19.10. 2012, Brno
Připravil: Mgr. Adam Růžek
Příprava a řízení projektů
„Posílení konkurenceschopnosti absolventů MENDELU
v oblasti rozvojové spolupráce a managementu
přírodních zdrojů v zemích třetího světa“
Our schedule
1. Project writing
a) important grammar structures
b) common mistakes, collocations
c) key vocabulary
2. CV in English – structure, phrases
3. Letter of Motivation
Future with “will”
• The project will focus on youth in the
Canterbury-Bankstown region…
• SUBJ + will + main verb
• more examples
– The research will focus on understanding the
physical principles…
– Google is confident that the investigation will
conclude it has done nothing wrong.
– The reports will also serve as a management
tool for continuous improvement.
• negation: will + not [won’t]
Passive voice
• object of the active sentence becomes
subject in the passive
– They designed the project (O) to help end
poverty.
– The project (S) was designed to help end
poverty.
– Someone stole my car (O).
– My car was stolen.
• FORMATION
1. object => subject
2. S + be + -ed participle (3rd form)
Passive voice II.
• The project will be managed by
experts.
• SUBJ + will + be + past participle
• more examples
– This page will be taken down soon.
– Stroke patients will be sent to more
specialized hospitals.
– April 2012 deadline will be met.
Participles (-ed, -ing)
• make the text more concise
• -ing participle
– Students [who attend] the course…
• => students attending the course…
– Many believe there are insufficient services for
people [who live] in the area.
• =>…people living in the area
• -ed participle
– …the innocent citizens who were affected by
this catastrophe…
– …innocent citizens affected by this catastrophe
Who is it for?
• key vocabulary: target, aim
• TARGET (usually passive)
– The Project is targeted at teenagers from EU
countries, aged 14-18, who can speak English
well enough to communicate.
– It is a new magazine that targets single men.
– also adjectival sense: TARGET + noun (usually
target group)
• AIM (passive)
– The Project is aimed at people of any age from
the UK who want to work with slum dwellers.
Describing a project
•
what are the objectives/aims
•
The objective of this project is to develop and apply innovative high-performance
computing techniques and simulation methods….
The aim of this project is to discover how e-commerce is conducted…
The purpose of the project is to try and develop an intervention program targeting
HIV risk and alcohol use.
The goal of the project is to allow students, faculty and staff at the university to
view books that the university owns.
The object of this project is to develop method to generate images from complex
real-world data…
•
•
•
•
The aims – useful words
•
research
– The goal of the project is to research and document the Kam people's
effective use of land and natural resources
•
investigate – study, try to understand, examine scientifically
– The objective of the project is to investigate some important factors affecting
labour market participation and employment and evaluate related policy
measures.
•
develop – create something new, make sth. better
– The aim of the project is to develop actions for preventing gender-based
violence in secondary schools.
•
establish – start sth. new / discover, get proof of something
– The objective of the project is to establish lasting international networks in
cultural management and to reinforce the transfer of knowledge between
China and Germany.
– Child development research has established that the rate of human learning
and development is most rapid during the preschool years.
The aims – useful words cont.
• aid/help
– The purpose of this project is to aid state legislators
in improving state juvenile justice systems. [sb./sth.
in sth.]
– The aim of this project is to help facilitate the
transition from our current system to a new one [help
sb. do sth. / to do sth.]
• stimulate/promote/encourage
– The purpose of the project is to stimulate interest in
nature conservation and sustainable development
through outdoor activities in the local environment.
• improve - to make sth. better
The aims – useful words cont.
• eradicate – to get rid of sth. completely (sth.
negative)
– eradicate poverty, hunger, bullying, pests,
tuberculosis
• exterminate
– exterminate rats, mice and other vermin
• prevent [prevent sb. from doing sth.]
– The goal of this project is to prevent youth from
using tobacco.
– The goal of this project is to prevent illegal
migration from Russia and in Russia…
Expressing cause and effect
• because
– Because the snow had set in, we decided to
abandon the excursion to the mountain top.
– I was late, because there was heavy traffic.
• as
– similar to because, more formal
– As it was getting late, I decided to book into a hotel.
• due to the fact that
– used in formal English
– We will be staying for an extra week, due to the fact
that we have not yet finished.
Expressing cause and effect cont.
•
because of
– followed by a noun/NP
– I was late because of heavy traffic.
•
due to [+noun]
– The project had to be abandoned due to a lack of government funding.
•
owing to [+noun]
– However, these demands cannot be met by some parents owing to poverty.
•
result (as a result of)
