I hate … !!!

I hate _________. It annoys me when I’m watching TV and good film is interrupted every minutes or so by a series of eight or ten stupid lying _________ – I always turn the sound off. I never look at newspaper __________ , and I don’t even open the kind of glossy magazines where there is more __________ than anything else. And it makes me really furious when I see _________ all over the place trying to persuade me to make somebody else rich by spending money I can’t afford on things I don’t need, especially when half the world is starving.

Just now the shops are having sales. There are ___________ everywhere offering magnificent bargains, and people are queuing up for days in advance, just so that they can be first into the shop when the sale starts. I’d rather stay at home, put my feet up and enjoy what I’ve got.

_________ tend to argue that if we didn’t have ___________ there wouldn’t be such a wide choice of things more expensive, and it would be better if the money spent on improving quality or making things cheaper.

__________ are different, perhaps. I think they perform a useful service, because they put individual buyers and sellers in direct contact. You can find things you really need – like a cheap second-hand car being offered directly by the owner – and if you want to sell something yourself a ___________ is an easy way of getting rid of it.

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advertising advertising commercials posters Small ads small ad

Advertising circulars Useful language

Attracting the reader’s attention

• Use an eye-catching heading.

• Ask questions, for example, “Why throw away paper?”

• Make a statement which appeals to the target user.

“If you are looking for a way of saving money…”

• Give an amazing fact or statistic.

“Did you know that 5% of companies benefit from these great savings?”

Describing benefits

• You will save time and money by…

• A key feature of our product / service is…

• You will benefit from substantial discounts of up to 15%.

• The product is designed to…

Providing evidence of reputation / service / customer satisfaction

• We have over 20 years’ in this field.

• Testimonials from our customers are available upon request.

Encouraging action

• For further information, please contact us on the numbers given below.

• Please telephone, fax or post the coupon right away.

• Phone us FREE quoting the reference number on this leaflet.

Offering advantages:

• Save up to 5% if you reply before the end of this month.

• Accept a free gift when you place your first order.

Exercise 146

Read and translate the sales letter.

CommuniCom Ltd.

Old Harwich Road 

Suffolk SK2 2TH

Tel / Fax 01289 897351

Do you have friends and family you would like to see more often? When you telephone colleagues would you like to see their faces? With the new Home Desktop Videophone this is now possible!

The Home Desktop Videophone is easy to set up and use and you don’t need a computer or any special software. It’s just like making a normal telephone call. All you do is make a telephone call to that special person and the excellent moving picture quality and sound means they are with you.

Imagine … family and friends who live far away can still keep in touch with you. Talking to colleagues in other countries can be more like meeting them face-to-face. Each party needs to have a set, but the good news is that we have a special offer at the moment – buy one set and we will send a second set to your family member, friend or business colleague at half price.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to benefit from the Home Desktop Videophone. Call our free-phone inquiry and order line now and get close to the people that matter.

Free-phone number 0199 645645

Yours sincerely

Jackson Brown

Sales Manager

Find the phrases in the text which do the following:

• create interest

• describe potential benefits to customers

• encourage customers to take action.

Exercise 147

Read and translate the sales leaflet in which Paperback Ltd introduces its services.

Underline the phrases in the text which do the following:

• create interest

• describe potential benefits to customers

• provide evidence of the company’s reputation, level of service and customer satisfaction

• encourage customers to take action.