Letter Writing - Formal

Writing Formal Letters in English

v  Try to write as simply and as clearly as possible
v  Do not make the letter longer than necessary
v  Do not use informal language like contractions.

Salutation or Greeting:
Dear Sir or Madam,
If you do not know the name of the person.

2) Dear Mr Jenkins,
If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only.

If writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women.

Ending a letter :
1)                   Yours faithfully
            If you do not know the name of the person
2)  Yours sincerely
            If you know the name of the person
3)  Your signature

4) Your name

Content of Formal Letter

First paragraph
v   The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc.
v   The middle paragraphs should contain the relevant information.
v   Formal letters in English are not very long,
v   So keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and logical manner rather than expanding too much.

Last Paragraph
v   The last paragraph of a formal letter should state what action you expect the recipient to take.
Eg : I should be grateful if you could send me an application form and any other relevant information.

Some Similes
As hard as nails  - Tough
As dead as a doornail - Defunct (invalid, out dated, Expired)
As blind as a bat – Short-sighted
As fit as a fiddle - Healthy
As deaf as a post – Hard of/to hear
As mad as a hatter - Crazy
As plain as the nose on your face - Obvious
As old as the hills – Ancient
As good as gold  - Well-behaved
As white as a sheet – Very pale