Preparation for ZNO. A letter to the Editor

A Letter to the Editor

We write letters to the editor of a newspaper/magazine when we want to express our opinion about a topic/article which has been published in the newspaper/magazine. We usually write  our letter to express our agreement or disagreement using formal language.

They express a person's concern about and views on a certain matter and usually contain suggestions on how to tackle a problem. You need to state the nature of the problem and its causes and effects.

Each purpose should be presented in a separate paragraph containing a clear topic sentence supported by examples and/or justification.

Useful Language for Letters to the Editor To begin letters:

I am writing to draw your attention to... / bring ... to your attention or my capacity as.../support for.../protest about...

To state your opinion:

In my opinion/view, I feel/believe/think, It seems to me that, I tend to think that I am totally opposed to/in favour of, It is my firm belief/opinion/conviction that, I am convinced that

To express cause:

because /owing to the fact that/ due to the fact that/In view of/ B reason/Seeing that

To express effect:

thus, / therefore, / so / consequently, / as a result, / as a consequence

To end letters:

I look forward to hearing from you.

I hope you will give this matter your urgent consideration/attention I hope (that) you will give this matter careful/further consideration.

  We start our letter with "Dear Sir/Madam". Then, in the introduction, we state the reason for writing and our opinion about the topic. If our letter is a reply to another letter or article, we also write where and when we read it, as well as the name of the person who wrote it. In the main body, we present our viewpoints giving reasons/examples. We write each viewpoint in separate paragraph. In the last letter we summarize our opinion and state what action we expect to be taken. We end our letter with "Yours faithfully," and our full name.

Plan

Introduction

state reason(s) for writing and opinion (Para 1)

Main Body

describe the problem(s) and consequences (Para 2, 3)

suggest solutions/ measures to be taken (Para 4, 5)

 Conclusion

Closing remarks

Full name

The exact number  and devision of paragraphs will depend on the specific instructions for each letter writing task.

  Examples

       Dear Sir,

I am writing with regard to your recent review of the. Friends of Forest Hill charity rock concert. I wish to disagree with several of your comments as follows.

To begin with, the venue opened its doors two hours before the event began. The writer must have been a later comer who arrived after the performance had begun.

I strongly disagree with your comment regarding Silver Moon. Although it is true that «Black Mud» did not play as advertised, their replacement, «Silver Moon», are equally well-known entertainers. No one felt disappointed by the change.

Furthermore, regarding the problem with the sound quality, this was only a temporary prob­lem and lasted no more than ten minutes. Technicians quickly repaired the fault and we were able to enjoy the music again.

To sum up, I believe the whole event was well organized and an overall success. I hope, you will print this letter together with an apology to the performers, fans and event organizers like me, who are looking forward to a similar event in the near future.

         Yours faithfully, Timothy Tuller.

Task 1. Read a letter to the editor and fill in the gaps.

     Dear Sir,

    We  are  writing to suggest that all cars should be banned from the centre of my city as 1) ___. The amount of 2) __              from car exhaust fumes is now increasing, and we believe that the public must be 3) ___.

Apart from this, the streets are crowded with cars, and our lives are at 4)____ when we try to cross the road! There has been a huge increase in the amount of traffic recently, and the government just seems to put off the problem, 5)____ of lealing with.                           

Furthermore, unless we face up to the 6)____ problem, and seriously consider some of the matters, life in our city will become 7)____.

To sum up, our organisation, Cities for People, has been set up to 8) ___ the government do something! We are holding a demonstration next week in the city centre, and hope that many people will join us.             

     Yours faithfully,

     Mary Kingwood, Secretary, Cities for People.           

(Key: 1) possible 2) pollution 3) protected 4) risk 5) instead 6) traffic 7) impossible 8) make)

Task 2. You recently attended an outdoor theatre performance which you found disappointing. How­ever, while you were reading your local newspaper, you came across the following article. Read the article and your notes, then write aletter of complaint to the editor. Use the    

plan below.

• not true - tickets expensive - no special of­fers for senior citizens or young children.
• it rained twice – two performances cut short!
• couldn’t see the stage from the sides.

it raine