Advanced Writing with English in Use

FORMAL LETTERS

A Letters ofcomplaint:tact

B Applying forjobs ,coursesand scholarships

C Other formal letters

6A Lettersofcomplaint:tact

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page 9 5

page 98

1.0 Layout of a formal letter

Writinga formalletter is like going to a wedding: there are certainconventions

that you should respect.The 'formal dress ' of a letteris the layout; youmay also

be expecte d to use certain fixed 'politeness' phrases.If y ou do not respect these

convent ions,yourletter will certainly be takenless seriously andwill possibly

offend, upse t or conf useyour corr espondent. Theletter belowillustratesthe

standard layout.There arenotesaboutthe layo uton the nextpage.

1 Ope n Door Schoo lo f Eng l ish

2 Rua Boa Morte2 181

13400 -140 Piraeicab a

Est. de SiloPaulo

Brazil

3 tel. (0 194) 22 - 34 87

4 T he Manager

5 BoatraceInternati onal Bookshop

37 MorseAvenue

O XFORDOX3 3 DP

7 DearSir or Madam

6 24 Augustt 999

8 On 23 June I o rde redt 6 copies of ' In at the Deep End' by Vick iHoll ett.

to be sent to me at the above address.

9 Twomonths later, these books have not yet been received.

10 Iwouldbe gratefulifyoucould look into this matterand ensurethat the

books reachme as soon as poss ible.

11 Your s faithfully

12 CeliaSilveiraCoelho

13 CE LIA SILVEIRACOELHO

14 Director

15

Tasktypes • 87