Letters and emails

Letters and emails can be formal (to a company, a school or someone you don't know well) or informal (to friends and family). The greeting, the sign-off and the tone change with the reader. Formal writing is polite and uses full forms: ⟦I am writing to ask…⟧ rather than ⟦I'm just asking…⟧.

Key facts

  • Formal greeting: ⟦Dear Sir or Madam,⟧ (name unknown) or ⟦Dear Mrs Patel,⟧ (name known). Informal: ⟦Hi Sam!⟧ ⟦Dear Grandma,⟧
  • British sign-offs: ⟦Yours faithfully,⟧ after ⟦Dear Sir or Madam⟧; ⟦Yours sincerely,⟧ after a name. American English often uses ⟦Sincerely,⟧ for both. Informal: ⟦Love,⟧ ⟦See you soon,⟧ ⟦Best wishes,⟧
  • Formal phrases: ⟦I am writing to…⟧, ⟦I would be grateful if…⟧, ⟦I look forward to hearing from you.⟧
  • Informal phrases: ⟦Thanks for your message!⟧ ⟦Guess what?⟧ ⟦Write back soon!⟧
  • Layout: greeting, an opening sentence that says why you are writing, one paragraph per idea, a closing sentence, the sign-off and your name. Emails also need a clear subject line.

Worked examples

Example 1

Which sign-off goes with ⟦Dear Sir or Madam,⟧?

  1. ⟦Dear Sir or Madam⟧ means you don't know the person's name.
  2. In British English that letter ends ⟦Yours faithfully,⟧.

Answer: ⟦Yours faithfully,⟧

Example 2

Formal or informal? ⟦Can't wait to see you!⟧

  1. It uses a short form (⟦can't⟧) and is chatty and excited.
  2. It is informal: for a friend.

Answer: informal

Example 3

Write it correctly: ⟦dear mr khan⟧

  1. ⟦Dear⟧, the title ⟦Mr⟧ and the name ⟦Khan⟧ start with capital letters.
  2. A greeting ends with a comma: ⟦Dear Mr Khan,⟧ (American English: ⟦Dear Mr. Khan,⟧).

Answer: ⟦Dear Mr Khan,⟧