.
The rain I was pleased to see was beginning to stop.
Discussion
Check your commas against these:
It was, sadly, the last day of term.

My dog, who is completely crazy, ran away yesterday.
The rain, I was pleased to see, was beginning to stop.
5.4 Apostrophes
Apostrophes do two things. They show that a letter (or letters) is missing or that
something belongs to someone. Like commas, apostrophes are often used incorrectly.

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Missing letters
Any time a letter (or letters) is missed out an apostrophe is needed to show this.In the box
are common examples of words that use an apostrophe in this way.
Examples of apostrophes
does not becomes doesn’t
you have becomes you’ve
do not becomes don’t
cannot becomes can’t
I have becomes I’ve
I will becomes I’ll
I would becomes I’d
it is becomes it’s
would not becomes wouldn’t
Activity 37 Spot the apostrophe

In the text below, highlight all the words that use an apostrophe to show a letter (or
letters) is missing.
Answer
Check if you’ve spotted all the words with apostrophes:
wouldn’t
you’d
didn’t
it’s
he’d
hadn’t
didn’t
I’ll
Activity 38 Inserting apostrophes

Try putting in the missing apostrophes in the text below.

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We didnt do well at football because the team hadnt had much time to play together. I
wasnt very confident at all. The coach wouldnt allow us to chat to each other and I dont
think he liked us much. Its a shame because we couldve been really good.
Discussion
Check your answer to see if you put in all the missing apostrophes:
We didn’t do well at football because the team hadn’t had much time to play
together. I wasn’t very confident at all. The coach wouldn’t allow us to chat to
each other and I don’t think he liked us much. It’s a shame because we
could’ve been really good.
Activity 39 Matching shortened words with the full word

Match the shortened words below, which use an apostrophe, with the full word.
she didn’t
they’ll
you’d
I’ve
he won’t
we wouldn’t
she did not
they will
you would
I have
he will not
we would not
Belonging
You also use an apostrophe when something belongs to someone. It goes after the name
of the owner:
Matthew’s bag
Emily’s computer
My dad’s coat
The cat’s bed
The house’s windows

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Activity 40 Apostrophes for belonging

Add the apostrophes in the correct place for the following sentences:
My sisters coat.
The dogs bowl.
The cars wheels.
Answer
Check where you’ve put your apostrophes against these answers:
My sister’s coat.
The dog’s bowl.
The car’s wheels.
5.5 Punctuation practice

In the next activity, you have the chance to practise everything you’ve learnt about
punctuation.
Activity 41 Practising punctation

1. Which of the following words should always have a capital letter?

o southampton
o table
o computer
o policeman
2a. Put the correct punctuation mark at the end of each of the sentences in the box.
Is it Saturday today
Merwen didn’t come to work last week
Oh no, I’m too scared
Can you come to the cinema with me next week
Answer
Is it Saturday today?
Merwen didn’t come to work last week.

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Oh no, I’m too scared!

Can you come to the cinema with me next week?
2b. Now add punctuation marks to the end of these sentences:
Don’t do it
Jack has been in hospital for six weeks
Wow, I’m so happy
Is the new film out next week
Answer
Don’t do it!
Jack has been in hospital for six weeks.
Wow, I’m so happy!
Is the new film out next week?
3. Put the commas in the right place in each of the sentences in the box.
My hobbies include going to the cinema reading books and running.
My teacher who is very smart has helped me a lot this year.
I like autumn days that are sunny dry and bright.
Discussion
Check where you’ve put your commas against these answers:
My hobbies include going to the cinema, reading books and running.

My teacher, who is very smart, has helped me a lot this year.
I like autumn days that are sunny, dry and bright.
4. The following passage doesn’t have any punctuation. See if you can add everything
that is needed. Remember to include capital letters, full stops, commas and
apostrophes. The text has been provided in a box for you to edit.
a lot of people try to get away from home for a few days each year for a
holiday there are lots of things to choose from and where you go depends
on how much money you have got to spend ideas for holidays include
relaxing on a beach exploring cities and skiing one man wanted to go to
australia but thought hed never have enough money to get there he will go
to his brothers caravan at the seaside instead a young woman wanted to go
clubbing in Ibiza as shed heard its a lot of fun

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a lot of people try to get away from home for a few days each year for a holiday there are
lots of things to choose from and where you go depends on how much money you have got
to spend ideas for holidays include relaxing on a beach exploring cities and skiing one man
wanted to go to australia but thought hed never have enough money to get there he will go
to his brothers caravan at the seaside instead a young woman wanted to go clubbing in
Ibiza as shed heard its a lot of fun
Discussion
Check if you spotted all the errors by comparing your edited text against this:
A lot of people try to get away from home for a few days each year for a
holiday. There are lots of things to choose from and where you go depends
on how much money you have got to spend. Ideas for holidays include
relaxing on a beach, exploring cities and skiing. One man wanted to go to
Australia but thought he’d never have enough money to get there. He will go
to his brother’s caravan at the seaside instead. A young woman wanted to
go clubbing in Ibiza as she’d heard it’s a lot of fun.

