IGCSEEnglish LanguageCambridge (CIE)Revision NotesPaper 2: WritingSection A: Directed WritingQuestion 1(b): How to Write a Letter

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First teaching 2025

First exams 2027

Question 1(b): How to Write a Letter (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Language): Revision Note

Exam code: 0500 & 0990

Deb Orrock

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Nick Redgrove

Updated on

Cambridge (CIE) English LanguageCambridge (CIE) English Language

For Question 1(b), you will be asked to write in one of four possible formats (genres):

  • Speech

  • Letter

  • Article

  • Report

Up to 10 marks are available for reading skills, and up to 25 marks are available for writing skills.

The following guide will detail how to structure your response in the style of a letter.

Informal letter

An informal letter will be written to someone you know well, such as a friend or a relative. You may be asked to offer your ideas and opinions as advice, or to weigh up the pros and cons of something.

It is important to remember that, although you are writing to a relative or friend, this is an exam and you are not actually writing a letter to that person. Therefore, do not use abbreviations or slang, such as “OMG!”.

Informal letter

In an informal letter you should:

  • Start with “Dear” and use the first name of the person you are writing to

  • Include a warm and friendly opening, such as:

    • “It was good to hear from you,” or “Sorry I have not replied sooner; I have been so busy revising for my exams.”

  • Tell them why you are writing the letter:

    • The reason will be given to you in the task instructions

  • Paragraphs should be clear and well sequenced, using appropriate connectives

  • Use topic sentences to begin each paragraph, and then develop that point appropriately and in detail

  • Do not try to include multiple, different arguments in one paragraph

  • Use the bullet points in the task to structure your letter

  • You can sign off your letter more informally:

    • Try “Best wishes,” or “Hope to see you soon.”

The level of informality in this style of letter comes from keeping your tone light and adding personal details. However, you still need to use accurate spelling, with a variety of sentences and punctuation used for effect. 

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Always write with your intended audience in mind. Address them directly throughout your writing, mention their specific concerns and ensure you develop your points in a way which would convince your specific reader. 

Formal letter

A formal letter will be written to somebody in authority, such as a headteacher, a manager or the editor of a newspaper.

You will still be asked to put forward your point of view, ideas and opinions, based on what you have read in the text(s), but your tone and language should be adapted to suit the intended audience and purpose of writing.

There are some typical conventions of a formal letter that you can use, but be careful not to spend too much time on irrelevant formatting details.

Formal letter

A formal letter should:

  • Include a date

  • Use the correct salutation:

    • If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, then use “Dear Sir/Madam”

    • You can use “Dear Editor” if writing in response to an article or letter seen in a newspaper or magazine

  • If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use “Yours faithfully,” at the end

  • If you are given the name of the person, then start with “Dear [name]” and end with “Yours sincerely,”

  • Your introduction should state what you are writing about, why you are writing and what your opinion is:

    • Make this relevant to the purpose of the task

    • Instead of using “I am writing because…”, use the wording of the task instructions

    • For example: “I am writing to give my opinion about…”

  • Paragraphs should be clear and well sequenced, using appropriate connectives

  • Use topic sentences to begin each paragraph, and then develop that point appropriately and in detail

  • Do not try to include multiple, different arguments in one paragraph

A formal letter layout should look something like this:

Template for a formal letter with address, date, recipient details, and sections: introduction, main arguments, conclusion, and closing signature.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

While writing in the correct form as instructed is important in this question, you only need to adhere to the basic conventions of a letter, article or speech. Spending too much time on perfecting the layout of the letter, or making up an address for the top of the letter, only detracts from your writing and will not gain you any extra marks.

Remember, it is more important that you adapt your style, language and tone to suit the intended audience and purpose, and that you construct a well-structured and coherent piece of writing, than waste time on the layout of your response.

For more information about writing a letter in the exam, please see our letter model answer.

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Author
Reviewer
Deb Orrock

Author: Deb Orrock

Expertise: English Content Creator

Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

Nick Redgrove

Reviewer: Nick Redgrove

Expertise: English Content Creator

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.