B. The Formal Letter

 Introduction

A formal letter is an official letter written to a person in authority, an institution or an organization to make a request, give information, make a complaint or address a particular issue. In the GCE Ordinary Level examination, you may be asked to write a letter to a Principal, Divisional Officer, Mayor, Minister, newspaper editor, company manager or other person in authority. In such a case, your language should be polite, clear, respectful and suitable for the person or institution you are writing to.

 Features or layout of a Good Formal Letter

A good formal letter should have:

  • Writer’s Address and Date. Like in the informal letter, the writer’s address should also be written at the top right-hand corner of the page, followed by the date. Always skip a line below the address before writing the date.
  • Receiver’s Address. The receiver’s address should be written on the left-hand side of the page, on the line below the date.
  • Salutation. This should be very formal and can either begin with “Dear” and followed by the appropriate title of the person you are writing to or simple with the appropriate title.

Examples: Dear Sir/ Dear Madam or Sir/Madam.

  • Heading or Subject. This is written after the salutation and should briefly state the purpose of the letter. It should either be written in uppercase or underlined if written in lowercase.

 

Examples: A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE LACK OF COURSE BOOKS IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

Or

A Complaint About the Lack of Course Books in the School Library.

 

  • A well-developed Body: Begin the body of your formal letter with a brief introduction stating the reason for writing the letter. Continue your letter by presenting your ideas clearly, using the selected relevant material, respecting the word limit and the number of paragraphs. Your language should remain polite and respectful throughout the letter.
  • Closing: Always end your formal letter with a polite expression followed by your name or initials of your name.

Examples: Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely.

 

Practical Exercise

You are the Head Boy of Government Bilingual High School Ngaoundere and you have noticed that there are not enough course books in the school library. Many students have to share a single book during study periods, while others are unable to find the books they need for their subjects. This situation is affecting students’ studies and preparation for the GCE examinations. Write a letter to the Principal of your school complaining about the lack of course books in the school library and suggesting ways of improving the situation. Write in a paragraph of not more than 150 words. Your name is Issa Hayatou and your Address is P.O. Box 25, Ngaoundere.

 

Stimulus material

  • There are not enough course books in the school library.
  • Many students have to share a single book during study periods.
  • Some students cannot find the books they need for their subjects.
  • The lack of books makes private study difficult.
  • Students depend entirely on their teachers for information.
  • The school library is not important because students have mobile phones.
  • More copies of important textbooks should be purchased.
  • The school could seek assistance from the Parent-Teacher Association.
  • Old students and other organizations could be encouraged to donate books.
  • Providing sufficient books would help students prepare better for examinations.

 

Note: Points 6 is irrelevant.

 

Sample Answer

                                   

                                                                                     P.O. Box 25, Ngaoundere.                                                                                             11th September, 2026.

The Principal,

Government Bilingual High School, Ngaoundere.

Dear Sir,

A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE LACK OF COURSE BOOKS IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

I am writing to bring to complain about lack of course books in our school library. As the Head Boy of the school, I have noticed that many students are unable to find the books they need for their studies. Given that there are not enough copies of important textbooks, many students have to share a single book during study periods. Again, some students cannot study privately because the required books are lacking. This makes it difficult for learners to prepare adequately for their examinations. I would therefore like to suggest that the school should purchase more copies of important textbooks. The Parent-Teacher Association could also be approached for assistance, while old students and other organizations could be encouraged to donate books to the school. I believe that providing sufficient course books will greatly improve our studies and results. I hope that this matter will be given your urgent attention.

                                                                                               Yours faithfully,                                                                                                                Issa Hayatou

 

Note: – In letter writing whether formal or informal, the candidate can choose either to write their assigned name before the address or at the closing. If the name is written before the address, only the initials of the name should be written at the closing. If it is not written before the address, then the full names should be written at the closing.

  • For examination purposes, do not use any signatures as this may be considered as an attempt to disclose your identity and may earn you a penalty.
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