English Helpsheet: Letters

There are three types of letter:

All letters

· have the sender’s address (but NOT name) on the top right hand corner

· begin with the word Dear

· are paragraphed

Formal letters

• begin Dear Sir or Madam (NOT Madame)
• end in Yours faithfully (note the capital Y but small f)
• include the name, position and address of the recipient at top or bottom left
• are hand written in the closed style but word processed in the open style (see below)
• are written in a polite and sober style, showing a range of vocabulary and a sophisticated sentence structure
• include the date

Semi-formal letters

• are when you know the name of the recipient

• follow the same rules for formal letters except
• they begin Dear Mr.. or Mrs….
• they end Yours sincerely (note the capital Y and the small s)

Informal letters

• are to friends and relatives
• are less sophisticated in expression
• do not include the name or the address of the recipient
• may end with eg Love or Your affectionate nephew etc

Open and closed styles

• the open style does not put commas at the end of each line of the sender’s address on the top right
• does not put in a comma after Dear Sir and the other beginnings (salutations)
• does not put a comma after Yours faithfully and the other endings (subscriptions)
• does not indent for paragraphs, but only misses a line

In an examination you will be handwriting, so use the closed style, which does all these things.

Tip: use impressive connecting words to link your paragraphs; examples are: furthermore, additionally, afterwards (instead of also, also, then).

Helpsheet for pupils at Bournemouth School by I Curr, 2003