Writing Formal Letters

Respuesta correcta: A) Dear Sir or Madam,

• A) Dear Sir or Madam,Correct. 'Dear Sir or Madam' is the standard formal salutation when the recipient is unknown.
• B) Dear Mate,Wrong. 'Dear Mate' is a familiar form of address used among peers.
• C) Hey,Wrong. 'Hey' is far too informal for a complaint to an organisation.
• D) Hi there,Wrong. 'Hi there' is conversational and belongs to an informal message.

Respuesta correcta: B) Yours faithfully,

• A) See you soon,Wrong. 'See you soon' is a friendly phrase that does not close a formal letter.
• B) Yours faithfully,Correct. 'Yours faithfully' is the standard neutral formal closing used when the recipient's name is not addressed in the salutation.
• C) Love,Wrong. 'Love' is an affectionate closing used between people who know each other.
• D) Bye for now,Wrong. 'Bye for now' is a casual sign-off used with friends.

Respuesta correcta: C) I am writing to inform you that the booking has been moved to 12 March.

• A) Just letting you know they moved the booking to March.Wrong. 'Just letting you know' is conversational and 'they' leaves the agent vague.
• B) I'm writing to let you know the booking's been moved to the 12th of March.Wrong. The contraction, 'let you know' and the ordinal date are all informal.
• C) I am writing to inform you that the booking has been moved to 12 March.Correct. 'I am writing to inform you that' is the standard formal formula, and the full date is written out.
• D) The booking, you will be aware, has been moved.Wrong. 'You will be aware' presumes the reader's knowledge and gives no date.

Respuesta correcta: D) I would be grateful if you could confirm the arrangement by Friday.

• A) Just confirm the arrangement by Friday, will you.Wrong. 'Just' and 'will you' are both informal and the request is not softened.
• B) You need to confirm the arrangement by Friday, apparently.Wrong. 'Apparently' adds an irrelevant qualifier and 'need to' makes the demand abrupt.
• C) Confirm the arrangement by Friday.Wrong. The bare imperative gives an order and does not soften anything.
• D) I would be grateful if you could confirm the arrangement by Friday.Correct. 'I would be grateful if you could' is a conventional formal structure that softens the request.

Respuesta correcta: A) I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the delay in responding to my previous letter.

• A) I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the delay in responding to my previous letter.Correct. 'I am writing to express my dissatisfaction' is the standard formal formula and names the issue precisely.
• B) Look, the delay is rubbish.Wrong. 'Look' and 'rubbish' belong to casual speech, not to a formal letter.
• C) Honestly the delay is pretty poor and I'm not happy.Wrong. 'Honestly', 'pretty poor' and 'not happy' are all informal.
• D) This is unacceptable and somebody must sort it out.Wrong. The sentence is shouted rather than formal, and 'somebody' leaves the responsibility unassigned.

Respuesta correcta: B) Salutation, opening purpose, body with detail, closing request, formal sign-off.

• A) Salutation, anecdote, closing request, body with detail, formal sign-off.Wrong. The anecdote and the closing request are placed before the body that should support them.
• B) Salutation, opening purpose, body with detail, closing request, formal sign-off.Correct. This is the conventional order, moving from identification of purpose to detail and then to the request.
• C) Closing request, salutation, body with detail, opening purpose, formal sign-off.Wrong. The letter cannot begin with a request before the reader has been addressed or told its purpose.
• D) Body with detail, salutation, opening purpose, formal sign-off, closing request.Wrong. The sign-off cannot come before the closing request, and the salutation must open the letter.

Respuesta correcta: C) When the salutation named the recipient directly, as in 'Dear Dr Ramos'.

• A) When the letter is a complaint rather than a request.Wrong. The choice depends on the salutation, not on the purpose of the letter.
• B) When the recipient's name is unknown, as in 'Dear Sir or Madam'.Wrong. An unnamed recipient is answered with 'Yours faithfully', which is the opposite of this.
• C) When the salutation named the recipient directly, as in 'Dear Dr Ramos'.Correct. A named recipient in the salutation is answered with 'Yours sincerely'.
• D) When the letter is addressed to more than one person.Wrong. The number of recipients is not what determines the closing.

