Essay Writing: Formal and Informal Letters

Back to: ENGLISH LANGUAGE SS3

 

Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about essay writing: formal and informal letters, etc. Enjoy the class!

Formal and Informal Letters

Formal letters:

Formal letters are letters we write to people in their official positions. These people are normally those we do not know personally, who hold official positions in establishments, schools, business houses, etc. Even when we know them personally, the rule demands that we still write them impersonal or official letters.

Formal letters can be in the form of applications for admission or employment, requests for casual leave by staff in offices, official queries and replies to them, letters by students to the heads of their schools, letters to local government chairman asking for amenities for local communities and other such topics.

Features of a formal letter

1. Writer’s address and date
2. Receiver’s address
3. Salutation
4. Heading or topic
5. Body of the letter
6. Complimentary close

Format of a formal letter

3, Fredrick Close,

Martins Avenue

Lagos.

16^th July, 2010

 

The Commissioner,

Ministry of Education,

Lagos

 

Dear Sir,

 

Expansion Programme for Baptist College

 

Body

 

Yours faithfully,

(Signature)

John Silas

 

Evaluation

Write a letter to the Minister of works in your country complaining about the deplorable condition of the roads in your area and the effects this has on the lives of your people.

Informal letters:

Informal letters are private or personal letters. They are letters we write to people who are very familiar to us such as our parents, relatives, friends, classmates and other people with whom we have a close relationship.

Features of an informal letter

1. Writer’s address and date.
2. Salutation
3. Introduction
4. Body of the letter
5. Complimentary close.

Format of an informal letter

5, Biodun Street,

Alakuko,

Lagos,

16^th July, 2010.

 

Dear Eunice,

 

Body

 

Yours sincerely,

Bukky.

 

Evaluation

‘You have been staying with your elder brother for some time and a misunderstanding has ensued. Write a letter to your father giving at least, three reasons why you feel you can no longer live with your brother.

Summary: Novel Extract

The summary passage is an extract from the novel titled ‘The victims’ by I. Okpewho. In the passage, a woman named Nwabunor went to visit a soothsayer to overcome a challenge. The soothsayer told her what the gods demanded but she pleaded for the items to be reduced. In response, the soothsayer informed her that the dangers threatening her life and that of her son were too great. She was likely to lose her son if she failed to provide what the gods asked for.

Evaluation

Questions, Page 54.

Adverbs and Adverbials

An adverb is used to describe the action of a verb such as how, where or when it is done.

Examples:

1. He frowned angrily.
2. The eclipse will occur soon.

The main function of adverbs and adverbial phrases is to modify verbs. They also modify adjectives, other adverbs and prepositional phrases.

Functions of adverbs and adverbials

1. Modifier of the verb:

• Mary solved the problem quickly.
• John visited Musa at Kebbi

2. Modifier of the adjective:

• Peter is very tall
• James is far more handsome than Silas.

3. Modifier of another adverb:

• Bunmi runs extremely fast.
• He works hard enough to pass his exams.

4. Modifier of the prepositional phrase:

• The girl slapped Tom right in the face
• We are quite on time for the party.

General evaluation

Comprehension

The Dynasty of Ketu

1. What two sources of information about the names of kings of Ketu are mentioned in the text?
2. What inducement was there for the herald to remember accurately and fluently the names of past Alaketus?

Structure

State the grammatical functions of the underlined expressions.

3. He left the letter where it could be easily seen.
4. Because he was wrong, he apologised.
5. So that he might secure a seat, he arrived at the stadium.

 

In our next class, we will be talking about Structure: Sequence of Tenses.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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