Part 4WritingSection 2 of 8
4.2The three registers
Everything in the letter depends on one decision made in the first ten seconds: who am I writing to? Get this wrong and even a well written letter loses marks.
| Register | Who you are writing to | Signal in the question |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | Someone you do not know, by role: a manager, a company, a council | Write to the manager, to the company, to the editor |
| Semi-formal | Someone you know in an official relationship: your landlord, your teacher, your neighbour | Write to your landlord, your supervisor, your neighbour |
| Informal | A friend or family member | Write to a friend, to your cousin, to your former classmate |
Openings and closings, which must match
| Register | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| Formal, name unknown | Dear Sir or Madam, | Yours faithfully, |
| Formal, name known | Dear Mr Khan, / Dear Ms Adams, | Yours sincerely, |
| Semi-formal | Dear Mr Khan, / Dear Mrs Adams, | Yours sincerely, / Best regards, |
| Informal | Dear Sara, / Hi Omar, | Best wishes, / All the best, / Love, |
- Never write Dear Sir or Madam and then sign Yours sincerely. The pair is fixed.
- Never use a first name with Mr or Ms. Dear Mr Ahmed is only correct if Ahmed is the family name.
- In an informal letter you may use contractions such as I'm and don't. In a formal letter, write them out in full.
- Do not write your address, the date or a subject line. They are not required and they waste time.