Module 6 · Vocabulary in Depth · Lesson 23
Writing the Letter
FCE Writing Part 2 sometimes asks for a letter — to a newspaper, a school, a company or a friend's parent. Master the register shift between formal and semi-formal letters, the fixed openings/closings, and the paragraph structure examiners expect.
Get talking · Section 1
5 minHow would you open a letter to (a) the editor of a newspaper, (b) a new pen-friend, (c) a hotel manager you've never met? What changes?
In pairs: sort these openers by register — 'I am writing to inform you...', 'I just wanted to let you know...', 'I would be grateful if...'
Why might starting a formal complaint letter with 'Hey there!' cost you marks even if the grammar is perfect?
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minLetter register — formal vs semi-formal structure
An FCE letter is judged on whether you pick the RIGHT register for the reader and keep it consistent from greeting to sign-off. Formal letters (to a stranger/institution) and semi-formal letters (to someone you know a little) use different openings, closings and vocabulary.
Quick Rule
Match the greeting to the closing: 'Dear Sir/Madam' → 'Yours faithfully'; 'Dear Mr/Ms X' → 'Yours sincerely'; semi-formal → 'Best wishes'/'Kind regards'.
When to Use
- Formal letter: to an unknown official, editor, company, complaint to an institution
- Semi-formal letter: to a friend's parent, a landlord/teacher you've met, a familiar contact
- Never mix formal and informal features in the same letter
Pattern Builder
Greeting
Dear Sir/Madam,
Opening line
I am writing to...
Body ¶s
address each bullet
Closing line
I look forward to...
Sign-off
Yours faithfully,
Formal vs semi-formal features
| Feature | Formal | Semi-formal |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting (unknown name) | Dear Sir/Madam, | n/a — usually a known reader |
| Greeting (known name) | Dear Mr/Ms Green, | Dear Mr Green, / Dear Anna, |
| Contractions | Avoid (do not / I am) | Acceptable (don't / I'm) |
| Sign-off | Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely | Best wishes / Kind regards |
| Tone | Impersonal, precise | Polite but warmer, personal touches allowed |
Common Mistake
Mixing registers — e.g. 'Dear Sir/Madam' followed by 'Thanks a lot!' at the end. Pick one register and hold it throughout.
Memory Tip
'Faithfully' has no name in the greeting (Sir/Madam); 'Sincerely' matches a named greeting. Think: no name = faithfully, name = sincerely.
Natural English
Formal letters often open with 'I am writing to...' and close with 'I look forward to hearing from you.' — these fixed phrases sound natural to examiners because native writers use them too.
Examples
→ Formal opening (name unknown): 'Dear Sir/Madam,' → closes 'Yours faithfully,'
→ Formal opening (name known): 'Dear Mr Patel,' → closes 'Yours sincerely,'
→ Semi-formal opening: 'Dear Mrs Kowalski,' → closes 'Best wishes,' / 'Kind regards,'
→ Formal complaint opener: 'I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with...'
→ Semi-formal request opener: 'I'm writing to ask if you could possibly help me with...'
Question 1.Which sign-off matches 'Dear Sir/Madam'?
Question 2.Which sign-off matches 'Dear Mr Patel'?
Question 3.Which is appropriate in a FORMAL letter?
Question 4.What is the biggest register error examiners penalise?
Question 5.Semi-formal letters typically allow…
Quick check 1.What does Communicative Achievement partly assess?
Quick check 2.What happens if a candidate omits one bullet point from the task?
Quick check 3.Which closes a letter to an unknown 'Sir/Madam'?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with...
formal complaint opener.
"I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the service I received last week."
Complete this opener about a delayed delivery.
I would be grateful if you could...
formal, polite request.
"I would be grateful if you could confirm the booking details."
Make a polite request about a refund.
It has been brought to my attention that...
formal way to introduce a problem, sounding impersonal.
"It has been brought to my attention that the flight was cancelled without notice."
Use this to introduce a complaint about noise.
I look forward to hearing from you.
standard formal closing line before the sign-off.
"I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience."
Write this as the final line of a job enquiry.
I am writing on behalf of...
explains you are writing for a group/someone else.
"I am writing on behalf of the residents' committee."
Use this to write on behalf of your class.
with reference to your advertisement/letter
formal way to state what prompted the letter.
"With reference to your advertisement in Saturday's paper, I would like more information."
Open a letter responding to a job advert.
