Subjunctive

A webpage on the use of subjunctive is hereby made available.

Phrasal verbs

Here you can find some exercises on phrasal verbs.  The key to the exercises is hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Noun, adjective and verb + preposition

Here you can find some exercises on nouns, adjectives and verbs which are used with certain prepositions.  The key for the exercises are also hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Basic prepositions

Here you can find some exercises on basic prepositions.  The key to the exercises is hereby made available. (Source: English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy)

Reported speech

I am hereby providing some documents on reported speech as well as object and subject questions with the key for the exercises from English Grammar in Use: Intermediate by Raymond Murphy.  More  exercises on reported speech along with the key are also made available.

Here you can also find more information on subject, object, verb, tense, time and location modifications in reported speech and indirect speech. (Business Grammar Builder by Paul Emmerson)

Sample listening summary

The Challenges of Population Growth

Professor Hans Rosling introduces his theory on why population growth should be kept under control. After describing the situation between 1960 and 2010 by using boxes in different colours, he makes predictions for 2050.  By then world population will have grown to 9 billion.

In 1960 world population was 3 billion. In the industrialised world there were 1 billion people who were healthy, educated and rich with high child survival rate and small families. Their aspiration was to buy a car. However, in the underdeveloped world of 2 billion people with poor child survival and big families, there was only one aspiration: having food for the day, and if possible, saving enough to buy a pair of shoes. The gap was enormous.

From 1960 to 2010, 4 billion people were added to the world population. The economies in the industrialised world grew, and the people there were aspiring to fly to remote destinations for their holidays.

From 1960 on, the most successful developing countries, the total population of which amounted to 1 billion in 2010, had been receiving better education, hygienic living conditions and medication, while they were aspiring to own a car. The 3 billion people living in the rest of the developing countries had also been getting healthier and better educated, while they were aspiring to buy a bicycle. In 2010 the average number of children per woman in the developing world was two to three due to family planning.

In the meantime, the 2 billion people in underdeveloped countries were still aspiring to have food and shoes. The gap between the richest and the poorest was still big, but there was a continuous world concerning levels of welfare; most people tended to be in the middle.

Rosling then introduces a projection for 2050. If the world invests in the green technology to avoid climate change, and energy becomes cheaper, then emerging economies will indeed become sustainably richer. He predicts the total population in the underdeveloped world, which was 2 billion in 2010, to double. If these people get out of poverty, have better education and improve child survival, then their population increase will stop. As he puts it, "Child survival is the new green." Thus it is possible to have a just world with green technology and global governance. The old West will be the foundation of this new modern world.

Sample synthesis summary

U-bend of life

The two articles deal with  happiness and try to provide answers to the old question of what happiness is correlated to. Both articles are based on happiness measurements conducted by economists or psychologists.

The first and main article examines four main factors, i.e.,  gender, personality, external circumstances and age:

• It seems that women are, by and large, slightly happier than men. However, they former are also more susceptible to depression.
• Concerning personality,  people who are prone to guilt, anger and anxiety tend to be unhappy, unlike extrovert people.
• Some correlations also seem to hold  between external circumstances –  such as relationships, education, income or health – and the way people feel.
• The article mainly focuses on the last factor, i.e., the clear link between age and "self-reported well-being".

The article then details the U-bend graph, which shows that people are least happy at a global average of 46, and it evaluates the possible reasons. This tendency appears all over the world even if the nadir average can vary across countries.

 

In the end, this is rather good news for a world which has to deal with an ageing workforce.

The second article analyses the more specific correlation between money and happiness at country level, and it tries to evaluate to what extent  money can buy happiness. Although richer countries are clearly happier, the correlation is not perfect, which suggests that other factors, presumably cultural ones, are at work.

Preparation for 17th of June

Here is the link for a presentation  by Hans Rosling on population growth.  Please watch it once while taking notes, and bring your notes to a summary report of one 1.5-spaced page.  You can send me the summaries before our next session on 17th of June.

Preparation for 10th of June

Here you can find two articles which you can synthesize in a summary report.  The summary should be no longer than two 1.5-spaced pages. If you send me your summaries before our next session on 10th of June, we can talk about one of them during the workshop.  You may try using as many lists as you can in your summaries.

Semicolon, colon and lists

In Sections  2.5 - 2.10 of the English Style Guide published by the Directorate-General for Translation, you can find the rules on the use of colon and semicolon with the appropriate hyperlinks for other relevant issues, such as lists.

You can hereby find more information on the use of colon and semicolon as well as providing lists as it is presented in the Interinstitutional Style Guide.

Here you can find a document on the use of semicolon and colon, including the use of the latter to introduce lists.  The first rule on the use of colon in this document is at odds with what is said in the Commission's "English Style Guide" and  the "Interinstitutional Style Guide".

