Tel. 0567 5967944 for further information.

While writing, use informal punctuation, such as exclamation marks.

Use contractions.

Start a new paragraph for each main point you want to make.

Give a reason for ending your letter.

Use a closing expression.

Use an expression to sign off.

Only write a first name.

8.6 LETTER ASKING FOR INFORMATION

A letter asking for information is a type of transactional letters. A transactional letter has a practical purpose (you want to have something done) and it requires a reply from the person you send it to.

Here are some tips on writing a transactional letter.

• The style of the letter should be formal or semi-formal, depending on who you are writing to.

• Open and close your letter appropriately.

• Explain in the first sentence why you are writing.

• Organize the information clearly into paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a specific purpose.

• State in the last sentence what you expect from the reader.

And here are a few useful phrases for this kind of letters. While working with the model letters from tasks 8.7/8.9 add some more expressions to the chart.

8.7

Age limit? Accommodation?

INTERNATIONAL

YOUTH SPORTS CONVENTION,

BARCELONA

Calling all enthusiasts from everywhere,

bringing the youth of the world together!!!

Participation is invited in an athletics and sports festival.

For further information contact BarcelonaYouthSports.com

How many people per team? Application forms?

A. Read the model letter asking for more information on the advert. Find the words and phrases which have the following functions:

1 to say why you are writing 3 to ask for information

2 to say who you are 4 to draw the letter to close

Dear Sir or Madam,

I saw your advertisement for the International Sports Convention in Total Sport Magazine and I am writing for more information. I am a member of a basketball team and we were glad to know that basketball is one of the events, and we are keen to take part in it, but require further details

First of all, we would like to know the exact dates and age limit of the basketball events.

We would like to bring a total of seven people including our coach; will this be acceptable?

Also, there are no details about accommodation in your advertisement and it would be useful for us to know what options are and whether booking is made by you or by the participants themselves.

Finally, could you please send us an information pack, including application forms and any other useful information about the Convention and the city of Barcelona.

I look forward to receiving your answer,

Yours faithfully,

Sophie Wyss

B. Now read the second letter which contains mistakes in tenses / word order / vocabulary / spelling / style. Can you find them?

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to ask for more informations for the International Youth convention which I saw advertised in Total Sport Magazine. In fact, my team-mates and I were thrilled when we have seen that basketball is included! But there are some things we’d like you to inform us on. To begin, I’d like to know what are the exact dates of the basketball tournament, as some of the dates won’t be convenient for us, due to school exams. Secondly, as accommodation wasn’t mentioned in your advertisement, I’d appreciate some information concerning hotels in the area where the tournament is going to take place. In addition to these, I request information on the number of players that are allowed for each team and I, also, didn’t understand whether there is an age limit or not? Finaly, we want to know whether the games are knock-out or whether there will be groups consisting of a number of teams, and how many teams are expected to participate.

I look forward to receiving an answer;

That’s all for now!

Kind regards,

Rafael