PARTS OF A LETTER

OPENING SALUTATION

It depends on who the letter is being written to:

• Dear [John]: this is used to begin a casual letter, such as to a friend or relative. You should use
only the person's first name.

• Dear [Mr./Mrs./Ms. Smith]: this is used to begin a formal letter, such as to a client or
customer. You should use only the person's family name, plus their title.

• Dear Sir or Madam: this is used to begin a formal letter when you don't know the name of the
person you are writing to.

OPENING STATEMENTS/ INTRODUCTION

• The introduction is where you introduce yourself (if necessary), say why you are writing, and
explain your situation. You might, for example, be trying to find out some information about a
school or complaining about a poor-quality product.

• If you're writing to a friend or family member, you might just be writing to tell them what
you've been doing.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

• The body is the main section of the letter, where you give further details.

• Your letter should be divided into paragraphs and, each paragraph should have one main
point.

CONCLUDING STATEMENTS

• Looking forward to meeting you soon.

• See you soon.

• Ring me up soon.

• I hope something is done about this before it is too late.

CLOSING SALUTATION/ SIGN-OFF

The closing or sign-off is where you finish your letter and request a response, if appropriate. Like the
greeting, the sign-off you choose depends on who you are writing to.

• Yours faithfully,

• Yours lovingly,

• Best wishes,
 • Kind regards,

• Yours sincerely,

WRITING AN INFORMAL LETTER

A friend has invited you to a party, but you are busy on the day it's being held. Write a letter to your
friend. In your letter:

• Apologize for not being able to attend.

• Explain why you're busy.

• Invite your friend to do something else with you.

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter with:

Dear .........

Dear Jane, (OPENING SALUTATION)

How are you? It was great to hear from you. Thanks so much for inviting me to your birthday party
next Saturday. (GREETINGS + PURPOSE)

It sounds great, and I’d absolutely love to come, but unfortunately I’ve already arranged to do
something else that day. I’m really sorry for that.(BODY 1)

Do you remember my cousin Victor? He's the one who's been living in Singapore for the last year.
Well, he’s flying in for a visit and I promised I'd show him around. He's only going to be in town for the
day, so I really can't get out of it.(BODY 2)

I really want to get together, though. How about coffee next week or the week after? I know you've
got a lot on your plate at the moment, but I’ll give you a call and we can sort out the details over the
phone. Maybe we can check out that new cafe near the library .(BODY 3)

Have a great party! Hope to catch up with you soon! (CONCLUDING STATEMENTS)

With love, (CLOSING SALUTATION AND NAME)

Angel
WRITING A FORMAL LETTER

You were watching television and saw a program being shown early in the morning that contained
a lot of violence. You believe the program is unsuitable for that time of day.

Write a Letter to the manager of the television station.

In your Letter:

• Give your reason for writing.

• Explain what you think the problem is with the program.

• Say what you would like the station manager to do.

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your Letter with:

Dear…………..,

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about a program that I happened to see on your network a few days ago.

I am not sure of the name, but it was being shown at 7am on a Saturday morning, and I believe it
was extremely unsuitable for this time. There was a great deal of violence in the program, which
seemed to revolve around a war of some kind.

The characters, many of whom looked quite young, fought using weapons such as swords and
knives. Moreover, the violence was quite realistic and there was a great deal of blood. I was horrified
that such material would be shown at a time when young children usually watch.

I would like to see this program removed from the schedule altogether or moved to a later time-
slot. I am sure you must have received other complaints from concerned parents, and I hope that you
will take action soon about this disturbing issue.

I look forward to your response and hope that something is done about this before it is too late.

Yours faithfully,

Angel Maria Joseph