Formal Letter

Reference

Common mistakes

1. Your article is stupid and wrong. → I believe its central conclusion is fundamentally mistaken.
   firm, never rude
2. No concession → I do not suggest that libraries should be immune from change.
   acknowledging the other side is persuasive
3. Dear Editor … Yours sincerely → Dear Editor … Yours faithfully
   faithfully when you do not use a name
4. Repeating the same point → Firstly, … Secondly, …
   develop distinct arguments

Formal Letter — Exercises

A C2 formal letter

Circle the correct answer.

1. Which opening suits a letter to an editor? (I am writing in response to your recent article on public libraries. / Hey, I read your thing. / Your article was dumb.)
2. Which challenges an argument firmly but politely? (The article rests on the assumption that a library is merely a store of books. / You clearly know nothing. / This is silly.)
3. Which is a concession? (I do not suggest that libraries should be immune from change. / Libraries are perfect. / Close them all.)
4. "Dear Editor" — how do you sign off? (Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, / Love,)
5. Which is the strongest close? (I would urge your readers to recognise that a library is an investment, not a luxury. / Bye. / That is all.)
6. How long is a C2 Part 2 letter? (280–320 words / 140–190 words / 50 words)

Complete the formal phrase

Write the missing word or words.

1. While I   that the article raised valid points, I disagree.
2. This   little resemblance to reality.
3. A significant   of households lack broadband.
4. Closing libraries would   affect the poorest. (= unequally, more)
5. On the  , they must continue to adapt.
6. I would   your readers to reconsider.

Write the letter

A newspaper has published an article claiming that young people no longer read books. Write a letter to the editor responding to the article and arguing your case. Write 280–320 words.

Formal Letter — Answer Key

A C2 formal letter

1. I am writing in response to your recent article on public libraries. — I am writing in response to…
2. The article rests on the assumption that a library is merely a store of books. — Identify the assumption — firm and courteous.
3. I do not suggest that libraries should be immune from change. — Acknowledging the other side → concession.
4. Yours faithfully, — No personal name → Yours faithfully.
5. I would urge your readers to recognise that a library is an investment, not a luxury. — End with a call to action.
6. 280–320 words — 280–320 words.

Complete the formal phrase

1. appreciate
2. bears
3. proportion
4. disproportionately
5. contrary
6. urge

Write the letter

1. Model answer: Dear Editor, I am writing in response to your recent article, 'Is the Public Library Finished?', which argued that libraries have become an expensive luxury in an age when information is freely available online. While I appreciate that the article raised legitimate questions about public spending, I believe its central conclusion is fundamentally mistaken. Firstly, the article rests on the assumption that a library is merely a store of information. This may once have been true, but it bears little resemblance to the reality of most modern libraries. My local library, for instance, offers homework clubs, language exchanges, digital skills workshops for older residents and a quiet place to study for students who have no such space at home. Its value lies not only in the books on its shelves but in its role as one of the few remaining public spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can spend time without being expected to spend money. Secondly, the claim that 'everyone has internet access' is, regrettably, untrue. A significant proportion of households still lack reliable broadband, and for many people the library provides their only means of applying for jobs, completing official forms or accessing online learning. Closing libraries would therefore disproportionately affect those who can least afford to lose them. I do not suggest that libraries should be immune from change. On the contrary, they must continue to adapt, both in the services they offer and in the way they reach new users, if they are to remain relevant. However, I would urge your readers, and indeed local councils, to recognise that a well-run library is not a luxury but an investment in the community as a whole. Yours faithfully, Daniel Okafor