Formal vs. Informal writing

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1-4

Formal vs. Informal writing

Formal 

• When writing to someone you do not know, a company or someone of status (like a manager). 
• Formal language use, such as: Dear Sir/Madam, Kind Regards, 
• Examples: cover letter (motivatiebrief), writing an e-mail to a company. 

Informal

• When writing to someone you know (friend, family member, acquaintance, etc.).
• Informal language use: Dear [name], Hello [name], Bye!, See you soon, Best wishes, 
• Examples: personal letter, a postcard. 

Formal writing

Opening phrases: 

- When you do not know the last name of the person you're writing to, use "Dear Sir/Madam,"

- When you know the last name of the person you're writing to, use "Dear Mister ...,  / Dear Mr. ...," for a man and "Dear Miss ...,/Dear Ms. ...," for a woman. 

Giving a reason for writing

After greeting the person you're writing to, you're going to explain why you're writing. For example, use:

I am writing .... (to ask you/to inform you/to respond to/ in response to, etc.)

I am writing in response to your job posting on LinkedIn.

Formal writing

Closing phrases: 

- Kind Regards, 

- Yours Faithfully, 

- Sincerely, 

Personally, I always use "Kind Regards". It's easiest to try to memorize one option and use that one. 

Informal writing

Opening phrases:

- Dear ...,

- Hello ...,

- Hi ..., 

Closing phrases: 

- Best wishes, ... 

- Bye, ... 

- See you soon, ...

Start your letter/e-mail with sentences like: 

- How are you? I hope you're doing well. 

- It was great to see you last week. 

- Thank you for sending me an e-mail.

Test your knowledge: How do you open a formal letter when you don't know the last name of the person you're writing to?

1. Hello Sir/Madam,
2. Dear Sir/Madam,
3. Dear Mr. ... / Ms. ...
4. Hello Mister ... / Miss ...

Test your knowledge: How do you close an informal letter?

1. Kind Regards,
2. Yours Faitfully,
3. Sincerely,
4. Best wishes,

Test your knowledge: you're writing a formal letter. What do you do after writing "Dear Sir/Madam,"

1. You explain why you're writing (reason for writing)
2. You give the main information (body of the letter/e-mail)
3. You ask how they're doing
4. Nothing special

Test your knowledge: True or False - When writing a formal letter, it's best not to use abbreviations (afkortingen)

1. True
2. False

Test your knowledge: True or False - the tone of an informal letter is similar to the way you would speak to the person you're writing to.

1. True
2. False

Is it EVER okay to use abbreviations like "wanna", "gonna", "bc", "cause" and "u"?

1. YES! ALWAYS!
2. NO! NEVER!
3. Only when writing an informal letter/e-mail
4. Only when writing a formal letter/e-mail

What are you going to do?

Go to our Teams page and pick an exercise (reading, listening or writing). Do these exercises.