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6 Writing for real
6 Writing for real

The kinds of thing you write every day are not necessarily what you will write in a
Functional Skills English or Essential Skills Wales Communication writing assessment.
The difference between a text message to your best friend and a formal letter to apply for
a job is a big one.
Even if you never intend taking any kind of writing assessment, it is unlikely you will be
able to avoid writing a text of some sort that requires you to stick to the rules you have
looked at during this course.
In this final section, you look at some of the practical aspects of writing and points that you
have not covered so far.
6.1 Paragraphs
In the session on reading, you looked at paragraphs as a structural or presentation
feature. When you write, you have to think about them slightly differently.
Paragraphs break up a text into chunks that are more manageable to read. Each
paragraph should be about the same subject.
It can be very easy to question and then confuse yourself when thinking about
paragraphs. Basically, when something changes in your writing you need a new
paragraph.
Paragraphs are important because they help the reader to know that they have moved
onto a new topic. A new paragraph signals to the reader that they can concentrate on the
new topic, making it easier to understand. A new paragraph might be used when a new
character has begun to speak. Or you may be reading about a new place or subject.
A new paragraph starts on a new line to make it stand out.
Paragraphs are usually grouped together into sections with subheadings or into chapters.
Activity 42 Paragraphs in use

Read the text in the box carefully. Try to break up the text into three paragraphs. The
title of the text is ‘Knowing all about octanes’.
In the UK petrol is categorised by its octane number. Standard unleaded petrol is 95RON.
But some fuels have a higher level of octanes than that, and they claim to increase the
performance of your car. Cars all have a ‘compression ratio’. This means that there is a
level already set in their engines at which the fuel and air mix in the cylinder. This process
causes the petrol to ignite and the car engine to receive power. If the level can be set to
make the petrol ignite at a very high pressure, it will produce extra power, and the car will
be capable of more speed and a higher performance. Engine designers have to be careful,
however, because all fuels have a certain point at which they will ignite under pressure. If
the pressure in the cylinder gets too great, then the fuel will ignite before the spark plug is
ready to fire. This will throw the engine of the car out of time and make it lose power. You
will know when this is happening, because you will hear a knocking sound from the engine.
Mechanics call this sound ‘pinking’.

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Discussion
Here is one way of dividing it up into three paragraphs:
[Paragraph 1 is an introduction to octane numbers:]

In the UK petrol is categorised by its octane number. Standard unleaded
petrol is 95RON. But some fuels have a higher level of octanes than that,
and they claim to increase the performance of your car.
[Paragraph 2 then gives details of how fuel and air mix in car engines:]
Cars all have a ‘compression ratio’. This means that there is a level already
set in their engines at which the fuel and air mix in the cylinder. This process
causes the petrol to ignite and the car engine to receive power. If the level
can be set to make the petrol ignite at a very high pressure, it will produce
extra power, and the car will be capable of more speed and a higher
performance.
[Paragraph 3 goes on to explains what can go wrong in car engines:]
Engine designers have to be careful, however, because all fuels have a
certain point at which they will ignite under pressure. If the pressure in the
cylinder gets too great, then the fuel will ignite before the spark plug is ready
to fire. This will throw the engine of the car out of time and make it lose
power. You will know when this is happening, because you will hear a
knocking sound from the engine. Mechanics call this sound ‘pinking’.
The topic of each paragraph is different even though the overall subject of the text is
the same. It is the change in topic that means that a new paragraph is needed.
6.2 Handwriting
Despite all the writing that people do on their phones or tablets or using a keyboard,
writing neatly is still something everyone needs to be able to do.
It is possible to do Functional Skills English or Essential Skills Wales Communication
assessments on-screen or online, so your handwriting will not be an issue in that respect.
In reality, if you really wanted to, you probably could avoid ever having to handwrite again
by always using your mobile phone, tablet and computer.
However, there are likely to be times when you have no choice but to write by hand and if
it cannot be read, you have a problem! If you write your shopping list by hand and then
cannot read it, how will you know what to buy? If you leave a message for someone to
feed your dog when they come home, but they cannot read it, the dog goes hungry. If you
write a heartfelt birthday message in your best friend’s birthday card, but they cannot read
it, what would they think?
Everyone has their own unique style of handwriting with unique habits – both good and
bad. It is always worthwhile to look at your own handwriting and ask yourself whether it
could be made easier to read.

