Letters Intro

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*COHESION - logical organisation of the text, which presupposes the use of

linking devices (see the table below).

Linking and Logical Devices

AdditionIn addition to...as well as ... +Nbesides...both... and ... +Nnot only ... but also ... +N/clauseFurthermore...Moreover... + clause

... also...

... too /as well

Cause and resultBecause ...as... + clausesince...in case...due to...owing to ... +Nas a result of...

so (that)...so +ADJ/ADV + that... + clausesuch + N + that...therefore + clauseconsequently

LETTER WRITING

INTRODUCTION


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Contrastwhile...whereas... + clausebut...on the other hand,...

Concessionalthough...though ...even though/even if... +clausebut...yet...

despite ... +Nin spite of...howevernevertheless

Purposein order that... +clauseso that...in order to/so as to ... + Vto...

Similarity and comparisonas...like... + Nas + ADJ/ADV + as ...as!the same + N + as/that +clauseas + ADJ/ADV + as ...not as/so + ADJ/ADV + as +N/clauseNot such + ADJ/ADV + as +N/clauseas if / though ... +clause

Timebefore...after +N/clausetill/untilas/as soonas/when/once/immediately +clausewhile + clauseduring + nounduring that timethen/next/after that/later/subsequently/eventually/ finally/at lastno sooner... than ... +clausehardly... when

EXERCISE 1 Fill each blank with a word or phrase from the list below. Use

each item once only.although but so that when

as if if that whichbecause just as unfortunately whilebefore so until who

Several years ago some friends and I decided to go cycling together. We waited

1.............................. the rush hour was over 2.............................. we set off.

3.............................. it looked 4.............................. it was going to rain, we still de-cided to go 5..........................:... this was the last opportunity we would have for

some time. We had packed plastic macs 6.............................. we wouldn't get too wet

7.............................. there was a shower. 8.............................. we were riding alongin single file on the outskirts of town, Paul, 9.............................. was bringing up therear as usual, suddenly gave a shout.10. ............................. we turned back to see what was wrong, we found 11.

............................. he had swerved to avoid a dog12.............................. had run outin front of him.13.............................. he had gone into a ditch at the side of the road. The bicycle hadhardly been damaged14. ............................. Paul was 15. ............................. bruised


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and shaken that we decided to go home. 16. ............................. we arrived at my

house, it started pouring with rain. We realised that our day out would have ended

badly even without the accident.

Look at the way the ideas are linked together in the passage.

EXERCISE 2 Choose a word or phrase from the following list to complete thesentences. Use each item once only.

as long as by the time in case unless

even though just as where as soon as1. They finally arrived home ............................... the clock was striking twelve.

2. Work stopped ............................... the bell rang.3. The workmen had all gone ............................... I got home.

4. She said she would only go ............................... he came as well.

5. They used to play football every Saturday ............................... the weather condi-tions made it impossible.

6. He didn't wear a coat ............................... it was freezing outside.7. A crowd had gathered ............................... the procession was due to pass.8. I decided to take my coat ............................... it got cold later in the day.

EXERCISE 3 Now do the same with these sentences.

Because of this Eventually Meanwhile On the other handDespite this Luckily Naturally Some time later

1. The little girl ran out into the street. ............................... there weren't any carscoming, or she might have been killed.

2. He suddenly told us he had found a new job. ............................... we were all very

pleased and congratulated him.3. She walked slowly towards her house. ................................ the burglar was escap-

ing through the back window.4. We spent the afternoon looking for somewhere to stay. ............................... just as

we were giving up hope, we saw a sign outside a big old house.

5. Sue worked hard and usually felt very tired when she came home............................... she hardly ever went out in the evening.

6. It was one of the coldest days of the year. ............................... a huge crowd hadgathered outside the town hall.

7. You could try writing to him. ............................... you might as well wait until you

see him again next week.8. They said goodbye and he never saw her again. ................................ he heard that

she had married a much older man.