Respuesta correcta: D) I would appreciate it if you could send the replacement by courier.

• A) Can you maybe send the replacement over whenever?Wrong. 'Maybe' and 'whenever' make the request vague and conversational.
• B) Send the replacement by courier when you get a chance.Wrong. The bare imperative gives an instruction with no softening at all.
• C) Could you chuck me the replacement by courier, cheers.Wrong. 'Chuck me' and 'cheers' are both informal and out of place in a formal letter.
• D) I would appreciate it if you could send the replacement by courier.Correct. 'I would appreciate it if you could' is a formal conditional request and the wording throughout is appropriate.

Respuesta correcta: A) I am writing in response to your letter of 3 May regarding the same matter.

• A) I am writing in response to your letter of 3 May regarding the same matter.Correct. 'In response to your letter of' plus the date is the standard formal formula for referring to earlier correspondence.
• B) I am writing about the letter you sent me last week, the one about the matter.Wrong. The trailing 'the one about the matter' is a conversational addition rather than a formal reference.
• C) You wrote me a letter before about this and I am replying now.Wrong. 'You wrote me a letter before' is informal and lacks a date.
• D) As per your last letter thing, I am writing back about that.Wrong. 'As per' and 'thing' are informal and the reference is imprecise.

Respuesta correcta: B) You can reach me on 01 234 5678 or at my address above at any time before the nineteenth.

• A) Ring me any time on 01 234 5678 if you want.Wrong. 'Ring me' and 'if you want' are informal and the second channel is omitted.
• B) You can reach me on 01 234 5678 or at my address above at any time before the nineteenth.Correct. The sentence gives both channels, refers to the address already provided and states the availability clearly.
• C) Call me on 01 234 5678 whenever you can, thanks.Wrong. 'Whenever you can, thanks' is conversational and does not state when the writer is available.
• D) My number is 01 234 5678, but do not call me after six.Wrong. The restriction on the time of day is unstated and 'do not call me' is inappropriate in a formal letter.

Respuesta correcta: C) I am sorry for the delay in answering, which should not have occurred.

• A) Apologies for the delay, whatever.Wrong. 'Whatever' dismisses the apology in the same sentence that offers it.
• B) Sorry for the late reply, my bad.Wrong. 'My bad' and 'sorry for' are informal and the apology is not properly framed.
• C) I am sorry for the delay in answering, which should not have occurred.Correct. 'I am sorry for' plus a clear statement of what was delayed is a formal and complete apology.
• D) Apologies, but honestly the delay was not really my fault.Wrong. The second clause withdraws the apology, which defeats its purpose entirely.

Respuesta correcta: D) It offers further help in a conventionally polite form, so the invitation carries no awkwardness.

• A) It warns the reader that no further contact will be accepted.Wrong. The phrase does the opposite of warning; it opens the door to contact.
• B) It shortens the letter, since a short phrase replaces a full sentence.Wrong. It does not replace a sentence but adds a courtesy the sentence did not contain.
• C) It insists that the reader should make contact, which puts pressure on them.Wrong. The phrase offers rather than insists; there is no pressure in it.
• D) It offers further help in a conventionally polite form, so the invitation carries no awkwardness.Correct. The formula removes the social awkwardness of asking for further help, which is its communicative purpose.

Respuesta correcta: A) The word 'order', since 'writing to inform you' already expresses the purpose.

• A) The word 'order', since 'writing to inform you' already expresses the purpose.Correct. 'In order to' duplicates the purpose already expressed by 'to inform you'.
• B) The word 'that', since a that-clause cannot follow 'inform you'.Wrong. A that-clause is the normal complement of 'inform you'.
• C) The word 'been', since the meeting has not been rescheduled at all.Wrong. The passive participle is required after 'has'.
• D) The word 'we', since formal letters must never name their own writer.Wrong. Naming the writer is entirely normal in a formal letter.

Respuesta correcta: B) A complaint states a problem and usually implies what remedy is wanted, while an enquiry asks for information without stating a problem.

