Writing of Informal and Formal Letters

Letters are written to a person (e.g. your pen friend, a newspaper editor, etc) or a group of people (e.g. the students' society, the local football club, etc) for a specific reason (e.g. to give advice, to make a complaint etc). They include:

Ø Informal letters to people you know well, written in a personal chatty style.

Ø Formal letters to managers, officials etc, written in a polite formal style.

Ø Semi-formal letters to people you do not know well or people you know but you want to sound polite and respectful e.g. a teacher of yours, your pen friend's parents etc, written in a polite and respectful style.

Informal style is characterized by:

Ø Everyday/colloquial expressions, vocabulary and idioms. E.g. I thought I’d drop you a line, Thanks a million,

Ø Frequent use of short forms: I’m much puzzled; She’s gone for good; I gonna tell you. Etc.

Ø Informal Phrase words: Lucy takes after her father. She seeks for money only, etc.

Ø Simple linking words, phrases such as: but, so, because, actually, basically

Ø Shorter sentences: Thanks a lot for your time. I’d love to come

Ø Personal tone (I/we): I’ve got great news. I’ve found a new job.

Ø Descriptive tone: Use of adjectives and adverbs to make a vivid description. It was a bitterly cold winter morning.

Formal style is characterized by:

Ø Formal expressions, advanced vocabulary, longer sentences, e.g. Taking everything into consideration, we’ve come to a decision to reject this project due to arising expenses.

Ø Formal linking words and expressions: However, Nevertheless, In addition, Consequently, etc.

Ø No use of short forms: I am thankful much; I would be grateful to obtain.

Ø Impersonal tone. Use of the passive voice, no description of feelings. Late that evening, 20-year-old Jim McCormack was pulled to safety after being trapped under debris for more than 10 hours.

Ø Factual presentation of information: The Town Hall, constructed in late 1800s, was seriously damaged during the fire of 1917.

All letters should include the following:

a) An appropriate greeting (e.g. Dear Sir/Madam, Dear Aunt Claire, Dear Mrs Baker, etc);

b) An introduction, in which you write your opening remarks (e.g. Hi! How are you? The reasons for writing (I’m just writing to congratulate you on passing the exams. I’m writing to apologize for bringing so much worry in September. Etc

c) A main body, in which you write about the specific topics of the letter in detail;

d) A conclusion, in which you write your closing remarks (e.g. Please forgive me – it won’t happen again. I’m looking forward to seeing you before Christmas. Please, write soon. Hope to hearing from you soon.

e) An appropriate ending (e.g. yours Edward Fadeev. Lots of love. Yours Edward)

Mark the phrases as F (for Formal) or I (for Informal).

1 I would also appreciate some information about.........

2 Well, I must go now...

3 Please accept my sincere apologies...........

4 You are cordially invited to attend........

5 I am writing in response to your advertisement..............

6 Thanks for the invitation to your dinner party..........

7 I am writing to express my -strong dissatisfaction with....

8 I look forward to meeting you in person...

9 Just a quick note to tell you........a.....

10 I am writing to bring to your attention the..

11 Please do not hesitate to contact me..............

12 I'm so sorry to hear you're having problems with.....

13 Write back soon..............

14 We regret to inform you that...

You have to take into consideration the correct choice of vocabulary, use appropriate and fixed expressions suitable for this particular case. Pay special attention that you must refer all information stated in the letter.

1) You must explain the reason of you writing a letter;

The 1^st sentence may be:

a) It was so nice to hear from you …

b) Thanks for your recent letter…

c) I’m sorry I haven’t written for such a long time…

d) I was really pleased to receive your letter where …

Final part of the letter

a) Give my best regards to…

b) Looking forward to seeing/hearing from you soon.

c) Well, that’s all for now. Write me back.