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6 Writing for real
Activity 43 Your handwriting

Use a pen and paper to copy a few lines of the text you have just read.
Now read it back, looking carefully at your handwriting. Be honest about it. Is it easy to
read? Do you have any habits or patterns that make certain letters or words or sections
unclear? Do you use random capitals where you don’t need them?
Is there anything you could do to make sure that your handwriting is easier to read?
Discussion
It is possible to change your handwriting, so if you have noticed something that you
could improve, make an effort to do so next time you are writing.
6.3 Writing for assessments

This section specifically introduces the writing assessments for Functional Skills English
Level 1 and Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1. However, if you are not
studying for these qualifications you will still find the activity useful, so please read through
the section and try out Activities 44 and 45.
Functional Skills English and Essential Skills Wales

Communication writing assessments
Functional Skills English and Essential Skills Wales Communication writing assessments
are designed to assess your ability to write texts that can be understood by the reader they
are written for. This means that any particular text needs to:
● be structured, or laid out, as it should be

● include the information it needs to, in a logical order
● contain accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
It is important to remember that your writing does not have to be perfect. Perfect writing is
impossible. Even if you make no spelling, punctuation or grammar mistakes, it is very
unlikely that everyone who reads your writing will completely agree with everything you said
or not think that there is a better way to say it.
This is why you do not need 100 per cent in assessments to pass. The pass mark is
different for different exams, but the idea is that you write well enough to be understood and
to communicate clearly.
To pass a Functional Skills English Level 1 writing assessment or the writing element of the
Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1 controlled task, you must be able to write a
range of texts to communicate information, ideas and opinions, using formats and styles
suitable for their purpose and audience.
Requirements to pass a Functional Skills English Level 1 writing

assessment
The specific requirements are that you:

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6 Writing for real
● write clearly and coherently, including an appropriate level of detail

● present information in a logical sequence
● use language, format and structure suitable for purpose and audience
● use correct grammar, including correct and consistent use of tense
● ensure written work includes generally accurate punctuation and spelling and that
meaning is clear
● do all of the above in more than one type of text.
Requirements to pass the writing element of the Essential Skills Wales

Communication Level 1 controlled task
The specific requirements are that you:
● produce a plan for each of your written documents, showing the main points you
obtained from the source documents
● produce an annotated draft for each of your written documents
● write clearly and coherently, including an appropriate level of detail
● ensure the written document is of appropriate length
● use paragraphing appropriately to present information in a logical sequence
● use language, format and structure suitable for purpose and audience
● use correct grammar, including correct and consistent use of tense
● ensure written work includes accurate punctuation and spelling and that meaning
is clear
● do all of the above in more than one type of text.
If you are preparing for the Functional Skills English Level 1 qualification, the next activity
is particularly relevant as it will help you to think about the requirements for passing the
writing assessment, listed above.
If you are not studying for the Functional Skills English qualification, you may still find the
activity useful.
Activity 44 You do the marking

The speech below has been written in response to the following question:
Write a short talk, to be given to a group of new college students, about the
importance of having good English skills.
Use the Functional Skills English Level 1 writing requirements, listed above and copied
in the text box below, to review the speech and decide whether or not you think it
meets the standards. Try to make comments or identify examples from the speech to
show how it matches each of the requirements.
Good morning everybody. My name is Jay and I am here today to talk to you
about why it is important to keep learning and improving your English skills,
and to make sure you get your qualifications.

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6 Writing for real
Until recently I didn’t have any qualifications in English. I messed around at

school and didn’t pass my exams. This wasn’t a problem for a while, but
when I went for a promotion at work I was declined, because I didn’t have
the certificate to prove my skills.
So I came to college. I worked hard and learned a lot. I learned things I
didn’t even know I needed. I have since passed the English qualifications
and got the promotion.
So my message to you is that without the right skills and qualifications in
English you will find that things are harder. It is harder to do the things you
need to do every day, but also harder to get the career you want. If you put
in the effort now you will not be in my situation in a few years’ time.
Thank you for listening. Does anyone have any questions?
Write clearly and coherently, including an appropriate level of detail.
Present information in a logical sequence.
Use language, format and structure suitable for purpose and audience.
Use correct grammar, including correct and consistent use of tense.
Ensure written work includes generally accurate punctuation and spelling and that meaning
is clear.
Discussion
The speech does meet the standards for Functional Skills English Level 1 writing.
● Write clearly and coherently, including an appropriate level of detail: It

