AULA 5

ESTUDOS AVANÇADOS DE
LÍNGUA INGLESA –
COMUNICAÇÃO ESCRITA E
ESCRITA ACADÊMICA

Profª Thereza Cristina de Souza Lima

CONVERSA INICIAL

The objective of this unit is to approach two different genres, the report and
the speech, as well as to introduce other aspects that are quite relevant and
common to all pieces of writing:

 Punctuation marks
 Evaluating
 Editing
 Proofreading

CONTEXTUALIZANDO

Students, as individuals, vary, as well as their abilities in writing. One

student, for example, can find it easier to write narratives than writing business
topics, while another student may prefer reports to storytelling.
In addition, different writers produce good pieces of writing through different
processes, which brings us to the conclusion that there is no recipe for writing, as
already mentioned in other lessons. However, it is possible to suggest several
strategies to encourage students to try and find one that is personally effective.

TEMA 1 – REPORT

There are different kinds of reports, which vary depending on the reason
why it is written. Some examples are: appraisal reports, recommendation reports,
eye witness reports, narrative reports etc. But there are some parts that should be
common to all of them1:

 A report is usually written in a formal style.

 It is usually a factual and detailed piece of writing.
 It is normally written for one person to read.
 It may contain recommendations.
 Its purpose is to give information.
 It may have a special layout.
 It may contain headings.
 It may have set phrases, such as “It is recommended that…”.

1Extracted from NEWBROOK, J. & NEWBROOK, N. How to pass FCE. Cambridge: Letts
Educational, 1997.
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 Facts and events about a person or a situation should be presented in an
organized way so the reader can understand everything clearly. Let’s have a look
at a recommendation report.

1.1 Recommendation report

When writing this kind of report, it is possible to follow the instructions given
in Lesson Two for paragraph writing in relation to starting with a topic sentence.
Another suggestion is to plan and separate the advantages, that is the good or bad
points from the drawbacks. There should also be an introduction, the findings
should be clearly stated, and, if necessary, some recommendations should be left,
like in the simple example below2:

To: Peter Smith

Human Resources Manager

From: Mary Brown

Executive Secretary

Date: 10th December, 2017 (or December 10th, 2017)

Reference: Accommodation for the new Marketing Director and family.

INTRODUCTION: (the introduction is important because it gives the reader

information about what the report is about) – As required, I have searched for
different types of accommodation for Mr. John Derek, the new marketing director,
and my findings are the following:

FINDINGS: (the findings are the relevant information of the report) – Here
are the information of the three places I visited last week.

1. Apartment 25, Oak Street: This is a two-bedroom flat, situated opposite

Manchester Square, with several facilities nearby, such as a supermarket,
a pharmacy, a shoe shop etc. Although the flat is in a luxury building with
all the advantages mentioned, it may be rather small for a family of five
people. The price is 1800 pounds per month.
2. Meadow Farmhouse: This is a five-bedroom house in the countryside with
good connections to rail and bus lines for access to the city centre. In spite

2Extracted and adapted from O’NEIL, Roberto; DUCKWORTH, Michael; GUDE, Kathy. New
success at FCE. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
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 of being situated in a pleasant place, ideal for raising children, there are no
schools nearby. The price is 2500 pounds per month.
3. Holly House, 45 Ashton Street: This is a three-bedroom house with a small
garden. Although the house is in need of renovation, the house is
comfortable and is situated close to Aston International School, which
makes it quite convenient. Besides this, there is a nice square nearby and
it is close to Ashton Club where there is the possibility to practice several
sports, such as swimming, tennis, gymnastics, volleyball etc.

RECOMMENDATIONS: (this is important because many times the reader

is in a hurry and pays attention just to this part) – I recommend that Ashton House
should be rented, but the renovation should be done prior to the arrival of the Derek
family. I look forward to discuss the matter with you in our next meeting.

It is worth pointing out that if the report is related to auditing, all the evidence
discovered should be presented. Besides, as mentioned before, there are different
reports for different purposes. Although there is no recipe for writing well, the
strategy above is easy and effective.

TEMA 2 – SPEECHES

Speaking in public is a hard task for many people. Therefore, a good advice
when someone has to make a speech is to write it in advance and either read it or
take the writing as a guide to what is going to be said.
It is advisable to plan the speech before writing it, considering the following
points:

 Where you are

 Who you are speaking to
 The importance of building rapport
 The tone and the length of the sentences
 The subjects to be approached
 Links to be used to connect ideas – connectives
 A memorable ending

So three points should be remembered. Firstly, Oral language should be

used for writing. Secondly, speeches may be given in formal and informal

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situations, and the choice of vocabulary should consider this. Thirdly, speeches
are usually divided into three main parts:

● The introduction, in which the speaker attracts attention, introduces himself

and begins to speak.
● The content of the speech with the reasons why you are speaking.
● The conclusion or ending, which should be memorable: the subject may be
summed up, questions may be answered, thanks may be given etc.

