how to write semi formal essay

Formal, Semi-Formal, and Informal English

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Why is it important?

Would you wear this to a job interview? No, because it’s too informal.

Formal, Semi-Formal, and Informal English Espresso English

Would you wear this to the beach? No, because it’s too formal.

In the same way, using English that is too formal or too informal for the situation can cause a bad impression.

Three levels of formality in English

Formal – Textbooks, official reports, academic articles, essays, business letters, contracts, official speeches

Semi-formal – Day-to-day interaction with colleagues and teachers, popular magazines/books, interviews, when talking with someone in authority or whom you respect

Informal – Interacting with friends, speaking or chatting online

Formal English

1. longer/more complex sentences.

Punctuation, proper grammar, and correct sentence structure are very important. A formal sentence you might see in an academic journal:

Research has shown that learning a second language, in addition to leading to expanded career and social opportunities, can also expand the reasoning capability of the brain, although this finding is disputed by some scientists.

A less formal way to express the same idea:

Learning another language can improve your career and social life. Some people also say it can make you smarter, but others disagree.

2. Larger and less common words

A formal sentence you might see in an economic report:

The economy is currently quite robust; nevertheless, some specialists predict an imminent recession.

A simpler, less formal way to say the same thing:

The economy is very strong right now, but some specialists say we’ll have a recession soon.

Some less formal words and their formal equivalents:

Download a list of more formal/informal words

3. Avoid phrasal verbs

The price went up. The price rose/increased.

The client asked for a contract. The client requested a contract.

The problems have come back. The problems have returned.

We will cut down on spending. We will reduce spending.

4. Avoid contractions

I’m, you’re, can’t, don’t, wasn’t, it’s…

The shipment hasn’t arrived. The shipment has not arrived.

They’re manufactured in China. They are manufactured in China.

He’s the director of marketing. He is the director of marketing.

We’d like to inform you… We would like to inform you…

What about this? – The company’s employees

This is OK to use in formal English because it’s a possessive, NOT a contraction! It means “The employees of the company.”

With possessives, you can use either ‘s or “of the” – but try to avoid using “of the” multiple times in a single phrase:

the terms of the client’s contract NOT: the terms of the contract of the client

5. NO idioms, slang, text speak

Idiom: The software is a piece of cake.

The software is quite user-friendly.
The software is extremely easy to use.

Slang: A million bucks in profit.

A million dollars in profit.

Text speak: Tks & we look 4ward 2 meeting u.

Thanks, and we look forward to meeting you.

Also avoid shortened words:

The info was incomplete. The information was incomplete.

The results have arrived from the lab. The results have arrived from the laboratory.

fruits and veggies fruits and vegetables

Semi-Formal English

1. phrasal verbs & contractions = ok.

Could you look over this report? look over = review and check for errors

She came up with a great idea. came up with = created, invented, thought of

I’m available on Friday morning. The directors weren’t happy.

2. Some idioms are OK, but avoid slang and text speak

This project is on the back burner. on the back burner = not a priority at the moment

We’re operating in the red. in the red = no money, negative cash flow

Semi-formal (inviting your boss): “Would you like to join me for lunch?” Informal (inviting your best friend): “Hey, wanna grab a bite to eat?”

Semi-formal: “Hello, how are you?” Informal: “Wassup?”

Semi-formal: “The conference was great!” Informal: “It was awesome!” “It was the bomb!”

3. Use polite English

Say “I’d like…” instead of “I want…”

When making requests, use “could you” and “please,” don’t just give commands: Say “Could you please call me later?” and not just “Call me later.”

Another part of polite English is making criticisms and negative comments in an indirect way:

You’re wrong. I’m afraid you’re mistaken.

I disagree. I’m of a different opinion. / I see it differently.

This is terrible work. This could be improved.

I don’t like it. I don’t really care for it. It’s not my cup of tea. I’d prefer…

Informal English

1. shorter, simpler sentences – perfect grammar is not as important.

(So don’t be so nervous about mistakes when speaking!)

“Have you finished your work yet?” –> “Finished your work yet?”

“I’m really liking this book.” (“like” should technically not be in the -ING form here)

“But I don’t think so.”

Starting sentences with “but,” ending sentences with prepositions, using sentence fragments – these are all done in informal spoken English.

2. Expressions/exclamations

um, uh, like, lemme see… = hesitation, when you need a moment to think before speaking
I mean… = to clarify
…you know? = to check if the other person understands
Gotcha . = I understand
How come? = Why?
Yeah right. = a sarcastic way to say “I don’t believe you.”
I’ll say! = I definitely agree with you
wow! = surprise
oops = accident
yuck = that’s disgusting

3. Phrasal verbs, slang, and idioms are used VERY frequently

This is one reason that watching movies and TV shows in English is difficult… even if you have good vocabulary and grammar! You may not have learned the phrasal verbs, slang, and idioms in your textbook.

Phrasal verb: “I won’t put up with this!” put up with = tolerate

Idiom: “Could you give me a hand ?” give me a hand = help me

Slang: “I aced the test!” aced = got an excellent grade

The Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course and the English Idioms Course can help you learn these expressions in context!

4. Reductions when speaking (in both semi-formal and informal English)

He’s gonna be angry. gonna = going to

I wanna learn how to ski. wanna = want to

Didja like the movie? didja = did you

We hafta leave now. hafta = have to

I bought apples n grapes. n = and

Courses to help you learn:

Business English Course – Focuses on formal and semi-formal English used in meetings, presentations, interviews, letters and e-mails, and vocabulary for jobs and careers.

Everyday English Speaking Course – Daily situations, socializing, phrases, expressions not found in textbooks, how native English speakers say things in real life.

Phrasal Verbs in Conversation – Teaches phrasal verbs in context, through dialogues, making it easier to learn and understand them. Quizzes and writing exercises help you put the phrasal verbs into practice immediately.

Thanks for attending!

More espresso english lessons:, about the author.

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

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Semi-Formal Letter Writing for IELTS

Posted by David S. Wills | Dec 28, 2020 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

In the IELTS general writing test , you need to produce a letter and this could be broadly categorised as formal or informal. However, there is another category in between that is often appropriate: semi-formal . As these are fairly common, I would like to explain to you how to write a semi-formal letter for IELTS.

What is a semi-formal letter, other examples of semi-formal letter prompts, examples of prompts requiring semi-formal letters, features of formal and informal writing, format of a semi-formal letter.

To put it in its simplest terms, a semi-formal letter is one that falls in between formal and informal letters in terms of tone. There really is no precise definition of semi-formal except that which is neither formal nor informal.

As such, it is best to think in terms of examples to fully understand what semi-formal means and how to write such a letter. There are broadly two such situations:

Writing to a person with whom you have a professional relationship but one that is fairly close (ie a manager or colleague that you know).
Writing to a person with whom you have a personal relationship but about a difficult or unfortunate situation (ie something that would make them feel bad).

In the first situation, it could be possible to write a formal letter but as you know the person very well, you probably wouldn’t do this under normal circumstances. In the second, you could use informal language but because of the delicate nature of the situation, it would be better to avoid being overly informal and use more cautious language.

The above two examples are the most common types of prompt requiring a semi-formal reply, but they are by no means the only ones, and it is not helpful to think in such limited terms. When preparing for IELTS, you should not memorise questions and you should likewise not group ideas too firmly. The nature of the test is to reflect real-world English use.

As such, there are other examples of times when semi-formal letters may be required. These include writing to people you don’t know but about relatively trivial matters. In such cases, you would probably not choose to use formal language because the situation is at odds with it. Likewise, informal language would be a bit inappropriate for writing to someone you have never met.

Here is an example of the first situation:

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter – describe the training course you want to do – explain what the company could do to help you – say how the course will be useful for your job

In this case, it is understandable to think that we might need to use a formal tone. After all, the setting is clearly a business one, with the recipient being our manager. For people in certain Asian countries, it might even seem unthinkable to use anything but formal language with an office superior.

However, in English-speaking countries, a person’s manager is not treated in such a deferential way. We would show them respect and do as they ask, but we would not use the sort of delicate language that we would reserve for people we don’t know.

Here is an example of the second situation:

You had arranged to go on holiday with your friend. However, you must change your plans. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: – say how much you were looking forward to the holiday – explain why you had to change your plans – suggest an alternative arrangement

In this case, your letter is addressed to a friend, so informal language seems appropriate. However, the tone of the letter would be a bit different because you are giving what is essentially bad news. It would not be appropriate to use very informal language when delivering bad news, so you should aim for a semi-formal tone instead.

(I will include sample answers to these two prompts at the bottom of this page.)

What is Semi-Formal Language?

Again, it is impossible to clearly define semi-formal language except to say that it is language that falls between formal and informal on a scale of register. This is illustrated here:

There are no words or phrases that you could definitively call “semi-formal” because there is always some overlap with the categories labelled “formal” and “informal,” but it is useful to look at vocabulary and grammar that might appear in semi-formal letters.

Here are some phrases that are common in all IELTS letters, with variants for formal, semi-formal, and informal tones:

As you can see, there is some overlap in these words and phrases, and of course as semi-formal incorporates a range of letter types, there are various possibilities for language choice here. You can see, for example, that a semi-formal letter may refer to a person by first name or title and surname. Clearly, it would be weird to refer to a friend as “Mrs Smith” but equally it might be inappropriate to refer to your boss in writing as “Susan.” For these reasons, whilst it is helpful to learn the differences between formal, semi-formal, and informal, you should also keep in mind the fact that not all letters in these individual categories will contain the same language.

I have written elsewhere about formal and informal writing but I will note again some of the key differences as they relate to semi-formal letters.

Abbreviations, for example, are common in informal writing but not in formal writing. As such, you can probably guess that we use them occasionally in semi-formal letters. It would be fine to say “I’m” or “we’re” in a semi-formal letter but don’t go over the top. Similarly, whilst acronyms may be fine in all forms of letters, I would avoid using internet-based ones for semi-formal or formal letters. That means no OMG or WTF .

Aim instead for a more neutral tone that is free of overly formal or overly informal language. Here is a simple guide:

In addition to this, I will mention that it is always a good idea to avoid overly difficult vocabulary and grammar. These are usually problematic because they are hard to implement correctly. Unless you are sure that you know how and when to use such language, just avoid it. In a formal letter, it might be appropriate, but in the others it most likely would show a lack of awareness in terms of tone.

The format of a semi-formal letter will basically be the same as any other letter. Fundamentally, all IELTS letters follow the same basic template, which of course would be modified slightly as per the specific details of the prompt:

State the purpose / introduce letter
Give details

These will differ massively from letter to letter but this relates to the purpose rather than the tone. For example, a letter to a friend might include a short personal note and a friendly message at the end, whereas a business letter might reiterate the main point or make a statement along the lines of “I hope to hear back from you…” before the sign-off. However, there is nothing specific to semi-formal letters.

Remember: There is no set number of paragraphs you should aim to write (unlike task 2, which should be done in 4 or 5 paragraphs ) and the structure should ultimately be determined by the nature of the prompt. However, you can learn some useful patterns from the following sample letters.

Sample Semi-Formal Letter #1

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter describe the training course you want to do explain what the company could do to help you say how the course will be useful for your job

Dear Mr. Rockwell,

I recently saw an advertisement for a training course that I think would be very useful for my professional development. I’m writing to let you know about it and to make a request.

The course is in social media marketing, which of course is growing in importance every year. It aims to teach professionals in our industry how to leverage social media channels in order to expand the brand and reach new customers.

I believe that having greater knowledge of this area would allow me to develop my skills, which will of course be beneficial for the company. By having a thorough knowledge of how to market on social media, I would surely be able to increase revenue, as well as share this information with the people in my department.

