Formal letters

Would you hang out with your friends in the places mentioned in the box? Why? / Why not?

Let’s read the posts on the website. Do you think Anabel and her friends were treated unfairly? What is the advice given by YCN?

1. Are the main events described in the email the same as those in Anabel’s message to YCN?

2. How does the style of the letter differ from the style of the message?

3. How do you think the manager will react?

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing on behalf of myself and my friends to draw your attention to an incident that took place at the Queen Plaza Shopping Centre last Saturday. I would like to make a formal complaint about the way we were treated by staff at the centre.

Last Saturday, some friends and I met in the centre at Plaza Café. We had bought some drinks and were enjoying ourselves when the manager of the café approached our table and accused us of being too noisy. When we tried to reason with him, he immediately called security. A moment later, two guards arrived and forced us to leave the café and the shopping centre. To make matters worse, they threatened to call the police and told us not to return in the future.

We are particularly upset because the fact is we were no noisier than some of the other people in the café. To be honest, we are amazed that the centre security guards are allowed to treat customers in this way. Without doubt, the worst part of this whole incident was being thrown out of the busy shopping centre like criminals. We were so humiliated that we decided to contact you and complain.

As you are the manager of the centre, we urge you to recognize your polices towards teenage customers. It is simply unfair to discriminate against young people in this way. We have contacted the local media about the incident and look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

Anabel Green

So are you ready to answer a few questions?

1. Are the main events described in the email the same as those in Anabel’s message to YCN? – Yes they are.

2. How does the style of the letter differ from the style of the message? – It is more formal.

3. How do you think the manager will react?

Now we are going to have a close look at writing FORMAL letters.

Writing letters is the old thing especially the informal letters. We don't write informal letters because we have phone to text and internet to email but formal letters are still in use for offices and all.

A formal or business letter is usually addressed to people we don’t know very well, people we haven’t met, or people who are in authority.

It is usually written to give information, express a concern, make a request or complain.

It uses a polite and more formal style than a personal letter.  Abbreviations and conversational phrases are completely avoided.

Every letter starts with the Heading.

Write the sender’s address and telephone number on the top left hand corner of the page. If you are representing a company, write the company’s address. If you are the sender, write your address. Write your street address on the second line. Write your city, state, and zip code on the line below that. Include your telephone number and email if available under your address.
Place the date directly below the sender's address. The date can be written in full or only using numbers.

Don’t use a comma or a full stop at the end of the address and date.

The address of the person receiving the letter goes on the left hand side below the sender's address.

Salutation/Greeting

Give the person you're addressing a salutation. It is written in the left-hand side leaving a few lines below the heading.

The salutation usually begins with the word “Dear” followed by a personal title – Miss, Mr. or Mrs. – and the full name of the person. If the name of the person is unknown, then the greeting may be written as Dear Sir or Madam.

A comma is used after the greeting.

The Body/ Message

The message comes in the next line after the salutation. The first word begins with a capital letter.

The body of the letter need not be more than three paragraphs.

In the first paragraph, write a friendly opening and then state the reason or goal of the letter.

In the second paragraph, use concrete, real examples to stress or underline your point, if possible.

In the final paragraph, briefly summarize your purpose in writing and suggest how you might want to proceed further.

Complementary Closing

The Complementary Closing is written after the body to indicate a polite way of ending the letter. Some of the closings include Respectfully Yours, Yours sincerely, Yours Faithfully, Best wishes.

A comma is used after the closing.

The Signature

The signature ends the letter and comes below the closing. The signature refers to the name of the sender. It contains the title, name and the surname of the sender.

Enclosure

If you have enclosed some document with your letter (resume, schedule), it is important for you to mention it just below your name.

Proofread your letter.

Look at Anabel’s letter again. Match 1 – 7 to headings a) – g).

a) greeting

b) final paragraph

c) the main body of the letter

d) first paragraph

e) heading

f) complementary closing

g) signature

You are going to write an email of complaint to a manager. Imagine you experienced one of the situations below. Make notes about:

-                     the details of the incident (what happened and how you felt/reacted).

-                     what you want the manager to do.

-                     write 140-160 words.

1. A bus driver refused to let you and 4 friends onto a bus late at night. He said he recognized you and that you had caused trouble on the bus the week before. None of you had been on the bus the week before.

2. You and your friends were asked to leave the cinema after a member of staff accused you of throwing popcorn around. It was actually some young children sitting a few rows in front of you.

3. You were leaving a supermarket when the security alarm went off. The security guards were very aggressive and searched all your bags and pockets. After keeping you there for half an hour, they found there was a fault with the alarm.