NOTES

Beginning

 I am writing this letter with regard to…

 I am writing to bring to your attention…
 I am writing to inform you that…
 I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…..

Requests and Suggestions

 I would be grateful if you would…

 I would like you to…
 I am entitled to request that you….
 I was wondering if it would be at all possible to….
 I would like to suggest that….

Ending

 I look forward to hearing from you.

 I look forward to receiving your response.
 I await your prompt service.
 I thank you for your consideration.
 Please respond at the earliest convenience.
Style Characteristics Opening Ending

To someone
you have not Dear Sir
Yours
Formal met, whose /
faithfully
name you Madam
don't know

To someone
you may or Dear Mr
Semi- may not have Brown, Yours
formal met, whose Dear Ms sincerely
last name you Stone
know & use

To someone
Dear Best
you know
Informa John regards
well, whose
l Dear Warm
first name you
Anita wishes
know and use
1. You are working for a company. You need to take some time off work and want to ask your
manager about this. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• explain why you want to take time off work

• give details of the amount of time you need
• suggest how your work could be covered while you are away
Write at least 150 words.

2. You live in an area where the local council has made some changes to regulations. You
believe these changes are not good for residents. Write a letter to a councilor. In your letter:
• Introduce yourself.
• Describe the problem.
• Say what you think the council should do about the situation.
You should write at least 150 words.
You travelled by plane last week and your luggage was lost. You have still heard nothing from
the airline company.
Write to the airline explain what happened. Describe your luggage and tell them what was in it.
Find out what they are going to do about it.
You should write at least 150 words.

3. You are looking for a part-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter:
• introduce yourself
• explain what sort of job you would like
• say what experience and skills you have
You should write at least 150 words.
4. Last year you attended a presentation skill course at the Sydney College of Australia. Your
new employer has asked you to provide copies of your reports and assignments as quickly as
possible. Write to the director of the school and request these documents.
You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.
5. You had a meal at a restaurant. You are not happy with the service. Write to the manager to
complain about it. Give details about the problems and request some compensation or refund.

You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.
6. You are a student at University of Sydney. Your ID card has been stolen. Write to the Local
Police Station, giving details of who you are, what happened and asking what you should do to
get a new ID card.
You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.
7. You are organizing a trip to the Black Mountains in West Wales for a group of students from
Canterbury in Kent, UK. Write to the manager of Student Hostel Services and explain when you
want to visit the Black Mountains, how long you will stay, how many students are in your party,
and what accommodations you will require.
You should write at least 150 words.
8. As an international student in Sweden, you have an account with a local bank. The monthly
bank transfer you receive from your parents has been delayed this month due to an error at your
parents’ bank. Write a letter to your bank. In your letter:
Introduce yourself and ask for a loan
Say why you need the money
Tell how you intend to pay back the money
You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.
9. You want to sell your television. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you.
Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter:
Explain why you are selling the television.
Describe the television.
Suggest a date when your friend can come and see it.
10. You are going to another country to study. You would like to do a part-time job while you
are studying, so you want to ask a friend who lives there for some help.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter,
Give details of your study plans
Explain why you want to get a part-time job
Suggest how your friend could help you find a job.
SAMPLE ANSWERS

You live in an area where the local council has made some changes to regulations. You
believe these changes are not good for residents.

Write a letter to a councillor. In your letter: 

 Introduce yourself.
 Describe the problem.
 Say what you think the council should do about the situation.

You should write at least 150 words.

model answer:

Dear Sirs,

My name is Mrs Emily Chan. I have been a resident of Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, for
several years.

I am writing to you in reference to the changed parking conditions in North Vancouver that came
into effect from the first of February last year. I believe these are an inconvenience to residents,
and should be reconsidered.

In the past, I was always able to park my car on the street outside my house without any
problems. When metered parking was introduced to my suburb, particularly near the market,
some visitors started parking their vehicles further away from the market in order to avoid
payment. My street appear to be the perfect place for those people: it is not too far from Lonsdale
Quay Market, and the parking is still free. Between March and May, I occasionally found it hard
to park, but when summer finally arrived, there were two days a week when I was forced to park
hundreds of metres away from my home. On public holidays, I resorted to metered parking
myself.

I understand the local council hopes to benefit financially from metered parking, or perhaps to
encourage people to use public transport. Nevertheless, residents like myself are inconvenienced
by this system. I suggest either residents be allowed to park free in metered zones which are
extend a greater distance or metering cover a smaller area, and ticket prices be raised. Additional
bus services would also reduce congestion.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs Emily Chan

You travelled by plane last week and your luggage was lost. You have still heard nothing
from the airline company.

Write to the airline explain what happened. Describe your luggage and tell them what was
in it. Find out what they are going to do about it. 

You should write at least 150 words.