Let’s observe some useful expressions to be used:

Table 1 – Useful formal and informal expressions

Formal Informal

Introduction Good evening ladies and Hello, hi everyone, hey guys

gentleman
Introduction May I have your attention, Listen up, guys!
please?
Introduction On behalf of XXX, I would like to On behalf of XXX, I’d like to tell you
start by saying that… about…
It gives me great pleasure to be
here today to… I am here today to…
Content with Firstly… Let me start with…
reasons In addition to… Then…
Finally… Also…
Conclusion I would like to present you with Let me give you this little present…
this little gift…
I would like to take this Well, I won’t go on any longer…
opportunity to say thank you
for… Thanks for…
I am very grateful for…

2.1 An example of a speech given at a wedding

Picture 1 – Example of a speech

Source: Roper, s.d.

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 The speech above is quite simple, objective and it is possible to find
examples like this on the web. But writing your own speech shows more emotion.
So let’s take a look at the one below, which is simple, but was really written by a
friend of the bride:

Good evening friends,

It gives me great pleasure to be here tonight to say a few words about this
beautiful couple who are getting married today and moving abroad.
First of all, let me remind you of what good friends they have always been,
not only to me, but, I am sure, to all of you as well.
Friends are for the good and for the bad times. And I remember whenever I
had any kind of problem, they have always stood by me, being very understanding
and empathetic, even when in Halloween costumes I was almost bitten by their
dog, remember?
I know that we are all going to miss them very much and we will be very sad
to see them leave. But an occasion such as this is a time for celebration.
I am sure that you will all join me in congratulating them on their wedding
day and wishing them a happy life in the future.
To finish, let me read a few parts of this poem3:

He never leaves the seat up ...

He never leaves the seat up
Or wet towels upon the floor
The toothpaste has the lid on
And he always shuts the door!

She's very clean and tidy

Though she may sometimes delude
Leave your things out at your peril
In a second they'll have moved!

They're both not wholly perfect

But who are we to judge
He can be pig headed
Where as she won't even budge!

3 The parts of the poem were extracted and adapted from:

<[Link]
reading/[Link]>. Access on: 15 Jan. 2018.
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All that said and done
They love the time they spent together
And I hope as I'm sure you do
That this fine day will last forever.

He'll be more than just her husband

He'll also be her friend
And she'll be more than just his wife
She'll be his soulmate - till the end.

The intention of having this kind of “funny” poem is to bring some humor to
the situation and to make it a moment of joy and happiness.

2.2 Example of a formal speech4 given by Martin Luther King

“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with
its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification
– one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join
hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and
mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked
places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all
flesh shall see it together.”

2.2.1 Some considerations about both speeches above

In the first speech, the sentences are short, the vocabulary is simple and
the message is conveyed clearly, without the use of figures of speech, such as
repetition, metaphor etc. The objective is as simple as the text itself: to congratulate
friends on their wedding day. It finishes with a poem whose purpose is to add some
fun to the speech.
In the second one, the author makes use of some biblical rhetoric, which
reminds the listeners of Sermon on the Mount, brings about certain emotions and
appeals to everybody’s feelings. Also, the repetition of the abstract word – dream

4 Available at: <[Link]

and-what-you-can-learn-from-them/>. Access on: 15 Jan. 2018.
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– causes impact, as equality and justice are two of the most important American
dreams.
Lastly, here are some tips to consider when writing a speech5:

 Use short sentences and simple vocabulary in both, formal and informal
situations.
 Keep in mind that three is the maximum. So use this rule for adjectives, and
adverbs.
 Use the first person plural as much as possible to create a sense of unity.
 Use figures of speech: repetition, metaphor, alliteration assonance etc.
 Use jokes in informal situations, as they break the seriousness of the talk,
which helps to maintain the listeners’ interest on your speech.

TEMA 3 – SOME IMPORTANT PUNCTUATION MARKS FOR ALL KINDS OF

WRITING: COMMA, FULL STOP AND SEMICOLON

One of the most important points to be considered in all kinds of writing is

punctuation. As an element of cohesion, it contributes significantly to the
coherence of the text. The examples below, given by Cory (1999), illustrate the
relevance of suitable punctuation:

What is this thing called love?

