Writing a Letter

1. Writing a Letter Formal letter Informal letter Summing up letters Example of informal letter Pen-friend letter Thank you letters Writing a postcard Example of formal letter Letter to an official

2. Formal Letter • When we write formal letters you write to someone you don’t know – you • should use a more formal style. • Write the recipient’s address (the person who you are writing to) at the top • left of the page. • Put your own address at the top right of the page. • After ‘Dear Sir/Madam,’ you may want to state the subject of your letter (the • reason why you are writing) before you start writing. You could write in capital • Letters and underline it (to make it stand out). • Don’t for get to add the date underneath the recipient’s address. • Use phrases such as ‘I would’ and ‘Please could you’. • Don’t use contractions (such as I’m). • Don’t use slang words such as ‘fab’. • End your letter with ‘Yours Faithfully,’ or ‘Yours sincerely,’.

3. Informal Letter • Informal letter; • The date goes on the left above your greeting. • Write your address in the top right-hand corner of the page. • Always start with ‘Dear’...., - use a comma after the person’s name • You may use abbreviations to save space. • The closing phrase is usually informal – love .... • Use lots of adjectives, such as ‘cool’ and ‘fantastic’ • You may even add kisses – if you wish to do so!

4. Example of Informal Letter 22, Stock End, ROCKINGTON RK1 1KR 17th January 2013 Dear Granny, Thank you so much for the money you sent me for my birthday. I’m going To spend it on... Love from Luke

5. Example of Formal Letter The Spinney Long Lane FAIRFORD FF1 1QT The Manager Fairford Bank Whistle Street FAIRFORD FF2 2QN 13th April 2013 OPENING A SAVER’S ACCOUNT Dear Madam, I am interested in opening a Saver’s Account. Could you please send me details of what I need to open one and I can come in (as soon as I am free) and open one. Yours sincerely, Ms. Julie Woodward

6. Thank-you Letters Tell the reader the purpose of the letter Give reasons why the person made a good choice – phrasing the first reason As a questions – Did you know yellow was my favourite colour? Think about the following; What are you going to say thank you for; a kind deed, a thoughtful present or a party you went to. Write positive things and link it to the present/gift. Use great adjectives to describe what you are thanking the person for; fascinating jigsaws, intriguing books, superb trainers.

7. Letter to a Pen-friend You are writing to each other to make friends. You could share information about; Yourself, your home and family – your pets Your hobbies and interests What kind of films or music you both like. As well as giving information you need to ask questions for your pen-pal to reply to. You can’t write ‘Love from’ when you don’t know somebody well. ‘Best wishes’ or ‘Regards’ are fine.

8. Letters to Officials One reason that people write letters is to express an opinion in public. Reasons for writing; You may want to write a letter to – highlight a problem, prevent something from happening or to complain about something. Start the letter with a formal layout then; Present the situation Express your opinion, explaining briefly why you hold your view Make a suggestion Request some specific action – including a reply to your letter

9. Writing a Postcard When you write on the back of a postcard make it as interesting as possible and personalize it. As there is not much space on a postcard, it’s often best to leave out a greeting. The name and address alongside make it clear to whom you are writing. Mostly, you can pitch straight in with your message: ‘Wish you were here’. ‘The sunshine shines all day long here’. You could tell them a fascinating fact that you’ve learnt about the place Where you are staying. What you did yesterday or what you hope to do tomorrow. How you find the local people and their customs. If you have had a chance to practise a foreign language. What the food or accommodation (where you are staying) are like – and what the weather is like!

10. Summing Up Letters • Picture the person you are writing to as you write. • In an informal letter, write as you would speak – don’t try to use sophisticated • language (words you don’t understand). • Draft your letter first on scrap paper, then you can concentrate fully on neat • legible handwriting for the fair copy. • Always remember to date your letter including the year. • Keep your sentences short and read them aloud to check they make sense. • Remember, if your letter begins ‘Dear Sir’ (or Madam), then it must end • ‘Yours faithfully,’ or ‘Yours Sincerely,’. • Keep letters to recipients other than your friends to one side of the paper. • Avoid starting every sentence with ‘I...’