Begin your letter as follow;

Dear sir ….,

model answer:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I was one of the passengers who took the flight from Istanbul (Turkey) to Gatwick (London) on
2nd of July. Unfortunately, my luggage did not come out after the flight. Although I have
explained this to Mr. Timpson who was in charge at the Luggage Claim Office and I have not
heard from him as of now.

My luggage is Black whose size is 55 x 40 x 20 cm. There are two stickers on one side and one
yellow heart shape sticker on the other side.

There are a few books and a copy of my thesis in that luggage which I need for the conference on
10th of July.

I would deeply appreciate if you could give me a prompt reply at your most convenient. My
flight number and luggage claim number are written below;

Flight No: EM1R7SL

Luggage Claim no.: 01538

Your faithfully,

Mehmet Osman
You are looking for a part-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter:

 introduce yourself
 explain what sort of job you would like
 say what experience and skills you have

You should write at least 150 words.

model answer:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am a Dutch national from Amsterdam and at present, I am studying for a Master’s degree in
Information Technology here, at the Vrije University, where I have been for the last three
months. I am looking for a part-time job and I wonder if you can help me.

Probably, I would like an office job, perhaps working as a secretary, office administrator or
typist. I can only work during the afternoons and at weekends as my university studies occupy
most of the day. I would be ready to start immediately. As you can see from Curriculum Vitae, I
have a degree in IT from the University of Amsterdam.

I am a competent typist and I am computer-literate. In addition, I speak Dutch and German

fluently and I have been learning English for the past three years. While I studied for my degree,
I worked as a part-time office manager for an import-export firm in Amsterdam. In recent years,
I have also had temporary summer job as a hotel receptionist in Brussels, Belgium.

I am looking forward to hearing from you,

Your faithfully,

Bleecker Dijkstra

You had a meal at a restaurant. You are not happy with the service. Write to the manager
to complain about it. Give details about the problems and request some compensation or
refund. 

You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.

model answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,
I regret to inform you that I was not at all satisfied with your service and terrible meal my
boyfriend and I were offered at your restaurant last week.

As it was my birthday, my boyfriend wanted to arrange a very special meal for us. Your
restaurant was recommended in the TripAdvisor website, so we were confident of a lovely
evening. When we arrived, your waitress gave us an extremely unfriendly reception and made us
wait without any explanation for twenty minutes. When we were finally seated, we had to wait
another twenty minutes for our order to be taken. We both ordered fish and chips – mine was
cold and my boyfriend’s was burnt. chips with mushy peas and homemade tartar sauce the menu
temptingly described, but the homemade tartar sauce came in Heinz plastic containers and the
peas were not mushy peas either, no explanation or apology was given. We were extremely
disappointed and complained at the time, but the waitress was very unhelpful and said there was
nothing he could do.

I expect a full refund for the horrible meal served to me and my boyfriend. I trust this matter will
receive your prompt attention or I will be forced to report the matter to the local council.

Yours faithfully

Maggie

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for the time of
year and the heating / cooling system in the hotel was quite inadequate.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter:

 give details of what went wrong

 explain what you had to do to overcome the problem at the time
 say what action you would like the manager to take

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing in connection with my recent stay at the Four Seasons in London, England.
Unfortunately, due to a malfunctioning heater in my room, I spent three miserable nights at your
hotel from April 26 � 29, 2010.
When I arrived in London, there was an unexpected snowstorm. I understand it does not usually
snow inApril; however, when I got to my room, there was no heat. After complaining, a
technician was sent up, who informed me they had to install a new heating unit. When I asked to
be moved to another room, I was told the hotel was completely booked. Unfortunately, each
night after work I returned to discover the problem had not been rectified. Eventually, I spent
three horribly uncomfortable nights, wearing my coat to bed, wearing socks around the room and
ending up with a bad cold from the unheated room. I had no time to complain as I had to catch a
flight home right after my conference.

I am shocked by this terrible service. This is not what anyone expects for $400 a night! To
compensate me for this tremendous inconvenience, I ask that you refund my money right away
and offer me a free, more comfortable stay in one of your finer suites in the future. If not, I am
prepared to take my complaint to a higher authority.

I look forward to hearing from you at the earliest,

Yours faithfully,

Mr John McFee

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new
bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope.

Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter:

 explain why you are writing

 express concern about the missing card
 ask them what they intend to do

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing in connection with a missing or stolen debit card from your bank. This is an urgent
matter as the bank card could prove dangerous in the hands of the wrong person.

Just yesterday, I received a letter from your bank's head office. It stated that my new bank card
was enclosed and asked me to acknowledge receipt. However, when the envelope arrived in my
mailbox, it was in a tattered state. More importantly, the debit card which was supposed to be
included, was missing. I checked and rechecked around the mailbox, but found nothing. I am
concerned that someone has gone through my mail and possibly stolen the card.

For this reason I request that you cancel the existing debit card immediately. The debit card in
question is related to my account number 64729401 at your Bay and Bloor branch. After it has
been cancelled, please arrange to send me a new one, as I need to travel overseas next week and
will need to carry the new bank card with me.

