English vocabulary about accidents

I hope that you'll never be involved in an accident, but if you have conversation about one, these words and phrases will be useful.

Types of accidents

a collision = when two vehicles drive into each other.
a mid-air collision = when two planes collide in the air
a head-on collision = when two cars collide front to front
a car crash = when there's a serious car accident – involving another car or object, or not involving anything else
a derailment = when a train comes off the rails
a (multiple) pile-up = when more than one car crashes into another car, especially on a busy road or motorway

Describing an accident

An accident occurred / happened between two cars travelling in the same / opposite direction. One car was travelling at speed (at X miles per hour)

As the driver was rounding the corner, he drove straight into another car which was on the wrong side of the road. The driver lost control of the car and ploughed into the other lane / overturned / drove into an oncoming vehicle / into a tree.
As the driver was overtaking another / went through a red light / he drove straight into oncoming traffic
A lorry jackknifed, spilling its load over the road.
A car skidded on a wet / oily surface and the driver lost control.
The brakes failed / the car driver misjudged the distance.

The car was speeding / doing 80mph in a 30mph area.
The driver was under the influence of alcohol / drugs / on his mobile phone at the time.

The accident was due to pilot / human error.

The results of an accident

There were no fatalities (people killed)
Five people were taken to hospital with major / minor injuries / for shock.
The driver was shaken, but unhurt.
The passengers were escorted safely from the train.
Firecrews had to cut the passengers out of the wreckage.
The car was a write-off. (The damage was so bad there was no point in claiming insurance)
Fortunately, there was only minimal damage / we escaped with only a couple of scratches on the bodywork.

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Date in a Business Letter

British English

Write: 30 October 2003

Position: on the right, one line below the sender's address (in letters with a ready-printed sender's address, the date can also be put in the top left corner)


American English

Write: October 30, 2003

Position: top left corner (sometimes centred)

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Sender's Address in a Business English Letter

Don't write your address if you use paper with a ready-printed sender's address.

If you write your own address, only give the following information: house number, street, area code, place, country, telephone. (Don't include your name here; in English the name is only put at the end of the letter.)

British English

Position: In British English, the sender's address is usually placed in the top right corner of the letter.

American English

Position: In American English the sender's address is usually placed in the top left corner, below the date, or at the end of the letter, below the signature..

Sender's address below the date:

Sender's address below the signature:

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Teaching Writing: Strategies

The most important factor in writing exercises is that students need to be personally involved in order to make the learning experience of lasting value. Encouraging student participation in the exercise, while at the same time refining and expanding writing skills, requires a certain pragmatic approach. The teacher should be clear on what skills he/she is trying to develop. Next, the teacher needs to decide on which means (or type of exercise) can facilitate learning of the target area. Once the target skill areas and means of implmentation are defined, the teacher can then proceed to focus on what topic can be employed to ensure student participation. By pragmatically combing these objectives, the teacher can expect both enthusiasm and effective learning.

Choosing the target area depends on many factors; What level are the students?, What is the average age of the students, Why are the students learning English, Are there any specific future intentions for the writing (i.e school tests or job application letters etc.). Other important questions to ask oneself are: What should the students be able to produce at the end of this exercise? (a well written letter, basic communication of ideas, etc.) What is the focus of the exercise? (structure, tense usage, creative writing). Once these factors are clear in the mind of the teacher, the teacher can begin to focus on how to involve the students in the activity thus promoting a positive, long-term learning experience.

Having decided on the target area, the teacher can focus on the means to achieve this type of learning. As in correction, the teacher must choose the most appropriate manner for the specified writing area. If formal business letter English is required, it is of little use to employ a free expression type of exercise. Likewise, when working on descriptive language writing skills, a formal letter is equally out of place.

With both the target area and means of production, clear in the teachers mind, the teacher can begin to consider how to involve the students by considering what type of activities are interesting to the students; Are they preparing for something specific such as a holiday or test?, Will they need any of the skills pragmatically? What has been effective in the past? A good way to approach this is by class feedback, or brainstorming sessions. By choosing a topic that involves the students the teacher is providing a context within which effective learning on the target area can be understaken.

Finally, the question of which type of correction will facilitate a useful writing exercise is of utmost importance. Here the teacher needs to once again think about the overall target area of the exercise. If there is an immediate task at hand, such as taking a test, perhaps teacher guided correction is the most effective solution. However, if the task is more general (for example developing informal letter writing skills), maybe the best approach would be to have the students work in groups thereby learning from each other. Most importantly, by choosing the correct means of correction the teacher can encourage rather discourage students. (source;http://esl.about.com/cs/teachingtechnique/a/a_twrite.htm)

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Paragraph Writing- Bagus English Translation

In general, the purpose of a paragraph is to express one point, idea or opinion.

For example: Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.

This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph:

1. Beginning - Introduce your idea.
2. Middle - Explain your idea.
3. End - Make your point again, transition to next paragraph.

Here is a paragraph taken from an essay on various strategies required for an overall improvement of student performance:

Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score better on tests immediately following the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores on standardized tests.

There are four sentence types used to construct a paragraph:

1. Topic sentence

One sentence which states your idea, point, or opinion. This sentence should use a strong verb and make a bold statement.

