How to Lay out Letters

How to lay out letters

Letters are made up of different parts.

The greeting
We normally begin both formal and informal letters with Dear …

The opening paragraph
Contains a clear statement of our reason for writing.
Signalling the end The final sentence or paragraph often indicates that the letter is going to finish.
The closing
This phrase puts an end to the letter. For formal letters, we usually end with Yours sincerely when we know the name of the person we are writing to and have used their name in the greeting (e.g. Dear Mr Johnson,) and Yours faithfully, when we do not know the name of the person we are writing to and have started the letter with Dear Sir / Madam,…
The signature
In a formal letter, it is common to print your name under your signature. In an informal letter, you may just sign with your first name.
Look at two candidates' letters, script A and script B, below. Which is formal and which is informal? Look at the highlighted sections of the letters and label them using the information above.

A
Dear Ms Smith,
I am very sorry to read that Mr Brown is ill. However, I am sure you will replace him very well and that your group will be well looked after.
These are the answers for the questions you asked me in your letter: Your group has been booked into the Palace Hotel in Princess Street, which is in the centre of the town.
I am happy to inform you that it is situated very near to the conference. All you have to do is to turn left and walk straight for approximately 3 minutes. The conference takes place in our college which you will surely notice as its walls are painted green.
I am glad to let you know that our town has many attractions for visitors. I would especially recommend you to see the Old Oak Castle in the east part of town.
I hope I have clearly answered all your questions. If you have any more, do not hesitate to contact me.
I am looking forward to seeing you.
Your sincerely,
Matthew Burns

B
Dear Maria,
I thought you'd never reply to my last letter! Anyway, back to your question. Well, if I were you, I'd choose the museum job.Working in a restaurant would be very tiring. Trust me I've done such a job, and I quit within a month! However you talk to lots of people, listen to their discussions which can sometimes be very interesting but still you get really tired.Working in a museum though can be really interesting. You just have to explain to the visitors what is what. You may think that you will have to talk all day, but that's not true. You see many people just like to browse through the museum. You also have to remind the rules of the museum to some that disobey them, but these people are usually very few; not something you should worry about. I heavily suggest you take the museum job. It's easier and less tiring. I'm looking forward to get your reply.
Lots of love,
George