CrvrNG YouR oPrNroN - iblanguage2015-2016

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CrvrNG YouRoPrNroN
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A Argument
page69
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B Reviews
page72
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advice
C Personal
page76
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Readthe followingextracts(A-G),then matchthemwiththe contextstrom
whichthevweretaken(1-7)
tr
I wasn'tat all surprisedto hearthat Mum and Dad are against
the marriage.The thing is,Jutta,both of you are reallymuch
too young to get married.what'sthe harm in waiting,at feast
u n t i l M i k eh a sf i n i s h e dc o l l e g e A
? n d h o w d o y o u t w o p l a nt o
set up home together,when neitherof you has a job?
0
couldn't
a shame all this technotogy
*",
interesting'
slightly
'
make the music even
Son Of Mine
Although recent pieces like'No
down Genesis's
at least have " i""t, a trip
is like being
lane
memory
interminable
charnber' where
locked in a musical-aversion
and guitars huff
synthesiz.r, piot't aimlessly'
in the face' but
and bluster "ntit they're btue
bearnorelationtoanythinggoingonaround
rock'?
them. And they ca[ed this'progressive
tr
E
if'
don'tblameYourfather
knowingYourmotheris
therefor him,he usesher'
Rememberthat she too
for
musttake resPonsibilitY
the Positionin whichsne
findsherself.In other
words,be very carefulnot
to takesides'
I thinkthebestthingYou
can do is to urgethemboth
ano
to helPthemselves
findhelPoutside
possiblY
68 . Typesof writing
No matter where in the
world you go, You'll find
some deranged Brit setting
up a donkey-sanctuary. Isn't
iCtime we tuned the dial to
a better recePtion, started
caring a bit more about
humanity, a bit less about
donkeys?
We ought, as a nation, to
grow up and stoP tryiry !o
pretend that Peter Rabbit is
itill our best friend. In the
greater scheme of things,
[tre worst of humanitY is
worth considerabiY more
than the best of bunnies.
tr
E ,n.r. are three different ways of buying a
from, a dealer' and
second-hanocar: f iuitety'
advantagesand
rts
at an auctlon' Each has
disadvantages'
BuYing PrivatelY
.,
L. ...
buying from a
This is usually thttptt than
weaker' lt's
protection,is
legai
your
but
dealer,
with you
alonq
torntone
a good idea to ttlit
to
wttness
a
as
when you 90 to look at a car'
tt'
about
what the sellertellsYou
I was both surprisedand saddenedto read your recent
publication of a letter from V. Meldrew regarding what
was describedas the 'appalling conditions that exist at
Jericho Hospital'. Direct referencewas made to Ward C9.
I feel very strongly that I should reply to the criticisms.
I was recently a patient on Ward C9, where I received a
liver transplant.I have the utmost admiration and
appreciationfor the professionalism,dedication and
patient care I received.
GI Louis Sarno's account of his stranEe
;'ourney away from modern civilization is
disarmingly frank and completely lacking
in self-importance. Longingio be-acceptej
by these people, but ashamed at his lack of
basic skills, he appears to be the ultimate
innocent in paradise.
rerieu'
I .\ c'ortcert
2 .\ lltiiqazine tlrticle
3 Consttmer adrice itr it consutller tnagazine
,l -\ book rer-ieu'
5 -\n informal letter
6 The advice paqe of il magazine
7 .\ Ietter to zrneu'sPaPer
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Argument .
Module 4A
v
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1.0
Argumentsfor and against
Here we look at the type of writingwhere the writerarguesa case, or expresses
an opinion,by lookingat a problemfrom two sides. In this type of writing,the
way rdeasare connectedis very important;this is achievedby the use of
connectingwords, by the way the ideas are grouped togetherinto paragraphs'
and by the way the paragraphsthemselvesare ordered,The followingminicompositionis an exampleof the basic structure'
Telline the trut| rnavbe trr-irtue.but is it not ntoreiruportantto knori'hos to tell lies?
Obr.ioirsh.nroderncirilized societvcorrlcln'texistif even'bodvlied all the tinie. Btrt at
if even'bodvalu'avstolclthe trutli? So
the sanretinre.u,ouldit not be equalh'disastrous
it seerlsto r1e tliat hing is an essentialskill.and tliat sciroolsarrequite rigltt to teacii
childrenhou'to do it.
