onestopenglish 2002

Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com

A Lesson on Register
LeveI: Upper Infermediofe / Advonced
Aim: To enobIe sfudenfs fo breok down fhe differenf feofures of formoI
ond informoI EngIish by working fhrough o sfep-by-sfep fexf fronsformofion
of fheir own poce.
MuteriuIs: One copy for eoch sfudenf of,
I) "A Iesson on Pegisfer" (Answer key in fhe Teocher's nofes)
Z) "Sfep by sfep worksheef" (Answer key in "InformoI fexf")
3) "Texf fo work on"
4) (fo be given offer fhe Iesson) "InformoI fexf"

EpIunution: This moferioI is porficuIorIy reIevonf for fhe formoI
requiremenfs of 8usiness EngIish ond discursive essoy wrifing (some Exoms).
Affer fhe Iesson sfudenfs con exfrocf o Iisf of ruIes for bofh vocobuIory ond
grommoficoI differences befween formoI ond informoI EngIish, which fhey
con foke owoy wifh fhem ond oppIy eIsewhere. The feocher couId encouroge
fhem fo do fhis os homework ond sforf fhe nexf Iesson in groups, drowing up
whof is remembered onfo (A37) poper. A possibIe Iisf couId be os foIIows:

FormoI feofures

VocobuIory ifems
Lofin bosed words
Uncommon words

Puncfuofion
FuII words


0rommor
Possive consfrucfions
Moun phroses
CompIex senfences
InformoI feofures


AngIo Soxon words (phrosoI verbs)
Common words


Abbreviofions
Confrocfions


Acfive consfrucfions
Verb phroses
SimpIe senfences




onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com

AIfernofiveIy, offer fhe Iesson, give ouf o Iisf Iike fhe one obove ond gef
sfudenfs fo find exompIes from fhe fexf for homework.

Teucher's notes:
Some discussion on "regisfer" is needed of fhe sforf in order fo pIoce fhe
Iesson in reoI Iife ond Ief sfudenfs see fhe reoson for going fhrough such o
picky process. 8e owore fhof fhe sfudenfs' firsf Ionguoges mighf nof hove
fhe exfenf of differences befween formoI ond informoI Ionguoge fhof
EngIish does. Discuss wriffen ond oroI sifuofions where formoI regisfer
mighf be oppropriofe eg. business, odminisfrofion, pubIic nofices, ocodemio,
discursive essoys (such os CPE, IELTS ond ofher exoms require). To bring
fhe fopic fo Iife why nof moke o brief reference fo fhe Mormon Conquesf,
when Lofin bosed French wos infroduced info EngIish oIong wifh fhe
orisfocrocy. Use fhe Iinks beIow fo reseorch fhis period or send your
sfudenfs fo find ouf more.
http://members.tripod.com/~GeoffBoxell/words.htm
http://www.internationalfreeway.com/history_of_england.htm
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0835889.html

Steps:
I) Orienf sfudenfs fo fhe fopic (see feocher's nofes)
Z) Hond ouf sheef "A Iesson on regisfer" ond oIIow fime fo onswer
individuoIIy before checking in poirs or open cIoss. Answers ore:
i) If's o Ieffer from o bonk officioI, moybe fhe Monoger, or o
Heod of Lending Deporfmenf
ii) If's fo o cusfomer
iii) If onswers o Ieffer from fhe cusfomer in which he/she
osked fo borrow some (more) money
iv) If's wriffen in o formoI regisfer. Don'f wosfe fime frying fo
expIoin fhis in ony woy os fhe Iesson onswers fhe quesfion.
3) ExpIoin fhof you ore oII going fo fronsform fhe fexf compIefeIy info on
informoI piece of wrifing, which soys exocfIy fhe some fhing, buf Iooks
very differenf.
4) Hond ouf "Texf fo work on" ond "Sfep by sfep worksheef" (foId over
fhe worksheef so fhey con onIy see vocobuIory ifems firsf). Poinf ouf



onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com
b) fhof scheduIed hos oIreody been chonged fo sef os on exompIe. AIIow
obouf Z0 minufes for sfudenfs fo work fhrough OMLY fhe vocobuIory
ifems on fheir own, whiIsf fhe feocher monifors ond onswers
quesfions.
o) Check fhrough so for ond fhen work fhrough fhe resf of fhe
worksheef (individuoIIy or in poirs), expIoining eoch sfep os necessory
(judge fhe fiming of fhis fo Ieove room if possibIe for sfep o ond 7).
7) When fhe sfudenfs hove fheir own wriffen copy of fhe, now, informoI
fexf give fhem fhe hondouf coIIed "InformoI fexf" ond Ief fhem check
fheir own work. There shouId be o more Iighfheorfed oir of reIief of
fhis poinf, so, if fhere is fime, if's fun fo finish fhe Iesson by..
8) In poirs, oIIow sfudenfs fo Iook OMLY of fhe informoI fexf (hondouf),
ond osk fhem fo refronsform if info o formoI fexf - speoking in poirs.

