Formal Letter

17 Blundered Road

Cromer

Norfolk

MP2 6QR

The Receptionist

Clifton Hotel

Loughborough Road

Leicester

LE7 9 PO 17 March

Dear Sir or Madam

I would like to book a single room at your hotel for the nights 12, 13, and 14 April. Could I possibly have a quiet room with a bath?

I understand you have a restaurant. Could you tell me what time the restaurant closes?

Please let me know if you need a deposit or a credit card number.

Thank you very much.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Peter West

Peter West

(taken from “New Headway Elementary”)

Sample Answer

Compositional features: a) coded graphical layout: 17 Blundered Road

Cromer

Norfolk

MP2 6QR

b) logical arrangements:

(Dear Sir or Madam

I would like to book a single room at your hotel for the nights 12, 13, and 14 April?).

Lexical features: prevalence of stylistically neutral and bookish vocabulary, (Could I possible have a quiet room with a bath?)

Morphological features: adherence to the norm: (I understand you have a restaurant).

Syntactical features: use of the long complex sentences (Could you tell me what time the restaurant closes?).

Letter 1

Dear Sir,

I noticed an ad. in the paper today which said you were looking for people to join your expedition team. It sounded as if it might be fun so I’m writing to say I’d like to come along.

About myself: I left school at 16 because I couldn’t stand the teachers and I wanted to earn a bit money.

After that I got a few part time jobs as a waiter etc. But I didn’t stick any of them for long. Recently I’ve been doing a bit hitch-hiking round Europe so I’ve had some experience of travelling the hard way which should come in handy on the expedition you’re planning.

By the way, I’m a great guitarist so I can keep you all amused round the campfire at night.

Let me know when I can call in for a chat about dates and for details etc.

Yours

David Morecambe.

Letter 2

I was very interested in your advertisement in today’s edition of The Evening Post and I should like to apply to be a member of the Amazon Expedition team.

I’m twenty-three years old and have an honours degree in Botany from Batch University. I have been working in a research laboratory but my contract comes to an end in six weeks. I would particularly like to join the expedition for the opportunity it would give me to study the plant life of the area.

I enjoy several outdoor activities including rowing and rock climbing and I consider myself to be both fit and healthy enough to undertake such an expedition.

If you would be able to come at any time convenient to you, as my employers have agreed to give me time off for the purpose.

I look forward to hearing from you.

(taken from ПС English, №28, 2000)

Tasks

1. Read the letter and put the following information in the correct places on the Letter 1.