Guidelines for Writing a Formal Letter

1. Your address - Your address should appear on the left-hand corner.

2. A horizontal line across the page separates your address from the recipients address.

3. Address of the person to whom you are writing - The recipients address should be below your
address. The postcode and name of the town should be underlined.

4. Date - The date is written on the right along the same line as the last line of the recipients address.
The month should be spelt out (i.e. it should be in words, not numbers). It must be written in full (do not
use abbreviations such as Sept) and in capital letters.

5. Salutation/Greeting - If you know the name of the recipient, then do use his surname (Dear Mr Tan) If
you do not know the name of the person to whom you are writing, then use Dear Sir or Madam

6. Subject heading - The subject heading gives the reader an idea what the letter is about. Write the
subject heading directly below the salutation and it should be underlined

7. The body of the letter - The body of the letter refers to the contents of your letter. It should be
divided into short and clear paragraphs. All paragraphs should be numbered except for the first and last
paragraphs.

a. In the first paragraph, you should state the reason for writing (whether it is to inform, to complain, to
invite etc).

b. From the second paragraph onwards, you should include information that is deemed necessary,
depending on what you are writing about. The number of paragraphs depends on what you are writing.

c. In the last paragraph, state what you expect from the recipient. This is usually in the form of an action
or response. It is a common practice to end a formal letter with phrases such as I look forward to
hearing from you or I hope prompt action will be taken to solve this problem. A note of thanks is usually
included Remember to organise the information in a clear and logical manner. Also, do not write lengthy
paragraphs.

8. Ending - You can end the letter by writing Yours faithfully. In practice, we usually use Yours
sincerely, if we know the recipient but for exam purposes I would advise you to use only Yours
faithfully.

9. Signature - Do not forget to sign the letter and write your name below it in capital letters with in
brackets.
Post Test

You are the Secretary of the Residents Association in your housing estate.

Write a letter to the director of the local municipal council to complain about the problems you and the
other residents are facing. In your letter, include the details below:

rubbish not collected causes

* terrible stench

* stray cats and dogs scatter rubbish

clogged drains

* breeding ground for mosquitoes

* increase in cases of dengue fever

street lights not working

* cause accidents at night

* increase in crime

playground not well- maintained

* overgrown grass

* playground equipment damaged

When writing your letter, you should remember to:

set it out in the correct format

include all the points given

address the letter to the director of the local municipal council

Rajvind Gill,
10, Jalan Jujur,
Taman Jayadiri,
68000 Ampang,
Selangor

The Director,
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council,
Bangunan Mentari,
Ampang Jaya,
68000
SELANGOR. 15 SEPTEMBER 2009

Dear Sir,

Poor Maintenance of Taman Jayadiri

I am writing this letter on behalf of the residents of Taman Jayadiri to complain about the dismal
conditions we have been putting up with for the past three months.

2. One of the main grouses of the residents concerns uncollected rubbish (point 1). Initially, rubbish was
collected three times a week. However, since June this year the garbage collectors have only been
coming once a week. Our litter bins are always filled to the brim and we have no choice but to leave our
bags of rubbish next to the bins. The rotting waste causes a terrible stench (point 2). Worse still, stray
cats and dogs scatter the rubbish (point 3) while looking for food. This is not only unpleasant but also
unhealthy.

3. Most of the drains in Taman Jayadiri are clogged (point 4) with rubbish resulting in the water becoming
stagnant. It is not uncommon to see plastic bags, bottles and dry leaves in these drains. There is an
urgent need to clear these drains as the stagnant water is an idealbreeding ground for mosquitoes (point
5). The residents are worried as there has been a sharp increase in dengue cases (point 6) in the last two
months.

4. The street lights along several roads are also not working (point 7). This has caused several accidents
at night (point 8), mostly involving motorcyclists as they are unable to see in the dark. Unfortunately, the
dark streets have also led to another problem an increase in crime (point 9). Several residents,
especially women, have fallen victim to snatch thieves.

