THE FORMAL WRITING SECTION

HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN A FORMAL LETTER?

AS WE ALL KNOW, NOWADAYS IS NOT QUITE USUAL TO WRITE FORMAL OR BUSINESS LETTERS IN THE TRADITIONAL FORM, USING PAPER, PEN, MAILING STAMPS OR USING THE MAIL SERVICE, IT HAS BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE AND PRACTICAL BESIDES EFFICIENT TO WRITE LETTERS IN OUR GADGETS AND E-MAIL THEM, THE DEMANDS OF THE PRESENT REQUIRE THAT WE USE TECHNOLOGY EVEN TO GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR CLIENTS, FRIENDS, RELATIVES, STUDENTS AND/OR PARTNERS.
DUE TO THIS DEMAND, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE A FORMAL OR BUSINESS LETTER AND TO RECOGNIZE THE ELEMNTS THAT COMPOSE THIS KIND OF DUCUMENT.
THAT'S WHY HERE WE HAVE THE CORRECT FORM TO COMPOSE A:

FORMAL OR BUSINESS LETTER

• Layout of a Formal Letter

The example letter below shows you a general format for a formal or business letter. 

***la siguiente imagen no es visible en su texto, solo es para visualizar los componentes y posicionamiento de los elementos en una carta formal.***

Rules for Writing Formal Letters in English

In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when formatting a formal or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions.

• Addresses:

1) Your Address
The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter.

2) The Address of the person you are writing to
The inside address should be written on the left, starting below your address.

• Date:

Different people put the date on different sides of the page. You can write this on the right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a word.

• Salutation or greeting:

1) Dear Sir or Madam,
If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name.

2) Dear Mr Jenkins,
If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women.

• Ending a letter:

1) Yours faithfullyIf you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way.

2) Yours sincerely
If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way.

3) Your signature
Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If you think the person you are writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put you title in brackets after your name.

• The body or content of a Formal Letter

First paragraph
The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc.

The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle of the letter should contain the relevant information behind the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are not very long, so keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and logical manner rather than expanding too much.

Last Paragraph
The last paragraph of a formal letter should state what action you expect the recipient to take- to refund, send you information, etc.

Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing

The following abbreviations are widely used in letters:

• asap = as soon as possible
• cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this abbreviation to let them know)
• enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter)
• pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc)
• ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it)
• pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter continues on the other side of the page)
• RSVP = please reply

🔻🔻🔻THE NEXT INFORMATION IS TO TRANSFORM YOUR FORMAL LETTER INTO A COVERING OR A ENQUIRY LETTER  🔻🔻🔻

• Outline: A Covering Letter

A covering letter is the one that accompanies your CV when you are applying for a job. Here is a fairly conventional plan for the layout of the paragraphs.

Opening Paragraph
Briefly identify yourself and the position you are applying for. Add how you found out about the vacancy.

Paragraph 2
Give the reasons why you are interested in working for the company and why you wish to be considered for that particular post. State your relevant qualifications and experience, as well as your personal qualities that make you a suitable candidate.

Paragraph 3
Inform them that you have enclosed your current CV and add any further information that you think could help your case.

• Closing Paragraph

Give your availability for interview, thank them for their consideration, restate your interest 

and close the letter.

***********************************

• Outline: A Letter of Enquiry

A letter of enquiry is when you are approaching a company speculatively, that is you are making an approach without their having advertised or announced a vacancy.

• Opening Paragraph

Introduce yourself briefly and give your reason for writing. Let them know of the kind of position you are seeking, why you are interested and how you heard about them.

Paragraph 2
Show why their company in particular interests you, mention your qualifications and experience along with any further details that might make them interested in seeing you.

Paragraph 3
Refer to your enclosed CV and draw their attention to any particularly important points you would like them to focus on in it.

• Closing Paragraph

Thank them, explain your availability for interview and restate your enthusiasm for their company and desire to be considered for posts that might as yet be unavailable.

 ***************************************

HERE YOU HAVE SOME VISUAL EXAMPLES OF THE LOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS IN YOUR LETTER TO GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA OF HOW IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE!!!

EXAMPLE 1:

EXAMPLE 2: 

 **********************************

DO YOU NEED TEMPLATES???
DON'T WORRY... IN THE NEXT LINK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLICK ON IT TO ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FORMATS OF TEMPLATES FROM WHICH YOU CAN CHOOSE THE MOST CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO DOWLOAD IT AND WORK ON IT, EITHER IN A WORD DOCUMENT OR INTO AN ADOBE READER PROGRAM .

TEMPLATES FORMAL LETTERS

ACTIVITY: WRITE A FORMAL LETTER/BUSINESS USING THE NEXT CHARACTERISTICS:

• YOU HAVE TO SELL TO ME( choose only one): 

1.  A CLEANING PRODUCT  
2. AN ELECTRONIC GADGET  
3. A CAR/VEHICLE 
4. A SERVICE

• INCLUDE FULL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE AND COSTS
• E-MAIL THE BUSINESS/FORMAL LETTER TO MY E-MAIL ADDRESS (fa2471876@gmail.com)  

ACTIVITY : CHOOSE A BIG ENTERPRISE SUCH AS COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO. , COCA COLA CO., MARINELA CO., NESTLE CO. ETC.

