T2B p3 les 2 Formal letters - salutation & layout

• New lesson editor
• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo t, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Utreg

Focus question:

How can I start and end a formal letter using the correct structure and conventions.

Lesson goal:

1. understand the structure and layout of a formal English letter.

2. understand key conventions (Greeting & closing)

3. understand lay-out 'opbouw and indeling'

Activating prior knowledge

Try to do this on your own before you consult a neighbour.

That way you know if you allready had the knowledge.

What do you know about formal language?

What do you know about informal language?

When do you write formal letters?

You use a formal letter when you need to be polite, professional, and respectful.

when applying for a job

when you write to a company

when you make a complaint

when you write to someone you don't know personally

when you write to officials

What makes them formal?

• the layout: greeting, paragraphs, blank lines, closing sentence, closing.

• the tone: polite, respectful, not casual

• the language: no slang or contractions

• use formal phrases: "I would like to..."

• clear structure: introduction, body, conclusion

• correct spelling and grammar

Wat mag niet in een formele brief?

A

I'm / You're / They're

B

Bye / See you later / Greetings

C

Gonna / wanna

D

Dear Sir/Madam,

Wat mag niet in een formele brief?

A

something / stuff

B

you guys

C

hello

D

een voorletter bij de aanhef : Mrs K. Winslet,

New information

Salutations

Layout

Closing sentences

Closing your letter

Salutations

When choosing your salutation you have to keep in mind:

• Your recipient

• The purpose of the letter

Informal

• Hi, Jess

• Hey!

Formal

• Dear Mrs Jones,​

• Dear Mr Jones,​

• Dear Mx, (if you don’t know a name)

Layout

Take a look.

What do you see regarding the layout?

Dear Mr Johnson,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to request a meeting to review the current status of the Orion Project and to discuss potential adjustments to the delivery timeline. Given recent developments, I believe it would be beneficial to align our expectations and ensure that all milestones remain achievable.

Could we schedule a 30-minute meeting next week at your convenience? I am available on Tuesday and Thursday between 10:00 and 14:00, but I am happy to adjust to your preferred time.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Emily Carter

Closing sentence

The last sentence:

• I look forward to a quick response.

• I hope to hear from you soon.

• I hope we can come to a quick resolution.

Keep it polite but hint to what you want.

Closing your letter

When:

Use a proper form of closing:

​

• Yours faithfully, ​

• Yours sincerely,

​

• (blank line)

​

• Your full name​

How:

Remember the order of the ending.​

​

Yours faithfully als je gestart bent met Dear Mx,​

​

​

Yours sincerely als je gestart bent met Dear Mrs Collins, of Dear Mr Collins,

Checking your knowledge

Do this check without discussing it with a neighbour!

Remember it is only a check if you know you can do it yourself.

Drag and Drop

Formal

Informal

Dear Mr Brown,

Hi Jenny,

Dear Lizzy,

Dear Mx,

Drag and Drop

Formal

Informal

Yours faithfully,

Yours indefinitely,

Best regards,

Yours sincerely,

Kind regards,

Drag and Drop

Yours sincerely,

Yours faithfully,

Best wishes,

Kind regards,

Dear Boris,

To whom it may concern,

Dear Mr Bean,

Hi Jenny,

Dear Mrs Jackson,

Dear Mx,

Utreg

Renovation of the church

An other option to show is here but you have to go to youtube in order to play it.

(1089) KS1 | WHAT WAS THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON ? | EXPLAINED FOR KIDS - YouTube

Assignment 1

You watched a clip about the Great Fire of London.

The church in our town is going to be renovated. The church is located in a busy, residential area where most of the houses have thatched roofs. In order to cut costs the mayor has decided to renovate the church by only using wood.

Write a short letter (75 words) in your notebook. Write a formal letter to mayor Mrs Wren in which you explain that this would not be a good idea. Pay attention to the layout!

Check your letter

You are now going to check the salutation, closing and layout of your letter.

You can also ask your neighbour for help!

Did it look something like this?

Dear Mrs Wren,

I am writing to express my concern about the plan to renovate the church using wood to reduce costs. Although wood may be cheaper, it can be dangerous.

As we learned from the Great Fire of London, wooden buildings can catch fire easily and allow fires to spread quickly. This could put the church and nearby buildings at risk.

The church is an important building in our town, so it would be safer to use materials such as brick or stone. Although these materials may cost more, they would protect the building and the community.

I hope you will reconsider this decision.

Yours sincerely,

(Your name)