T h i s e x p re ssesthe w hol e argumenti n four sentences.A l ongerpi ece of wr it ing
would developthe ideasin each of these sentencesintofour (or more)paragraphs,
but the same basic structurewould be retained.
Use your imaginationand creativityto completethe sentencesin the minicompositionsbelow. Note that A-E look at both sides of the argument,whereas
F and G are one-sidedand simplylist reasons.
A Students often u'onder u,hether it's u,orth goinq to Britairl to studv Enqlish.
I u'ould sav it depends ort
Sclnrestudents
Others. hou'ever.
All in all.
This is onlv the third tin-re I'r'e
realh'enjov it.
ancl I still don't hros'if I
In sotne \\'avs.
Also
But artthe satrte titrle.
Bl'ar-rd large. I tliink
['rn often to]d I'rn luc]n'to be a ntan / u,ot'natt.but in fact it's a n'rixedblessing.
\\'hile it is true to sar that
I nevertheless
On balance. I suppose
Typesof writing '
69
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Unit 4
.
Givingyouropinion
\,
D llanv vollng actors anci itctressesdreirni of ltecomilig sttlrs, but in reillitv stalrclotrt
has its drarvbaicksas well as its attractions.
v
\-
On the orte hand.
\-
Also.
On the otlter liirntl.
Not onl'u'that.but
arlso
Ultimatelr
E As an Olvmpic Gold \ledallist, I arn olten askeclrvhat is the best rvtlv to spend
the night before a big race.
On the one hand.
On the other hand.
though,
Personallv,
F There are rttanv reasons rvhv I love
One reason is
Another
Wliat is more.
Above all.
G Of erllthe soap pou,ders in the rvorlcl. I rvould recornltlentl that votl tlse
In the first plzrce,
\lore iuroorternth.'.
On top of that.
h-r sliort.
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70 .
Types of writing
A rgument .
Module 4A
Expandingyour argument
1.1
Below is the mini-compositionon page 69 developedinto a magazinearticle.
A The connectingwords that signalthe structureof the argumenthave been
re m o v e d .For each of the numbers(1, 2,3) w hi ch four of the fol l ow i nqa dver bials
would be appropriate?
f "
I ,f
I r
I i
\
Adnritteclh'
C)f't'orrrse
(lrantecl
To srrrnrnr
'
'
b
e
lr
k
Bv rrndlarge
lil in all
C.onverseh
On tlie otherhand
f
i
I
Tlren iigrrin
But in the saule n'av
\rrturerlh'
Ultinrateh'
r
t
,
3
B What is the functionof each paragraph?
Theimportance
(1) _ modern civilized society couldn't exist if
everybody lied all the time. Before a business
deal could be concluded, lawyers rvould have to
be brought in to make sure there was no
trickery; but the lawyers themselves would be
lying, and leave both companies bankrupt. And
how could democracy operate unless politicians
occasionally kept at least some of their electoral
promises?
of nofbeingearnest
elling the truth may be a virtue, but is it not
more important to know how to tell lies?
Any idiot can tell the truth, but lying is a
skill, a science, an art. Fortunately schools, with
the unrealistic expectations that they have of
young people, provide early training in the art
of lying. For example, is it realistic to expect a
lS-year-old to write a 250-word composition
and spend six hours watching television in the
same evening? So we watch television but tell
the teacher we did our homework, but that the
dog I cat I baby got hold of it . . . Then, later in
life, when the really uncomfortable questions
come, like 'I know you're 18 years old now, but
wouldn't it be nice if we all went on a family
holiday together, with grandma and grandpa?',
we know better than to say that frankly it would
be our idea of hell. Instead, we're really sorry we
'
can't come but we've got that project to finish
for school, plus fitness training, piano practice,
or even English grammar exercises.
(2) _
would it not be equally disastrous if
everybody always told the truth? How many
families depend for their stability on the little
white lie? How much unhappiness, how many
wars are avoided simply becausepeople have the
good taste to hide the hatred and contempt they
feel for other people? And as for love and desire,
could these emotions not be ultimately more
destructive to society than any negative
feelings?
(3) it seems to me that lying is an essential
skill, and that schools are quite right to teach
children how to do it. And if the editor of this
magazine wonders why this article reached her
so late this week, please note that I did in fact
write it on time, but unfortunately the dog, the
cat and the baby ganged up together, mugged
me and buried the article in the garden.
Note that in this articlethe key sentences('topicsentences')are the first
sentencesin each paragraph;this is often, but not always,the case. Similarly,
many adverbialconnecting words are not necessarilywritten at the beginning
a sentence.