As this course will give me essential skills to improve at my job, I believe the company should pay for it. I’m requesting that you approve the requisite finances to cover my course fees, as well as some extra for travel costs.

Yours sincerely,

David Wills

As this was a business letter, I have addressed it to “Mr. Rockwell” and signed off with my own full name. I have used polite and informative language but included some contractions like “I’m.” This letter begins with a slightly personal/informative sentence (“I recently saw…”) but when I come to the tricky topic of money , I switch to more formal language (“I’m requesting that you approve the requisite finances…”) Still, the use of a contraction shows that it is semi-formal.

Sample Semi-Formal Letter #2

You had arranged to go on holiday with your friend. However, you must change your plans. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: say how much you were looking forward to the holiday explain why you had to change your plans suggest an alternative arrangement

Hello Karen,

I hope you are doing well but I’m afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news. I’m not going to be able to make it to the Highlands next month as planned. Something has come up and I’ve got to cancel.

Basically, my boss has asked me to take on a new client starting next week. They are going to be a handful and I will struggle to cope as it is. The possibility of getting away for a weekend just isn’t really on the cards anymore. I’m really sad about it because I was looking forward to spending time with you as it has been a while since we saw each other.

Fortunately, I think that I will be able to get some extra time off once things settle at work. With the new client, I’ve really done my boss a favour and so I’m confident he’ll happily give me extra holiday time in the summer. We can start planning another getaway for later in the year.

Sorry again about all this. I know you were looking forward to it and so was I. However, let’s keep our fingers crossed for next time.

This letter is closer to informal than formal. There are many personal pronouns and contractions, as well as some idioms (like “bearer of bad news” and “on the cards”). However, I have mixed in some transitional words and phrases that are more common in formal letters: “Fortunately,” “However,” etc. I have started and ended this essay with first names because she is my friend, but the nature of the essay means I’ve used “Best” rather than “Cheers” or anything else that is particularly informal.

Sample Semi-Formal Letter #3

You and some friends ate a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, and you were very pleased with the food and service. Write a letter to the restaurant manager. In your letter give details of your visit to the restaurant explain the reason for the celebration say what was good about the food and the service

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I am writing to let you know that I really enjoyed a meal I had at your restaurant last weekend, and I wanted to show my appreciation for your hard work and the efforts made by your staff.

It was my wife’s birthday and so we invited a group of six friends to join us for a meal to celebrate. We were given a wonderful table with a garden view and felt that the overall atmosphere was really pleasant. From the music to the decorations, it was an enchanting evening that we will all remember for years to come.

The food, of course, was excellent. We chose the restaurant because we had been once before and really enjoyed the seafood. This time we were even more impressed, particularly by the prawns. We were also really happy with how much attention the waiting staff paid to us.

Thanks again for a wonderful evening.

This essay is closer to a formal one than an informal one because I do not know this person. However, the tone of the language is slightly informal aside from the greeting and sign-off. It is casual and discursive, with a decidedly neutral tone that could not be categorised as formal or informal.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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Exam Seekers

Content related to english exams and courses., write better texts – 6 tips on semi-formal writing..

Hello Exam Seekers,

How do you feel about your writing? Do you feel that you can write any type of text? Or… Do you feel that you lack some guidance towards this subject?

These are important questions when you are taking any of the CELTA Courses , or the ICELT and the DELTA courses. After all, this is the kind of writing style you are required to use when writing the assignments.

I believe it is a bit presumptuous to assume that we are ready to write anything at any time. However, I can understand where these kinds of thoughts come from. If you are following a pathway to teaching which includes a Language Degree, you probably have had to write a thesis to conclude the course, or you had to write a few essays along the way. Well, these types of texts are not easy; moreover, you need guidance to write them. You go through so many drafts, write and rewrite things, which by the end of the presentation of your thesis – or your essays and articles -, you come to the conclusion that you are the best writer ever.

And maybe you are! I’m not here to judge, but it is important to know where you are stepping when you start a course like the ones I mentioned. Moreover, it is relevant to know that, even though your writing is great, you are still going to go through some other piles of drafts.

Well, at the center that I took my CELTA and ICELT courses, there were a few requirements for people to be able to enroll in either of them. One of the requirements to enroll in the ICELT course was that people were not only at a C1 level of the CEFR (CAE) but also that they had taken the CELTA.

It actually makes sense, even though Cambridge English did not require that. Actually, if you take a look at Cambridge requirements for the ICELT, they were pretty lower than what you used to find in some centers. These centers did that because they were very rigid about the texts an ICELTee should be writing. In addition to that, they wanted to prepare people for the following courses/certificates. Most people when they finished the ICELT, they wanted to take the DELTA, a DIPLOMA course, which means that you are required to write long and complex texts.

Therefore, it is not a surprise that my first ICELT input session was about writing assignments. It was a session on SEMI-FORMAL WRITING.

What is semi-formal writing? Usually, a semi-formal type of writing is more polite than an informal one. You avoid some styles of writing and some vocabulary and try to use language that is more specific. A semi-formal style is used for communicating with people you do not know well or who are outside your regular working relations.

Some examples are: letters parents send to the school principal, or to teachers, texts you write to your landlord or boss, etc. They are similar to business letters: they are concise and informative.

So, here are some tips on this style of writing:

CONTRACTIONS :

There is no room for contractions when you use this language style. However, it is not a bad thing, if you lack in word count in the assignments, writing “it is” instead of “it’s” helps quite a lot. Moreover, the use of “there’s,” “I’ve,” etc. sounds too informal for these kinds of texts, like a conversation in real life.

You can use these connectors; however, when you want to sound posher , you should avoid these two and use others. Especially if you are trying to impress other people with your text. There are many examples of other similar connectors: > But: however, on the other hand, nevertheless, etc. > And: moreover, in addition to, furthermore, etc.

GENERALIZATIONS

When you are writing an assignment, you are usually writing a report on a situation and presenting solutions, so, you should be very specific about the types of things you write. Instead of a broad statement where an idea can be applied to groups of people, try to narrow the focus of the writing, it shows that you did intense research. So avoid using: all, everyone, always, probably, might, etc.

PASSIVE VOICE

Whereas in some countries Passive Voice is a synonym of formal language, in English, if you are writing something more formal, the passive should be avoided . ;P When we use the passive, we put the object in focus, while in an assignment you should give the subject its purpose: they are doing the action , so let them do it! Use the active voice, started the sentences using “I”, meaning that you actually did the job, researched it, is acting on it, etc.

PARENTHESIS

A text should express precisely what is written, so avoid using parenthesis. Whatever you want to say, you should say it straight away. If you really need to write, a side comment between parenthesis, first try using subordinate clauses and work on punctuation, leaving the parenthesis as a last resource.

INFORMAL LANGUAGE

If you are writing a semi-formal text, avoid informal language. There are many ways to avoid informal language: First , you should avoid the connectors “and” and “but”, there are more formal connectors than these two. Second , you can use synonyms of common words, which you can find at Thesaurus.com , which is a great help. Another possibility is to avoid using two words instead of one (when one of them is “very”. For example, when you say “ It was very cold “, you can improve your writing by saying “ It was freezing “.

Check the list below, there is a good number of words to help you write better.

Another way to avoid bad writing is to use Grammarly !!! Check my post about Grammarly . It usually helps a lot by suggesting improvements to your text or to tell you how to restructure your text avoiding lousy punctuation, repetition of words, and passive voice. However, you have to remember to choose the correct style of writing when using Grammarly :

Well, I hope that I was able to clear up some questions about this subject. And whenever you have questions, check these tips out!!! 🙂

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Have a great week, Patricia Moura

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How to Write a Semi-Formal Letter: A Step-by-Step Guide

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In today's digital age, it is easy to think that traditional letters have become obsolete. However, semi-formal letters still have an important place in our personal and professional lives. In this guide, we will explore how to write an effective semi-formal letter in a step-by-step fashion, ensuring that you are able to communicate your thoughts clearly and efficiently.

Understanding Semi-Formal Letters

Semi-formal letters lie between the spectrum of formal and informal letters. They are used for communication that requires a certain level of professionalism, but do not necessarily demand the same level of formality as a business or academic correspondence. These types of letters are perfect for sending thank-you notes, expressing congratulations, or communicating with colleagues and friends on a professional level.

Differences Between Formal and Semi-Formal Letters

There are several differences between formal and semi-formal letters, but the most noticeable is the tone. Formal letters are typically utilized for serious and important messages, and are usually written in passive voice, whereas semi-formal letters have a less rigid tone, allowing for a more conversational style of language. Another difference lies in the structure of the letter. Formal letters usually start with "Dear Sir/Madam," whereas semi-formal letters can begin with a more personal greeting, such as 'Dear [person's name].'

However, it is important to note that the level of formality in a letter can also depend on the relationship between the sender and the recipient. For example, a semi-formal letter to a close friend or family member may have a more relaxed tone and structure than one written to a colleague or acquaintance.

When to Use a Semi-Formal Letter

Semi-formal letters should be used when the situation calls for a more professional approach than a casual email, but does not require the same rigid tone as a formal letter. Some instances where semi-formal letters could be utilized include thanking someone for a job well done, congratulating someone on a promotion, or initiating a conversation with a colleague.

Another situation where a semi-formal letter may be appropriate is when expressing condolences. While a formal letter may be too stiff and impersonal, an informal letter may not convey the appropriate level of respect and sympathy. A semi-formal letter strikes the right balance, allowing the sender to express their condolences in a professional and respectful manner.

It is also worth noting that semi-formal letters can be used in a variety of settings, such as in the workplace, in academic settings, and even in personal relationships. The key is to assess the situation and determine the appropriate level of formality needed for the message to be conveyed effectively.

Components of a Semi-Formal Letter

A semi-formal letter contains several key components, and it is important to understand what these are in order to write an effective letter. Here are some of the key components of a semi-formal letter:

Contact Information

This includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. It is important to include this information so that the recipient can get in touch with you if they need to.

The salutation is the greeting at the beginning of your letter. It should be polite and respectful. If you know the person you are writing to, you can address them by name. If you don't know the person, you can begin with 'Dear Sir/Madam.'

Body of the Letter

The body of the letter is where you will express your thoughts and ideas. It is important to organize your thoughts in a logical and concise manner. You should also make sure that your language is clear and to the point.

Closing and Signature

The closing of the letter should be polite and respectful. Some common closings include, 'Sincerely,' 'Yours truly,' or 'Best regards.' After the closing, leave space for your signature, and be sure to sign your name in ink.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Semi-Formal Letter

Step 1: determine the purpose of your letter.

The first step in writing a semi-formal letter is to determine its purpose. Ask yourself, "What do I want to communicate?" Be clear and concise about what you want to say, and ensure that your letter is relevant and appropriate for the purpose it serves.

Step 2: Choose the Appropriate Tone

It is important to choose the appropriate tone for your letter. A semi-formal letter allows for a more casual tone, but it is still important to be professional in your communication. Always be respectful and avoid using language that might be considered inappropriate or offensive.

Step 3: Organize Your Thoughts

Before you start writing, it is important to organize your thoughts. Jot down a list of key points you want to make in the body of the letter. This will help you to avoid rambling or losing focus in the letter.

Step 4: Write the Letter

Now it is time to start writing the letter. Begin by introducing yourself, if necessary, and then get straight to the point. Use clear and concise language that is easy to understand. Make sure that your thoughts flow logically from one paragraph to the next.

Step 5: Proofread and Edit

Once you have completed your letter, it is important to proofread and edit it. Look for any spelling or grammar errors, and ensure that your language is appropriate and respectful. A well-written and error-free letter will leave a positive impression on the recipient.

