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:

annoying rules	It should be made legal for people to do
board the bus	It should be made illegal for people to do
do badly	It should be banned
do well	It depends on the situation / person
do nothing	it’s fair / unfair
do your best	One thing for sure
do the shopping	ought to pay a fine
do yoga / aerobics	People should have the right to do this.
do some exercise	People should be fined for speeding.
compensation culture	People should be sent to prison for doing this.
credit card	They didn’t get on with their companions.
in the end	It should be against the law to do
injury	airplane safety announcement
sue	There should be penalties for excessive claims.
the most bizarre case	it’s too liberal
it’s too harsh	it’s ridiculous
There should be capital punishment for anyone who commits murder
They regularly get complaints from holidaymakers.
There should be limit on payouts
They are used to dealing with requests for compensation
be not allowed to smoke
be permitted to park here