Here you can find a quiz on the use of colon and semicolon with the key and explanations.  In the explanation for the answer to question 21, you can find the capitalization rule in sentences after colon.

Apostrophes

Here you can find a quiz on apostrophes.

Composite nouns

Some of the issues that come up in our last session concerning composite nouns can be found here along with some exercises.

Sample listening report

A whistle-stop tour of the European Institutions

The reporter in the broadcast gives us a tour of some of the European Union (EU) buildings at the heart of Brussels’s European district, as he describes the functions of the three main EU bodies, i.e., the Commission, the Parliament and the Council.

Robert Schuman, who was one of the first and most influential people to be inspired by the idea of a united Europe, was a former French foreign minister whose name was given to the metro station in the district. A monument commemorating him was erected in front of the Berlaymont, which is the main building of the Commission.

The European political construction started after the Second World War, and it grew from 6 to 27 countries. The EU enables the same policies and legislative standards to be enforced in policy areas such as global warming, pollution, chemicals or pandemic diseases. The EU also helps improve the infrastructure in certain Member States (MS), for example the Hungarian sewage system. This means that, whether you like it or not, the rich MS pay to help the poor ones.

The first main EU institution mentioned in the report is the Commission with its 27 Commissioners, each one of whom is in charge of a certain policy area. The Commission’s main task is to propose new laws. It is also the guardian of the soul of Europe, and as such, it is above national interests. Given the balance of power the Commission has with the other two institutions, the EU is a unique experiment in the world.

Thus the Commission’s power is limited, since it needs to reconcile with the national interests represented at the Council, which is the second main EU institution presented.  Government representatives from MS meet at the Council every week. They have meetings on specific themes, such as defence, agriculture or foreign affairs. The most important meetings attended by heads of state and government are held at least three times a year; these can be tense affairs.  The bar visited between formal sessions provides a good opportunity to have informal discussions.

The third main institution, which is more familiar than the other two for those of us from democratic countries, is the European Parliament (EP). The Members of the EP (MEPs) are seated according to political groups. The MEPs debate issues in proposed laws, on which they can then vote to amend.  Even if used rarely, this institution also has the power to revoke the nominations of the Commission or to reject the proposed EU budget, and its influence had been ever increasing when this report aired.

In a nutshell, laws are drafted by the Commission, and sent to the Council for verification. Then the Council can send them back to the Commission for changes. The decision process continues at the EP, which may vote for amendments to the legislative proposals.  Afterwards, the Commission decides whether or not to modify the proposed texts, and sends them to the Council for approval again.  As such, this legislative circuit consists in a unique balance of powers between these three European Institutions.

Relative, -ed and -ing clauses

Here you can find some exercises on relative, -ed and -ing clauses along with the key.

Preparation for 20th of May

For our next session on 20th of May 2011, please watch the BBC news report on the European Institutions once as you take notes.  Then, bring these notes to a summary report of no longer than one 1.5-spaced page.  If you can send me your summaries before our meeting, we can use one of them during our workshop.

Preparation for 13th of May

Please read the sample report in the previous post below.  Do you think you can shorten it, such that it is about 1/3 of the original article?

Sample reading report

Why Belgium's unending linguistic disputes matter to Europe    

The 1968 language wars between the Dutch-speaking and Francophone Belgians led to the division of the 1.6 m books in the library of the University of Leuven. It was followed by the partition within the Catholic church and the main political parties (Catholics, liberals and socialists). Belgian politics became tribal, and Belgium turned into a near-ungovernable federation.

After the election in June 2010, a caretaker government was in office for 230 days, thus holding the European record for being the country without a government for the longest time. Fortunately, the bond markets seemed largely unconcerned about Belgium's giant public debt close to 100% of its GDP. Surprisingly, Belgium registered some student protests urging their country's politicians to get a move on not until the end of January 2011.

At the time this article came out the world gave little thought to Belgium, even though a break-up looked less unthinkable than it had been before the elections in 2010. Paradoxically, the slow dissolution of Belgium went hand in hand with the deeper integration of the EU. One way of looking at Belgium's divide is to see it as a counterpart to the EU's split between the north and the south. In Belgium’s case, however, the euro gave all parties the luxury of intransigence.

The blockage in question is unlike the previous ones in that for the first time, an avowedly separatist party, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), became dominant in Flanders. This party, led by Bart de Wever, wants a decisive shift of powers to Flanders, and it makes little secret of its wish to see Belgium “evaporate” within the EU. The N-VA wants to see the EU-rope string Belgium up.