Tips for Writing an Effective Semi-Formal Letter

Be clear and concise.

When writing a semi-formal letter, it is important to be clear and concise. Avoid using complex language or jargon, and make sure that your message is easy to understand.

Use Proper Grammar and Punctuation

Always use proper grammar and punctuation in your letter. Poor grammar and punctuation can distract the reader from your message, and may make you appear unprofessional.

Maintain a Polite and Respectful Tone

Always maintain a polite and respectful tone in your letter. This will help to ensure that your message is well-received and that you leave a positive impression on the reader.

In conclusion, writing a semi-formal letter can be a great way to communicate on a more professional level without sacrificing a friendly tone. By following the steps outlined in this guide and utilizing the tips provided, you will be able to write an effective semi-formal letter that communicates your message clearly and succinctly.

ChatGPT Prompt for Writing a Semi Formal Letter

Use the following prompt in an AI chatbot . Below each prompt, be sure to provide additional details about your situation. These could be scratch notes, what you'd like to say or anything else that guides the AI model to write a certain way.

Compose a letter that is neither too casual nor too formal in tone, using appropriate language and formatting to convey your message effectively and professionally.

[ADD ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. CAN USE BULLET POINTS.]

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Subject Material

Formal, Semi-formal, and Informal English

A man on a beach half dressed in swimwear and half in a formal suit. Photo.

When you speak to your sister or brother, you express yourself differently than when you talk to a teacher or a boss. In a job interview, you choose different words than you do at a party. And when you text your friends, the messages look very different from a job application. We know that we have to use appropriate language in the correct situations. If you are too formal or too informal in the wrong settings, you may blow it big time – or realise that you have underestimated the delicacy of the situation .

For anyone with English as a second language, this is a constant challenge, because the nuances between what is perceived as polite or impolite are very difficult to detect for anyone who does not have English as a mother tongue. This is something that it takes years to master.

We operate with different levels of formality in English, and the levels are associated with particular choices of grammar and vocabulary. In order to master the English language, it is important to develop an understanding of the different levels and practise using them in the correct situations.

You will often find that people refer to two levels of formality: formal and informal English. However, in this article we will, for the sake of clarity, present three different levels: formal, semi-formal (neutral), and informal language.

Let’s take a closer look at the three levels:

Formal English

Formal English is primarily used in written communication, such as official reports, academic articles, business letters, and contracts. There are also examples where spoken English can be very formal, for examples in speeches, lectures, or interviews. In general, formal English expresses respect and distance to the person you are communicating with.

Formal English is characterised by the following:

It makes use of fairly long and complex sentences. Example: The evidence taken from the observation of the behaviour of apes and children suggests that there are three clearly separable groups of simple causes for the outbreak of fighting and the exhibition of aggressiveness by individuals.
As the sentence above demonstrates, formal English also use a fairly complex vocabulary. For example, instead of the word 'buy' you would use the word 'purchase'. Instead of the word 'enough' you could use the word 'sufficient'.
There is also a strong focus on correct grammar. The more complex the sentence, the more important grammar and sentence structure become.
Phrasal verbs are usually avoided. Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb with a preposition or adverb, as in 'get up', or 'go through'. For example: 'The client asked for a meeting' is less formal than 'The client requested a meeting'.
Contractions are never used in formal writing. Instead, go for the full form: 'he’s' = 'he is' / 'they’re' = 'they are'.
Formal English does not accept slang or textspeak. Avoid expressions like 'a million bucks' (a million dollars) and 'He’s loaded' (very rich). And you would never, ever write 'Tks & we look 4ward 2 meeting u!!!'

Semi-formal English (Neutral English)

Semi-formal English is more neutral. This is the language you would use when you talk to people you know, but perhaps not on a personal level, for example when you talk to your teacher or when you speak to colleagues in a work setting. It is used both in written and spoken communication.

The sentences are often shorter and less complex than in formal English. If you take a look at the complex sentence presented above and compare it with this, you may notice a difference: ' If we look at how apes and children behave, we see the same three reasons why fights start in each group.
The vocabulary is simpler and more colloquial than formal English. You could use everyday words like 'stop' and 'meet' instead of more formal words like 'terminate' and 'convene'.
Phrasal verbs are often used. You could very well say ‘Could you look ove r this report’ instead of the more formal ‘Could you review this report?’
Contractions like 'I’m', 'they’re' and 'hasn’t' are used, but you can also use the full form ('I am', 'they are', 'has not').
Slang and textspeak should still be avoided.

Informal English

Informal English is the type of language you would use with friends, and when speaking or chatting online. This is not the type of language you would use in homework assignments or on your exam. Informal language has some of the following characteristics:

Short and simple sentences are commonly used, and grammar plays a less important role. Often, you would skip words that seem superfluous for the meaning to be clear. For example, 'Coming?', 'Finished your homework yet?'
Phrasal verbs are more common than not. You would not request a meeting, you would ask for a meeting.
The vocabulary is colloquial and fairly simple, including slang, textspeak. and abbreviations: 'What's up?', 'BTW', 'LOL', 'Chill out'...
Reductions and contractions are also common: 'I gotta go', 'I wanna see', 'He’s gone', 'We're happy'..

Is formal language more polite?

Many believe that the more formal your language is, the more polite you are. Well, not always. Formality isn't everything. The truth is that you have to consider every situation individually. Using formal English is a sign of respect, but it also creates a distance between you and the one you are talking to. It can seem awkward and unnatural, and sometimes even cold and unfriendly. Sometimes, going for a more neutral, semi-formal English may feel safer and more inclusive. It really all depends on the situation. If you are working internationally, or receiving clients or colleagues from abroad, it is a good idea to research what standards are used.

So, pay attention to what is going on around you and how other people write, talk, and behave. And if you should end up in awkward situations where you feel that your language skills are insufficient, remember that English has a few magic words that often work miracles: ‘excuse me’, ‘thank you’ and ‘please’. These words are used much more frequently in English than in Norwegian, regardless of your level of formality.

Below, you will find files containing examples of words and expressions that are used in formal and less formal settings. Download the lists to your computer, and use them in your writing. The lists are not complete, so add other words that you know of.

Clicking here downloads a document with formal and informal words (DOCX)
Clicking here downloads a document about writing formal and informal letters (DOCX)

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How to write a semi-formal letter/email in your GT IELTS Exam?

What this article is about? In this article, we will be discussing how to be sure whether your question is asking you to write a semi-formal letter/email in your GT IELTS writing test, how to plan for a semi-formal letter/email, and finally, how to write a great answer. It also includes a few tips that would help you write an excellent semi-formal IELTS letter/email response that would make sure that you get a high band score in this part of the test.

Before we get into details on how to write a semi-formal letter/email and explore ways to maximise your score for this part of the test, let’s first learn what a semi-formal letter/email is.

What is a semi-formal IELTS Letter/Email? A semi-formal letter/email is neither overly formal nor too informal. It is in between. You write an informal letter/email to a friend and a formal letter to someone you do not know at all. In an informal letter, you are permitted to use informal expressions, colloquial and some idioms. You can also use contractions and personal greetings in such a letter. However, you do not use any informal expressions or colloquial in a formal letter. And in a semi-formal letter, you do not use any contractions, use some idioms, colloquial and expressions which are somehow formal but not extremely formal. In your IELTS test, you write a semi-formal letter to a neighbour, colleague, landlord/landlady or someone you know personally or socially but who is not as close as friends are to you.

The simplest rule to detect if you are required to write a semi-formal letter is that the question would ask you to write a letter to someone whom you personally know but who is not your friend. As the name suggests, “semi-formal” is neither very formal nor informal. It will mostly use a formal tone and language but not too formal that you would otherwise use to write to a person you do not know at all.

What is the difference between a letter writing and an email writing task? Please note that there is no difference between a letter and an email writing response, and your answer would be the same in both cases.

Examples: An example of a semi-formal IELTS Letter Writing Task is given below:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have just moved into a new home and are planning to hold a party. You are worried that the noise may disturb your neighbour.

Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter:

introduce yourself
describe your plans for the party
invite your neighbour to come to the party

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows: Dear ……………,

Now, let’s take a look at an example of a semi-informal IELTS Email Writing Task.

You and your family are living in a rented accommodation in an English-speaking country. You are not satisfied with the condition of some of the furniture.

Write an email to your landlord. In your email:

explain what is wrong with the furniture
say what action you would like the landlord to take

Begin your email as follows: Dear ………….…,

What to do when it gets complicated? Sometimes it may seem difficult to determine if a situation demands a letter/email to be semi-formal or formal. And if you feel this way, rest assured, you are not alone. To explain, the rule of thumb to detect a semi-formal letter is that you are asked to write a letter to someone whom you personally or socially know, but who is not very close to you. For instance, your neighbours, colleagues, and landlords are such people. Now, what about your manager from your job? Is he someone who is close to you or a person you hardly know by his/her name? Moreover, it gets complicated even more when you think that the neighbour who you are going to ask to join a party that you are throwing may have recently moved into your neighbourhood whom you have never met or could be someone you have known for a very long and have a close relationship? It could be confusing to think about what style of letter-writing method (semi-formal or formal) you should adopt while writing to a Human Resource Manager in an office. The HR manager could be someone you have never met in your life and you are writing to him/her to schedule an interview. On the contrary, he/she could be someone in your office whom you meet daily and talk to regularly.

Well, fortunately, you have a shortcut method to address this dilemma in your IELTS test. Just look at the question when it says – “Begin your letter as follows:”

If it says “Dear ……….” or “Dear Mr/Mrs ……….” or simply “Dear Mr/Mrs Moore” , you need to write a semi-formal letter.

If it says “Dear Sir or Madam” , you have to write a formal letter.

Now that we know what a semi-formal letter is and how to detect it, let’s explore how we can plan for it. Please note that you should not spend more than 1 or 2 minutes planning for your letter response.

How to plan to write a semi-formal letter? After you know that you would be writing a semi-formal letter, make a quick mental note about the three bullet points of the questions. Your first task would be to prepare short notes about the things you are going to elaborate on in your answer.

For instance, take the semi-formal letter-writing task below and make some brief notes on the three bullet points first.

Question: You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You are experiencing financial problems and want to ask your landlord if you can pay your rent late.

Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter explain:

why you are writing to him/her
why you cannot pay the rent
when you will pay the rent

Begin your letter as follows: Dear ………………,

First bullet point – “why you are writing to him/her”: A brief note: To say that I’ve always paid rent on time but can’t do so this time. Please allow me to pay my November and December rent together with January’s rent.

Second bullet point – “why you cannot pay the rent”: A brief note: I did not get my salary in November. And I will not get it either in December. However, the office has assured me that they will pay me all due payments in January.

Third bullet point – “when you will pay the rent”: A brief note: within the 10th of January.

Now that you have a good plan for your semi-formal letter response, you need to convert this plan into an actual letter/email response. Now we will do exactly that.

How to write an actual semi-formal letter or email from your plan? Step 1: Start with the salutation. You begin your letter by addressing your landlord or landlady. This part is known as the “salutation”.

You write “Dear Mr” or “Dear Mrs” followed by his/her “last name”, and then a “comma(,)”. For example:

Dear Mr James,

Dear Mrs Julia,

Please do not write – “Hi” , “Hello” , “Dearest” , “My dear landlord” or “Dear Mr James Calvin” . The last one (i.e. “Dear James Calvin”) is incorrect because when you write a semi-formal letter or email, you do not write the full name of the recipient. Rather you write his/her last name.

Step 2: Open your letter with some polite personal greetings but do not make it too personal.

For example: A) I hope you are doing excellent. or, B) I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit.

