2. • Guess the context of the class – (2 mins)
• Discussion questions – saying thank you (10 mins)
• Facts about thank you letters etc (5 mins)
• Reading activity (1) Thank you letter (new vocabulary) (10 mins)
• Reading activity (2) Thank you letter (General questions) (5 mins)
• Reading an email (highlighting expressions) (5 mins)
• Reading activity (3) Grouping different reactions (10 mins)
• Expressing reactions presentation of different ways (5 mins)
• Writing practice (1) Writing appropriately – Making sentence better (10 mins)
• Funny thank you letters quiz? (10 mins)
• Grammar focus – The past perfect – Presentation (5 mins)
• Grammar focus – identifying different tenses in a letter (10 mins)
• Grammar focus – Past perfect exercises (10 mins)
• Useful tips for writing a thankyou letter – presentation (5 mins)
• Looking at responses and deciding if they are lukewarm or OTT (5 mins)
• Writing practice (2) Rewriting sentences to avoid LW / OTT (10 mins)
• Writing practise (3) Writing sentences for various situations (15 mins)
• Homework – Writing practice writing a thank you letter using a variety of
tenses
4. • What things are you generally thankful for in your life?
• On what occasions do people usually say thank you?
• How often do people say thank you in your country
compared to the UK?
• When did you last say thank you to someone for
something?
• Have you ever written a thank you note, text message or
email? What was the occasion?
• How would you feel if you received a thank you letter
after helping someone out?
5. • Thank-you letters (notes, or cards) are a polite way of saying 'thank you' to
someone.
• It is sometimes difficult to know whether you should write a thank-you letter.
For example, if a good friend gave you a small gift or bought you lunch on your
birthday, a thank-you note is probably unnecessary.
• However, if you receive gifts at a formal event such as a wedding, anniversary
or special birthday party, a thank-you letter is normally expected.
• In addition, if someone gives you a very valuable gift or does something very
special for you, it is always polite to write and say thank you.
• If you really aren't sure, write one anyway - you are unlikely to offend anyone.
6. 11 Broombank Avenue
Holtville
CA 33182
1 October 2012
Dear Otto and Katerina,
Thank you very, very much for the beautiful handmade quilt you sent for Mira's fifth
birthday - all the way from Germany!
She is absolutely delighted with it of course, because you have sewn all the characters
from The Gruffalo into it. Otto, you must have remembered her telling you about the book
when you visited in spring - what a good memory you have! Katerina, you are so talented,
and you have put such a huge amount of time and care into making this quilt perfect for
Mira.
Yours is the kindest and most thoughtful gift Mira has ever received, and I know she will
treasure it for many years to come. Who knows - maybe one day she will have children of
her own who will love it too.
With love and thanks to both of you,
Lynne, Alec and Mira
7. Understanding
Read this example of a typical thank-you
letter.
What did Katerina do for Mira?
How do Lynne, Alec and Mira feel about it?
8. 11 Broombank Avenue
Holtville
CA 33182
1 October 2012
Dear Otto and Katerina,
Thank you very, very much for the beautiful handmade quilt you sent for Mira's fifth
birthday - all the way from Germany!
She is absolutely delighted with it of course, because you have sewn all the characters
from The Gruffalo into it. Otto, you must have remembered her telling you about the book
when you visited in spring - what a good memory you have! Katerina, you are so talented,
and you have put such a huge amount of time and care into making this quilt perfect for
Mira.
Yours is the kindest and most thoughtful gift Mira has ever received, and I know she will
treasure it for many years to come. Who knows - maybe one day she will have children of
her own who will love it too.
With love and thanks to both of you,
Lynne, Alec and Mira
9. Understanding
Read this example of a typical thank-you
letter.
What did Katerina do for Mira?
How do Lynne, Alec and Mira feel about it?
Lynne, Alec and Mira are very impressed by how beautiful the
quilt is, and very grateful to Katerina for making it.
Katerina made a special quilt (a type of blanket) for Mira, with
the characters from one of her favourite books sewn into it.
10. Looking more closely
When someone does something nice for you, you usually
express a reaction.
Underline the parts of the letter opposite which express
the following reactions.
Example: Thank you very, very much ... (gratitude)
gratitude pleasure surprise admiration
11. 11 Broombank Avenue
Holtville
CA 33182
1 October 2012
Dear Otto and Katerina,
Thank you very, very much for the beautiful handmade quilt you sent for Mira's fifth
birthday - all the way from Germany!
She is absolutely delighted with it of course, because you have sewn all the characters
from The Gruffalo into it. Otto, you must have remembered her telling you about the book
when you visited in spring - what a good memory you have! Katerina, you are so talented,
and you have put such a huge amount of time and care into making this quilt perfect
for Mira.
Yours is the kindest and most thoughtful gift Mira has ever received, and I know she
will treasure it for many years to come. Who knows - maybe one day she will have
children of her own who will love it too.
