INFORMAL LETTERS

WHAT IS INFORMAL LANGUAGE?

Informal language refers to normal, daily English that is used between friends. It is
casual and often involves slang, contractions, idioms, or even broken grammar. The
sort of common grammatical errors that native speakers make each day are what I call
“lazy grammar.” You should aim to use proper grammar in IELTS, but there are some
cases where “lazy grammar” is acceptable, and this is true of letters. For example:
 Hope you’re doing fine.

Here, we have missed out the subject. This is a massive error in a formal sense, but in
very informal language it is acceptable. However, you cannot just drop any subject. It is
only really appropriate when the subject is very obvious. We do this often in informal
writing because saying “I” repeatedly may be a bit strange. The verb “hope” is perhaps
the most common example of one that does not require “I” because it is so obviously
implied:

 Hope you’re having a great time.

 Hope your family’s doing well.

We also use it with “wish” and “looking”:

 Wish you were here!

 Looking forward to seeing you!

VOCABULARY FOR INFORMAL LETTER WRITING

There is no specific list of vocabulary for informal letter writing because every letter
will require different sorts of language. For example, writing to a friend about a trip to
the mountains will involve totally different vocabulary from a letter about a party or
advice about a job. As such, you should always choose your language carefully after
taking into consideration the level of formality and the topic of the letter.

However, there are definitely some words that could be used in different sorts of
informal letters. Here are some of them:
Informal Version Formal Version

Hey! Dear ____

Super Very/really/terribly/greatly

Over the moon Delighted

I’m/ I’d / I’ll I am/ I would / I will

A bit A little
SAMPLE TASK AND ANSWER
LET’S WRITE!

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1: Letter to a friend

A good friend has just changed school and is having difficulty fitting in and needs your
advice.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

• Make suggestions as to how they could make friends.
• Suggest joining clubs, participating in school activities.
• Give any extra general advice

Write at least 150 words.