Links to sites with material on register in English:

This is from the Learn.co.uk site by the Guardian: interactive, designed for UK schools:
http://www.learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Unit&WCU=96

The State University of New Yorks (SUNY) online writing guide on formal writing:
http://writingguide.geneseo.edu/form.shtml

This is from another ELT site. The author of the piece Alex Case is currently writing the
exams materials for onestopenglish.
http://www.developingteachers.com/articles_tchtraining/formal_letters_alex1.htm



onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com
A Lesson on Register

Read the following text and decide

i) Who is it written by?
ii) Who is it written for?
iii) It is an answer to a previous text. What was the first text about? What
did it ask for?
iv) Is the text written in formal or informal register? What makes you say
this?

Thonk you for your Ieffer received I4 Sepfember Z00Z. A copy
hos been senf fo compony heodquorfers in oddifion fo o
memorondum concerning your finoncioI sifuofion. A meefing hos
been scheduIed for 3 Ocfober Z00Z of II om fo discuss your
requesf for o furfher bonk Ioon. Therefore pIeose inform us of
your ovoiIobiIify for fhis meefing of fhe eorIiesf opporfunify.

However, o number of issues concerning your income ond
expendifure moy be queried prior fo o Ioon being gronfed.
Furfhermore fhe 0eneroI Monoger needs fo be confocfed in order
fo oufhorise bonk Ioons of fhis nofure. Moreover, your previous
foiIure fo meef poymenf orrongemenfs wiII firsf hove fo be
considered.

MeverfheIess, in fhe inferim you ore required fo compIefe fhe
encIosed business pIon, which shouId be broughf fo fhe meefing.



onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com

Step by step worksheet - formuI to informuI tet

1. Exchange these vocabulary items for their more formal equivalents in the
text. The item in capitals has been done for you. (See text to work on
below)

okuy might be usked Thunks ubout
us soon us possibIe meuntime tuIk ubout
if you cun muke it to do with got giving you u Ioun
u few things you didn't keep up with SET
before uIong with the Iust time
fiII in got in touch with puyments
Iet us know needed unother thought ubout

2. Exchange the following conjunctions in the text for their more informal
equivalents
NevertheIess Moreover in order to
Therefore However Furthermore
3. Are there any other vocabulary items you want to change to make the text
less formal?

4. In an informal piece of writing you may find abbreviations, for example
income and expenditure could be written inc. and exp..
Make further changes to the text by abbreviating appropriate words.



onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com

5. Now rewrite the text making the following changes:
i) Replace formal passive constructions with active phrases, using
I or we as personal pronouns.
ii) Make contractions ( eg. I have Ive) where necessary.
iii) Avoid repetition by replacing noun phrases with object pronouns
(eg. This, these, it). Where possible, without losing the
meaning, leave phrases out.
iv) Replace longer, complex sentences with shorter simpler ones.
(you may need to change punctuation and word order).


onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com
Tet to work on

Thonk you for your Ieffer received I4 Sepfember Z00Z. A copy
hos been senf fo compony heodquorfers in oddifion fo o
memorondum concerning your finoncioI sifuofion. A meefing hos
been scheduIed (sef) for 3 Ocfober Z00Z of II om fo discuss your
requesf for o furfher bonk Ioon. Therefore pIeose inform us of
your ovoiIobiIify for fhis meefing of fhe eorIiesf opporfunify.

A number of issues concerning your income ond expendifure moy
be queried prior fo o Ioon being gronfed. Furfhermore fhe
0eneroI Monoger needs fo be confocfed in order fo oufhorise
bonk Ioons of fhis nofure. Moreover, your previous foiIure fo
meef poymenf orrongemenfs wiII firsf hove fo be considered.

MeverfheIess, in fhe inferim you ore required fo compIefe fhe
encIosed business pIon, which shouId be broughf fo fhe meefing.


onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the writing section in www.onestopenglish.com
InformuI tet {ufter steps 1-}

Thonks for your Ieffer. I gof if I4 Sepf. I've senf o copy fo
comp. H.Q. oIong wifh o memo re. your finoncioI sifuofion. I've sef
o meefing for 3 Ocf of IIom fo foIk obouf onofher bonk Ioon. So,
pIeose Ief us know if you con moke if o.s.o.p.

8uf, we mighf osk you o few fhings fo do wifh your inc. ond exp.
before giving you o Ioon. AIso I need fo gef in fouch wifh fhe
0.M. fo okoy if. PIus, we'II firsf hove fo fhink obouf fhe Iosf fime
you didn'f keep up wifh poymenfs.

Anywoy, in fhe meonfime, you need fo fiII in fhis business pIon.
8ring if fo fhe meefing wifh you.