Letter writing

You are writing a letter to the headteacher of a school or college, but you don't know their name.

How do you begin your letter?

• Dear headteacher,

• Dear Sir or Madam,

• Dear Mr or Mrs,

You've received a letter from the manager of a company which buys supplies from

your company, and you are now replying. What do you say?

• Thank you for your letter.

• Thanks a lot for your letter.

• It was great to hear from you.

You recently stayed in a hotel and were very unhappy with the service you received. You are now

writing to the manager. What would you say?

• I had a horrible time at your hotel recently.

• I would like to say that I am unhappy about

  your hotel.

• I would like to complain about the service I received at your hotel recently.

You have applied to a college, and you're sending your application together with your curriculum vitae, as it was requested by the institution. What do you say in the letter to explain that your curriculum vitae is attached?

• You asked for my curriculum vitae, so here it is.

• As you can see, I've enclosed my

  curriculum vitae,

• I enclose my curriculum vitae, as requested.

You are enrolling in a course, but you would like the institute to send you more information. What do

you say?

• I would be grateful if you would send me more information.

• I want you to send me more

  information,

• Send me some more information, if you don't mind,

In a letter you have written to the town hall, you tell them that you expect them to reply. What do you say?

• Write back to me soon, please.

• Please drop me a line soon.

• l look forward to hearing from you soon.

What should be avoided in formal letters?

• indirect questions

• contractions

• using "dear" at the beginning

In a letter you have written, you want the recipient to do something and are thanking them in

advance of their action. What do you say?

• Thank you for your attention in this matter.

• Thanks for doing something about it.

• I am gratified that you will take appropriate action.

You began a letter with the recipient's name (e.g., "Dear Mrs. Jackson"). How do you end the letter?

• Yours faithfully

• Yours sincerely

• Best wishes

Formal letters are always longer than informal letters.

• True

• False