With love and thanks to both of you,
Lynne, Alec and Mira
12. •all the way from Germany! (surprise)
•She is absolutely delighted. (pleasure)
•What a good memory you have! (surprise)
•Katerina, you are so talented! (admiration)
•... you have put such a huge amount of time and care into making this quilt
perfect. (admiration, gratitude)
•Yours is the kindest and most thoughtful gift Mira has ever received, and
I know she will treasure it for many years to come. (gratitude/pleasure)
•With love and thanks to both of you. (gratitude)
13. Expressing reactions
When you want to express pleasure, gratitude,
surprise or admiration for something someone
has done for you, you can use a number of
techniques.
Show the person you have understood how
much they have done for you by writing
about it:
...you have put such a huge amount of time and
care into making this quilt perfect.
14. Use an adverb to make adjectives stronger and
statements more intense:
absolutely delighted, so talented
Thank you very, very much.
Use superlatives:
Yours is the kindest and most thoughtful gift Mira has
ever received.
Praise the person for their efforts:
…….what a good memory you have. .
…..... making this quilt perfect.
15. Writing appropriately
Rewrite the following sentences to make them suitable for a thank-you letter.
1. Your gift was very kind.
Your gift was the kindest I have ever received
2. Thanks for organizing the party...............
3. You cooked a nice dinner………………………………………...
4. You worked hard organizing the party. It was fun……………………….
5. The gift was pretty and I like it.................................................
16. Writing appropriately
2. Thanks for organizing the party...............
3. You cooked a nice dinner………………………………………...
4. You worked hard organizing the party. It was fun……………………….
5. The gift was pretty and I like it.................................................
Thank you so much for organizing such a wonderful party!
You cooked the nicest dinner I've had in ages!
You worked so hard organizing the party. It was the best party I've ever had.
The gift was absolutely beautiful and I like it very very much!
24. The past perfect tense
We use the past perfect tense to talk about an event that
happened before another event in the past.
Examples
I had wanted a new bicycle for ages! (She wanted a
bicycle for a long time and then someone gave her one.)
The party was a complete surprise. I hadn't guessed
anything. (He didn't know his friends were planning a
surprise party, and then he found out.)
25. Language focus
(1) We write thank-you letters to express our thanks for things that happened in the past.
Read through the letter below and identify all the past tenses that are used.
Example: wanted to write and thank you ... (past simple)
Dear Josie,
I wanted to write and thank you so much for the fabulous party you organized for
my 40th. I had no idea you had anything planned - it was such a surprise!
Everything was perfect - it was great to see all the girls there looking wonderful.
The food was amazing, and your decorations were spectacular! Most importantly,
the birthday cake you made for me was the best I have ever tasted. (And I've
tasted quite a few in my 40 years!) I've been telling everyone here what a
fantastic night it was and showing them the photos. It just couldn't have been
better - I felt so special. Thank you for all your hard work, secret planning, and
for all the thought and care you put into the evening. It was the happiest night of
my life. I'll remember it forever!
With lots of love and thanks to my beautiful best friend,
Andrea xxx
26. Dear Josie,
I wanted to write and thank you so much for the fabulous party you
organized for my 40th (simple past).
I had no idea you had anything planned (simple past + past perfect)
it was such a surprise (simple past)!
Everything was perfect (simple past)
it was great to see all the girls together again (past simple).
The food was amazing (past simple),
and that champagne was spectacular (past simple)!
Most importantly, the birthday cake you made for me was (past simple)
the best I have ever tasted (present perfect)
27. And I've tasted quite a few in my 40 years! (present perfect)
I've been telling everyone here what a fantastic night it was (present
perfect continuous) and showing them the photos (present perfect
continuous).
It just couldn't have been better (present perfect)
I felt so special (past simple)
Thank you for all your hard work, secret planning, and for all the thought and
care you put into the evening (past simple).
It was the happiest night of my life (past simple).
I'll remember it forever!
With lots of love and thanks to my beautiful best friend,
Andrea Xxx
28. (2) Use the prompts 1-4 to write some sentences in the past perfect tense.
Example (1st - didn't expect many people to be at the party) + (2nd
- lots of people came to the party) = I hadn't expected so many
people to be at the party!
1. (1st -wanted to see the opera Carmen for a long time) + (2nd given
tickets to Carmen as a gift)
2. (1st- didn't think anyone would remember my birthday) + (lots of
people came to my surprise party)
3. (1st - always wanted to go to Russia) + (2nd- was taken on holiday
to Russia by friends)
4. (1st - thought car couldn't be fixed) + (2nd - friend fixed car)
29. 1. (1st -wanted to see the opera Carmen for a long time) + (2nd given
tickets to Carmen as a gift)
2. (1st- didn't think anyone would remember my birthday) + (lots of
people came to my surprise party)
3. (1st - always wanted to go to Russia) + (2nd- was taken on holiday
to Russia by friends)
4. (1st - thought car couldn't be fixed) + (2nd - friend fixed car)
Thank you for the gift of the tickets - I'd wanted to see Carmen for a long
time!
Thanks for organizing the lovely party. I hadn't expected anyone to remember
my birthday!
