Hi Mates,
Strangely enough, this video can help you to prepare an omelette and your English writing exam at the same time, and even your speaking exam.
A food recipe is a recurrent topic at the language school and normally, this writing is a reply to a previous e-mail from a friend who asked it for.
This food recipe is very simple, but you can prepare another totally different, using similar vocabulary. I recommend you have a writing like this ready to be used, particularly in the early years, until B1, I haven’t done a letter of a food recipe since then.
Below, you will find an example of a letter replying to a friend, who has requested this recipe, about 150-180 words and beyond, a brief summary of how to write a letter.
Don’t forget to turn on the English subtittles to know more about the dialoge.
And this could well be an example…
Hi Paul,
I am glad to hear from you. It’s been a long, long time…….
How are you? how about your family? we are all very well, although, we are very tired, because we have a lot of work at the restaurant.
Regarding the food, this is the Spanish omelette recipe that you asked me for.
Ingredients for 5-6 people:
6 eggs, 5-6 medium potatoes peeled, 1 onion, 3 cups of olive oil and salt to taste.
You have to cut the potatoes in slices, peel and chop the onion and season with salt.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and, when it’s hot, add the potatoes and the onion and cook until they are tender. Drain the oil.
Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt.
Combine the potatoes and the eggs in the bowl, and then transfer the mixture into the hot frying pan.
Turn the omelette after 3 minutes. When it’s golden, transfer onto a plate and serve.
There’s no doubt that it’s the most commonly served dish in Spain.
Well Paul, I hope you enjoy a lot cooking this dish.
Best wishes,
Aixa.
Structure of a letter.
As you probably know, there are several kinds of letters such as:
- Letters of complaint.
- Letters of request.
- Letters asking for, giving, refusing or accepting information, an advice or an invitation.
- Letters expressing congratulations, thanks or regret.
- Letters of apology.
- Letters of application for a job.
- Letters to the editor or authorities, giving your opinion or suggestions.
The style of the letter depends on who it is addressed to. It is not the same to write a letter asking a university for information as it is to write an email to a friend. The passive voice can be used in formal letters, as well as complex sentences, no abbreviated forms, non-colloquial English and so on. Whilst informal letters can include, idioms, colloquial English, abbreviated forms, etc.
Be that as it may, a successful letter consists of:
- A suitable greeting, depending on the style: Dear Mr Smith, Dear Anne, Dear Sir or Madam…
- An introductory paragraph, where the reason for writing should be clearly exposed using expressions such as, I am writing to express my strong, I am writing in response to, I am writing to request, I was terribly sorry to receive…
- A main body, explaining the subject into separated paragraphs using, firstly, according to, as you can imagine, as we all know, for all that, not only, but also…
- A conclusion, in which you sum up the subject or express what you expect from them using, I expect to hear from you, I hope that this matter can be, without adding I would appreciate…
- An ending, depending on the style and the greeting. If you have begun a formal letter with “Dear Sir or Madam” as a greeting, you have to end with ”Yours faithfully” or alternatively, you decided to begin with “Dear Mr Smith”, you have to end with “Yours sincerely”. But there are others formal and informal endings such as: best wishes, with love, sincerely, regards, yours…
Here, you will find more examples of letters or click on Tag Cloud, in the sidebar menu.
