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Class 9 English — Formal letters: complaint and enquiry

Lay out a formal letter, and write one that complains or enquires in the right register.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.This is the layout of a formal letter. Tap the part where the greeting goes.

    Write the number of the part.

    12345678

  2. 2.A letter of complaint should say what it is about in its very first sentence. Which opening does that?

    • a) I am writing to complain about the condition of the footpath outside the school gate.
    • b) I hope this letter finds you in good health.
    • c) I have been meaning to write to you for some time.
    • d) There are a great many problems in our locality these days.

  3. 3.Which is the best subject line for a letter about a street light that has stopped working?

    • a) Complaint
    • b) Street light outside the school gate — not working since 10 May
    • c) Regarding an important matter
    • d) Please read this letter carefully

  4. 4.Which sentence belongs in a formal letter of complaint?

    • a) I am quite fed up of writing about this.
    • b) The whole thing is a total mess and nobody cares.
    • c) You people need to sort this out at once.
    • d) The waste has not been cleared for three weeks.

  5. 5.In the letter convention taught in Indian and British schools, a letter beginning "Dear Sir" ends with a fixed two-word closing. Write those two words.

  6. 6.Match each sentence from a letter of complaint to the job it does.

    • I am writing to complain about the delay in delivery.
    • The order was placed on 3 April and has still not arrived.
    • This has caused considerable inconvenience.
    • I should be grateful if you would deliver it this week or refund the amount.
    • I look forward to your early reply.
    • gives the facts
    • asks for action
    • explains the effect
    • states the purpose
    • closes politely

  7. 7.Match each paragraph of a formal letter to what belongs in it.

    • the subject line
    • the first paragraph
    • the middle paragraph
    • the last paragraph
    • the closing
    • the details, the dates and the evidence
    • the fixed phrase that stands above your signature
    • what you are asking to be done
    • why you are writing at all
    • one short phrase naming what the letter is about

  8. 8.Which of these letters is an enquiry rather than a complaint?

    • a) A letter telling a magazine that its article got the facts wrong.
    • b) A letter asking a college for the dates and fees of its summer course.
    • c) A letter telling a shop that the goods arrived damaged.
    • d) A letter telling the council that a street light has been broken for a month.

Answer key — Class 9 English — Formal letters: complaint and enquiry

  1. 1. 5 — The greeting
  2. 2. a) I am writing to complain about the condition of the footpath outside the school gate.
  3. 3. b) Street light outside the school gate — not working since 10 May
  4. 4. d) The waste has not been cleared for three weeks.
  5. 5. yours faithfully
  6. 6. I am writing to complain about the delay in delivery. → states the purpose; The order was placed on 3 April and has still not arrived. → gives the facts; This has caused considerable inconvenience. → explains the effect; I should be grateful if you would deliver it this week or refund the amount. → asks for action; I look forward to your early reply. → closes politely
  7. 7. the subject line → one short phrase naming what the letter is about; the first paragraph → why you are writing at all; the middle paragraph → the details, the dates and the evidence; the last paragraph → what you are asking to be done; the closing → the fixed phrase that stands above your signature
  8. 8. b) A letter asking a college for the dates and fees of its summer course.