• WRITE A FORMAL LETTER TO THAT COMPANY THAT YOU PREVIOUSLY SEARCHED THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT WEB ADDRESS.

• GIVE A POSITIVE SUGGESTION FOR THAT COMPANY, SO THEY CAN GET BETTER ONTO SOMETHING YOU HAVE ANALYZED.
• E- MAIL THE LETTER TO THEM AND TO ME, SO I GET TO VERIFY THE INFO YOU ARE SENDING.  

***********************************************

WRITE YOUR "CV" OR RESUME

VERY MPORTANT!!!

WHAT IS A CV / RESUME?

A curriculum vitae is a marketing document that gives a summary of a job seekers career history, academic qualifications and also explains their future potential. 

Indeed the phrase  ‘curriculum vitae’ is Latin for ‘the story of your life’.

 It is also occasionally known as a resume, although this term is more commonly used in America.

A completed CV aims to impress recruiters and is sent as a application to jobs adverts or as a speculative approach to prospective companies.

CVs are valuable and important because they are your first and maybe only direct communication with a potential employer. Presentation is key. For this reason alone it should be carefully thought out, designed and written so that it makes an immediate positive impact on key decision makers. When a reader looks at your resume they should be able to quickly gain a clear indication of your experiences and potential. Bear in mind that the person reading it will never have met you, so keep it grammatically error free and focused, as it will be seen as a reflection of you as a person.

To summarize your CV is essentially a marketing tool that gives you a opportunity to sell yourself and your abilities to employers. It should have:

• A positive outlook.

• Clearly show those strengths and experiences that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.

• Demonstrate your potential as a future potential employee.

What should a CV include?

• Personal summary / Career objective

• Career history

• Academic qualifications

• References

• Areas of expertise

With some people there is a misconception that a CV alone will get you a job, this is a misunderstanding of it’s role. No hiring manager will offer a prospective candidate a position just by looking at their resume. Companies only use them to decide whom to interview. A CV is there to win you a interview and it should be written with only that objective in mind.

• Reminding you of what you have done in your career.

• Helping you to identify any weakness in your skills, work experience of qualifications.

• Allowing you to reflect on your career to date, for instance seeing if you have achieved any targets you previously set yourself.

• Refreshing your mind before a job interview.

• Setting the agenda for any future interviews.

You could be the best qualified and most suitable applicant for a job, but if your CV is rambling, disorganized and does not highlight your key abilities then you will probably be over looked. To be short listed for a role format your curriculum vitae so it shows:

• Quality

• Clarity

• Relevancy

• Usefulness

In the UK it is recommended that your CV be no longer than two pages. However in the USA a resume can typically be a one page document. To help you save space only  include factual information that is relevant to the vacancy or accomplishments that you feel the employer would be interested in.

As you go through your career and working like you will gain new qualifications and skills, it’s therefore important that you keep your resume updated. 

Modify it accordingly by adding any new skills or qualifications that you have gained. This way it will give a modern overview of your achievements

Make sure you know when to use a CV

Pick the best CV format

Add your contact information the right way

Start with a CV personal profile (CV summary or CV objective)

List your relevant work experience & key achievements

Build your CV education section correctly

Put relevant skills that fit the job opening

Include additional CV sections to impress the recruiter

Organize this all on a professional CV template

Complement your CV with a cover letter

Your resume will be made up of a number of sections, these may vary depending on the length and breadth of a candidates career. The essential and fundamental parts that every CV should include are:

Aim your CV at winning a job interview

Apart from applying for jobs, a CV is also useful for:

In a CV presentation is everything

Keep your CV short and sweet

Keep your CV up to date

IN THE NEXT LINKS YOU CAN FIND A LOT OF OPTIONS FOR BUILDING UP YOUR CV!!!
GOOD LUCK!👏👏👏👏👏   👌👌👌👌👌   👍👍👍👍👍

• TEMPLATES FOR YOUR RESUME 

• TEMPLATES FOR YOUR RESUME

********************************************

NEWS!!!

Importance of news

News is important for a number of reasons within a society. Mainly to inform the public about events that are around them and may affect them. 

Often news is for entertainment purposes too; to provide a distraction of information about other places people are unable to get to or have little influence over. News can make people feel connected too.

News is important as a social gathering space too, hence newspapers either online or physical place an emphasis on news. Where there are a lot of people gathered there is opportunity to advertise. This advertising sometimes can cause a conflict of interest in the way news is reported.

Importance of local news

News from a local area is often important to advise people in a locality about activities that may have an impact on a community. This can allow a community to engage in decision making processes in a community. For example if a local community reports on a dangerous road or accident hotspot reporting these can be later used as evidence to lobby for funding to fix a problem.

Importance of national news

Often countries have a broad extent of distance and in some cases differing time zones.  Having a national news focus can allow people to gain a sense of national perspective. This is particularly significant for countries that have a diverse range of population centres such as cities or towns. For example large cities many thousands of kilometres apart may still rely on each other for trade or resources of economic significance. So knowing the situations in other cities and towns becomes important.