I'm writing to ask if you could possibly...
semi-formal polite request.
"I'm writing to ask if you could possibly recommend a good local restaurant."
Ask a semi-formal favour of a family friend.
I hope this letter finds you well.
friendly semi-formal opening line.
"I hope this letter finds you well and that the new house is going smoothly."
Open a letter to a former host family.
I would appreciate it if...
polite formal/semi-formal request phrase.
"I would appreciate it if you could let me know the exact dates."
Request information about a course timetable.
Please do not hesitate to contact me.
formal closing offer of further contact.
"Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information."
Close a formal enquiry letter with this line.
compensation
money paid to make up for loss, damage or inconvenience.
"I believe I am entitled to some compensation for the inconvenience caused."
What might you request compensation for?
to look forward to
to feel positive anticipation about something.
"I look forward to visiting your school in September."
What are you looking forward to?
Activate · use it within minutes
Complete each opener, then say whether it is formal or semi-formal.
I am writing to ___ my dissatisfaction with the hotel room.
I ___ this letter finds you well.
I would be ___ if you could send further details.
It has been brought to my ___ that the event has been postponed.
Write ONE opening line for a formal complaint letter and ONE for a semi-formal request letter.
Formal opener: ...
Semi-formal opener: ...
Tick each word as you use it
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minReading formal letters aloud with neutral, even intonation
Say it aloud
- • Read aloud: 'I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the service.' — keep it even and unemotional.
- • Contrast with: 'I hope this letter finds you well!' — allow a warmer, rising pitch on 'well'.
- • Practise linking 'Yours faithfully' as one smooth phrase, not word by word.
- • Say 'I would be grateful if you could...' slowly and clearly — this phrase is often rushed and mumbled.
- • Read a full formal closing aloud: 'I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely,' — pause briefly before the sign-off.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minWhy letters are a register test in disguise
Read the passageTap to openTap to hide
Of all the Writing Part 2 options, the letter is arguably the task most explicitly built around register. An essay or report can maintain one broadly neutral-to-formal tone throughout; a letter, by contrast, forces the candidate to make an early decision — who exactly am I writing to, and how well do I know them? — and then sustain that decision for 140 to 190 words without slipping.
The task rubric always signals the relationship implicitly. A letter to a newspaper editor about a local issue is formal: the reader is a stranger in an institutional role. A letter replying to a friend's parent who has invited you to stay is semi-formal: there is a personal connection, but not full intimacy. Candidates who misread this relationship and default to one register regardless of context lose marks on Communicative Achievement even when their grammar is flawless, because the letter fails to achieve its purpose in a way a native reader would find natural.
Structure reinforces register. Formal letters open with a fixed formula — 'I am writing to...', 'With reference to...', 'It has been brought to my attention that...' — and organise the body into clear paragraphs, each addressing one bullet point from the task. Semi-formal letters can open more personally — 'I hope this letter finds you well' — before moving through the same content in a warmer, more conversational way, sometimes with a rhetorical question or a personal aside.
The sign-off is the most heavily tested formal convention: 'Yours faithfully' pairs only with an unnamed greeting ('Dear Sir/Madam'), while 'Yours sincerely' pairs only with a named one ('Dear Mr Diaz'). Getting this pairing wrong is a small but visible error that experienced examiners notice immediately, because it signals the candidate hasn't internalised a very basic convention of English letter-writing.
Finally, content coverage cannot be sacrificed for register. Even a beautifully formal letter that omits one of the task's required bullet points is capped on Content, so candidates should plan one paragraph per bullet point before worrying about tone at all — get the content skeleton right, then dress it in the correct register.
Question 1.What does the letter task force candidates to decide early on?
Question 2.What happens if a candidate misreads the relationship and picks the wrong register?
Question 3.Which sign-off pairs with 'Dear Sir/Madam'?
Question 4.What should candidates plan before worrying about tone?
Question 5.What can a semi-formal letter include that a formal one usually avoids?
Q1.A letter to a newspaper editor is usually semi-formal.
Q2.'Yours faithfully' pairs with a named greeting like 'Dear Mr Diaz'.
Q3.Omitting a bullet point caps the Content mark even if the language is excellent.
Q4.Semi-formal letters can open more personally than formal ones.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minA tutor helping a student plan a formal complaint letter
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.
Show transcript
Grace:I need to write a letter complaining about a hotel stay, but I'm not sure how to start.