DO NOT use too personal greetings that you would otherwise write to a friend.

For example, “How’re you? It’s been a long since we last met or talked over the phone. I hope everything is great on your end.” is a suitable greeting to a friend but not to a landlord or landlady.

Step 3: Fully answer all three bullet points. It is a great idea to dedicate a paragraph for each bullet point.

Paragraph dedicated to the first bullet point – [ why you are writing to him/her ]

I am Aaron Fraiser, one of your tenants, living in your Brookley Street apartment for the last two years, and I have always paid my rent on time. However, this time I am requesting you allow me to pay the rent late for the months of November and December. I am positive that I will pay the due amount as well as January’s rent together in January.

Paragraph dedicated to the second bullet point – [ why you cannot pay the rent ]

The reason I can not pay my rent for November and December is that my office is having some difficulties bringing money from overseas clients due to some issues with the international payment with the bank. For this reason, I did not get my November salary and the office has informed me that they may not pay us in December as well. However, they assured us that we will get all our dues in January as the problem is expected to be sorted out before the end of this year.

Paragraph dedicated to the third bullet point – [ when you will pay the rent ] I will pay the dues as well as the rent for the month of January before the 10th of January. I hope it will be okay with you.

Step 4: Close the semi-formal letter. In this part of the letter, you should thank the landlord/landlady for being so understanding. For instance,

1) Thank you in advance. or, 2) Thank you for being so understanding.

Step 5: Sign out the letter. This is the last part of the semi-formal letter that you would write. In this part, you write “Yours sincerely” and then your full name. For instance,

Yours sincerely, Aaron Fraiser

Now we will combine all the parts of the semi-formal letter. The following is the complete answer to the letter topic.

I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit.

I will pay the dues as well as the rent for the month of January before the 10th of January. I hope it will be okay with you.

Thank you for being so understanding.

Note: The above letter contains approximately 209 words. Since you are asked to write at least 150 words, you should not write less than 150 words. If you do, you would lose some important points.

Also, note that we have not used any contractions in our letter and you should not use such contractions (like, I’ve, It’s, I’m etc) in a semi-formal or formal letter/email.

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Exercise 6: Writing an essay for examination from 2024 (Ultimate Guide)

Exercise 6 of the Reading and Writing paper of the IGCSE English as a Second Language (ESL) exam (0510/0511/0991/0993) is always a formal or semi-formal writing. It can be an article, an essay, a report, or a review.

In this article, you will discover how to write an almost-perfect essay that impresses the examiner and gets you the highest band. So, are you ready? Let’s dive in!

So, what is an essay?

An essay is a short piece of writing on a particular subject. The purpose of an essay is to present an argument or point of view about a particular topic and give examples or reasons to support it. The topic will be a question or an issue which people generally have different opinions about.

The essay could present both sides of the argument, or just one, depending on the instructions given in the task. So, if the instructions ask you to give your opinion, you can address just this one point of view, or you can discuss the arguments for and against. But if the task instructions state that arguments for and against should be included, then you should address both points of view.

The Tone and Register of an Essay

In the exam, the essay is usually for your teacher, so the tone and register should be formal or semi-formal . Therefore, it should avoid language that is too idiomatic and colloquial.

Now, before diving into the details of how to write a successful essay, let’s first explore a few differences between articles and essays.

Differences between an article and an essay

An essay is very similar to an article with only a few key differences.

An article is usually published in a newspaper or a magazine, so as far as the exam is concerned, the audience is often students at your school (school magazine article), or sometimes your teacher or the local newspaper.

The audience of an essay is often your teacher (who requested the essay in the first place).

An article is generally written to inform and persuade the reader that a certain viewpoint is correct.

An essay is generally written as a response to a question or a proposition (often by your teacher). It presents an argument or point of view about a particular topic and gives examples or reasons to support it.

Tone and style:

Articles generally have a more objective tone and style, focusing on presenting information in a neutral or balanced manner.

Essays are generally subjective, reflecting the writer’s opinion and perspective.

An article may have a heading to grab the reader’s attention (though not compulsory in the exam).

An essay does not require a heading.

The format of a one-sided argument essay

A one-sided argument essay can have two formats, depending on whether you include a counterargument from the opposing viewpoint or not.

Paragraph 1: Introduction (including your opinion)

Paragraph 2: First point supporting your opinion with an explanation

Paragraph 3: Second point supporting your opinion with an explanation

Paragraph 4: State a counterargument (an idea from the opposing viewpoint) and counter the counterargument (i.e., explain why this counterargument is invalid). In other words, state a point made by people who have a different opinion from yours and explain why they are wrong.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion (including your opinion again but in different words)

Paragraph 2: One or two points supporting your opinion with an explanation

Paragraph 3: One or two points (different from those of the previous paragraph) supporting your opinion with an explanation

Paragraph 4: Conclusion (including your opinion again but in different words)

The format of a two-sided argument essay

Paragraph 1: Introduction (without your opinion)

Paragraph 2: One side of the argument

Paragraph 3: The other side of the argument

Paragraph 4: Conclusion (including your opinion)

Introduction

The purpose of the introduction is to inform the reader about the main point (topic) of the essay and engage the reader to make them interested in the topic. The main components of an effective introduction are:

Topic sentence

Start your essay with a brief topic sentence that outlines the argument that the essay will discuss. Give forceful statements rather than “I think that”, “maybe” or “perhaps”. For example, “Teenagers love fast food.”, “Nowadays, music plays an indispensable role in our lives.”, etc.

To write an effective topic sentence, you might use adverbial time phrases and generalizations . Here are some examples of each.

Adverbial time phrases

Nowadays/these days/currently
Every day/week/year
Recently/for many years/decades
In the past
10 years ago
In the last (few/five) (days/weeks/months/years/decades)

Generalization

A large number of / The vast majority (of)
Several/some
Not many/hardly any/ few
In almost all cases
In the majority of cases
In a large number of cases
In most cases
In some cases
On the whole/ Overall
Rhetorical question(s)

Use rhetorical questions (questions that don’t require an answer but make your reader think) to get the reader interested in the topic and encourage them to read on. For example:

How much longer do animals have to suffer?
Could you live with yourself if you missed out on this opportunity?
How could we possibly stand the …?
What would happen if …?
Could your conscience cope with …?
Is it really worth …?
Do you want to be part of …?
Should students do sport at school?
Should teenagers completely avoid fast food?
We all love convenience food. But is it the best thing for our waistlines, our wallets and our world?
Your opinion (if it is a one-sided argument essay)

If you are writing a two-sided argument essay, DO NOT give your opinion in the introduction.

If you are writing a one-sided argument essay, you MUST give your opinion (whether you support or oppose the viewpoint expressed in the statement).

Here are some opinion phrases to help you express your opinion.

In my opinion/view
From my perspective
From my point of view
I concur/agree
I believe/think (that)
It seems to me that
I am in favour of
I am against the idea of
I am strongly opposed to
I disagree/cannot accept

You may also kill two birds with one stone and begin your essay with a rhetorical question that introduces the topic to the reader, thus acting as a topic sentence. Here are some examples.

“Have you ever thought how school life would be if the school day started later? In my perspective, this will have countless benefits.”

“Should students do sport at school? This is a question which people have different opinions about.”

One-sided essay structure:

Body paragraph 1: First idea supporting your opinion with an explanation

Body paragraph 2: Second idea supporting your opinion with an explanation ( should be different from the first idea )

Body paragraph 3: State a counterargument (an idea from the opposing viewpoint) AND counter the counterargument (i.e., explain why this counterargument is invalid). In other words, state a point made by people who have a different opinion from yours and explain why they are wrong.

Body Paragraph 1: one or two points supporting your opinion with an explanation

Body Paragraph 2: one or two points (different from those of the previous paragraph) supporting your opinion with an explanation

When introducing the counterargument in the 3 rd body paragraph, use any of the following phrases.

Opponents of this idea claim/assert/argue that …
Those who disagree/are against these ideas may say/insist that …
Some people allege/argue/contend that …
Some people may suggest/point out that …
A common counterargument is that …
It can be argued that …

When countering the counterargument in the 3 rd body paragraph, use any of the following phrases depending on the context.

Although true to a certain extent, …
While this may be true to some extent, …
While it is true that …, it is important to consider…
While some may believe that … recent studies have shown that …
What this invalid argument misses is …
What these people fail to notice/take note of is …
The evidence, however, disproves this argument because …
However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that …
However, a closer analysis reveals that …
However, this flawed argument overlooks the fact that …

Two-sided essay structure:

Body paragraph 1: One side of the argument either in favour or against ( mention 2 different ideas )

Body paragraph 2: The other side of the argument either in favour or against ( mention 2 different ideas )

General guidelines for both kinds of essays:

Read the question carefully and draft a plan for your essay in the blank space below the question using a pencil. Here are some steps to follow.
Separate the blank space into two parts, one for and one against.
Jot down any points that come to your mind in the correct part, along with any interesting vocabulary or expressions suitable for the task. Remember to write briefly and in bullet points.
Decide whether you will write a one-sided essay or a two-sided essay. If the instructions in the question state that you must include arguments for and against, then choose the best 2 points supporting each side and write a two-sided essay. If it’s not mentioned that you must include arguments for and against, then the choice is yours.
Consider how you will begin your essay and how you will engage the reader at the start. For example, write some variations of the topic sentence and rhetorical questions that you could use.
Choose the most effective ones and begin writing. Remember to spend no more than 5 minutes on the plan.
Start your body paragraphs with a topic sentence rather than just jumping into the advantages or disadvantages (especially if you’re writing a two-sided essay). This helps to organize your writing and makes the purpose of the paragraph clear to the reader. For example, in an essay discussing the advantages and disadvantages of fast food, it is better to start your first body paragraph with a topic sentence like “There are some obvious advantages of fast food. Firstly, …” rather than just getting into the first point and writing, “To begin with, it’s quite tasty.”.
You can use the few prompts given in the question, but it is better to use your own ideas if you want to get higher marks. If, however, you are out of ideas, use the ideas in the question and make sure to paraphrase them (write them in different words) and develop them well.
Support your ideas with reasons, evidence, or examples . Keep in mind that the examiner knows the evidence or examples will be made up and doesn’t expect these to be correct. Yes, you can make up your own statistics! Just make sure it’s not overly unrealistic.
Keep to the topic (don’t wander away from the main subject of the essay). Remind yourself constantly by looking again at the question.
Use a variety of linking words and cohesive devices (mainly formal) to create a smooth and logical flow in your writing. Here are some examples.

When presenting the first point (used in the 1 st body paragraph of both one-sided essays and two-sided essays)

There are some obvious advantages of
Those in support of … believe that …
People who think … say that …
The main argument in favour of/against is
The main point/reason is
The most important point/reason is
The first point/reason is
First of all
First and foremost

When adding more points to the same side of the argument

In addition,
Furthermore,
Additionally,
Not only … but also…
As well as.
Another noteworthy point is …
Apart from that
What is more

When contrasting ideas (typically used to introduce the opposite viewpoint in the 2 nd body paragraph of a two-sided essay

Some people argue that …
Nevertheless
Even though
In spite of
On the other hand
On the contrary
By contrast

When giving examples

For example
For instance
One clear example is
To illustrate
In other words

When reasoning:

Results and consequences: as a result, consequently, therefore, thus, hence, for this reason, as a result (of), which means that, etc.
Reasons and causes: owing to, because (of), on account of, due to, since, as, etc.

When highlighting and stressing

Particularly
In particular
Specifically

The purpose of the conclusion is to sum up what you have said and express (or re-express) your opinion.