5. The one and only playground in our area is also not well-maintained (point 10). The grass is overgrown
(point 11) as it has not been cut for almost three months. Besides, the playground equipment is damaged
(point 12). Many of the see-saws and swings have been spoiled by vandals.

I hope the council will look into our complaints and take prompt action to solve our problems.
Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

RajvindGill
(RAJVIND GILL)

Pre Test

You live in Kampung Krai. There is a factory nearby your area that is causing a lot of problems to the
residents. Write a letter of complaint to the management and suggest ways to overcome the problems
caused by the factory.

Complaints

drinking water polluted

air pollution smoke from factory.

noise pollution operate 24 hours

dumping of toxic waste

stench

potholes in the roads.

Suggestions

stop the dumping of waste

smoke control devices

relocate the factory

stop operating 24 hours a day

stop heavy vehicles from using the roads

resurface the roads

When writing your letter, you should remember to:

set it out in the correct format

 include all the points given
address the letter to the manager of the factory

Your younger sister, who is studying in a boarding school, has written to complain that she finds the compulsory
co-curricular activities very tiring. Write a letter to her to explain the benefits of co-curricular activities.

Use the notes given below to write your letter.

> help you become a better person

> instill discipline

> learn good values - cooperation

> respect for others

> develop leadership skills

> learn to organize activities

> provide opportunities - to develop social skills

> to take part in competitions

> keep you healthy

> get a good testimonial

When writing your letter, remember to include the following:

> your address

> a proper salutation/greeting

> a complimentary close

> all the notes given above

Sample answer 1

10, Jalan Mega Minang, Taman Minang Sari,

68000 Ampang, Selangor.
7th September 2009

Dear Lina,

It was lovely to hear from you. All of us miss you very much. Mum and Dad are glad that you are slowly
adjusting to life in a boarding school.

In your letter you complained about the compulsory co-curricular activities. Well, let me tell you that you
can reap many benefits through active participation in these activities. Firstly, the various co-curricular
activities help you become a better person (point 1). Participation in uniformed units, clubs and societies, sports
and games will help you discover your talents and develop your character. You will become a more confident
and well-rounded person. The strict rules and good behaviour expected of you as a member of a uniformed unit
will instill discipline (point 2) in you. This is important if you are to become a law-abiding citizen.

Besides, you will learn good values (point 3) through the various co-curricular activities. You will learn about
the importance of cooperation (point 4) and respect for others (point 5). These values are very important in a
multi-racial society like ours.

You have always said that you admire great leaders like Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. Well, co-
curricular activities will certainly help you to develop leadership skills (point 6). There will be ample
opportunities to enable you to become a good leader. Besides learning how to plan events, you will learn
to organise activities (point 7).Sometimes, you might even have to handle a challenging situation and this will
teach you how to make on-the-spot decisions.

More importantly, co-curricular activities provide you with many opportunities (point 8) to help you develop
social skills (point 9). As you know, a person with good social skills has an edge these days. Extra-curricular
activities will also provide you with opportunities to take part in competitions (point 10) at various levels.
Schools usually select their representatives for competitions at zone, state or national level by looking at their
students performance in school-level competitions.

These activities also keep you healthy (point 11). Who knows, you might finally shed your baby fat! Most
importantly, you will get a good testimonial (point 12) if you are active in co-curricular activities. This will
definitely boost your chances when applying for a scholarship or a job.

There is no need for you to worry that participation in these activities will affect your grades. On the contrary, it
has been proven that students who are actively involved usually do well academically.

I hope you will take the opportunities co-curricular activities provide to experience new things and discover your
strengths.

I have to stop here. I have to study for my trial examination, which is in two weeks time. Till I hear from you,
take care.
Your loving sister,
Shuhada
You find that many of your friends are under a lot of pressure. They spend
most of their time studying and appear to suffer from stress. Write an
article for your school magazine on how to cope with stress.
Include the following points.

