How to write an informal letter

Hints:
● Imagine that you write to a real friend of yours.
● Friends usually have names ;-) so address him/her with a name: begin the letter with Dear
Joey/ Tim /Rebecca, etc.
● Begin your letter with some general statements. Refer to the letter you have received from
your friend and thank him/her for it or apologise for the fact that you have not answered the last
letter soon enough.
● Use the proper register. The letter is supposed to be informal so you can use contractions,
informal linking words like well, by the way, anyway, so, colloquial expressions, etc.
● You can use more-conversation-like statements or questions in your letter: You know that I
had this exam, right? You think he will be able to come to the party?
● Use questions to ask about your friend - arrange the next meeting, send greetings to his/her
friends and family, etc.
● End your letter in informal way: Best wishes; Love; Regards. Instead of these phrases you
may put two XXs. They indicate sending kisses ;-)

 Dear (first name),

Beginnings
Thank you/Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard.
It was good/nice to hear from you recently.
I’m sorry I haven’t written/been in touch for such a long time.
It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you’re/you and your family are well.
Thank you for your letter. It was nice to hear from you.
Thanks a lot for the information you've sent me in your last letter.
I'm sorry I haven't answered earlier but I was really busy with my school.
I'm sorry I haven't written for so long but...
Asking
Hi! How are things? How are you? How’s it going?
Referring to their news
Great news about … Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about …
I've just received your letter. I'm so happy to hear that...
Giving news
Listen, did I tell you about … You’ll never believe what …
Oh, and another thing … This is just to let you know that …
I thought you might be interested to hear about/know that …
By the way, have you heard about/did you know that …
Your last letter was a real surprise. It was so nice of you to remember about...
Apologies
I’m writing to apologize for missing your party but I’m afraid I have the flu.
I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.
If you let me know where you bought it/how much it cost I’ll gladly pay for it/replace it.
Please let me know how much the bill is and I’ll gladly pay it.
Invitations
I’m/We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I/we hope you’ll be able to come.
Would you like to come/go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me on the weekend.
I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theater/come on holiday with us?
Could you let me/us know if you can come/you’d like to join us?
Thank you very much for your invitation. I’d love to come.
Thank you for asking/inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to …
Requests
I’m writing to ask for your help/you (if you could do me) a favour.
I wonder if/I was wondering if you could help me/do me a favour.
I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …?
I’d be very/really/terribly grateful if you could …
Thank you
Congratulations
Good Luck
I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality/the wonderful present.
It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.
I really appreciate all your help/advice.
Congratulations on passing your exams/your excellent exam results!
I wish you good luck/Good luck in/with your exams/your driving test/your interview.
Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well/pass.
Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to …
Making suggestions and recommendations.
Why don’t you …? Maybe you could …? How about …?
You can’t leave New York without doing sth
I’m sure you will enjoy doing sth If you like, we can …
Do visit somewhere Don’t forget to do sth (Imperative -> Strong Recommendation)
I’m told that … People say that … (If you heard sth is good)
Endings
Give my love/regards to … Say hello to … Hope to hear from you soon.
See you soon! Write soon. Once again, thank you for all your help.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Well, that's all for now. Will talk to you soon.
Give my regards to your Mummy.
I hope we will be able to arrange a get-together.
Do write back as I'm waiting for the news from you.
Signing off
Love,
Lots of love,
Yours,
Best wishes,
Sample answer:
Q: You are abroad spending your holidays in a very exciting places you have always wanted to visit.
The people you travel with are really nice so you enjoy their companionship. Write a letter to your
friend describing what you have been doing so far and what you still plan to do.
Dear Amy,
Thank you a lot for your last letter. It was a nice surprise to hear from you. I'm sorry I haven't
written to you earlier but I had to organise some things concerning my trip.

As you probably remember I've always wanted to visit some unusual places. And now, at last, off I
went! But you'd never guess where I've chosen to spend my holiday. It's Antarctica! You would
never think of it, would you? I'm so excited about the whole event!

The people I travel with are incredible. It's their fourteenth expedition there. They know every path
in the snow by heart and they are very helpful. They share their knowledge and experience with me.
Would you believe that here everything is different? You even need to set your tent in a special way.
It's all very challenging. Tomorrow we plan to move further North so I may not be able to stay in
touch for a while.
Anyway, I'd like to meet you when I get back. Hope you are enjoying your holiday. Do write back
soon.
Love,
Becky
[184 words]
How to write a formal letter
Hints:
● Remember to write in a formal letter format
● Begin your letter with:
Dear Sir/Madam (if you do not know the name of your addressee) or
Dear Mrs Penney (if the name is given in the task)
● Explain who you are and why you are writing this letter
● Do not copy phrases from the question.
● State clearly and politely what actions you want to be taken.
● Do not use contractions.
● Use formal language.
● In this type of letter you may need to use a construction that is called a dependant question.
Regular (independent) questions in English are formed by inversion:
Where is my book?
When does it start?
● However, if you precede these questions by phrases like: I do not know; Could you tell me; I
want to ask, the word order remains like in the statement, not question. Note that these sentences do
not end with question marks, either.