• A) A complaint asks for information, while an enquiry states a problem and expects nothing further.Wrong. The two purposes are reversed in this option.
• B) A complaint states a problem and usually implies what remedy is wanted, while an enquiry asks for information without stating a problem.Correct. This states the distinct purpose of each type and what each type does or does not assume.
• C) An enquiry must open with 'Dear Sir or Madam', while a complaint must name the recipient.Wrong. The salutation depends on whether the recipient is named, not on the type of letter.
• D) Both types require the writer to state a fault, since a formal letter must contain a grievance.Wrong. A formal letter may contain no grievance at all, as in a simple enquiry.

Respuesta correcta: C) Please carry out the necessary action and respond as soon as possible.

• A) Please do the needful soon, thanks very much.Wrong. 'Do the needful' is a regional idiom and 'thanks very much' is informal here.
• B) Please just get it sorted and let me know soon, please.Wrong. 'Just get it sorted' and 'let me know' are informal.
• C) Please carry out the necessary action and respond as soon as possible.Correct. 'Carry out the necessary action' and 'as soon as possible' are formal and unambiguous.
• D) Kindly do whatever is needed and reply back soon.Wrong. 'Kindly' and 'revert back' are retained, so the register problem is not addressed.

Respuesta correcta: D) A precise account of the facts, the date and reference of earlier contact, and the outcome the writer seeks.

• A) An emotional description of how the problem made the writer feel, in place of the facts.Wrong. Emotion may be present but cannot replace the factual account in a formal complaint.
• B) A brief statement of the complaint with no supporting facts, since formality discourages detail.Wrong. Formality does not discourage detail; it makes detail more necessary, since the claim must be verifiable.
• C) A full account of every problem the writer has ever had with the organisation.Wrong. Including unrelated past problems would obscure the specific complaint being made.
• D) A precise account of the facts, the date and reference of earlier contact, and the outcome the writer seeks.Correct. This gives the three components a complaint body requires: facts, record and requested remedy.

Respuesta correcta: A) I am writing to ask about the arrangements for the residential course in July.

• A) I am writing to ask about the arrangements for the residential course in July.Correct. The sentence names the purpose of the letter and the specific matter being asked about.
• B) I am writing about the course, because I am writing about the course.Wrong. The sentence repeats 'about the course' and never states what the writer wants.
• C) Writing to ask, the course in July, arrangements.Wrong. The word order is scrambled and the sentence does not form a coherent clause.
• D) I am writing to ask about the course. It is in July.Wrong. The first sentence states the topic without a purpose, and the second is a bare note.

Respuesta correcta: B) I should have replied sooner, and I am sorry for the delay this caused.

• A) Sorry about the slow reply, my bad.Wrong. 'Sorry about' and 'my bad' are informal and belong to speech rather than a formal letter.
• B) I should have replied sooner, and I am sorry for the delay this caused.Correct. The sentence owns the delay, uses a formal modal and apologises for the consequence.
• C) I did not reply soon, which is fine given the circumstances.Wrong. 'Which is fine' dismisses the delay and accepts no responsibility for it.
• D) The reply was late, apparently through no fault of mine.Wrong. 'Apparently through no fault of mine' shifts blame rather than acknowledging the error.

Respuesta correcta: C) An expression of thanks or an offer of further help before the sign-off.

• A) A date at the top of the letter, which is required by convention.Wrong. A date is conventional but its absence is not the defect the question is targeting.
• B) A subject line, which is required in every formal letter.Wrong. A subject line is a feature of email headings, not a requirement of a formal letter.
• C) An expression of thanks or an offer of further help before the sign-off.Correct. Formal convention expects a courtesy before the sign-off, either thanks or an offer of further assistance.
• D) The writer's own signature, which must appear on the page in all cases.Wrong. A handwritten signature is not required on every letter, and it is not the missing element here.

Respuesta correcta: D) As stated in my letter of 3 May, the arrangement is now confirmed for 12 March.

• A) Yours sincerely,Wrong. The sign-off is a required element of a formal letter.
• B) Thank you for your help with this matter.Wrong. The expression of thanks is a normal courtesy in a formal letter.
• C) I am writing to confirm the arrangement for 12 March.Wrong. The sentence states the purpose of the letter and cannot be removed.
• D) As stated in my letter of 3 May, the arrangement is now confirmed for 12 March.Correct. The sentence restates earlier correspondence, and the same information is already in the second sentence.