letter writing: giving/asking for advice & letters of complaint

Let’s revise:

Formal and informal letters.

Remember: a good letter/email should consist of:

• a) an appropirate greeting: Dear Peter, Dear Mr Williams, Dear Sir/Madam

• b) an introduction: reasons for writing

• c) Main body: develop the subject. Begin a new paragraph for each main point.

• d) an appropriate ending: Best wishes + name, Yours sincerely (when you know the person’s

name) + full name Yours faithfully (when you don’t know the

person’s name) + full name.

Letters giving news.• A good informal letter/email should be

divided into paragraphs.

• Each paragraph should deal with one aspect of the subject and start with a topic sentences which gives the main idea of the paragraph.

• We use Present Perfect to refer to recent activities and Simple Past to refer to activities which happened at a stated time in the past.

Do you remember the language we use for letters

asking for advice? Opening remarks (formal)

Opening remarks (informal)

Closing remarks (formal)

Closing remarks (informal)

WHEN YOU GIVE ADVICE, YOU USE:

OPENING REMARKS (formal ):

• Thank you for your letter requesting…

• I am writing in reply to your letter asking for advice about…

• I hope the following advice will be of some help to you…

WHEN YOU GIVE ADVICE, YOU USE:

OPENING REMARKS (informal):• I just got your letter and I think I

can help you.• I was sorry to hear about your

problem.• Here’s what I think you should

do.

Suggestions:Formal: I strongly recommend that… I would suggest that…I believe that the best course of action is..I would advise you to…You should… You ought to…If I were you I would….

Informal:Why don’t you…You should…You ought to…It would be a good idea to…What you should do is…How about….? I think you should… The best advice I can give is…

Closing remarks• Formal:

I trust you will accept this advice.

I hope this will be of help. I would very much like to

know if this was helpful.• Informal:

Hope this has helped. Let me know what happens.

Letters of complaint.

I am writing to complain about…I am writing to complain about…

I am writing regarding…I am writing regarding…

I am writing because of …I am writing because of …

I am writing on the subject of…I am writing on the subject of…

I am writing to you in connection with…I am writing to you in connection with…

USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR LETTERS OF COMPLAINTOPENING REMARKS:

I hope/assume you will replace…I hope/assume you will replace…

I trust the situation will improveI trust the situation will improve

I hope we can sort this matter out amicably…I hope we can sort this matter out amicably…

I hope the matter will be resolved.I hope the matter will be resolved.

CLOSING REMARKS:

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with the service I received during….

Firstly, …. but …..

Then, in spite of the fact that …

To make matters worse,….

I assume you will….

Yours faithfully, Claire Gills.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with the service I received during….

Firstly, …. but …..

Then, in spite of the fact that …

To make matters worse,….

I assume you will….

Yours faithfully, Claire Gills.