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English•JHS Writing & Composition

Formal and informal letters

Junior High 6 questions
AI-drafted from platform data — specialist review scheduledBy DigiTransact Mastermind editorial teamLast updated
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What formal and informal letters means

You learn how to write letters with the right layout, tone and closing. This helps you choose the correct style for a person, school office or other reader, which is useful in class tasks and exams.

What you will practise

  • Choose a formal or informal letter for a given situation
  • Set out the address, date, salutation and ending correctly
  • Use polite language for officials and friendly language for close people
  • Match the opening and closing lines in one letter
  • Write a clear purpose for the letter

Before you start

You should already know how to write simple sentences and punctuation correctly. It also helps if you can spell common words and understand who the letter is for.

Not confident yet? Work through Essay writing first.

Worked example

One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.

Question

A letter to the headteacher requesting permission is a…

  • friendly letter
  • formal letter
  • love letter
  • note
Answer: formal letter

Working: Letters to officials or institutions use formal format and tone.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using a friendly tone for a school officer; keep it polite and careful.
  • Mixing the wrong salutation and ending; match Dear Sir/Madam with Yours faithfully.
  • Forgetting key parts of the letter; include address, date, salutation, body and close.
  • Writing too informally to someone in authority; use clear and respectful language.

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES Basic 7 to 9 syllabusBECE

This skill usually appears in Junior High School writing and composition work, where learners practise practical letter writing. It supports the kind of response expected in BECE language tasks that ask for correct format and tone.

Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.

Related skills

Other JHS Writing & Composition skills in English, at the same point in the course.

Other English topics

Early Reading and WritingSHS English and LiteratureAcademic and Professional WritingGrammarVocabularyReading Comprehension

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Exams that assess formal and informal letters

Junior High work on this skill feeds directly into these exam papers. Each page lists the English topics that appear on it.

BECEBECE practice questionsFree BECE practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.GESGES practice questionsFree GES practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.WASSCEWASSCE practice questionsListed as a related subject on the WASSCE practice page.

How this page was produced

This text was drafted with AI assistance from the questions and topics already stored on the platform. A subject-specialist review is scheduled but has not yet been recorded, so we do not claim it here.

Written by
DigiTransact Mastermind editorial team
Human review
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Practise formal and informal letters

6 questions with a worked answer after every attempt, and a SmartScore that tracks how close you are to mastery.

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