Understand How to Write a Formal Letter

There are many times when we might need to use formal, written English. 

Written English is often more formal than spoken English and is used for very specific reasons. 

We need to think about both the audience and the purpose behind our communication to identify which form to use. 

If we were writing a note to a friend, it would be usual to see shortened words, contractions or even slang. This is because we know who will be reading it and can write specifically for them. A note is just a quick form of information, so it is fine to be informal. 

However, if we were writing a letter to a business, we would expect our language to be formal, clear, concise and to use advanced vocabulary. We would not expect to see contractions or colloquialisms. This means our written communication would have a high degree of formality. 

In this activity, we will be looking at how we can ensure our vocabulary is suitable for formal written use. 

If you are ready, let's get started!