(C1) regular exercise

(C2) hobbies
(C3) plan a timetable
(C4) work in groups
(C5) enough sleep
(C6) balanced meals
(C7) study skills
(C8) make a check-list
(C9) seek advice
(C10) games
(C11) talk to your family
(C12) listen to music

You should use all the points given and add two more points.
When writing an article remember:
1. to give a title
2. that your readers are students
3. to include all the points
4. to add two new points

SAMPLE
Fill in the blanks

How to _____________________________

Stress is a popular word known by many people and closely associated to

school students especially among students studying for SPM examination. As a
student, I have seen many of my friends are under pressure. So, we have find
ways to cope with stress.

There are many ways one can cope with stress. Firstly, students must do
_____________________________(c1). For example you can go for
___________________________________ Secondly, you could have
_____________________________ (c2) such as ________________________.
This can relax our mind. Next, you should ____________________________ (c3)
So that you will not waste your time. Furthermore, you should __________
________________________ (c4).You can discuss your lesson and problems
with your friends.
 You should have ________________________________(c5) You must
sleep at least 8 hours a day. You must eat ___________ __________ (c6).
Balanced meals are important to live healthy. We need nutritious food to keep
our body fit and away from diseases. You must practice a good ______________
______________________________________________(c7)
If you have good and effective study skills or techniques will make you more
confident in you lesson. This can help to reduce stress.

Besides that, you must ____________________________ (c8) It can help

you to check all your activities planned. So that, you can carry out your activities
systematically without any unnecessary pressure. You should ______________
___________________(c9) It is important to seek advice from those who are
experienced , understanding and trustworthy. You can talk to the school
counselors.

On the other hand, you must play__________________ (c10) For example

we can play football, netball, volleyball or other games. We cannot deny a
healthy body will lead a healthy mind. Next you can always talk
____________________________ (c11)

They have experience and they can help you to solve your problems. You
should __________________________ (c12) to reduce your stress. This leisure
activity can help you to keep students away from personal and school related
stress. Besides you should ________________________________(c13) By
surfing internet you can get new friends to chat and share your problems. Lastly
you can ____________________________(c14) If you have any problems with
certain subjects , you can go to tuition classes.

