Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1............... Sir or Madam, I am writing to lodge a formal complaint about the cancellation of my return flight.
Wrong!
A formal complaint letter conventionally opens with the formal salutation "Dear", not an informal greeting.
2Dear Members of the Selection Panel, ............... the post of Head of Conservation advertised in The Museums Journal.
Wrong!
A covering letter normally opens with the formal purpose formula "I am writing to apply for".
3..............., I finally told Mara what I should have said months ago.
Wrong!
A private diary entry conventionally opens with an immediate time marker such as "Today".
4............... there lived a miller whose youngest daughter could spin straw into gold.
Wrong!
Traditional fairy tales conventionally begin with the formula "Once upon a time".
5............... that three people were rescued from the flooded tunnel shortly after midnight.
Wrong!
A hard-news report typically opens with an attributed factual lead such as "Police have confirmed".
6............... the extent to which multilingual signage shapes commuters' route choices.
Wrong!
An academic abstract conventionally opens with the impersonal research-purpose formula "This paper examines".
7............... the oven to 180°C while you line a shallow roasting tin with parchment.
Wrong!
Recipes conventionally open with concise imperatives, so "Preheat" is the appropriate choice.
8............... Professor Eleanor Marsh, aged 91.
Wrong!
An obituary or death notice conventionally opens with the solemn formula "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of".
9..............., Helena Ortiz's latest film refuses the consolations of a tidy ending.
Wrong!
A review often opens with a compact evaluative judgement such as "At once audacious and uneven".
10............... urban density is the only environmentally responsible answer to housing shortages.
Wrong!
A discursive essay commonly opens by introducing a debated position with "It is often argued that".
11............... the delay in returning the signed contract.
Wrong!
A formal apology conventionally opens with "Please accept my apologies for" followed by the offence.
12..............., colleagues, and members of the press, welcome to the inaugural Global Water Forum.
Wrong!
A formal speech conventionally opens by addressing the audience as "Distinguished guests".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to lodge a formal complaint about the cancellation of my return flight.
- Dear Members of the Selection Panel, I am writing to apply for the post of Head of Conservation advertised in The Museums Journal.
- Today, I finally told Mara what I should have said months ago.
- Once upon a time there lived a miller whose youngest daughter could spin straw into gold.
- Police have confirmed that three people were rescued from the flooded tunnel shortly after midnight.
- This paper examines the extent to which multilingual signage shapes commuters’ route choices.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C while you line a shallow roasting tin with parchment.
- It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Professor Eleanor Marsh, aged 91.
- At once audacious and uneven, Helena Ortiz’s latest film refuses the consolations of a tidy ending.
- It is often argued that urban density is the only environmentally responsible answer to housing shortages.
- Please accept my apologies for the delay in returning the signed contract.
- Distinguished guests, colleagues, and members of the press, welcome to the inaugural Global Water Forum.