20 Write an informal letter of one side to a friend, suggesting that you both go on the hang-gliding training course. (Pretend it is in your own country.) Give all the factual information. Describe your impression of the school. Give reasons why you think it would be a good idea.
EXAM TIP Informal letters or emails tend to use contractions (e.g. can’t, uni, OK), abbreviations, phonetic spelling and colloquial expressions (e.g. no way, go clubbing) as if the writer is speaking aloud to the recipient, with whom he or she has a casual relationship. You must judge from the task how informal it is appropriate for your response to be, but it is likely that a degree of formality is required in the Directed Writing component, as in all the other exam tasks. If you are asked to write a letter to a friend or relative in Paper 1, Paper 2 Question 1 or Paper 3 Question 1, you may respond in a fairly informal style, but not one which uses slang, jargon or non-sentences, and you should use paragraphs.
21 Formal letters which aim to persuade or argue have the following format, which you would use when writing for official or business purposes to someone whom you have never met.
:[Wh CWZWc%I_h (or the official position) or
:[Wh Ch%Ci IkhdWc[ (if you know his/her name) Section 1: Reason for writing / topic of letter Section 2: Background to and details of request / complaint / issue Section 3: Conclusion, threat, thanks, prediction, advice, warning
Oekhi \W_j^\kbbo (if you have not addressed the recipient by name)
or
Oekhi i_dY[h[bo (if you have addressed the recipient by name) Example of letter text:
16
Part 1
Leisure
? Wc mh_j_d] je oek X[YWki[ e\ Wd _dY_Z[dj ? m_jd[ii[Z h[Y[djbo _d ed[ e\ oekh ijeh[i" m^_Y^ cWZ[ c[ \[[b Wd]ho WdZ [cXWhhWii[Z$
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Kdb[ii ikY^ X[^Wl_ekh _i oekh YecfWdo feb_Yo" _j i[[ci j^Wj j^[h[ _i W d[[Z \eh oekh [cfbeo[[i je X[ X[jj[h jhW_d[Z _d Ykijec[h i[hl_Y[" Wi j^_i a_dZ e\ _dY_Z[dj ZWcW][i oekh h[fkjWj_ed m_j^ j^[ fkXb_Y$