how to write a formal letter
TRANSCRIPT
How to write a formal letter
Seminario Inglés Jurídico ETIJ - 2016
E.T.I.J. Equipo de Trabajo en Ingles Jurídico.
Lic. Mauricio Muñoz Luna-Dra. Adela Perez del Viso
Formality: Look at this banner…
With the advent of email, it is becoming less and less common to write letters, but the few letters that you will write will probably be very important ones, such as; letters for job / scholarship applications, letters for questionnaires or surveys which are part of your research, or letters of complaint to your bank manager, etc.
It is very important, therefore, that your letters have the desired effect on the reader. In order to achieve this, they should be:
in the correct format short and to the point relevant free of any grammatical or spelling mistakes polite, even if you’re complaining well presented
Firstly, you should know…
42, Greyhound RoadPerry Barr
BirminghamB42 6HJ
Mr. E. ScroogeThe ManagerBarclay’s Bank Ltd113 Mammon StreetAndoverHU4 9ET
5 April 2008
Dear Mr. Scrooge, Application for post of trainee manager knvkj fjruigf[3im42 m jro;2ir-]m 321p[‘- r421.rur0 ]ir]-9r` `hip9-8[#4lf t4[9t t3; to 4tp 34itp4tjkt. mfo432ur4r’4r u0439 p4uitr0=r/`jr` ;r0=g4-0 . rjrr¦noo8n3if4f./,mf’w4f’4l’4tlrt432otr nbnfd ’21-1
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Yours sincerely Jane Teller
Then, you just need a format…
Now, it´s time to write!!!
But,…is it really that easy?
Did you know? According to most teachers, writing and speaking are reported to be the most difficult abilities to teach in EFL clasess, even at university level.
The answer is NO ;)
writing process
knowledgeSubject matter
knowledge
Linguistic, rethoric
and language kowledge
Genre and stylistic
kowledge
There are many elements to consider before writing
It involves:
Brainstorming of ideas Organization and sequence Drafting Writing Revision Re writing
Writing process knowledge
writing process
knowledgeSubject matter
knowledge
Linguistic, rethoric
and language kowledge
Genre and stylistic
kowledge
There are many elements to consider before writing
It involves:
Knowledge about the topic or issue you are writing
The jargon Metalanguage derived from the discipline
Subject matter knowledge
writing process
knowledgeSubject matter
knowledge
Linguistic, rethoric
and language kowledge
Genre and stylistic
kowledge
There are many elements to consider before writing
It involves:
Knowledge about the language (English) Cohesion and coherence devices How to put ideas into words Grammar and lexical resources
Linguistic, rethoric and language kowledge
writing process
knowledgeSubject matter
knowledge
Linguistic, rethoric
and language kowledge
Genre and stylistic
kowledge
There are many elements to consider before writing
It involves:
Layout appropriacy Genre conventions Templates and samples Dialect conventions Linguistic features in relation to the genre Register: formal vs informal
Genre and stylistic kowledge
Some other aspects to take into account..
Formal letter writing is not free writing. It´s quite controlled and guided !!
Be aware of the target reader, and stick to the proper dialect