Formal and informal letters

This is a summary of formal and informal letters.You must consider that when you write formal or an informal letter, there are some conventions that must be followed. 

-          In informal letters we use informal style because the addressee is a person we know: a relative, a close friend... This type of writing is characterised by the use of everyday vocabulary, colloquial expressions or idioms, and phrasal verbs. Short forms (I couldn't write before...; I thought I’d drop you a line) are also allowed.

-          Formal letters, however, are usually sent to people in an official position, or people you don’t know. That’s why this type of letters must be written in a very polite language. You are NOT ALLOWED to use short forms, and you are supposed to write your full name under your signature. You should use a more formal language and be always very clear and concise. Avoid structures that are related to personal information, such as “I think”, “I believe”, “We want”...  For instance, if you want to apologyse, you should say “ We regret to inform you that your flight has been cancelled” instead of “We are sorry but we have cancelled your flight because...”

In this link below you have some examples of sentences that you can use in formal letters: http://www.eslgold.com/business/letters_phrases.html

            In formal letters, the layout (structure) is also very important here you have an example of the structure of a formal letter.

And don’t forget that you must ALWAYS STICK TO THE TOPIC!!!!

And here you can practice with an activity.