Functional Writing Booklet.
Name: _________________________________
Class:________________________________
Functional writing refers to the following
Letters
Emails
Diary entries
Reviews
Speeches
Letters
There are two types of letters formal and informal letters
Formal letters
Are business style letters
They are usually sent to someone you do not know.
Your address goes in the top right
Write dear sir or madam if you don’t know the person’s name.
Write Mr or Ms if you do know the person’s name
You need to use a formal sign off at the end of the letter e.g. yours
sincerely, yours faithfully.
Formal letter sample.
17 Windy Lane,
Colehill,
Co.Sligo.
12th April 2020
Mr. P McNamara,
Manager,
Costa Coffee,
Co.Sligo.
Dear Mr. McNamara,
I am applying for a the position of a barista as advertised in the
Connaught Herald on 8th of April.
I am 17 years old and I am currently finishing Transition Year in
Colehill Community College. I am a member of the student council
and I am an active member of the school’s drama society, which has
developed my communication skills.
I am used to taking responsibility, as I was the Bank Manager in our
school’s bank. I was in charge of the money in the school’s bank and
had to make sure that the bank slips matched the amount of money
in the till.
In the future I would like to work in accountancy and finance. I
would be very grateful for the experience I would gain from this
position.
I am available for interview immediately and am able to start work
on 1st June. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Mary O’Neil.
Informal letters/Email
Most people don’t write informal letters anymore they write
emails.
Write a small summary in the subject line
In the first line of the email greet the person.
In your first paragraph introduce what you are going to talk
about.
Your final paragraph should summaries the email
To conclude sign off your email.
Sample Email
Diary Entry
A Diary entry should give the reader an insight into the person that
is writing.
The essential elements of writing entries are:
1. Always write in the first person ‘I’
2. Be honest
3. Express your feelings not just ideas
Diary entries are usually short.
Use informal ‘chatty language.
Friday 21st April 2019
Dear diary,
Today was my birthday. I met my friend Yvonne and we went to
Liffey Valley. It was our first time to get the bus on our own. We
went to the cinema and we went shopping. Liffey Valley has the
biggest Penney’s in the country. It was going really well and we were
having a great time taking selfies in the changing room, when Yvonne
dropped her phone. Next thing we heard SMASH! Her screen was
broken. She got so dramatic about it and started crying. I don’t
know why her parents will just buy her a new one any way! To calm
her down I bought her a McDonalds and she was in a better mood
after that. We got the bus home. I am exhausted.
Goodnight Diary,
Alison.
Book review
A book review is normally written in order to give people a
There are generally four parts to your review.
1. Introduction: Introduce the book you are going to talk about,
say who wrote the book and say what type of book it is.
2. Description : Where and when the story takes place, who the
main character is, give the general outline of the plot without
spoiling the ending.
3. Evaluation: The main strengths and weaknesses. How much you
liked or disliked the main characters. How realistic the novel
was. Whether the characters were believable. Was the ending
satisfactory without giving away the ending.
4. Recommendation: Who would you give this book to and why. Is
the book suitable for teenagers or children. What type of
reader would enjoy the book. Who would not enjoy the book.
Give the book a star rating 5 being high and 1 being low.
Review sample:
Movie Review On Enola Holmes
Enola Holmes is based on the first book in the Enola Holmes Mysteries series
written by Nancy Springer. It was directed by Harry Bradbeer. It is a mystery
film based in London, where Enola Holmes goes to find her mother following
clues and encounters new characters and danger on her journey. This movie was
released September 23rd 2020 and was well received.
Enola Holmes is the youngest sibling is the Holmes family and while she is on her
journey
her brother Sherlock Holmes is also looking for their mother and her oldest
brother Mycroft is her ward, trying to make her a proper young lady by trying
to put her in Miss Harrison’s Finishing School. He enlists Lestrade to find her
for him, On her way Enola meets a boy called Viscount Tewkesbury who escaped
his family in a travel bag and was in the same train carriage as Enola and she
insists on him leaving because he puts her in danger even being in the same
carriage, A man in a brown bowler hat is sent to find Tewkesbury but the man
nearly kills him if it weren't for Enola and the travel to London together but
when they get there the split ways and do there own thing. Enola goes off to
find her mother in London because her mother's clue had led her there. When
she encounters a near death experience she realized before she can find her
mother she must save Tewkesbury from being killed. She finds Tewkesbury but
then Lestrade finds them, Enola helps Tewkesbury escape but Enola is caught
and she is imprisoned in Miss Harrison’s Finishing School by Mycroft, Then
Tewkesbury breaks her out and themselves facing their worst nightmares
I found this movie exciting with plenty of twists and I highly recommend it to
people who love mysteries novels, movies and tv shows. The cast and script was
brilliant and the story unfolds perfectly. The star Millie Bobby Brown along with
her role as Enola she also produced this film with Paige Brown and Mary Parent.
It is clear that the production spent a lot of time to make this movie excellent
and there hard work most definitely paided of. I would recommend this movie to
I would give it a five star rating.
Speech
Almost everyone will have to make a speech at sometime in their lives. You might
have to speak at a wedding or a graduation.
It is important to remember your audience and plan what you are going to
say.
You want to capture the audience’s attendance’s attention
What will my speech be about
Open with the correct address “Ladies and gentlemen” for a formal
speech.
Or for a talk in school “my fellow students”
Delivering a Speech
Have your speech written on index cards
Have the cards numbered
Highlight the words or phrases you want to emphasise
Speak slightly more slowly than you think you would normally.
