WT2: Letters
Writing formal and informal letters - understanding structure, register, and conventions.
📋 Types of Letters
Two main types: Formal letters (to officials, businesses, newspapers) and Informal letters (to friends and family). The exam usually requires formal letters.
Formal Letters
Written to people you don't know or in professional contexts:
- To a newspaper (letter to the editor)
- To a local council or MP
- To a company or business
- To a headteacher or school
Informal Letters
Written to people you know well:
- To friends or family
- Personal correspondence
- Thank you letters
- Personal invitations
📝 Formal Letter Structure
Formal Letter Layout
Your Address Date Recipient's Name Recipient's Address Dear [Name/Title], [Content - Introduction, main body, conclusion] Yours sincerely/faithfully, [Your Name]
Opening the Letter
Salutations:
- Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms [Surname] - if you know the name
- Dear Sir/Madam - if you don't know the name
- To the Editor - for letters to newspapers
Closing the Letter
Sign-offs:
- "Yours sincerely" - if you used a name (Dear Mr Smith)
- "Yours faithfully" - if you used Dear Sir/Madam
🎯 Writing a Formal Letter
The Introduction
State clearly why you are writing:
Example Openings
"I am writing to express my concern about..."
"I am writing to complain about the service I received..."
"I am writing in response to your article about..."
The Main Body
- Present your points logically
- Use one paragraph per main point
- Support with evidence and examples
- Use formal, persuasive language
The Conclusion
- Summarise your main points
- State what action you want
- End politely but firmly
Example Conclusions
"I trust you will give this matter urgent attention."
"I look forward to your prompt response."
"Please reconsider this decision in light of the evidence presented."
✍️ Formal vs Informal Language
| Feature | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary | Sophisticated, precise | Everyday, casual |
| Contractions | Do not, cannot, it is | Don't, can't, it's |
| Sentences | Complex, varied | Shorter, simpler |
| Tone | Respectful, objective | Personal, emotional |
| Sign-off | Yours sincerely | Best wishes, Love from |
Top Tip: In exams, you're almost always asked to write a formal letter. Avoid contractions and slang. Use sophisticated vocabulary appropriately.
📰 Letters to the Editor
A common exam task - writing to a newspaper about an article or issue.
Purpose: To express an opinion, agree/disagree with an article, or raise awareness about an issue.
Example Opening
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the article "School Uniform Should Be Banned" published on 15th March. While I understand the arguments presented, I strongly disagree with the conclusion reached.
Key Features
- Reference the article you're responding to
- State your viewpoint clearly
- Use persuasive techniques
- Keep to the word limit (usually concise)
- End with a powerful closing statement
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong sign-off | "Sincerely" with Sir/Madam is incorrect | Use "faithfully" with Sir/Madam |
| Using contractions | Too informal for formal letters | Write "do not" instead of "don't" |
| Forgetting addresses | Loses marks for format | Include sender and recipient addresses |
| Starting with "Hi" | Too informal for formal letters | Use "Dear" followed by name/title |
| Wrong tone | Rude or overly casual | Be respectful and formal |
📊 Mark Scheme Guidance
AO5: Content and Organisation (24 marks)
- Clear purpose and viewpoint
- Well-structured paragraphs
- Appropriate register for audience
- Effective use of persuasive techniques
AO6: Technical Accuracy (16 marks)
- Correct letter format
- Varied sentence structures
- Accurate spelling and punctuation
- Appropriate formal vocabulary
Examiner's Tip: Get the format right straight away. Write your address, skip a line, write the date, then the recipient's address. This sets up your letter correctly and shows you understand the conventions.
❓ Practice Questions
Q1: When should you use "Yours faithfully" versus "Yours sincerely"?
Q2: What is the correct order for a formal letter's components?
Q3: Write the opening of a letter to your local council about litter in your area.
Q4: Why should you avoid contractions in formal letters?
✅ Answers
- "Yours faithfully" with Dear Sir/Madam; "Yours sincerely" when using a specific name (Dear Mr Smith).
- Sender's address, date, recipient's address, salutation, content, sign-off, signature.
- Your opening should include: sender's address, date, council's address, "Dear Sir/Madam", and a clear statement of purpose.
- Contractions are too informal for formal writing. Writing "do not" instead of "don't" maintains a professional, respectful tone.
🎯 Exam Tips
- Always check if formal or informal is required
- Set out addresses correctly - they're easy marks
- Never use contractions in formal letters
- Match your sign-off to your salutation
- State your purpose clearly in the first paragraph
- Use persuasive techniques appropriate to your purpose
- Keep paragraphs focused - one main idea each
📝 Exam Technique
Letter Writing Exam Strategy: You have 45 minutes (40 marks: 24 AO5 + 16 AO6). Format marks are easy to earn — get them right first.
- First 2 minutes: Write your address (invent one), skip a line, write the date, then the recipient's address. This sets up the correct format immediately.
