Letters & Emails Poster

                                                                                    

                                     LETTERS TO FRIENDS

* TOPIC SENTENCE to introduce paragraphs

* Dashes and Exclamation Marks

     * Phrasal verbs:  call/put off – come across – get on with – give up – 

         go on – look forward to – call round – look after –set out – find out

     * Friendly expressions/Idioms:  go out for a bite / costs an arm and a leg / once in a blue moon / feeling a bit under the weather /

     * Transition words: To begin with / Anyway / Finally / On the other hand / However / although / Luckily / Unfortunately

    *  Sophisticated Adjectives:  breath-taking – hilarious  - picturesque – superb – thrilled –fantastic – furious – hideous – filthy – packed – exhausted – starving – awful – fascinating – boiling – freezing - terrific

     * Intensifiers to express enthusiasm:  

      certainly / definitely / absolutely / surely/ extremely / incredibly /

OPENING & CLOSING REMARKS FOR INFORMAL LETTERS

• I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading your letter.
• I think of you every day/so often.
• I was so glad to see your handwriting again.
• Your last letter was priceless/delightful/a pleasure to get.
• Your letter was such fun to read—thanks!
• Your letters always brighten my day.
• I’m wondering how your finals went.
• I was really pleased to hear from you
• It’s been a while since we last wrote so I thought I’d drop you a line to bring you up to date with what’s been happening here.

· Write when you have time, will you?

· Please write and tell me all the news.

·  Please say hello to everyone and tell Audrey thanks again for taking us out. We had a great time! Your family is so warm and fun to be around—so much energy and self-assurance! I miss you all!

·   See you soon, I hope.

EXAM PRACTICE

If you want to practise for the Writing paper...you can get help from here:

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/first/preparation/exam-preparation-emails/

Don't miss this chance!

Essay by a CAE student

IN FEAR OF A BLANK PAGE

By Josefina Guller (CAE - 2002)

You enter the examination room, sit at your desk and look down: in front of you lies a white page and a task to fulfill. You look up. The invigilator glances at the clock on the wall and proceeds to write down the starting and finishing time on the blackboard. The finishing time. The “dead” line. The time when you will have no more time. You look down again. The defying white page is still there, untouched.

Petrifying before a blank page is not a rare experience. This syndrome is commonly suffered by students who face an exam or a task which contains a deadline. The fact of knowing you must comply with it within a certain time limit leads to what is called a “blocking”. A blocking consists of a mental lagoon, an empty mind, a wall that stops the flow of ideas.

Facing a white page is no easy battle to win. Therefore, training must begin at the earliest stage possible. Learning how to bend a sword ( or a pen) and developing the necessary skills to do so properly will be of much help, but it is practice what will grant you victory and allow you to shatter the “blank” enemy.

It is my belief that this syndrome, from  which, unfortunately, I suffer periodically, can be cured. Moreover, it can disappear without leaving trace. But this demands an enormous effort and the will to succeed ( on the part of the sufferer).

Should you find yourself in the blockers’ group, do try to overcome this fear of blank pages. It is a skill you will need in the future, for we live in a world full of unwritten paper.

And remember: “We have nothing to fear

but fear itself.” (G. Roosevelt)

Josefina Guller was a student at St. Trinnean’s, an excellent one…but Writing sometimes worried her. Here’s what she wrote about it

Emails and informal letters

Informal letters/emails  = Conversation.

 

·         ask a lot of questions,

·          show interest and enthusiasm

·         imagine a lot of shared information

 Use grammatical expressions and vocabulary appropriate to your level. Even if there are no mistakes in you writing, you will not be able to get a good grade if you use only the language that you learnt at elementary level.

o    USE CONTRACTIONS, EXCLAMATION MARKS & DASHES

o    INTRODUCE EACH PARAGRAPH with a suitable INTRODUCTORY PHRASE/TOPIC SENTENCE

o    SHOW ENTHUSIASM with strong adjectives and adverbs  absolutely fantastic / an absolute nightmare.

o    More sophisticated adjectives  "inexpensive"  "reliable" Don’t use GOOD-BAD-NICE-

o    Phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions Things have been getting on top of me at work lately. / It’s been ages since we last managed to meet up. / What have you been up to lately? / Let me know what you think. / I’ll fill you in when we meet next time / I’m up to my neck in homework. / You can come over for a bite any time./ Let’s go out for a bite one of these days.

Linking Words / Connectors

Ø  To introduce a topic: Well, you’ll never guess who I bumped into yesterday. / I know how much you love…….., so ……. /

Ø  To introduce a topic which has nothing to do with the purpose of your letter/email: By the way, did you know that Tom’s got a new job? (Generally the last paragraph!)

