Nuke ‘em: Writing Activity – Level of Formality: Practitioner’s Notes

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Timing: 25-30 min
Language Area: Formal/Informal

Diagnosis
Students need practice with using formal written language.

Treatment
Students work in pairs to rewrite an inappropriately worded letter.

Prescription
1. Tell students that they are going to study a letter.

2. Put the students into pairs - if there is an uneven number of students one group
of 3 will be necessary.

3. Hand out copies of the letter one for each pair.

4. Instruct the students to read the letter and to decide what the purpose of the
letter is. It is a letter of complaint.

5. Elicit from the students the letter’s level of formality. It is very informal.

6. Try to elicit what tone the letter adopts. It is threatening.

7. Check the students’ understanding of the vocabulary in the letter. Explain

anything they don’t understand. E.g. who exactly are the ‘legal advisers’
mentioned in the letter. They are thugs who will cause Mr De Ville physical harm.

8. Ask the students if the way the letter is written is acceptable for the purpose. It is
obviously not.

9. Ask them what style would be more suitable. Elicit formal and coldly polite but
definitely not threatening.

10. Instruct them that working with their partner they should rewrite the letter in a
more appropriate style.

11. Monitor and assist as needed.

12. Collect in the results and mark them for the following lesson.

13. At the next lesson, after having handed back their marked letters, hand out the
suggested answer and go through it - explaining and contrasting with the original
version as needed.
 Crump & Johnsin PLC
Head Office 1 Disaster Row, Washington DC

April 29, 2020

Cain Munitions Ltd

666 Diablo Drive
Desolation
Arizona

Dear Mr De Ville

I am really put out that you haven’t brought us those Ultimate-Devastation Self-targeting
Missiles that we asked for way back in December. I want to know what has happened to
this order! Why haven’t you kept your promise to get them to us by the end of July? I
think that you are just bad workers. We are never going to use your stupid company
again.

You know, if you don’t bring them immediately and send me your apologies, I’ll send
round a couple of my ‘legal’ advisers (Know what I mean?) to ‘talk’ to you. So, you’d
better watch out.

I am waiting for your answer – but not for long!

Yours sincerely

B Johnsin
European Manager
Suggested answer:

Crump & Johnsin PLC

Head Office 1 Disaster Row, Washington DC

April 29, 2020

Cain Munitions Ltd

666 Diablo Drive
Desolation
Arizona

Dear Mr De Ville

I am writing to say how disappointed I am that we have not yet received the Ultimate-
Devastation Self-targeting Missiles that we ordered and paid for in December.

I would like to understand why you failed to deliver the missiles by the end of July as
stipulated in the contract. It seems to me that delays such as this are really
unacceptable, and we may therefore have to consider carefully whether or not to place
orders with your company in the future.

Should we not receive the missiles in question by the end of next week along with an
explanation of the delay I will be forced to instruct our company lawyers to commence
legal action against your company.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

B Johnsin
European Manager