What is this thing called, love?
What? Is this thing called love?
What is this thing called? Love?
What is this thing called? Love!

3.1 The comma

 Use commas with citations: According to Lima (2000), punctuation is very

important in all pieces of writing.
 Use commas to give explanations: After many years of study, Peter, my
oldest son, finally finished college.
 Use commas with some connectives and adverbs in the beginning of a
clause: In the middle ages, the teacher would have been burnt as a witch.

5 Adapted from: <[Link]

and-what-you-can-learn-from-them/>. Access on: 15 Jan. 2018.

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 Money is useful. However, there are other things in life to be taken into
account.
 Use commas with some subordinate clauses: Although I had never been
there before, it seemed to me to be a familiar place.
 Use commas with lists and sequences: At school there are facilities for
football, tennis, volleyball and basketball.
 Don’t put a comma between a verb and its object: I had forgotten
important details of the book.
 Don’t put a comma between the subject and a verb: When he went on a
diet, he lost weight.

3.2. The full stop (period)

Nowadays, there is a certain tendency to use too many commas and too
few full stops. One reason for this may be because students think long sentences
are more academic than shorter sentences, but on the contrary, it is essential to
control the number of words in a sentence so that it does not exceed 30 words.
Longer sentences usually have problems of cohesion and redundancy among
others. Let’s have a look at the example, extracted from Jordan (2016):

“Many students whose mother tongue is not English already possess study
skills to an advanced level of their own language, they may simply need help to
transfer their skills into English and possibly to adjust them to a different academic
environment, however they may need help with other elements such as style, in
fact the students’ needs may differ according to the learning environment and there
may be substantial differences between the structure and the conventions
depending on where the students come from.”

The sentence above is too long and confusing because of the lack of full
stops. A more suitable way would be:
Many students whose mother tongue is not English already possess study
skills to an advanced level of their own language. They may simply need help to
transfer their skills into English and possibly to adjust them to a different academic
environment. However, they may need help with other elements, such as style. In
fact, the students’ needs may differ according to the learning environment. There
may be substantial differences between the structure and the conventions
depending on where the students come from.

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3.3. The semicolon

When two sentences are closely connected in relation to the same meaning
or to opposite meaning, it is advisable to use a semicolon. For instance:

Neurotic men, from Lord Byron to Cary Grant, have been admired for
dominating their condition; Neurotic women, notably Marilyn Monroe, have been
admired for surrendering to it.6

The strong kept walking until they reached the top of the mountain; the weak
stopped to rest by the side of the road (Ibid.).

TEMA 4 – OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS: COLON, QUOTATION MARKS AND

DASHES

The colon is the punctuation mark used between two ideas that are very
closely connected. Different from the semicolon, the colon does not separate two
sentences, but acts similarly to a linking word connecting two sentences, so it is
not followed by a capital letter. For example:

 I think Mary is in love: she has been too absent-minded recently. (The colon
is similar to “because”).
 The river is more than polluted: turned into sewage. (The colon is similar to
“in fact”).
 The river is polluted: there are no fish and no ducks swimming any more.
(The colon is similar to “so” or “as a result”).
 She thinks she is a model: she loves being photographed. (Similar to “in
other words” or “namely”).

4.1 The quotation marks

Quotation marks always come in pairs, with the final set indicating the end
of the quotation. The most common use of quotation marks is to indicate the
exactly spoken words or written words of another person. However, there are also
some other uses of quotation marks. Let’s see some situations in which quotation
marks should or should not be used:

6Available at: <[Link] Access on:

15 Jan. 2018.
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  To indicate the exact words, that is, in direct speech: With bluntness, she
turned to the man and asked “Are you as old as you look?”.
 When the passage being quoted is longer than five lines, it should be
indented and there should be no quotation marks. For example:

Macs are often the best option for users who wish to work with video or
picture manipulation. Macs are also very user friendly, which may benefit
consumers who are new to computers. PCs, however, run Microsoft
Office Suite the best. Therefore, students might find that a PC is their
best option because it can run Microsoft Word and PowerPoint the
smoothest (Oyler, 2010, p. 48)7.

 A quotation within a quotation is enclosed by single quotation marks. For

example: “The celebrated equanimity of his temper crystallized in his
pronouncement ‘Peace is our passion’ and extended to his private as well
as his public life” (Thomas Jefferson).
 Titles of songs, TV shows, short literary works etc. should be between
quotation marks. For example: “The Guest” is a story written by Camus.
 Quotations marks may be used to show irony or to indicate a slang. For
example: She was a very “polite” person.

