BEC Preliminary Writing Part 1 – Teacher’s Notes
Description
Students look at example Part 1 tasks and do exercises focusing on the target reader, text type and content
required; identifying what is good and bad about two sample answers; choosing good sentences for each bullet
point and ordering sentences to make a coherent answer. They practise writing their own answers and gapfill
sentences giving advice about Writing Part 1.
Time required:
60 minutes
Materials
required:
▪
Student’s Worksheet (one per student)
Aims:
▪
to familiarise students with the format of Writing Part 1
▪
to help them to understand the importance of making the meaning
clear
Procedure
1. Ask students to think about emails, notes and letters to colleagues or friends, and ask them which the most
important thing is: correct spelling, correct grammar, or making the reader understand the meaning [making
the reader understand the meaning].
2. Explain that you are going to focus on writing to other people, and on the importance of making the meaning
clear to the reader. Say that this is also very important in Writing Part 1.
3. Give each student a copy of the Student’s Worksheet, and ask them to read the Part 1 task in Exercise 1.
Draw attention to the spelling of engineering, as it’s often misspelt by candidates. Ask them to do Exercise 1
in pairs.
4. Check the answers [see Key to Student’s Worksheet]. Ask why it’s important to think about the reader [so
they know who they are writing to, and to try to make sure the reader will understand]. Ask why it’s important
to do exactly what’s in the bullet points, and only that [to give the message that’s needed, without confusing
the reader with extra information]. Point out that it may be sensible to write one sentence for each bullet
point, because they all contain information that’s different and of equal importance.
5. Ask students to look at Exercise 2 and in pairs to write comments in the table about the two answers.
6. Check the answers [see Key to Student’s Worksheet]. Ask which answer they think is better
[Answer B is much better than Answer A. Mostly importantly, although Answer B isn’t in perfect English, it
still gets the message across clearly.]
7. Tell students you are going to ask them to write their own email in answer to the question. Ask them to look
at the question in Exercise 1 again, and ask for ideas for the third bullet point – what work you could ask your
assistant to do [e.g. write a particular report, advertise a vacant post, arrange a particular meeting, etc.]. Ask
students to write the email and try to make it different from the answers they’ve looked at (Exercise 3). Tell
them to spend no longer than 10 minutes on it, including reading the instructions carefully, writing, then
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reading it to make sure they’ve covered all the bullet points, then checking and improving. Ask students in
pairs to read each other’s emails, and give each other some feedback on content, accuracy, clarity, etc.
8. Ask two or three to read their emails aloud, and ask the other students to comment on how well the answers
deal with the bullet points (ignore grammar and vocabulary unless it makes the email difficult to understand).
9. Ask students to read the Part 1 task in Exercise 4. To check understanding, ask these questions:
What word in the question means a meeting where people discuss a particular subject? [seminar. Draw
attention to the spelling, as seminar is often misspelt by candidates]. Which word means ‘giving reasons’ or
‘saying why’? [explaining]. Which word means ‘to go by car, plane, train, etc? [travel].
10. Tell students that each question in Exercise 4 contains three possible sentences for each bullet point. Ask
them to look at the three questions, and to check understanding, ask these questions: Which word in number
1 means ‘connected with money’? [financial]. Which word in number 2 means ‘to do maths’ or ‘to work out
figures’? [calculate]. Which word in number 2 means ‘money paid regularly to employees, usually every
month’? [salaries]. In number 3C, the writer is offering to give Liz a lift. How is the writer going to travel to the
seminar? [in his/her own car]. Ask students to decide which sentence is best for each bullet point, then elicit
answers to questions 1-3. Also elicit why the other options are wrong [see Key to Student’s Worksheet].
11. Tell students you are going to ask them to write their own email in answer to the question. Ask them to look
at the question in Exercise 4 again, and ask for ideas for the first bullet point (what the seminar is about) –
note their ideas on the board [e.g. internet marketing, new production methods, how to motivate staff]. Ask
them which of the seminar subjects might help Liz in her work if she is a Human Resources Manager.
Repeat with Liz as a secretary. Point out that the seminar subject needs to have some connection with Liz’s
job. Ask for ways of making a suggestion [why don’t we...?, let’s..., we could..., etc.] and different ways of
travelling [by car, train, taxi, bus, etc.].