Importance of international news

News from one country to another is important in todays global economy. Knowing what is happening in other countries gives people a perspective of each others ways of life and cultural differences.  Certain kinds of news from countries that rely on each other for energy or other resources can often have a profound influence in overall global economics. 

FOLLOW THE NEXT STEPS AND YOUR NEWS WILL BE READY!!!

1

Figure out what to write about. News reports are about something that is happening now or that just recently happened. Current issues, events, crimes, and investigations are good subjects for news reports. Other styles of journalism are better for things like profiles, advice articles, and opinion pieces.

• Ask around for story ideas, especially government officials and public relations representatives.^[1]
• Scan the news to see what is already happening. This could lead to you finding other story ideas that are related.^[2]
• Search your city or county's website or directory for local events that are coming up.
• Attend city council meetings to find out if there are any local issues happening in your area.
• Sit in on trials at the courthouse and see if anything interesting happens that you could report on.

2

Go to the scene. Once you find out what you want to write about, go there. You might need to go to the scene of a crime, a business, the courthouse, or an event. It will be difficult to write about something that you are not present at.

• Write down everything you see and everything that takes place.
• Record and take notes of any speeches that occur at events. Make sure to get the names of the speakers.

3

Conduct interviews. Who you interview will depend on what you are reporting on. You will want to get a broad range of quotes for your report, so try to interview an array of people. Good people to interview are event coordinators, lawyers, police, business owners, volunteers, participants, and witnesses. If you need to find people to schedule interviews with them, use the internet to find contact information. You can also interview people directly at the scene, depending on your news report topic.

• If the story is controversial or political, make sure to get both sides of the issue.
• Prepare sample questions, but don't necessarily stick to them.^[3]
• Think of an interview as a conversation.^[4]
• Record the interview.
• Make sure to get the full names (spelled correctly) of anyone you interviewed.

4

Transcribe the interviews and speeches. When you are back at your home or your office, transcribe the interviews and any speeches. Listen to your recordings and type out everything (or at least the most important parts) of the interviews and speeches. This will make finding information for the report and any quotes easier.

• Make sure you review your transcriptions to make sure they're accurate. You don't want to misquote someone.

5

Do research on the subject. News reports are about what happened in the moment, but it is good to do basic research on the subject. Research any companies, people, or programs that you are reporting on to make sure you have your facts straight. Double check spelling of names, dates, and any information you have gathered to make sure it is correct.

Write a headline. Your headline should be accurate, clear, and easy to understand. Use key words from the story and keep it straight and plain. Use active and short action verbs in your headline. The headline should accurately lead readers to what the report is about.^[5]

• The headline should be attention grabbing, but not exaggerate or mislead.
• Capitalize the first word of the headline and any proper nouns after that.
• If you're having trouble coming up with a headline, you might try writing it last instead. It may be easier to think of a headline after you've finished your article.
• For example, your headline might read: "Armed robbery at Portland farmer's market"

• Write a byline and place line. The byline goes directly underneath the headline. This is where you put your name and clarify who you are. 

Use a hard news lead. A news lead (or lede) is the opening paragraph of a report or article and is often considered the most important part. A news report is not the time for a verbose and artful lead. Keep your lead to the point, fitting as much of the basic information as you can into your lead. A lead is only one or maybe two sentences and summarizes the news story; the who, what, when, where, why, and how of you story should be emphasized in the lead.^[7]

• Don't include people's names in the lead (save that information for later), unless everyone knows who they are (i.e. President Obama).
• For example: A Seattle man was caught selling stolen cars at his auto shop on Tuesday when a police officer posed as a customer.
• Write the body of your report. This is going to consist of the facts, but more detailed and specific than in your lead. Use the information you collected and gathered at the scene and in interviews. Write your report in third person and from a neutral perspective. Make sure your story conveys information and not an opinion.

Include quotes in the news report. Quotes can be included in your news report to convey information. Always introduce who you are quoting followed by the exact words that they said. Use their full name the first time you mention them then only use their last name.

• For example: Mary Quibble has been the director of the children's theater for six years. “I love the children and how much they care about these performances,” Quibble said. “There are 76 kids in the programs. They range in age from 7 to 16 years old.”

Always include attributions. Unless the information is common knowledge, always attribute where you got it. You can get in trouble for not giving credit to someone. This is also important in case a fact is wrong, then it will be known who got the fact wrong and that it was not you.

• For example: The woman ran out of the house at 11 p.m. when she heard the burglar enter, police said

Write in hard news style. You don't want to use overly descriptive language when writing a news report. Just stick to the facts and keep the sentences short and concise. Use active language and strong verbs.

• Speak in past tense when writing a news report.
• Start a new paragraph whenever there is a new thought (this might mean you have paragraphs that are as short as a sentence or two)

DO YOU NEED MORE???
IN THE NEXT LINKS YOU HAVE SAMPLES OF WRITTEN NEWS, SO YOU CAN CHECK THEM OUT!!!

SAMPLE POLITICAL NEWS REPORT

SAMPLE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS REPORT

SAMPLE BUSINESS NEWS REPORT

**************************************************