Letter Writing (Formal and Informal)
🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)
Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.
Letter Writing in WAEC WASSCE English Paper 2 (Section B) requires you to compose either a formal letter or an informal letter in about 450 words, usually carrying 20 marks out of the paper’s total. You are given a single compulsory choice between the two register types.
A formal letter obeys the block format: sender’s address (top right), date, recipient’s address (top left), salutation (Dear Sir/Madam for unknown recipient, Dear Mr/Mrs + surname for known), heading or subject line, three to five body paragraphs, complimentary close (Yours faithfully for unknown recipient, Yours sincerely for known), and signature with designation. Register is impersonal, contraction-free, and courteous.
An informal letter uses a warm salutation (Dear Tunde, My dear Sister), first/second-person pronouns, contractions, and a familiar close (Yours ever, With love). Three high-yield pointers: indent paragraphs; do not mix formal and informal conventions inside one letter; and state your purpose in the first paragraph clearly.
🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)
Standard content for students with a few days to months.
Purpose and Register
Letter Writing is the only WAEC WASSCE English Paper 2 question that assesses continuous writing with a fixed format. The examiner awards marks for content (8), organisation (4), expression (4), and mechanical accuracy (4). Mastering the conventions of either register is non-negotiable because the layout itself is scored.
Formal Letter Conventions
A formal letter is structured as follows:
| Element | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sender’s address | Top right | 24 Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna |
| Date | Below address | 15th April, 2026 |
| Recipient’s address | Top left | The Manager, First Bank Plc, Kaduna Branch |
| Salutation | Below recipient address | Dear Sir, / Dear Mr Bello, |
| Subject line | Optional, before body | RE: APPLICATION FOR VACANCY |
| Body | 3–5 paragraphs | Enquiry / Complaint / Application / Invitation / Letter to the Editor |
| Complimentary close | Below body | Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, |
| Signature | Below close | A. Adeyemi (Manager) |
| Enclosures | Optional footer | Enc: Photocopy of Certificate |
The body paragraphs follow a clear funnel logic: paragraph one states the purpose, middle paragraphs develop the points or facts, and the final paragraph requests action and signs off politely. Avoid slang, idioms, and contractions; prefer I wish to, I shall be grateful, Kindly assist, and Please do accept my assurances.
Informal Letter Conventions
The informal letter mirrors the formal one in skeleton but relaxes the tone. Use Dear + first name or a family term (My dear Brother), open with affectionate enquiries, share news in 3–4 paragraphs, and close with Yours ever, With love, or Your loving friend. First-person pronouns (I, we) and contractions (don’t, I’ve) are expected.
Common WAEC Traps
- Writing “Yours faithfully” to a named recipient — this loses format marks.
- Mixing informal warmth into a formal complaint letter.
- Omitting the sender’s address, which examiners treat as a structural fault.
- Using bullet points instead of paragraphs.
🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)
Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.
Edge Cases and Examiner Pet Peeves
WAEC markers penalise register slippage — for instance, beginning a formal letter with “How are you, Sir?” or ending an informal one with “Yours sincerely.” Another common fault is the inverted address block: putting the recipient’s address on the right and the sender’s on the left. The convention is fixed and must not be inverted.
Letters to the editor follow the formal layout but require a caption, the editor’s name, and a subject line that names the public issue (e.g., “The Dangers of Open Defecation”). Applications for jobs must include a reference number when responding to an advertised vacancy.
Connection to Adjacent Topics
Letter Writing is tested alongside Comprehension Summary and Comprehension Essay in Paper 2. The expression and organisation marks share the same rubric, so practising one strengthens the others. Vocabulary for formal letters overlaps with register transformation questions in Paper 3 (Test of Orals), where you rewrite informal sentences in formal English.
Practice Prompts
- Write a letter to your local government chairman complaining about the poor state of roads in your area and requesting urgent repairs.
- Write a letter to your elder brother abroad, telling him about your success in the last WAEC examination and asking for his advice on career choice.
Worked Micro-Plan (Prompt 1)
Paragraph 1: introduce yourself and state the complaint. Paragraph 2: describe specific roads and the dangers (accidents, flooding). Paragraph 3: mention previous unreported cases of accidents. Paragraph 4: request action and a specific timeframe. Close politely with Yours faithfully, full name, and designation (e.g., Student, SS3).
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Sources & verification
- Official WAEC WASSCE syllabus & pattern: https://www.waeconline.org.ng
- Editorial methodology: research → draft → fact-verify → curate pipeline
- Reviewed by Pushkar Saini · last updated
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