In conclusion I hope that you will follow my tips to reduce stress. We must
overcome stress because it can lead to other serious problems.
QUESTION
According to the police the number of road accidents and deaths during the
festive season for the year 2006 did not show much improvement. The
government is increasingly concerned that although strict measures are
implemented during this period of time there is no reduction in the number of
accidents and deaths. You have been asked by your teacher to write an article
for the school magazine on the causes of accidents and suggest ways of
reducing them. Use all the notes given below to write your article.
Causes of accidents
Reckless driving
Lack of rest or tiredness
Drunk driving
Using mobile phone while driving
Ill-disciplined road users
Speeding
Poor condition of vehicles
Suggestions of ways to reduce accidents
Follow the traffic rules
Reduce the speed limit
Increase the fines
Forbid inexperienced drivers from driving public transport
Increase the age limit to obtain driving license
Drivers should take a rest before starting a long journey
When writing your article you should remember:
To give your article a title
To write in paragraphs
To include all the points given
You find that many of your friends are under a lot of pressure. They spend
most of their time studying and appear to suffer from stress. Write an You should have ________________________________(c5)
article for your school magazine on how to cope with stress. You must sleep at least 8 hours a day. You must eat ___________
Include the following points. __________ (c6). Balanced meals are important to live healthy. We
(C1) regular exercise
need nutritious food to keep our body fit and away from diseases. You
(C2) hobbies must practice a good ______________
(C3) plan a timetable ______________________________________________(c7)
(C4) work in groups If you have good and effective study skills or techniques will make you
(C5) enough sleep more confident in you lesson. This can help to reduce stress.
(C6) balanced meals
(C7) study skills Besides that, you must ____________________________ (c8)
(C8) make a check-list It can help you to check all your activities planned. So that, you can
(C9) seek advice
carry out your activities systematically without any unnecessary
(C10) games
(C11) talk to your family
pressure. You should __________________________________ (c9)
(C12) listen to music It is important to seek advice from those who are experienced ,
understanding and trustworthy. You can talk to the school counselors.
You should use all the points given and add two more points.
When writing an article remember: On the other hand, you must play__________________ (c10)
1. to give a title For example we can play football, netball, volleyball or other games. We
2. that your readers are students cannot deny a healthy body will lead a healthy mind. Next you can
3. to include all the points always talk ____________________________ (c11)
4. to add two new points
They have experience and they can help you to solve your
problems. You should __________________________ (c12) to reduce
SAMPLE your stress. This leisure activity can help you to keep students away
from personal and school related stress. Besides you should
How to _____________________________ ________________________________(c13) By surfing internet you
can get new friends to chat and share your problems. Lastly
Stress is a popular word known by many people and closely you can ____________________________(c14) If you have any
associated to school students especially among students studying for problems with certain subjects , you can go to tuition classes.
SPM examination. As a student, I have seen many of my friends are
under pressure. So, we have find ways to cope with stress.
In conclusion I hope that you will follow my tips to reduce stress.
There are many ways one can cope with stress. Firstly, We must overcome stress because it can lead to other serious
students must do problems.
_____________________________(c1). For example you can go for
___________________________________ Secondly, you could have
_____________________________ (c2) such as ________________
This can relax our mind. Next, you should ___________________(c3)
So that you will not waste your time. Furthermore, you should
_________________________________ (c4).You can discuss your
lesson and problems with your friends.
PRACTICE 3. Secondly the factory has caused (c2) ____________________________
You live in Kampung Krai. There is a factory nearby your area that is causing a lot of - ( thick smoke ) It releases________________________________________
problems to the residents. Write a letter of complaint to the management and suggest - ( dangerous chemicals) The smoke contains ________________________
ways to overcome the problems caused by the factory. -( air filled dust ) The air is__________________________________________
- ( harmful ) Polluted air is _________________________________________
Complaints - ( can cause asthma) It can cause___________________________________
drinking water polluted
air pollution - smoke from factory. 4. Apart from that, the factory has caused ( c3 ) _____________________
noise pollution . operate 24 hours _______________________________________________________________
dumping of toxic waste - ( operating 24 hours) The factory ___________________________________
stench - ( creating noise) Everyday it is______________________________________
potholes in the roads. - ( students cannot study ) As the result_______________________________
- ( caused stress ) The noise from___________________________________
Suggestions
5. Next serious problem caused by the plastic ware factory is (c4 )
stop the dumping of waste
________________________________________________________________
smoke control devices
- ( dumping into river ) The factory___________________________________
relocate the factory - ( river water polluted) The river ____________________________________
stop operating 24 hours a day _ ( kill marine life ) The polluted water can_____________________________
stop heavy vehicles from using the roads
resurface the roads 6. Besides that, there is a strong (c5)_______________________________
- (smelly) our area is ______________________________________________
NOW YOU TRY. - (comes from chemical used) the stench____________________________
________________________ ________________________________________________________________
________________________ - (unpopular among tourists) Now our area is_________________________
________________________ ________________________________________________________________
________________________
The Manager, 7. Therefore we would like to give some suggestions to overcome the
Toyobo Plastic Factory, problems faced by the residents in our area. Our first suggestion is the factory
________________________ should (c7) _______________________________________________________
________________________ ___date_ Secondly, ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
D______ S_____, The factory can recycle or bury the waste. Next, vehicles and factories can use
(c8) _____________________________________________________________
Complaint about Yoyobo Plastic Ware Foctory It can reduce the amount of smoke from the vehicles and factories.

