Formal Letter Writing

Formal letters are written to people you do not know personally or to offices.

Layout

A formal letter follows a fixed structure:

• Your address and the date at the top right.
• The recipient's address on the left.
• Salutation: "Dear Sir/Madam," or "Dear Mr Okafor,".
• A subject line stating the purpose.
• Body paragraphs: reason for writing, details, request.
• Closing: "Yours faithfully," (unknown name) or "Yours sincerely," (known name).
• Your full name and signature.

Register

Formal writing avoids slang, contractions and emotional language. Use "I am writing to request..." rather than "I wanna ask...". Keep every sentence clear and courteous.

Practice

1. Write a formal letter to your principal requesting a new reading club.
2. Rewrite these informally: "I wanna know if you can gimme the job."
3. List the seven parts of a formal letter in order.

Recap

Formal letters follow a fixed layout and a polite, impersonal tone. Purpose and request must be unmistakable.