www.e-comentarios.com ... writing practice (Mainly health plans (formación) - dental, travel, medical and other insurance products for expats and non-expats in Spain and worldwide) English agent Registered linked insurance agency

English

31.1.2011 ( Advanced ) (Writing practice - index)

Talking about short selling:

What is short selling? To short sell a security means to sell a security now with the promise of its delivery later. The short seller expects a decrease in the price of the security so that it will be able to buy later the security making a profit from the difference of the current price he receive and the price it will have to pay later.

Short selling had a negative impact in financial markets in the recent financial crisis as it intensified the downturn spiral of prices. There is no argument against this, however, it must be recognized that short selling has some important positive effects in markets when working properly:

Short selling increases the number of transactions and the number of participants which allows deeper markets. This increases markets liquidity;
Short selling allow those having the assets who do not want or can’t sell them to protect against downturns of the markets. This is specially important because if those having the assets would not be able to protect themselves whenever necessary they probably would not invest.

Many people had arguments against short selling, however those positives effects cannot be denied, as far as are widely recognized.

Life, lifestyle and beliefs:

Santiago’s life is pretty much the same since his daughter was born. On weekdays he gets up at seven o’clock, dressed up and prepare the breakfast for his wife and daughter. At ten past 8 he takes his daughter to the kindergarten and runs to try to get the bus living at 8.23. If he cannot make it, he walks to the underground nearby.

He works in a public organisation in a quite relaxed atmosphere, so he is never stressed with work. His worktable during the week changes depending on the day. On Monday and Tuesdays he works until 18.30; on Wednesdays until 17.30 and on Thursdays and Fridays he can take the afternoons of.

He likes sport a lot. He used to run and play football, but one year ago his knee started to hurt and since then he gave up those activities and started in the gym. He goes to the gym as much as he can (usually four times per week).

He likes his work but he thinks his salary is too low. As a result of his low salary he is constantly looking for a way to increase his income. He has been thinking about many different ways to achieve this: changing to a firm in the private sector; keeping in his current position but working additionally somewhere else (giving classes); or even working abroad. To increase his options, he is determined to increase his English level and is studying every day.

Sometimes Santiago has the feeling that he is wasting his time. He is convinced that he is better prepared and more efficient that much of the people he knows and he thinks (that) he could assume more responsibility.

My suggestions: Index ..

Talking about short selling:

What is short selling? To short sell a security means to sell a security now with the promise of its delivery later. The short seller expects a decrease in the price of the security so that he / she will be able to buy the security later - making a profit from the difference between the current price he receives and the price he will have to pay later.

Short selling had a negative impact on financial markets in the recent financial crisis as it intensified the downward spiral of prices. There is no argument against this, however, it must be recognized that short selling has some important positive effects on markets when it works properly:

Short selling increases the number of transactions and the number of participants which allows deeper(?) markets. This increases markets liquidity;
Short selling allows those having the assets who do not want or can’t sell them to protect against downturns of the markets. This is specially important because if those having the assets could not protect themselves whenever they thought it necessary they probably would not invest.

Many people had arguments against short selling, however those positive effects cannot be denied, and are widely recognized.

Life, lifestyle and beliefs:

Santiago’s life is pretty routine since his daughter was born. On weekdays he gets up at seven o’clock, gets dressed and prepares breakfast for his wife and daughter. At ten past 8 he takes his daughter to the kindergarten and runs to try to get the bus leaving at 8.23. If he cannot make it, he walks to the nearby underground.

He works in a public organisation in a fairly relaxed atmosphere, so he is never stressed with work. His working day / work schedule during the week depends on the day. On Mondays and Tuesdays he works until 18.30; on Wednesdays until 17.30 and on Thursdays and Fridays he can take the afternoons off.

He likes sport a lot / He really likes sport. He used to run and play football, but one year ago his knee started to hurt and since then he has given up those activities and has started in the gym. He goes to the gym as much as he can / as often as he can (usually four times a week).

He likes his work but he thinks his salary is too low. As a result of his low salary he is constantly looking for ways to increase his income. He has been thinking about many different ways to achieve this: changing to a firm in the private sector; keeping in his current position but working additionally somewhere else (giving classes); or even working abroad. To increase his options, he is determined to increase his English level and is studying every day.

Sometimes Santiago has the feeling that he is wasting his time. He is convinced that he is better prepared and more efficient that many of the people he knows and he thinks (that) he could take on more responsibility.

hmmm - deeper markets. Sounds great, but I'm not sure it means anything (one of the reasons it sounds great!)

Self-assessment checklist C1

Writing

I can express myself in writing on a wide range of general or professional topics in a clear and user-friendly manner.

I can present a complex topic in a clear and well-structured way, highlighting the most important points, for example in a composition or a report.

I can present points of view in a comment on a topic or an event, underlining the main ideas and supporting my reasoning with detailed examples.

I can put together information from different sources and relate it in a coherent summary.

I can give a detailed description of experiences, feelings and events in a personal letter.

I can write formally correct letters, for example to complain or to take a stand in favour of or against something.

I can write texts which show a high degree of grammatical correctness and vary my vocabulary and style according to the addressee, the kind of text and the topic.

I can select a style appropriate to the reader in mind.