covers English skills and qualifications for work and life.
● Present information in a logical sequence: It presents the story from messing
around in school to getting promotion.
● Use language, format and structure suitable for purpose and audience: The
text starts with ‘Good morning’ – it opens like a speech.
● Use correct grammar, including correct and consistent use of tense: It uses
the past tense for the past and the future tense when talking about ‘a few years’
time’.
● Ensure written work includes generally accurate punctuation and spelling
and that meaning is clear: This is fine – capitals and full stops are used
accurately.
● Do all of the above in more than one type of text: This is only one text, but
another text like this should be possible.
The key to a good piece of writing is that it communicates clearly what it needs to say. It
does not have to be over-complicated or use long or complex words to try to sound clever.
Emails are a good example of a type of text that is used millions of times every day to
communicate.

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Writing
6 Writing for real
Activity 45 Constructing an email

In the interactive below, sections of an email are mixed up. Drag each section around
so that they are in the correct order for it to make sense.
Discussion
The email below shows the sections in the correct order:
To: [email protected]
Subject: Pay Rise
Dear Mrs Carter
I am emailing you to request a pay rise. This is not the sort of thing I usually
do, but I feel strongly enough in this case to do so.
I have worked at this company for two years now and have never had any
kind of pay rise. I consistently work hard and have always met my monthly
targets. Also, I have only had one day off sick in two years.
Considering all these things I really feel that I deserve a pay rise.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Jay Tanner
6.4 Self-assessing
You have now covered all the key aspects of writing that are relevant to Functional Skills
English and Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1, as well as everyday writing.
Whether you choose to go on and complete the qualification or not, this course will have
helped you to develop your knowledge and skills. You should now be able to demonstrate
this by writing a text more confidently.
Activity 46 Writing a report

Complete the task below. Then review your work carefully and honestly using the
checklist.
You have been asked to write a report for The Open University about your
experiences of studying English online. You need to include what you have
studied, how long it has taken you, what have been the most important
things you have learned and what suggestions you would make to improve
the course – for example: was anything missed out? Finally, you need to
explain how the course will help you in the future.

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6 Writing for real

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Writing
7 End of course quiz
7 End of course quiz

Now try the end of course quiz to test your learning of the entire course and hopefully gain
your badge. Good luck!

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Writing
8 Summary
8 Summary
The main learning points from this session are:
● Modern forms of communication mean that you probably write more than you
think you do. It’s important to understand the difference between informal and
formal writing.
● To write something formal well, it’s useful to plan it first, write a draft, check it and
then produce the final version.
● Different types of text – letters, emails, speeches, articles – have different
structures, say different kinds of things and start and finish in different ways.
● To write well formally, you need to spell correctly. There are ways to improve your
spelling and to remember tricky words.
● Understanding some very basic grammar rules will also help you to write, because
you need to write in sentences, use the right tense for verbs and be able to make
longer sentences using conjunctions.
● The same goes for punctuation: understanding how to end sentences properly and
how to use commas and apostrophes will help you write well.

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Writing
End of course summary
End of course summary
Bringing it all together

Congratulations on completing Everyday English 1. We hope you have enjoyed the
experience and now feel inspired to develop your English skills further.
Through this course you have developed your skills in the following areas:
● speaking clearly and confidently and at the appropriate volume and speed according
to the situation
● understanding the importance of listening in communication, including active
listening
● identifying when and why your ability to listen might be affected, for example through
tiredness, anger or a lack of interest
● using body language to support positive and clear communication
● identifying formal and informal situations, and understanding how that affects the
way you should communicate in both speaking and writing
● taking part in discussions, including asking and answering questions, taking turns,
disagreeing and encouraging others to speak
● skimming a text in order to identify quickly whether it is something you should read
● scanning a text in order to search for information you are looking for
● reading, understanding and using different kinds of written texts, whether they are
short, long, formal or informal
● telling the difference between facts and opinions
● identifying the purpose of different kinds of non-fiction texts, i.e. whether they aim to
instruct, describe/explain, persuade or inform
● understanding how presentation and layout affect how easy a text is to read and how
well it gets its message across
● planning, drafting and proofreading a text
● applying different structures to different types of text, including letters, emails,
speeches and articles
● spelling, using certain kinds of punctuation and applying basic grammar rules
● an awareness of the importance of practising to improve all the above!
Next steps
You may now want to develop your everyday English skills further. If so, you will be
pleased to hear that in March 2019, Everyday English 2 will be released on
OpenLearn. Check back here for further details. Everyday English 2 will give you the
opportunity to look at some of the topics you’ve explored here in more detail, as well as
new content.
If you would like to achieve a more formal qualification, please contact one of the centres
listed below and explain that you have done this course and gained an OpenLearn badge.

