This document provides guidance on writing formal letters, including their structure and content. It discusses the key parts of a formal letter such as the recipient's address, greeting, introduction, body, and conclusion. It also describes three common types of formal letters - letters of complaint, enquiry, and request - and provides examples. The document concludes with a template and writing prompts for practice formal letter writing.

1. A FORMAL LETTER
Our address: Top Right-handed side
Date: beneath my address
The recipient address: On the left beneath my address
Greeting:
Dear Sir or Madam,  If we don’t know the person who we are writing to.
Dear+Surname  If we know the person who we are writing to. ( Never write the name)
Mr. / Miss/ Mrs. /Ms./ Dr.
• 1st paragraph: Say why are we ariting ( Purpose of writing)
• The main body of the formal letter should clearly state the points that you want
to make in your letter. As a general rule it is a good idea to keep this as to the
point as possible to ensure that the recipient remains engaged. Longer letters
may be more appropriate when making a complaint as you may require to add
more detail in order to convey the importance of what you are putting across.

2. • Concluding Paragraph:The concluding paragraph of a formal letter should
outline what action you would like the recipient to take: to make a refund, to
send you information etc.
Letter of Complaint
A letter of complaint is a formal letter sent to an individual or organisation in response to
receiving poor service or a product that is not fit for purpose. An example of a letter of
complaint would be a letter sent to a tour operator who has provided a bad service
while you have been on holiday. This type of formal letter does not necessarily need to
be concise as it is important that you detail your arguments and points as much as
possible.
Letter of Enquiry
A letter of enquiry is a formal letter that makes an approach to an individual or
organisation either speculatively or in response to printed public domain material
whereby you are requesting some information. An example of a letter of enquiry would
be a letter sent to an company requesting a copy of their catalogue or brochure. By
their very nature letters of enquiry are short and to the point, it is usually beneficial to
include other methods of contact in case the company needs to get in touch with via
other means.
Letter of Request
A letter of request is a formal letter much like a letter of enquiry but specifically asks an
individual or organisation to take an action. An example of a letter of request would be
a letter sent to request sponsorship for a charity activity. It is important to stress the
importance of being clear and concise with this format of letter as the recipient must
remain engaged and interested in what you have to say.
Transform into a formal register:
1. Hi there!
2. I want to get some information right now
3. I can’t wait to hear from you
4. Best wishes,
5. Lots of love,
6. It would be great if we could meet
7. Oh thanks a lot for your help

3. Writing Task: Write a letter to the Director of a Summer Camp Kids “ Play and Learn” to
apply for a post as a part time facilitator.
Writing Task: “ Write a letter of complaint about a digital clock radio in the
advertisement. You would like a replacement or a refund”
Writing task: “ Write a formal letter to arrange accommodation for two weeks in
Scotland. You are a student so you need a quiet single-room”
Follow this template to write your formal letter:
[Your Street Address]
[Your City]
[Your Postcode]
[Month, Day, Year]
[Name & Title of recipient if known]
[Company Name]
[Company Street Address]
[Company City]
[Company Postcode]
Dear ["Sirs" if the name of the recipient is not known or "Mr/Mrs/Miss Surname" if the
recipient is known],
[Main body]
Yours [faithfully/sincerely – faithfully if you do not know the person, sincerely if you do],
[Your written Signature]
[Your Name]