Strangely, the erosion of sovereignty is seen as the antidote to violent nationalism. According to Mark Leonard, the Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, the EU's “taking the gun out of politics” has contradictory effects; on the one hand, it makes it easier to draw violent groups into politics. On the other hand, it allows not only peaceful nationalists to act up, but also voters to support them, because there is no danger of bloodshed.

Separatism is not a singular phenomenon restricted to Belgium in the EU, e.g., rich regions pulling away from poorer ones in Spain and Italy, big ethnic minorities in many ex-communist countries moving towards more autonomy, or the Scottish nationalists speaking of independence while remaining within the EU.

Changing national borders rarely resolves nationalist and ethnic disputes. Nevertheless, where communities overlap, tolerance, respect for minority rights, autonomy and cross-border co-operation are better democratic tools.

In any case, it will be much more difficult to separate the Dutch-speakers and Francophones in Brussels than it was at the University of Leuven. This conundrum offers the best hope that, in the end, Flemings and Walloons will somehow learn to live together for the benefit of Belgium and perhaps of the whole EU.

Linking words

The first and second parts of the documents on linking words are hereby available.  You can also find the key for the exercises here.  As you do the exercises, please remember the following three types of linking words we have identified:

• Linking words that connect two parts of the same sentence as in the following example: We only have one week off for Easter, so we will be staying in Brussels.
• Linking words that connect two separate sentences as in the following four examples, which are different ways of saying the same thing:

1. We only have one week off for Easter.  Therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
2. We only have one week off for Easter; therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
3. We only have one week off for Easter.  We will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.
4. We only have one week off for Easter; we will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.

• Linking words that are covered under both the first and second types as in the four following examples:

1. Besides giving his friend a lift after work, he helped her with her grocery shopping.
2. He helped his friend with her grocery shopping, besides giving her a lift after work.
3. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question.  Besides, I do not know the answer myself.
4. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question; besides, I do not know the answer myself.

Note that the meaning of the word 'besides'  in the first two examples is different from its meaning in the last two examples.

In all these examples, please pay special attention to the punctuation.

Articles

Here you can find the document on articles along with the key for the exercises.

Wishes

Here you can find more examples and an exercise with the key on wishes.

Minutes

Here you can find an example for minutes.  Source: Market Leader Upper Intermediate Business English Course Book by David Cotton, et al.

Memo

Here you can find an example for a memo.  Source: Market Leader Upper Intermediate Business English Course Book by David Cotton, et al.

Notes and reports

I am hereby making a document available with tips on taking notes with the intention of writing reports.  There is also some information on how to write reports by expanding from given information, e.g., in an advertisement, which may not consist of full sentences, .

Here is a text from The Economist, which you can read and write a summary report on.  Those of you who could not join us on 15th of April, this article is to be read with the intention of writing a summary of not longer than one 1.5-spaced page.  If you can send me the summary before our next session on 29th of April, we can talk about it during our workshop.

Sample email

Dear Ms Smith,
 
Knowing that your entry into service at the European Commission is approaching, I would like to hereby extend you a warm welcome to our Unit, and provide you with some practical information.
 
As agreed during your job interview, you will be in charge of the follow-up of inter-service consultations. This position involves regular interaction and coordination with the other services of our DG as well as with other DGs. You will be working closely with Ms Black in our Unit, as inter-service consultation follow-up is a shared responsibility. Under my supervision, Ms Black will explain to you the various procedures, so that you can become acquainted with our working methods as soon as possible. As an attachment, I am resending your job description, in case you need it for a quick reference.
 
You should have been already informed that you will be attending a two-day training course organised by DG HR, i.e., the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, before taking up your duties at our Unit. This very useful course should provide you with additional information regarding the functioning of the European Commission, its working environment, and the rights and duties of its employees. During the training, you will have the opportunity to get your badge ready; all the relevant information will be provided by the trainers.
 
As a newcomer in Brussels, you might also be interested in receiving information on matters such as accommodation and public transportation. Please note that the orientation leaders at DG HR will be handing out an information package during the training, and that a legal advisor will be at your disposal to check the leases you might be considering before you sign a contract. If you need to search for an apartment, the best place to start is the immoweb website (http://www.immoweb.be/). There is also plenty of short-term accommodation available in Brussels, especially in the Schuman area close to the European Institutions. You can find all the necessary information about public transportation in Brussels at http://www.stib.be/.
 
I would also like to hereby invite you take up your duties in our Unit on Wednesday, 16th of March, i.e., after the completion of the training mentioned above.  I propose starting the day with a meeting in my office at 9.30 am.  Afterwards, I will introduce you to the members of the team you will be working in. Moreover, you will need to make an appointment to see Mr Miller (tel.: +32(0)2/291 7811) in the afternoon of the same day.  I suggest making the appointment at least three days in advance, since he is usually very busy.  He is the HR focal point in our DG, and thus he will be your interlocutor for all contract related issues .
 
