Formal and Informal Letter Writing
Formal and Informal Letter Writing
Letter writing gives 1 to 2 questions and is asked almost entirely as format. A teacher writes applications, leave letters and notes to parents, so the paper treats correct format as a professional requirement rather than a classroom exercise.
The Two Kinds
| Point | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Written to | Officials, editors, employers | Family and friends |
| Tone | Impersonal, respectful | Personal, conversational |
| Language | Standard, no contractions | Relaxed, contractions allowed |
| Subject line | Required | Not used |
| Salutation | Sir / Madam | Dear Ravi, My dear Amma |
| Closing | Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely | Yours affectionately, With love |
| Length | Brief and to the point | As long as it needs to be |
The Format of a Formal Letter
- Sender's address, at the top left.
- Date, below the address.
- Receiver's designation and address.
- Subject — one line stating the purpose.
- Salutation — Sir or Madam.
- Body — three short paragraphs: purpose, details, request or expected action.
- Complimentary close — Yours faithfully.
- Signature, name and designation.
The distinction most often tested is between Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely. Use faithfully when the salutation is Sir or Madam and you do not name the person; use sincerely when you address them by name, as in Dear Mr Sharma.
✗ Dear Sir ... Yours sincerely | ✓ Sir or Dear Sir takes Yours faithfully; a named person takes Yours sincerely
The Letters Actually Set
- Application for leave — to the Principal, stating reason and exact dates.
- Application for a post — stating the advertisement, qualifications and enclosures.
- Letter to the editor — raising a public issue such as a bad road or an irregular water supply.
- Complaint letter — to an official, stating the problem, the effect and the action sought.
- Letter to parents — from a teacher, about a pupil's progress or an absence.
A leave application is the letter a teacher writes most often, and its three parts never change: what is being asked, why, and for exactly which dates.
What Marks Are Lost For
- A missing or vague subject line — Regarding a matter is not a subject.
- The wrong complimentary close for the salutation used.
- Contractions in a formal letter — don't for do not.
- Excessive length; a formal letter should rarely exceed three short paragraphs.
- Emotional or demanding tone in a complaint, where a factual one is expected.
The last point matters professionally as well. A letter to an official that complains angrily is less effective than one that states the facts and the action sought, and a teaching paper may frame the question around exactly that judgement.
Sir/Madam लिखा है तो Yours faithfully; नाम लिखा है तो Yours sincerely।
TRE pointer: The Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely rule is the single most asked item in letter writing, and both forms always appear among the options. The subject line is the element candidates omit. Because a teacher writes leave applications and letters to parents as part of the job, expect the question to be set in that context rather than as an abstract format exercise.
60-Second Recap
- Formal letters need a subject line; informal ones do not.
- Sir or Madam takes Yours faithfully; a named person takes Yours sincerely.
- Formal order: address, date, receiver, subject, salutation, body, close, signature.
- Three short paragraphs: purpose, details, action sought.
- No contractions in a formal letter.
- A leave application must state the reason and the exact dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I use Yours faithfully and when Yours sincerely?
Use Yours faithfully when the salutation is Sir or Madam and you have not named the person. Use Yours sincerely when you address them by name, as in Dear Mr Sharma. Both forms appear among the options in almost every letter-writing question.
Does an informal letter need a subject line?
No. The subject line belongs to formal letters, where it states the purpose in a single line so an official can route the letter. An informal letter to family or friends goes straight from the date and salutation into the body.
How long should a formal letter be?
Three short paragraphs is the working limit: one stating the purpose, one giving the necessary details, and one stating the action requested. Length is a fault in formal correspondence, since the reader is usually an official dealing with many letters.
What should a leave application contain?
What is being requested, the reason for it, and the exact dates of absence, addressed to the Principal with a clear subject line. Vagueness about dates is the most common fault, and it is the detail an office actually needs in order to act.