This week my ESL writing students have a quiz. Here is the assignment.
ESL Writing Quiz
- Think about one place.
- Describe that place in detail with words and phrases that use some or all of the five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch).
- Give the reader a mental picture of the place. Show me that place with words. Don’t just tell me about that place.
EMAIL WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Last week my ESL students learned how to write a business email. The task was to answer an email question, compare and contrast two printers and provide a recommendation.
Most students did a great job.
- Very clear writing.
- Nice compare and contrast.
- Good email structure.
Here are a few general comments.
- Please use a subject line.
- Be sure to include bullets, spacing and paragraphs. These help readers scan email messages.
- Many people used this closing sentence: “I hope you make the right choice.”
- This is not so good. Try this sentence: “If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by email.”
Student Sample
Here is one sample. There were many good ones, just like this. I made a few minor edits.
Subject: Customer printer question
Hi,
Thank you for your interest in our company’s products.
I think you need information about our printers before you buy. So I will explain about two printers for you.
These printers have some differences. These printers type, output and paper format are the same but there are some differences.
- Print speed for the Samsung is 18 ppm. The HP is 16 ppm. So the Samsung is faster.
- Print resolution for the Samsung is 1200 dpi. The HP is 600 dpi. So the Samsung is clearer.
- Memory for the Samsung is 64 mb. The HP is 8 mb. So the Samsung is faster.
- The price for the Samsung is $174. but the HP is $134. So the Samsung is more expensive.
- Average customer rating for the Samsung is 5 stars out of 5. The HP is 3 stars out of 5.
So we recommend the Samsung. It is more expensive than the HP but its functions and effect are better. So I think you would be more satisfied with the Samsung. If you have any questions, call this phone number (555-1212) or send me an email.
Thank you for you interest in our printers.
Kim
Samsung Company
Customer Service Center