4.1 The dashes

Dashes can be used in three different ways, but they are characteristics of
informal writing. They are not suitable for formal texts.

 A single dash may be used in the place of a colon. For example: The river
is polluted – there is a factory nearby.
 A pair of dashes may be used informally to substitute parenthesis: When
the food is ready, the chef – a very talented professional – usually calls
everybody to sit at the table.
Certainly, there are other punctuation marks, but the ones mentioned above
– comma, full stop, semicolon, colon, quotation marks and dashes – usually
confuse students, who have difficulty in using them in a suitable way.

7Available at: <[Link]

Access on: 15 Jan. 2018.
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TEMA 5 – EVALUATING, EDITING AND PROOFREADING ALL PIECES OF
WRITING

These three points are so important that no matter what is being written,
evaluating, editing and proofreading should be done.

5.1 Evaluating

If the author of the writing is rereading his own text for correction, it is
advisable to ask someone else to do it too, since many times mistakes such as
ambiguity, incoherence, among others are difficult points to be perceived in the
text. It is also a good idea to “let the text sleep”, which means to read it again
afterwards, as errors and mistakes may be found more easily after some time has
passed.
However, if you are correcting students’ writing, a typical way is simply to
underline the mistake and write it in the correct way. This saves time and ensures
that students have a fully corrected version, but there are doubts whether this is
effective, as the same mistakes are usually repeated over and over.
Another way, which seems to be more effective, is the use of codes, so the
students can analyse the code and correct the mistakes accordingly.
Either way, no matter how texts are corrected, the important fact is that they
should always be re-written.
Here are some examples of codes, drawn on Jordan (2016):

S = subject missing
V = verb tense wrong usage
A = articles wrong usage
T = tense error
SV= subject verb concord error
Adv = adverb problem in usage
Adj = adjective problem in usage
Prep = preposition problem in usage
G = miscellaneous grammatical errors, such as countable/uncountable
WC = word class problem
V = inappropriate vocabulary
Exp = unidiomatic expression, not English
PS = phrase structure

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 SS = sentence structure
Sp = spelling
P = punctuation
O = omission
? = unclear meaning
( ) = omit
C = connective
R = register

There are other symbols to be used, depending on what is arranged

between teacher and student. However, the teacher should give greater attention
to errors that interfere to communication, such as the ones related to cohesion,
coherence, style, vocabulary and punctuation.

5.2 Editing and proofreading

Editing and proofreading tend to be neglected, but they are crucial final
stages of the writing process. Although some people may think they are synonyms,
in fact they are not. Let’s see the difference between them:

Editing is the first task that should be undertaken after finishing the first
draft of a piece of text. It involves checking the content of the text to
ensure that the ideas are expressed clearly and logically, and form a
coherent and meaningful whole. Proofreading involves checking over the
text in finer detail after the editing stage, to detect errors in spelling,
punctuation, grammar and format.8

Finally, we should never assume that the text is ready and does not need to
evaluate, edit and proofread it. A well-written text is the one that has gone through
the three processes mentioned above.

FINALIZANDO

In this lesson, several relevant points have approached reports, speeches,

punctuation marks, and evaluating, editing and proofreading.
As we have mentioned, the punctuation marks and the process of
evaluating, editing and proofreading are related more specifically to post-written
aspects, and are extremely relevant points to have in mind when writing a text.

8 Available at: <[Link]

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REFERÊNCIAS

ACADEMIC GUIDES. Block quotations. Disponível em:

<[Link]
Acesso em: 15 jan. 2018.

CANVAS. Full stops and commas. Disponível em:

<[Link] Acesso
em: 15 jan. 2018.

ENGLISH TRACKERS. 10 Famous speeches… Disponível em:

<[Link]
and-what-you-can-learn-from-them/>. Acesso em: 15 jan. 2018.

[Link]

NEWBROOK, J. & NEWBROOK, Nigel. How to pass FCE. Cambridge: Letts

Educational, 1997.

O’NEIL, R.; DUCKWORTH, M. & GUDE, K. New success at FCE. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1998.

OXFORD. Guide to editing and proofreading. Disponível em:

<[Link]
proofreading_University%20of%[Link]>. Acesso em: 15 jan. 2018.

YOU AND YOUR WEDDING. The ceremony. Disponível em

<[Link]
civil-ceremony-reading/[Link]>. Acesso em: 15 jan. 2018.

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