Giving information (FCE)

[XYZ]

Here is a topic and my answer to this. Please correct any mistakes. Any suggestions to improve it.


Two English friends of yours would like to spend a holiday in the Greek islands. You are going to meet them in Athens, and travel with them. As you have been there before, they have asked you to give them some information. You have the following information from a travel guide. Read it carefully. Then write a letter to your friends, giving them some information about three islands. Suggest which you think is the best and explain why.

Patmos
Very beautiful, one of the smaller Greek islands.
A few nightclubs in the main town, rest of the island very quite.
Visit: St. John’s Monastery
Getting there: 10 hours from Athens by ferry

Aegina
Closest island to Athens for tourist.
A few nightclubs, two open-air cinemas, many good restaurants in the main town. Tourist resort on the west coast.
Visit: Very beautiful ancient temple.
Getting there: Frequent ferries, hydrofoils. About 1 hour from Athens.

Cephalonia
Largest of the islands. Booming tourist industry on south coast. Some of the best beaches in Greece.
Visit: The picturesque fishing village of Fiskargo. Historical and CulturalMuseum in the main town.
Getting there: Fly from Athens (45 min) or 4-hour trip, then 2-hour ferry trip.





Dear Mario and Christine,

Thanks for your letter. I’m really excited that we’re going to spend a holiday in Greece. I think we’ll have a grate time there. I’ve managed to get some information about possible places to visit.

First of all, we could go to Cephalonia, where there’re some of the best beaches in Greece. The tourist industry is well-developed and there’re many sights in the main town. The only problem is that the journey isn’t very convenient, a 45 minute flight or 4 hour bus trip, then a 2 hour ferry trip.

Another option is to go to Pathos. There’s not much entertainment in the town – just a few nightclubs and sights. The main disadvantage is that it takes about 10 hours to get there.

The final choice is to spend our holiday on Aegina. There’re some nightclubs, cinemas, good restaurants and sights as well. It’s also the closes island to Athens, just a 1 hour trip by ferry or hydrofoil. I’d prefer to go there because it’s closer that Cephalonia and entertainment is good enough as well.

Write back and let me know what you have decided. I can’t wait to see you.

Best wishes,

Peter.

[Tdol]

a grate time- Taking the fireplace?
many sights in the main town- Like what?
45 minute flight- this and the others need hyphens- 45-minute flight
just a few nightclubs and sights- There's only one mentioned
closes island- typo
closer that- avoid this sort of mistake in the exam

[Anglika]

You must be careful to check your work:

Another option is to go to Pathos. (new island to me - you must mean Patmos)

The other point I would make is that you are supposed to know about Greece, but nowhere do you mention the places to visit or what the beaches are like.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by Tdol

a grate time- Taking the fireplace?
many sights in the main town- Like what?
45 minute flight- this and the others need hyphens- 45-minute flight
just a few nightclubs and sights- There's only one mentioned
closes island- typo
closer that- avoid this sort of mistake in the exam

Originally Posted by Anglika

You must be careful to check your work:

Another option is to go to Pathos. (new island to me - you must mean Patmos)

The other point I would make is that you are supposed to know about Greece, but nowhere do you mention the places to visit or what the beaches are like.

Thank you very much for your help. Please take a look at my corrected letter.

Dear Mario and Christine,

Thanks for your letter. I’m really excited that we’re going to spend a holiday in Greece. I think we’ll have a great time there. I’ve managed to get some information about possible places.

First of all, we could go to Cephalonia, where there’re some of the best beaches in Greece. The tourist industry is well-developed and there’s a museum and fishing village to visit. The only problem is that the journey isn’t very convenient, a 45-minute flight or 4-hour bus trip, then a 2-hour ferry trip.

Another option is to go to Patmos. There’s not much entertainment in the town – just a few nightclubs and only a monastery to look at. It’s also too far, 10 hours by ferry, and I know how you hate long trips.

The final choice is Aegina. There’re some nightclubs, cinemas, good restaurants and an ancient temple as well. It’s also the closest island, just a 1-hour trip by ferry or hydrofoil. I’d prefer to go there because it’s closer than Cephalonia and entertainment is good enough as well.

Write back and let me know what you have decided. I can’t wait to see you.

Best wishes,

Peter.

To Anglika

I’m using a book First Certificate Writing by Judy Copage as my guide and according to this book I shouldn’t advise anything in such letters. As I see it I should sum up the topic (in this particular case there’re two ideas – entertainment and a way of getting there) and write a letter to somebody, giving information about something and it must be clear which place or something else I recommend. On Cephalonia, the first paragraph, there’re a lot of things to do but it isn’t convenient to go there, on Patmos there’s nothing to do at all and it’s too far as well and the best place is Aegina, because it’s closer to Athens and there’re a lot of thing to do. I need to express my opinion or advise something in letters called giving advice and I wrote such a letter before, see

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/editing-writing-topics/37270-giving-advice-please-helpm-me-check.html


Am I right?
Thank you.

[XYZ]

Please check my corrected letter! Where are you, English native speakers?

[Tdol]

Yep, they're correct now.

PS Where are we? There are loads of threads open at any one time- people will get around to them, but time is limited.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by Tdol

Yep, they're correct now.

PS Where are we? There are loads of threads open at any one time- people will get around to them, but time is limited.

I see. Thank you for help.