In the conclusion:

Briefly summarize your main points using concluding phrases. Here are some examples.
In conclusion
To conclude
To reiterate
On the whole
All things considered
After weighing the benefits and drawbacks
I believe that …
Thus, I am of the opinion that …
Given these points

Remember to use different words from those used to express the points in the body.

Give your final opinion (regardless of whether it’s a one-sided or a two-sided essay) and any solution or suggestion if applicable.

The solution or suggestion might be part of your opinion if you’re writing a two-sided essay and want to take a balanced view on the issue rather than siding with one side. For example, “Overall, I believe eating fast food occasionally isn’t a problem, but fresh home-cooked food is best.” Use the opinion phrases stated earlier in the Introduction section to express your opinion, and if it’s a one-sided essay, make sure to use different words from those used in the introduction.

End with a strong, impactful statement that leaves the reader with something to think about. This could be a rhetorical question or a statement that encourages the reader to decide what they think about the same viewpoint. For example:
“To conclude, I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should pursue higher education. Why not embrace this invaluable opportunity to fast-track your career, build your confidence, and broaden your social circle?”
“Overall, I believe eating fast food occasionally isn’t a problem, but fresh home-cooked food is best. Do you not think so?”
“After weighing the benefits and the drawbacks, it is apparent that convenience food, while palatable, may negatively impact other areas of your life. Think about this before you reach for your next snack!”

It’s worth mentioning that this step is PREFERABLE . So don’t stress too much about ending your essay with an impactful statement or a rhetorical question. Just make sure that the conclusion reflects the argument presented in the main body of the essay and that your final opinion is clear to the reader.

Points to keep in mind

Read the task carefully to make sure that the ideas and supporting information you include are relevant to the topic. Students often lose focus and write about wider, more general issues associated with the topic, which significantly affects their marks.
Organize your essay into 4-5 paragraphs . Leave a line between paragraphs or indent the first line of each new paragraph. Don’t do both!
Take care of spelling, punctuation, and grammar . This is important as the examiner will look at the accuracy of your language.
Use a combination of simple, compound, and complex sentences . A series of long sentences will make your writing difficult to read, and a series of short simple sentences will make your writing boring to read. Balance is the key.
Use a wide range of formal vocabulary, including some advanced and less commonly used ones .
Include a range of topic-related vocabulary to show that you have a good understanding of the topic.
Use a wide variety of formal linking words to link ideas in sentences and paragraphs. Examples have been mentioned earlier.
Use advanced punctuation sparingly (1-3 in the whole essay), for example, colon (:) and semicolon (;).
Include language appropriate for expressing opinions, agreeing, and disagreeing. In addition to mentioning your opinion in the introduction and/or conclusion, your viewpoint can also be included in the body paragraphs (whether it’s a one-sided or a two-sided essay) by:
Mentioning personal examples or experiences (which implies that you agree with this point of view)
Explicitly agreeing while presenting a point in the body paragraph. Here is an example: “People who think sports lessons are a good idea say that students need exercise, and I agree that doing sports helps to make you healthy and avoid getting overweight.”
Aim to complete towards the maximum word limit (approximately 160 words). Exceeding the word limit slightly (15-20 words) is fine as long as you write accurately and complete the task within the correct time. If you exceed the word limit by any number of words, be it even 100, no marks will be cut directly, but you increase your chances of making more mistakes and spending more time than required for this exercise, which may affect your mark indirectly. If you write towards the lower limit or below, you are highly unlikely to achieve the highest band for Content as your content is not well developed.
Spend about 30 minutes on this exercise : the initial 5 minutes for planning and the last 2-3 minutes for checking your work for simple spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes.
Write legibly

Don’ts

Do not write a heading.
Avoid colloquial or ‘chatty’ language (which includes informal vocabulary, abbreviations, or slang such as how r u, OMG, BTW, etc.).
Avoid listing (firstly, secondly, thirdly, etc.). There is no problem in writing “firstly”, but avoid writing “secondly” and “thirdly”.
Avoid repetition of vocabulary and beginning your sentences with the same words . Sometimes, students write 3 or more sentences in a row starting with “The”!
Avoid including too many different ideas in your essay. It is better to include fewer ideas and develop one or two in greater depth rather than writing many ideas which are not well-developed.
Avoid writing an overlong introduction and conclusion. It would be more effective to utilize the limited word count to develop your ideas within the body of the essay. Also, avoid pre-learned language for these parts of the essay, as this may not be totally relevant or might sound unnatural.
It’s preferable to avoid contractions , but they can be used as the essay can have a semi-formal tone and register. In both cases, remember to be consistent throughout. So, if you used contractions, use them throughout your whole essay, and if not, avoid them altogether.

Practice a lot of past papers and get feedback on your writing. We know that essay writing is newly added to the syllabus, but you can still practice writing essays in response to past years’ article writing questions as they are very similar.

Finally, don’t forget to check out our samples page and if you find this helpful, please share it with your friends.

Good luck! Go get that A*!

21 responses to “Exercise 6: Writing an essay for examination from 2024 (Ultimate Guide)”

Dear ESL KINGS Team,

Your notes have always helped me, including the samples ofcourse. I have made a number of progress, but there is still some questions I have.

To begin with, when would it be perfect/suitable for you to start uploading essay samples? My exam is on May 8 and I really do require their needs. I know that article is basically almost like an essay, But I still haven’t seen a proper essay For esl ever.

Moving on, I wanted to ask that are the International examiners more strict? I am asking this because the samples you have provided have made me totally fall apart as I was shocked by the language required to score top marks. My emails are average on a scale of 13/15 while my formal writings are between 10 – 12, and since I never have experienced the real examiner, I am scared I will even get less then that. It’s my hugest goal to Get around 95 marks from 100 in ESL. For now, If I can estimate I will get around 93 marks which I still don’t find in appeal.

Please do help me with this.

Warm regards, Ayaan Yousuf.

Dear Ayaan,

Thank you for your kind words! We’re glad you’re making progress!

Unfortunately, we may not be able to upload any more samples at the moment as we’re very busy with our exams. However, you may check out Cambridge’s essay sample available here . We appreciate your understanding.

It’s absolutely normal to feel that your writing is not as good as the samples because they are not a standard every student must follow to achieve good mark. They are just meant to inspire you: you can use any of their vocabulary, ideas or structures in your own writing to improve it. You can still score very good marks with a language below that of the samples. Our advice is to focus now on practicing as much as you can instead of how many marks you will score, and you will be able to get your desired grade inshallah.

Best regards, ESL Kings team

Thank you for providing such helpful resources and samples. Your examples are very good and advanced, but I feel my writing isn’t as good. Is this something to worry about, or is it normal? Will the examiners be very strict, or somewhat lenient, considering this is ESL?

Thank you for your kind words! It’s absolutely normal to feel that your writing is not as good as the samples. This is completely understandable and actually a good sign because it provides room for improvement.

We suggest that you get your writing marked by a teacher, a family member, a friend or even yourself; this will give you an idea of where your writing actually stands. And keep practising as much as you can, taking into account the tips we provide in the notes, and you will definitely see progress.

Examiners know of course that this is a second language exam and they mark based on the criteria mentioned in the mark scheme, which is more lenient than a first language exam.

Appreciate this post! Very helpful to me as a teacher.

Thank you! We really appreciate your positive feedback!

Thank you so much for giving us the ideas how to write an essay. Specially, phrases how to begin sentences from each paragraph

You’re welcome 🙂 We’re glad it helped!

Wonderful materials for my students who are going to take the exam next May. Thank you so much

Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We’re glad our notes are benefiting your students! Good luck to them!

Thank you so much for your help! Could you also post some sample essays, it would be very helpful for us!!

Hi Sara, thank you for your comment! We will definitely consider adding them after completing the review writing notes which we are currently working on.

What do you mean by do not write a heading? Do you mean we shouldn’t have a title for the essay?

Yes, an essay doesn’t require a title. Trying to come up with one will use up your exam time unnecessarily.

Is there going to be direct deduction of marks if written?

yes no title in essay

Hello, I’m having my exam in 4 months and I can’t believe I didn’t know about this website before, seriously I wholeheartedly appreciate what you do, I heard there’s a service where you can correct or give feedback on pieces of writings and grade them, is it available?

Thank you so much for your nice comment! We really appreciate it! Our marking service was available, but unfortunately, it is now suspended as it requires a lot of time and effort, which we can’t provide at the moment. We apologize for this! And we wish you good luck with your exam!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORT AND TIME CREATING THESE SUPER AMAZING NOTES AND TIPS FOR WRITING EXERCISES

Thank you for your kind words! We’re really glad you found them helpful!

8 Tips to Make Your Writing Sound More Formal

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Here at ProofreadingPal , we get a lot of requests to “elevate tone,” “create a scholarly tone,” and “increase the formality,” and even “help this sound smart.” Truthfully, we cannot make you sound “smart.” There is no substitute for good ideas, but we can (and do) help you elevate your tone and make you sound like a bona fide professional-thinking person. Here are some handy tricks that you can use yourself.

Avoid colloquial, informal words

I see a surprisingly high number of formal academic/business works that include words that are better left for the water cooler or over a spirited discussion of the merits of Michael Bay movies. Some words to avoid are “totally” (use “completely” instead), “basically” (just avoid it), “impact” (mostly as a verb. You shouldn’t say “that will impact me”), “wicked” (only use this when chatting in online games), and “cool” (this word can mean just about anything. Try to choose a more precise word). In general, avoid all slang words (e.g., rad, YOLO, heaps, guv). If in doubt, see if you could imagine your professor or boss using it. If not, avoid it.

Proper use of “such as”

In formal writing, never use “like.” It’s probably the most commonly used feature of speech today for certain populations, but avoid it in formal writing. Compare:

Animals, like bears and tigers, are interesting. Animals, such as bears and tigers, are interesting.

See how much more formal the second sounds?

Get a free sample proofread and edit for your document. Two professional proofreaders will proofread and edit your document.

Avoid contractions

Contractions such as “can’t,” “didn’t,” and “I’m” are purely a product of verbal speech. We speak in contractions, but the convention is that, for formal, non-fiction writing, we shouldn’t write in them. When writing a formal business letter or an academic essay, forego contractions. It’s easy to use the Word FIND function to seek them out and destroy them.

Avoid clichés

Common Formality Mistakes

This guide wouldn’t be complete without a look at some common practices that people use to make their writing more formal that don’t work. Here are a few practices we end up having to correct time and time again.

5. Don’t use passive voice . Passive voice is wordy, but being formal has nothing to do with wordiness.

Don’t use thesaurus words you don’t fully understand. Big words don’t make your writing sound more formal, and this can backfire when you pick a word that doesn’t mean what you think it means. Take the sentence, “I saw a red dog walking down the street.” Easy, right? But using too much of a thesaurus might cause you to create: “I consulted a bloodshot mongrel marching down the highway,” which clearly is not what you intended.
Don’t be wordy.

In all writing, wherever possible, brevity is the soul of wit. (Even I can’t avoid clichés, but at least that’s Shakespeare.) That means, always keep your prose as simple as possible . You may think, “The item that we are discussing could be the solution we are looking for to solve our problem,” sounds better because it’s long, but it’ll just annoy your reader. “That is the solution to our problem,” is better.

Don’t mangle your sentences with third person.

Some professors still insist their students use third person to make their writing sound more formal, but (and always check with your professor first) style guides such as APA (and us) recommend you use first or second person to prevent passive voice and ambiguous language. Take: “The researcher applied a qualitative approach to the study” for example. Who is the researcher? You or someone else? This is ambiguous. It’s better to say, “I will take a qualitative approach to the study,” and this doesn’t sound any less formal.

