Unit 6
Letter / Email
About this unit
Letters and emails are written to a specific person or team — a principal, councillor, or transport office. You still persuade or inform, but format counts: greeting, clear purpose, paragraphs, and the right closing.
This unit teaches formal letters, email subject lines, polite register, and how to use stimulus facts in correspondence. Unit 2 covers argument skills; this unit covers how the piece should look on screen.
What types of questions will you face?
- 1Formal letters — to a principal, mayor, councillor, or editor. Use Dear…, structured paragraphs, and Yours sincerely (or Yours faithfully if you do not know the name).
- 2Emails — include a subject line, a brief greeting (Hi / Dear), short paragraphs, and Kind regards or Best regards.
- 3Persuasive letters — argue for change with reasons, examples, and a polite request; same ideas as Unit 2 but letter layout is non-negotiable.
- 4Thank-you or complaint letters — tone must match the purpose: gratitude stays warm; complaints stay factual, not rude.
- 5Stimulus + letter/email — facts (dates, services, costs) woven into body paragraphs; never copy the box as a list.
Skills you will build
- Purpose in paragraph one — "I am writing to…" so the reader knows the request immediately.
- Correct greeting and close — match formality to the recipient (principal vs council team vs friend).
- Paragraphing for readers — one main idea per paragraph; letters are not one block of text.
- Polite register — I respectfully request, thank you for considering — not slang or shouting.
- Subject lines (email) — specific and action-oriented, not "Hello" or "Important".
- Sign-off with name — full name for formal letters; first name optional in email only if prompt allows.
By the end of this unit, you will be able to
- Tell letter and email tasks apart from speeches, essays, and news reports.
- Write a formal letter with greeting, purpose, body, request, and closing.
- Write a persuasive email with subject line, greeting, body, and appropriate sign-off.
- Integrate stimulus facts and a required sentence without breaking correspondence format.
- Choose register and closings that fit the named audience on the Selective test.
Difficulty profile
Letters and emails are medium difficulty because students know what to argue but forget layout under pressure. Emails are slightly harder when a subject line and stimulus facts are both required. Practise typing one letter and one email in 25 minutes each before the exam.
Exam tip: Letter / Email
Read the prompt twice. If it says letter, use Dear… and Yours sincerely. If it says email, add a Subject: line and Kind regards. Do not open with "Good morning" — that is speech. Spend two minutes on greeting + purpose + request before you type reasons. Check the last line: speech ends with thanks to a room; letters end with a sign-off and your name.
Guided Practice
A formal letter is a contract with the reader: you name them, state why you are writing, argue in the middle, and close with respect. Unit 2 taught persuasion; this unit teaches layout — the parts markers check before they even read your reasons.
Letter and email tasks appear when the prompt names a recipient and a format — write to the principal, mayor, editor, or teacher. They use persuasive or informative ideas but must look like real correspondence, not an essay with "Dear" pasted on top.
Markers reward correct openings and closings, a clear purpose in the first lines, polite but firm tone, and paragraphs that fit the reader. They penalise missing greetings, speech-style openings ("Good morning everyone"), or essay titles with no addressee.
You receive who you are writing as, who you are writing to, and what you want them to do. You have about 30 minutes. Formal letters use Dear… and Yours sincerely; emails use a subject line, a shorter greeting, and Kind regards or similar.
Best approach: Plan: greeting (Dear + name/title), purpose sentence (I am writing to…), two body paragraphs (reason + example each), counter line, request, sign-off (Yours sincerely + name). Never open with "In this letter I will…" — just state the purpose.
Your writing task
Allow 25 minutes to write, then 5 minutes to edit. · In the exam, aim for roughly 350–450 words in formal letter format.
Write a formal letter to your school principal.
You are a Year 6 student. Argue that the school should install permanent shade sails over the junior playground because summer temperatures on the asphalt often exceed safe levels.
Your letter must:
- Use a suitable greeting and closing for a formal letter
- State your purpose clearly in the opening paragraph
- Include at least two reasons with specific examples
- End with a polite request for what the principal should do next
Quick plan (before you write)
Greeting: Dear Ms/Mr + surname (invent a principal name if needed).
Purpose: one sentence — why you are writing today.
Reason 1: heat/safety + example (temperature, incident, medical).
Reason 2: learning or wellbeing angle — different from reason 1.
Counter: one sentence on cost or space, then answer it.
Close: Yours sincerely + your first and last name.
Write your response on paper or in a notes app first. When you are ready, read the example below.
Example response
Study structure and detail — do not memorise phrases.
Example response (about 400 words — formal letter)
Dear Ms Tan,
I am writing to ask Riverside Primary to install permanent shade sails over the junior playground. As a Year 6 student who supervises younger buddies at lunch, I have seen how often the asphalt becomes too hot for safe play.
Last month, the school nurse recorded eleven visits from students with burnt feet or heat-related headaches after lunch in the junior yard. Our class measured the asphalt at 52°C at 12:45 pm on three consecutive Fridays — hot enough to cook an egg, as our science teacher put it. Shade is not a luxury; it is a safety measure.
Shade also protects learning time. When the junior playground is closed on hot days, Years 1–3 crowd into the hall. Teachers lose quiet reading blocks, and younger students arrive in afternoon lessons restless and overheated. A shaded play space keeps children outside without gambling with their health.
