English 8

Week of _____________________________

IO:

Identify the parts of a business letter Describe the page format of a business letter Identify the parts of the letter that are contained in the question Identify the parts of the letter that are generated by the writer Identify proper sentence structure and vocabulary for business correspondence

Aim: How do we write effective business letters? Materials: Index cards with the individual parts of a business letter written on them.

Motivation: As the students enter the classroom, distribute one index card to each. Using the classroom floor as a canvas, have the students arrange themselves, one by one, in the position on the page occupied by their parts. (e.g. senders address in upper right corner; date below; internal address below at left margin; etc.) Procedure: 1. Distribute motivation cards on arrival. 2. What is the first thing you write on the page when you are writing a business letter? Where does it go? Elicit verbal responses and have students arrange themselves step by step in the proper format for the business letter. 3. For each part of the letter, elicit (from the student playing that part or from the class at large) the actual content of their element (e.g. elicit an actual senders address, a specific date, a recipients address, an opening salutation, etc.) Construct a letter on the blackboard using all individual responses. Have students make up the recipient and the scenario as they go along; the person playing the recipients address names the recipient, but the person playing the background makes up the purpose and back story behind the letter. 4. (If time allows for a second run-through, give them a specific scenario to draw upon). 5. Which parts of the letter are dependent on the scenario given in the question, and which are known to (or made up by) the writer? [Elicit responses from the people playing those roles: Are you dependent on the assigned question, or do you know your info before you even hear the question?] Known to the writer, independent of the question: Senders address Date Opening salutation Closing salutation Writers Signature Writers Printed name Dependent on the question: Recipients name/address Purpose/Background info What the writer wants (proposed or demanded outcome or solution) Enclosures / copies

6. Of the information that is dependent on the question, which information is directed included in the given scenario, and which do you (as the writer) have to come up with? Given Recipients address Background/purpose Enclosures / copies Created by writer Proposed outcome/solution

7. How do we take the information we are given and translate it into the proper form for giving it to someone else? Keep in mind: When you write an actual letter, the recipient knows nothing but what you tell him/her. Even though the test (RCT) evaluators will be familiar the scenario, they are looking to see how you explain it to someone who doesnt already know what you are writing about. Read and Think: Read the given scenario (twice if necessary). Understand the purpose of the letter (complaint, commendation, request for info, etc.) What information is given and inflexible? What information is given and flexible? (Can you embellish or be more specific about certain elements of the story?) Who are you writing to? (a specifically named person, a department head or manager, an unknown/undesignated sir or madam; Dear [title] What are you asking for? Consider this scenario: Your grandmother resides in a nursing home. Recently, she almost choked on a fish bone that was left in what was supposed to be a boneless filet of fish sandwich. A nurse-attendant named Rachel Martin noticed her distress, performed the Heimlich maneuver and saved your grandmothers life. Write a letter to the nursing home: Sunset Residence, Inc., 45-66 Queens Boulevard, Jackson Heights, NY 11489 Answer each of the above questions related to this scenario. Purpose: Are you writing to complain about the bone in the fish or to commend Mrs. Martin for her quick, life-saving response (or both?) Inflexible information: Who almost choked, where she lives, how she almost choked, etc. all these are givens. Flexible information: Recently is a term open to interpretation. You can make it more specific by yourself. 8. How do you change the given scenario into actual content for the letter: Alter pronouns: Your grandmother becomes My grandmother if you write to the director of a nursing home and say your grandmother lives there, you are saying the directors grandmother resides in the home.

 Alter nouns: a nursing home (common noun) becomes Sunset Residence (proper noun the name of the specific facility you are writing to) or your facility (linking the nursing home to the specific recipient). Alter flexible terms: Recently becomes last week or yesterday or On [date] My grandmother becomes Mrs. Gladys Redfern Use synonyms, descriptions, or related terms/phrases instead of using the same words over and over again. First time: Rachel Martin Later: Ms. Martin / the nurse-attendant First time: Sunset Residence Later: your facility / this home First time: Heimlich maneuver Later: this life-saving procedure / first aid 9. What do you keep the same? The facts. Dont change recently to last year Dont make up a name (or any other info) when one is specifically given Dont change your grandmother to your aunt or father. Spelling. When you copy a word/name/address, copy it correctly. 10. What do you add to the given scenario? what do you want from the recipient? If this is a complaint letter, what do you want Sunset Residence to do about the problem? If this is a commendation, what do you want Sunset Residence to do for the nurse-attendant? Keep in mind: this is the most significant part of the letter as far as the RCT evaluator is concerned. They want to know whether you can come up with information (think) and express it (write) in proper English. Tips: Make it plausible (real). What you are asking for must be something the recipient can do, and something that actually addresses the situation you are writing about. Keep it simple. Dont go overboard or try to be extra clever. For example, dont ask the recipient to contact someone else on your behalf why wouldnt you just write to that person yourself? Be direct. Express one point/idea at a time. Dont assume the recipient will know what you are talking about if you dont say it outright. Dont beat around the bush and try not to say something. Letters are about communication, not silence. Use business language. You are not talking to a friend or relative. Be formal, not familiar. Ask or demand, but do not threaten or curse. Be polite/respectful, as well as respectable you dont want the reader to ignore or trash your letter just because youre rude or nasty. Use a tone (and choose the vocabulary) that suits your purpose. A complaint could be firm or stern or harsh or demanding. A commendation must be more positive. Use complete sentences.

11. Practice: correct language usage and other content of previous letters.

HW # ____________________ On a blank piece of paper (except for your heading), write all the parts of a business letter in the proper format/location on the page.

HW # ____________________ What six parts of the business letter can you write before you even read the question? What parts are dependent on the given scenario?

HW # ____________________ Answer each Read and Think question about the following scenario: Your familys health insurance company refused to pay for your mothers visit to her cardiologist last Wednesday. The insurance company claims that the heart specialist your mother saw, Dr. Nathan Chilleya, is not part of their network and cannot be paid at the regular rate. You found this doctor for your mother by going to the insurance companys website and searching for a network cardiologist. Write to the insurance company: All-Health Life Ins. Co., 4569 East Appleton Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 70459.

HW # ____________________ Write an actual business letter using the insurance company scenario from yesterdays homework.

Winter Recess Project: Make up two scenarios for business letters. Write an actual business letter for one of your scenarios. Review writing tips to prepare for test.