English Language · Lesson 17

Letter writing: formal, informal, semi-formal

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: letter writing — formal (official), informal (personal) and semi-formal letters; features, register, organisation

NECO: letter writing — formal (official), informal (personal) and semi-formal letters; features, register, organisation

What you will learn

Identify the type of letter a question demands.
Lay out formal, semi-formal and informal letters correctly.
Plan and paragraph a letter that covers every point in the question.
Use register suited to the reader.
Write openings and closings that earn organisation marks.
Avoid the errors that lose mechanical accuracy marks.

Key points

The essay carries 50 marks: Content 10, Organisation 10, Expression 20, Mechanical Accuracy 10; about 450 words.
Formal: two addresses, date, "Dear Sir/Madam,", heading, "Yours faithfully,", signature and full name.
Informal: one address and date, "Dear + first name,", no heading, warm close, first name.
Semi-formal: one address, "Dear Mr/Mrs + surname,", "Yours sincerely,", full name.
Underline every instruction in the question; each part is a content point.
One point per paragraph: topic sentence, explanation, example, link.
Formal register: no contractions, slang, pidgin or SMS spelling.
Plan for 5 minutes and proofread for 5 minutes.

Start here: Why letters matter in the exam

In WAEC and NECO English Paper 2, Section A is the essay. You choose one question from about five, and at least one or two are usually letters. The essay carries 50 marks out of the paper’s total, so a strong letter can lift your grade from C to A.

How the essay is marked (WAEC):
Content — 10 marks · Organisation — 10 marks · Expression — 20 marks · Mechanical accuracy — 10 marks.
The question asks for about 450 words.

Look at the split. Expression alone is 20 marks: good vocabulary and well-built sentences matter more than anything else. Organisation (10) includes your layout, so a letter with the wrong address position or the wrong close throws away easy marks before the examiner reads a word of your ideas.

Why choose a letter? Because its format is fixed and learnable. If you master the three layouts in this lesson, you start with organisation marks already secured. Many strong candidates choose letters for this reason.

Worked example 17.1

Identify the letter type: "Write a letter to the Chairman of your Local Government Council, drawing his attention to the poor state of the roads in your area and suggesting ways of improving them."

The reader is addressed in his official position (Chairman).
You do not know him personally, and the subject is public business.

Formal letter

Worked example 17.2

"Write a letter to your uncle who sponsored your education, telling him about your preparation for the WASSCE and your plans after school."

The reader is a relative, but an elder who deserves respect.
Many teachers treat letters to parents and close relatives as informal; letters to an uncle or aunt are informal in layout but respectful in tone. Some questions to a family friend or teacher are semi-formal.

Informal (respectful tone)

Try it yourself. Identify: "Write a letter to the Editor of a national newspaper on the effects of drug abuse among youths."

Show solution

Formal (letter to the editor).

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Practice questions

1. A formal letter to a principal should end with

Yours faithfully
Yours sincerely, with love
Yours affectionately
Cheers

Show answer

A: Yours faithfully
"Yours faithfully" when the salutation is "Dear Sir/Madam".

2. An informal letter to a friend usually has

two addresses
a title
a reference number
only the writer's address and date

Show answer

D: only the writer's address and date
No recipient address is needed.

3. A formal letter usually has a

postscript only
casual tone
heading (title)
nickname salutation

Show answer

C: heading (title)
For example, "Request for a Transfer".

4. The appropriate salutation for a letter to the editor of a newspaper is

My dear Editor
Dear Sir/Madam
Dear Friend
Hi Editor

Show answer

B: Dear Sir/Madam
A formal salutation.

5. In a semi-formal letter to your uncle's friend, the ending is usually

Yours sincerely, followed by your full name
Yours faithfully, followed by first name
Your loving friend
Yours truly, nickname

Show answer

A: Yours sincerely, followed by your full name
Sincerely for named recipients.

Key words

Formal letter: An official letter to someone in their official capacity, e.g. a principal, editor or chairman.
Informal letter: A personal letter to a friend or relative.
Semi-formal letter: A letter to someone known to you but deserving respect, e.g. a teacher or family friend.
Salutation: The greeting: "Dear Sir," or "Dear Tola,".
Complimentary close: The ending phrase: "Yours faithfully,", "Yours sincerely,".
Heading (title): A short line under the salutation of a formal letter stating its subject.
Register: The kind of language suited to a situation and audience.
Content: The relevance and quality of ideas in answer to the question.
Organisation: Layout, paragraphing and logical order.
Expression: Vocabulary, sentence variety and fluency.
Mechanical accuracy: Grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Letter to the editor: A formal letter to a newspaper, written for publication.

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