6 Conventions of letters

Assessment objectives IGCSE examination

AO2 Writing • Paper 1 Question 2
W1 Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt • Paper 2 Question 1
and imagined
W2 Sequence facts, ideas and opinions • Paper 3 Section 1
W3 Use a range of appropriate vocabulary (Directed writing)
W4 Use register appropriate to audience and context or Component 4
W5 Make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar Coursework Portfolio

Differentiated learning outcomes Resources

• All students must understand and use the basic • Student Book:
conventions of writing letters, making some attempt pp. 78–9
to use appropriate layout and style (Grade E/D).
• Worksheets:
• Most students should appreciate and use information 3.6a Comparing
that is fit for purpose, audience and form when formal and informal
writing letters, adopting a formal or informal style letters
appropriately (Grade D/C). 3.6b Comparing
• Some students could use the conventions of writing for the different styles
letters in a highly original way by adapting style and • PPT: 3.6a–d
structure to meet the needs of audience and purpose
sensitively (Grade B/A). Other Student Book pages
 Choosing the right style for your
audience, pp. 54–5

Exploring skills
As a starter, ask pairs to discuss the features of an informal and a formal letter. If
students have any examples of when they have written or received letters, ask them
to describe them to their partner. Ask the pairs to imagine the importance of letters
20 years ago (before the internet and mobile phones) and then 40 years ago (with
telephones only in some homes). Explore: What are the differences between then and now?
How have our expectations about communication changed?
Then turn to Q1 on Student Book p. 78 and look at the two examples of letters that
might be written today. You could use PPT 3.6a–b to annotate them with students on
a whiteboard. The features have been annotated in Student Book.
Distribute Worksheet 3.6a to support comparison of the features of a formal and an
informal letter.
During class feedback, draw out the different layout, forms of address, tone and use of
objective vs personal language. Highlight the similarities in structure and purpose.

Building skills
Key writing skills
Chapter 3

Support students with a more detailed scrutiny of the letters in this section, drawing
attention to the use of vocabulary, sentences, punctuation and opening/closing.
You could continue to use Worksheet 3.6a and Worksheet 3.6b to do this. Take this
opportunity to recap on the conventions for opening and closing letters:
Dear Sir/Madam with Yours faithfully
Dear Mrs Someone with Yours sincerely.

50 • Lesson 6 © HarperCollins Publishers 2013

 Recap on the Checklist for success in letter writing on p. 78, which can also be
displayed on PPT 3.6c. Discuss the similarities with other forms of writing – again,
PAF (purpose–audience–form) and CSS (content–structure–style) are useful acronyms
to use here.

Developing skills
For Q3, students consider a letter with a different purpose. The letter opening on
Student Book p. 79 is a letter of complaint that continues shop assistant Davina’s
story. Run through the annotations on the letter to show that letters can be a vehicle
for developing ideas as well as for relating events and expressing feelings. Ensure that
students grasp how the ideas are developed and how paragraph cohesion is
established. Also draw out students’ thoughts on the level of formality and what
language creates this.

Give extra challenge by asking students to look in more detail at the language that
creates the level of formality in the letter opening. They should identify the use of
expect and expectations which balance the second paragraph nicely, as does high
levels of courtesy and advice. They should also recognise the authority in As you
are aware and did not meet my expectations in either regard. Compare this last
example with the more informal and less precise did not give me either.

Applying skills
Introduce Q4 by explaining that students will be writing a continuation of the letter of
complaint to Mrs Sharp on Student Book p. 79. As a starting point, ask pairs to discuss
the bullet points and come up with their own ideas for completing the letter. They
should consider:
• the specific problem that Davina causes
• the way she is then unable/unwilling to help the customer
• the action the customer would like Mrs Sharp to take.
Students should use this as a chance to develop their own ideas for writing and could
even role-play the events in the shop.
Before setting the task for students to complete individually, remind them to continue
the same level of formality as the letter opening, to sustain the voice established for
the customer and to decide how to end the letter in a way that makes an impact (but
without overdoing it).
When they have completed their letters, ask pairs to peer-assess each other’s using the
Checklist for success on Student Book p. 78, and the Sound progress and Excellent
progress criteria on p. 79.
Display the letter opening on PPT 3.6d as a reminder of the style and formality
students should match.

Towards Letter writing often allows students to show shades of meaning in their writing
A/A* because it invites the writer to create a distinct personality and voice. A
Key writing skills
Chapter 3

sympathetic understanding of audience and purpose together with an original

perspective about the context will be awarded high marks.
Support students in writing letters that convey personality despite considerable
constraints. Letters from soldiers serving in the World Wars and Vietnam, which
are readily available on the internet, demonstrate the way that personality can
withstand unimaginable pressures.

© HarperCollins Publishers 2013 Lesson 6 • 51