LECTURE 5: FORMAL LETTER

Learning outcomes
◦ 1. Understand the criteria when writing a formal letter
◦ 2 Understand the structure and format of a formal letter
◦ 3. Able to use appropriate vocabulary and grammatically correct sentences
 1. Has the candidate achieved the purpose stated in the
instructions?

2. Does the text have a positive general effect on the target reader
(e.g. arouse the reader)?

3. Does the text cover all the content points?

1. Preparing for the 4. Is the text well organized and are ideas linked appropriately?

writing paper 5. Has language been used accurately?

6. Does the text exhibit a wide range of vocabulary and

grammatical structure?

7. Is the register appropriate for the task?

8. Is the layout appropriate?

2. Planning your answers

Always read the question carefully and make sure

you understand the following:
• Who are you writing for?
• What are the points you must include in your answer?
• Does the text type have any particular layout requirements ?
• Do you have the necessary vocabulary to answer the
question?
 3. Checking

Check that you have

answered the question
Check for mistakes in
correctly and that you
grammar, spelling,
have included all the
punctuation, etc.
information that is
required
 ◦ Example: letter of complaint
◦ 1. Opening
◦ Use an appropriate salutation (greeting)
◦ 2. Main body
◦ First para. = state what your complaint is about
◦ Second para. = explain exactly what happened, including
where and when.

Structure of a ◦ Next para.(s) = mention any additional details and say

how the problem affected you or your organization

formal letter ◦ Final para. = state how you expect the problem to be
resolved
◦ 3. Closing
◦ Use an appropriate ending
◦ You should always write a formal letter in a formal tone
◦ Although the person writing the complaint letter may be
unhappy, angry however it’s important to maintain a
polite tone throughout.
Useful phrases

◦ Opening
◦ Dear Mr (or Mrs, Ms, Dr) Surname,
◦ Dear Sir or Madam (if you don’t know their name or gender).
 ◦ I am writing to complain about…
◦ I would like to express my dissatisfaction with…
◦ I wish to complain in the strongest term about,,,
◦ On (date) I purchased (product or service).
◦ I was appalled to discover…
Main body ◦ To add insult to injury
◦ The experience was very distressing…
◦ I expect full compensation for….
◦ I trust there will be a prompt resolution of…
◦ Please let me know how you propose to rectify
the situation
Question

◦ You recently took a domestic flight which was badly delayed, and service
from the crew was poor. Write a letter to the customer service manager
and include the following information:
◦ Plane sat on the runway over two hours with no information from the crew
◦ One member of staff was particularly rude when two passengers asked if they
could switch seats
◦ After take-off, it was announced that no food or drinks would be served, not
even mineral water.

◦ Write your letter in around 300-350 words.

Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my deepest dissatisfaction
with the unacceptable level of service I received
from FlyLocal Airlines recently.

I was booked on the 18.20 Glasgow flight to London

flight last Wednesday, 17 February. Although we
boarded on time, had the safety demonstration and
taxied to the runway, the plane did not depart for
several hours. While this was extremely frustrating in
itself, far worse was the fact that we were given
neither an explanation nor an apology for the delay
When one passenger travelling with a small child made
the reasonable request to switch seats so that she could
sit with her husband, the flight attendant was unhelpful
and extraordinarily rude, Overall, I found the crew to be
inefficient and unfriendly. How a service industry-
especially one like FlyLocal whose advertising
campaigns are based on making travel hassle-free and
pleasant- came out to be a complete flop.

The last straw, however, was the unavailability of any

refreshments either before or on the flight. A
perfunctory announcement after take-off informed us of
this. Again, there was no attempt to apologize for the
inconvenience to the passengers, who could not even
purchase bottled water. To deprive people for that long,
at that time of the evening, of food and drink was a
complete disgrace.
Please process a full refund of my airfare
instantly. I would also expect additional
compensation or another gesture of goodwill. I
look forward to receiving your reply as soon as
possible.
Yours faithfully,

James Kong
Checkpoint 5
◦ In your local newspaper, you have just read
an article heavily criticizing students’
behaviour in town, outside of school hours.
Write a letter to the editor and include the
following information:
◦ Your overall reaction to the article
◦ Specific points that you agree or disagree
with, and why
◦ A suggestion for a follow-up article

◦ Write your letter in 300-250 words

END OF LECTURE 5