– She died as a result of her injuries.
– The failure of the company was a direct result of bad management.
– The miners' diet was poor with the result that many suffered from disease.
Expressing cause and effect
• give rise to/provoke/generate
– The President’s statement gave rise to / generated / provoked a
lot of criticism.
– Poverty gave rise to stealing; although theft more often involved
needed goods rather than money.
• bring about/lead to
– often used to describe social or political change
– The new law brought about / led to great changes in education.
– Social unrest led to a revolt in 1930 and a right-wing
authoritarian government under President Getulio Vargas.
• stem from [explaining the direct origins of events and states]
– This problem stems from inflation of recent years.
– Periodic famine stems from the neglect and lack of commitment
on the part of successive governments of Bangladesh.
Common mistakes: CxU nouns
• confusing uncountable nouns
–
–
–
–
–
information
advice
software
accommodation
experience (e.g. work experience)
• no plural form
–
–
–
–
many *informations, many *advices
many pieces/items of information/advice
some information/advice
a lot of information/advice
Common mistakes: collocations I.
(make/do)
• collocation: combination of two or more words that are
frequently used together
– example: make your homework / do your homework
• research
– do: It is impossible to do any research without Internet
these days. [carry out]
• work (n.)
– do: He does his work very efficiently.
• mistake
– make: Some people often make the same mistakes.
• survey
– do: I did a survey of the level of job satisfaction in our
department. [carry out, conduct]
Common mistakes: collocations
(make/do) cont.
• change
– make: They suggested making some
changes in the schedule.
• business
– do: I spent two days in the office doing
business by the phone. [conduct]
• effort
– make: It is worth making an effort to live a
healthy life.
Collocations – noun+adjective I.
• number/amount/quantity
– large
– This saves a large amount of energy so a Sainsbury's
supermarket today uses only 60% a similar store would have
used ten years ago.
• choice
– limited, narrow
– I have a strictly limited choice of action.
• range/variety/choice
– wide
• pressure
– to be under a lot of pressure, not *high pressure
• importance
– great (not *big): It is a fact of great importance.
Collocations – noun + adjectives cont.
• tree/building/person
– tall (not *high)
• progress
– great (a lot of), not *big – I have made
great progress in learning English.
• decrease
– slight – There was a slight decrease in
profits.
Collocations – verb + verb
• suggest
– I suggest (that) we send our colleagues on a similar
course. [-ing]
– not suggest to
• recommend
– I recommend employing a part time assistant.
– not recommend to
•
consider
– I would like you to consider refunding at least some of my
money.
• be used to
– You should be used to working in teams and be computer
literate.
Irregular plural
• certain nouns in English form their plural form
irregularly
• criterion – criteria
– The Health Service should not be judged by financial
criteria alone.
– also e.g. phenomenon (phenomena)
• analysis – analyses
– To decide what structure of jobs is needed, Drucker has
suggested the need for three analyses to be made.
– also crisis (crises), axis (axes)
• sometimes, both the regular and irregular form exist
– index – indices – indexes
– formula – formulae – formulas
Describing problems I.
• a problem can be… (adjectives)
– minor x major: seriousness
• The design is a minor problem.
– growing: increasing (becoming more serious)
• Obesity is a growing problem.
– urgent: requires immediate action
• Lack of funds is an urgent issue.
– perennial: always existing, not likely to change
• Noise is a perennial problem.
– insoluble/insolvable: impossible to solve
• The problem seems insoluble.
Describing problems II.
• verbs
– arise: begin to exist (occur, come up)
• Various problems have arisen.
– confront sb. / sth.
• the economic problems confronting the country
• (…) carbon dioxide emissions could increase by up to 20
per cent in the year 2005 if the Government does not
confront the problem.
– address sth. (deal with sth.)
• We have to address the lack of experience of the team.
– overcome sth.: succeed in dealing with a problem (solve)
• The company had to overcome a number of financial
difficulties.
– exacerbate sth.: make something worse
• The current cuts in public expenditure will inevitably
exacerbate this situation.
Specific vocabulary
• disasters/tragedies
– earthquake – a sudden violent movement of Earth’s surface
– hurricane/tornado/typhoons – violent, destructive winds
– flood – too much rain: The heavy rain has caused floods in many
parts of the country.
– tsunami - an extremely large wave caused by movement of the
Earth under the sea
– drought – no rain: This year, severe drought has ruined the
crops.
– famine – a lack of food during a long period of time: Four million
people are now facing famine.
– epidemic – disease affecting a large number of people: a flu
epidemic, an epidemic of measles
• often modified by severe: extremely bad or serious
– severe flood, severe drought, severe famine
Specific vocabulary cont.

