Postcard Greetings

All letters should include the following:

a) an appropriate greeting (e.g. Dear Sir / Madam, DearAunt Claire, Dear Mrs Baker, etc);

b) an introduction, in which you write your opening remarks (e.g. Hi! How are you?) and reason(s) for writing (e.g. I'm just writing to congratulate you on passing your exams,

I'm writing to apologize for …, We were thrilled to hear that …, I am sorry to hear that … etc);

c) a main body, in which you write about the specific topics of the letter in detail;

d) a conclusion, in which you write your closing remarks (e.g. Please forgive me – it won’t happen again, I promise; I’m looking forward to seeing you ...l, Please write soon, Take care;

e) an appropriate ending (e.g. Yours faithfully + your full name, Lots of love + your name).

Characteristics of a letter:

Informal letters:

Address & date: your address in the top, right-hand corner, followed by the date.

Greeting: (e.g. Dear John, My dearMum, etc.)

informal language (e.g. I haven’t written you for ages, Don’t worry, By the way, It’s a piece of cake, I’ll pick you up at the airport, I can give it a try and so on)

Ending (e.g. Yours / Love/ Best wishes/ My best regards

Formal Letters:

Address & date ( i.e. your address as well as the recipient's address. Your address in thetop, right-hand corner, followed by the date. The recipient's position, the name and address of the company, organisation, etc on the left handside.

Greeting (e.g. Dear Mr. Dennim - when you know the person's name – Dear Sir / Madam, - when you do not know the person's name)

Formal language (e.g. I am writing with regard to your advertisement; I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience; The product which was delivered, proved to be faulty; etc)

Ending (e.g. Yours sincere + your full name)

Note: when you begin with Dear Mr / Mrs/ Ms Marcus, you should end with Yours sincerely + your full name. When you begin with Dear Sir / Madam, you should end with Yours faithfully + your full name.

Exercise № 56. Mark the phrases as F (for Formal) or I (for Informal).

1. I would also appreciate some information about...
2. Well, I must go now...
3. Please accept my sincere apologies...
4. You are cordially invited to attend...
5. I am writing in response to your advertisement...
6. Thanks for the invitation to your dinner party...
7. I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction with...
8. I look forward to meeting you in person...
9. Just a quick note to tell you...
10. I am writing to bring to your attention the...
11. Please do not hesitate to contact me...
12. I'm so sorry to hear you're having problems with...
13. Write back soon...
14. We regret to inform you that...
15. I won't take no for an answer...

Read this extract from an informal letter, describing a musical. Have you heard of it? Would you like to see it?

Last night I went to a famous musical called “Les Miserables”. I believe that the main stars sang and danced brilliantly and costumes were absolutely superb. The story was very fast moving and there were some really wonderful songs. It’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

It’s set in the 19^th century France and it’s based on a story by the writer of Victor Hugo. It tells the story of Jean Valjean, who was sent to prison for 19 years just for stealing a loaf of bread. When he finally gets out of prison, Jean tries to make a new life for himself but he finds it very difficult as an ex-convict, so he breaks his parole. Eventually, Police Inspector Javert finds him and …..well, I won’t tell you the ending.

Now write a description of a play, musical or drama or concert you have seen recently. What was it like? Did you enjoy it? Why/why not?