Formal Letters
BasicFormal Letters.
- Format: sender's address → date → recipient's address → salutation
- Pairing matters: Dear Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Lam → Yours sincerely
- State the purpose up front: I am writing to express my concern about…
文體小知識：Structure: sender's address, date, recipient's address, greeting, body, closing, signature.
§Text Passage
1Flat 3B, Lucky Building, 88 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. 15 October 2026 The Chairperson, Recreation and Culture Committee, Sham Shui Po District Council, Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon. Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to express my concern, as a student living in your district, about the public library in Sham Shui Po.
2The purpose of this letter is to draw the council's attention to two serious problems. First, the study room is always full, and many students have to stand or sit on the floor while doing their homework. On rainy days, students queue outside half an hour before the doors open, hoping to grab a seat. Furthermore, the library closes at six o'clock, which is far too early for students who finish school at half past four. Some of my classmates even travel to Mong Kok every evening just to find a seat.
3I therefore ask the council to extend the opening hours until nine o'clock at night. It would also help if thirty more seats and brighter lamps could be added near the windows. We are not asking for anything luxurious, only a quiet place to study. These small changes would benefit hundreds of students in our neighbourhood, especially during the examination season. I hope the council will consider our suggestions carefully, and I look forward to your reply. Yours faithfully, Chan Tai Man
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Flat 3B, Lucky Building, 88 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong.
香港深水埗南昌街88號幸運大廈3B室。
15 October 2026
二零二六年十月十五日。
The Chairperson, Recreation and Culture Committee, Sham Shui Po District Council, Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.
九龍長沙灣道，深水埗區議會康樂及文化事務委員會主席。
Dear Sir or Madam,
敬啟者：
I am writing to express my concern, as a student living in your district, about the public library in Sham Shui Po.
我是居住在貴區的學生，來信想表達我對深水埗公共圖書館的關注。
The purpose of this letter is to draw the council's attention to two serious problems.
這封信的目的是希望區議會關注兩個嚴重問題。
First, the study room is always full, and many students have to stand or sit on the floor while doing their homework.
第一，自修室經常爆滿，很多學生做功課的時候要站著或者坐在地上。
On rainy days, students queue outside half an hour before the doors open, hoping to grab a seat.
下雨天的時候，學生會在開門前半小時就在外面排隊，希望佔到座位。
Furthermore, the library closes at six o'clock, which is far too early for students who finish school at half past four.
另外，圖書館六點就關門，對四點半放學的學生來說實在太早。
Some of my classmates even travel to Mong Kok every evening just to find a seat.
我有些同學甚至每晚搭車去旺角，就是為了找個座位。
I therefore ask the council to extend the opening hours until nine o'clock at night.
因此，我請求區議會將開放時間延長至晚上九點。
It would also help if thirty more seats and brighter lamps could be added near the windows.
如果可以在窗邊多加三十個座位同亮一點的檯燈，都會很有幫助。
We are not asking for anything luxurious, only a quiet place to study.
我們不是要求什麼豪華設施，只是想要一個安靜的地方讀書。
These small changes would benefit hundreds of students in our neighbourhood, especially during the examination season.
這些小改變會令區內幾百名學生受惠，考試季節尤其重要。
I hope the council will consider our suggestions carefully, and I look forward to your reply.
希望區議會可以仔細考慮我們的建議，我期待收到你們的回覆。
Yours faithfully,
謹啟
Chan Tai Man
陳大文
1Summary 重點摘要
Formal Letters.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Top right.
Below date, left.
When name unknown.
Match Dear Sir/Madam.
When name known.
Reason for writing.
In addition.
Anticipate.
3Step by step Steps
- FormatFour format pieces: sender's address (top right), the date, the recipient's address, then the salutation. Example: the model letter opens Flat 3B, Lucky Building… 15 October 2026 The Chairperson, Recreation and Culture Committee…
- OpeningState the purpose in the first paragraph. Example: I am writing to express my concern, as a student living in your district, about the public library in Sham Shui Po — identity and purpose in one line.
- BodyOne point per paragraph. Example: First, the study room is always full…; Furthermore, the library closes at six o'clock… — First and Furthermore keep the layers clear.
- ClosingThree closing moves: a concrete request, an expectation of a reply, then the sign-off. Example: I therefore ask the council to extend the opening hours until nine o'clock… I look forward to your reply. Yours faithfully, Chan Tai Man.
- Salutation pairingDear Sir or Madam (name unknown) pairs with Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Lam (name known) pairs with Yours sincerely. The model uses Dear Sir or Madam, so it ends Yours faithfully — a mismatch costs format marks.
- Formal toneNo contractions, no slang: write do not, not don't. Use polite structures too: It would also help if thirty more seats and brighter lamps could be added — the passive softens the request.
- Making requestsRequests must be concrete and measurable: extend the opening hours until nine o'clock · add thirty more seats · brighter lamps near the windows — and We are not asking for anything luxurious makes it sound reasonable.
5Worked example Example
Task: write a formal letter to the District Council asking it to extend the library's opening hours — format: addresses → date → salutation → purpose → problems → request → close.
- Step 1: Set out the format — sender's address, the date, the recipient's address, Dear Sir or Madam.
- Step 2: State your purpose in the first paragraph — I am writing to express my concern about the public library.
- Step 3: One problem per paragraph — the study room is always full; the library closes at six o'clock, far too early.
- Step 4: Make a concrete request — extend the opening hours until nine o'clock and add thirty more seats.
- Step 5: Close — I look forward to your reply. Yours faithfully, Chan Tai Man (Dear Sir or Madam pairs with Yours faithfully).
- Answer: Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my concern, as a student living in your district, about the public library in Sham Shui Po. First, the study room is always full, and many students have to sit on the floor while doing their homework; on rainy days, some queue outside for half an hour. Second, the library closes at six o'clock, which is far too early for students who finish school at half past four.
I therefore ask the council to extend the opening hours until nine o'clock at night and to add thirty more seats near the windows. These small changes would benefit hundreds of students during the examination season.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours faithfully,
Chan Tai Man
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Closing for Dear Sir/Madam?
Q2Closing for Dear Mr Chan?
Q3First paragraph?
Q4Tone?
Q5After I look forward to?
Q6Between closing and name?
8Recap Recap
- Format: sender's address → date → recipient's address → salutation
- Pairing matters: Dear Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Lam → Yours sincerely
- State the purpose up front: I am writing to express my concern about…
- One problem per paragraph + a concrete request (extend hours until nine · thirty more seats)
- Formal tone: no contractions, no slang; close with I look forward to your reply.