CURSO

Departamento de Educacin
y Ciencia

Escuela Oficial de Idiomas n 2

de Zaragoza

ACTIVIDAD

SOPORTE

FICHA N

3
INGLS

17

EXPRESIN
ESCRITA

AULA DE
AUTOAPRENDIZAJE
WRITING FORMAL LETTERS
(writing a covering letter)
Read Nancys letter of application for Worldwatch. Put one word into each gap.
17 Hillside Rd
Chesswood
Herts WD3 5LB
Tel 01923 284171
Fax 01923 286622
Thursday 18 January
David Benton
Worldwatch UK Ltd
357 Ferry Rd
Basingstoke RG2 5HP
Dear Mr Benton,
I saw your (1). for a Business journalist in todays Guardian newspaper. I am
very (2). in the job and I think that have many of the necessary (3)
I (4). politics and modern languages at Oxford University. I am (5) in
French, German and Spanish. I have (6). widely in Europe and South America,
and I (7) worked as a business journalist for the BBC (8)the last five
years.
I enclose a copy of my curriculum vitae. Please let me know if you need more
information.
I look forward (9) hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,

Nancy Mann
KEY
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

advertisement
interested
qualifications
studied

(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

fluent
travelled
have
for

(9)

to

Look at Nancys letter again. Decide on the following:

(a) In what other ways can you begin formal letters?
(b) Where is Nancys address written?
(c) Does the senders name appear with the address?
(d) Where is the address of the company she is writing to?
(e) Where does the date appear? In what other ways can you write the date?
(f) What standard expression does she use to say farewell?
(g) What does Nancy write before her signature? Why?
(h) Where does Nancy sign her name?
(i) Where does she print her name?
(j) What other characteristics of formal letters can you think of?
(k) There are three paragraphs. What is the aim of each one?

KEY
(a) Dear Sir(s) / Dear Sir or Madam.
(b) In top right hand corner.
(c) No, it is only mentioned with the signature.
(d) On the left, below the companys name but below the senders address.
(e) Below the senders address. 18 January 1996 or 18/01/1996 or 01/18/1996 (American
English)
(f) I look forward to hearing from you.
(g) Yours sincerely, because she mentions the addresses name after Dear
If we dont mention any name after Dear we should use the formula Yours faithfully.
(h) Below the ending.
(i) Below the signature. It is the only place where it is mentioned.
(j)
- No contractions
- Avoid phrasal verbs as much as possible
- No colloquial expressions; no slang; no use of expressions of spoken language
- Longer sentences
- Tendency to use the passive
- Tendency to use words of Latin origin
- Use of polite expressions
(k) Paragraph 1: where she saw the advert + general introduction of herself.
Paragraph 2: details of why she is suitable for the job/summary of her main points in her CV
Paragraph 3: conclusion + details of information enclosed + hope for further contact
ASSIGMENT
Write a letter of application for the following job:
TRANS-GLOBE COACHES
want
TRAVEL COURIERS
In Europe the Far East North and South America
Have you got good interpersonal skills?
Can you speak two or more languages?
Do you want to see the world?
Please apply with CV to
The Personnel Manager
Trans-Globe Coaches
Victoria Square
London SW1 6VC
From New Headway English Course Intermediate, OUP, Students Book, p. 74
O.U.P. This material may only be used for individual study; multiple copying and distribution are prohibited.