SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 1 I. Letter of Request 1. You successfully passed a job interview. You are expected to start on November 15, but you will not be available on that date. Task: Write a letter to your new boss, explaining your situation, expressing your concern and suggesting a solution. Dear Sir/Madam, I am Leonardo Gomes and I have recently passed a job interview for the Software Engineer position at the Software Infrastructure group. I was expected to start on November 15, as agreed, and am writing because, unfortunately, I will not be able to present myself on that date. During the interview I estimated fifteen days as the amount of time needed for me to finish my activities at my current job and start at your company, but due to fact that I got sick for the last whole week and was not able to work, I could not finish my tasks and will need another week to do so. If necessary, I can give you a copy of a letter from my doctor informing that I had to stay at home and under medical care during that week. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope this will not affect our relationship. If I am expected to present any other form of proof or talk to someone else in the company, please let me know. Faithfully yours, Leonardo SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 2 2. You stayed at your friends’ house when you participated in a business seminar in Australia. You left a file with important documents in your room. Task: Write a letter to your friend, describing the file and ask him/her to return it to you by post. My dearest Philip, I am sorry I am writing only now. Firstly, I would like to thank you for all the attention and support you gave me while I was in Sydney. Things like that are priceless and all I can give you is my gratitude. I expect you and Ingrid to come to Rio soon, so that I try to somehow propitiate equally joyful moments as those you propitiated to me. I am writing also, because of the fact that I forgot a very important document in the room where I stayed at your house. The document is a signed contract and was the most important reason for my trip to Australia, after the business seminar I attended. You certainly can imagine how desperate I have been in the last days looking for this document in my luggage. I could not find it anywhere and now I am sure I left it in your house. Please let me know if you find it, and post it with express delivery as soon as possible. I will pay for the expense; just let me know what is your bank, account and branch numbers. With best wishes, Leonardo SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 3 3. You and your family are planning to spend a weekend at a seaside hotel. Task: Write a letter to the hotel making the arrangements. Let them know when you will be arriving and leaving, what type of rooms you would like, and ask them how much the weekend will cost. Also enquire about activities and places of interest near the hotel. Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing this letter to make arrangements for the stay during the weekend at your hotel and to get more information on the places of interest and different activities nearby. I will be arriving with my parents and wife to celebrate my parents’ wedding anniversary on the 4th of July which will be on Saturday morning, and leaving on the 7th of July afternoon. I am looking to book double-rooms with the attached bathroom for more privacy and convenience. I would love to have at least one bedroom with a balcony or seaside view for my parents. I would also appreciate if you could provide me with the list of activities that we can take part in during our stay for more fun and adventure. I prefer the locations to be nearby the hotel as we are not familiar with the place. Furthermore, I would also like to know if there are any historical sites or a market nearby where we can explore more about history and local culture. I would like to receive the detailed information through email or fax no later than the 4th of July with the total cost of stay during the weekend. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, A.G. SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 4 4. You are not happy with the course you are doing at college and would like to change to a different course. Write a letter to the college director requesting to change your course. You should include details about: - what course are you doing now - why you are not satisfied with that course - what course would you like to change to Dear Mr. Hodgkins, I am currently enrolled in an Italian cooking class at St. James and am writing regarding some difficulties I have had while doing this subject for the past two weeks. I would like to know if it is possible for me to change my course. I believe that the last day allowed for students to make any changes was Wednesday 5th June but, my particular situation requires special consideration. The fact is that, during the enrolment session, no one mentioned that I needed to be literate in Italian, which I am not. Therefore, you will comprehend that for me, getting an understanding of what the teacher is saying is beyond comprehensible. Thus, I am requesting that my current enrollment be transferred from the Italian course to the French cooking class. The reason is that unlike in Italian, I am fluent in French. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to you and the staff and look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Sandrine Mo SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 5 5. Your neighbours have a dog that is noisy at night. You can’t sleep. Write a letter to your neighbours. In your letter: - describe the problem with the dog - explain why it is important for you to sleep - outline what your neighbours could do about the situation. