Writing Letters
Letters carry a large share of the writing marks, and much of what is tested is layout — which means much of it can be learnt with certainty.
Step 1 — Understand the task
The first decision is formal or informal, and the question always tells you. A letter to a principal, a manager, an editor, a government officer or a stranger is formal. A letter to a friend or a relative is informal.
Once you have decided, everything else follows: the layout, the greeting, the language and the closing all come as a set. Mixing the sets is the single commonest fault in letter answers.
The two sets, side by side
| Formal letter | Informal letter | |
|---|---|---|
| Your address | Top right (or top left, used consistently) | Top right |
| Date | Below your address | Below your address |
| Reader's address | On the left, below the date | Not needed |
| Greeting | Dear Sir, / Dear Madam, / Dear Mr Silva, | Dear Amali, / My dear Father, |
| Opening | I am writing to… | I hope this letter finds you well. |
| Language | Full forms, no slang, polite requests | Natural, friendly, short forms allowed |
| Closing | Yours faithfully (Sir/Madam) — Yours sincerely (named) | With love, / Your loving friend, / Best wishes, |
| Signature | Full name below the closing | First name |
The rule students most often get wrong
If you begin Dear Sir or Dear Madam — because you do not name the reader — you must end Yours faithfully.
If you begin with the reader's name, such as Dear Mr Silva, you must end Yours sincerely.
A useful memory aid: you cannot be sincere with someone whose name you do not know.
Step 2 — Study a model
Question: Write a letter to the Divisional Secretary of your area requesting that a street light be repaired on the road leading to your school.
45 Temple Road,
Weliketiya.
18 August 2026
The Divisional Secretary,
Divisional Secretariat,
Weliketiya.
Dear Sir,
Request for the repair of a street light on Temple Road
I am writing to bring to your notice the condition of the street light at the junction of Temple Road and Station Road, which has not been working for the past two months.
This junction is used every morning and evening by a large number of schoolchildren, and by workers returning after dark. Since the light failed, the junction has become very dark, and there have already been two minor accidents there. Residents are also concerned about the safety of children attending evening classes.
I should therefore be grateful if you would kindly arrange for the light to be repaired at an early date. If any further information is required, I shall be glad to provide it.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yours faithfully,
R. Wijesinghe
Why this answer works
- The writer's address and the date come first, then the reader's address, then the greeting.
- A short subject heading after the greeting is good practice in a formal letter and helps the reader immediately.
- Paragraph 1 states the problem in one sentence. It does not begin with an apology or a preamble.
- Paragraph 2 gives the reasons why it matters, with concrete detail — schoolchildren, workers, two accidents. Concrete detail is what makes a request persuasive.
- Paragraph 3 makes the request explicitly and offers cooperation.
- Dear Sir is matched correctly by Yours faithfully.
- The tone is firm but courteous throughout. A complaint written angrily reads as unreasonable and loses marks.
Step 3 — Identify the structure
Every formal letter you write in the examination can use this skeleton.
- Your address, then the date.
- The reader's address.
- Greeting, and a short subject heading.
- Paragraph 1: why you are writing, in one sentence.
- Paragraph 2: the details and the reasons, with concrete facts.
- Paragraph 3: what you want to happen.
- Paragraph 4: a short courteous close.
- Closing phrase and your name.
Useful phrases worth learning
Formal openings
- I am writing to enquire about…
- I am writing to bring to your notice…
- I wish to apply for the post of…
- I should like to draw your attention to…
Formal requests
- I should be grateful if you would kindly…
- I would request you to…
- Could you please arrange for…
- I look forward to hearing from you.
Informal openings
- I hope this letter finds you well.
- It was good to hear from you.
- I am sorry I did not write earlier.
- How are you and everyone at home?
Informal closings
- Do write soon.
- Give my regards to your parents.
- I am looking forward to seeing you.
- Take care of yourself.
Step 4 — Guided practice
Task: Write to the manager of a shop complaining that a bag you bought there tore within a week, and asking for a replacement.
- Write your address and the date in the correct position.
- Write the reader's address and the greeting, and note down the closing that must go with it.
- Write a subject heading of six words or fewer.
- Write one sentence stating what you bought, when and where.
- Write two sentences describing what went wrong, factually and without anger.
- Write one sentence stating exactly what you want — replacement, repair or refund.
- Write the closing and your name.
Step 5 — Write independently
Twenty-five minutes, by hand, no model in front of you. Choose one.
- Formal: Write to the editor of a newspaper about the problem of rubbish being dumped near a school, suggesting what should be done.
- Formal: Write to the principal of your school requesting permission to start an English Speakers' Club, explaining how it would be run.
- Formal: Write to a bookshop enquiring about books for O/L English revision, asking about prices and delivery.
- Informal: Write to a friend describing a memorable journey you made recently.
- Informal: Write to a cousin who has failed an examination, encouraging them.
Step 6 — Correction checklist for letters
- Have I chosen the right kind — formal or informal — for the reader given?
- Is my address and the date in place?
- For a formal letter, is the reader's address included?
- Does the closing match the greeting — Dear Sir with Yours faithfully, a name with Yours sincerely?
- Does paragraph 1 say why I am writing?
- Have I given concrete details rather than vague statements?
- Have I said plainly what I want to happen?
- Is the tone courteous, even if I am complaining?
- Are the paragraphs separate, one idea in each?
- Have I signed with my name?
- Have I checked verbs, articles, plurals, capitals and full stops?