266 letters

Formal letters

→Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
→If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
→No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Complaint

Request

Giving information

Application

Apology

Advice

Making arrangements

Invitation

Thanks

Other

88 letters

Semi-formal letters

→Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
→Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
→State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Complaint

Request

Giving information

Application

Apology

Advice

Making arrangements

Invitation

Thanks

Other

129 letters

Informal letters

→Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
→Contractions, phrasal verbs and a warm opening line are expected; a stiff formal tone loses marks here.
→Still cover every bullet in its own paragraph; friendly does not mean unstructured.

Request

Giving information

Apology

Advice

Making arrangements

Invitation

Thanks

Other

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