WRITING LETTERS OF DIFFERENT FORMATS

1. PERSONAL AND FORMAL LETTERS Paragraph Plan for Letters Salutation Paragraph 1: reasons for writing Paragraphs 2,3: development Final paragraph: closing remarks Name

Layout Write your address in the top right-hand corner, if it is included, but it is often left out. There is no need to put the address of the person you are writing to. Write the date directly below the address. Write the first line (Dear+ name) next to the left-hand margin. Begin the next line under the name. Use separate paragraphs to:  say why you are writing  give details or extra information  conclude your letter  End with a polite remark, written on a separate line.

Beginnings It is usual to begin by referring to a letter you've received, or by making some other polite introductory comment: Thank you for /Many thanks for your (recent) letter/ postcard. It was good /nice /lovely to hear from you recently, I was glad to hear that you had a good holiday. I hope you and your family are well. I'm sorry I haven't written /been in touch for such a long time. It's ages since I've heard from you. I hope you're well. You and your family are well.

Endings Polite remarks to end a letter: I look forward to / Looking forward hearing from/ seeing you. See you soon Write soon Hope to hear from you soon. Once again, thank you for all your help. Give my regards /love to... The most common ways of ending a letter:  To family members and close friends: L ove, Love from, Lots of love  To friends and acquaintances: Best wishes, All the best, Take care

Formal letters Layout Write your address on separate lines in the top right-hand corner. Do not write your name. Write the date below your address either on the right or the left. Write the name and/or job tide (if you know them) and address of the person or company you are writing to below the date. Write dear... next to the left-hand margin, followed by a comma. To address someone whose name you do not know you can write: Dear Sir/ Madam/Sirs/ Sir or Madam/Representative/Editor To address someone by name, use their title and surname: Dear Dr Smith. Use separate paragraphs to: say why you are writing give details or extra information conclude your letter End with Yours faithfully, if you began with Dear Sir or Dear Madam. End with Yours sincerely, if you began with a name. Print your name clearly after your signature.

Beginnings/organisation Write Dear + the person's name, if you know it (Dear Mr Smith). If not, begin Dear Sir (for a man), Dear Madam (for a woman), or Dear Sir or Madam (if it could be either). Don't use a title like Dear Manager. In the first paragraph, clearly state your reason for writing. Use the middle paragraphs to explain the details, beginning a new paragraph for each main point. In the final paragraph, sum up and/or say what action you want to be taken. Ending Don't forget! If you began with a person's name, e.g. Dear Mrs Blake, you must end with Yours sincerely, not Yours faithfully. These endings are followed by a comma. Arrangement and Invitations Say what the event is and give clear details of the date, time and place. It may be helpful to give other information such as how to get there, who else is coming and what to bring.

Thank-you letters When thanking someone for something, it is usual to say as much as possible about how useful/ helpful it was. When offering congratulations for some success, you usually mention how well-deserved it is. When wishing someone good luck try to reassure them or offer some friendly advice: I'm writing to thank you for your hospitality. It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you. Congratulations on passing your exams Thank you so much for (+ noun| -ing)

Activity 15 Put an F for formal and an I for informal language. Give reasons. 1.I thought I'd drop you a line to let you know 2.I am writing to inquire about … 3.I would appreciate an early reply. 4.Why not pop up here to see us? 5.Do get in touch. 6.Well, I think that's all for now. 7.I am sorry to inform you that... 8.I am writing in connection with... 9.I hope the matter will receive your prompt I've been meaning to write to you for ages. 11.Currently I am working at I feel I must protest about Why don't you come to dinner? 14.I'd love to see you again 15.Thanks for the invitation. 16.Please indicate whether you will be able 17.Your presence is required at I look forward to I'm looking forward to Drop by for coffee sometime...

Activity 16 You should be able to express different levels of formality. Mark the following boxes F for formal, N for neutral or I for informal I am writing to draw your attention to the appalling state of the road outside my house  And then, as if they hadn't caused enough problems already, they told me I couldn't do dinner on Saturday evening.  This is obviously a most unsatisfactory state of affairs and I strongly recommend cancelling.  Could you provide extra five chairs for the meeting on the 15th?  Mrs. Dickinson's department has just decided to come too.  I would just like to thank you for all the work you did on my behalf over the Robinson business.  By the way, it's not the 16th that we're coming; it's the 17th. We should arrive about 6 o'clock.  Thanks very much for agreeing to help us out I don't know how we would manage otherwise.  I was also wondering if you would be able to provide us with audio-visual facilities over the weekend.  What a bloody awful mess he left behind him, too! I’ll sue fee rat if I get the chance!