Types of writing .
71
Unit 4
o Givingyouropinion
1.2
Writing
Opiniortsttre likeballtlhrmots, atenllxtrltllvs got ortc.lnft do otlrcr pet4ilercurt ttt
lrcur yott talk ubori ytrur's,)
This writingof opinionsonly becomes interestingwhen the writer has somethtng
to say. Your opinionwill not be interestingor worth expressinguntilyou have
thought about the subject.So the first stage in writingyour opinionhappensIn
your head, while you get your ideas straight.Many of the best writersfind it
usefulto make notes of all their ideas beforethey start writing.
Section B writing task
A-E on pages 69-70, and developit into a
Choose one of the mini-compositions
full-lengthmagazinearticle (about 250 words) using The lmportance of Not Being .
Earnestas a model. '
For furtherwritingpractice,see the Task bank on page 142.
Consumerreviews
1.0
A When reviewinga consumerproduct,whetherfor publicationin a magazineor
in a let'rerto a friend, it is necessaryto look at the product's bad points as well
as its good points.What does this producldo, and what does itnot do? What
are the advantagesof one particulardictionary?Are there any ways in which
other dictionariesare preferable?
ln this reviewof a new car:
what is the functionof the first sentence?
what does the rest of the first paragraphdo?
what does the second ParagraPhdo?
thought about multi-pqqgt"
There are two schools of
SpaceWagon' Critics
NlitsuSishi
as the
vehicles (MpV; ;h
rvith ito,,tor,ttd technical
dismiss them as marketing-pioys
m e r i t . W h y w a s t e e n e r g y p . . ' r ' i ' ' g a t a l l , v penetrating
a n - l i k e b o done
y
Iower'- ToI-9
through tfre air when a tighter'
issomuch-o."eflicientandstable?WhycreateSpace
not wanted?
uno"" )-our head where it is
lofty MPVIs down-to-earth
the
,o
Advocat"r"]li.ri
l.u*tl view - over hedges
(an^d
advantages.You get a better
Sitting irprieht, the need for
and blind brows, for instance.
veriatiiity: comes into the
leg-stretching space is,reauced.
a third row
you can-squeeze
reckoning,too, especialll'when
car.
famill'ionger than a
of seatsinto a vehicle thht is no
72 .
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Types of writing
48
_ _f-l:r: : Y:-dure
B Modellingyour writing very closelyon the Space wagon review,use these
notes to write two paragraphslookingat the advantagesand disadvantagesof a
new mountainbike calledthe LamiaAnboto. Starl your review,'Thereare two
s c h o o l so f thoughtabout mountai nbi kessuch as . . .'
Against tlre Lamia Anboto
o e'rpensivetf400)
. 2l geirrs:lilrnec'essiln'incities
of' rnorrrtuirrlrikes rrsecl
onh'in c'ities)
. attrlirc'tiveto thier-es.scr
selclonrtrsed
For the Lamia -{nbotcr
useful irr c'ih'
s h o c k , i b s , , , l r e , 'trl.r i c , kt v r e s :t o o d , l ) 5 %
for rough surfirc'esrurclpotlroles
of cih'roircls
. ciln clinrb onto pavenrent
o ec'olo$'' "r, u.r',,"rstenrpterl into
.
.
cvclinq bv fasliionrlble nrachine
1.1
Filmreview
A Complete
the reviewby writingthe missingword in eachgap.Useonlyone
wordfor eachspace.Thefirstone hasbeendoneas an example.
B Thisfilmrevrewis mainlythe writer'sopinion,but he neversays'l' or 'in my
opinion',How doeshe conveysucha strongopinionwithoutusingthe first
person?
PedroAlmodovar,
institution
in
almosta national
Spainandcertainly
the onlySpanish
director
knows,comesup with a nastysurpriie
everybody
This
in HighHeels.(0)
isthat he'sno
longercapable
of surprising
us.
