Formal Email/Letter – Steps to Writing

What’s a formal letter?

A formal letter is an orderly or professional form of communication. It follows a number of conventions related to layout, language and tone, which we’re going to teach you today.

There are two types of formal email or letter you may be asked to write in the B2 First exam – a letter of application and a letter of complaint.

Writing a letter of application

The first example is a letter of application. In this type of task you’ll have to talk about why you’re applying for the position and justify your skills. It could be an application for a part-time job, study or scholarship programme. Here’s a look at the type of question you may see in the exam:

A)

You see this advert on a newspaper website:

Write your letter of application. (You should write between 140 and 190 words)

Writing a letter of complaint

The other B2 First formal letter you may be required to write is a letter of complaint. This could be a letter to a hotel manager, a shop assistant or organisation. You may be complaining about the quality of a service, product or the organisation of an event. Sometimes you’ll have to request some kind of action or resolution, at other times, you may have to correct a misunderstanding. Here’s an example of a complaint letter question:

B)

Write a letter to the hotel manager. (You should write between 140 and 190 words)

Three steps to writing a formal B2 First email/letter

Before you start scribbling away, it’s important to make a plan! Think about what you need to include in your answer and plan out how it will look on the page. Consider the following things:

Step One: Make a plan

Often the question will require you to do two or three things. It’s important to identify exactly what these are as you can receive five marks for simply answering the question. Let’s take a look back at those initial two questions and underline the key information.

Structure

Once you’ve identified exactly what they’re asking you to do, use these details to help craft the perfect structure. Take question A – you want to include all of this information in a logical way:

A) Letter of application

Here’s a potential structure for question B, based on what they’re asking you to do in the question:

B) Letter of complaint

Language

Next step is to brainstorm good vocabulary. Pick out some key words from the brief and try to find synonyms to use in your email/letter. You also want to consider any topic-related words that will help you answer the question. For example:

A) Letter of application

B) Letter of complaint

Tone

Remember, this is a formal piece of writing. This means you should keep the tone and language polite at all times. That’s right! At all times – even when you’re complaining. You may be angry, but you’re more likely to resolve the issue if you stay respectful and offer constructive advice whilst being persuasive.

Step Two: Write it

Take it from us, the next stage will be easy if you’ve done your super-duper plan. All you need to do is learn some fixed formal expressions to tie-together your B2 First formal email/letter.

Greeting

There are several ways to begin a formal email/letter. For example:

Don’t forget to write a comma after the name, and then include a space before starting a new line.

Opening paragraph

When beginning your formal email/letter, it’s essential that you explain to your reader your reasons for writing. Here are some ways to do that:

Main body

This is where you want to give the details of your application or your complaint. Keep referring back to the question, and remember to keep it formal:

Speaking about your experience and skills (Letter of application)

Explaining a problem and requesting action (Letter of complaint)

Final Paragraph

Here is where you want to create a lasting impression on your reader. You also want to highlight some form of action you want them to take. Take a look at these different ways to do that:

Closing

Don’t forget to finish your B2 First formal email/letter with a friendly, but courteous closing phrase. Here are some examples:

You should then write your full name beneath your sign-off.

Step Three: Check it

Make sure you leave five minutes at the end of the exam to proofread your email/letter and think about the following things: