1. WRITING: A FORMAL LETTER
Petr Novotný
Gymnázium Dr. Karla Polesného Znojmo

2. INTRODUCTION
The kinds of formal letters include eg a letter of complaint, a letter of application, a letter to the editor, a business letter etc.
Such letters should be relevant and written as clearly as possible.
The style is formal and polite.

3. THE LAYOUT Addressee (who you are writing to)
Salutation
(Dear ...,)
Message
Concluding comment
Your signature
Your name
Your address, but not your name
Date
Complimentary closing
64 Uxbridge Road
STORRIDGE
WR13 8LN
UNITED KINGDOM
Gerard L. Murray
6596 Linda Street
Philadelphia, PA 19108
USA
19th July 2013
Dear Mr. Murray
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I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Godfrey

4. YOUR ADDRESS (UK) 64 Uxbridge Road STORRIDGE WR13 8LN UNITED KINGDOM
House number
Street name
64 Uxbridge Road STORRIDGE WR13 8LN UNITED KINGDOM
POST TOWN
(preferably in capitals)
POSTCODE
numbers and letters (in capitals)
Country

5. THE ADDRESSEE (USA)
House number
Gerard L. Murray 6596 Linda Street Philadelphia, PA USA
Street name
Post town
ZIP Code
5 numbers
xxx xx
State abbreviation
Country

6. SALUTATION A/ IF YOU KNOW THE ADDRESSEE'S SURNAME
WHEN TO USE IT:
Dear Mr + surname,
if the addressee is male
Dear Mrs + surname,
if the addressee is a married woman
Dear Miss + surname,
if the addressee is a single woman
Dear Ms + surname,
if you don't know the woman's marital status
A/ IF YOU KNOW THE ADDRESSEE'S SURNAME
B/ IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ADDRESSEE'S SURNAME
SALUTATION:
WHEN TO USE IT:
Dear Sir / Sirs,
if the addressee is male
Dear Madam / Madams,
if the addressee is female
Dear Sir or Madam,
if you don't know the addressee's gender (in Br E)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
if you don't know the addressee's gender (in Am E)
To whom it may concern,
if you don't know the addressee's gender
After the salutation use a comma (,) or nothing

7. THE MESSAGE (1) The style and vocabulary is formal.
Never use colloquial language or slang.
Your writing must be clear – avoid ambiguities.
Avoid using vague words such as nice, good, etc.
Make sure your grammar and spelling is correct.
Avoid using contracted forms (I'm; you're; haven't; hasn't; ...)
Be polite, even if you are complaining. If you want something, use indirect questions (eg "Could you please send me ..." instead of "Please send me ...".
Avoid using exclamation marks (!)

8. THE MESSAGE (2) Make sure you divide the text into logical paragraphs.
The first paragraph should be short and express clearly the purpose of the letter (eg a complaint, request, etc).
The final paragraph should state what you expect from the addressee (eg a reply, a refund, some information etc).

9. CONCLUDING COMMENT AND COMPLIMENTORY CLOSING
At the end use: "I look forward to hearing from you (soon/shortly)."
This is more formal (and suitable) than:
"I'm looking forward to hearing ... ."
Follow by:
"Yours faithfully" if you don't know the addressee's name (and began with "Dear Sir / Madam") or
"Yours sincerely" if you have the contact name (and began with "Dear Mr / Mrs /...").

10. YOUR SIGNATURE AND NAME
Always remember to sign your letter in pen and type your full name underneath your signature.
You may include your academic degree(s) at your name, but don't use them in your signature.

11. TASK
Imagine you are a college student who would like to get some information about college scholarship. You are going to write a letter to the dean and ask him for the requirements necessary to get the scholarship.
You may find the following phrases useful:
an A student / many extracurricular activities / hard-working / self-disciplined / responsible / evidence of academic records / CV
The contact address includes the following fragments:
/ New York / Geneva Street / 438 / The Dean of Students Affairs / Matthew P. White / NY
Write your formal letter including your address and the correctly organized contact address.