Write a letter with purpose and tone

Cover the requested points and write naturally for the intended recipient.

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Know who is reading

A close friend, a colleague you know and an unfamiliar organisation call for different choices of language. Decide what the reader knows about the situation and what they need from you. An informal letter can be warm and conversational without becoming unclear. A formal complaint can be firm without sounding aggressive. Match your opening, requests and closing to the relationship throughout.

Give every point useful detail

Use the task's requested points as a coverage check. If you need to describe a purchase, explain a problem and request a solution, give each function enough space to work. Saying only that an item is bad does not help the recipient understand the problem. A precise detail, such as a cracked shade or a missing part, lets you explain why a particular remedy is appropriate.

Make the requested action clear

Place the purpose near the beginning and make the next step explicit. Could you arrange a replacement? is a clear request; I hope you understand is not a substitute for one. Choose a reasonable level of politeness rather than stacking several elaborate phrases. Review the letter as its recipient: can they identify the situation, your concern and the action you want without guessing?

Worked example

Before

Hey shop! The thing is terrible. Fix it now!!!

After

I am writing about the desk lamp delivered yesterday. Its shade arrived cracked, so I would like to request a replacement.

The revision identifies the purchase, gives a concrete defect and states a remedy in a suitable tone for an unfamiliar retailer.

For a different relationship, use the informal-letter guide with an apology and a request for help. Keep the information specific while adjusting the opening, phrasing and ending for a friend. The semi-formal guide compares a manager request and a neighbour complaint, with practical proposals subject to agreement.

Use this checklist

State the purpose early.
Develop every requested point with relevant detail.
Keep the level of formality consistent.

Practise the lesson

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1. What should primarily determine a letter's tone?

The relationship and purposeUsing the longest possible wordsThe weather on exam day

2. Which sentence makes the desired action explicit?

I hope you understand.This situation exists.Could you arrange a replacement shade?

3. How should you handle the task's requested points?

Mention only the easiest oneDevelop each with relevant detailCopy the points as the whole letter

Choose one answer for every question, then check.

Try it in your own writing

Write the opening and a request for a letter to an unfamiliar course administrator. You cannot attend next week's class because your work schedule changed. Ask about joining another session.

Your practice response — self-review only

0/4,000 characters. This writing is not automatically marked.

Is the reason clear without unnecessary personal detail?
Is the request specific enough to answer?
Does the tone suit an unfamiliar administrator?

Transfer the skill to a full response

Open a related original question and use the checklist. Your exercise text is not transferred or saved automatically; download your review before leaving.

Practise a related question

Study the complete example: Damaged online order

Compare the technique from this lesson with a full response, then use the format guide to plan your own answer.