Compare:
Could you tell me where my book is.
I want to ask when it starts.
 Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam,

Reason for writing

I am writing to …
I am writing with regard to …
I am writing on behalf of …

Asking questions
I would be grateful if …
I wonder if you could …
Could you …? Could you tell me something about …?
I would particularly like to know …
I would be interested in having more details about …

Referring to their letter

As you started in your letter, …
Regarding … Concerning … With regard to …

Complaining
I am writing to complain about …
You said … but in fact what happened …
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house.
I am sorry to inform you that...
I was very disappointed with...
I have some complaints about...
Requesting:
I am writing for information about...
I would like to learn/ know more about...
I would like to ask whether/ if...
I would be grateful if you could...
Asking for particular actions:
I would like to ask you for...
I would suggest that you/ your company...
I think that I can ask for some compensation.
In the light of the above, I would like to ask you for...

Closing
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Signing off
(If Dear surname) Yours sincerely,
(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully,
Yours,

First name + surname

Remember that in formal letters we use

● Formal vocabulary, usually not using phrasal verbs

(‘Tolerate’ instead of ‘put up with’)

● More complex sentence structure

(Knowing what a good reputation the restaurant has, I was disappointed with the service)
● Punctuation using semi-colons
The library offers no facilities for borrowing videos; this is because of the high cost involved
Remember that in informal letters we use:

● Informal vocabulary, including phrasal verbs

‘go on’ instead of ‘cont
● Simpler sentence structure
I’ll be late for the party. It’s because of my French exam.
● Punctuation using exclamation marks
If you’d been at the wedding, you’d have loved the food!

LETTER OF APPLICATION
Dear Mr/Ms (surname), Dear Sir/Madam/Sir or Madam,
Reason for writing
I am writing to apply for the post/position of …
… as advertised in …
I am writing with reference/in response to your advertisement, which I saw …
I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Star on May 11th …
With reference to your advertisement …
Experience
Qualifications
CV
I gained some experience while …
I am currently working as …
I have been working for … for the last four years.
I worked part-time for three years as …
At the moment I am employed by …
My qualifications include …
I have a diploma in …
I graduated from Barcelona University last year with a degree in …
Please find attached my CV
As you can see from the attached CV …
Endings
Please do not hesitate to contact me if/should you require further information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I am available for interview at your convenience.
I shall be available for interview any day apart from Wednesdays.
Signing off
(If Dear surname) Yours sincerely,
(If Dear Sir/Madam) Yours faithfully,
Yours,
First name + surname
Sample answer:
● Letter of complaint
Q: You invited your friend to a fancy restaurant. You found their advertisement in the
local newspaper and it looked convincing. Unfortunately, the place did not meet your
expectations and you were disappointed. Write a letter to Mrs Talker, the manager of the
restaurant, and ask for some money back.

Advertisement:
Restaurant 'Romantica' is the best place you can meet your friend and spend a nice
evening in a good company. The place is designed to ensure lots of privacy.
Comfortable armchairs and quiet soothing music in the background make the place
perfect for those tired of everyday rush. Discreet service is our first priority. Our menu
is created by people who worked for the best restaurants in the world. Great choice of
vegetarian dishes. Come and enjoy! Satisfaction guaranteed!

Dear Mrs Talker,

I am writing to inform you that I was very disappointed with my visit to your restaurant
two days ago. I read your advertisement in the newspaper and decided to spend an
evening there with my friend. Unfortunately, I have a couple of complaints concerning
this visit.
According to your advertisement the place is perfect for having private conversations in
relaxing atmosphere. However, it turned out that the music was so loud that I could
hardly concentrate on the chat with my friend. The waiter asked to turn the music down
shrugged his shoulders and said that other guests liked it that way. Is that what you mean
by 'discreet service'?
To make matters worse, the place was crowded and waiting for an ordered meal was
intolerably long. I must admit that the cuisine was quite good but the prices were way
too high.
I would like you to take my points under consideration and I expect a refund from your
restaurant. I trust you will give this matter immediate attention. I look forward to
receiving a reply from you.
Yours sincerely,
David Beckham

[186 words]
● Letter for information

Q: You are going to participate in a young writers competition. You still have some
questions concerning the deadline and the form in which the text should be presented.
You want to know if you can send them your essay on CD. Write a letter to the
organizers of the competition and ask for more information.
● Letter of application

Q: You want to apply for a summer job in Brighton. You have found the advertisement
in local newspaper offering seasonal work for students in one of the hotels in the area.
Write a letter to the manager of the hotel in which you present your qualifications, skills
and interests.