Practice in informal letter-writing.

Jigsaw activity

Letter to (a) good friend and (b) member of the family

(i) Here are two letters from friends. Reconstruct them from the numbered fragments.
As you do so, pay attention to (1) the style of language and (2) the conventional
expressions (including "holiday" expressions) used. Make notes. What can you say
about these two features?

Fragments 1-10

1. Roses (Girona)
7/7/98

Dear Harry,
This is my first letter to you from my holiday on the Costa Brava.
Angie and I are having a wonderful time here. We've been walking along the coast,

2. to Calella de Palafrugell, which is another little fishing port just to the south. It only
takes 40 minutes to do the walk and it's well worth it. You can smell the hot resin from
the pine trees, see the huge cactus that grow around here with their thick grey-green
skins, feel

3. looking out to sea and watching the fishing boats come in after the day's catch. The
boats are all sizes and colours, just like the houses here, although -as with the houses-
white predominates. It's been so hot! You won't believe it but we actually decided to
spend a day off the beach. We just couldn't take so much sun! So we

4. Llafranch
31/7/98
Dear Liz,
Sorry I haven't written for so long but I've been doing so many things I just haven't had
the chance to put pen to paper.
I got your postcard

5. having a lot of fun together. They're local guys and some girls. Most of them are
Catalan and they've been showing me around. They have little mopeds and I've been
riding on the back of a moped to some really wicked* places. You don't know what you
are missing!
Must stop now. One of the girls is knocking on my room door. Tonight we're going to a
lovely

*extremely exciting or good

6. went to see the Dali museum in Figueres. It was incredible.

Well, I must stop now. It's time to have a drink with our new Catalan friends. They've
been introducing us to all the local dishes and the best
7. seafood restaurant perched on a top of a hill next to an old lighthouse. We'll be able to
see the sunset from there. Honestly, Liz, this is the place for me!
Love and kisses to Mum and Dad and give our little dog Ronnie a hug from me.

Love,

Jacky

8. places to eat them.

Don't work too hard! See you soon.
Remember me to the boys. Angie sends her love.

Bye for now.

Bob

P.S. Pity about England in the World Cup, eh!

9. the sea-breeze in your hair and listen to the wash of the waves on the rocks not far
below. It's really a romantic place.
I've been meeting a lot of the local people and now I've made a group of friends. We're

10. from Venice and I must say I'm sorry you were disappointed with the place. You
should have come here. Llafranch is a lovely seaside village on the Costa Brava. It's not
too big and there's a fantastic walk, with marvellous views over the bay and out to sea,
from Llafranch

(ii) Compare your notes with the answers in the key.

(iii) Now write an answer to one of the above reconstructed letters.

Here are some more expressions, taken from informal letters, to help you. Include some
of them.

(a) At the start

Dear (Frances), (Bob),
My dear (Bert),
Dearest (Andy), (Jacky),

-This is my first letter from ...

-Just to drop you a few lines from...
-I'm writing this from (my hotel room overlooking the bay)...
-Thanks for your (postcard/letter). Sorry to take so much time to answer/ I haven't
written before but I've been enjoying myself too much to write back at once.

(b)In the middle

-Anyway, as I was saying we (took the bus to ...
-Believe it or not, we've had (pouring rain for the last week)
-This is the life for me, you know.
-Lovely weather, isn't it?
-Pity I forgot my address book.
-Pity about the food/ room/ people.
-How odd! I just can't understand it.
-I'm furious. It's enough to make you write to the papers!
-What about you? How are things?

(c) At the end

-Must stop now. It's getting late. /I have to post this./ We're off to the beach.
-Well, that's all I have time for now.
-Time to finish. See you soon.
-Best wishes/ Regards.
-Remember me to (the children /your wife/your husband).
-Give my love (to your mother).
-Bye for now.
-Love and best wishes.
-Love and kisses.
____________________________________
P.S. Send me your new telephone number.