Figures, abbreviations, symbols and currencies

Here you can find some information on writing figures, abbreviations and symbols from the "Interinstitutional Style Guide". You can also find more information on the same topic on pages 24-25 of the English Style Guide used at the Commission.
Here you can find information on writing monetary units from the Guide.

Dangling clauses and phrases

Here you can find the document on dangling clauses and phrases.

Preparation for 23rd of June

Here is the link for a presentation  by Hans Rosling on population growth.  Please watch it once while taking notes, and bring your notes to a summary report of one 1.5-spaced page.  You can send me the summaries before our next session on 23rd of June.

Parallelism

Four documents on parallelism are available at the following links: Doc. # 1, Doc. # 2, Doc. # 3 and Doc. # 4.

Preparation for 9th of June

Here you can find two articles which you can synthesize in a summary report.  The summary should be no longer than two 1.5-spaced pages. If you send me your summaries before our next session on 9th of June, we can talk about one of them during the workshop.

Apostrophes

Here you can find a quiz on apostrophes.

Searchable terminology database

Here you can find the EI searchable terminology database.

Composite nouns

Some of the issues that come up in our last session concerning composite nouns can be found here along with some exercises.

Semicolon, colon and lists

In Sections  2.5 - 2.10 of the English Style Guide published by the Directorate-General for Translation, you can find the rules on the use of colon and semicolon with the appropriate hyperlinks for other relevant issues, such as lists.

You can hereby find more information on the use of colon and semicolon as well as providing lists as it is presented in the Interinstitutional Style Guide.

Here you can find a document on the use of semicolon and colon, including the use of the latter to introduce lists.  The first rule on the use of colon in this document is at odds with what is said in the Commission's "English Style Guide" and  the "Interinstitutional Style Guide".

Here you can find a quiz on the use of colon and semicolon with the key and explanations.  In the explanation for the answer to question 21, you can find the capitalization rule in sentences after colon.

Sample listening summary

The key European institutions

The BBC report on the EU and its main institutions is presented by Mark Mardell in March 2009. Initially promoted by a former French foreign minister named Robert Schuman,  the  project leading to the creation of the European Union (EU) started after the Second World War, when six countries decided to create a coal and steel community. It then changed its name, and expanded to 27 Member States. The European Union has influence on the daily lives of its citizens, because it issues common laws in domains such as environment, transport or health policy. It also ensures the solidarity between the countries; rich countries help out poorer ones.

There are three main institutions at the EU. The first one Mardell presents is the European Commission, which is seated in the Berlaymont building. There, decisions are made by the 27 Commissioners, each one of whom is in charge of a policy area. Among the three institions, the Commission is the only one that has the right to propose new laws. Commissioners and civil servants at the Commission also see themselves as the protectors of the purpose of the EU.

The second main institution is the Council, where officials, diplomats and politicians representing national governments meet regularly. One of these meetings, the summit, which is attended by heads of state, is held at least three times a year. The Council is the institution where countries defend their national interests.

Last but not least, the third player, whose influence had been gradually growing over the years at the time this report came out, is the European Parliament. Its members are directly elected, and they are seated according to various political groups. Their role is to debate issues and to vote with the intention of approving, rejecting or amending  proposed laws. They even have the power to dismiss the Commission and reject the budget.

In conclusion, laws are proposed by the European Commission; their details are then discussed at the Council. There, the national governments have the ultimate power to accept or reject the proposals. The European Parliament also has its say, and it can fiddle with legislative details.  Thus this system of balance of powers among the three main institutions is a unique experiment with nothing like it in the world.

Preparation for 5th of May

For our next session on 5th of May 2011, please watch the BBC news report on the European Institutions once as you take notes.  Then, bring these notes to a summary report of no longer than one 1.5-spaced page.  If you can send me your summaries before our meeting, we can use one of them during our workshop.

Articles

Here you can find the document on articles along with the key for the exercises.

Sample reading summary

The trouble with Flanders

The first episode of the language war in Belgium took place in 1968, when the Francophones and the Flemish split the University of Leuven. Afterwards, several waves of separatism, initially spreading among the Catholics and then within various political parties, led Belgium to become nearly ungovernable as a federal state.

Indeed, after the election in June 2010 no federal government was formed for 230 days. This, however, had no significant consequences neither on the European scene, since Belgium performed well as the president of the EU, nor on the economy, nor on the daily lives of the Belgians themselves, i.e., the country has so many layers of administration that it continued to run.

The fact that Belgium belongs to the Eurozone enables the parties to stay strong on their position. The Belgian crisis has certain similarities with the trouble concerning the Euro, and shares the same roots, i.e., a division between the Germanic frugal North and the spend-thrift Latin South.

Compared to the previous crises in Belgium, this one has a unique element; for the first time, an openly separatist party obtained the majority in Flanders. Indeed, by 'putting the gun out of politics', the European integration has two contradictory effects. On the one hand, it helps to solve some conflicts in Europe. On the other hand, it enables the emergence of nationalist parties, for which people do not fear to vote, because they feel no sense of danger.

