B2 · Writing
Formal Email / Letter
Lesson Handout
Formal Email / Letter at FCE
⚠ A formal email or letter is written to someone you do not know personally — a company, an official, an editor. Register, structure and appropriate phrases are all assessed.
Structure
Key formal phrases
Opening lines
• I am writing with regard to...
Complaining formally
Register — what to avoid
Summary
B2 · Writing
Formal Email / Letter
Worksheet
Name: ___________________________ Date: _______________
Formal or informal? (6 points)
Tap whether each phrase is appropriate for a formal email.
1. "I am writing to enquire about the vacancy."☐ formal☐ informal
2. "Hi! I wanna ask about the job."☐ informal☐ formal
3. "I would be grateful if you could look into this matter."☐ formal☐ informal
4. "It's really disappointing and I'm not happy."☐ informal☐ formal
5. "I look forward to hearing from you."☐ formal☐ informal
6. You are writing to someone you don't know. Which sign-off is correct?☐ Yours faithfully☐ Yours sincerely☐ Best wishes
Complete with formal phrases (8 points)
Complete each gap with the correct formal phrase.
7. I am ___________ to enquire about the position advertised on your website.
8. I would be ___________ if you could send me further information.
9. I am writing to ___________ my dissatisfaction with the service I received.
10. I look ___________ hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
11. I would like to ___________ that a recycling programme be introduced in the building.
12. I trust that you will take the ___________ steps to resolve this issue.
13. I am writing ___________ regard to your recent announcement about staff redundancies.
14. I would ___________ it if you could arrange a meeting at your earliest convenience.
Rewrite in formal language (6 points)
Rewrite each informal sentence in appropriate formal language.
15. "I'm really unhappy about the product I got." →
16. "Can you please sort this out ASAP?" →
17. "I want to know about the job." →
Write a formal email (8 points)
Write a formal email to the manager of a company. You recently bought a product that was faulty. Complain politely and request a replacement or refund. Write 140–190 words. Include: salutation, opening, body, closing line, sign-off.
18. [Open writing task — see instructions above]
B2 · Writing
Formal Email / Letter
Answer Key
1. formal
2. informal
3. formal
4. informal
5. formal
6. Yours faithfully
7. Open task — assess individually
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