Writing an advice letter

How to write an English letter

Class 16 Grade 1

Hai’an High School

Jiangsu, China

Sept. 20th, 2005 Peter Brown 22, Black road New York ( 可以省略 ) Dear Peter, I am very glad to hear from you. __________ I must stop writing now, as I have a lot of work to do. Best wishes to you! Yours truly,

Wang Gang

英文书信常用的开头和结束语： 开头 1) I am very glad to hear from you. 2) Thank you for your letter. 3) I was very pleased (happy) to receive you

r letter of February 6, 2005. 4) Your letter of February 6, 2005 has been r

eceived. 5) It is a pleasure for me to get your letter. 6) I’m sorry to have taken so long to answer

your last letter.

结束语

1) I hope to have a letter from you before long.

2) Please write to me soon and tell me all about yourself.

3) Give my best wishes to you.

4) Please remember me to your family.

5) Wishing your business successful!

6) Hope you are healthy.

Yours sincerely,

签名时用语：

Yours,

Yours ever,

Yours truly,

Yours lovingly,

Yours faithfully,

Read the first letter written and find out the answers to the following questions:

(1) Why does the father write the letter? (2) What does the father think about his son?

To ask for some help so as to help his son.

His son disobeys everything his parents ask him to do; he is rude to them; he refuses to spend time with them; he refuses to do his homework; he spends too much time watching DVDs, listening to foreign music, chatting in Internet cafes, playing games and surfing the Internet.

(3) What is the father worrying about?

His son may fail at school or worse.

Read the second letter, and find out the answers to the following questions.

(1) Why does the son write the letter?

(2) What are his problems?

To be helped with some problems he has at home.

His father does not listen to him when he wants to do something or suggests an idea; he shouts at him when he tries to talk to him; when he refuses to listen to his father, his father tells his mother and they fight like crazy; his parents always make him do things he doesn't like; they call him selfish and unloving when he wants to be alone; his father gets very angry when he plays foreign music; he sends him to bed or tells him to study when he watches a DVD; he forbids him from meeting his friends at the Internet cafe.

(3) How does he feel about his father?

He loves his father a lot. He hopes his father can understand him better and respect the things he wants to do.

1. Discussion:

Discuss the following questions before

starting writing the advice letter.

1. What main problems does the father have?

2. What main problems does the son have?

3. What are the possible answers for the father?

4. What are the possible answers for the son?

Group work:

2. Activities and Research:

Form groups and finish writing the

letter to the father and the son. One

from each group will read the letter

in front of the class and decide

which letter is the best. All of you

are judges.

Sample writingDear Liu Wei, Thanks for your attention to our magazine. After reading your letter, I know you are in trouble with your family. Don't worry. I'd like to tell you something about myself when I was at the same age as you. Before I was born, my parents had already arranged all the things for my life. They wanted me to study all the time. But what I liked most was to enjoy myself by reading novels, watching TV or chatting online with my friends in my spare time. So we often quarreled with each other. I didn't think that what they did was

to love Me. I began to live alone. However, as time

flies, I begin to understand my parents. Nowadays

you meet the same problems as I, which are still

the common problems in the modern society. Here

I want to give you some advice: First, you must

honour your parents, not shout at them. Second,

maybe you can often talk to your parents to let

them understand you, to let them know what is in

your mind. And try to spend your spare time with

them. Third, you can do something you can to help

them, such as cleaning the floor, washing clothes.

I'm sure your parents will be happy to see

that. The last one is that you should do what

your parents ask you to. For example, pay

more attention to your study. It's time for you

to study at all. The advice may work a lot and

I hope it's helpful to you. I wish you can

bridge the generation gap between you and

your parents. I am looking forward to receiving your good news.

Yours, Mr Zhu

Dear Mr Liu,

I am very sorry to hear that. Now I can

comprehend your feelings. You wish him to

do anything as you tell him, but he always

do in the opposite way. However, have you

considered what you have said is always

right, or what you have planned is always

acceptable for your son?

Here I want to give you some advice, I

wish it could be helpful for you.

First, you should be not only strict but also kindly to him. You mustn't always shout at him. Your son is not a child. He can have his own opinion. You should respect him and his advice. Maybe his advice is of value. Second, you may try to enjoy what he likes, such as music and DVDs. You may always take more notice of what he thinks. On one hand, you can understand him further, on the other hand you can bridge the gap between you. Third, you can turn to your son's teachers, or close friends for help. They can understand

what your son thinks and needs.

In a word, as a father, you should not only

try your best to understand what he needs,

but also respect him and his advice. I

believe you can solve the problem

satisfactorily, and everything will go well.

Yours,

Mr Zhu

1. Small problems can become big ones, however, if they are not discussed and dealt with early on. (P38)

然而，如果小问题不在早期就得到讨论和解决，那么它们就能变成大问题。

deal with (1) 与某人相处 (2) 处理，对付 (3) 论及 (4) 与某人做交易他很了解如何与小孩相处。 He knows well how to deal with children ．

这问题应该很快得到解决。 This problem should be dealt with quickly.

本书未论及此事。 This book doesn't deal with it. 我们与那家酒店做交易已 10 年了。 We have dealt with that store for 10 years. 我该怎么处理此事 ?

How should I deal with such a problem?

early on 短语意为“在早期，开始后不久” I know early on (in the film) that I wasn't going to enjoy it. 电影一开演我就知道我不会喜欢这部电影。

2. Recently he has been refusing to do his homework… (P38)has been refusing 为现在完成进行时形式。该时态强调动作从过去开始，一直进行到现在。该动作可能仍在进行，也可能刚刚停止。它常用于表示延续至今的连续性或重复性动作。

I have typed your letter. 我把你的信打出来了。 I have been typing your letter. 我在打你的信呢。 ( 可能尚未完成 )

I have taught that class. 我教过那个班。 I have been teaching that class. 我教着那个班。

You’re out of breath. Have you been running?Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?

学英语报社学英语报社学英语报社学英语报社

Cathy is taking notes of the grammatical rules in class at Sunshine School, where she ________ English for a year. 　 (2007 湖南 )

A. studies B. studied C. is studying D. has been studying

3. insist on/ upon sth./doing (P38) “ 坚持要求 ( 干 ) ，坚决主张”

She insisted on writing at once.

He insisted on being sent to the front.

她坚持立即写信。

他坚持要求被派到前方去。

4. At present, to prevent upsetting his mother with an arguments… (P38)

prevent 预防 ( 出现某事 ) ，妨碍，阻碍 prevent + n. prevent sb./sb.’s doing prevent sb. from doing

我们应尽力防止事故发生。 We should do our best to prevent accidents. 雨使比赛无法进行。 The rain prevented the game. 什么也阻挡不了我和他结婚。 Nothing will prevent me from marrying him.

6. forbid vt. ( forbade, forbidden, forbidding) (P38) forbid (sb.) sth. forbid sb. to do sth. forbid (one's) doing sth.

她父亲不允许他们俩结婚。 Her father forbade their marriage. 我禁止你进网吧。 I forbid you to enter the Internet Cafe. 此地禁止吸烟。 We forbid smoking here.

我无法禁止你再见到他。 I can't forbid your seeing him again.