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Brown, I am writing to you to bring to your attention a problem that I have been having with your dog at night. As you may already be aware of, your dog started making small detours at night around the neighborhood, digging holes in the gardens and often making loud noises. I was awoken by your dog’s barks several times lately, and I had even consulted a doctor and had been prescribed some sleeping pills. This would not have been as big of a problem for me if I was not in the middle of my exams, but since I am, it is crucial for me to get good rest and sleep during the right hours; I have morning exams to wake up to. I would therefore be grateful if you could have your dog looked after by another member of your family away from this neighborhood, even if only until my exams are over, which will be in about three weeks time. Thank you for taking time to read this letter, I hope you will address this issue soon. Yours sincerely, Jeongsup Byun SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 6 6. You would like to participate in a work-related seminar in another country. Task: Write a letter to the person in charge of the seminar and ask for detailed information regarding the dates, program, accommodation and cost. Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to ask for information about the seminar that you are conducting during the next week. I am an electronics wholesale dealer in Pakistan and I am interested to take part in this work-related seminar. I think that it would be very beneficial for me to see the latest electronic appliances and have an excellent opportunity to make contacts with different companies. Therefore, I need to get some information in detail such as the total period of time your seminar takes and the leaflets of different scheduled programs. In addition, I have a plan to come with my two staff members and would appropriate about accommodation and total expenditure, which you have estimated for each person. You could send the above-mentioned information to my e-mail address. I would like to receive it as soon as possible to be able to prepare adequately before the departure. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Athar Nafees SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 7 7. You have just spent a weekend staying at the Lilo Hotel in Adelaide. When you get home you find that you have left a bag at the hotel. Write a letter to the hotel manager and ask him/her send you back the bag. You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Model answer: Dear Mr. Simpson, I stayed in your hotel on the 23rd and 24th of October. I was in Room 603. When I arrived home, I discovered that I had left one of my bags at the hotel. Could you please check your Lost and Found Department and see if my bag is there? The bag is a small black leather document case with a narrow strap. Inside the bag, you will find several business cards, a fountain pen, a small address book, three copies of a business proposal and a silver pocket calculator. These things are not very valuable in money terms, but they have a lot of personal value. I would appreciate it if you could contact me as soon as possible, particularly since I need the proposals for a presentation this week. If you could send the bag to me by courier service, I would be most grateful. I have arranged to pay for the service. Thank you for your help. Yours sincerely, Michael Johnson SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 8 8. One of your pen pals will shortly be visiting your city. For some reasons, you cannot manage to meet him at the airport on time. Write a letter asking him to wait for you at the airport and tell him how to identify you. You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Model answer: Dear Mary, I am very much looking forward to your visit to my city. Just think: after all these years to writing to each other, we will finally have the chance to meet! However, I regret to inform you that I will not be able to meet you at the airport as soon as you arrive. The reason is that your flight will arrive early in the morning, and the quickest time I can get to the airport will be about an hour after you land. Please wait for me in the arrival lounge. You should be able to have breakfast there while you wait. By the way, as we have never met I must tell you how to recognize me: I am of medium height and have a small mustache. In addition, I will be carrying a copy of the morning newspaper tucked under my left arm. Looking forward to our first meeting. Yours sincerely, Harry SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 9 9. A friend you met last year has invited you to visit them in their country. You have never been there before and need some information before you leave. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: - request advice about a gift for his/her family - ask about activities and clothing - find out about the food You should write at least 150 words, do NOT need to write your own address. Model answer: Dear Robert, Hi there, I hope you're enjoying your college year. Thanks very much for asking me to come and visit you in Singapore. As you know, I haven't travelled to Asia before, so I thought I'd write and ask you a few questions. I want to bring a present with me and I wondered what would be appropriate. Perhaps you could let me know what your mum's hobbies are and then I could come up with an idea based on one of them. Also, what sort of clothes should I bring? I know it's pretty warm where you live but do I need jumpers or a coat? What sort of activities are we likely to do while I'm there and should I bring things like swimming gear or trainers. Lastly, I hate to be nuisance but I hope you remember that I'm vegetarian. I do eat fish and eggs but I don't eat red meat and chicken at all. Is that going to be a problem? Look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Barnaby SAMPLE LETTERS Prepared by Longchen, ULIS-VNU, 0985.227.867 Page 10 10. You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope. Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter: - explain why you are writing - express concern about the missing card - ask them what they intend to do You should write at least 150 words, do NOT need to write your own address. Model answer: Dear Sir, I am writing to inform you that I received a letter from my bank today, which was supposed to contain my new bank card. Unfortunately there was no bank card enclosed in the envelope when I opened it. I telephoned the bank to explain the problem, but I could not get through to the right department, even though I waited on the line for over half an hour, which was extremely annoying. In the letter, you asked me to acknowledge the receipt of the card, but obviously I cannot do this as I have not received it. I am now very worried because it is a possibility that my card has gone to another customer or got lost. What will happen if somebody has already used the card and and spent my money? Will the bank repay me? Is it possible for the bank to cancel this card so nobody else can use it? Could you also send me a new card by secure means? I hope to hear from you soon. Yours faithfully, Tom Smith [...]... leave your current employment Write a letter to your employer Include the following in your letter: - Explain why you are writing - Explain why you have decided to leave the company - Tell your employer what you plan to do after leaving your present employment Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this letter in regard to terminating my contract with the organization as a Guest Service Agent The employment... LETTERS 6 You migrated to another country Write a letter to your friend to describe your present life and tell him/her why you chose this country Dear Linda, I’m sorry I haven’t been writing to you for such a long time I’m writing to say that I have migrated to Perth, Australia My family and I arrived in Perth on the third of April and we have finally settled down We migrated to Perth because my sisters... SAMPLE LETTERS II Letter of Description 1 Write a letter to an English-speaking friend In your letter - explain why you changed jobs - describe your new job - tell him/her your other news Dear John, I am writing to let you know that I finally got a Software Engineer position in Google I am so happy to share this news with you As I told you earlier, my previous job was so boring for me I kept working on... to the company In your letter: - describe what you purchased, - explain why you are not happy with the purchase, - tell them what you would like them to do about the situation Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this letter to express my disappointment with a recent purchase I made in your online store, order number #7298883 I ordered a set of soccer equipment that was advertised on your site as a package... days of purchase discovered a major flaw Write a letter to the company In your letter - introduce yourself - explain the situation - say what action you would like to company to take Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing you to express my dissatisfaction with a laptop computer I bought in your store four days ago As soon as I turned on the computer, I realized that Windows operating system was not installed in... but the phone has not been repaired Write a letter to the company In your letter: - introduce yourself - explain the situation - say what action you would like to company to take Dear Sir/ Madam, I am writing to inform you about the faulty mobile phone that I have purchased in your store My name is Christine B I am a regular customer of your company On the 10th of March, I bought a brand new Nokia XYZ... accident, you were looked after by another person Write a special letter to express your thanks You should write at least 150 words You should spend about 20 minutes on this task Model answer: Dear John, I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude I am referring to that unfortunate accident the other day, when I was knocked off my bike by a taxi If it had not been for your timely assistance in giving me... and the atmosphere Also suggest any improvements to make things better Model answer: Dear Sir, Last week on Saturday night some friends and I had dinner in your restaurant to celebrate my birthday I am writing to thank you for the great evening that we had All my friends remarked afterwards on the standard of the food and service that we received All the food was very tasty and well presented Our waiter,... thanking him for excellently taking care of your mother during her stay in the hospital for treatment You can spend 20 minutes on this task You have to write at least 150 words Sample answer Dear Sir, I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the excellent care and treatment my mother received in your hospital My mother was admitted to your hospital on last Monday for a heart surgery She had suffered... to something enjoyable that you did while staying with him/her - invite your friend to visit you You should write at least 150 words, do NOT need to write your own address Model answer: Dear Tom, I'm writing to thank you for a really enjoyable visit It was good to see you after so long, and to be able to spend some time with you, talking about old school friends and teachers Now that I'm back home, . why you are writing - Explain why you have decided to leave the company - Tell your employer what you plan to do after leaving your present employment Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this. him/her why you chose this country. Dear Linda, I’m sorry I haven’t been writing to you for such a long time. I’m writing to say that I have migrated to Perth, Australia. My family and I arrived. so that I try to somehow propitiate equally joyful moments as those you propitiated to me. I am writing also, because of the fact that I forgot a very important document in the room where I stayed