Advanced Writing with English in Use

Diplomacyand tact • Module 78

78 Diplomacyandtact

1.0 Introduction

Whetheryou're asking for money or declaringyourlove, you neverwrite without

a purpose. Sometimesthe purposeis simple,but often it iscomplex:

• re fusing animitation withoutoffendingsomeone.


• cance lling so me thing yo u've arranged with a frien d witho ut damag ing " OUf
  friendship.


• expressingyourange rwit ha fri end without losingthem.
  The following writingtask also callsfor a certain degreeof tact. Readit,then
  workthroughthe exercisesthatfollow beforewriting the lette r.

You lookedaftera friend 's pet animal,Attila, while shewas away on

holidaylast summe r,but thetw o weeks were one disasterafterthe

other,so you arenot at all keen to look after the creatureagain this

year. Youhave told your friend this, so she has askedsomeoneelse

(someoneyou don' t know, called Agatha) to take care of it while she is

away thissummer. Unfortunately Agatha has heard somethingaboutthe

problemsyou had with the animal,andhas writtento you:

... I'msureitwasn'treally as awful asIheard. Iwonder
ifyou could putmymInd at restby tellingmeexactly
what happenedwhenyou werelookIngafterAttilalast
s ummer? And please dot ellmeifyouthinkI'mletting
my selfin fort oomuchtrouble ...

Writealetterto Agatha(about 250 words). givingan objectivelytrue

accountof thedisastroustwo weeks, butdescribingyour experiencein

a sufficiently positive way sothat shedoesn'tchange her mindabout

taking theanimal.

1.1 Planning the effect of your letter on the reader

You are an honest person, and you know thatyou mustnottelllies.

Nevertheless,youdo want Agathato look afterAttila,otherwiseyou mightbe

asked todo so again. What effect wouldlett ers givingeachof these impressions

have on Agatha?

1 The animal is ,'crye asyto loo k afteranda pleasureat all times.

2 The animal is a dangerou smonste rthat should he keptin a zoo.

3 The animal wasn't alwayscasv,hutany troubleW<L~well worth while.

-l YOIld idhave prohle mswithAttil a,but theywereallyour0\\11fault- the animal

is certain tobeh avebette r for someonewho unde rstandshim.

Which wouldpersuade her to take the animal?

Whichwouldbe completelydishonest(and thereforeunacceptable,both in

societyandw it hin t he termsof this writing task)?

Tas k types• 109