Within the EU the partition of Belgium will probably not be without consequences; it can pave the way towards divisions in other Member States, especially in the Eastern ex-communist Member States.

However, changing borders is not only far from being the best democratic tool to solve a conflict but also very difficult to implement (e.g., the question of splitting Brussels). This is probably a reason why the  Flemish and the Walloons will have to continue to live together.

Minutes

Here you can find an example for minutes.  Source: Market Leader Upper Intermediate Business English Course Book by David Cotton, et al.

Jargon used at the EI

Here you can find a list of the jargon commonly used at the European Institutions.

Here you can find the list of the same jargon along with their alternatives if you want to avoid the jargon while corresponding with an external party.

Acronyms and abbreviations used at the EI

Here you can find a list of the main acronyms and abbreviations used at the European Institutions.

Notes and reports

I am hereby making a document available with tips on taking notes with the intention of writing reports.  There is also some information on how to write reports by expanding from given information, e.g., in an advertisement, which may not consist of full sentences, .

Here is a text from The Economist, which you can read and write a summary report on.  Those of you who could not join us today, this article is to be read with the intention of writing a summary of not longer than one 1.5-spaced page.  If you can send me the summary before our next session on 28th of April, we can talk about it during our workshop.

Here is a speech text, which can be used as an exercise for taking notes and writing a summary.

Here is a stream of a BBC news piece, which you can watch once as you take notes.  You can then bring the notes to a summary report.

Here you can find four advertisements, each one of which can be expanded into a report.

Reported speech

I am hereby providing an exercise on reported speech along with the key.

Describing trends

Here you can find a document on describing trends with exercises.

Sample email

Dear Ms Smith,
 
Knowing that your entry into service at the European Commission is approaching, I would like to hereby extend you a warm welcome to our Unit, and provide you with some practical information.
 
As agreed during your job interview, you will be in charge of the follow-up of inter-service consultations. This position involves regular interaction and coordination with the other services of our DG as well as with other DGs. You will be working closely with Ms Black in our Unit, as inter-service consultation follow-up is a shared responsibility. Under my supervision, Ms Black will explain to you the various procedures, so that you can become acquainted with our working methods as soon as possible. As an attachment, I am resending your job description, in case you need it for a quick reference.
 
You should have been already informed that you will be attending a two-day training course organised by DG HR, i.e., the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, before taking up your duties at our Unit. This very useful course should provide you with additional information regarding the functioning of the European Commission, its working environment, and the rights and duties of its employees. During the training, you will have the opportunity to get your badge ready; all the relevant information will be provided by the trainers.
 
As a newcomer in Brussels, you might also be interested in receiving information on matters such as accommodation and public transportation. Please note that the orientation leaders at DG HR will be handing out an information package during the training, and that a legal advisor will be at your disposal to check the leases you might be considering before you sign a contract. If you need to search for an apartment, the best place to start is the immoweb website (http://www.immoweb.be/). There is also plenty of short-term accommodation available in Brussels, especially in the Schuman area close to the European Institutions. You can find all the necessary information about public transportation in Brussels at http://www.stib.be/.
 
I would also like to hereby invite you take up your duties in our Unit on Wednesday, 16th of March, i.e., after the completion of the training mentioned above.  I propose starting the day with a meeting in my office at 9.30 am.  Afterwards, I will introduce you to the members of the team you will be working in. Moreover, you will need to make an appointment to see Mr Miller (tel: +32(0)2/291 7811) in the afternoon of the same day.  I suggest making the appointment at least three days in advance, since he is usually very busy.  He is the HR focal point in our DG, and thus he will be your interlocutor for all contract related issues .
 
As you probably remember from your interview, our offices are located at Rue de la Science, 15, close to Rue Belliard. With your badge, you can come up directly to our Unit, which is located on the 7th floor; I am in office 123.
 
Looking forward to meeting you in person,
 
With kind regards,

 Iris Wellington

How to ...

Even though it is not related to writing, I thought I should give a more satisfactory answer to Christine's question about spontaneous responses in given situations.  Here is a link for a BBC site called "How to ...", which provides you with some words and/or phrases to be used in various situations.

Greetings and closers

Here is a list of greetings you can use in your formal emails depending on the recipient:

• Anonymous singular:

1. Dear Sir/Madam
2. Dear Madam/Sir
3. Dear Sir or Madam
4. Dear Madam or Sir

• Anonymous plural:

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and/or Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and/or Sirs

• With a given male name: Dear Mr Smith

• With a given female name:

1.  Dear Ms Smith (civil status irrelevant or unknown)
2.  Dear Mrs Smith (married)
3.  Dear Miss Smith (single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (male):  Dear Messrs Smith and Jones

• With given names to a group of less than three people (female):

1. Dear Mses Smith and Jones (civil statuses unknown, irrelevant or different)
2. Dear Mesdames Smith and Jones (both of them married)
3. Dear Misses Smith and Jones (both of them are single and younger than fifty)