12. Ask students to write their own note in answer to the question (Exercise 5). Tell them to spend no longer
than 10 minutes on it. As they finish, encourage them to check their answer to see if all bullet points are
covered, if it’s clear, if they can improve it, etc.
13. Ask different students to read their notes aloud, and ask for comments from others.
14. Ask students to read the Part 1 task in Exercise 6. To check understanding, ask: Which word in the question
means ‘giving someone a job’? [appointment]. Which word means ‘work that someone has already done’?
[experience]. Which word means ‘earlier’ or ‘before now’? [previous]. Which word means ‘telling’ or ‘giving
information’? [informing]. What is a production manager responsible for: money, appointing new staff, or
manufacturing goods? [manufacturing goods].
15. Tell students to look at the six sentences below. Again, to check understanding, ask: Which word means ‘to
give someone a job at a higher level in the organisation’? [promote (B)]. Which word means ‘to ask for a
job’? [apply (for) (D)]. Which word means ‘job’? [position (D)]. Which word means ‘leaving work because of
old age’? [retiring (E)]. Which word means ‘someone who is very good at something’? [an expert (F)].
16. Ask students to do Exercise 6, then check their answers in pairs. Check the answers, and elicit why the other
sentences are not good [see Key to Student’s Worksheet].
17. Ask them to write their own note in answer to the question (alternatively this could be done as homework).
Tell them to spend no longer than 10 minutes on it, including reading the instructions carefully, writing,
making sure they’ve covered all the bullet points, then improving and checking.
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18. Ask students to read Exercise 7, and in pairs to complete the advice on Writing Part 1 [see Key to Student’s
Worksheet].
19. Encourage students to write emails and notes to themselves, each other, colleagues and friends in English.
This will make it easier for them to write in English.
Additional information
Both British and American English are acceptable, but should be consistent.
Suggested follow-up activities
1. See the preparation ideas in the relevant part of the Preliminary Writing section of the Cambridge
Business English Handbook.
2. Ask the students to write an answer to the following Part 1 task on the Answer Sheet.
PART ONE
•
You have noticed that staff using company cars are forgetting to fill them with fuel on their return.
•
You also want to remind staff of procedures for parking company cars and depositing keys.
•
Write a memo to all staff:
•
explaining what to do about fuel after using a company car
•
saying where to leave the car •
•
Write 30 – 40 words.
•
Write on your Answer Sheet. Do not write in capital letters.
telling staff what to do with the keys.
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BEC Preliminary Writing Part 1 – Answer Keys
Key to Student’s Worksheet Exercise 1
1.
C
2.
A
3.
A: x
B: √
C: √
D: x
E: x
F: √
Key to Student’s Worksheet Exercise 2 – possible answers
Answer A
Does it write about all three bullet
points in the question, and only
those?
No – only the first is
adequately covered. I
never been Frankfurt
before is irrelevant.
Will the reader understand the No
message easily?
Answer B
Yes
Yes
What do you think about the
grammar?
Several mistakes, e.g. the Very few mistakes, e.g. an
writer probably meant I am article is missing: the
going, to attend, by
selling manager
leaving, I have never been
to Frankfurt
What do you think about the
vocabulary?
Reasonable
The writer probably meant
sales manager. Otherwise
good
What do you think about the
spelling?
engineering is copied
wrongly
Good
What do you think about the
punctuation?
Reasonable
The first sentence (down
to manager) should be
divided into two or three
sentences.
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Key to Student’s Worksheet Exercise 4
1. C (A says it’s next month, and there’s no suggestion that it would be interesting for Liz. B doesn’t indicate
what the seminar is about.)
2. B (A doesn’t explain why it will help Liz in her work; C is about the writer’s work, not Liz’s.)
3. C (A is not a suggestion; B suggests they travel separately, not together.)
Key to Student’s Worksheet Exercise 6
1st sentence: E (Not A, as this sentence doesn’t explain why the new manager was needed)
2nd sentence: B (Not D, as this isn’t informing staff of the new appointment – it’s asking them if they’d like to
apply)
3rd sentence: F
C is irrelevant information, and doesn’t answer any of the bullet points.
Key to Student’s Worksheet Exercise 7
1. question
2. reader
3. bullet point
4. sense
5. meaning
6. range
7. phrases
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BEC Preliminary Writing Part 1 – Student’s Worksheet
Exercise 1
Read this question.
