The Oak Tree School of England

PLEASE WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS

Mr/Mrs/Ms
First name
Nationality
Address in your country
Family name
Date of birth
Language(s)
Occupation
Date of arrival
Date of departure
Reason for learning English: Business/pleasure/exams/others (if other, please specify).
How many hours a day do you want to study?
How long are you going to stay at the school?
What date do you want to start?
Signature

III. Writing an informal letter

1. Look at the organization of this informal letter.

All letters begin with Dear ... ,

your address,

and the date,

but not your name.

Address	38 Clifton Gardens London NW6 4GT 27 September
	Dear Maria
The body of the letter	I'm very pleased that we're going to be pen-friends. I'll tell you a little about myself, and you can do the same when you write to me. I live in an area of London called Maida Vale. It's quite near the centre, but there are parks nearby where I take my dog, Mickey, for a walk. I live with my parents and my younger brother, Paul. My father works for the post office and my mother has a part-time job as a nurse. I go to the local comprehensive school, where I have a lot of friends. I like most subjects, but not all of them! In the evenings I sometimes visit friends or stay at home and listen to music, and at the weekends I like going swimming or horse-riding. At the moment I'm working very hard because I have exams soon, so I'm spending a lot of time in the library!
Ending	I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Write soon!
You can end a letter to a friend with Best wishes or Regards, or Love, if you know them well.	Best wishes
Your signature

2. Write a similar letter to a pen-friend in England.

Your pen-friend can be male or female. Write about these things:

- you, your family

- where you live

- what you do

- your hobbies

IV. Writing a formal letter

1. Look at the organization of this formal letter.

Your address (not your name) – Return address	Mrs. Clara Winters 12187 S. Polo Dr. Fairfax, VA 22030
The date	May 26, 2007
The name and the address of who you are writing to – Inside address	The Tiny Tots Toy Company 15456 Pyramid Way College Park, FL 33133
The greeting	Dear Customer Service Representative
Introduction	I recently purchased one of your Tiny Tents (Model # 47485) for my three-year old. Unfortunately, after viewing the components that came with the product, I discovered that four of the parts were missing. Also, the instructions that came with the tent are incomplete. Both of these situations have resulted in the tent remaining unassembled and unacceptable as a toy for my daughter.
Main parts	I am writing to request replacements for the missing parts, and a copy of the full set of assembly directions for the model I purchased. If reasonable arrangements are not made within ten business days, I will return the tent to the store I purchased it from and expect a full refund. To assist you in processing my request, I am including a copy of my sales receipt and a list of the missing parts.
Concluding comment	I have purchased other toys manufactured by your company in the past, and have always been impressed with the quality and selection Tiny Tots has made available to its customers. I sincerely hope this is a one-time incident, and that any future purchases I make will live up to the standard my family has come to expect from your company.
The ending	Sincerely/Yours faithfully
Your signature	Clara Winters

2. Read the letter. Separate the different parts and write them in the boxes as in an example.

Rua Luis de Deus 18, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal. 29th March 2000. The Principal, The Oxford English College, 234 Hilton Rd, Eastbourne BN4 3UA. Dear Sir or Madam, I saw your advertisement for English classes in this month's English Today magazine and I am interested in coming to your school this summer. I have studied English for three years but I have never been to England and I feel that this is now necessary, especially to improve my pronunciation. Please could you send me more information about your courses, and an application form? I would also like some information about accommodation. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Yours faithfully, Ana Maria Fernandes.

3. Read Nancy's letter of application to Worldwatch. Put one word into each gap. Compare your answers with a partner.

17 Hillside Rd

Chesswood

Herts. WD3 5LB

Tel 01923 284171

Fax 01923 286622

Thursday 17 January

David Benton

Worldwatch UK Ltd

357 Ferry Rd

Basingstoke RG2 5HP

Dear Mr Benton

I saw your ______ for a Business Journalist in today's Guardian newspaper. I am very ______ in the job and I think that I have many of the necessary ______ .

I ______ politics and modern languages at Oxford University. I am ______ in French, German and

Spanish. I have ______ widely in Europe and South America, and I ______ worked as a business journalist for the BBC ______ the last five years.

I enclose a copy of my curriculum vitae. I look forward ______ hearing from you soon. Please let me know if you need more information.

Yours sincerely

Nancy Mann

4. Look at Nancy's letter again.

- In what other ways can you begin and end formal letters?

- In what ways can you begin and end informal letters?

- Where is Nancy's address written?

- Where is the address of the company she's writing to?

- In what other way can you write the date?

- Where does Nancy sign her name? Where does she print her name?

- There are three paragraphs. What is the aim of each one?

When writing a formal (business) letter, be sure to include all components:

- The Heading: common with every business letter format, the heading contains your address and the date of writing.

- The Inside Address: included the name of the addressee, that person’s title or office, the name of the company or institution, and the full address.

- The Salutation: the formal greeting appears two lines lower than the inside address.

- The Body: use the body of your letter to explain the situation and to make your request or response. Make sure it is done in a straightforward and concise manner.

- The Complimentary Close: the complimentary close is inserted three lines below the last line of the body. The most common formulas are: Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Yours truly, Yours sincerely.

- Your Typed Name: in all business letters, there are usually four lines between the complimentary close and the typed name.

- Your Signature: always use blue or black ink. Match your signature and your typed name.

When you write a letter you create an image of you or your company in your reader's mind. A good letter should be effortless reading that makes you want to read more. It should be clear and concise, with short sentences and simple words. It should keep to the facts and be easy to read and to understand.

Remember that the tone of a business letter should be more formal than normal, conversational English. Avoid using slang and idiomatic expressions.