| Teacher: Good morning, boys and girls! Glad to see you! Sit down! Look at the blackboard and tell me, what date is it today?
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What day of the week is it today?
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What is the weather like today?
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Do you like it/ Why/Why not?
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Do you like writing letters?
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Who do you usually write to?
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How often do you write letters?
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Which do you prefer writing a letter to your friend or sms?
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Which is better?
Teacher: The topic of our lesson is Letter Writing. At our lesson we shall revise formal and informal letters, various types of letters and their styles. Now answer my questions: -
What two kinds of letters do you know?
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What is the difference between them?
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Are they different in style?
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What are the characteristics of formal style in letters?
2. We often use the passive voice in formal letters. 3. Formal language (complex sentences and non-spoken English) 4. No short forms 5. The closing remark (Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully) 5) OK. Very good. And what are the characteristics of informal style in letters? - They are: 1. The greeting (Dear John, Dear Mum) 2. informal language style (spoken English) 3. Short forms, pronouns omitted. 4. The closing remark (Yours, Love, Best wishes) Teacher: Very good. Now look at the board, read the following sentences and say what kind of language is used here: formal or informal.
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I am writing to request your advice on a business matter.
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I look forward to receiving any information which might be of help.
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I’m writing to say how sorry I am for the misunderstanding.
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I trust this matter will receive your immediate attention.
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Well, that’s all my news for now. Write back soon.
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Thank you again for the invitation and I hope we can get together some other time.
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Once again, thanks for your help.
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I am writing to inform you that courses will commence on July 4th.
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Hope this advice has helped.
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I’m writing to invite you to our house-warming party.
Teacher: Well done! The next question is about the types of letters. What types of formal letters do you know? -
There are various types of formal letters. They are: Letters of complaint, letters asking for/giving information, letters of request, letters asking for/giving advice, letters of invitation, letters accepting/ refusing an invitation, letters expressing congratulations/ thanks/ regret/sympathy, letters giving news (narrative/descriptive), letters of apology, letters of application for a job, etc.
Teacher: Yes, that’s right. And now look at the board again. Match the sentences with the types of letters below. Pupils do exercise 3.
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I am writing to ask you for a favour.
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I am facing a problem which I hope you might
be able to help me with.
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I wish to thank you for the lovely gift.
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I’m writing to invite you to a party.
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I am pleased to be able to assist you in your
enquiries about ….
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I would like to apply for the position of …..
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I’d be glad to come to the celebration …
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I want to express my strong dissatisfaction
with …
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I’m so sorry for what I did.
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I was so upset when I heard the sad news.
a letter of complaint b letter giving information c letter of request d letter asking for advice e letter of invitation f letter accepting an invitation g letter expressing thanks h letter of application for a job I letter expressing sympathy j letter of apology |
1 ….. 2 ….. 3 ….. 4 ….. 5 ….. 6 ….. 7 ….. 8 ….. 9 …... 10 …..
Teacher: Now let’s revise the structure of formal and informal letters. What does a good formal letter consist of?
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the correct greeting ( Dear Mrs Newton, Dear Sir/Madam)
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an introduction in which we clearly state the reason we are writing
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the main body in which we develop our subject, introducing each main point in separate paragraphs
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a final paragraph in which we sum up what we talked about before or we express our wish for something to be done
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an appropriate ending ( Yours sincerely/ Yours faithfully, + signature + full name)
Teacher: Very good. And what does a good informal letter consist of?
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the correct greeting ( Dear Mary)
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giving thanks for the letter and excuse for not writing for a long time
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the main body in which we answer the pen friend’s questions and ask three questions on the given topic, introducing each main point in separate paragraphs
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a final paragraph in which we mention the reason of finishing the letter
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an appropriate ending ( Yours, Love, Best wishes)
Teacher: OK. Let’s do the following task. Exercise 11 Write a letter A – G in each space to label the parts of the letter.
