General Writing Sample Task 1 #79
Beginning your letter
You need to start your letter with something that is appropriate for the situation and that will capture the reader's attention. If it is a formal letter, you should mention the purpose in the opening paragraph. If it is an informal letter, you should start with a more general opening paragraph.
Look at these different ways of beginning a letter.
Formal
Informal
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You recently bought a camera while travelling overseas. When you got to your destination you discovered that some important items were missing from the box.
Write a letter to the local representative of the company. In your letter
- give details of the camera and where you bought it
- explain what has happened
- say what you want him/her to do about it
Write at least 150 words.
Model answer
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing in the hope that you can help me with a problem regarding a camera that I recently bought.
On 27 June, I purchased a Canon DSLR camera from the 'Heinemann Duty Free' store at Frankfurt Airport on my way from Moscow to Toronto. The camera cost $799 and I paid for it on my Visa credit card.
When I arrived at my hotel in Toronto almost 24 hours later I discovered, to my horror, that the box which contained the camera did not include the battery charger. The space in the box for the charger was empty.
I am now in Toronto and I am not returning to Frankfurt, so I need to get the missing parts here. As you are the representative of the company in this country I would be grateful if you could arrange for the parts to be sent to me. I attach a copy of the receipt with this letter for your information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Ulrich Nielsen
(176 words)