Happy writing, and good luck.

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Writing Tips

How to Use the Semicolon in Academic Writing

3-minute read

21st October 2016

Today, friends and frenemies (we know you’re out there), we’re looking at the semicolon, including when this punctuation mark should be used in formal writing (i.e. not for making emoticons wink ). We’ll also take a look at the difference between semicolons and colons.

Using a Semicolon to Link Sentences

The main use of the semicolon is to link two sentences. This emphasizes a connection between independent clauses that would otherwise be separated by a period. For instance, the following sentences work by themselves:

My favorite food is spam. I spend a fortune on tinned meat.

However, we could link them with a semicolon to show that they are connected:

My favorite food is spam; I spend a fortune on tinned meat.

This makes it obvious that my love of spam and my meat expenses are related.

I also wear this outfit every day. I have a serious problem. (Photo: Charles LeBlanc/flickr)

Linking sentences like this is common when the second sentence starts with a conjunctive adverb (e.g., “however” or “furthermore”) or a transition phrase (e.g., “as a result”):

I love spam; consequently, I eat it for every meal.

As above, this emphasizes the connection between the two statements.

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t use a semicolon before conjunctions like “but” or “and,” although they can be used for clarity if either of the clauses being joined contains a comma .

Using Semicolons in a List

The second important use of semicolons is to separate items in a list . Usually, commas are enough for short, simple lists (like the following):

The menu offered four choices: spam, eggs, grits or pancakes.

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However, if the listed items are more complex and already include commas, using semicolons to distinguish between them aids clarity:

The menu offered four choices: spam, fries and beans; pancakes, syrup and spam; egg, bacon and spam; or spam, spam, spam, spam and spam .

Here, for instance, using semicolons clearly shows where one item on the menu ends and another begins. Using only commas in a list like this, by comparison, could be confusing.

Semicolon or Colon?

Knowing when to use a semicolon and when to use a colon can be tricky, since colons can also be used to link two related sentences. There are two factors to consider here.

The first is that semicolons can only be used to link complete sentences, whereas the information following a colon can be as little as a single word. For instance:

There’s only one food I can’t stand: spam.

If we wanted to rewrite this using a semicolon, we’d have to use two independent clauses:

There’s only one food I can’t stand; I hate the taste of spam.

The second consideration is that the information following a colon is usually an explanation or specification of a general statement (i.e., more general: more specific ).

With a semicolon, however, the sentences linked are typically of equal weight or importance.

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Essay: formal, semi-formal and informal essays explained, alfred ajibola - thu, 24th january, 2019 @ 5:08 pm, topics in english phrase: types of phrase clause explained with its types essay: how to write the major types of essay nouns and adjectives: examples of nouns formed from adjectives meaning and examples of homonyms idioms and examples of idioms synonyms: meaning and examples of synonyms figures of speech: meaning, examples and types of figure of speech relative pronouns and compound relative pronouns explained with examples transitive and intransitive verbs explained with examples phrase explained with examples essay: formal, semi-formal and informal essays explained, academic questions in english please click here to see all questions and answers for this question and the three questions below, choose the option that best completes the sentence. the doctor _____ the illness as malaria, not dysentery. a. discovered b. diagnosed c. tested d. examined e. announced f. prescribed the principal reacted to the disrespectful action of the student with strong _____. a. indignation b. condemnation c. accusation d. demonstration e. mobilization f. impunity since the writer did not indicate his name , the editor did not publish such a/an _____ article. a. poor b. libellous c. discourteous d. impolite e. anonymous f. scandalous the play was so interesting that the _____ clapped for a long time at the end. a. congregation b. fans c. spectators d. audience e. watchers f. people answer true of false with regards to the sentence below: ' humility ' is a noun and ' humble ' is an adjective a. true b. false a part of a sentence or clause that contains a verb and something concerning the subject within that sentence is termed a/an _____. a. predicate b. object c. adverbial clause d. adverbial phrase e. half clause f. body of adverbial clause the acronym wi-fi stands for _____. a. wireless files b. wireless flips c. wireless fidelity d. wireless freedom e. wireless and free f. wireless fun the words massacre and bloodbath are _____. a. antonyms b. synonyms c. homonyms d. homophones e. heteronyms f. heterophone.

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What are Essays ?

Often times as students, we are asked to write essays. The word 'essay' is derived from the Latin word 'exagium', which means 'to present one’s case'.

An essay is defined as a short piece of writing on a particular subject; with an expression on one's perspective or point of view.

Through an essay, one is able to:

Narrate an experience

Present his or her side of a story

Tell a story

Explain or expose some hidden details about a story

Generally, essays are expressed or written in 3 forms. These are:

Formally (Formal Essays)

Informally (Informal Essays)

Semi-formally (Semi-formal Essays)

Formal Essays

Formal essays are not personal. In terms of writing, they usually follow a specific form, structure and pattern, although this may still vary based on the type of essay.

To properly write a formal essay, the subject of such essay becomes the main focus; thus there is no need for excessive salutation or 'beating around the bush' in this form of essay writing.

We will often write formal essays for official, professional, governmental or academic purposes. Take for instance, when one sees an employment opening for his or her dream job, such person will need to write a formal essay to the hiring manager.

It is worthy of note to state that slangs, idiomatic expressions and colloquialism are not required when writing a formal essay.

Please read on slangs and other figures of speech here .

In the course of writing a formal essay, it is recommended not to use the 'first person pronouns' as a form of reference.

First person pronoun include words like: 'I, We, He, She' and so on. Consider the instance below:

Instead of writing: I made fifty percent increase in sales during my first year.
We could write: Sales was increased by fifty percent during the first year.

Please read more on relative pronouns here .

Also, it is recommended we avoid contraction or shortening of words in formal essays. For instance:

Instead of writing: The manager of my previous job won't agree with me.
We could write: The manager of my previous job will not agree with me.

Please read on nouns formed from adjectives here .

Formal essays are polite in writing and neutral in style. The salutation in formal essays will typically begin with 'Dear Sir / Madam' and end with 'Yours Faithfully' followed by your signature and your name.

Informal Essays

Informal essays do not follow a specified set of structure. This is so because they are typically written to a friend, relative or a family member.

Since they are often personal, an informal essay may contain some element of humor. To this end, slang, idiomatic expressions and contractions can be used here because you are are writing to a friend or loved one.

Please read more on idioms here .

The salutation of an informal essay will usually begin with 'Dear Name' and end with something special; for instance, 'Yours Ever', 'Yours Truly' and so on.

Semi-formal Essays

Semi-formal essays have some of the characteristics of formal and an informal essay. They are generally written to groups we know about and are part of.

Such written essays will be read to the members of such group. Take for instance, one who belongs to a group may write a semi-formal essay to such group regarding an assignment, a project or a report.

You can read on phrases and clauses here .

It is worthy of note to state that slogans associated with the group may be included in a semi-formal essay. This makes a lot of sense since the slogan used is considered as an official language in the specific group to which the essay is addressed.

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The furry tufts of hair inside a cat's ear are called ear furnishings

There are only four words in the English language that end in ' dous '. These are:

Tremen dous

Horren dous

Stupen dous

Notable points in English Homonyms are words with the same spellings, same sounds but different meanings. Below are some sentences containing homonyms with their respective meanings: Keen We have a keen match against Ronaldo’s team and Messi seems to be keen . Keen : An involvement of people competing very hard for something. Keen : Very interested in something. Tear Regardless the tear you shed, Mr. Frank will still tear your examination scripts. Tear : The drop of liquid that comes out from a person's eye when they cry. Tear : To damage something by pulling or cutting it apart. Jot There isn't any jot of truth in what he said, so I didn't jot anything down. Jot : A very small amount of something Jot : To write something quickly Please read more on homonyms here Certain words in English language appear to be similar but are quite different in meaning. The table below shows some examples: Childlike Childish Stimulus Stimulant Destructible Destructive Negligible Negligent Comprehensible Comprehensive Synonyms should not be confused with the above instance. They are different words with similar meanings. Please read more on synonyms here . Some words always exist in the plural form. Examples of such words are: Scissors Shears Alms News Trousers Possessive adjective tells you the owner of a thing. For instance; This is his car. 'His' in the above statement is describing him as the owner of the car; and this makes 'his' a possessive adjective. That is your bag. 'Your' is a possessive adjective in the above statement. Note : An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Possessive pronouns show possession. A possessive pronoun will always correspond with each of the personal pronouns. For Instance: I own the book. ('I' is a personal pronoun) The book is mine . ('Mine' is the possessive pronoun) She owns a car. ('She' is a personal pronoun) The car is hers . ('Hers' is the possessive pronoun)

How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example

If you’re a student, you’ve heard about a formal essay: a factual, research-based paper written in 3rd person. Most students have to produce dozens of them during their educational career. 

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

The picture enumerates the characteristics of a formal essay.

Writing a formal essay may not be the easiest task. But fear not: our custom-writing team is here to guide you through the process. This article will:

explain what a formal essay is;
show how to write it step by step;
provide you with an essay sample.

👔 Formal Essay Definition

✅ How to Write
✍️ Writing Rules
🖥️ Essay Format
📑 Sample Paper

🔍 References

A formal essay is a well-structured piece of writing with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. This type of essay often includes cited research, uses an academic tone, and is written in 3rd person. While writing a formal essay, it’s necessary to back up your arguments with factual evidence.

What Is an Informal Essay vs. Formal Essay?

Essays come in two formats: formal and informal (also known as personal .) They differ in terms of style and context. You can choose one of the formats depending on the situation and the type of paper you need to write.

Don’t know how to tell the difference between them? Well, here are some key characteristics of these essay types:

As you can see, these types of writing are almost total opposites. Informal essays are only reserved for creative assignments, which means that most of the papers you write need to be formal.

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Our article on creative essays can help you write an informal paper. But how do you craft a perfect formal essay? Keep reading to find out.

✅ How to Write a Formal Essay

Traditionally, a formal essay it’s composed of 3 sections: an introduction, 3 or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Let’s examine each part in detail.

Formal Essay Introduction

The introduction is what your essay starts with. Its primary goal is to catch the reader’s attention with a hook, briefly introduce the topic, and lead toward the thesis statement located at the end of the first paragraph.

Here is what you might want to keep in mind while writing the introduction:

If you want some more inspiration for your introduction, check out our article on hooks in writing .

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Now on to the thesis statement : the key idea of your essay. When working on it, keep in mind that it should answer the central question in your topic and reflect your essay’s overall structure. your essay’s overall structure.

Suppose your topic is related to the teaching methods involving poetry. In that case, the thesis statement can be like this:

Teaching methods that involve reading and writing poetry in elementary school are beneficial for children as they enhance their capacity for empathy, develop creativity, and help with self-realization.

Formal Essay Body

The next part of an essay is the main body paragraphs. They support the thesis statement with well-developed arguments and explore the topic in-depth. Each body paragraph starts with a topic sentence stating its main point. The length of a paragraph can vary, but the best option is to have between 4 and 7 sentences.

To make the text flow easily, you may use transitional words. Here are some examples:

after all, 
for instance, 
on the one/other hand, 
initially, 
as a result.

How to Write a Formal Essay Conclusion

Lastly, every essay needs closure. A good conclusion summarizes the essay’s main ideas, includes a paraphrased thesis, and encourages the readers to think more about the topic.

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The structure of a conclusion may change slightly depending on the subject. For instance, it can suggest some solutions to a problem, express an opinion, or give a recommendation. It’s important to remember that the conclusion is a part that emphasizes your essay’s most important points and doesn’t introduce new information.

If you’re curious about writing each essay part, check out our article on 5-paragraph essays .