I understand that shade sails cost money and require council approval. However, the P&C has already earmarked $12,000 from last year's fair for "outdoor improvements," and neighbouring Greenbank Primary installed sails in two stages. We could phase the project: sails over the most exposed quadrant first, then expand after a summer trial.
Some may argue that hats and sunscreen are enough. They help, but they do not lower ground temperature or create cool zones for children who cannot tolerate heat. Policy should match what we already teach in health lessons.
I respectfully request that you place shade sails on the agenda for the next staff meeting, survey families about preferred designs, and report back before Term 4. Thank you for considering the wellbeing of every student who uses the junior playground.
Yours sincerely,
Jordan Ellis Year 6, Room 14
Why this works
- Letter shape — Dear…, purpose, body paragraphs, Yours sincerely + name (not a speech or essay title).
- Formal but student voice — respectful, specific, not rude or vague.
- Two reasons — safety data + impact on learning; counter on cost answered.
- Clear request — agenda, survey, timeline — fits a principal audience.
Emails are shorter in the greeting and often need a subject line that tells the reader what you want before they open the message. The same persuasion skills apply — but the layout must look like something you would actually send.
Letter and email tasks appear when the prompt names a recipient and a format — write to the principal, mayor, editor, or teacher. They use persuasive or informative ideas but must look like real correspondence, not an essay with "Dear" pasted on top.
Markers reward correct openings and closings, a clear purpose in the first lines, polite but firm tone, and paragraphs that fit the reader. They penalise missing greetings, speech-style openings ("Good morning everyone"), or essay titles with no addressee.
You receive who you are writing as, who you are writing to, and what you want them to do. You have about 30 minutes. Formal letters use Dear… and Yours sincerely; emails use a subject line, a shorter greeting, and Kind regards or similar.
Best approach: Type Subject: first. Use Hi Ms Lee or Dear Ms Lee depending on formality. Keep paragraphs short; busy readers skim. If a required sentence is given, place it in the body after your strongest reason — same rule as letters and speeches.
Your writing task
Allow 25 minutes to write, then 5 minutes to edit. · In the exam, aim for roughly 350–450 words including subject line.
Context
- The council will trial car-free streets near school zones on Wednesdays for four weeks, starting 14 August.
- Buses will add an extra stop on Oak Avenue; the 7:45 am service is recommended for Riverside students.
- Families can complete a feedback form online by 30 August.
- The local MP will attend a drop-in session at the community centre on Tuesday 6 August, 4–6 pm.
Write an email to the local council's transport team.
You are a parent supporting the car-free trial because it makes the walk to school safer. Your email must:
- Include a subject line
- Use a suitable greeting and sign-off for email
- Include at least two details from the stimulus
- Include this sentence somewhere in your email:
"Safer streets near schools are not an experiment on paper — they are a promise to families who walk every day."
- End with a clear request (feedback, meeting, or trial support)
Quick plan (before you write)
Subject: specific — support + car-free trial + school name.
Opening: who you are, why you are writing (one short paragraph).
Stimulus facts: weave bus stop, dates, or feedback form — not a bullet paste.
Required line: after describing walking safety or congestion.
Sign-off: Kind regards / Best regards + name.
Write your response on paper or in a notes app first. When you are ready, read the example below.
Example response
Study structure and detail — do not memorise phrases.
Example response (about 410 words — email)
Subject: Support for August car-free trial near Riverside Primary
Dear Transport Team,
My name is Priya Nair; my children walk to Riverside Primary along Oak Avenue each morning. I am writing to express strong support for the car-free streets trial on Wednesdays from 14 August, and to offer constructive feedback as a daily pedestrian family.
Safer streets near schools are not an experiment on paper — they are a promise to families who walk every day. Last year, my son's friend was clipped by a reversing ute outside the bakery; the driver was not speeding, but the street was simply too narrow for cars, buses, and children at once. A mid-week trial gives us real data without asking everyone to change habits forever on day one.
I welcome the plan to add an extra bus stop on Oak Avenue and the guidance to use the 7:45 am service. Many parents did not know that route existed; please promote it on the school newsletter and at the drop-in session on Tuesday 6 August (4–6 pm) with the local MP. Face-to-face answers will reduce rumours more than a PDF alone.
I also encourage you to make the online feedback form (due 30 August) short and mobile-friendly. Parents will answer on phones outside pickup; if the form is long, only the angriest voices will respond, and you will not hear from families who are quietly grateful.
Some neighbours worry about delivery trucks on Wednesdays. Could the trial map show loading zones before 14 August? Clear signage turns debate into planning.
Please count our household as a yes for the trial. I will attend the 6 August session, complete the feedback form, and share the bus timetable with the P&C chat.
Kind regards,
Priya Nair Riverside Primary parent
Why this works
- Email layout — Subject line, greeting, short paragraphs, Kind regards (not Yours sincerely unless prompt asks for formal letter).
- Stimulus used — Wednesday trial from 14 Aug, Oak Ave stop, 7:45 am bus, feedback by 30 Aug, MP session 6 Aug 4–6 pm.
- Required line embedded after a concrete walking-safety example.
- Supportive tone — agrees with trial while answering an objection; ends with specific actions.
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