Summaries, notes, reports Unit 4

Lesson 1Summarizing a conversation This section introduces the topic of using English for different purposes in business. Taking notes on information you hear and summarizing the main points of conversation are very important communication skills when using English in business.

PART AA Warm-up discussion Look at the photos. Imagine these photos show your office. Answer the questions shown in your books Further questions: Which of the methods are you familiar with? How often do you use the methods illustrated in your own work? How effective do you find them? How easy or difficult are they for you to do in Enlish?

Part BWork in pairs Look at the extracts from the three summaries of a conversation Listen to the recording of the meeting between two people Then decide which of these three styles of summary you prefer

Lesson 2 Using notes to write a report Part AWork in pairs expand the notes into paragraphs and connected text. Suggestions: Add pronouns e.g. I or We Use conjunctions, e.g. first, then, ect.

Lesson 3 Planning and editing a report Part AWork in pairs Go over the TASK BOX Think : Which order you would do the tasks in? Which order you think is not important and leave them out

Part BWork in groups of 4 Discuss what order each of you have arrived at. Tell the reason why The 4 broad stages of the process Assemble the material (item 1 below) Plan the report (item 2-7 below) Draft the report (8-11below) Edit the report (item 12 to 16 below)

“FOUR GOLDEN RULES” BE ACCURATE BRIEF CLEAR DECISIVE

Part CWork in pairs—read and discuss Discuss the questions there in Part C Suggested answers: The MD is expressing dissatisfaction with time-keeping ~ in an indirect way. Perhaps the MD requires a report which will enable him or her to justify introducing clocking-in machines.

Part Dwork in pairs The MD's memo was fairly general in its aim. The report is correspondingly( 对应地 ) vague in parts. For example: there have been a number of problems connected with the motivation.... In parts the report is informative. But occasional long sentences make it difficult to follow in places, e.g. the third sentence is the first paragraph: “we have also know for …”, and the sentence in the second paragraph bedinning: “the staff think that …”

Part EWork in pairs Draft a report with your partner My Model—How could my Model Report be a little better?

Model report FROM: Personnel Manager Division A TO: Managing Director DATE: 16 May 20____ SUBJECT: Proposed installation of clocking-in machines

Following your memorandum of 27 April we carried out a small study of staff views in three selected departments to see how the arrangements of breaks had been working. I here summarize the results: 65% office workers found the present break arrangements satisfactory; 25% would be.in favour of a shorter lunch break and finishing earlier. It is too early to say definitely how many machines would be needed. But at least one for every divisional office seems a reasonable estimate. I also asked my personnel officers about the saving of time. They think that an improvement in time- keeping could be made.

The staff's reaction to the idea was not very encouraging. In the survey we carried out only 15% said they would be in favour of using clocking-in machines. If they had the choice they would prefer not to use them. You also asked for my views on how to deal with the union. I had a meeting with the chief union representative. I mentioned that in some departments the lunch break was lasting a lot longer than is actually allowed. The representative's answer was not very helpful. She said the union would always insist on the lunch break being left as it is. There is a point beyond which no negotiation would be possible without asking all the union members in the company their opinion.

In conclusion, it seems important to draw the Board's attention to possible difficulties which the rapid installation of clocking-in machines could bring. We need to discuss the problem a little longer and with more people before taking any action, it would seem.

Lesson 4Making notes This section deals with: making notes in general, taking notes on conversations using different styles of notes and finally with making notes as a way of planning and preparing.

Part AWork in pairs Look at the tips on making notes Discuss the questions in the book

Part BWork in pairs—Listen and rearrange points Listen to the three conversations. Look at the notes Rearrange them in correct order Answers: (3412) there is no “correct order” for the middle one (521643)

Lesson 5Punctuation Part AWork in pairs—do the match Part BWork in pairs—Complete the sentences in the book Part CWork in pairs—find out errors: Decide which punctuation marks or Capital Letters are incorrectly used Some of the punctuation is surplus( 多余的 ) to requirements and must be deleted.