Thank you kindly in advance,

Yours faithfully,

Ms Brenda Holster

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You eat at your college cafeteria at lunch time every day.. However, you think it needs
some improvements. Write a letter to the college magazine. In your letter:

 explain what you like about the cafeteria

 say what is wrong with it
 suggest how it could be improved

Write at least 150 words.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing in connection with our college cafeteria. Since almost every student spends some
time here every day, I believe it is in everyone's best interest to find ways to improve the quality
of this central eatery.

The cafeteria itself is modern, spacious and attractive. The newly painted murals of the seaside
give the seating area an open, airy, outdoor feeling which makes it very pleasant to eat meals
there. This is further enhanced by the large green plants and flowing water fountains.

The main problem with the cafeteria is in the food served! First of all, there is a very limited
selection available. Each day offers up only standard North American fare of hamburgers, hot
dogs, chicken nuggets and french fries. Not only is this selection unhealthy, but also
uninteresting day in and day out. We have so many international students on campus, it would be
wonderful to have some curries, burritos and falafel added to the menu. Secondly, since this is a
student cafeteria, prices need to stay low. We have unfortunately seen two price hikes in the last
two years.

I am sure if we offer a wider range of foods, at better prices, the cafeteria will continue to run
profitably as more students choose to eat there.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Bernard

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are applying for a job and need a letter of reference from someone who knew you
when you were at school.

Write a letter to one of your old teachers asking for a reference. In your letter:

 say what job you have applied for

 explain why you want this job
 suggest what information the teacher should include

Write at least 150 words.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Mrs Sweeney

How are you? I hope everything is fine at the school and that you have been well. I still
remember the dynamic way in which you taught grammar to me and all of the teacher trainees in
your English class. Thanks again for those important lessons.

I am writing in connection with a letter of reference that I need for a job that I have applied for
recently. As I am due to graduate next month, I have applied for a position as an ESL teacher at a
private language school in Tokyo, Japan. You might remember my telling you how very much I
looked forward to teaching and traveling around the world. Now I have the chance. I am
confident that I can make a difference in the lives of students who need to learn English.

In the letter of reference, I would appreciate it if you could include information related to my
trustworthiness, my enthusiasm and my cross-cultural awareness while in teacher training
college. As the job is in Japan, they do not have the chance to interview me and will base their
decision largely on my letters of reference. I would need to have the letter in two weeks, by July
1st.

Thank you kindly in advance,

Yours sincerely,

Grace Smith

You are going on a short training course at a college in Sydney, Australia. You need
somewhere to live while you are there.

Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter:

Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the college. In your letter:

 explain your situation

 describe the accommodation you require
 say when you will need it

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Mrs Walker

I am writing in connection with my upcoming training course at your college in Sydney,

Australia. I will be there to attend the Brain- Based Learning program at Victoria College for a
period of three weeks from July 2st to July 22st, 2010. I am hoping that you will be able to assist
me with my accommodation arrangements.

As I am slightly older than most of the other participants, I would appreciate it if you could find
a private studio apartment for me, close to the college. It would be ideal if I could walk to school
each day, but if not, I would need access to public transportation. I understand some of the events
on campus finish quite late so I would prefer not to walk in an unfamiliar neighbourhood after
dark. In terms of the apartment, all I require is a bed, a desk, a TV, an Internet connection, a
kitchen and a bathroom. My budget is around US $1000 for 3 weeks.

As I will be arriving on July 1st, I would need the apartment to be available from that night until
the day of my departure, which is July 23rd. My last night in the apartment would be July 22nd.

Please let me know if you are able to find such an apartment and if not, please suggest other
suitable arrangements. I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely,

Jane Goodwin
You have been living in a rental apartment for the past year. Recently a new neighbour
moved in and has been making a lot of noise, which disturbs you.

Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter:

 explain the situation

 describe why it bothers you
 suggest a solution

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any address.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear __________

Dear Mr Shah

I hope you and your family are all well. I am writing in connection with a problem I have with
the new tenant, Jack, who has moved in downstairs. Unfortunately, his habits and needs appear
to be quite different from my own.

The issue is that Jack is a professional musician who plays his electric guitar late into the night. I
understand he is in a band and needs to practice; however, I think he cannot do so in a residential
building such as ours. As I mentioned to you when I signed the lease to the apartment, I am a
full-time writer who works from home. For me, it is essential to have silence so I can concentrate
on my work. With Jack playing at all hours, I have been unable to get any of my writing done,
except when he is out. In some cases, I have even been forced to leave the apartment and work at
a nearby coffee shop or library as the guitar playing was causing such a disturbance.

I would appreciate it if you could speak to Jack and ask him to turn down the volume on his
guitar or else to use headphones. I have spoken to him about it, but to no avail. I will let you
know as soon as the situation improves.

Thank you kindly in advance and please give my best regards to your family,

Yours sincerely,

Meg Snyder