A personal letter

The goal of the lesson:The goal of the lesson:

the acquaintance with thetypes, the structure and the style

of English personal letters.

is a written/printed message addressed to a person or

organization.

is a letter

dealing with personal affairs.

A letter

A personal letter (a formal letter)

What purpose do you write a personal letter with?What purpose do you write a personal letter with?

• to apology

• to ask for advice/ suggestion

• to tell news

• to reply to an invitation

• to give an advice/ suggestion

• to thank for something

• to congratulate somebody

• to ask/ give information

SoSo

Types of personal letters:Types of personal letters:

• a letter giving your news;

• a letter congratulating someone;

• a reply to a party invitation;

• a letter asking for suggestions/ advice;

• a thank-you letter;

• a letter of apology;

• a letter asking for/ giving advice;

• a letter asking for/ giving information; etc.

Look at the extracts of personal letters and name their types.Look at the extracts of personal letters and name their types.

Hi Jane!Sorry to hear that you are not getting well with your brother. May be I can help!

Dear Matt,Hi! I haven’t heard from you

for ages so I thought I’d drop you a line.

Dear Grandma,Thanks SO much for

the birthday present. Iabsolutely loved it!

Hi! How are you? I just wanted to tell you howsorry I am about what happened last Monday. Mike

• a letter giving your news;• a letter congratulating someone;• a reply to a party invitation;• a letter asking for information;• a thank-you letter;• a letter of apology;• a letter giving advice;

Render the marked parts using the Reported Speech.Render the marked parts using the Reported Speech.

Hi! How are you? I just wanted to tell you I am so sorry about what happened last Monday. Mike

Mike wrote that he was so sorry about what had happened

the previous Monday.

Dear Grandma,Thanks SO much for

the birthday present. I absolutely loved it!

Sam

Sam wrote to his granny that he absolutely had loved it.

Dear Matt,Hi!

I haven’t heard from you for ages so I thought I’d drop you a line.

Ted

Ted wrote to Matt that he hadn’t heard from him for ages.

The structure

of a personal letter

Your address (адрес)

In the upper right corner. The reverse order: the number of the

house, the name of the street, the name of the town, the name of the country.

17 Green Street,

London, GB.

!!! We don’t put comma (,) between the number of the house and the name of the street.

The date(дата) 17 Green Street,

London, GB. 30 January, 2009

Under the address.

British variant of order: a number, a month, a year (28 June, 2009).

American variant of order: a month, a number, a year (June 28, 2009).

Don’t put any marks after the date.

The greeting(обращение)

Put two intervals before the greeting. From the beginning of the line. Variants of informal greetings:

Dear Jane,

Dear Aunt Carroll,

Hi, Greg,

My darling, Put comma (,) after the greeting.

Opening remarks

(первые фразы) From the indention (красная строка). It includes the reference (ссылка) to the previous

contact: gratitude for the letter + apology for long silence Use: Many thanks for your letter.

Thanks for your letter .   It was very nice to hear from you.    It was so good to hear from you. Thanks for your recent letter. I’m sorry I haven’t written for so long, but…. I really should have written sooner. I must apologize for not writing.     I’m terribly sorry that… Sorry I didn’t get in touch before, but….

Body of the letter

(основной текст письма) It usually consists of several paragraphs. Each paragraph begins from the new indention. Each paragraph inserts the information on one

subject. For example, in one paragraph you can answer

the questions of your pen-friend, telling about yourself.

The next paragraph may be devoted to your questions or your requests on a certain subject.

Closing remarks

(ссылка на дальнейший контакт) From the new paragraph with the indention. In the closing sentence you can send your regards

(передать привет), express your hope to get soon answer or meet soon.

Here are several variants of it: That’s all for now. I hope to hear from you soon. Get in touch soon. Look forward to hearing all about you. Looking forward to soon meeting. Please keep in touch. Give my regards to … .

Complimentary close (Заключительная формула вежливости )

From the new paragraph with the indention. In this part you can use the following phrases: I love you so much,

Lots of love,

Love,

Best wishes,

All the best,

With love,

Yours (ever),

Put comma (,) after the complimentary close.

Signature

(подпись) Put your signature under the complimentary

close. Leave one interval before your signature. Don’t put the dot (.) after your name. In personal letters we put just the name in the

signature, without any surname: Steve Sasha

Your address

Greeting

Opening remarks

Reference to the previous contact:

gratitude for the letter + apology for long silence

Body of the letter

Information you are interested in or want to tell.

Your questions on the point.

Your signature

Closing remarks

Let’s repeat the structure of the personal letter

Complimentary close

The date

Style of a personal letter

Informal style Informal greeting (Dear Jack, Darling) Colloquial expressions, abbreviations (To tell the truth, at all,

It’s OK, I’d really like, There’s something else I’ve got to tell you, info, grandad, folks (=family) )

Contracted forms (don’t go, that’s why, I’d better) Incomplete sentences - the dropping of the subject (Happy to

have received your letter. Great news about your brother!) Informal vocabulary (I’ll be late for the party. It’s because of my

French exam. Well, I think that's about all I wanted to say.) Phrasal verbs (get on, see off, give back) Active Voice (You gave me) Informal linking words (well, so, anyway, too, but, that’s why,

besides, to tell the truth, just now, and, at all, also, now) Informal ending (Lots of love, Love, Best wishes, All the best,

Yours) Informal signature (Jane, Susan) Exclamation marks (Get in touch soon!)

Choose the words that are suitable to a personal letter.

Dear Ken,/ Dear Sir,

361 Avenida Campinas,San Paulo, Brazil.July 29, 2007

Dear Ken,Thanks for your letter.

Bob/ Bob Green

Best wishes/ Yours faithfully,

Bob

Best wishes

I am looking forward to hearing from you/ Look forward to hearing all about you.Look forward to hearing all about you.I will contact you/ I’ll drop you a line after the trip.I’ll drop you a line

Thanks/ Thank you for your letter.

a free voucher as a prize.

I’m sorry I haven’t written/ I have not writtenI haven’t written for so long but I was preparingfor my trip to Switzerland.

I want/ I would likeI want to go there fora couple of/ two weeks.two weeks.

Last month I won a language competition andI was given/ the organizers gave methe organizers gave me

Imagine!

Put the parts of the personal letter into the right order.

Best wishes,

Dear Kate,

Thanks for your letter. It is so nice to get news about you and your family. I think you are not quite fair towards your parents. Well, sometimes parents are tiresome, but they love you and are trying to do their best to support you.

Just now I can't imagine living without my parents. But when I get married and am independent of them, I'd prefer to live alone. I think it'll be better for both me and my parents.

Well, I must finish now. My mother is calling me.

Jane

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8361 Avenida Campinas,San Paulo, Brazil.14 June, 2008

361 Avenida Campinas,

San Paulo, Brazil.

14 June, 2008

I think you are not quite fair towards your parents. Well, sometimes parents are tiresome, but they love you and are trying to do their best to support you.

Jane

Well, I must finish now. My mother is calling me.

Check yourself.

Dear Kate,

Just now I can't imagine living without my parents. But when I get married and am independent of them, I'd prefer to live alone. I think it'll be better for both me and my parents.

Thanks for your letter. It is so nice to get news about you and your family.

Best wishes,

Mind the places of the parts in the letter.

Today we’ve got acquainted with:Today we’ve got acquainted with:

the types of English personal letters

the structure of English personal letters

the style of English personal letters.

Thank you Thank you

for your work!for your work!