Letter Writing

1. Letter Writing Although there are many forms of letters: informative, persuasive, application, “thank-yous,” etc… All have the same basic structure and process. Information and examples in this Powerpoint taken from: Writer’s Inc.

2. Assignment: Progress Report Letter At this point in the term you are to write a letter (address info will be left off) reflecting on the term. This should follow standard letter format and be turned in in the week following the progress report.

3. A Letter’s Basic Parts • Inside Address: This matches the address on the outside of the envelope and is there so that the letter does not go astray once the envelope is opened. • Salutation: This personalizes the letter. Use “Dear” only with people you know personally; all others use a title: Mr. Mrs. Dr etc… Place a colon (:) after the name. • Body of Letter: The body is the meat of the letter. Use single spaced paragraphs; double space between paragraphs. • Complimentary Closing: This ends the letter on good terms with a polite word or phrase: Sincerely, Yours respectfully, Truly yours. • Signature: This make the letter official. Provide 4 lines above your typed name to sign.

4. The Body—A Closer Look • Beginning: This is a single paragraph (no more) which can be as short as a single sentence. The purpose is to inform the reader what the purpose of this letter is and often contains phrases such as “I am writing…”. • Middle: Provides the details of importance. Group this information into blocks for the paragraphs. This section can be anywhere from 1-7 paragraphs long. • Ending: Close out the letter and suggest the course of action you would like to see from your reader. Click image to read this letter as a pdf file using Adobe Click the arrow of any given section to see more information and examples.

5. Back to Overview The Body’s Beginning… The beginnings of letters give background information of your involvement with an issue and state the purpose or issue of your letter. The purpose is to give your reader the context for understanding your request, interest, or critique as well as knowing from the beginning if this is a letter that she or someone else needs to read. Director Shepard: I am a sophomore at Washington High School in Savannah, Georgia. For my World Cultures class, I’m working on a research paper and visual presentation about Colombia, and I need more information. Ms. Roosenbach: My lab group and I really enjoyed Mr. Finch’s biology class this year. We especially liked the unit on animal systems. However, while the teacher was good and the subject was interesting, the poor condition of lab tools made lab work frustrating.

6. Back to Overview The Body’s Middle… …I couldn’t bear the thought of eating meat. (End of “Beginning”) When school started, I thought I could eat school lunches by simply staying away from meat dishes. My plan worked for a few weeks, but it got tough to eat peanut-butter sandwiches and applesauce every day. The school lunch program is great for most students, but it doesn’t work well for vegetarians. After talking with other vegetarian students, I believe that the lunch program can work for everyone. Some options are to have a greater variety of side dishes and a salad bar everyday that even non-vegetarians could enjoy. The school lunch program would then provide something for everyone. The middle of the body is there to provide the reader with the information necessary to understand the issue, problem, idea, etc… which you are presenting and can also present possible solutions. This should be broken up into paragraphs which make logical sense; this can be done through: a sequence of events, persons involved, order of importance, and so on.

7. Back to Overview The Body’s Ending… If you would like more information, please let me know by calling 555-997-3205 anytime during the day or by e-mailing me at greensleeves@aol.com . Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Allison Emerson As you set the budget for next year, please consider the biology class. It’s a great class, but new equipment would make it even better. Please let Mr. Finch know what you decide. Respectfully, Miranda Scholten The final paragraph in a letter contains any specific additional information such as: phone numbers, email addresses, dates and times, etc… This paragraph also contains information as to specific actions the reader should take. No matter what has been said during the rest of the letter the tone of this paragraph should be professional and polite. This is the last word you will have with the reader, leave on good terms.

8. Your Term Reflection Letter should contain the following parts/paragraphs… • Address Information (Leave destination blank, use your home information for return) • Salutation (Dear _____) left blank • Body: • What has been studied so far during this term and what you have learned. (Give some detail) • An evaluation of how you have done so far this term. (Be honest) • What parts you have done well in or enjoyed. • Which parts of class have been giving you the most difficulty or are responsible for you current grade. • A proposal for what you will need to do in the following weeks to improve your performance. (Be specific) • Signature

9. Your Assignment for To Kill a Mockingbird The Film of TKM is different from the book in several ways. Your assignment is to assess on of the decisions made in changing the work and to either complement the change or criticize it in an intelligent and informed manner; explaining in rational and appropriate terms your reasoning for your criticism. Rubric

10. Rubric