Formal Letters

RULES

Addresses:

1) Your Address The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter.
2) The Address of the person you are writing to should be written on the left, starting below your address.

Date: On the right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a word.

Salutation or greeting:

1) Dear Sir or Madam,
If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to
2) Dear Mr +SURNAME,
If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only.

Ending a letter:

1) Yours faithfully
If you do not know the name of the person.
2) Yours sincerely
If you know the name of the person.

Useful sentences

a) General Overview

Reason for writing:

• I am writing in response to your article/advertisement/letter
• I am writing with regard to your article/advertisement/letter
• I am writing regarding your article/advertisement/letter

Ending the letter:

• I look forward to your reply
• I look to hearing from you
• Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely

b) Complaint letters:

Reason for writing:

• I am writing (in order) to complain about
• I am writing to complain about

Introducing the complaint:

• Firstly/ In the first place
• First of all/ My first complaint is
• The first problem is

Introducing further complaints:

• Secondly
• Not only …….but also
• In addition/ In addition to this
• To make things worse
• …….was also unacceptable

Demanding action:

• I suggest that you replace the item
• I would like a full refund
• I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund

Ending the letter:

• I look forward to hearing from you
• I look forward to receiving a replacement

c) Writing formal letters to request information

Reason for writing:

• I am writing to request further information about
• I am writing to ask you for details about ...
• I am writing to receive further information about
• I am writing to enquire about
• I am writing to receive more detailed information about
• I am writing to receive further details about

Requesting first piece of information:

• The first thing I would like to know is
• First of all I would like to know

Requesting further information:

• I would like to know if...
• I would be interested in knowing..
• I would be grateful if you could...
• Could you please confirm...?
• Could you also tell me….?
• Could you also inform me ….?
• Would you also mind informing me ….?
• Would you also mind telling me ….?
• Do you know ….?
• I would also like to know if
• I would also like to know whether
• I hope you might also let me know about …

Thanking for information:

• I would like to thank you in advance for this information
• Thank you in advance for this information