For example: Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.

NOTE: Notice the strong verb 'require' which is a call to action. A weaker form of this sentence might be: I think students probably need more recreational time ... This weaker form is inappropriate for a topic sentence.

2. Supporting sentences

Supporting sentences (notice the plural) provide explanations and support for the topic sentence (main idea) of your paragraph.

For example: In fact, studies have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score better on tests immediately following the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on academic materials.

NOTE: Supporting sentences provide the evidence for your topic sentence. Supporting sentences that include facts, statistics and logical reasoning are much more convincing that simple statements of opinion.

3. Concluding sentence

The concluding sentence restates the main idea (found in your topic sentence) and reinforces the point or opinion.

For example: Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of success in their studies.

NOTE: Concluding sentences repeat the main idea of your paragraph in different words.

4. Transitional sentence

The transitional sentence prepares the reader for the following paragraph.

For example: Clearly, physical exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores on standardized tests.

NOTE: Transitional sentences should help readers logically understand the connection between your current main idea, point or opinion and the main idea of your next paragraph. In this instance, the phrase 'just one of the necessary ingredients ...' prepares the reader for the next paragraph which will discuss another necessary ingredient for success.

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How To Prepare Presentation Writing

Reason

A presentation proves that you are able to communicate on a topic of your choice with just a few key words as reminders. In some countries, a presentation is part of the English exam at school (e.g. Eurokom in Germany).

Preparation

Choose a topic that interests you. First, read about the topic in your native language for necessary background information. At that point you should already plan how you want to organise your presentation. When writing the presentation, you should work with English texts only (that's easier than translating the document in the end). Take short notes only from the English texts, then make your own sentences (short ones if possible).

Structure and Content

• Introduction: General information on the topic
  Give your listeners an introduction to the topic (some general information) and explain what exactly you are going to talk about in your presentation.
• Actual Presentation
  Subdivide your presentation into several sub-topics, e.g.:
  • Presentation on an event: history, present, special customs
  • Presentation on a sport: history, rules, important events
  • Presentation on a stay in an English speaking country: chronologically
• Conclusion
  Find a good conclusion (otherwise it would look as if you simply stopped in the middle of your presentation). A good conclusion could be for example:
  • How does the event influence our daily lives?
  • How important is the event for you personally? / What's your opinion about it?
  • What might the future bring?
  • a quotation that summarises your presentation

Important Tenses

Which tenses to use depends on your topic. Above all you'll probably need the following tenses:

• Simple Present
• Simple Past
• Present Perfect

Note

If you cannot think of a topic for your presentation, check out the sections countries, literature and animals/sports on www.ego4u.de. Maybe you'll find something that catches your interest.

The online encyclopaedia www.wikipedia.org provides lots of information on a variety of topics in several languages. Do also use the search engine www.google.com to find information on your topic.

Collect pictures and graphics if possible. They'll help you getting through your presentation without losing the thread. Furthermore, pictures always make a presentation more interesting for the listeners.

Usually you are expected to talk about the topic without reading every sentence from a piece of paper. So practise at home until you can hold the presentation with just a few key words (or pictures) as reminders. (source: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/presentation)

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Reviews on Books and Films

Reason

It's not only specialists (e.g. journalists, critics) that write reviews on books or films. More and more reviews are written by laymen, as you can see for example at the online bookstore Amazon.

Preparation

Recall the plot of the story. Do you want to recommend the book/film?

Structure and Content

• Introduction, Background
  Give title and author of the book. If you're reviewing a film you may want to mention the director or actors.
• Plot
  Summarize the plot in a few sentences. Say something about place and time of the plot, about the main characters and about the main content.
• Comment
  Let others know whether or not you liked the book/film and give reasons for your liking / not liking it. Is the author's style good or bad, is the book / film interesting or boring etc.

Important Tenses

Simple Present

Note

A review is not a summary. Don't tell the end as this will spoil the book/film to people who want to read/watch it.

Word Lists

→ Useful Words on Books, Literature and Novels
→ Useful Phrases

Source: http://www.ego4u.com

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General Information on Writing English Texts

The ideal English text is easy to read and understand. Even scientific texts are usually written in plain English words. So try to keep your sentences plain, clear and well structured.

When writing in English, keep the following rules in mind:

• use simple language
• keep subordinate clauses short
• prefer verbs to nouns (not: The meaning of this is that …, but: This means that …)
• avoid slang and techy language

Sentence

Make your texts interesting by using various types of clauses, e.g.:

participle clausesrelative clausesconditional sentencesinfinitive constructions, introductory clauses with infinitive or gerundprepositional clausespassive voice

Note, however:

• Always use main clauses for important statements – use subordinate clauses only for additional information
• Use passive voice sparingly – prefer active voice.
• Avoid long introductory clauses – always try to put the subject close to the beginning of a sentence.
• Avoid long subordinate clauses – a subordinate clause in the middle of a sentence should have no more than 12 syllables

Check out the use of participles in our grammar section. They are very useful for shortening lengthy subordinate clauses.