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Writing
Acknowledgements
They’ll help you to find the best way to achieve the Level 1 Functional Skills English
qualification or the Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Communication qualification, which will
enhance your CV.
England
Tresham College (Part of The Bedford College Group), Windmill Avenue, Kettering,
Northants NN15 6ER
https://www.tresham.ac.uk
01536 413123
Middlesbrough College, Dock St, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AD

https://www.mbro.ac.uk/
01642 333333
West Herts College, Watford Campus, Hempstead Rd, Watford, WD17 3EZ
https://www.westherts.ac.uk/
01923 812345
Wales
Coleg Cambria
https://www.cambria.ac.uk/
Adult Learning Wales

https://www.adultlearning.wales/
Coleg Gwent
https://www.coleggwent.ac.uk/
NPTC Group of Colleges

https://www.nptcgroup.ac.uk/
Acknowledgements
Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources:
Every effort has been made to contact copyright owners. If any have been inadvertently
overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the
first opportunity.

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Writing
Acknowledgements
Session 1
219574: Figure 1 top left: © erstudiostok / 123 Royalty Free
219577: Figure 1 top right: © Iakov Filimonov / 123 Royalty Free
219571: Figure 1 middle left: © Cathy Yeulet / 123 Royalty Free
219579: Figure 1 middle right: © Anna Bizon / 123 Royalty Free
219576: Figure 1 bottom: © William Perugini / 123 Royalty Free
219684: Figure 21 left: © dotshock / 123 Royalty Free
219596: Figure 21 right: © Cathy Yeulet / 123 Royalty Free
Session 2
first opportunity.
224681: Figure 16 top left: © Dzmitry Kliapitski / 123 Royalty Free
224682: Figure 16 top middle: © Hannu Viitanen / 123 Royalty Free
224678: Figure 16 top right: © Sergey Rasulov / 123 Royalty Free
224683: Figure 16 bottom left: © Olga Zhavoronkova / 123 Royalty Free
224684: Figure 16 bottom middle: © Alex Postovski / 123 Royalty Free
224677: Figure 16 bottom right: © Lukas Gojda / 123 Royalty Free
Session 3
This free course was written by Tom Redshaw, Bedford College Group using materials
belonging to The Open School Trust Ltd. (trading as the National Extension College), in
partnership with Middlesbrough College, West Herts College and The Open University
and in collaboration with Coleg Cambria, Adult Learning Wales, Coleg Gwent and the
NPTC Group of Colleges. Copyright in this material belongs to The Open
University, 2019.
first opportunity.
219680: Figure 1 bottom left: © michael spring / 123 Royalty Free
219600: Figure 1 bottom right: © SolStock / istock / Premium Images Plus
219598: Figure 1 top left: © Katarzyna Bialasiewicz / 123 Royalty Free
219597: Figure 1 top right: © Bernard Bodo / 123 Royalty Free
Don't miss out
If reading this text has inspired you to learn more, you may be interested in joining the
millions of people who discover our free learning resources and qualifications by visiting
The Open University – www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses.

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Everyday English 1

About this free course

2 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

Speaking and listening 10

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Introduction and guidance

● understand how to make a range of relevant and extended contributions to formal

Moving around the course

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What is a badged course?

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How to get a badge

● read all of the pages of the course

8 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

9 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

Speaking and listening

10 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

1 Speaking and listening in everyday life

Figure 1 Everyday speaking and listening

Activity 1 The people you talk to

Provide your answer...

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Provide your answer...

Activity 3 Speaking clearly

Provide your answer...

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1.2 Articulation, volume and speed

Figure 2 Making sure you are heard

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Activity 4 The importance of articulation

Note some occasions when it is important to articulate clearly.

Provide your answer...

Speaking on the phone or leaving a voicemail message

Activity 5 Say what?

Audio content is not available in this format.

Audio content is not available in this format.

Provide your answer...

14 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

Activity 6 Speaking at the right volume

Provide your answer...

● When asking a question after someone has given a presentation.

Times when you have to speak quietly

● When sitting close to someone.

Activity 7 Fast talking

Audio content is not available in this format.

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Audio content is not available in this format.

Provide your answer...

Activity 8 Practising speaking

Activity 9 What affects your listening?

Select True or False for each of these statements.

16 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

10 useful things about listening to keep in mind

17 of 171 Tuesday 12 February 2019

When should you listen carefully?

Activity 10 When to listen carefully

Provide your answer...

When someone is sharing personal things