A Letter to the Editor

We write letters to the editor of a newspaper/magazine when we want to express our

opinion about a topic/article which has been published in the newspaper/magazine. We
usually write our letter to express our agreement or disagreement using formal
language.
They express a person's concern about and views on a certain matter and usually contain
suggestions on how to tackle a problem. You need to state the nature of the problem and its
causes and effects.
Each purpose should be presented in a separate paragraph containing a clear topic
sentence supported by examples and/or justification.
Useful Language for Letters to the Editor To begin letters:
I am writing to draw your attention to... / bring ... to your attention or my capacity
as.../support for.../protest about...
To state your opinion:
In my opinion/view, I feel/believe/think, It seems to me that, I tend to think that I am totally
opposed to/in favour of, It is my firm belief/opinion/conviction that, I am convinced that
To express cause:
because /owing to the fact that/ due to the fact that/In view of/ B reason/Seeing that
To express effect:
thus, / therefore, / so / consequently, / as a result, / as a consequence
To end letters:
I look forward to hearing from you.
I hope you will give this matter your urgent consideration/attention I hope (that) you will
give this matter careful/further consideration.
We start our letter with "Dear Sir/Madam". Then, in the introduction, we state the reason
for writing and our opinion about the topic. If our letter is a reply to another letter or
article, we also write where and when we read it, as well as the name of the person who
wrote it. In the main body, we present our viewpoints giving reasons/examples. We write
each viewpoint in separate paragraph. In the last letter we summarize our opinion and
state what action we expect to be taken. We end our letter with "Yours faithfully," and our
full name.
Plan
Introduction
state reason(s) for writing and opinion (Para 1)
Main Body
describe the problem(s) and consequences (Para 2, 3)
suggest solutions/ measures to be taken (Para 4, 5)
Conclusion Closing remarks
Full name
The exact number and devision of paragraphs will depend on the specific
instructions for each letter writing task.
Examples
Dear Sir,
I am writing with regard to your recent review of the. Friends of Forest Hill charity rock
concert. I wish to disagree with several of your comments as follows.
To begin with, the venue opened its doors two hours before the event began. The writer
must have been a later comer who arrived after the performance had begun.
I strongly disagree with your comment regarding Silver Moon. Although it is true that
«Black Mud» did not play as advertised, their replacement, «Silver Moon», are equally well-
known entertainers. No one felt disappointed by the change.
Furthermore, regarding the problem with the sound quality, this was only a temporary
problem and lasted no more than ten minutes. Technicians quickly repaired the fault and we
were able to enjoy the music again.
To sum up, I believe the whole event was well organized and an overall success. I hope, you
will print this letter together with an apology to the performers, fans and event organizers
like me, who are looking forward to a similar event in the near future.
Yours faithfully,
Timothy Tuller.