I am writing on behalf of the residents to complain about
______________________________________________________________.
I live (Refer to the Question)______________________________________
There is (Refer to theQuestion)____________________________________
Your factory is operating 24 hours everyday. However lately the factory has
caused a lot of problems in our area. The residents are dissatisfied with the
factorys management.
2. Firstly I want to complain about ( c1) ______________________________
- (water brown) The water __________________________________________
- ( unsafe to drink) It is ___________________________________________
- ( admitted ) Last week one of the residents ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________
- ( diarrhea ) He had ____________________________________________
8. Another suggestion is, the factory should (c9)________________________
________________________________________________________________
So they can avoid air, water and noise pollution. Besides that,(c10) __________
________________________________________________________________
The factory should operate from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm only. It should not operate at
night.
9. Lastly, (c11 and c 12) ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
We hope the factory management will _________________________________
________________________________________________________________
If no action taken , we will report to the authority concerned or write in the press.
Thanking ________________________________________________________.
Yours faithfully,
______________________________
( _____________________________)
Resident of
Informal Letter Informal Letter Informal Letter

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

You are away from home and wish to buy a present
for your brother on his birthday. He bought you an
expensive gift on your birthday so you would like to
get him something special.
You have two items in mind for him but you do not
have enough money. Using the information given
below write a letter to your mother asking for some
money.
You are away from home and wish to buy a present
for your brother on his birthday. He bought you an
expensive gift on your birthday so you would like to
get him something special.
You have two items in mind for him but you do not
have enough money. Using the information given
below write a letter to your mother asking for some
money.
You are away from home and wish to buy a present
for your brother on his birthday. He bought you an
expensive gift on your birthday so you would like to
get him something special.
You have two items in mind for him but you do not
have enough money. Using the information given
below write a letter to your mother asking for some
money.

In your letter: In your letter: In your letter:

compare both items
state the item you have chosen
state the amount of money you have and the
amount you need
give reasons for your choice by providing
information about:
what your brothers hobbies are
what you know about your brother
previous birthday gifts he has received
compare both items
state the item you have chosen
state the amount of money you have and the
amount you need
give reasons for your choice by providing
information about:
what your brothers hobbies are
what you know about your brother
previous birthday gifts he has received
compare both items
state the item you have chosen
state the amount of money you have and the
amount you need
give reasons for your choice by providing
information about:
what your brothers hobbies are
what you know about your brother
previous birthday gifts he has received

Use the specifications of the items given below to Use the specifications of the items given below to Use the specifications of the items given below to
support your request. support your request. support your request.

Danon Camera Danon Camera Danon Camera

Specifications: Specifications: Specifications:
RM250.00 RM250.00 RM250.00
Fully automatic Fully automatic Fully automatic
Panoramic view Panoramic view Panoramic view

Bicycle Bicycle Bicycle

Specifications: Specifications: Specifications:
RM250.00 RM250.00 RM250.00
5-gear 5-gear 5-gear
Adjustable seat Adjustable seat Adjustable seat
HELPFUL NOTES IN WRITING A REPORT
To, The Principal
SMK Sri Harmoni,
To, WHOM 18000 Kuala Krai,
(eg. The Principal, Kelantan.
SMK Tanah Merah,
16000 Tanah Merah.) The Poor Conditions And Services By The Library