Paragraph

As to paragraphs, keep the following rules in mind:

• Concentrate on one main point per paragraph. Summarize this point in the first sentence.
• All sentences that follow support the main point or limit its scope.
• The last sentence is used as a transition to the next paragraph. Use a criteria that applies for both paragraphs.

Text

The typical structure of a text is as follows:

• (title)
• introduction
• main part
• conclusion

Make your texts interesting. You can achieve this for example by varying the lengths of your sentences. An important statement is best emphasised in a short sentence, especially if that sentence is between two longer sentences. Do also vary the lenghts of your paragraphs and avoid one-sentence paragraphs.

There are various possibilities on how to structure your texts, e.g.:

• General to Specific
  general statement followed by details and examples
• Specific to General
  details and examples followed by a generalization
• Known to Unknown
  provide new information based on what readers already know
• Least Important to Most Important
  catch and keep readers' attention
• Chronology (ordering by time)
  e.g. in biographies

Source: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/text

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Toelf Structure

Purpose of the TOEFL Test

The purpose of the TOEFL test is to evaluate the English proficiency of people who are non-native English speakers. In addition, international companies, government agencies, scholarship programs, and recruitment agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency.

CBT: The TOEFL test on computer combines many of the same question types as the traditional paper-based test with new question types that can be offered only in the computer format. This is an easy-to-use testing system for even the most basic computer users.

The Computer-Based TOEFL Test has 4 sections

Section 1: Listening
Section 2: Structure (Grammar)
Section 3: Reading
Section 4: Writing

1. Listening Comprehension:
Measures the ESL student's ability to understand North American English.

2. Structure & Written Expression
Measures the ESL student's ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English.

3. Vocabulary & Reading Comprehension
Measures the ESL student's ability to understand non-technical reading material.

4. Essay Writing
Measures the ESL student's ability to express ideas in standard written English.

Scoring:

The score range on the CBT TOEFL Test is: 0-300. In other words, the highest possible total score is 300 points.

This breaks down in each section as a scaled score:

Listening: 0-30
Structure/Writing: 0-30
Reading Comprehension: 0-30
TOTAL SCALED SCORE: 0-300

The score from the essay in the Writing Section is included in the Structure score. The essay is graded on a scaled score of 0 to 6. 6 is the highest possible total score on the Writing Section. Note: The essay score is one sixth of the total test score.

Number of Questions in the test and the time to complete each section:

Tutorials: 7 untimed tutorials explaining in detail the exam procedure

Listening: 30 to 49 questions with 15-25 minutes to answer the questions. 40-60 minutes to complete entire section. The clock runs while you are answering questions, but not while you are listening to conversations and talks.

Structure: 20-25 questions with 15-20 minutes to complete the questions.

Reading: 44-55 questions with 70-90 minutes to complete the section (includes time spent reading passages and answering questions).

Writing: One assigned essay topic, with 30 minutes to write the essay.


How often can I take the CBT TOEFL test?

If I cancel my scores, can I take the test again?

You may take the CBT TOEFL test only once in any calendar month, even if you took the test and cancelled your scores. For example, if you test in May, you must wait until June to take it again. IMPORTANT: If you take the test more than once in a calendar month, your new scores will not be reported and your test fee will not be refunded. Violation of this policy may also result in additional action being taken.

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Writing English Telling Story

Telling stories is common in any language. Think of all the situations in which you can tell a story:

• Talking about your past to a friend
• Giving details about something that happened during a job interview
• Relating information about your family to your children
• Telling colleagues about what happened on a business trip

In each of these situations - and many others - you provide information about something that happened in the past. In order to help your audience understand, you need to link these ideas together. One of the most important ways to link ideas is to sequence them. Sequencing refers to the order in which events happened. These are some of the most common ways to sequence in writing or speaking:

Beginning:

Firstly,
First of all,
To start off with,
Initially,

Examples:

Firstly, I began my education in London.
First of all, I opened the cupboard.
To start off with, we decided our destination was New York.
Initially, I thought it was a bad idea, ...

Continuing:

Then,
After that,
Next,
As soon as / When + full clause,
... but then
Immediately,

Examples:

Then, I started to get worried.
After that, we knew that there would be no problem!
Next, we decided on our strategy.
As soon as we arrived, we unpacked our bags.
We were sure everything was ready, but then we discovered some unexpected problems.
Immediately, I telephoned my friend Tom.

Interruptions / New Elements to the Story:

Suddenly,
Unexpectedly,

Examples:

Suddenly, a child burst into the room with a note for Ms. Smith.
Unexpectedly, the people in the room didn't agree with the mayor.

Events Occurring at the Same Time

While / As + full clause
During + noun (noun clause)

Examples:

While we were getting ready for the trip, Jennifer was making the reservations at the travel agent's.
During the meeting, Jack came over and asked me a few questions.

Ending:

Finally,
In the end,
Eventually,
Lastly,

Examples:

Finally, I flew to London for my meeting with Jack.
In the end, he decided to postpone the project.
Eventually, we became tired and returned home.
Lastly, we felt we had had enough and went home.

When you tell stories you will also need to give reasons for actions. Here is some help with linking your ideas, and providing reasons for your actions.

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