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Put Love, or Best wishes, and then put my first name.
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Put Dear and my pen friend’s name, followed by a comma.
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Write my address and the date here.
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Say goodbye and tell my pen friend to write back.
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Ask questions about the new bike.
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Say hello and thank my pen friend for their letter.
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Answer his questions and give some advice.
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4 ___________
| 5 ___________ |
Teacher: Well done! Now let’s do exercise 6.
Exercise 6a Read Karen’s letter and answer the following questions:
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What kind of letter is it? – It’s informal letter ( a letter of invitation)
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How does it begin and end? – It begins with Dear + name and ends with “Lots of love”
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Where and when will the event take place? – At the stables and at Karen’s house (in the garden) on Friday, the 15th of June.
Heathfield W. Sussex 2nd June 2010 Dear Emily, I’m writing to invite you to my birthday celebration on Friday, 15 June. It’s going to be an all-day affair, so you should be here by eleven o’clock in the morning. Since it’s my sixteenth birthday, my parents want it to be a very special day, so this is what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to take everyone to the stables to hire horses. Then we’re going to ride to the Elmington Estate and have a picnic there. When we get back, there’ll be games and refreshments in the garden, and in the evening there’ll be supper and dancing. I just hope the weather is fine! Let me know if you can come, and tell me your news as well. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Lots of love, Karen
b Listen to Emily’s letter and answer the following questions:
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How does Emily begin her letter? - She begins with Dear and first name.
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What has she been doing? – She has been spending her time practicing for a musical festival.
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What is she going to buy this afternoon? – She is going to buy some clothes.
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How does Emily end her letter? – She ends her letter with “With Love” and her name.
(аудиозапись) Dear Karen, Thank you so much for your invitation. I’d love to come to your birthday celebration. It sounds like it’s going to be really good. You know how much I like riding! I’m writing this from my cousin’s house, where Sarah and I are practicing our piece for the music festival next week. Sarah is singing and I’m playing the piano. We’re doing a song from a musical so it’s quite fun and not too difficult, but even so we’re getting so nervous already. We’re going to go shopping for some new clothes this afternoon to help us relax. If I find something nice, maybe I’ll wear it to your party. I have to get back to my playing now, but I’m looking forward to your birthday. It will be so nice to spend a day outside in the country after all this practicing, and our school exams will be finished by then, too. Looking forward to seeing you on the fifteenth. With love, Emily
Teacher: Now, children, tell me please, how many addresses are there in informal and formal letters?
Where do you write the address in informal letters?
And what about formal letters?
What do we begin and end the informal letter with?
If we begin the formal letter with Dear Sir/Madam, what do we end it with?
If the formal letter starts with Dear Mr/Mrs + surname, what do we end it with?
Very good. Now let’s do exercise 5.
Exercise 5 Read the two letters and say the reason why they have been written. Then, compare and contrast them to find characteristics of formal and informal style.
Bay Plaza Hotel 40-44 Oriental Parade Wellington New Zealand
22 March 2009
Mr J. Williams 31 Harbour Heights Sydney Australia
Dear Mr Williams, I am pleased to confirm your reservation for 15thAugust for two nights, in a single room with private bathroom, at the rate of $95 per night. I will reserve a parking space for you as requested. The hotel is approximately 20 minutes drive from the airport and I enclose a map of the area to help you to find us. Please, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further queries. I look forward to welcoming you to the Bay Plaza Hotel and hope that you will have a pleasant stay with us.
Yours sincerely, B. Chapman Reservations Dept.
