In the opening remarks/reasons) for writing

· the name of the job/course, where and when you saw ~ advertised.

e.g.... the position of manager advertised in yesterday’s Herald)

In the main body paragraphs (paras 2-3-4)

· age, present job and/or studies e.g. I am a nineteen-year-old university student

· qualifications e.g. I have a BA in French.

· experience e.g. I have been working as a waiter for the last two years.

· skills and personal qualities that are suitable for the job/course

e.g. I am a good and careful driver. I consider myself to be mature and responsible.

In the closing remarks

· another important information (e.g. when you are available for interview, where and when you can be contacted, references you can send, a remark that you hope your application will be considered, etc)

e.g. I will be available for interview in September.

I enclose references from my last two employers.

I look forward to hearing from you.

You usually use:

· the present simple to describe skills/personal qualities

e.g. I am a patient and reliable person.

· the past simple to talk about past experiences

e.g. I left school in 1994. I worked for General Motors for four years)

· the present perfect to talk about recent work/studies

e.g. I have been working for LTYU for two years.

I have recently finished secondary school

MODEL

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to apply for the position of part-time shop assistant which was advertised in this week’s edition of the Frankfurt English News.

I am a I6-year-old student. In December I passed the examination for the First Certificate in English with grade A. It is my ambition to become a teacher of English. Therefore, employment in an English language bookshop particularly appeals to me.

Despite my lack of formal work experience, I feel that I would be well-suited for the position. For the past two years I have been a volunteer helper in our school library. In my school report I was described by the librarian as enthusiastic, dedicated and reliable.

Since the school holidays include the months of July and August, I will have no other commitments and would be available to work at any time, excluding Saturdays, for as many hours as needed.

I may be contacted at the above address, or by telephone on 435 1708. I look forward to receiving a reply in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Steffi Braun

LETTERS OF COMPLAINT

In a formal letter making a complaint, you may use a mild tone, for complaints

about minor problems, or a strong tone, for complaints about more serious matters, especially when you are extremely upset or annoyed. However, the language you use should never be rude or insulting.

· In the opening remarks, you should state your complaint, including details of what

has happened and where/when the incident took place.

Mild: I am writing in connection with.../ to complain about the terrible behaviour / attitude / rudeness of

I am writing to draw your attention to …

Strong: I wish to bring to your attention a problem which arose due to your staff

I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction at...

I wish to express my dissatisfaction/unhappiness with the product /

treatment I received from... on...

· In the main body paragraphs, you present each of the specific points you are complaining about. You start a new paragraph for each point and justify these points by giving examples / reasons.

e.g. Although you advertise “top quality”, I felt that the product I purchased was well below the standard I expected.

· In the closing remarks, you should explain what you expect to happen (to be given a refund /apology

e.g. Mild: I hope you will replace...

I feel / believe that I am entitled to a replacement / refund...

I hope that this matter can be resolved / dealt with promptly.

Strong I insist on / I demand a full refund /an immediate replacement or I shall be forced to take legal

action I hope that I will not be forced to take further action

MODEL

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction at the disgraceful treatment

I received at the Walford branch of Simpson’s Electronics yesterday afternoon.

Firstly, the product I was given was not the model I had asked for. The new X-40I camera was demonstrated to me by the sales assistant, and I agreed to buy it.

However, on unpacking my purchase, I saw that I had been given the smaller X-20I model instead.

To make matters worse, this camera was much cheaper than the model I requested and paid for. It didn’t have many of the features I needed and was much more basic than the one I was shown to begin with.

Furthermore, I was deeply offended by the behaviour of the sales assistant when I went back to the shop to complain. He was not only impolite, but unhelpful. He refused to contact the manager when I asked to speak to him about the incident.

As you can imagine, 1 am extremely upset. I must insist on a full refund. In addition to a written apology from the local manager, or else I shall be forced to take further action. I expect to hear from you as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Caroline Adams

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:

I. Activate words and collocations from your student’s book: