How to write a letter

How to write a letter

WRITING TIPS

USEFUL PHRASES

Writing Task

Task 1. E-mail (15 points)

You should spend about 25 minutes on this task.

Write between 120 – 150 words.

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, read the question(s) carefully and find out the following:

• who you are writing to

• why you are writing (e.g. to ask for information, to complain etc.)

• what you are writing about

When you have worked out what the purpose of your letter is, you should be able to work out what kind of style you will need to use.

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation (labklājības organizācija) called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

- say why you are writing;

- describe the animal;

- explain why you cannot keep it;

- ask for help in ensuring the animal's well-being.

Formal letter (Job or university application or a serious complaint)

- avoid colloquial and emotional language;

- do not use contractions (write do not rather than don't, he is rather than he's);

- finish with 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully.

Semi-formal letter

Most correspondence today is written in a semi-formal style. Examples of semi-formal context could be a letter to a company about a minor issue, such as an object you left in a hotel room, or a personal letter to an adult you do not know well.

Semi-formal letter

- be polite and friendly;

- avoid extremes: do not use colloquial expressions, but also avoid very official language, which could make your letter sound cold and distant;

- you can use some contractions but not very many;

- finish your letter with 'With best wishes' or 'Kindest regards'.

Informal letter

A letter to a friend or a personal letter to someone more or less your own age. Write in an informal, friendly style:

- you can use colloquial language and slang expressions;

- use contractions;

- there is a lot of freedom regarding the way you finish your letter.

Multiple Select

What kind of letter are you going to write?

• Formal

• Semi-formal

• Informal

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

- say why you are writing;

- describe the animal;

- explain why you cannot keep it;

- ask for help in ensuring the animal's well-being.

We are going to write

formal letter

SALUTATION OR GREETING

• start with Dear/Hello/Hi (name or title and surname), remember that this is a formal or semi-formal email, so the better is to start with Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Ms Taylor, because Hello and Hi are less formal salutations;

• there is a comma used after the person’s surname;

• the e-mail starts on the line below.

PARAGRAPHING

• Work out a paragraph plan before you start.

• Each paragraph should have a specific purpose. All the information provided in the questions should be included and used as the paragraph purpose.

Open Ended

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

State the purpose of the letter in the first sentence.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask your help in finding a good home for a dog I found while staying here in Worthing.

Open Ended

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

Describe the animal.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask your help in finding a good home for a dog I found while staying here in Worthing.

She is a small black poodle. She was very thin when I found her, but apart from that she seems in good health, and she is also very well-behaved.

Open Ended

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

Explain why you cannot keep it.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask your help in finding a good home for a dog I found while staying here in Worthing.

She is a small black poodle. She was very thin when I found her, but apart from that she seems in good health, and she is also very well-behaved.

I will be returning to my country soon and cannot take her with me.

Open Ended

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

Ask for help in ensuring the animal's well-being.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask your help in finding a good home for a dog I found while staying here in Worthing.

She is a small black poodle. She was very thin when I found her, but apart from that she seems in good health, and she is also very well-behaved.

I will be returning to my country soon and cannot take her with me.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who could look after her here, and I certainly wouldn't like to leave her in an animal shelter. I was wondering if you could help me place her with someone who would really care for her.

Open Ended

While on holiday in England, you found an animal. You have looked after it, but you cannot take it home with you. Write a letter to an animal welfare organisation called Animal Aid to ask if they can help you to find a home for it.

Finish your letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask your help in finding a good home for a dog I found while staying here in Worthing.

She is a small black poodle. She was very thin when I found her, but apart from that she seems in good health, and she is also very well-behaved.

I will be returning to my country soon and cannot take her with me.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who could look after her here, and I certainly wouldn't like to leave her in an animal shelter. I was wondering if you could help me place her with someone who would really care for her.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Wagner

PREVIOUS CONTACT

Thanks for your e-mail...

Sorry, I haven’t written for ages, but I’ve been really busy. (informal)

REASON FOR WRITING

Just a short note about... (informal)

I’m writing about...

I'm writing to...

Here’s the... you wanted

I got your name from...

Please note that...

I am writing to put forward my proposal for... (formal)

GIVING INFORMATION

Just a note to say...

We can confirm that...

(Un) fortunately...

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

Can you tell me a little more about...?

I’d like to know...

Please send me...

FINAL COMMENTS

Thanks again for...

Let me know if you need anything else.

SENDING GREETINGS AND/OR MAKING REFERENCE FOR FUTURE CONTACT

Give my love to... (informal)

Say hello to... (informal)

I can’t wait to hear from you.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Write soon.

Look forward to seeing/meeting/hearing...

CLOSING STATEMENT

Love, (informal)

Lots of love, (informal)

All the best, (informal)

Take care, (informal)

Best wishes, (both)

Cheers, (informal)

Regards, (very formal)

Sincerely, (formal)

Thanks in advance,

Use the appropriate phrases to start and finish the letter, depending on whether you know the recipient by name.

Dear Sir or Madam --> Yours faithfully;

Dear Mr. Black/Ms White -> Yours sincerely.

Discuss

Why do people stay in youth hostels? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Read the task. What things do you think might have gone wrong? Discuss and make a list of possible problems.

On a recent holiday, you and a group of friends stayed in a youth hostel. You were very dissatisfied with the experience. Write a letter to the owner saying why you are unhappy and suggest ways in which he/she could improve the hostel.

Ideas

- Booking problems;

- more people in the room than were expected;

- showers and rooms were dirty;

- staff were impolite, there was no apology at any point.

Write a formal letter

On a recent holiday, you and a group of friends stayed in a youth hostel. You were very dissatisfied with the experience. Write a letter to the owner saying why you are unhappy and suggest ways in which he/she could improve the hostel.

Dear Sir or Madam, 

I am writing to complain about our stay at your youth hostel from 14-16 May.

I reserved a room for four with a shower room, and I received confirmation of the booking. However, when we arrived, the receptionist maintained there was no record of my reservation. I produced my confirmation slip, but she just said that 'something must have been wrong with the website that day'.

We were given beds in a fourteen-person room with ten other people. The room did not seem clean. There was one bathroom for all of us, which was dirty with no toilet paper. I complained about it, but the receptionist said that she had enough to do. Then she said the hostel was full and that we might have to do without sheets on the beds! Eventually, we found some sheets and cleaned the bathrooms ourselves. There was no apology at any point.

I feel strongly that we were treated very poorly by your organisation. Firstly, I suggest that your online booking system be reviewed, as there are clearly problems. Secondly, your staff should be trained to be more welcoming, and more helpful when problems arise. Thirdly, there should be more staff when the hostel is full. And finally, I request that there be sufficient bed linen, so that other guests are inconvenienced as we were. I feel we deserve some compensation and I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours faithfully, 

Gemma Winters

Poll

How do you feel about writing a letter?

• Confident

• More or less fine

• Have some difficulties

• Very difficult for me