CAE Extra: writing a proposal - Unit 7 - New building

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4,5

Writing a Proposal

What is a proposal?

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROPOSAL? 

A proposal starts by describing the situation in a business, school, club, or other organisation you might be part of. For example, you might have to talk about the computer room in your college or the state of the canteen in your office. Sounds like a report, doesn't it? Well so far it's pretty similar.

You have to persuade whoever is reading the proposal to make the changes you think are best.

The difference between a report and a proposal is that in the latter we have to give recommendations on improving the situation.

so: 

describe a situation

say how you think it could be better

try to convince someone you are right

WHO'S GOING TO READ IT?

As you'd expect, sometimes the proposals in CAE are set in the business world, and sometimes in the academic world. In these cases you'll be writing in quite a formal style. Another common scenario is that you're in a club and want to propose some changes - if you're writing to the other members of the club you can be a bit less formal but you should still be polite.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL RULES?

You should use headings and have an intro and conclusion. You CAN use bullet points but I think it is better to  write in full sentences. It's a writing test not a bullet point test. Bullet points can help people read something efficiently, but they are often used by writers who are too lazy/scared to write complete sentences. Use them with care!

Oh, and it's not a letter so don't start with 'Dear Sir.'

Let's Write a CAE Proposal Together

There are plans to demolish an old and unused building in the town where you are a student. You feel that the building should be saved. You decide to write a proposal for the town council explaining why you think the building should be preserved, suggesting what could be done to modernise it and saying how the building could benefit the local people.

Write your proposal.                             Use 220 - 260 Words

Task analysis:
1. Who are you writing to/for?
2. What should you write about?
3. How much space do you have?

Planning

First we should come up with some ideas about why the building should be saved and some ideas about how to modernise it. There are plenty of examples of old or disused buildings that have been turned into offices and flats so it's fairly easy  to come up with ideas.

By the way - the 3 parts of the task could be used as 3 paragraphs in our proposal. Easy, right?

WHY PRESERVE BUILDING:

HOW TO MODERNISE:

BENEFIT LOCAL PEOPLE:

LANGUAGE NOTES

This is being written for the local council, so we're going to be quite formal. We are not going to use bullet points because if you write well they are not needed. 

Also try to:

- Include at least 1 passive sentence

- Include at least 1 inversion (not only ..., but also ...)

Yo, council dudes!

You wanna knock down the town hall  in the Nieuwe Steen? No wayz! I like it! Me and me mates used to go there and sit on the front steps. 

BALANCE

We're not going to be a fanatic about this issue - that isn't persuasive.
WE ARE going to mention problems with our plan, and give reasons why the old building SHOULD be demolished. Why? Because disproving a counterargument makes your argument stronger!

(Also it will allow you to use more linking words like 'while, whereas' and some complex sentence structures like 'While there's no doubt the old building something something, I would argue that blah blah.')

Enough waffle. Let's write.

In groups of ± four people......

Make a plan and write a draft of your proposal, use the model shown in the back of the book and your notes taken from the LessonUp shown earlier in the lesson.

Discuss together, re-write the draft

Total Time = 15 minutes

Some of you will be asked to present your proposal.

Remember:

• Use impersonal semi-formal language
  
• Use sub-headings
• Do not use shortened forms - such as I am (I'm) / he is (he's) do not (don't) / cannot (can't)
• You need an introduction and a conclusion
• You can use bullet points (not too many!)
• Do not use Dear Sir - To whom it may concern. 

This is a sample of a proposal

Proposal to Repurpose Hoorn Town hall

In this proposal I aim to persuade the Council that the town hall  is a landmark building, that its demolition is not in the public interest and that the building could still have a bright future.

Why Hoorn Town hall should be preserved

Hoorn Town hall is an iconic 1970's building on the edge of the town and it stood as a point of pride for many decades before falling into neglect. Even today in its shabby  state, it is warmly regarded - many citizens of Hoorn  have got married there, and all the babies born in Hoorn have had their birth's registered there. However,  the building is more than memories - it's a place where local meetings used to happen, and where it can happen again.

How it can be modernised

The Town hall  is old and would cost a fortune to heat. There's no doubt it would be expensive to insulate, install triple-glazed windows, and set up solar panels on the roofs. However, local architects and the Engineering College are willing to work on my proposed redevelopment for free. I recommend that one section be converted into office space - that would help offset the cost of the project.

Redevelopment would benefit everyone

It's not hard to see who would benefit from demolition - property developers who would buy the land cheaply and throw up some copy/paste housing. Modernising the building and re-opening the meeting spaces would benefit not only the people who would meet there but also the whole community. It would be a focal point and we could hold weddings and rent space for family gatherings by giving the building a new modern function. 

Conclusion

I believe that modernising the building is the best choice and strongly urge you to consider it.