I'd always wanted to go to Russia, so I was amazed when you told me we were
going!
I had thought my car couldn't possibly be fixed, so I am very grateful to you
for proving me wrong!
30.
31. Writing appropriately - Read the following sentences 1-4 and
decide if they are 'OTT' (over the top) or 'LW' (lukewarm).
Rewrite them to make them more appropriate.
1. Your gift of a new electric kettle was simply wonderful - the best
gift we received at our wedding.
2. Thanks for organizing my leaving party. I enjoyed it.
3. It was so very, very lovely of you to buy me lunch last week. It
was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me
4. Thank you for looking after the house for two weeks while we
were on holiday. The house looked quite tidy when we got back. We
are grateful.
32. 1. Your gift of a new electric kettle was simply wonderful - the best
gift we received at our wedding.
2. Thanks for organizing my leaving party. I enjoyed it.
1. (OTT) Your gift of a new electric kettle was very
thoughtful. It was the most useful gift we received at our
wedding, and we have already put it in our new kitchen
2. (LW) Thank you so much for organizing my very
enjoyable leaving party. I had the best time I've had in
years!
33. 3. It was so very, very lovely of you to buy me lunch last week. It
was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.
4. Thank you for looking after the house for two weeks while we
were on holiday. The house looked quite tidy when we got back. We
are grateful.
3. (OTT) It was very kind of you to buy me lunch last
week. I had a really nice time-thank you!
4. (LW) Thank you so much for looking after our house while we
were on holiday. Two weeks is a long time and we are very grateful
for all your hard work Thanks especially for tidying the house - it
looked lovely when we got back
34. (1) Write 2-3 sentences from a thank-you letter
expressing a reaction to the following situations:
1. A friend bought you a very nice gift for your birthday.
2. Your brother arranged a surprise birthday party for
you and all your friends came along.
3. Your uncle fixed your car for free after it broke down.
4. Your colleagues bought you a lovely gift for your
surprise leaving party.
35. 1. A friend bought you a very nice gift for your birthday.
2. Your brother arranged a surprise birthday party for
you and all your friends came along.
1. Thank you very, very much for the wonderful
painting you bought me. I had wanted a painting by
this artist for years - how did you know?!
2. I enjoyed the party so much! Thanks again for all
your hard work, and for managing to keep it a secret
for such a long time!
36. 3. Your uncle fixed your car for free after it broke down.
4. Your colleagues bought you a lovely gift for your
surprise leaving party.
3. I had thought I'd probably never drive that car again,
so thank you very much for fixing it. I really appreciate
all your hard work.
4. The crystal vase is absolutely exquisite. It must be
the most beautiful gift I've ever received!
37. (2) Now choose one of the letters from Exercise 1
above and write it in full. Remember to express your
reactions clearly and to use a variety of past tenses.
1. A friend bought you a very nice gift for your birthday.
2. Your brother arranged a surprise birthday party for
you and all your friends came along.
3. Your uncle fixed your car for free after it broke down.
4. Your colleagues bought you a lovely gift for your
surprise leaving party.
38. I’m going to describe a situation to you
• You and your partner recently went for dinner
at a friend’s house and want to buy a small
thank you gift.
• Talk together about the possible gifts you
could give and discuss which ones would be
more suitable.
39. A thank you
gift
A bouquet of
flowers
A box of fancy
chocolates
A bottle of
wine
A house
plant
A scented
candle
40.
41. (2) Now choose one of the letters from Exercise 1
above and write it in full. Remember to express your
reactions clearly and to use a variety of past tenses.
Dear Uncle Pete,
I wanted to write and thank you for fixing the brake pads on my car
last weekend. I wouldn't have known where to start to fix them
myself, and the garage estimate was really expensive. You saved me so
much cash - thank you! Your time and effort didn't just save me
money, by the way because I got the car fixed so quickly! was able to
drive to Birmingham to hand-deliver my application for a new job just
before the closing date), and I've got an interview! Thanks again for
all your hard work and expertise you're the best.
Rob.
42. Useful tips
The tone of your thank-you letter is more important than the
format you send it in, but for a formal event or gift, it is best to
respond by post rather than email.
It is important to sound sincere. To do this, try to write naturally
in the first person. For example: 'I really appreciate your kind
gift.' sounds more sincere than 'Your kind gift is really
appreciated.'
It can be hard to get the balance right with a thank-you note: too
many superlatives and your note may sound 'over the top'
(=exaggerated), not enough praise and your note could sound
'lukewarm' (=not very interested) or ungrateful.
43. • Look at the two photos you have.
• You need to compare and contrast them.
• You also need to answer the question.
• Describe the photos a little to begin with.
• When you finish your partner will answer a question about
your photos.
• Then you change roles.
44. • What can you see in the photos?
• Which thank you will have the
greatest effect?
• Now answer your partner’s
question.
45. • What can you see
in the photos?
• Which thank you
gift will the
receiver
remember most?
• Now answer your
partner’s question.