Thereare, (1)
moments
in his
newfilm,(2)
mountain
of pesetas
in Spain,
whenthingshappen
Butit doesn'texactly
rollalongin the
fluentway as WomenOn
TheVergeOf A Neruous
Breakdown
does.itcontainthe frissons
of
TieMe Up, TieMe Down.(9)
it is not abovea certainflatnessin placesand is
(10)
distinctly
somefunnyjibesat the
are, to saythe least,odd.
mediaandsomesuitably
eccentric
minor
as when VictoriaAbril,as a
characters,
thisis a melodrama
that not onlylacks
newscaster,
announces
television
the murderof her realemotionbut,dareonesayit,
husband
on the box,calmlyaddingthat it isshe
hasn'ta lot of realflair.lt is
who isthe culprit.
worthseeing;
Almodovar
wouldhaveto growa differentskinactually
to be
garishly
Almodovar's
film isstylish,
decorated,
(1a)
dull
inspiration
the
isn't
anddressed
with qreatandfashion-conscious
anymeansconsistently
there,
with a
equipped
aplomb.lt is(5)
andit showsin the film'sslightlydisorganized
and
starsto
realcapacity
to allowitstwo splendid
spray-gun
approach.
(5)
display
actinqandotherassets.
Types of writing .
73
Unit 4
.
Givingyouropinion
1.2
Concertreview
A Six sentenceshave been removed from this extract from a review of a
concert.Match the gaps (1-6) with the sentences(A-H) givenbelow. Note that
two of the suggestedsentencesdo not fit at all.
B How many words can you find which show how the writerfeelswithout him
' l n my oP i ni on' ?
n e e d i n gto say
In a fickle world, one certaintv
remains. Every year at this time Eric
Clapton returns to the Albert Hall
lor a dozen shows sold out months
It
in advance. (1)
could easily becomea cosy ritual, an
annual report from that everreliable trading company, Clapton
It began as
PLC. (2)
expected, then develoPed into an
extraordinory, emotional blend of
the tragic and triumphant.
He and his band strolled on in
grey
and
suits
immaculate
buttoned-up shirts, with onlY the
dark granny glassesof percussionist
Ray Cooper pror-iding a clue that
this wasn't a meetine of smart citv
Not
executives. (5)
attack and melod.v that was almost
welcome as defence against the
lyrics.
thoughtful
anguished,
great songs, any of them, but the
playing was tight and the guitar
solos as effortless and perfectly
crafted as ever.
(4)
Clapton has
had more publicif"v for his painful
private life than his music since
h e l a s t pl ayed here, as he
acknowledged with three songs
about the death of his four-year-old
son.
His finser(5)
picking was rolling and slick, now
lvith a Spanishedge,but the lyrics of
'The Circus Left Town' were at
times almost unbearably painful.
This lvasn't a blues but a lament
with the personal heartfelt intensity
of a great blues, and it quite literally
reduced some of the audience to
tears. (6)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
t
L
t
L
t
t
1.3
' N Iy Father' s E yes' had speed.
(The ret,iew continues)
But then he sat clorm and srvitclied to acoustic quitar.
'89
trlbum,Jounteynmn.
Thev hcked off uith a trio of biuesv pieces fron the
'Tettrs
In Heaven'had rnuch the same effbct.
Ticket touts line the entrances. ;rnd'Crossroticis'isthe encore.
What ii change froni those wild dtn's of the sixties.
But the first night tliis vear r,vasttnforgettrible.
In fact, it's one of'tnv favotttite songs.
Suddenlr.',the noisilv soporific, easr.'goingttrooclchanged'
Writinga book review
A This reviewof the novel Heat and Dust is spoiled by a number of weaknesses.
Undedineexamplesof where the writerfailsto followeach of the numbered
piecesof advicegiven below.
L
t
Write for the reader.
Alwaysbear in mind who you are writingfor. lf you're writingfor a magazine,
think of the kind of people who read that particularmagazine.A book review
is intendedfor peoplewho have not read the book, so don't assumethat your
readersalreadyknow the story.
L
L
L
LL
L
Don't talk about yourself.
When givingyour opinion,whetherin a reviewor elsewhere,be carefulnot to
fall into the trap of talkingabout yourself.Try to be objective.One way of
testingfor objectivityis to check your writingfor the words l, me, my, myself,
Srmilarly,phrases SUchaS in my opinion, to my mind, I think should be used
as littleas possible;any more than once in the first paragraphand once in the
last,and your reviewseems to focus on yourself,not your subject.
P
Write in an impersonal style.
Many studentsspoiltheir articlesand reviewsby writingin a chatty,informal
styleas if they were talkingto a friend.On the contrary,essays,arliclesand
Lt
74 .
Types of writing
-
Reviews .
Module 48
reviewsshould be relativelyimpersonal.Your readersare not parlicularly
interestedin you: they need information,descriptionand narrativemore than
you don' t know your reader,so be car ef ul
th e y n e ed your opi ni on,Fi nal l y,
about usingthe word you.
