HOW TO WRITE A Formal Letter or Email
Beginning
Most formal letters will start with ‘Dear’ before the name of the person that you are writing to: ‘Dear
Ms Brown,’ or ‘Dear Brian Smith,’ You can choose to use rst name and surname, or title and surname.
If you don't know the name of the person you are writing to, use: ‘Dear Sir/Madam,’ Remember to add
the comma. Your opening sentence should clearly state why you are writing the letter - get to the point
straight away: ‘I would like to apply for the position of ...’ ‘I am writing to complain about the poor
service we received at ...’
Tone and purpose
Your letter, like the opening sentence, needs to be precise and to the point. Tone, or the way your letter
sounds, is very important and nding the right tone can sometimes be dicult. You may need to be
rm, but polite. In a formal letter, the aim is to sound ‘businesslike’. Avoid any language that seems
casual or chatty. Think about the purpose of your letter and include all the relevant details to help the
reader to respond. For example: In a job application, include some specic details about why you are an
ideal candidate for the role. In a letter of complaint, include a summary of what has happened to
prompt your complaint, with names, locations and dates, if necessary. Make sure that each point you
make is given a separate paragraph.
Ending
Before you end your letter, make sure that you provide a clear course of action for the reader. Making a
complaint? Make it clear that you need a reply. Applying for a job? End on a positive note and say that
you are looking forward to hearing from them. Signing o will depend on how you started your letter.
If you used someone’s name, end with ‘Yours sincerely,’ If you didn't use their name, you used
‘Sir/Madam’ instead, so end with ‘Yours faithfully,’
Finally, don’t forget to proofread your letter for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Task (optional)
Imagine you are having problems with someone at work and you decide you have to inform your bosses
about it. Think of what the problem is, incidents that have happened and what you think needs to be
done to solve the proble. Write your bosses a formal letter or email.
HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER
TASKS FOR HOMEWORK THIS BANK HOLIDAY. (FROM YOUR HANDOUT ABOUT JOBS).
1. Write a cover letter
Apply for the job advert that most appeals to you: (ART GALLERY ASSISTANT, ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER OR OFFICIAL GUIDE). 160-180 words.
2. Written mediation
Prison Officer Interview Questions and Answers!
Watch the following videos and take notes on key information in order to do the task below. You can use subtitles to understand all the important information.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRISON OFFICER
The British authorities have done some videos with testimonies from different prison officers in which they explain what is involved in their job. You have a friend who’s trying to decide which career path he/she should follow. He knows you´ve also been doing some research and asks you to summarise what you´ve found out.
Write an email to your friend summarising the main ideas of the three clips you´ve watched on youtube. (180-200 words).
DEADLINE 6 TH MAY
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