Mr. Owusu:Do you know the manager's name?
Grace:No, the task just says 'the hotel manager'.
Mr. Owusu:Then start with 'Dear Sir/Madam,' and remember your closing must be 'Yours faithfully,' — no name, no 'sincerely'.
Grace:Got it. What's a good opening line for a complaint?
Mr. Owusu:Try: 'I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent stay at your hotel.'
Grace:That sounds much more formal than what I had — I wrote 'I'm writing because I wasn't happy.'
Mr. Owusu:Exactly — avoid contractions in a formal letter. Use 'I am' instead of 'I'm'.
Grace:Okay. The task has three bullet points: the noise, the broken shower, and asking for compensation.
Mr. Owusu:Perfect — one paragraph per bullet point. Start each with a clear topic sentence.
Grace:For the compensation paragraph, can I say 'I would be grateful if you could offer a partial refund'?
Mr. Owusu:That's exactly the right register — polite, formal, and direct.
Grace:And how should I close it, before 'Yours faithfully'?
Mr. Owusu:Use: 'I look forward to hearing from you.' It's the standard formal closing line.
Grace:Great, that gives me the whole structure now. Thanks!
Mr. Owusu:One last thing — check you haven't slipped into informal language anywhere in the middle. Keep it consistent from start to finish.
Question 1.Why does Mr. Owusu tell Grace to write 'Dear Sir/Madam'?
Question 2.What sign-off must Grace use?
Question 3.What does Mr. Owusu correct about Grace's opening line?
Question 4.How many bullet points does the task have?
Question 5.What is Grace's suggested compensation sentence an example of?
Question 6.What is the final thing Mr. Owusu warns Grace to check?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minLetter writing — register and structure (Writing Part 2)
🎯 One register, no exceptions
Decide formal or semi-formal from the task, then hold that register from greeting to sign-off.
- Check the greeting: no name → 'Dear Sir/Madam' + 'Yours faithfully'; named person → 'Dear Mr/Ms X' + 'Yours sincerely'
- Plan one paragraph per bullet point before writing a single sentence
- Avoid contractions in formal letters; they're fine in semi-formal ones
- Use a fixed closing line before the sign-off: 'I look forward to hearing from you.'
Open the FCE Exam Practice block below for a full Writing Part 2 letter task with a model answer.
Quick Tip
Underline the task's bullet points and tick each one off as you write its paragraph.
Exam Hack
Read your finished letter and highlight every contraction — in a formal letter, expand each one ('I'm' → 'I am').
Common Mistake
Don't pair 'Dear Sir/Madam' with 'Yours sincerely' — this greeting/closing mismatch is one of the most common FCE errors.
Your task
Complete the FCE Writing Part 2 letter task below, matching the register requested and covering all three bullet points.
Example
Task: write to a hotel manager (unknown name) complaining about your stay. Register = formal. Greeting = 'Dear Sir/Madam,'. Sign-off = 'Yours faithfully,'. Any contraction ('I'm', 'wasn't') should be expanded.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.Dear Sir/Madam, ... ___,
Question 2.Dear Mr Chen, ... ___,
Question 3.I am writing to ___ my dissatisfaction with the delayed delivery.
Question 4.I would be ___ if you could confirm the arrangements.
Question 5.I look forward to ___ from you.
Q1.Sign-off that pairs with 'Dear Sir/Madam':
Q2.Sign-off that pairs with 'Dear Mr Diaz':
Q3.Formal phrase meaning 'I discovered/was told that...' (4 words: It has been ___):
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
FCE Writing Part 2 — Letter. You have seen this notice in an English-language magazine: 'Letters wanted! Tell us about a course or class you have taken that you would recommend to other readers, and explain why.' Write a letter to the magazine's editor in 140–190 words. Use a formal register.
Show model answer
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing in response to your recent request for letters about courses worth recommending, having recently completed a ten-week photography course at my local community college. The course covered both technical skills, such as using manual camera settings, and creative composition techniques. What made it particularly valuable was the small class size, which allowed the tutor to give individual feedback on every assignment. In addition, the course included two outdoor sessions where we practised shooting in natural light, something I had never attempted before. As a result, my confidence with the camera improved enormously within just a few weeks. I would strongly recommend this course to any reader who owns a camera and wants to move beyond automatic settings. It requires no prior experience, and the tutors are extremely patient with beginners. I look forward to seeing other readers' recommendations in a future issue. Yours faithfully, A. Kowalski
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Roleplay
1:1 online task. Teacher gives a letter scenario (formal or semi-formal). Student must produce the correct greeting + sign-off pair instantly, then one opening line matching the register.