Use precise, descrrptive vocabulary.
Generalizations
such as Ihrs book is boring communicatevery littleto the
reader.Specificobservationsand concretefacts, on the other hand, help the
readerto share your experience.lf you have strong feelingsabout your
subject,this should make your r,vriting
more interesting- but be carefull
Strong feelrngsmust be givenform and coldlytranslatedinto precisewords.
Heat and Dust,
by Ruth PrawerJhabuala
'A writer
of genius. . . a writer of
world class- a masterstoryteller. . .'
it sayson the dustjacket.Can they
really be talking about the same
writer, the samebook? Personally,I
can't seewhat distinguishesHeat
And Dust from any of those cheap
romantic novelsthat you get at
railway stations.
What on eafth is so remarkable
about the story of a bored expatriate
who leavesa dull husbandfor
someonericher, more intelligent and
totally exotic? In my opinion, if
Jhabvalawas really a good writer
she would have written insteadabout
a much more interesting
phenomenon,
the rypicalcolonial
who clings absurdlyto the
behaviour,traditions and even dress
of his mother country. Alternatively,
Olivia could have really 'gone
native',insteadof just being seduced
by a Nawabwith a Rolls-Royce,
an
Alfa Romeoand an intimate
knowledgeof the best hotels of Paris
and London.
The plot too is corny: the idea of
someoneretracingsomeoneelse's
life, and then (surprise,surprise!)
finding parallel eventshappeningin
their own lives. Thousandsof writers
have usedthis device,and to much
befter effect. So what makes
Jhabvalasuch a great writer? It can't
be her prose,surely,which is quite
boring.The words 'heat' and 'dust'
appearfrequently,but I for one
certainly never get any impressionof
heat or dust.I don't know aboutyou,
but the impressionI get is of a very
literary, upper-classwoman sitting at
her typewriter drinking tea.
Finally, what really annoys me
personallyabout this book is the
writer's moraliry. You can seeshe'sa
romanticand a moralist:shelooks
down on her narrator with a
patronizing attitude,and paints a
degradingpicture of modern love by
giving her narrator a kind of abject
promiscuiryin the place of a love
life. And incredibly,the messageof
the book seemsto be that the best
thing that can happento a woman even an unmarriedwoman, without
a boyfriend,travelling abroad- is to
get pregnant.I'm sorry, but if you
think that, you're living in another
world.
B Rewritethe last26 linesfrom 'lt can'tbe her prose
four paragraphs
of advice.
1,4
bearinoin mind the
Writing
Section B writing tasks
A A friendof yours is thinkingof buyinga consumeritem (e.9.a personalstereo,
a bicycle,a tennis racket,a pair of shoes, a musicalinstrument,an English
dictionary).Your friend knows that you have one, and writesto you asking if the
one you have is a good model to buy, or whetheryou would advisethem to
choose a differentmodel. Writeyour reply in about 250 words.
B A Britishfriend of yours isstudyingyour language.Usinga satellitedish, they
are capable of receivingW programmesfrom your country. Write a letter of
about 250 words recommendingtwo programmesyour friendshould watch to
help improvetheir language,bearingin mind that your friend'slevelin your
languageis about the same as your levelin English.
For furtherwritingpractice,includingfilm and concert reviews,see the Task bank
on page 142.
Types of writing .
,... 4" $f !#trEir
75
n'1:3!Ff.Fl4Fdffi*F*I
.f,lry
Unit 4
.
Givingyouropinion
- is anotheropportunity
to express
Writingadvice- to friends,or in a magazine
in thisunit
writing
from
most
other
of
the
this
an opinion.But whatdistinguishes
basis.Unlikein the argument
is thatyouare oftenwritingon a person-to-person
the readeras you - and the readeris often
and the review,the writeraddresses
justone individual.
1.0
Problempage
'Problempage' of a women's magazine,
The followingadvicewas printedon the
in responseto a reader'sletter.Study the advice,and decidewhat the reader's
oroblemis.
In a partnershipwhere both of you expectto
do well, successalmostnevercomesfor two
people at the same time. You are at the
crucial breakthroughstageof your career,so
-it's only natural to feel unsure. Your
boyfriend must also be feeling vulnerableas
he is building his career,too. No matter how
much ..men may accept intellectually that
women are entitled to succeed,it can still be
hard for them when we push ahead.