You are going to attend an engineering exhibition in Frankfurt soon.
Write an email to your assistant:
•
explaining why you will be away
•
letting her know the dates you will be away
•
saying what work she should do while you are away. Write 30 – 40 words.
1
Who are you going to write to?
2
3
A
the organiser of the exhibition
B
the head of engineering in your company
C
someone who works for you
What are you going to write?
A
an email
B
a letter
C
a memo
Which three of the following pieces of information (A-F) are most relevant? Tick (√) those that are relevant,
and put a cross (x) by those that aren’t.
A
which airport you will fly from
B
the reason that you will be away
C
when you are leaving and when you are returning
D
what time your plane is due to arrive in Frankfurt
E
telling your assistant she can take a holiday while you are away
F
telling your assistant what work needs to be done
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Exercise 2
Read these two answers to the question in Exercise 1. They were written by BEC Preliminary candidates. What is
good or bad about each of them? Make notes in the table below.
Answer A
I will go on a trip to Frankfurt about attend a inginiering exhibition tomorrow (15/March), so I want you help me to
leave a message if I have phone call. I never been Frankfurt before. Thank you
Answer B
I am going to attend an engineering exhibition in Frankfurt, and the ticket’s date is 20th March, I will be away for one
week, during this week I would like you to arrange the training meeting which we have decided and make an
appointment with selling manager. I would like to see him 27th morning 10:30.
Answer A
Answer B
Does it write about all three bullet
points in the question, and only
those?
Will the reader understand the
message easily?
What do you think about the
grammar?
What do you think about the
vocabulary?
What do you think about the
spelling?
What do you think about the
punctuation?
Exercise 3
Read the question in Exercise 1 again and write the email. Try to make it different from both the answers above.
Read the question and instructions carefully, write between 30 and 40 words, and then read, improve and check
your answer. Aim to spend 10 minutes on this.
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Exercise 4
Read this question.
You plan to attend a seminar next week and you think your colleague Liz will also be interested in going.
Write a note to your colleague, Liz:
•
telling her what the seminar is about
•
explaining why you think it would help in her work • suggesting that you
travel to the seminar together.
Write 30 – 40 words.
For each bullet point, choose the best sentence, A-C.
1
2
3
First bullet point:
A
I’m going to a seminar next month about new financial software.
B
There is seminar next week that might be useful.
C
You might like to attend a seminar about financial software that I’m going to next Tuesday.
Second bullet point:
A
I think it will help you in your work.
B
It will help you save time when you calculate salaries.
C
I’m sure it will help me to do my job more efficiently.
Third bullet point:
A
You must go to the seminar and we can travel together.
B
You can take the train, as the seminar is in London.
C
If you decide to go, would you like me to give you a lift?
Exercise 5
Read the question and instructions in Exercise 4 again, and write your own note. Write between 30 and 40 words,
and then read, improve and check your answer. Aim to spend 10 minutes on this.
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Exercise 6
Read this question.
Your company has just appointed a new production manager.
Write an email to the staff in your department:
•
explaining why a new production manager was needed
•
informing them of the new appointment
•
telling them about the new production manager’s previous experience. Write 30 – 40
words.
Choose the best three sentences from those below (A-F), and put them in the right order to answer the question.
1st sentence:
……
2nd sentence:
……
3rd sentence:
……
A
You may have heard that the company needed a new production manager.
B
The Board has decided to promote his assistant, Rena Scott, as his replacement.
C
I am sure you will be sorry to say goodbye to Vic.
D
If you want to apply for the position, please contact the Human Resources department as soon as possible.
E
As you know, Vic Jennings, the production manager, is retiring next month.
F
She has worked for here for 14 years, and is an expert on production processes.
Exercise 7
Complete this advice on Writing Part 1 with words and phrases from the box. Use each word once only.
bullet point
meaning
phrases
question
range
reader
sense
Read the (1) …………… carefully. Think about the situation and who the (2) …………… is. Make sure you deal with
every (3) ……………. . Make sure your answer makes (4) …………… and fits the situation and the bullet points.
Check that the (5) …………… is clear, then check the grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation. Aim to use a
(6) …………… of vocabulary and grammar, and try not to repeat words or (7) …………… from the question.
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