As you probably remember from your interview, our offices are located at Rue de la Science, 15, close to Rue Belliard. With your badge, you can come up directly to our Unit, which is located on the 7th floor; I am in office 123.
 
Looking forward to meeting you in person,
 
With kind regards,

 Iris Wellington

Gerund vs. infinitive

Numerous exercises on gerund vs. infinitive along with their key are hereby made available for you to have access at your convenience.  You can also find the list of verbs used with gerund and/or infinitive here.

Here you can find more information and exercises on the same topic.

Gender neutrality

On pages 48 - 49 of  "English Style Guide" released by the Commission you can find the section on gender neutrality. You can access the guide here.

Greetings and closers

Here is a list of greetings you can use in your formal emails depending on the recipient:

• Anonymous singular:

1. Dear Sir/Madam
2. Dear Madam/Sir
3. Dear Sir or Madam
4. Dear Madam or Sir

• Anonymous plural:

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and/or Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and/or Sirs

• With a given male name: Dear Mr Smith

• With a given female name:

1.  Dear Ms Smith (civil status irrelevant or unknown)
2.  Dear Mrs Smith (married)
3.  Dear Miss Smith (single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (male):  Dear Messrs Smith and Jones

• With given names to a group of less than three people (female):

1. Dear Mses Smith and Jones (civil statuses unknown, irrelevant or different)
2. Dear Mesdames Smith and Jones (both of them married)
3. Dear Misses Smith and Jones (both of them are single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (mixed gender and not related to each other by marriage or blood): 

1. Dear Messrs Smith and Jones, and Ms Presley 
2. Dear Ms Presley, and Messrs Smith and Jones

• With a given name to a couple who use the same last name:

1. Dear Mr and Mrs Smith 
2. Dear Mrs and Mr Smith 

• With given names to a group of more than three people (mixed gender):

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all male): Dear Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all female): Dear Ladies 

• With a given first and last name and the gender is not clear:  Dear Alex Smith

Here is a list of closers which apply to all formal emails regardless of their content:

• With kind regards
• Kind regards
• Regards

You can hereby find a document on how to address various VIPs in different contexts. 

Email attachments

Here is a link where you can find the email attachments I have sent you so far:
 Attachments to the first five emails

Fifth email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you a document with exercises on wishes as well as the key.

Here is a link where you can some exercises on modal verbs:

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/modalintro.html

We talked about making requests during our last session.  We can come back to the topic of modal verbs if you have questions about other functions.

All the best,

John

Fourth email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you two documents dealing with the different ways of addressing various VIPs.

I would like to finalize the workshop on emails next week, so please come to the next session with any questions you still have about emails.  Depending on the quality and quantity of your questions, we might then have the time to talk about memos.

Looking forward to seeing you then,

All the best,

John

Third email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you the list on gerund vs. infinitive.

Here is a link for exercises on the same topic:

http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm

As another attachment, I am also sending you some exercises on subject-verb agreement as well as the keys for all the exercises I have sent you so far.

The final attachment with this email is a longer document part of which we looked at during our last session.  Please refer to pages 11 – 14 for subject-verb agreement.  We will be using this document when we deal with other major issues related to writing.

Please refer to item 79C on the list of the differences between American and British English concerning subject-verb agreement.

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

All the best,

John

Second email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you a few documents – some of them with exercises -  on the following issues we dealt with during our last session:

• state vs. action verbs
• present perfect vs. present perfect continuous tenses
  

Here are some links where you can find exercises on the tenses we talked about, i.e., simple past, present perfect and present perfect continuous:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs5.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs6.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs7.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs8.htm

Here is an additional exercise on state vs. action verbs:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs16.htm

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

All the best,

John

First email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you the booklet we looked at during our first session.

Moreover,  here is the link for section 10 entitled “House rules for the preparation of the text” from the Interinstitutional Style Guide, where you can find some of the fundamental rules related to writing at the Commission:

http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-4100000.htm

Those of you who could not join us last week, please send me an email as a writing sample to fulfill the following task:  You need to write a formal email to a new-comer joining your Unit.  After welcoming him/her, you need to give him/her practical information concerning practical and administrative matters, e.g., directions to get your office, obtaining a badge, finding temporary accommodation, etc.  You then need to give him/her some information about the working environment at your Unit and make an appointment with him/her for an orientation tour on his/her first day.

We always start our sessions with general questions you might have, so do feel free to table them if you have any for our next meeting.

Looking forward to seeing you then,

All the best,

John
--
Noras
Rue du Moniteur, 16 Box No 3
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium

Tel: +32(0)2/217 7800