- Next 3 minutes: Plan your key arguments and the sign-off you'll use. Check: do you know the recipient's name? This determines "sincerely" vs "faithfully".
- Writing time: State your purpose in paragraph 1. Develop each point in a separate paragraph. End with a clear, polite demand or request.
- Mark allocation: AO5 (24 marks) rewards clear purpose, well-structured arguments, and appropriate register. AO6 (16 marks) rewards correct format, formal vocabulary, and accurate SPaG.
- What examiners look for: Correct letter format (addresses, date, salutation, sign-off). Consistent formal register with no contractions. Clear purpose stated early.
⚠️ Common Errors
Watch Out!
Students often use the wrong sign-off. Wrong: "Yours sincerely" after "Dear Sir/Madam" — this is an error that examiners always spot. Correct: "Yours faithfully" with Dear Sir/Madam; "Yours sincerely" with Dear Mr Smith / Dear Dr Jones — use "faithfully" when you don't know the name.
Students often use contractions in formal letters. Wrong: "I can't accept this. It's not fair and I don't think you should've done it." Correct: Write contractions in full — "I cannot accept this. It is not fair, and I do not believe you should have done it." Formal letters demand full forms throughout.
Students often omit addresses and date. Wrong: Starting immediately with "Dear Sir/Madam" and no addresses or date. Correct: Include your address (top right), the date below it, then the recipient's address (left side), then the salutation. These format features are easy marks to gain.
✍️ Model Answer
Full-Mark Response
40 marks: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper arguing for or against the closure of your local library.
14 Station Road
Bridgefield
Warwickshire CV34 6JN
12 January 2026
The Editor
The Bridgefield Gazette
2 High Street
Bridgefield
Warwickshire CV34 1AB
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the council's proposal to close Bridgefield Public Library, a decision that would be not merely regrettable but genuinely destructive to the community it has served for over sixty years.
The library is far more than a building that houses books — though the 23,000 volumes on its shelves represent, by any measure, a significant community asset. It is a lifeline. For elderly residents who rely on its free internet access to contact distant family, for the toddler reading group that meets every Wednesday morning, for the jobseeker using its computers to apply for work, the library is not optional. It is essential.
The council claims that the £180,000 annual saving justifies closure. However, this figure represents a fraction of the council's budget and ignores the measurable social value the library provides. According to a report by Arts Council England, every £1 invested in public libraries generates £2.50 in social value through improved literacy, reduced isolation, and increased employability. By that calculation, closing the library would cost the community far more than it saves.
Some argue that digital resources have made libraries obsolete. This argument assumes universal internet access and digital literacy — assumptions that exclude precisely the people who need libraries most: the elderly, the low-income families, the recently arrived. A society that values equality does not remove the few remaining spaces where access to knowledge is genuinely free.
I urge your readers to attend the public consultation on 28th February and to make their voices heard. A community that allows its library to close has, in a very real sense, given up on the principle that knowledge should be available to all. Bridgefield deserves better.
Yours faithfully,
A resident who still believes in the power of a library
Mark scheme: AO5 (21-24/24) — Compelling argument with clear viewpoint sustained throughout; strong evidence including statistics; counter-argument addressed; powerful conclusion with call to action; appropriate persuasive techniques used naturally. AO6 (14-16/16) — Correct formal letter format (addresses, date, salutation, sign-off); no contractions; wide vocabulary ("obsolete", "regrettable", "principle"); varied sentences; accurate SPaG throughout; "faithfully" used correctly with Dear Editor.
📊 AO Deep Dive
Assessment Objective Analysis
AO5 — Content and Organisation (24 marks): For letter writing, this AO rewards how effectively you structure your argument for the specific audience and purpose. At grade 5 (Level 3, 9-12 marks), letters have "some relevant ideas" but may lack a clear structure, skip the counter-argument, or fail to maintain a consistent viewpoint. At grade 9 (Level 6, 21-24 marks), the letter is "convincing and compelling" — the purpose is established in the opening paragraph, each body paragraph develops one argument with evidence, the counter-argument is acknowledged and refuted, and the conclusion reinforces the viewpoint with a powerful closing statement. The key difference is coherence: in a grade 9 letter, every paragraph serves the overall argument, and the reader is guided smoothly from opening to conclusion.
AO6 — Technical Accuracy (16 marks): Letter format is a unique aspect of this AO. Getting the format right (addresses, date, salutation, sign-off) is straightforward but essential — errors here signal to the examiner that you don't understand the form. At grade 5 (Level 3, 9-12 marks), there may be format errors, contractions, or inconsistent formality. At grade 9 (Level 4, 13-16 marks), format is flawless, the formal register is sustained without any slips, vocabulary is wide and precise, and sentence structures are varied for rhetorical effect.
📝 Exam Questions by Topic
🎬 Video Resources
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