LETTERS

Letters can be formal,informal(including or giving information, accepting or refus-ing invitations, letters of advice, letters of complaint etc) and transactional(formal

or informal letters that need a reply which are based on advertisements, other letters


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etc). While writing a transactional letter, make sure you have included all the infor-

mation provided in the question using your own words.

General outline for letters

There are quite a few types of letters such as: letters of invitation, letters accepting orrefusing invitations, letters asking for or giving further information, applications, let-

ters of complaint, letters of apology, letters giving or asking for directions, letters

asking for advice, letters to a friend about the latest news, letters expressingthanks/regrets/congratulations.

Before we start writing a letter it is important to think about who we are writing to. Ifwe use the wrong style, the letter will look odd, silly or impolite. For example, if we

wrote to a company and used informal language, the letter would look impolite. Inthe same way, if we wrote to a friend and used formal language, the letter would look

odd.

There are certain factors which help us decide whether a letter is formal or in-

formal. These are:

- The opening of the letter (e.g. Dear Sir/Madam / Dear Mary)

- The topics in the letter (e.g. when formal, they should be only facts)- The language used (e.g. formal or informal)- The closing of the letter and the name at the end of it (Yours sincerely, Peter Brown/ Love, Peter etc)

Formal letters Semi-Formal or Informal letters

Salutation: Dear Sir / Madam,

^formal style - impersonal _language

not too direct^complex sentence structure _frequent

use of Passive Voice - single word verbs

- non colloquial English _advanced vo-cabulary^

each paragraph develops one specificareaônly facts, no use of literary devices^no use of short forms

Name: Yours faithfully,

Peter Brown

Salutation: Dear Mary,

^short, zappy style (abbreviations)ûse of slang or colloquial English - useof idioms _phrasal verbs^pronouns are often omitted^chatty, use of literary devicesûse of short forms

Name: Best wishes / Love /

Yours / Regards,Peter

Salutation Paragraph 1

reasons forwriting

Paragraphs 2,3_

development

Final paragraph

closing remarks

NAME


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Exercise 4

Put an F for formal and and I for informal language. Give reasons.

1 I thought I'd drop you a line to let

you know ...

2 I am writing to inquire about....

3 I would appreciate an early reply.4 Why not pop up here to see us?5 Do get in touch.6 Well, I think that's all for now.7 I am sorry to inform you that...8 I am writing in connection with ...9 I hope the matter will receive your prompt...

10 I've been meaning to write to you for ages.11 Currently I am working at...

12 I feel I must protest about...

13 Why don't you come to dinner...

14 I'd love to see you again.

15 Thanks for the invitation.16 Please indicate whether you will be able17 Your presence is required at...18 I look forward to ...19 I'm looking forward to ...20 Drop by for coffee sometime

Exercise 5

Read the two models and find out which model

MODEL 1

Dear Ms Johnson,I am writing in response to your request for advice on choosing a career.

The nursing profession is both enjoyable and rewarding, however there are

also negative aspects that have to be considered. Most importantly a life long

commitment of very hard work is required. A nurse must be prepared to work long

hours, often under stressful conditions. You are encouraged to pursue a career in

nursing if it interests you, but consideration of other options is also recommended.

Microbiology, for example, is a profession within the medical field which can be

equally rewarding, yet less stressful than nursing.

I hope you find this information useful. Please contact me upon reaching a de-

cision.

Yours sincerely,

Alice White

1 uses an impersonal style

2 includes only facts

3 omits pronouns

4 uses examples of the passive voice

5 is an example of colloquial Eng-

lish

6 includes advanced vocabulary

7 uses short forms

8 contains literary devices

9 uses short, zappy style


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MODEL 2

Dear Tracy,

Just got your letter and sat down straight away to tell you what I think.

You know I've been a nurse for years and it's been fun, but sometimes I wish I'd

taken an easier road. Nursing is like being a mother: you work long hours, you

worry about people all the time, and nobody ever says thank you. If you want to be

a nurse, go for it, but think about it first. Why don't you study microbiology? It's

interesting and you don't have to work 24 hours a day and come home every night

with a pounding headache from the stress.

Hope I've been helpful! Let me know what you decide.

Love,

Jennifer

Letters Intro

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