My name is Ahmad Bin Mohd. Ali. I am very unhappy with the

Report On/About (see the question) conditions and services provided by our school library. This is a serious
a) Intro matter and should be solved as soon as possible.
b) Body
c) Conclusion First of all the librarians are very rude. They often scold us
when we return the books late although we pay the fine. It is hard to see
them smile. So I hope you will do something about this.
Reported by, There is insufficient place to sit and read. Our school has
____ about 1000 students. The library is so small. We have to stand and sit
(NAME) outside the library along the corridor to read books or newspaper.
Your post Besides, the library has old furniture. The chairs are all rusty
(eg. Secretary, and some even broken. The tables are shaking and might fall one day.
The racks are very old. We are afraid if would fall anytime. I request the
English Language Society) school to buy new furniture.
Apart from that, our library is filled with old and torn books,
REPORT which are not suitable for the students. Some of us have asked the
You are unhappy with the poor condition and services of teacher in charge to buy new books but he said the library has financial
your school library. problems.
Other than that, the media equipment is faulty. The students
Write a report to your principal. You must use the notes cannot access computers anytime they want. The television cannot be
given below. switched on. We hope that the school will buy a new television or repair
Rude librarian the old one.
Insufficient space Finally the students are not satisfied with the borrowing
period, which is too short. We can only borrow the reference books for
Old furniture two days. We can borrow the story books for one week. We hope the
Old and torn books library would expand the borrowing period. This is all I would like to
Faulty media equipment complain about. I hope you will look into this matter as soon as possible.
Short borrowing period
Reported by,
(Ahmad bin Mohd. Ali)
When writing the report, you should remember:
to provide a title
to use all the notes given
the elaborate the notes
Read the following passage and do summary based on the
passage.
1 You mess up your History test and a classmate
storms up to your desk and abuses you. Do you yell
back and suggest that he drops dead or something to
that effect? Or do you simply smile and shrug it off as
one of those days? 5 with people. Laughter is about relationships and 40
2 Whether you are having a bad day at school or
recovering from an illness, laughter may be the best
medicine it is natural, free, positively contagious
and very effective. The arrival of a good clown
exercises a more beneficial influence upon the health 10
of a town than twenty asses laden with drugs, said
the 17th century physician Thomas Sydenham. And
he was not far from the truth.
3 Laughter exercises the muscles in your face,
shoulders, diaphragm and abdomen. During a hearty 15
laugh, oxygen surges through the bloodstream and
your brain orchestrates hormonal rushes that raise
alertness and numb pain. Scientists at the Centre of
Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland
in America believe that laughter is very good for the 20
heart.
4 We start laughing when we are around 10 weeks
old. At 16 weeks, we laugh at least once an hour and
by four, we are cracking about every four minutes. In
contrast, the average adult only manages to laugh 25
about 16 times a day. It appears that we actually took
it to heart what our parents told us that life was no
laughing matter.
5 In order to get ourselves laughing, it has been
suggested that we expose ourselves to humour 30
watch funny movies, learn jokes, start to laugh at
ourselves and improve our sense of ridiculous.
However, we should try to avoid using negative
humour, and that includes sarcasm, ridicule,
contempt and joking about peoples names. 35
6 Knowing you are not alone is a key to great
physical and mental health. In our day-to-day life, we
rarely laugh alone. Laughter tracks in sitcoms testify
to the fact that we are readily to laugh when we are
about sharing qualities that are know to relieve
stress and promote recovery from illness, especially
among cancer sufferers.
7 Sadly, bad mood is something many of us are
experiencing with more frequency while occasions for 45
us to have a good and hearty laugh are becoming
few and far between. It is not surprising when you
think of the hectic lifestyles and pressures we live
with today, but too many down days can start to
seriously interfere with our work, relationships and 50
home life.
8 Studies have shown that women are almost twice
more likely to suffer from bad moods and depression
than men, and it is not solely due to hormones.
Research indicates that women spend a lot of time 55
thinking about what is making them unhappy instead
of laughing their blues away. Consequently, they
draw themselves far deeper into the misery they are
in. Men, on the other hand, are better at distracting
themselves from their problems by doing something 60
totally different. They seem to be able to shrug their
shoulders and laugh it off and as a result, their mood
quickly improves.
9 So, the next time you are feeling low, instead of 65
wallowing in self-pity, laugh and shake off that bad
feeling and you can lift your spirits immediately.