✍️ Formal Writing Rules

Just like choosing the proper attire to wear to a formal event, we need to use the right words while writing a formal essay. Here are some suggestions that can help you maintain a formal tone in your paper:  

Dos of formal writing

Pay attention to your vocabulary. The words you will use in a formal essay will likely have a nuanced meaning. Make sure you know exactly what the terms mean, and do your best to sound precise.
Use punctuation correctly. Here are some of the things to watch out for: Avoid exclamation marks; Use dashes for insertions; Use colons with enumerations; If you’re unsure of whether to use a punctuation mark or not, rewrite the sentence in a way that doesn’t require it.
Use varied sentence structure. In formal writing, there is always a danger of sounding monotonous. Avoid repeating sentence structures to make your essay more readable.
Provide references. It’s essential to cite every idea that you borrow. Try to paraphrase quotations from your sources: it will help you avoid plagiarism.

Don’ts of formal writing

Avoid using pronouns.  With words such as “I,” “me,” “we,” or “us,” an essay becomes wordy. It also makes the author seem less sure of their ideas. If you want to use personal pronouns, try substituting them with words like “the reader,” “viewers,” or “one.”
Avoid using slang expressions and nonstandard diction. Slang words in a formal essay will make it less appealing to the readers. If you want to be taken seriously, it’s best to avoid those expressions and use proper Standard English.
Avoid informal tone.  When you write a formal essay, incorporate the language and the expressions you would use while delivering a speech, not the words you use when you casually talk to friends. A formal tone suggests that the author is serious about the topic and respects the audience.
Avoid passive voice. Passive verbs are hard to read, and they are wordy. Use active voice to sound more straightforward and concise.

Contractions in Formal Writing

A contraction is usually a combination of two words into one, such as “don’t,” “isn’t,” “can’t,” and “wouldn’t.” When you work on a formal essay, it’s essential to be careful about contractions. It’s inappropriate to use them in academic writing, so it’s best to stick to the full variant.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, when working with direct quotations, it’s essential to reproduce words exactly as they are used in the original. To learn more about it, be sure to check out the University of North Florida’s article on in-text citations .

What to Use Instead of “You” in an Essay

Another common mistake students make is using the “you” and “yours” pronouns to address the readers. This mistake can make the essay overly informal and lead to misinterpretations of the text.

How do you fix it? Our advice is to replace 2nd-person pronouns with the following words:

individuals,

You can find more formal writing tips in this informative video from Smrt English:

🖥️ Formal Essay Format

Now that we’ve discussed formal essay writing in detail, it’s time to look at the formatting. A formal essay is usually written in MLA or APA formats. If you’re asked to write a paper in one of these formats, you may find the guidelines below helpful:

📑 Formal Essay Example

Here is an excellent sample of a formal essay that uses all the guidelines mentioned in this article. It will help you to produce a perfect paper of your own:

For more information, check out Purdue OWL’s resources on various formatting styles .

Formal Essay Topics

Stress management techniques
The effects of coffee
Negative effects of technology on children
Causes and outcomes of organizational conflicts in sports
Different types of friends
Same-sex marriages in the United States
Are early marriages harmful or beneficial?
How do nutrition and hydration improve athletes’ performance?
Is polygamy morally acceptable?
Different features of sports business
What characterizes friendship in the age of media ?
Positive and negative effects of tourism on environment in the Caribbean
How does society treat single parents ?
How does the uninvolved parenting style affect child’s future well-being?
The role of family relationships in Odyssey
Financial concepts in sport finance
Main features of a strong marriage
The importance of media coverage for sport teams
Reasons why students choose to get internship
The role of stadiums in the sports industry
The multiracial family: the Carters case analysis
Characteristics of children’s sports
Crucial factors affecting health fitness
How is technology used in hotel management?
Structure and operational context of Four Seasons
What are the main qualities of a true friend?
Different websites that promote rental properties
The imperative aspects of tourism
Importance of hotel training
What factors determine adolescents’ adjustment after they experience parental divorce ?
How does tobacco use affect the human body?
The importance of language and world view for communication
What makes a combination of reinforcement and punishment in parenting efficient?
The scientific approach of sports economics
How does divorce affect children?
Living on-campus vs. living off-campus when attending university: a comparison
How does the New Moves program promote a healthy lifestyle?
How to be an effective counselor
Various types of restaurants in Ireland
Carolina Dog’s characteristics
Comparison of Monzameon’s The Love Suicides at Amijima and Tartuffe by Moliere
Comparing homosexual and heterosexual families
How is family presented in Everyday Use by Alice Walker ?
In what ways can Anaerobic Threshold be assessed?
Is bad parenting a healthcare problem?
Why student-athletes should benefit from sports
Mind-body awareness and its health benefits
Can punishment boost academic performance?
Techniques to teach students swimming
Issues faced by the sports licensing field

Thanks for reading through this guide! We hope that you found it helpful and now have a better idea of how to write an excellent formal essay. Don’t hesitate to share our article with a friend who may need it. Good luck!

❓ Formal Essay FAQs

It’s best not to use pronouns such as “I,” “my,” “we,” “our,” etc., in a formal essay since it give the paper an informal tone and the text becomes wordy. It also makes the writer seem less sure about their ideas.

It’s better to avoid using parentheses and dashes in formal academic writing. If the information you want to include in the essay is important enough, it should be a part of the sentence. Otherwise, you can simply omit it.

The formal and informal essays differ in style and context. While a formal essay is a piece of well-structured writing that tries to convince the reader by providing arguments, an informal essay has no set structure. It reflects the author’s personal thoughts or opinions.

Starting your sentence with “because” in formal writing is not the best idea. The word “because” is a subordinate conjunction, which means it’s used to join the main clause to a subordinate clause, not to start a sentence.

It’s best to avoid using 1st- and 2nd-person pronouns, slang expressions, nonstandard diction, and contractions in a formal essay. They are primarily used in daily speech and are considered inappropriate in academic writing. 

Point of View in Academic Writing: St. Louis Community College
Components of a Good Essay: University of Evansville
Introductions & Conclusions: University of Arizona Global Campus
How to Improve Your Academic Writing: University of York
Nine Basic Ways to Improve Your Style in Academic Writing: University of California, Berkeley
Academic Writing Style: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: University of Southern California
Formal and Informal Style: Northern Illinois University
Formal Writing: Davenport University: LibGuides
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How To Write A Semi-Formal Letter? Format & Templates Included

In this post, we will look at how to write a semi-formal letter .

A semi-formal letter is written to someone that you know by name and with whom you have a professional or business relationship with, for instance; your teacher, accountant, landlord, etc. The surname should be used when addressing them – Dear Mrs.Thomas, Dear Mr Jones.

A semi-formal greeting > Dear Mr Hopkins, Dear Mrs Thomas

When signing off the letter, ‘Yours truly’ , ‘Sincerely yours’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ would be used for semi-formal or formal letters. In semi-formal letters, you can also use – ‘With best wishes’ and ‘With regards’ .

Here is an example of a semi-formal letter structure >>

Semi-formal Question Example >>

You must include the information that is required, in this example, you have to make a request, for a meeting with your boss to discuss a problem at work with another colleague. It is semi-formal because it is someone that the letter writer knows, but it is not a close friend.

Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”

Model Answer >>

Dear Mrs Amble

I am writing to you to request a meeting, to discuss some issues that have arisen with a member of my team.

I have been working with Ronnie Smith for over a year now and while he was a model member of the team, he has now become distant and irritable. Last week he disappeared during a very important lesson and reappeared over three hours later with no explanation. When confronted he made a flimsy excuse for his whereabouts.

I can assure you that I have been very flexible and understanding over previous time management issues, however, his erratic behaviour is becoming more frequent. I would like to meet with you on Wednesday 15th at 3 pm and examine the best way to approach this situation.

I hope this is an acceptable time to meet, please contact me at the earliest opportunity to re-arrange if there is a problem.

Yours Sincerely, Steve King.

(Word Count – 156 / Band Score 9)

This letter covers the three main points in the task – why he is writing to her, gives further details of the problem in the second paragraph and in the final paragraph when he would like to have a meeting to discuss it further.

It has been clearly organised with each key point being written about in a separate paragraph.

Paragraph 1 – Explains why he is writing to the boss
Paragraph 2 – Details of the issue/problem
Paragraph 3 – Gives dates/time that they can arrange a meeting

The tone of the letter is polite and therefore appropriate as it is being sent to a work colleague (I am writing to you to request…..I can assure you….please contact me at the earliest opportunity)

There is also evidence of a range of sentence structures , with no grammatical or spelling errors.

Sample Questions: Semi-Formal Letters Sample | IELTS General Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You eat in your college cafeteria everyday lunchtime. However, you think it needs some improvements. Write a letter to the college magazine. In your letter, explain what you like about the cafeteria say what is wrong with it suggest how it could be improved You should write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear ………………,

Explore more topics: Semi-Formal Letters Sample | IELTS General Writing Task 1 You recently attended a conference and you would like to give a presentation in your office about the information you gained by attending the conference. You are having a graduation party next Saturday . Letter to the training organiser to express interest You are organizing a trip for a group of students

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If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.

You live in a flat and you have a tenancy agreement- IELTS General Writing Task 1 [Semi-Formal Letter]

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You live in a flat and…

Your neighbours have recently written to you to complain about the noise from your houseflat: Semi-Formal Letter [IELTS General Writing Task 1 ]

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Your neighbours have recently written to you to…

6 thoughts on “How To Write A Semi-Formal Letter? Format & Templates Included”

When signing off the letter should it be at the right or left side of the letter.

It is generally on the left side[ English language ].

I like this web site so much it has great English topics

I’m so glad to see this wed site and the English topics.

This website it has good English that you can understand

When they say 150 words do they include ( l, a ) as words

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How to Write a Semi-formal Letter

Let’s learn how to write a semi-formal letter

We write semi-formal letters to people that we do not know very well but know by name and with whom we have a professional or business relationship with, for instance, your teacher, host family, boss, etc .
Semi-formal letters are usually more polite than informal letters and are written in a neutral style.
The surname should be used when addressing people – Dear Mrs.Thomas, Dear Mr Jones,
When signing off the letter, ‘Yours truly’ , ‘Sincerely yours’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ would be used for semi-formal or formal letters.
In semi-formal letters, you can also use – ‘With best wishes’, ‘Cordial regards’, ‘With best personal regards’ and ‘With regards’ .
It is important that you do not omit the opening and closing statements.
Opening remarks: I am writing to tell you … It was very kind of you … It is very kind … I am writing to request …
Closing remarks: Thank you very much for your … I am looking forwad to … I would be very grateful if you could …
You must organise your semi-formal letter into 4-5 paragraphs including the opening and closing statements. Before you begin writing spend some time deciding how you will effectively structure the letter and read each bullet point carefully.
It is important, when writing this type of letter, to make sure that your writing is neither too formal nor too informal.
Semi-formal or neutral style is characterized by: a polite, respectful tone; less colloquial language; less frequent use of short forms, phrasal verbs and idioms.
You may occasionally want to abbreviate but do not use ‘text language ‘ (UR, SU) in the exam, even in the informal letter to a friend. It’s okay to use these abbreviations though in your informal and semi-formal letter: i.e. = I’m going to explain what I mean using different words. e.g. = I am going to give an example. Etc. = and other similar things.
In semi-formal letter writing you can use contracted forms, e.g. it’s, won’t, don’t. etc. but this depends on who you are writing to and the overall formality of the letter.
Don’t forget to use linking words .

