Transactional Letter

Hints: Remember to write in a formal letter format Begin your letter with:

Dear Sir/Madam (if you do not know the name of your addressee) or Dear Mrs Penney (if the name is given in the task) Explain who you are and why you are writing this letter Do not copy phrases from the question. State clearly and politely what actions you want to be taken. Do not use contractions. Use formal language. In this type of letter you may need to use a construction that is called a dependant question. Regular (independent) questions in English are formed by inversion:

Where is my book? When does it start? However, if you precede these questions by phrases like: I do not know; Could you tell me; I want to ask, the word order remains like in the statement, not question. Note that these sentences do not end with question marks, either. Compare: Could you tell me where my book is. I want to ask when it starts.

Useful expressions: 1. Complaining: I am writing to complain about... I am sorry to inform you that... I was very disappointed with... I have some complaints about... Requesting: I am writing for information about... I would like to learn/ know more about... I would like to ask whether/ if... I would be grateful if you could... 2. Asking for particular actions: I would like to ask you for... I would suggest that you/ your company... I think that I can ask for some compensation. In the light of the above, I would like to ask you for...

Sample answer: 1. Letter of complaint

Q: You invited your friend to a fancy restaurant. You found their advertisement in the local newspaper an expectations and you were disappointed. Write a letter to Mrs Talker, the manager of the restaurant, and Advertisement: Restaurant 'Romantica' is the best place you can meet your friend and spend a nice evening in a good company. quiet soothing music in the background make the place perfect for those tired of everyday rush. Discreet service restaurants in the world. Great choice of vegetarian dishes. Come and enjoy! Satisfaction guaranteed!

Dear Mrs Talker,

I am writing to inform you that I was very disappointed with my visit to your restaurant two days ago. I read you with my friend. Unfortunately, I have a couple of complaints concerning this visit.

According to your advertisement the place is perfect for having private conversations in relaxing atmosphere. Ho concentrate on the chat with my friend. The waiter asked to turn the music down shrugged his shoulders and said service'?

To make matters worse, the place was crowded and waiting for an ordered meal was intolerably long. I must adm

I would like you to take my points under consideration and I expect a refund from your restaurant. I trust you wil from you. Yours sincerely, David Beckham [186 words] 2. Letter for information

Q: You are going to participate in a young writers competition. You still have some questions concerning want to know if you can send them your essay on CD. Write a letter to the organizers of the competition an 3. Letter of application

Q: You want to apply for a summer job in Brighton. You have found the advertisement in local newspaper Write a letter to the manager of the hotel in which you present your qualifications, skills and interests.

Transactional Letter 1
In Part 1 of Paper 2 of FCE you are usually asked to write a letter asking for or giving information. This task is compulsory. 1. Register. The first thing you have to decide is whether the letter is formal (to someone you do not know very well or do not know at all; i.e., to an organization) or informal (to a friend or family). Which of the phrases below are formal (F) and which are informal (I)? 1. Dear Sir / Madam __ 2. Love, Elena __ 3. See you next week! I can hardly wait! __ 4. I look forward to receiving your reply. __ 5. Yours faithfully, Ana Garcia Herrera __ 6. I am writing in reply to your letter of 15 May. __ 7. Give my love to your parents. __ 8. Should you require any further information, do not hesitate to contact us at the above address. __ 9. Write back soon and tell me all your news. __ 10. Im sorry I havent written for such a long time, but Ive been really busy. 11. I would be most grateful if you could send me any further relevant information. __

Building up a stock of fixed phrases and expressions will help you sound more natural. Avoid translating from your own language into English. Look at the task below and decide what is your letter supposed to be, formal or informal? Some young people you met last summer are planning to visit your country on holiday and have asked you to suggest some places of interest to see. Write a letter of reply using the notes below. - when? - how long? - come and stay?

2. Planning

Planning may sound like a waste of time but it's not! It helps you stay focused and organize your thoughts. You are expected to divide the letter into clearly marked, three or four, paragraphs. Look at the following plan and number the point in a logical order from 1 to 7. Apologise for not writing sooner. __ Thank them for their letter. __ Ask when they will be coming. __ Tell them to write again. __ Invite them to stay for a few days. __ Suggest places to visit and things to do. __ Say why you havent replied sooner. __

Think of ways to extend your ideas adequately: give a reason for not replying; possible ideas of spending their time - activities, entertainment; best time of year to visit. Useful phrases to remember: Thank you for your letter. It was great to hear from you. Sorry I havent written back for so long. Sorry its taken me so long to reply. Ive been really busy recently. Ive been working really hard. Ive been studying like mad for my final exams. Im really pleased youre coming to Italy. Its great that youre coming here soon. When exactly will you be coming? Do you know when youre coming? When are you going to be here? Why dont you come and stay with me for a few days? Id love to put you up for a few days. Would you like to stay with me for a few days? You could visit Lerici and Portovenere. The Cinque Terre are well worth a visit. Im sure youd really love the Museo Lia. You can swim and sunbathe on the sandy beaches. We could go for walks in the countryside together. Write back soon and tell me your plans. Write and tell me exactly when you are planning to come. Now write your letter in about 150 words.

1.

A letter asking for information

It is supposed to be a text for the reading paper, part 1 of the First Certificate in English. I would be incredibly grateful if anyone could told me whether there is any grammar or language mistake. The task is "You and a friend want to be volunteers in the World Support Programme. Write a letter asking for information and details". Thank you very much,

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to you in order to ask for some details about your World Support Programme. A friend and I are really interested in taking part in the programme but we are in need of more information. Firstly, I would like to know the average age of the volunteers. We are twenty-year-old teenagers and consequently, we wish to be with people from our same age. Secondly, I wonder if you could tell me where the programme is run and which communities we would help. Moreover, I would be grateful if you told me which skills are needed. For instance, is it useful to have a good English level? In your advertisements, it is said that the programme is free of charge even though it seems improbable to me. It would be worth if you specified whether it has no costs involved at all. Finally, could you give me more information about the accomodation and the food? I would like to know which kind of food is served and whether the accomodation is in houses or tents. Actually, we wholeheartedly want to become volunteers so we look forward to receiving your reply. Yours faithfully, Sebastian Senlle 2.