Skip to main content

Writing: The Formal Letter



The Formal Letter

Susan Wakefield
33, Oxford street,                the sender's address
London.

September 1, 2007             the date           

The daily
3333 E. Main Suite 16        the recipient's address
Tucson, Arizona 85712       
Dear Editor,                        the formal salutation
I was so interested in your article about road accidents in yesterday's issue of your newspaper and I would like to share my sad story with the readers. (introduction)
When I was only eight years old, my mother was severely injured in a car accident on the highway. Luckily, she survived, but many of us know people who have not survived these car tragedies. Driving too fast has always been one of the main causes of these horrifying accidents.(body)
Our sense of security on the highway would increase greatly if we would simply reduce the speed limit per hour on major roads. (conclusion)
Yours sincerely,
Susan Wakefield                the signature


 The Format
The formal letter includes : the sender's address (the person who sends the letter), the date, the recipient's address (the person who receives the letter), the formal salutation, the body of the letter, and the signature.
When you write a letter to the editor you should respect the following points:

Introduction: specify which magazine you have read, what ideas you want to respond to and the reason(s) for  writing this letter.
Body of the writing: state the negative effects of the problem and suggest solutions.
Conclusion: include suggested measures and your advice to your fellow-countrymen.


When you finish writing make sure that you:
1.      have used the tenses appropriately
2.      have used expressions of making suggestions
3.      have used expression(s) of advice
4.      your ideas are logical and convincing
5.      have respected the layout of a formal letter (name, your address, the recipients address, the formal salutation, the signature..)

Ref: (Gateway to English, Moroccan English textbook, Level: 3)

EXERCISE

You have read an article talking about the importance of voluntary work in your local newspaper. You have experience in doing voluntary work. Write a letter to the editor and share your experience in voluntary work with the readers.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Conditional type III

Conditional type III We use conditional type 3 to express conditions in the past that did not happen. We often use it to express criticism or regret using: would have, could have, should have. If + subject + had + past participle ..... + subject +  would/should/could + have + past participle ..... Conditional Meaning If I had revised my lessons, I would have succeeded If I had revised my lessons I wouldn't have failed I didn't revise my lessons and as a result I didn't succeed Exercise: use the conditional with the following sentences A - Kamal crashed his car, because he felt asleep while driving. - If he...............................asleep while driving, he.....................................his car. B - We couldn't go to the concert, because we didn't have enough money. - If we ..........................enough  money, we .......................to the concert. C - I lost my j...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Past Perfect

The Past Perfect Form:  had + past participle We use the past perfect to: Clarify order of two past actions (to show that one happened before the other) ·          In reported speech. ·          In conditional type three ·          To express a past wish Examples : I had phoned Jamal before I went out. Action 1 : I phoned Jamal. Action 2 : I went out Amin told me that he had been away for the whole week. If I had worked hard, I would have got the prize. I wish I had gone with you! Exercise : Put the verbs between brackets in the correct form. 1- Nadia (never read)..............................such an interesting story before she moved to university in Spain. 2- (Nadia, ever, study)..................................Spanish before she moved there? 3- She (be)............................
Post a Comment
Read more

The Passive Voice

THE PASSIVE VOICE We use the passive voice when: a- our focus is on the action not on the person who does the action. b- it is not necessary to mention the doer of the action. c- we don't know the person who does/did the action Present simple                               S          V         O Active         Amin speaks English Passive      English is spoken by Amin              be (is/are)+ past participle Exercise:  Put the sentences in the passive voice. 1- He opens the door …………………………………………… 2- We set the table …………………………………………… 3- They don't help you …………………………………………… 4- Does the police catch the th...
Post a Comment
Read more