Letter Writing: Tips & tricks

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 1-6

Test Prep

Tips & Tricks

overview

- writing

- reading

- words ( 21-30 + linking words)

What do you need to practice MOST before test week?

grammar

words

linking words

letter layout

spelling

DOs

1. Write cleary.
2. Use signal words as much as possible. 
3. Use paragraphs ( blank line)
4. Use full words, in English 
5. Use a difficult grammar item every now and then (Passive, relative clauses)
   
6. At the end, check your work.
   

Don'ts

1. Forget about the lay-out
2.  Use the first translation you find in a dictionary without checking. 
3. Forget content elements 
4. Swearing 
5. Dumb language (gonna, u, 2, etc.) 

layout

BLANK LINES! EVERYWHERE!

if you run out of paper : turn to the back of the page!

put PTO on the last line of the front. 

Frequent mistakes

punctuation: 

Every sentence has a capital letter at the start and ends in a full stop.

Capital Letters:

i is wrong, it is always “I” 

Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday,

months :  August, October

Frequent mistakes

HAVO = Higher General Secondary Education

VWO = Pre-University Education

Frequent mistakes

Word Order

Wrong: Bepaling - ww - O 

In my opinion is it great to live in New York.

Right: Bepaling – O – ww

In my opinion it is great to live in New York

Frequent mistakes

Confusing Couples

There – they’re – their

Your – you’re 

It’s – its 

Two – to - too 

articles

There were many issues... 

Firstly, there was a ....

The first major incovenience was,[insert problem]. The second issue..

write a letter of complaint.
WHAT is your first sentence?

content

Be specific! 

NOT: I was on a sightseeing tour last week. 

I have taken the extended 'Magical Liverpool by night' sightseeing tour on Thursday 23 March from 9-11.30. 

specifics

The bus driver was rude/

Our coach, line 24, was driven by Larry Hughes. There were multiple occasions where he used inappropriate language and gestured rudely at us and other passengers.

last paragraph: complaint

- There were many problems   - these problems caused me to [ insert complaint]..... - I expect you to/ I strongly advise you to.... [ insert what they need to do ] 

Thank you for your time and consideration

I don't know where ... going

1. there
2. their
3. they're

I don't get it. ... going to have to explain it to me.

1. your
2. you're

I am sure it is autumn because the tree lost all ... leaves.

1. its
2. it's

I love you ...

1. to
2. two
3. too
4. 2

practice