Compare some expressions of informal and semi-formal letters:

Informal: Why not phone the secretary and ask her?
Semi-formal: It would be a good idea if you phoned the secretary and ask her.
Informal: I’m sorry, but I can’t come on Friday night.
Semi-formal: I’m afraid I won’t be able to come on Friday in the evening.
Informal: I didn’t like the food.
Semi-formal: I was dissatisfied with the food.
Informal: What do you need?
Semi-formal: Please let us know your requirements
Informal: Many thanks for … Thanks for your letter.
Semi-formal: Thank you for your letter.
Informal: Sorry, I can’t make it to the …
S emi-formal: I am sorry but I will not be able to come to … . Please accept my apologies for … .
Informal: (I’m) So sorry to tell you that … .
Semi-formal: I am sorry to say that I / we … .
Informal: I promise to +verb or I promise + that clause
Semi-formal: I / we can assure you that … .
Informal: Could / Would you … ?
Semi-formal: I was wondering if you could / would … ?
Informal: Don’t forget … .
Semi formal: We/ I would like to remind you that … .
Informal: But … Also… So…
Semi-formal: However, In addition, Therefore, …
Informal: Can you … , please … ?
Semi-formal: Could you please … ?
Informal: I’m sorry for putting you out.
Semi-formal: I am sorry for inconveniencing you.
Informal: I thought I’d drop you a line to ask about …
Semi-formal: I am writing to request information about …
Informal: Can you …
Semi-formal: I was wondering if you could .. .

And here is an example of a semi-formal letter:

Dear Mr and Mrs Brown,

Thank you very much for your letter. Since I left England, a lot has happened.

To begin with, I have been very busy with my studies. Now that I am in the last year of university, we seem to have one exam after another! I also have to look for a job. Next week I have an interview with a psychologist firm. I hope it will be successful.

Furthermore, I am still fond of running and doing high jumping. Next year I am going to take part in competitions.

My month in England with you really seems to have improved my English . According to my teacher I hardly make any mistakes in grammar. And my English conversations are now at a high level. Once again I would like to say how grateful I am for your kindness and hospitality.

Thank you once again for your letter.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes,

One more sample of a semi-formal letter

You are working for a company. You need to take some time off and want to ask your manager about this. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter: explain why you want to take time off give details of the amount of time you need suggest how your work could be covered while you are away.

Dear Mr Jones,

I am writing to request a few days of unpaid leave in March.

It is my parents’ wedding anniversary on 22nd March and they are planning to celebrate their special day with their children and grandchildren in a cottage, which they have rented to accommodate all the family.

To participate in this special occasion I would need to be away from work for four days, from Tuesday 19th to Friday 22nd. My schedule for that week is relatively light apart from two meetings with clients. Anna would be able to attend the meetings in my place, as she has dealt with both of these clients in the past. I have no other meetings nor any other urgent work that needs to be completed at that time.

I would be very grateful if you could allow me to take these four days off as it is very important to my parents that I attend and I would appreciate it if you could let me know by the end of the week.

Kind regards,

Based on: www.lingq.com; www.blog.e2language.com

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Writing (Informal, Formal and Semi-Formal Letters)

Back to: ENGLISH LANGUAGE JSS3

Welcome to Class !!

We are eager to have you join us !!

In today’s English Language class, We will be learning how to Write Informal, Semi-Formal and Formal Letters. We hope you enjoy the class!

Informal, Semi-Formal and Formal Letters (Revision).

Informal letter.

Informal letters are private or personal letters. They are letters we write to people who are very familiar to us such as our parents, friends, classmates, etc.

FEATURES OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

Writer’s address and date
Salutation e.g. Dear Efe,
Introduction
Body of the letter
Subscript e.g Your friend,

Sample Informal Letter

sample personal letter business studies classnotesng

Semi-Formal Letter

Semi-formal letters are letters we write to people who are not totally strange to us but are not close enough to us to deserve personal letters. E.g. our teachers, family doctor, priest etc. The semi-formal letter is more related to the informal letter than to the formal letter.

FEATURES OF A SEMI-FORMAL LETTER

Salutation e.g. Dear Mr Eze, Dear Mrs Jones,
Subscript, e.g. Yours sincerely,

Sample Semi-Formal Letter

Formal Letter

Formal letters are also called official or business letters. They are written to people in their official positions. They are people we do not know personally, e.g. Local government chairmen, commissioners, etc.

FEATURES OF A FORMAL LETTER

Receiver’s address
Salutation e.g. Dear Sir, Dear Madam
Heading or topic or title e.g. Application for the Post of a Teacher; Invitation to a Religious Seminar etc
Conclusion (usually very short)
Subscript e.g. Yours faithfully,

(Signature)

Writer’s full name.

Evaluation:

Write a letter to your elder brother who is schooling at home, telling him your problems in school and asking him to help contact your parents.
Write a letter to the director of your school, telling him why you cannot resume with your mates on your resumption day.

Reading Assignment: Read more on the topic from Exam Focus.

References: Countdown English Language by Ogunsanwo; 120 Graded Essays for Junior Secondary School by Omoju

Weekend Assignment: Effective English for JSS 3 page 239 – 240, questions 6

We have come to the end of this class. We do hope you enjoyed the class?

Should you have any further question, feel free to ask in the comment section below and trust us to respond as soon as possible.

In our next class, we will be learning about Emphatic Stress. We are very much eager to meet you there.

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2 thoughts on “Writing (Informal, Formal and Semi-Formal Letters)”

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Formal and Semi-formal Emails - How to write an email in English? Dos & Don'ts (Jak napisać maila po angielsku?)

In majority of offices it is now an every day chore – to write emails in English, to compose them, to answer them, to deal with different problems connected with written communication in English. Today I'll try to show you a few characteristic features of formal and semi-formal emails, give a few dos and some don'ts on the topic ;)

OPENING (LINES)

Signing off, your signature, what grammar/language is traditionally typical of formal style.

longer, more complex sentences:
indirect questions:
passive voice
formal vocabulary and rather old-fashioned expressions:
lack of contractions (short forms), abbreviations, acronyms, phrasal verbs or colloquial terms:

BE CAREFUL!

Do not overuse long, complex sentences! Some style guides even talk about the KISS principle (Keep It Short and Simple)
Do not overuse passive voice! Use it only when necessary and also make sure that it doesn't make your text difficult to understand.
Avoid Kindly , Kindly be .., Herewith etc., as it is archaic. The same goes for the expressions like: Please be informed...
Do not write things like: Enclosed/attached please find... The reason is simple – only use please find... when you have lost something and you want your reader to find it... (Instead use: Here is ; Enclosed is ; Attached is ; I have attached/enclosed ; The attached document shows..., etc.)
Forget To whom it may concern ! If you still remember it... ;)
Do not use too informal language – acronyms or abbreviations like ASAP or gr8, lol, thx might feel too informal!
Maybe it's obvious, but... Avoid CapsLock! and capitalising everything – it's like shouting directly to somebody's ear...

Some useful tips to remember about:

KISS (mentioned above)
be ABC (Accurate – check facts, include details and proofread; Brief – keep it short, use simple but not simplistic language, avoid jargon if the recipients do not know it; Clear – use plain English, natural style and avoid formality or radical informality)
If you are not sure about the level of formality to use – if possible follow the style of the email you have received from your correspondent .
I found that in many big companies there is something like 'common email practice' which tells workers what style/language or phrases are used. It is not usually written, but it 'exists' in the bowels of the offices ;) Use it!
make your email look clear and ordered – look above at my plan for an email and remember about spacing between paragraphs!

4 komentarze:

Jak się pisze greatings czy może greetings? Może warto sprawdzić taki drobiazg przed publikacją...

Zawsze warto i zawsze coś się trafi takiego ;) Dziękuję za czujność Anonimowy!

png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /> Another handy accessory that should help you “pee” discreetly is the Quick Fix urine belt. It’s a whole “urinary system” with a bladder bag and tube. You only need to wear it under your clothing. It’s a very convenient way to transport the fake urine discreetly before the drug test. You should activate them at least one hour before the test and you can easily check the temperature with the reusable temperature strips. These strips can read the accurate temperature of the mixture, helping you determine whether or not more heat is needed. Visit: https://www.urineworld.com/

Just to clarify, there is no sure-shot way to pass a drug test. However, the most suggested method is to consume a detoxing drinking to layer up the can and additional cannabinoids or simply try washing out your system and increasing water intake as much as possible to dilute. It is advised that weed is not consumed ahead of any drug test. It is essential that water intake is encouraged and natural diuretics are used to wash out the system. Hydration is necessary, and if possible, drink a sports drink or another drink that consists of electrolytes in large quantities. On your test day, check for the instructions to follow on the detoxing drinking box whichever is opted, and go for it. When it is a drug test, there is no single way to assure 100% result. So, instead of choosing one, go for mixed ones. Ahead of the test, start drinking as much water as possible.

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Title. Write your name, the instructor's name, your class, and the date in the upper left corner of the 1st page. Make the title centered and place it after the heading information in the same font as the rest of your paper. Create a separate title page. Make your title centered and written in boldface.
How To Write A Semi-Formal Letter? Format & Templates Included
A semi-formal letter is written to someone that you know by name and with whom you have a professional or business relationship with, for instance; your teacher, accountant, landlord, etc. The surname should be used when addressing them - Dear Mrs.Thomas, Dear Mr Jones. A semi-formal greeting > Dear Mr Hopkins, Dear Mrs Thomas.
How to Write a Semi-formal Letter
When signing off the letter, 'Yours truly' , 'Sincerely yours' and 'Yours faithfully' would be used for semi-formal or formal letters. In semi-formal letters, you can also use - 'With best wishes', 'Cordial regards', 'With best personal regards' and 'With regards'. It is important that you do not omit the opening ...
Writing (Informal, Formal and Semi-Formal Letters)
Semi-Formal Letter. Semi-formal letters are letters we write to people who are not totally strange to us but are not close enough to us to deserve personal letters. E.g. our teachers, family doctor, priest etc. The semi-formal letter is more related to the informal letter than to the formal letter. FEATURES OF A SEMI-FORMAL LETTER.
Formal and Semi-formal Emails
This is it as far as the elements of a more formal email are concerned. What is also worth remembering is that the language and syntax we use when we write in a formal style is also quite specific. However, in the age of electronic communication many style guides recommend using more semi-formal style for business communication.

Formal, Semi-Formal, and Informal English

Why is it important?

Three levels of formality in English

Formal English

2. Larger and less common words

3. Avoid phrasal verbs

4. Avoid contractions

5. NO idioms, slang, text speak

Semi-Formal English

2. Some idioms are OK, but avoid slang and text speak

3. Use polite English

Informal English

2. Expressions/exclamations

3. Phrasal verbs, slang, and idioms are used VERY frequently

4. Reductions when speaking (in both semi-formal and informal English)

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Semi-Formal Letter Writing for IELTS

Table of Contents

What is Semi-Formal Language?

Sample Semi-Formal Letter #1

Sample Semi-Formal Letter #2

Sample Semi-Formal Letter #3

About The Author

David S. Wills

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How to Write a Semi-Formal Letter: A Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding Semi-Formal Letters

Differences Between Formal and Semi-Formal Letters

When to Use a Semi-Formal Letter

Components of a Semi-Formal Letter

Contact Information

Body of the Letter

Closing and Signature

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Semi-Formal Letter

Step 2: Choose the Appropriate Tone

Step 3: Organize Your Thoughts

Step 4: Write the Letter

Step 5: Proofread and Edit

Tips for Writing an Effective Semi-Formal Letter

Use Proper Grammar and Punctuation

Maintain a Polite and Respectful Tone

ChatGPT Prompt for Writing a Semi Formal Letter

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Formal, Semi-formal, and Informal English

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Introduction