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How to write an informal Letter

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13 views7 pages

How to write an informal Letter

Uploaded by

sue
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How to write an informal Letter & Email?

| B2
Informal letters are sent to people you know well (for example, friends,
relatives, etc.) about your recent news, personal problems, the information
you need, etc. They are written in an informal style with a personal tone.

Informal style

When writing friendly letters, you normally use an informal style. Informal
writing is characterized by the use of:

 Direct and personal tone ‘I think’, ‘You should’ and direct sentences
‘I think it’s a good idea’ instead of ‘It would be a good idea’
 Informal vocabulary, ‘totally, lots of stuff’ including phrasal verbs
(‘go on’ instead of ‘continue)
 Contractions/short forms I’ve just heard you’ve been to…
 Informal linking words ‘Plus, Also, Well, Anyway, To sum up, In a
nutshell’
 Idioms ‘Call it a day’, ‘break the leg’, ‘It’s not rocket science’
 Colloquial expressions ‘I’m most interested’ instead of ‘I am really
interested’

 Slang ‘loaded, lit, gutted, cheeky, dude, go bananas’


 Abbreviations ‘ASAP, TV, photo, cell, net’
 Punctuation using exclamation marks (don’t overuse it)

B2 First (FCE) Informal Letter & Email: Structure

1. Salutation
Dear…

2. The first paragraph (opening)


Begin by asking some personal questions or making some personal comments

3. The next paragraphs (main content)


Say why you are writing. If you need to change agreements or turn someone down, give reasons. Give the info
that you have been told to give. Add some more details of your own if you like.

4. Closing and signing off


Give a reason why you’re ending the letter.
Send greetings and/or make references for future contact. Sign off with your name.
FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, Write & Improve


B2 First (FCE) Informal Letter & Email: Writing Guide

1. Salutation

Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are
writing. In emails, you can also start with Hi (and the person’s name). Dear
Ben, or Hi Ben, (Don’t forget to use only the first name of the person you
are writing to and not Dear Mr John, which is never used, or Dear Mr John
Brown, which sounds too formal.)

2. The first paragraph (opening)

When writing an informal letter, you are usually replying to another letter.
You would normally start with a greeting, and then acknowledge the
letter to which you are replying. It is often a good idea to acknowledge
some key information given in the original letter too.

Example opening phrases

 How are you? / How have the family been? / I hope you are well.
 Thank you / many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard.
 It was good /nice/great to hear from you again.

Other useful phrases

 I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy
with my new job
 Thank you for asking/inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able
to…
 I’m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favour.
 I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly)…
3. The next paragraphs (main content)

Say why you are writing. If you need to change agreements or turn someone
down, give reasons. Give the information that you have been told to give.
Add some more details of your own if you like.

4. Closing and signing off

The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some
standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email.

 Give a reason why you’re ending the letter:


Anyway, I must go and get on with my work. / I guess it’s time I got on
with that studying I’ve been avoiding.
 Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact:
Give my love /regards to… / Say hello to… / Anyway, don’t forget to let
me know the dates of the party. / I’ll try and phone you at the weekend
to check the times. / We must try and meet up soon.
 Closing statement
such as Love, Lots of love, All the best, Take care, Best
wishes, should be written on a new line. If you used a comma after
the opening greeting, use a comma here too.
 Signing off
Your first name then follows on another new line
TIP: Remember about “linking” in the letter!

Between paragraphs:

Let me start by telling you a […]


By the way, do you have a […]
Anyway, I must go and get on, […]

Within a paragraph:

It was nominated to become […] Also, don’t forget to […]

B2 First (FCE) Informal Letter & Email: Writing


Checklist

After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing
checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email


by answering the questions one by one:

Content

 Have I covered all the key information required by the task?


 Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
 Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?

Communicative Achievement

 Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example,


explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
 Have I communicated a balance of straightforward and more complex
ideas?
 Have I used a suitable style and register (formal or informal) for the
task?

Organisation

 Have I used paragraphs appropriately to organise my ideas?


 Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre
of the text (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
 Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to
follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words, pronouns,
etc. to refer to different things within the text?)
 Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space
given to each one?

Language

 Have I used a wide range of vocabulary?


 Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
 Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical
structures?
 Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the
specific task or topic?
 Is my use of grammar accurate?
 Is my spelling accurate?

B2 First (FCE) Informal Letter & Email: Tips

 Begin your letter by saying why you are writing.


 Say where you saw the advertisement (if there is any)
 Remember, the letter uses informal language.
 Try to avoid using exactly the same words that appear in the notes.
 Make sure you have included all the points from the notes.
 Use an appropriate closing formula.
 Decide what each paragraph will say before you start writing; each
paragraph should have a specific purpose.
 Imagine you are really writing the letter and put yourself into the
writer’s position.
 Check your work for accuracy, punctuation and spelling.

B2 First (FCE) Informal Letter & Email: Useful phrases

We will finish it with some useful vocabulary mostly used to organize


information. Although it is taking a shortcut, if you learn several
expressions for each paragraph in each type of text that could be on your
exam, you will certainly be able to create a very consistent and well-
organized text.

Greetings
Dear Jim
Hello Jim
Hi Jim

Introductory paragraph

Sorry I haven’t written for ages.


Sorry it’s taken me so long to write.
How’s it going?
How are you?
How are things with you?
How are things?

Referring to good news:

Glad to hear about.


I’m really glad to hear about
I’m very happy to hear about
I was very happy to read about

Referring to bad news:

I’m extremely sorry to hear about.


I’m very sorry to hear about.
Sorry to read about.
It’s very sad to hear about you.
I can’t tell you how sad I am that.

Introducing points:

By the way
Did you hear about
Did you see
Have you seen
Tell me about
Oh, another thing

Ending:

Well, time to go.


Well, it’s time to go.
Well, got to go.
Well, time to close.
I’ve got to leave off now.
Write soon.
Make sure you write soon.
Love

B2 First (FCE) Informal Letter & Email: Frequently


Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the informal letter?

To respond to a request for action from somebody else, such as to give


information or make suggestions. Alternatively, it could be to initiate action,
for example, to request information or invite somebody to do something. The
task will tell you exactly what you have to do.

Who will read it?

The person or people you have been asked to write to.

What style should I use?

An informal style. Slang and colloquial expressions are sometimes


appropriate, for example, if you are writing to a friend, but not if you don’t
know the person. Contractions are always appropriate.

What information should I include?

In a transactional letter, you will need to read the information that is


included in a variety of texts, for example, letters, memos, adverts, and your
hand-written notes. You must answer all the questions in the texts or notes
and make references to any other comments.

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