SVTM English 1.2 lesson 5

• English
• HBO
• Studiejaar 1

Tourism Management 

English 1.2, Lesson 5

English 1.2

Lesson 2

Goals for today

Goal 1

Formal letter quiz

Goal 2

Grammar test

Goal 3

Vocabulary test

Goal 4

Formal letter/infographic clarity

Goal 1

Formal letter quiz 

Get started - LessonUp app at the ready

Note: these questions have a timer because they are aimed at students who watched the web lecture.

Is it acceptable to use "I" or "we" in a formal letter?

1. Yes
2. No

Personal pronouns & formal writing

• 1st person singular (I, my, me):  used in letters of application (a.k.a. cover letters (sollicitatiebrief) )
• 1st person plural (we, our, us): used in business letters and emails, written on behalf of an organisation
• In all other forms of formal writing, a neutral style is used, avoiding the use of the 1st and 2nd personal pronouns (so no I, we, you)

Can you start a letter with 'I' or 'we'?

1. Yes
2. No

The first word...

Note that in English, it is perfectly acceptable to start a letter using 'I' or 'we'.

Note that you always start using a capital letter, despite of the fact that the salutation is followed by a comma!

How do you start a formal letter to Bella Jones (female)? Note: in UK spelling

What is the more common, modern way to formulate the closing greeting
of a formal letter?

Does your formal letter need an introduction?

1. Yes, with details about your name, age, school, etc.
2. Yes, you briefly state your function, & the why of the letter
3. No, it is clear from the infographic what it is about
4. No, it will make the letter too long

Does your formal letter need a final paragraph to round it off?

1. No, it will make my letter too long
2. Yes, I need to clarify what I expect from the reader

Remember:

No contractions in formal writing

Yes:  We are  /  They did not  /  She should have

No: We're  /  They didn't  /  She should've

Which phrase would you choose for a formal letter?

1. The guests will be driven to the hotel. And they will receive a drink on arrival.
2. The guests will be driven to the hotel, and they will receive a drink on arrival.

No conjunctive coordinators

at the beginning of a sentence!

Conjunctive coordinators

Useful words, but not at the beginning of a sentence in a formal text.   Also known as the FANBOYS:

But

Or

Yet

So

For

And

Nor

Replace "But":
We have to make a profit. But we will not siphon off all our revenue to our own country.

1. Yet,
2. Never
3. In contrast,
4. However,

Replacement

But - replace with However, 

Replace "And":
Our target consists of affluent people. And most of them have finished their higher education.

1. Also
2. Furthermore,
3. Nevertheless,
4. Yet

Replacement

And - replace with Furthermore, 

Replace "So":
Our target group loves culture. So we will organize a sightseeing tour.

1. Furthermore,
2. Therefore,

Replacement

So - replace with Therefore,

Rewrite, correcting the mistake as efficiently as possible:
The climate is mild in winter. Which is Malaga's main pull factor.

Full clauses

Every sentence must be a full (independent) clause, with a subject and a verb.

"Which is Malaga's main pull factor." is a  (dependent) subclause (bijzin) and cannot be used independently.

Which is the better choice for a formal letter?

1. This is a very interesting option.
2. This is a really interesting option.

Warning

In formal writing, using  "really" instead of "very" 

is not acceptable.

Which is the better choice for a formal letter?

1. You can choose from the following options:
2. The following options are available:

Warning

In a formal letter, avoid addressing the reader with 'you'. 

The neutral style is more professional

How did you do?

Great! I know how to write formally

Good. Made a few mistakes, but they make sense now

Okay. I made quite a few mistakes, but I understand them

Not too good: I made many mistakes. I need to study this!

Pleased? Goal achieved!

Not pleased? Work to do!

Goal 2

Grammar test

Rewrite this sentence using the modal verbs can / could:

Summers in Lisbon are sometimes quite hot.

Monique will show you the first rewrite.

Rewrite using can / could:
If the weather is good, this outing will possibly be the highlight of the trip.

Rewrite using the modal verb may / might:
If the amenities are not modernized on time, it is possible that there will be regular power cuts in this hotel.

Rewrite using the modal verb should:
It is expected to tip the hotel staff if they provide good services.
Tip: You may need to change the word order.

What did you think of this grammar test?

Easy peasy lemon squeezy

It was difficult but doable

it was difficult and I made many mistakes

I didn't study the grammar, so it made no sense to me.

Goal 2

Grammar test: done!

You know what to do at home based on how you did.

Goal 3

Vocabulary test

Dictation

Take pen and paper

Dictation check

1. When they calculated the price, they forgot to take the indirect costs into account.

2. After the calculation of all the costs, the outcome is a profit margin of 8%.

3. The financial side of our project is extremely solid.

4. How many trips must be sold to reach the break-even point?

5. This package may provide a valuable boost to your revenue.

How did you do?

Great! No more than 1-2 mistakes

3-4 mistakes.

5-6 mistakes

7-8 mistakes

Ouch! more than 8 mistakes

Pleased? Goal achieved!

Not pleased: work to do!

Goal 4

Gain clarity on the infographic and formal letter.

What goes in the infographic?

What is the objective of the formal letter and what should be included?

Infographic:

Key points regarding the stories as they relate to the city trip you have put together.

Formal letter:

Letter to the senior management of your tour company (you write it individually but on behalf of the product department) justifying and elaborating on the points made in the infographic to persuade senior management to add your city trip to the products offered.

Clear? Well done.

Unclear? Review the last slide/course overview/Moodle.

Feedback Infographic

• Revise your infographic based on 

- the feedback 

- your increased knowledge and 

- your progressive insight

Feedback draft formal letter

• Use Formal Letter Feedback form on Teams to give 1 classmate feedback.

• Revise your letter based on the feedback, and on 

your own progressive insight.

Homework

• Write your full draft of the formal letter and submit on Teams before the next lesson in the FORMAL LETTER folder (mapje)
• Write down any questions you have for the final lesson.
• Revise the notes you made of what was unclear after the feedback evaluations. Pick out your most pressing question for the teacher to answer in the final lesson. Email this 24 (working) hours before class.

We're ALMOST THERE!