before you start writing, you should know what type of letter it is, whether formal or informal, so that you can form sentences according to the required tone and style. If you are writing a letter to a manager, employer, or anyone with whom you have a professional relationship, then this letter is formal. however, when you are writing a letter to a friend with whom you have a personal relationship, this type of letter is informal.
types of writing prompts:
the typing prompt may ask you to do any of the following:
a) request information
b) explain a situation.
in this article you will learn more about how to request information.
Let’s see with an example how to write a formal letter requesting information.
formal letter – request for information
question:
You have decided to set up a business for which you want to take advantage of the bank loan facility.
write a letter to the bank manager requesting information about the bank loan and in your letter, write the following:
- why you are writing the letter
- how much bank loan you need
- when you will be able to repay the loan
In this writing prompt, the examiner asks you to write a letter to request certain information from the bank manager. Since the letter is to the bank manager, it has to be a formal letter.
Once you know what is being asked of you, you now need to structure your letter.
Steps for writing a formal letter while requesting information:
- identify the letter – formal
- write the salutation (dear sir/mom)
- write the purpose of the letter
- describe the first point (can be the same as step 3)
- describe the second point
- describe the third point
- write concluding statements (I look forward to receiving your reply in the first.)
- sign (yours sincerely,)
sample response:
dear sir/madam,
I am writing this letter to request information on how to get a loan from your bank to start a business near my home next month.
Based on market research, I expect the construction of a restaurant on the proposed site to be a great success. Since the area is home to students studying at the regional university, it is expected that around 2000 students could be potential clients of my business.
In order to set up the restaurant, I would need to invest 50 lakh rs, which I seek as the loan amount from the bank. I ask that you provide me with all the required information, including eligibility criteria and documents that must be submitted with the application.
Furthermore, I would like to report that there is no other restaurant in the area that provides a great possibility for the business to grow. and therefore, I expect to be able to repay the loan in 3 years or sooner.
Please provide the requested information as soon as possible so that the loan application can be processed as soon as possible.
respectfully,
ramesh varma
(189 words)
To improve the quality of your letter, you should include vocabulary from the glossary below.
Useful vocabulary for a formal letter when requesting information
- I would like to apply
- I would like to suggest if you can
- I would appreciate it if you can
- I would kindly like
- I have right to request that
- I was wondering if it would be possible for you
Now, let’s understand with an example how to write an informal letter requesting information.
informal letter – requesting information
Question:You want to apply for a work permit in a foreign city where you have never been. therefore, you want to find information about that city from a friend who lives in that city.
Write a letter to your friend requesting information about the city you plan to move to, and in your letter, write the following:
- where and when do you want to work
- what kind of job is it
- how long do you want to work there
This notice asks you to request information about a city, but it is an informal letter, as you are asked to write it to your friend.
now that you know what an informal letter is, let’s see its structure.
Steps for writing an informal letter while requesting information:
- identify letter – informal
- write greeting (dear carol,)
- write greeting statement (hope you are well)
- describe the first bullet point
- describe the second bullet point
- describe the third bullet point
- write closing statements (hopefully we will meet soon next month) .)
- signature (healthy)
sample response:
dear friend,
I hope you are well and enjoying your life.
I haven’t been able to write to you for a long time because I was planning my visit to your city, London. i feel lucky enough that my company selected me for a project in london and i would be arriving there next month.
my project based in london is a great opportunity for me as i would be interacting with some clients to pitch them business proposals and finalize deals. This is a full-time day shift job, but sometimes you may need to work night shifts. As I am new to the city, I need your help if you can provide me with information such as rental charges, food prices, availability of public transport, banking facilities and others. Since you are already in the city, I think you can be of great help to familiarize yourself with the city.
I will be staying in London for 2 years, after which the project will end and I hope we will have a lot of fun together in London.
respectfully,
pratham
(186 words)
To improve the quality of your letter, you should include vocabulary from the glossary below.
useful vocabulary for informal letters when requesting information
- well, you know
- as you know,
- it would be great to see you
- I have a
- a beautiful view
- on the plus side
- it would be nice
- the prices are crazy
- it was pretty good
- hope see you soon!
- all the best!
- goodbye!
- take care!
- keep in touch!
- contraction words: it’s, it’s been, can’t, haven’t etc.
exercise:
1. you have planned to study an online distance learning course from an international university. write a letter to the university official requesting information about the course. In your letter, write:
- why are you writing
- what course is it and when do you plan to study
- why do you want to study this course
2. he wishes to spend his vacation in the country outside india where his friend resides. write a letter to your friend and in your letter, write:
- where and when do you want to spend your vacation
- why do you want to visit there
- when do you plan to visit
3. You recently purchased a product from an online store and are not satisfied with its quality. Now, you want to avail the product refund but you are unaware of the company’s return and refund policy. write a letter to the customer relations officer requesting information about the refund policy and in the letter from him, write:
- why you write
- why you seek a refund
- when you want a refund