LETTER WRITING

When writing letters

decide if they are going to
be

formal
or

informal

FORMAL
To people you dont
know

INFORMAL

To an organisation
such as a bank or the
council

To people you know

such as friends or
relatives

Possibly letters of
complaint or letters
asking for information

AN INFORMAL LETTER
a letter to a friend or a member of a
family

A FORMAL LETTER
- A letter to a business partner, college
or any professionals

LAYOUT OF A LETTER
1. YOUR ADDRESS
2. THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PERSON
TO WHOM YOU ARE WRITING
3. THE DATE
4. THE GREETING,
5. THE BODY OF THE LETTER (INTRODUCTION,
MAIN PARTS, CONCLUSION)
6. THE ENDING

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WRITE THE

DATE?
WRITE THE DATE IN ENGLISH:
1.1.2013
6.4.2013
2.7.2013
23.10.2013

1st January
6th April
2nd July
23rd December

January 1st
April 6th
July 2nd
December 23rd

The greeting
Which greetings belong to formal or to
informal letters?
FORMAL
INFORMAL
Dear John,
LETTERS
LETTERS
Dear Sir,
Dear Mr. Smith,
Dear Jane,
Dear Madam,
Dear Sir or Madam,

The greeting
Which greetings belong to formal or to
informal letters?
FORMAL LETTERS

INFORMAL LETTERS

Dear Mr. Smith,

Dear John,

Dear Madam,

Dear Jane,

Dear Sir or Madam,

Dear Sir,

Phrases for an Informal

letter
Thanks for:- your letter
- your present
- your invitation.
I hope you are well.
It was good to see you last week.
Could you do something for me?

Phrases for a Formal letter

I am writing to - inform you.
- to confirm our
I would like to
Could you possibly .
I would be grateful if you could
I look forward to hearing from you.

The ending
Which endings are suitable for formal or
informal letters?
FORMAL
INFORMAL
Love, Peter
LETTERS
LETTERS
Yours sincerely,
Best wishes,
Kind regards,
Yours faithfully,
Yours, Jane

The ending
Which endings are suitable for formal or
informal letters?
FORMAL LETTERS

INFORMAL LETTERS

Yours sincerely,

Love, Peter

Yours faithfully,

Best wishes,
Yours, Jane
Kind regards,

Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully

Yours faithfully,
If you don't know the name of the
person you're writing to
Yours sincerely,
If you know the name of the person
you're writing to

Formal words vs. Informal words

Informal:
help,
because of,
ask,
more,
tell,
facts,
get,
job,
have,
give,
fix,
ask for,
needs,
book,
check/prove

Formal:
assistance,
due to,
enquire,
further,
inform,
information,
obtain/receive,
occupation,
possess,
provide,
repair,
request,
requirements,
reserve,
verify

Writing Informal
Letters

Parts of an Informal Letter

Heading
Greeting
Body
Closing
Signature

The Heading
The heading can
include your address
and the date.
In casual, friendly
letters your address is
not necessary.

Heading

508 Bluebird
Street
Clarksville, Ohio
January 5, 2004

The greeting
Dear_________,
The blank is for the
name of the person
you are writing. After
you write the person's
name you put a
comma ( , ) .

Greeting

508 Bluebird
Street
Clarksville, Ohio
January 5, 2004

Dear
Susan,

The Body
The body of the letter
is the information you
are writing in your
letter.

Body

508 Bluebird
Street
Clarksville, Ohio
January 5, 2004

Dear Susan,
I hope you will be able to come
and visit next month. We are
planning a special visit to the
museum. My mom will call your
mom later this week to make all
arrangements. Be sure to bring your
swimsuit when you come! Were
planning an afternoon trip to the
lake.

The Closing

The Closing: In the

closing, the first
word is capitalized
and you put a
comma after the
last word.
Some examples of
closings
are:Sincerely, Your
friend, Love, Very
truly yours,

Closing

508 Bluebird
Street
Clarksville, Ohio
January 5, 2004

Dear Susan,
I hope you will be able to come
and visit next month. We are
planning a special visit to the
museum. My mom will call your
mom later this week to make all
arrangements. Be sure to bring your
swimsuit when you come! Were
planning an afternoon trip to the
lake.

Your friend,

Your Signature
This is your name.
It goes under the
closing.

Signature

508 Bluebird
Street
Clarksville, Ohio
January 5, 2004

Dear Susan,
I hope you will be able to come
and visit next month. We are
planning a special visit to the
museum. My mom will call your
mom later this week to make all
arrangements. Be sure to bring your
swimsuit when you come! Were
planning an afternoon trip to the
lake.

Your friend,
Allison

Use ideas on the next page to complete this letter.

Thanks for the invitation to your party on

Friday.
Love,
It was so nice to see you last week.
Ill be there at 8 oclock.
Dear Petr,
Ill bring some good red wine.
See you soon!

Use ideas on the next page to complete this letter.

Your address
Name and address
of someone who
you are writing to

Dear Peter,

Date

It was so nice to see you last week.

Thanks for the invitation to your party on Friday.
Ill be there at 8 oclock. Ill bring some good
red wine. See you soon!
Love,
Your name

Writing a formal
letter
One side of the paper only
Plan before you write
Keep it simple

45 Orange Close
West Burnham
West Yorkshire
23rd March 2000
The Manager
Barclay Building Society
Long Street
West Hartlepool
Dear Sir
Thank you for your letter dated 15th March.
I am afraid I cannot agree with your letter. I have studied my
bank statement and still cannot find the charges you say are
outstanding.
This is the third letter I have sent and if no action is taken within
the next five days I will contact my solicitor.
I hope this matter can be settled as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully

45 Orange Close
West Burnham
ADDRESSES
AND DATE

West Yorkshire
23rd March 2000
The Manager
Barclay Building Society
Long Street
West Hartlepool
Dear Sir
Thank you for your letter dated 15th March.
I am afraid I cannot agree with your letter. I have studied my bank
statement and still cannot find the charges you say are outstanding.
This is the third letter I have sent and if no action is taken within the next
five days I will contact my solicitor.
I hope this matter can be settled as
soon as
possible.
Space
for
signature but write or
type your name clearly underneath
Yours faithfully

When writing formal

letters
Always
No commas outside
the main body of the
letter

Never

Use short sentences

and simple words

Use jargon

Use proper
paragraphs

Use slang

Exercises
You bought a second hand car for 700. It had only
been running for a week when the engine broke
down. The garage says it will cost over 400 to
repair.
Write a letter:
A) to the garage where you bought the car asking for your
money back.
B) to your solicitor explaining what has happened and
asking for advice.
C) to a friend explaining what has happened.