• With given names to a group of less than three people (mixed gender and not related to each other by marriage or blood): 

1. Dear Messrs Smith and Jones, and Ms Presley 
2. Dear Ms Presley, and Messrs Smith and Jones

• With a given name to a couple who use the same last name:

1. Dear Mr and Mrs Smith 
2. Dear Mrs and Mr Smith 

• With given names to a group of more than three people (mixed gender):

1. Dear Sirs/Ladies
2. Dear Ladies/Sirs
3. Dear Sirs and Ladies
4. Dear Ladies and Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all male): Dear Sirs

• With given names to a group of more than three people (all female): Dear Ladies 

• With a given first and last name and the gender is not clear:  Dear Alex Smith

Here is a list of closers which apply to all formal emails regardless of their content:

• With kind regards
• Kind regards
• Regards

You can hereby find a document on how to address various VIPs in different contexts.

Latin terms, phrases, abbreviations and acronyms

You can find a list of Latin terms, phrases abbreviations and acronyms that can be used in English here.

Linking words

The first and second parts of the documents on linking words are hereby available.  You can also find the key for the exercises here.  As you do the exercises, please remember the following three types of linking words we have identified:

• Linking words that connect two parts of the same sentence as in the following example: We only have one week off for Easter, so we will be staying in Brussels.
• Linking words that connect two separate sentences as in the following four examples, which are different ways of saying the same thing:

1. We only have one week off for Easter.  Therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
2. We only have one week off for Easter; therefore, we will be staying in Brussels.
3. We only have one week off for Easter.  We will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.
4. We only have one week off for Easter; we will, therefore, be staying in Brussels.

• Linking words that are covered under both the first and second types as in the four following examples:

1. Besides giving his friend a lift after work, he helped her with her grocery shopping.
2. He helped his friend with her grocery shopping, besides giving her a lift after work.
3. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question.  Besides, I do not know the answer myself.
4. I am afraid I am not allowed to help you with that question; besides, I do not know the answer myself.

Note that the meaning of the word 'besides'  in the first two examples is different from its meaning in the last two examples.

In all these examples, please pay special attention to the punctuation.

Email attachments

Here is a link where you can find the email attachments I have sent you so far:
 Attachments to the first five emails

Fifth email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you the list on gerund vs. infinitive.

Here is a link for exercises on the same topic:

http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

All the best,

John

Fourth email

Hi Sebastien,

Very good question.  What you initially used and what your friend said are both OK.  Passive voice is a special case when it comes the the location of adverbs.  

You can hereby find a more in depth explanation of the position of adverbs in sentences.

Best,

John

   Hi John,

    I'm very happy that you sent me these PDF because, this afternoon, with some colleagues, I discussed a document that described the interface of a future IT system. Without entering too much into details, we were studying the creation of groups (of agricultural products, but that's not important). After a series of actions, the system is supposed to give a feedback to the user to confirm that everything is in order. The message proposed was "the group has been successfully created". This sounds good for me, at first sight. But, then, remembering my english course, I thought "shouldn't it be "the group has successfully been created"". After some thoughts, an Englishman told us that the correct form should probably be "the group has been created successfully".

    So, I googled it to have the answer, and it turned out that,
* The most common form is "has been successfully created" (900.000 results)
* After comes "has been created successfully" (460 000 results)
* Number 3 is "has sucessfully been created" (only 165 000 results) (I checked and, according to the course, this should be the correct form).

    So, I'm very confused. Could it be that:
* this is yet another exception to the general rules
* or that, the correct grammatical form is less used that the incorrect ones?
    In the meantime, I don't know what I should write in the document!

   Do you have an explanation?

    Thanks a lot in advance and have a nice evening,
   Sébastien.

Third email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you some documents – some of them with exercises – on the following issues we dealt with during our last session:

• American vs. British English
• word order
• location of adverbs
  

Here are a few links where you can find exercises on some future tenses, i.e., simple future and future continuous:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs18.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs19.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs20.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs21.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs22.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs23.htm

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs24.htm

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

All the best,

John

Second email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you the list on gerund vs. infinitive.

Here is a link for exercises on the same topic:

http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

All the best,

John

First email

Dear All,

Attached, I am sending you the booklet we looked at during our first session.

Moreover,  here is the link for section 10 entitled “House rules for the preparation of the text” from the Interinstitutional Style Guide, where you can find some of the fundamental rules related to writing at the Commission:

http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-4100000.htm

Those of you who could not join us last week, please send me an email as a writing sample to fulfill the following task:  You need to write a formal email to a new-comer joining your Unit.  After welcoming him/her, you need to give him/her practical information concerning practical and administrative matters, e.g., directions to get your office, obtaining a badge, finding temporary accommodation, etc.  You then need to give him/her some information about the working environment at your Unit and make an appointment with him/her for an orientation tour on his/her first day.

We always start our sessions with general questions you might have, so do feel free to table them if you have any for our next meeting.

Looking forward to seeing you then,

All the best,

John
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