V5 Writing Testweek 1: Letter of Application

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Writing Test SE1

• 60 minutes

• A handwritten, formal letter (300-400 words)

• Count your words: a deviation of 10% is allowed.
• 10x
• no dictionary 

Please note that these are examples - you may be asked to write slightly longer pieces

Letter of application introduction

•  ① Start all parts of your letter on the left and do not use indentations. (inspringing)

Letter of application introduction

•  ② A date can be written in 4 ways:
  - 12th January, 2021    
  - 12 January 2021    
  - January 12th 2021    
  - January 12, 2021 
• Mind you! Months are always written with a capital letter.  Never write the date as follows! 12/01/24

Letter of application introduction

•  ④ If you know the name of the person you can write the salutation as follows:
  •    Dear Mr Drummond,
  •    Dear Mrs Drummond, (married/widower)
  •    Dear Ms Drummond, (unsure if married)
  •   Dear Miss Drummond, (unmarried)

• If you do not know the name, you write:
  

     •    Dear Sir/Madam,
     •    Dear Sir,
     •    Dear Madam,
     •    Dear Sirs,

• 
  

Letter of application introduction

• ⑤ Structure your work using paragraphs   
         with a line break.
•       In the first paragraph you state why you 
         are writing: you refer to your situation, a
          letter you recieved or a job advert.
•       Start a new paragraph every time you refer to a new aspect of what you are writing.
•       Be careful not to repeat yourself
         unnecessarily.
  
•       Do be clear and concise!

What do I need to mention in a formal letter of application?

Which of these is a correct formal way of writing a date in a letter?

1. 14/12/21
2. 14th december, 2021
3. 14 December, 21
4. 14th December, 2021

Which of these could you use to start a formal letter of motivation?

1. I am writing to you to express my interest in your Bachelor degree course.
2. I wanna come to your university!
3. I'm really excited about coming to you so please give me a chance
4. My parents told me to write you a letter to tell you how interested I am in your course.

Which are the formal alternatives to these words?

1. have, more, need
2. receive, even more, will
3. receive, additional, would like
4. receive, addtional, would like

  Body paragraphs - Motivation

  Date

  Salutation

  1. Intro

-Who you are why you are writing  (50 - 75)

  2. Main paragraphs  (3)                  (200-300)     

         - What are your relevant

           experiences/qualifications?

         - Why is the course suitable for you?

         - Why are you interested?          

        

3.Conclusion- repeat in what you hope/expect (50-75)

Introduction

• Personal Information
• What are you applying to
• Why are you applying?

Body motivational letter

This is where you really sell yourself, mentioning stories behind your achievements, skills, and passion for whatever you’re applying for.  This example is rather short, but shows you the kind of language used.

Informal:

1. get

2. extra

3. want

4. need

5.talk about

6. get in touch with

7. about

8. make sure

9. give

10. tell

11. more

12. looking

13. ask for

14. show

 Formal :

1. receive

2. additional
3.  would like
4. require
5. discuss
6. contact
7. concerning/regarding
8. ensure
9. provide someone with
10. inform
11. further / greater
12. searching
13. request
14. demonstrate

Useful sentences for body report and letter

• My passion for ______ started when ______.
• I would like to ______ because ______.
• I have been part of _________ for ___ months/years.
  
• It is the best thing for me because _______.    
  
• I remember once when I ________, which made me realize that I _______.
• _______ resonates with me because _________.
• What distinguishes me from my peers is __________.
• I have considerable experience in __________.
  

More useful phrases

Check Teams!

Letter of motivation - conclusion

• Do not mention anything new!
  

• Mention your willingness for an interview they might want with you.
• Round off by saying what you look forward to based on the contents of this letter.
  

Useful letter conclusion phrases

I am highly motivated and look forward to the challenges and opportunities which this course would offer me.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further details of the position with you personally.

I can supply references from…if required.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the opportunity
to personally discuss why I am particularly suited to this position.

Please contact me via …

How to finish your letter

Yours faithfully - when do not know the name of the person you are writing to. Normally used together with Dear Sir/Madam,

Yours sincerely - when you DO know the person's name you are writing to .  Normally used together with Dear Mr or Dear Mrs Jones

Dear Mr Jones,

Inhoud

Yours sincerely,

Peter Bradbury

Dear Sir/Madam,

Inhoud

Yours faithfully,

Peter Bradbury

Linking words

Linking words are words and phrases which indicate a connection.

These words work in the way that help the reader understand how the information in the text is organized. That´s why, they are also called text organizers and discourse makers.

◊ The course you are offering is very appealing to me. It is a well respected university.

◊ Graduating from this course would provide wonderful job opportunities. I could earn a good income. I could get a company car.

◊ Coming up with an initial idea was hard. The planning phase was a lot easier once we were motivated.

◊ A questionnaire was used to gather information. An interview was done.

◊ The course you are offering is very appealing to me. Moreover, it is a well respected university.

◊ Graduating from this course would provide wonderful job opportunities. Therefore, I could earn a good income. Besides that, I could get a company car.

◊ Coming up with an initial idea was hard. However, the planning phase was a lot easier once we were motivated.

◊ A questionnaire was used to gather information. In addition, an interview was done.

Try using some of these if you do the practice tasks and/or learning some before the test to help you ...let's see how you do now?

Which linking word means "echter"?

1. Therefore
2. Because
3. However
4. Moreover

Which linking word is the odd one out?

1. as a result
2. consequently
3. besides
4. therefore

Fill in the correct linking word:
Climates are changing ______ global warming.

1. in spite of
2. as a result of
3. in order to
4. although

Which linking word is the odd one out?

1. in addition
2. additionally
3. however
4. moreover

Fill in the correct linking word:
He could read and write
______ being blind.

1. despite
2. as a result of
3. even though
4. besides

Fill in the correct linking word:
They lost the match ______ poor physical preparation.

1. despite
2. for example
3. because of
4. even though

Which linking word is the odd one out?

1. therefore
2. such as
3. for instance
4. for example

Sentence length

Read the paragraphs on the right

Notice the difference between the first and last paragraph.

Even though this is an example of creative writing, you should make your text easier to read by alternating sentence length.

How many paragraphs does a letter of motivation have?

1. 1 - everything written without line breaks
2. 1-2 - Introduction and body paragraph
3. 3-4- Introduction, body paragraph and a conclusion
4. 5 - Introduction, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion

Preparation tips

• Look back through this Lesson UP!
  

• Think about what you want to say in a letter of application and think of a a logical structure..
  

• Learn about correct use of punctuation, grammar, other useful vocabulary such as linking words with handy videos and exercises on YouTube.

Tips for during the writing test

• Take time to plan what you are going to write:   Intro-
  

                                                                                             Paragraph 1  - 

• Practice words, sentences on another piece of paper before you write the
   real thing - saves crossing out!
• Write neatly!
• Do not use abbreviations (don't, isn't, etc) or slang (wanna, gonna, hey, etc)
  
• Re-read your paragraph before you move on to the next one - Have you said
    everything you wanted to say?
• Re-read your work as a whole before you hand it in. You will more than likely
    spot mistakes!
  

What will you be assessed on?

•     Content (all necessary elements mentioned / begrijpelijk
        voor de native speaker)
  

​

•     Grammar accuracy
  

​

•     Vocabulary use (is use of words accurate, varied and at
       VWO level)​

 ​

•     Coherence (does the work have a logical progression? –
       beginning-middle-end, no unnecessary repetition)

 ​

•     Spelling / Punctuation / Lay-out