Writing: style and format CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

UNIT 81

Writing: style and format

A

Aspects of writing If you’re in a hurry, you can scribble a note to someone. [write quickly, without much care] A note is likely to be in a more chatty style than, say, a business letter. [when used about writing; informal] I’ll just jot down (informal) / make a note of (more formal) your phone number before I forget it. [write something down to remember it] She got so bored at the meeting she spent the whole time doodling. [drawing and writing irrelevant things on the paper in front of her] I’ll copy out the information on hotels for you. [copy in writing] I’m just draft ing an application letter for that job I told you about. [making a first attempt at writing something] (noun = draft: the first draft of an essay) Some students write down everything the lecturer says. [copy in writing what is spoken] She’s writing up her dissertation at the moment, so she’s very tired and stressed. [making a proper final written text based on previous draft s] She bought the manuscript of a famous poem at the sale. [original version produced by the author]

B

Type and print Learning to touch-type was one of the most useful things I’ve ever done. [type, using all your fingers without looking at the keyboard] I’ve finished my book. I’ll email the typescript to the publisher tomorrow. [an author’s text that has not yet been published] I’ll run you off a copy at the same time. [print out] I’ve done the text, but I want to format it properly before printing it. [create the page as it will appear when printed] I usually cut and paste or copy and paste bits of material from my notes when I’m writing an essay, then link them all together. [move text from one place to another electronically] The letters and numbers on a keyboard can all be called characters – a password oft en needs to be at least eight characters, for example. These words are in bold and these words are italicised / in italics. These words are in a shaded box. These words are in a different font size from the rest and these words are in a different font or typeface. “This sentence is in double inverted commas / double quotation marks.” ‘This one is in single quotation marks / single quotes.’ This sentence is indented. [begins away from the normal margin] ** This sentence has two asterisks in front of it. • This sentence has a bullet (point) in front of it. Types of brackets: ( ) round brackets < > diamond/angle brackets [ ] square brackets { } curly brackets CAPITALS or UPPER CASE (more technical) is the opposite of small letters or lower case. This person has written her name in block capitals: MONICA KEEBLE This is part of the first page of an academic book. Look at the structure and the names of the different elements. The numbers on the extract are in superscript. [written above the normal line]

EXERCISES

81.1	Complete these sentences. The first letter of the missing word or phrase is given. 1 Let me just j__________ your email address, or I’ll forget it. 2 I’ll just s__________ a note for Preeti to tell her where we’ve gone. 3 I spent the whole lesson just d__________ in the margin of my exercise book, I was so bored. 4 She’s been w__________ her PhD thesis for the last three months, that’s why no one has seen her. 5 I’ll email you a d__________ of the letter, so you can suggest any changes before we send it. 6 In a bibliography, it is normal practice to put book titles in i__________ rather than inverted commas, as some students do at first. 7 If you use even a sentence from someone else’s work in your essay, then you must put it in q__________ and acknowledge where it came from. 8 Your computer password should consist of at least eight c__________, with at least one number. 9 Please r__________ a copy of the agenda for everyone coming to the meeting. 10 Writers sometimes use an a__________ to indicate that there is a footnote.
81.2	Circle the correct answer to describe these sentences.
81.3	Match up the words to make compound nouns. 1 bullet a marks 2 type b typing 3 inverted c point 4 square d heading 5 font e capitals 6 quotation f commas 7 block g case 8 lower h brackets 9 touch i face 10 chapter j size
81.4	Fill the gaps in these sentences with a word from the opposite page. 1 It’s better to be more formal when you write an academic essay and not use such a _____________ style. 2 I think you should _____________ your CV differently if you want it to look good when it’s printed out. 3 She works in the museum, conserving ancient _____________. 4 Dima got into trouble with the teacher because his essay was a cut-and-_____________  job straight from the internet. 5 You waste so much time typing with just two fingers – you really should learn to _____________. 6 I’ll _____________ a letter of complaint to the restaurant, but I’d like you to check it before I finalise it. 7 Mrs Ward taught the children to _____________ the first line of each paragraph when they wrote stories. 8 My PhD thesis was called Socialisation through children’s literature and its _____________ was The Soviet example.

ANSWER KEY

81.8 1 jot down       6 italics 2 scribble        7 quotes 3 doodling      8 characters 4 writing up   9 run off 5 draft             10 asterisk 81.2 1 bold 2 upper case 3 italics 4 new font size 5 new typeface 6 lower case 7 block capitals 8 curly brackets 9 square brackets 10 diamond brackets 81.3 1 c 2 i 3 f 4 h 5 j 6 a 7 e 8 g 9 b 10 d 81.4 1 chatty            5 touch-type 2 format           6 draft 3 manuscripts 7 indent 4 paste              8 subtitle