LETTER WRITING

LETTER WRITING

Performance Standard 3C.I

Each student will write two letters, one an informal letter to a friend, one a business letter to complain about a
problem he/she has encountered. The two letters will be evaluated for format and content accordingly:
• Business Letter
• Formatting the letter: include the components of the business letter (i.e., return address, date, inside
address, salutation, body, closing, signature); place components (e.g., margins, spacing, paragraphing,
sequence of components) on the page; punctuate components.
• Organizing content – Message and Tone: include five required parts of the message (i.e., person addressed,
nature of the problem, how it was discovered, what will satisfy the writer, how to reach writer) in the body;
use formal tone; use appropriate language.
• Informal (Friendly) Letter
• Formatting the letter: include components of the friendly letter (i.e., date, salutation, body, closing,
signature); place components (e.g., margins, spacing, paragraphing, sequence of components) on the page;
punctuate components.
• Organizing content – Message and Tone: include in the body, the parts of the message recorded in the
business letter; use informal tone.

Procedures

1. In order to communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes (3C), students should experience
sufficient learning opportunities to develop the following:
• Compose informational writing that supports a topic or thesis statement with well-articulated evidence.
• Adjust voice, tone, vocabulary, and grammatical conventions according to both purpose and audience.
• Demonstrate the proper format/conventions for business letters.
• Convert a formal letter into an informal one (or vice versa).
• Use available technology to draft, design, produce, revise, and present compositions and multimedia works
for specified audiences.
2. Have students review and discuss the assessment task and how the rubric will be used to evaluate their work.
3. Students will be familiar with the elements (format, language, style) of an informal (friendly) and a formal
(business) letter.
4. Students will have written several informal and formal letters prior to the assessment.
5. Each student will complete “Letter of Complaint Planning Sheet”.
6. Each student writes a letter of complaint to a company, using a standard business letter format. The letter should
include the description of the problem, how the writer became aware of the problem, and the action which the
writer wants the company to take to solve the problem.
7. Each student then writes an informal (friendly) letter to a friend, telling the friend about the same problem with
the company and explaining what he/she expects the company to do to fix it.
8. Evaluate both letters for proper formatting (i.e., formal (business) style and informal (friendly) style) and for
content appropriate to the perceived audiences.
9. Evaluate each student’s performance using the rubric. Add each student’s scores to determine the performance
level.





Examples of Student Work follow
Resources

• Writing materials, including available

technology

• Copies of the writing assignment
Time Requirements
• Letter Writing Rubric
• One to two class periods

ASSESSMENT 3C.I

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Letter of Complaint Planning Sheet

Your task is to complete a letter of complaint to a business in your hometown. To complete the letter, you will have
to know several things. To decide what to include in your letter, answer the following questions before you begin the
letter:

1. Who is the person who can help you with your problem? What is the address that will reach him/her?








2. What exactly is the problem that you have with the business? Be specific about the details of the problem.









3. How did this problem come to your attention? In other words, how did you find the problem?









4. What do you want the company to do to correct the problem? If you can give the person some specific
guidance about the solution to the problem which would satisfy you, then he/she can work with you more
easily to see that the problem is solved.








5. How can the person reach you to tell you what the company will do to satisfy you? After all, if the
company representative cannot reach you, your problem will not be solved.




Now that you have the essential information down, complete the letter using the proper business letter format that
your teacher has taught you.
ASSESSMENT 3C.I

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LETTER WRITING


NAME __________________________________________________ DATE _________________________________

Exceeds
15 - 16 total points
Approaches
7 -10 total points
Meets
11 - 14 total points
Begins
4 - 6 total points


BUSINESS LETTER
INFORMAL (FRIENDLY) LETTER

Format
Content – Message and
Format
Content – Message and
Tone
Tone
4
• All components of
• All five required parts • All components of
• All parts of the

the business letter are
of the message (i.e.,
the friendly letter are
message recorded in the
present (i.e., return
person addressed, nature
present (i.e., date,
business letter are
address, date, inside
of the problem, how it
salutation, body, closing, present in the body
address, salutation, body, was discovered, what
signature).
paragraphs.
closing, signature).
will satisfy the writer,
• All components (e.g., • Consistently uses
• All components (e.g., how to reach writer) are
margins, spacing,
informal tone.
margins, spacing,
present in the body.
paragraphing, sequence

paragraphing, sequence
• Consistently uses
of components) are
of components) are
formal tone.
properly placed on the
properly placed on the
• Consistently uses
page.
page.
appropriate language.
• All components are
• All components are
properly punctuated.
properly punctuated.
3
• Most components of
• All five required parts • Most components of
• Most parts of the
the business letter are
of the message are
the friendly letter are
message recorded in the
present.
present in the body.
present.
business letter are
• Most components are • Usually uses formal
• Most components are present in the body
properly placed on the
tone.
properly placed on the
paragraphs.
page.
• Usually uses
page.
• Usually uses informal
• Most components are appropriate language.
• Most components are tone.
properly punctuated.
properly punctuated.
2
• Some components of
• 3 - 4 of the required
• Some components of
• Some parts of the
the business letter are
parts of the message are
the friendly letter are
message recorded in the
present.
present in the body.
present.
business letter are
• Some components are • Sometimes uses
• Some components are present in the body
properly placed on the
formal tone.
properly placed on the
paragraphs.
page.
• Sometimes uses slang page.
• Sometimes uses
• Some components are or jargon.
• Some components are informal tone.
properly punctuated.
properly punctuated.
1
• Few or no
• 0 - 2 of the required
• Few or no
• Few or no parts of the
components of the
parts of the message are
components of the
message recorded in the
business letter are
present in the body.
friendly letter are
business letter are
present.
• Seldom or never uses present.
present in the body
• Few or no
formal tone.
• Few or no
paragraphs.
components are properly
• Overuses slang or
components are properly
• Seldom or never uses
placed on the page.
jargon.
placed on the page.
informal tone.
• Few or no
• Few or no
components are properly
components are properly
punctuated.
punctuated.
Score





ASSESSMENT 3C.I

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"Meets" (page 1)

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"Meets" (page 2)

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"Exceeds" (page 1)

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"Exceeds" (page 2)

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"Exceeds" (page 3)

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