[CT4] P4: Formal Letter

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Hi, welcome to our online lesson!

1. Please go to lessonup.app

2. Use the code in the left bottom corner

3. Use your first name + first letter of last name

4. Wait for the other students

Today: Skill - Writing

What? Writing a letter of appeal, a letter of complaint, a letter to editor - a formal letter

Why? For your CT exam, but definitely for your future as well --> Job application, university, newspaper/magazine, etc.

First: Are there any questions about writing the proposal?

A formal letter

Example of the task

Your company would like to offer work-experience placements to students in an international college. Write a letter for publication in the student newspaper at the college.

Your letter should explain what your company does, what kind of work-experience placements are available, and how students would benefit from the experience.

Write your letter in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Tips for formal letter

• Why are you are writing the letter/email? To correct information, to apply for a job, to provide someone with a reference, to complain about something....
  
• Who is the target reader? You may have to write to the editor of a publication, to a potential employer, to a university administrator...
  
• Which language/register would be appropriate to reach my goal? Is there enough SPECIFIC detail in my letter/email to convince the target reader?
  

Tips for formal letter

Open and finish your letter/email using opening and closing formulae appropriately.

• "Dear Editor" → "Best regards" (and your own name and surname)
• "Dear Sir/Madam" → "Yours faithfully" (and your own name and surname)
• "Dear Mrs Jones" → "Yours sincerely" (and your own name and surname)

Good sentence to start with:

• I am writing with regard/reference to (the article which appeared when/where) to express my concern about/disappointment with/dissatisfaction with/disapproval of/apologies for (motivation)/interest in…..

Lay-out

Dear Sir/Madam, or Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms [last name],

I am writing with regard/reference to (the article which appeared when/where) to express my concern about/disappointment with/dissatisfaction with/disapproval of/apologies for (motivation)/interest in…..

As a general rule, your first paragraph could be used as an introduction. 

Add as many paragraphs as content points you have to deal with. 

In the final paragraph, you should express what you expect to be done as a result of your letter.

Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely

Useful videos/websites

Example letter:

https://www.rubenvalero.com/learningenglish/c1-advanced-cae/writing-cae-c1/cae-formal-letter-or-email/ 

Organisation of a letter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl-07EsTVl0 

In general

https://studentlanguages.com/cae-letter/

Now try it yourself

Write & Improve

Your company would like to offer work-experience placements to students in an international college. Write a letter for publication in the student newspaper at the college.

Your letter should explain what your company does, what kind of work-experience placements are available, and how students would benefit from the experience.

Write your letter in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.