Useful phrases
- • Dear Sir/Madam, ... Yours faithfully,
- • Dear Mr/Ms [Surname], ... Yours sincerely,
- • I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with...
- • I'm writing to ask if you could possibly...
- • I look forward to hearing from you.
- TutorYou don't know the reader's name. What greeting do you use?
- Student_______________
- TutorAnd what sign-off matches that greeting?
- Student_______________
- TutorNow open a semi-formal letter to a family friend who invited you to stay.
- Student_______________
Teacher notes
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Two fast 1:1 drills that automate register and greeting/sign-off pairing. ~15 min total
FCE Exam Practice · Section 11
20–30 minReal FCE tasks
Cambridge B2 First · Writing · Part 2 · Letter. An authentic task with planning template, success criteria, model answer at upper band, and full examiner commentary.
Exam task
You recently stayed at the Riverside Hotel and were unhappy with several aspects of your stay. You have decided to write a letter to the hotel manager. Write a letter to the manager. In your letter, you should: • explain when you stayed and why you are writing • describe the problems you experienced • say what you would like the manager to do about it
- Explain when you stayed and why you are writing
- Describe the problems you experienced
- Say what you would like the manager to do about it
Planning template
- Greeting: unknown name → 'Dear Sir/Madam,'
- ¶1: State when you stayed and the purpose of the letter
- ¶2: Describe 2–3 specific problems clearly and factually
- ¶3: State clearly what action/response you want (refund, apology, repair)
- Closing line + sign-off: 'I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully,'
Success criteria (Cambridge band descriptors)
- Content: All three bullet points covered with specific, relevant detail.
- Communicative achievement: Consistently formal register; purpose is clear from the first line; holds the reader's attention appropriately for a complaint letter.
- Organisation: Clear paragraphing (one idea per bullet point), linked with a range of cohesive devices (firstly, in addition, as a result).
- Language: A range of formal vocabulary and structures (passive forms, 'I would be grateful if'), few errors, no contractions.
0 words · saved automatically
Show upper-band model answer
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent three-night stay at the Riverside Hotel, from 3rd to 6th June, during which several issues arose that I feel you should be aware of. Firstly, the room I had booked as a quiet, garden-facing room actually overlooked a busy car park, and the noise made it very difficult to sleep. In addition, the shower in my bathroom was broken for the entire stay, despite two visits from maintenance staff who were unable to fix it. Given these problems, I would be grateful if you could offer a partial refund to reflect the inconvenience caused. I would also appreciate an explanation as to why the room allocated did not match my original booking. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter. Yours faithfully, M. Delgado
Examiner commentary
Upper-band answer: the greeting/sign-off pair is correct ('Dear Sir/Madam' / 'Yours faithfully'), all three bullet points are covered in distinct paragraphs, register is consistently formal with no contractions, and cohesive devices ('Firstly', 'In addition', 'Given these problems') give clear organisation. The closing line is the standard fixed formula, and the request for action is specific and polite rather than vague or demanding.
Homework · Section 12
Take-homeTake it home
Register swap
Rewrite the formal letter opener below as a semi-formal one, and vice versa.
- 1. Formal: 'I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the delayed refund.' → Semi-formal:
- 2. Semi-formal: 'I hope this letter finds you well and that the new job is going smoothly.' → Formal:
- 3. Formal: 'I would be grateful if you could confirm the details as soon as possible.' → Semi-formal:
Full letter practice
Write a complete formal letter (140–190 words) to a local council complaining about the poor state of a park near your home, covering: (1) the state of the paths, (2) broken equipment, (3) a request for action.
Self-contained: no external book required.
Recap · Section 13
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Letters are judged heavily on REGISTER: formal vs semi-formal, matched to the reader.
- No name → 'Dear Sir/Madam' + 'Yours faithfully'; named reader → 'Dear Mr/Ms X' + 'Yours sincerely'.
- Formal letters avoid contractions and use fixed phrases: 'I am writing to...', 'I would be grateful if...'.
- Semi-formal letters are warmer but still polite; contractions and personal touches are fine.
- Plan one paragraph per bullet point before worrying about tone — content coverage caps the Content mark.
- Proofread specifically for register consistency from greeting to sign-off.