What’s a formal letter/email?
A formal letter is an orderly or professional form of
communication. It follows a number of conventions related to layout, language
and tone, which we’re going to teach you today.
There are two types of formal email or letters you may
be asked to write in the B2 First exam – a letter of application and a letter
of complaint.
Writing a letter of application
The first example is a letter of application. In this
type of task, you’ll have to talk about why you’re applying for the position
and justify your skills. It could be an application for a part-time job, study
or scholarship program. Here’s a look at the type of
questions you may see in the exam:
You see this advert on a newspaper website:
Helpers wanted
We are looking for people to work in a holiday club for
English-speaking children (aged 4–8).
Write a letter to Mr. Nick Jones, the club organizer, giving details of:
your experience of working with children
your knowledge of English
why you would be suitable for the job.
Lifeguard assistants wanted
We are looking for someone in August to assist our lifeguards,
provide supervision during beach activities and observe swimmers.
Write to the Lifeguard Manager, saying what your experience and
qualifications are and stating the reasons why you are suitable for the job.
The Secret to Achieving a B2 to C2 Level of English.
Writing a letter of complaint
The other B2 First formal letter you may be required
to write is a letter of complaint. This could be a letter to a hotel manager, a
shop assistant or an organization. You may be complaining about the quality of a
service, product or the organization of an event. Sometimes you’ll have to
request some kind of action or resolution, at other times, you may
have to correct a misunderstanding. Here’s an example of a complaint
letter question:
You recently had a short holiday organized by Travel-Wise. The manager of the company sent you a letter asking to state the problems which had occurred during your vacation. Write a letter to the manager, explaining what the problems were and telling them what you want them to do.
Three steps to writing a formal B2 First
email/letter
Before you start scribbling away,
it’s important to make a plan! Think about what you need to include in your
answer and plan out how it will look on the page. Consider the following
things:
Step One: Make a plan
Often the question will require you to do two or three
things. It’s important to identify exactly what these are as you can receive
five marks for simply answering the question. Let’s take a look back at those
initial two questions and underline the key information.
Structure
Once you’ve identified exactly what they’re asking you
to do, use these details to help craft the perfect
structure. Take question A – you want to include all of this information in a
logical way:
A) Letter of application
· Greeting
· Paragraph
1 – State why you’re writing
· Paragraph
2 – Relevant experience
· Paragraph
3 – Creative and athletic hobbies and interests
· Paragraph 4 – Action you want them to take Closing
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B) Letter of complaint
· Greeting
· Paragraph
1 – State why you’re writing
· Paragraph
2 – Details of the problem
· Paragraph
3 – Action you want them to take
· Closing
Language
The next step is to brainstorm good vocabulary. Pick out
some keywords from the brief and try to find synonyms to use in your
email/letter. You also want to consider any topic-related words that will help
you answer the question. For example:
A) Letter of application
· friendly
= warm / outgoing / a people-person
· enthusiastic
= lively / keen / energetic
· work
with young people = babysitting experience/passion for working with kids
· languages
= Spanish, Italian, English, German, French
· creative
hobbies = arts & crafts, sewing, pottery, model making
· athletic
hobbies = volleyball, basketball, cricket, skateboarding, sporty, active
B) Letter of complaint
· disappointing
= unappetizing / unappealing / awful
· not
enough = insufficient / inadequate
· good
= fine, satisfactory, excellent, adequate
· vegetarian
options = salad, veggie lasagna, fruit, soups
· compensation
= payment, reimbursement, voucher, solution
· problem
= issue / mix-up / trouble
The Secret To Writing Perfect Sentences.
Tone
Remember, this is a formal piece of writing. This
means you should keep the tone and language polite at all times. That’s right!
At all times – even when you’re complaining. You may be angry, but you’re more
likely to resolve the issue if you stay respectful and offer constructive
advice whilst being persuasive.
Step Two: Write it
Take it from us, the next stage will be easy if you’ve
done your super-duper plan. All you need to do is learn
some fixed formal expressions to tie together your B2 First formal
email/letter.
Greeting
There are several ways to begin a formal email/letter.
For example:
· Dear
Sir / Madam, (if you don’t know the name)
· Dear
Mr or Mrs. X (if you do know the name)
· To
whom it may concern
Don’t forget to write a comma after the name, and then
include a space before starting a new line.
Opening paragraph
When beginning your formal email/letter, it’s
essential that you explain to your reader your reasons for writing. Here are
some ways to do that:
· I
am writing to apply for the position/role of summer camp leader.
· I
am writing in reference to your recent advertisement.
· I
am writing to complain about…
· I
am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
Main body
This is where you want to give the details of your
application or your complaint. Keep referring back to the question, and
remember to keep it formal:
Speaking about your experience and skills
(Letter of application)
· I
think I am suitable for the role because…
· I
have X years of experience working as an X.
· My
qualifications include…
· I
am currently working as an X
· In
my spare time, I enjoy…
· I
am an avid basketball player/cricketer/volleyball player…
Explaining a problem and requesting action
(Letter of complaint)
· Firstly/Secondly
……
· Unfortunately ,…
· I
am very dissatisfied with…
· As
you can appreciate…
· I’m
afraid that…
· Furthermore ,
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Final Paragraph
Here is where you want to create a lasting impression
on your reader. You also want to highlight some form of action you want them to
take. Take a look at these different ways to do that:
· I
very much hope you will…
· I
look forward to hearing from you soon.
· I
would appreciate it/ be grateful if…
· I trust you will…
Closing
Don’t forget to finish your B2 First formal
email/letter with a friendly, but courteous closing
phrase. Here are some examples:
· Yours
sincerely, (if you know the name of the recipient)
· Yours
faithfully, (if you don’t know the name of the recipient)
· Thank
you for your consideration, (for a letter of application)
· I
trust you will…
You should then write your full name beneath your sign-off.
Step Three: Check it
Make sure you leave five minutes at the end of the
exam to proofread your email/letter and think about the
following things:
· Have
you answered all parts of the question?
· Is
the tone formal and polite?
· Is
your spelling, grammar and punctuation correct?
· Does
it have paragraphs?
· Have
you signed off appropriately
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