Auckland 10th July 2010
Dear Sam, Thanks for your letter. It was great to hear from you and I’m so pleased that you’re finally coming to see New Zealand. Anyway, it’s fine for you to stay here for the first week of September – but please stay as long as you like! Yes, I think it’s a very good idea to hire a car at the airport, then you can see much more of the country. It’s about 20 minutes drive to the house and I’ll make sure there’s somewhere for you to park – don’t worry. I’m sending you some photos of Lake Taupo, and some of the beaches on the coast of Northland, to give you an idea of how fantastic the scenery is here …. what do you think? The weather should still be quite warm in September, so you’ll be able to do lots of swimming and sunbathing. I’m sure you’ll have a great time here! Well, do get in touch if you’ve got any questions, but if not I’ll see you on the 2nd. I can’t wait to see you again. Best wishes, Andi
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Look at the addresses and dates on the two letters. How are they different?
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Which letter has contractions?
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Match the beginnings in A with endings in B.
A B -
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Dear Sir
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Dear Mrs Kemble
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Dear Kate
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My darling Joanna
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Best wishes
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Yours faithfully
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With all my love
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Yours sincerely
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4.Look at the phrases underlined in the informal letter. Find phrases in the formal letter which have a similar meaning.
Teacher: We have two more letters to compare. Please, read the advert from exercise 12 and do the task.
Exercise 12 a) Colin has a Swiss-Italian friend Antonella, and he wants to do an Italian language course this summer, either in Italy or in Switzerland. Read the advertisement below. Underline a course he should apply for.
Language Live !! Learn • English in England and the USA • Espaňol en Espaňa, Mexico y Argentina • Français en France, Suisse et au Canada • Deutch in Deutchland / Osterreich / Schweiz • Italiano in Italia
Courses form 2 weeks to 9 months All levels, all year round
Host Family Accomodation
For a FREE information pack please contact us at:
Tel: 020 7753 2190 • Fax: 020 7753 9226 e-mail: langlive@ conserve.org.uk Website: www.languageslive.co.uk Or write to: Isabel McGowan, Languages Live! 177 King Street, LONDON W1 6HH
b) Look at Colin’s two letters. One is a formal letter asking for information about Italian courses, the other is a note to his friend. Complete the two letters with words and phrases from the box.
15.11.10 Monday the above address Dear Mrs McGowan I’m sending you 16a All my love Just a quick note to say Please send I am interested in I read Yours sincerely Colin I’m sure I’ll really enjoy reading it Hi Antonella!!
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16a Berwick Street
Tiverton Devon TI55 6FY
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15.11.10
(3) Dear Mrs McGowan (4) I read your advertisement in the Education Gazette of 15th November 2010. (5) I am interested summer courses in Italian for summer 2011. (6) Please send an information pack to me at (7) the above address . Could you please also tell me if you have any courses in Italian in Switzerland, and provide me with some information about what kind of accommodation you have available. (8) Yours sincerely ,
Colin Riley
Tiverton (9) Monday
(10) Hi Antonella! (11) Just a quick note to say thanks for the book you send me, which arrived yesterday. (12) I’m sure I’ll really enjoy reading it ! (But I’m going to need my Italian-English dictionary!!) There’s no real news here. I saw an advertisement for Italian courses in the newspaper today, so I’ve sent for information pack. (13) I’m sending you some more photos of our weekend in Newquay. You look great!! Look after yourself, (14) All my love , (15) Colin
Teacher: Before checking up, please change over your exercise-books with the partner. Now, let’s check up the exercise. … Сount the mistakes and tell me what mark you have given to your partner.
…… Today we’ve done great work to compare formal and informal letters. Let’s sum up what you have learnt.
Exercise 9 Answer the following T/F statements.
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Colloquial English can be used in formal letters. F
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You end a formal letter with “Yours, + first name.” F
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If you begin with “Dear Sir/Madam”, you must end with “Yours faithfully”. T
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Abbreviated forms can be used in informal letters. T
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The introductory paragraph gives full details about the subject of the letter. F
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The Passive form is not appropriate in a formal letter. F
Teacher: Your work has really been fruitful at this lesson. I’m sure you understand the difference between formal and informal letters. And, of course, we’ll speak about them at our technology lessons once more. Your marks are …… Your home task for the next lesson will be to write a letter from ex 13.
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