Ø  To change topic:  Anyway, (topic sentence)

Ø  To introduce surprising or bad news: Actually, he came to the party after all. / I’m really sorry but I can’t make it. / To tell you the truth, I don’t really like sports much.

Ø  To summarize what you’ve already said: Anyway, we had a really good time in the end. Well, to cut a long story short, we didn’t get there on time.

Ø   To be honest / Honestly   Surprisingly  

Useful Language

Ø  Use conditional sentences to make suggestions If you let me have your number, I’ll give you a call at the weekend

Ø  Use polite question forms for requests: Do you think you could….? Would you mind if ….?

Ø  Use question tags to check information Nobody else knows, do they? You don’t mind, do you?

BEGINNINGS:

•       Thanks for your email. Glad to hear ….
•       It was great to hear from you after such a long time.
•       Just got your email/letter. I’m delighted/so happy to hear that….
•       What a surprise to get an email from you after so long! Can’t believe….
•       It was so nice to hear from you after all these months.
•       That's great news about.. I'm so happy for you.
•  

MAIN PARAGRAPHS

• Of course I want to …
• You ask me about….
• As for….
• You want to know…
• Regarding….
• Anyway, I’ve been thinking …                     
• I’m thrilled to tell you ….
• I’d like to know a couple of things about…
• By the way, did you know that …
• I’ve also been wondering
• Finally, you mention that ….
• I was thinking it’d be great if….

CLOSING

• Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I guess it’s time I got on with that studying I’ve been avoiding.
• Anyway, don’t forget to let me know the dates of the party. / I’ll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times. /We  must try and meet up soon / I can’t wait to hear from you/ Text me as soon as your plane lands
• If you have more questions, please let me know. I’ll be happy to answer them.

• Thanks again for/Once again thank you…..We’ll keep in touch.
• Do keep in touch and let me know…./ Keep in touch, I always look forward to your letters.
• Don’t hesitate to drop me a line if ….
• Please, let me know what you think about my plans.
• Please, drop me a line as soon as you can
• Let me know how it goes
• Well, that’s all for now. Please, write back.

Making suggestions and recommending

Why don’t you …? Maybe you could …?

 How about …?
You can’t leave New York without (doing sth)
I’m sure you will enjoy …..  If you like, we can …
Do visit ….                                                                    Don’t forget to  (Strong Recommendation)
 I’m told that … People say that … (if you heard it)

The best thing to do is …

Other useful phrases

You'd be more than welcome to come and stay some time. How about the 15th of June?

I'd love to come and stay with you, thanks for the invitation.

I'd love to accept your invitation but unfortunately I have an exam that week. Perhaps another time.

I must go, as it's getting late and I have an early start tomorrow.

Useful vocabulary for stories

(dramatic feelings, describing actions & weather)

to sense sth behind me                                           to race up/down the stairs         

my jaw dropped                                                     my heart began racing/missed a beat      

I gulped                                                               I felt faint   

gobbled down breakfast                                         then it hit me/it dawned on me    

a cold gust of wind                                               vanished into thin air              

watched in horror as…                                       could hear the wind roaring        

a storm was brewing in the horizon                          I felt a surge of energy

sobbing uncontrollably                                          glanced at (MY WATCH)   

there was no time to waste                                     awakened /startled by a piercing shout  

my legs were throbbing                                          shuffled to (the window)  

slammed the door                                                 the door slammed shut behind me  

screamed at the top of my lungs                             stare into sb’s eyes    

gulped                                                               could barely see straight   

broke out in a cold sweat                                     a shiver/chill ran down my back/spine    

woke up feeling extra happy                                  pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming

a horrifying picture of (sth) flashed                        I shrieked in terror

before my eyes                                                    my mood was beginning to lift

my eyes nearly popped out of my face                     My heart leapt/jumped/pounded/thumped

I just stood there, petrified                                  I ran out of ……, too terrified to look back.

I was terrified that (sth would happen)                  I was scared to death                                        
 I just panicked                                                  I nearly jumped out of my skin

It gave me the creeps                                          To scream in terror

A blood-curdling scream                                       It made my hair stand on end

                                                                   

CHECKLIST: INFORMAL EMAILS & LETTERS

ü      Suitable introduction?

ü     Ambitious vocabulary? Idioms?

ü     Informal expressions?

ü     Phrasal Verbs?

ü     Dashes and exclamation marks?

ü     Linking Devices?

ONE TOPIC – ONE PARAGRAPH

Paragraphs properly introduced

Closing remark / future contact

Does my letter sound PERSONAL, FRIENDLY, CHATTY? Do ideas flow smoothly?

Is the Task fulfilled?