Writing a formal letter

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

H4 Writing a formal letter 

Tuesday 16 January 2024

What's the plan?

• We look at differences between formal and informal letters
• You are reminded of the writing conventions: what should a formal letter look like?
• Continue your reading practice.

At the end of this lesson

• You can use formal and informal language appropriately.
• You can use the writing conventions.
• You can read texts and answer questions.

After completing this writing course you can:

• respond adequately in writing with native speakers of English
• ask for and give information in English
• apply for a job in English.

What kind of language would you find here?

Formal

Informal

Letter to a cousin

Text message to a friend

Letter of complaint

Application

Social media post

Formal letter

Informal letter

Gonna

Wanna

Greetings, 

Yours faithfully, 

Dear Ms de Bruijn, 

Dear Inez, 

I would like

polite and specific

Salutation

When you know the name:

Dear Mr Tremadoc,

When you don't know a name or who you are writing to:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Do not use:

Dear Peter, Dear Sir,

Dear Mr P. Tremadoc, 

Dear Sir Tremadoc,

Dear Mr Peter Tremadoc, 

Hi Peter,

but use:

Dear Sirs, Dear Sir/ Madame,

Dear (company name),

Dear reader, etc.

Extra information salutation

A name in the salutation? End letter with  Yours sincerely,
Dear Sir/Madam in the salutation? Use Yours faithfully, 
No first names or first letters before the name (Dear Mr P. Tremadoc = wrong).
Mr for man, Mrs for married woman, Miss for unmarried woman, Ms for any woman (not known whether she is married or not)

(no full stop = Mr./Mrs./Ms.

Put the parts of a formal letter in the correct order

Steps:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Your address

Date

The address of the person who receives the letter.

Dear sir/madam,

Reason for writing and the main points

Thank you for consideration/I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely/yours faithfully/kind regards

Open "Writing a formal letter" 

(document in Classroom)

• Read page 2 - 7 (Chapter 1 & 2) for yourself.
• Do quiz on page 4, rewrite the passage of task 1, 2 or 3.
• Make notes of new information of things you find difficult to remember.
• Compare rewritten passages with a partner

Short quiz on formal language

Reading Practice - Workbook in Classroom

• To practise for your SE-1 = reading exam, you work at your own pace with different kind of texts: WaspReporter and exam texts.
• Make your own copy of the Workbook in Classroom. 
• Work seriously and alone. I will check what you have done.
• Make sure you do all the exercises, read carefully what you need to do.
• If you have any questions, let me know.

Note: you can't work with WaspReporter at home, so do those in class and do exam texts at home!

Homework

Study phrases 3.1.1 on page 8.

Start with Exam texts 1, 2 and 3 of the reading workbook.

Note: you can't work with WaspReporter at home, so do those in class and do exam texts at home!

(ask for the answer key the next lesson)

What's the plan?

• We look at differences between formal and informal letters
  
• You are reminded of the writing conventions: what should a formal letter look like?
• Continue your reading practice.

At the end of this lesson

• You can use formal and informal language appropriately.
• You can use the writing conventions.
• You can read texts and answer questions.