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English Quiz - Letter Writing (Formal) 01 (Questions)

Formal letters are important, especially when applying for jobs. A well-written formal letter can be the first step to getting an interview.

Formal letters are written for many reasons, especially to persuade, to complain, or to inform. In each of these cases, it is important to make a good impression on the person you address. If you make a favourable impression, that person might be more inclined to pay attention to the content of your letter. If, example, you are trying to arrange a week's work experience and you begin your letter to the company or office like this, "Hiya Miss", or "Hey Sam : )", your letter might just go in the bin!

To make a good impression, be sure you know the rules for composing a formal letter. This is also true for email, which has rules for formal and informal messages. The main difference with email is that you do not need to add street addresses for yourself and your recipient and you always need a subject line.

Learn more about formal letters in our second English quiz on Letter Writing.

1. Which information is used at the top right of the letter?
[ ] Date
[ ] Recipient name and address
[ ] Salutation
[ ] Sender address
2. Which information follows the sender's address?
[ ] Date
[ ] Recipient name and address
[ ] Salutation
[ ] Sender address
3. How should the date be written in a formal letter?
[ ] In numbers but with the month as a word
[ ] In numbers only
[ ] In words but with the month as a number
[ ] In words only
4. What is on the left of the page and level with the date?
[ ] Recipient name and address
[ ] Salutation
[ ] Sender address
[ ] Valediction
5. What is written below the recipient's address?
[ ] Recipient name
[ ] Salutation
[ ] Valediction
[ ] Your (sender) name
6. What might you include next in your letter?
[ ] A reference to show your reason for writing
[ ] A title, e.g. "A letter of complaint to the bank"
[ ] Your (sender) name
[ ] Your reason for writing
7. What should your first paragraph state?
[ ] A reference to show your reason for writing
[ ] Tasks for the recipient to carry out
[ ] What you wish to happen next
[ ] Your reason for writing
8. Which term describes the middle of a letter?
[ ] Body
[ ] Ending
[ ] Head
[ ] Opening
9. The concluding paragraph states .......
[ ] A farewell
[ ] A greeting
[ ] What has already happened
[ ] What you wish to happen next
10. At the very end of the letter you need to .......
[ ] Print the recipient's name
[ ] Print your name
[ ] Sign and print your name
[ ] Sign your name

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - How to write a formal letter

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English Quiz - Letter Writing (Formal) 01 (Answers)
1. Which information is used at the top right of the letter?
[ ] Date
[ ] Recipient name and address
[ ] Salutation
[x] Sender address
Remember "salutation" is the greeting you use
2. Which information follows the sender's address?
[x] Date
[ ] Recipient name and address
[ ] Salutation
[ ] Sender address
The date is placed underneath the sender address
3. How should the date be written in a formal letter?
[x] In numbers but with the month as a word
[ ] In numbers only
[ ] In words but with the month as a number
[ ] In words only
"24th July 2023" is correct
4. What is on the left of the page and level with the date?
[x] Recipient name and address
[ ] Salutation
[ ] Sender address
[ ] Valediction
"Recipient" means the person to whom you are writing
5. What is written below the recipient's address?
[ ] Recipient name
[x] Salutation
[ ] Valediction
[ ] Your (sender) name
"Dear Sir/Madam" or "Dear Seamus" are examples of salutations
6. What might you include next in your letter?
[x] A reference to show your reason for writing
[ ] A title, e.g. "A letter of complaint to the bank"
[ ] Your (sender) name
[ ] Your reason for writing
If writing for a job, you might use "Re: Position of Saturday Assistant". This would be similar to the subject line of an email
7. What should your first paragraph state?
[ ] A reference to show your reason for writing
[ ] Tasks for the recipient to carry out
[ ] What you wish to happen next
[x] Your reason for writing
Your opening lines say why you are writing the letter
8. Which term describes the middle of a letter?
[x] Body
[ ] Ending
[ ] Head
[ ] Opening
The body of the letter explains your purpose in detail
9. The concluding paragraph states .......
[ ] A farewell
[ ] A greeting
[ ] What has already happened
[x] What you wish to happen next
End with "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"
10. At the very end of the letter you need to .......
[ ] Print the recipient's name
[ ] Print your name
[x] Sign and print your name
[ ] Sign your name
Sign the letter then print your name below