Talk this over honestly and establish
precisely what is bothering him. Reassure
1.1
him of your confidencein him and remind
him. too, that it's much better to be with a
successfulwoman than with a dissatisfied
one. Make sure he reapsthe benefit of your
new prosperityin the form of fun and treats,
so that he seesa tangiblereward for his loyal
support.Then give him time to adjust. But
don't let his problem of confidence
undermine you. If he can't cope with a
woman who makesmoney,you may have to
look for someonewho can.
Advicestructures
When givingadvice,a range of structuresmay be used. Some of them are
strongerthan others - Do this!- whereas others are more tentativesuggestions
- | wonder if you've ever considered doing fhr,s.Your choice of structure should
suit the situation rather than just your strengthof character.Two of the following
are particularlystrong and shouldonly be addressed,in momentsof anger and
frustration,to a close friend or relative.
Grade the advice structureson a scale of 1-5: 1 for very weak or tentative;5 for
aggressiveor authoritarian.
a I'd recorll-ttendthat vou jclittthe tlrttn.
b It's not lbr n-reto sal,,of cotrrse.btrt I clon'tstrpposevotl ve ever cotrsidered
lookinginto the possibilitvo1'trnlilitirn' c,rreeri
if vou'r'eever thotrghtabotrtjoining the arrnr'?
c I r,r,onder
d Yott tnustjoin the arm\'.
e Perhapsvou coulcljoin the ilrlll\'.
f \lr-rrclriceis to ioin tlte ilrttlr'.
clo?
g \\'ell. u'hirtcloyorrthirrkt',rrishotrlcl
h Yorrpirtltetics'orm! If rr;rr ltiitl artr pricle.r'otr'djoin the itfllr)..
i I think votr'cibe rviseto joirt tlie lrttlr..
j I stronglvrecotnttrencl
that votrjoin the artllr..
k Join the itnn\'.
I I rerrllr,'thinkthat vou shouldjoin tlie anllv.
rn lt's high tirne vorr stoppecif'eelinqsorn' f or vourself.got off vottr backsideand
ioinerl the itrtttr'.
76 .
Types of writing
\.V
Personaladvice .
1.2
Module 4C
Givingadvice
Someone has a problem,and asks us for advice.But note that this givesus
neithera licenceto run that person's life nor an oppoftunityto talk about
ourselvesand how we solve our own problems.The best advicecomes not from
someonewho has all the answers,but from someonewho has listenedwith care
and empathyto the other person's problem.
A Work in a group of four and read the lettersbelow.
1 Discusseach problem. Do you fully understandit? What do you know, and
what can you guess about the writer?
2 Discussthe possiblesolutions.
3 Decidewhat advicestructuresyou would use.
B Each write an answer to a differentone of the letters.
This may not seem to be a Problem,
but my flatmate is too tidy. She
arranges cans so the labels all face
the same wa-v and straightens the
bathroom mat every morning. Her
mother is the same - she spends
hours cleaning and ironing when
she visits. I'm not untidy, but this is
hard to live rvith.
Hou'can I make m-v daughter see
hou' unacceptable her boyfriend is?
Everyone comments on his
appearanceand asks what my
daughter seesin him. He looks
dreadful, unshaven and with long
hair. He's unemployed and has a
criminal record. My daughter, who's
18, has had everything she's ever
wanted and lacks for nothing. After
excellent results at college, she novv
has a good job n'ith prosPects.
In the two -vearsshe's been going
steady with this bo-v,she's droPPed
her on'n friends and only seeshis,
who are much older.
We've pointed out to her their
different lifestvles, but to no avail.
We live in an exclusive Part of town
and m1'husband is a comPanY
director. I don't $'ant to tell my
daughter not to see this bol' again as
I'm afraid she may leave home.
Pleaseadvise me.
I have just started my first job and
do not object to working overtime
because I am prepared to put in the
effort to get on. But from the
beginning I have found that I
regularly work till 6.50 at night or
later. This is becausemy boss is
completely disorganized and leaves
the most important items until very
late afternoon. As the most junior
person in the departmen! I feel
powerless to change things.
I am halfway through a course at
college and I'm sick to death of it.
My parents bulldozed me into
taking this place and I've been
unhappy since the beginning. I
realize that a degree will stand me
in good stead, but I want to give it
up. I know that this means I will
have wasted the last year, and could
also jeopardize any future chances
of higher education. But why should
I struggle on to please my parents?
All I want to do is start work.
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