Hints for writing a letter

Writing task 1 is designed to test your ability to write a particular kind of letter. It may be personal (to a friend, a family member, or someone you know or are soon to meet; or it may be a more formal letter, perhaps to a person within a particular institution(to a librarian, to a air port authority, to a government officer , to a bank officer etc). In either case, you are asked to respond to a given problem by requesting information or giving an explanation of a situation. The problem is clearly given to you in the task. By writing the letter, you will help solve this particular problem. You should write the letter using complete sentences within paragraphs, that is, not in note form. The minimum number of words your are required to write is 150. But you should write nearly 160 to 180 words. EXAMPLE You have recently moved into a new flat. Unfortunately, you lost some money the other day, and cannot afford to pay the next months rent when it is due. Write a letter to the landlord explaining the situation and that you will pay as soon as you parents send you the money. Also, mention that there are some problems with the flat. Introduction phrases GENERAL 1) I am writing to you because. 2) I am writing to you to advise you that 3) I am writing to you to let you know that 4) I am writing to you in reply to your recent letter TO ANY UNIVERSITY OR ORGANIZATION 1) I am anxious to obtain some information from you about LETTERS EXPRESSING SORROW 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) It is with regret that I write to you advising you that... I regret to inform you that I regret to let you know that I am sorry to let you know that I am sorry to inform you that

USE PROPER END PHRASES DEPENDING UPON THE TYPE OF THE LETTER 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) I look forward to your reply. I look forward to hearing from you in the future. I would be very grateful if you would attend to this matter as soon as possible. I await your reply in anticipation. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Thank you for your cooperation and I hope to hear from you shortly. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries about the matter. I am sorry to have caused you any trouble and I trust that you will understand.(this phrase should be written when your letter causes some inconvenience to the opposite person)

RITE PROPER SIGN OFF PHRASES FOR FORMAL OR SEMI FORMAL LETTERS 1) Yours sincerely (use for business/information letters) 2) Yours faithfully some people distinguish between sincerely and faithfully by using . Sincerely for persons when the name is known and faithfully when the name is not known. 3) Regards Regards is less formal, but very commonly used for business. INFORMAL 1) Yours truly, - (use of personal letters to friends in business) 2) Best wishes, - (use of personal letters to friends) 3) Love (or Lots of Love), - (use for family or close friends usually to the opposite sex if a friend) Look at the modal answer of the above letter

Note: There is no need to write your address for the IELTS test. Dear _______________, I am writing to you because I am unable to pay next months rent, which is due on Saturday. Unfortunately, the other day I lost my wallet, and there was a large amount of money inside. I have, therefore, had to write to my parents to ask them to send me some money urgently. As soon as it arrives, I will immediately notify you and arrange to pay by cash or cheque. I hope that this does not cause you too much inconvenience. There are also some problems with the flat that I wish to bring to your attention. First, the cold tap in the bathroom will not turn off properly, and the water is dripping constantly. This will need to be fixed quickly because it is wasting water. Second, one of the back rings on the top of the oven does not work at all. Im sorry that I cannot pay the rent on time, and trust that you will understand. I look forward to your reply Yours sincerely, Mary Campisi

MAKE YOUR QUESTIONS RELEVANT AND POLITE If you are going to write a sentence in question form in your letter, which is quite acceptable and often a good idea, make sure that the question you ask is relevant to the topic and is informative to the reader. However, do not ask too many questions in your letter. You wish to enrol in a course (of our choice) at an Australian College. You have already written a letter tot he college asking for information but have received no reply. Write a letter to the college explaining your concern because the course will start in less than two months. You need to know if you can still enrol, and you also require information about the course, including the cost. First of all, I need to know if it is too late to enrol in the course. Can you write and tell me if there are any places left? I certainly hope that my enrolment is still possible Notice that the question is asked after the problem is explained in the first sentence. The question naturally leads on from of the problem. You should avoid asking a question if it is not completely clear why it is being asked. There is also a sentence following the question which clearly relates to it. The question is, therefore, made completely relevant. Of course, your question should be relevant to the task topic. It would be foolish (and inappropriate) to ask the recipient of the letter over to dinner in order to appear friendly! It is never a good idea to be too familiar with a person that you do not know well. It is also better to ask a question using a longer or more polite form than a short direct form:

Can you write to me and tell me if ? Do you happen to know why ? Would you be kind enough to ?

is preferable to is preferable to is preferable to

Are there any places left? Why ? Will you send ?

FORM 1. Begin with the correct title for the person to whom you are writing. If you do not know the gender, use Sir/Madam. 2. Write in paragraphs, each dealing with one (or two) main point(s). You may begin the first paragraph (if formal or semi-formal) with I am writing to you because (sth) (or) in reference to (sth) 3. Use linking words where appropriate, such as therefore, however and also. 4. You might also use sequencing words to list the points you make (First, Second etc). 5. End with Yours sincerely,: for a business letter, or Best wishes for a personal letter. CONTENT

1. Begin by clearly stating the reason for the letter you are writing. If required, write formally, in
2. 3. which case do not include personal questions such as How are you? Next, state what you have done, and/or (as in this case) what you intend to do. You may wish to write a sentence starting with I hope if a request you make might cause some inconvenience. You must include all the points that the question task asks you to make, or you are question task asks you are sure to score lower than expected. Your last (short) paragraph usually restates the main reason(s) for writing or, in a formal letter, may end with I look forward to hearing from you in the future or a similar phrase,

4.
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