Unit 7 • Informalletters
110 • Task types1.2 Being economical with the truth
It i s obviousthat Agathahas heardsome true storiesabout what happened last
summer. You don 't knowwhat she has heard, and you cannotdeny thestories
(becauset heyare true)butyoucan presentthemin a much morepositivelight.
A Understatement-theoppositeofexaggeration
I He is incred iblynoisy.(T rue, but tuctless.)
2 lIe isnottheq uiet estofanimals.(An under statem ent, buttrue. )
I He ateth reepairsofmymos texpensiveshoes.
2 He showed an interestinmyfoot w ea r.
B Lookonthebrightside
1 Looking afterAti ilateas(lfull- timejobandcausedme(lnumberof
p roblems.
2 Despite somesmallinconven ie nces, I cantnllysaythatIueoerhad(J
dul!momentwhileAttil alcasaround.
1 He keptjumpingliponme withhisdirtypawsa ndblOcking 111 e()t)cr.
2 He 's soaffecti onate-sometimesittakes!Jourbreathmcay!
There isno factu al difference between sentences 1and2. The only difference is
thatsentence2 describesthe samefactsin a morepositive light.
C Thinkpositive!
Stress all the animal' squalities (bigbrown eyes, goodtemper, good appetite,
courage) or,ifthe animalhasno qualities,t hi nk of the vicesitdoesn'thave
(doesn' tbite,doesn't smell bad).
DPractice
Rewrit e t he follow ing problems, using theideas inA-C, to make themmore
appropri ate for yourletter.
I He des troyedthe gar den.
2 I l ewasalwaysgetting into fights withot he ranimals.
3 He was verynoisyat nights.
4 lI e insisted o n sleepin g on my bed.
,5 lI e w asvel)'tiling , andalwaysdoing stup id things.
6 If he wasn't takenfor twolo ng runs every dayhe became unmanageahle.
7 IfI didn't lethimo utas soon ashe wante d, he made amess on the
caIpet.1.3 Planning the content
Eit h eron your ownor witha partner, invent a lis t of theproblemsyouhad with
Attila, andwhich Agathamay have heardabout. You can use ideasfrom the
precedingexercises or invent yourown.Then decide how you are goingto
describe t hem to Agatha.