poverty – having little or no money

adj.: abject/extreme/grinding/dire poverty


v.: eradicate [get rid of it completely]; alleviate/relieve (make
less severe)


To alleviate poverty, developing economies need to grow faster, and the
poor need to benefit from this growth.
poverty-stricken region/country/area/family


Many people in India still live in abject poverty.
I was born into a poverty-stricken family.
appalling living conditions – shocking, extremely bad

Displacement, appalling living conditions and disease - all as
a consequence of war - often result in more deaths than the
fighting itself.
• slums, shanty towns – areas where poor people
live
Shanty town
Area in or near a town where
poor people live in shanties.
Shanty – a small house, built of
pieces of wood, metal and
cardboard, where very poor
people live
Disease
• malaria
– Malaria is carried / transmitted by mosquitoes, malarial areas
• typhoid (fever)
– serious infectious disease, causes fever, red spots on the chest
and severe pain in the bowels [symptoms]
• cholera
– is carried / transmitted through food and water
• parasites
– The water was contaminated with parasites and their eggs.
• rabies
Dogs, cats, foxes and bats can all carry rabies.
He was bitten by a rabid dog.
Disease – prevention and treatment
• vaccination, vaccine, to vaccinate against
– There is no vaccine against HIV infection.
– I was vaccinated against tetanus.
– syringe
• cure [n., v.]
– a cure for…
– The cure took six weeks.
– At one time, doctors couldn’t cure people of tuberculosis.
[cure sb. of something]
• treat [v.]
– to use drugs, exercises, etc. to cure a person of a disease
or heal an injury
Verbs
• suffer: The area is suffering its worst drought for
many years.
• starve: Millions are starving as a result of the
famine.
• spread: A flu epidemic spread rapidly through the
country.
• injure / damage
– 200 people were injured and dozens of buildings
were damaged in the hurricane.
• affect
– an area affected by flood (!!not effects)
CV in English
• Curriculum vitae
• a written record of one’s education,
experience, etc.
• STRUCTURE
– personal information
– education
– work experience
– skills
– additional details
Personal information
• personal details/information
– name
– date of birth
– address: (17 Oakhill Street)
– telephone
– e-mail address
Education
• we usually leave out primary school
2008-2012
Mendel
in Brno
• in chronological
orderUniversity
(most recent
first)
Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies
2004-2008
•
Grammar school Breclav
School leaving exam in…
other types of school:
– (secondary) technical school, vocational school, (secondary) business school
– we should use the official English name of the school
– !!!HIGH SCHOOL
•
also mention other courses you have completed (language school
etc.)
Work
/professional
experience/employment history/career
history
Work•Experience
listed in chronological order
2007-2009
2007- present
Teacher of English
[occupation]
ABC Language School
[employer]
Skills
• Personal skills (optional)
– relevant personal traits
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
results oriented
reliable
organized
willing to learn / fast learner
cooperative / team player
hardworking
positive
decisive
Skills cont.
• Computer skills
– many different types
• basic / moderate / good / advanced,
extensive knowledge of… (C++)
• experienced in (MS Office)
• good background in…
– wordprocessing software: MS Word,
Writer (Open Office)
– spreadsheet software: MS Excel, Calc
– presentation software: MS PowerPoint,
Skills cont.
•
Language skills
– an important part of your CV
– basic – moderate – good – advanced – fluent
•
CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
elementary
pre-intermediate
intermediate
upper-intermediate
advanced
proficient
language certificates
– FCE: First Certificate in English
– CAE: Certificate of Advanced English
– CPE: Certificate of Proficiency in English
Skills cont.
• other skills
– all other relevant information
– driving licence
Additional information
• hobbies
– optional, could be helpful if relevant
• awards, achievements
• references
– a formal recommendation by a former
employer to a potential future employer
describing the person's qualifications and
dependability
Letter of motivation
• also cover letter, motivation letter
• its aim is to convince
• it complements the CV, should be
written with a specific purpose in mind
(development aid project)
What should be there…
• explain why you are interested in the
project/job
• mention how you learnt about it
• convince the person reading it to look
at your CV as well
• call attention to relevant experience
and give concrete examples as well
Describing your experience
• pay attention to tenses (present/past)
• I am working / I work as a teacher.
– can also use currently, e. g. I currently work…
• I worked as a teacher for ten years. [but not any more]
• other useful phrases
– I was responsible for EU issues like the Lisbon Treaty...
[+noun, -ing form]
– I assisted in developing customer data management
process training documentation for corporate training.
[+noun, -ing form]
• also assist sb. with sth. You will be expected to assist the editor
with the choice of illustration for the book.
Useful phrases cont.
• My responsibilities included the design and
development of the site's editorial voice and
style, and the daily content programming.
[stating further details]
• I take care of managing the different factories,
assist in implementing the initial design, in
finalizing the samples, in negotiating the
price… [take-took-taken]
• During my internship, I gained valuable
experience (…) in management.
– synonyms: valuable, useful, considerable, wide
Other phrases to remember
• I am working towards my bachelor’s/master’s degree
in…
• My coursework has supplied me with many skills…
• In addition to sth…
– In addition to my experience in the United States, I have
worked in more than fifty other nations in several different
roles.
– syn. besides: Besides my experience in the field of
research and teaching, I am also involved in some
extracurricular activities.
• I believe / think I would be a good / an ideal candidate
for the internship, because… [explain why].
…because
• …I have good communication skills
• …I am confident in talking to large
groups of people, and I am good at
listening to young people's views and
opinions.
• … because I am outgoing, friendly,
flexible
• …because of my education and
enthusiasm to succeed.