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 any person with whom you are professionally related, then this letter is formal. However, when you are to write a letter to your friend with whom you are personally related, then this letter type is informal.

Types of writing prompts:

The writing prompt can ask you do to any one of the following:

a) request information

b) explain a situation.

In this article, you will know more about how to request information.

Let’s find out with an example how to write a formal letter requesting information.

Formal Letter – requesting information

Question:

You have decided to set up a business for which you want to avail the facility of bank loan.

Write a letter to the bank manager requesting for information about the bank loan and in your letter, write the following:

• Why you are writing the letter
• What is the amount of bank loan you need
• When you are able to repay the loan

In this writing prompt, the examiner is asking you to write a letter to request the bank manager for some information. As the letter is to the bank manager, it has to be a formal letter.

Once you know what is asked of you, you should now structure your letter.

Steps to write a formal letter while requesting information:

1. Identify letter – Formal
2. Write salutation (Dear Sir/Mam,)
3. Write purpose of letter
4. Describe the first bullet point (it may be same as step 3)
5. Describe the second bullet point
6. Describe the third bullet point
7. Write finishing statements (I look forward receiving your response at the earliest.)
8. Sign-off (Yours faithfully,)

Sample Answer:

Dear Sir/Mam,

I am writing this letter to request information about availing loan from your bank for starting a business nearby my home in the next month.

As per the market research, I hope that constructing a restaurant in the proposed site would be a huge success. Since the area is a home to students studying in the regional university, it is expected that around 2000 students can be the potential customers of my business.

For setting up the restaurant, I would require to invest Rs 50 lakh which I seek as the loan amount from bank.  I request you to provide me all the required information including eligibility criteria and the documents to be submitted along with the application.

Furthermore, I would like to inform that there is no other restaurant in the area which would provide a great possibility for the business to grow. And hence, I hope that I would be able to repay the loan in 3 years or earlier.

Kindly provide me the requested information as soon as possible so that the loan application can be processed at the earliest.

Yours faithfully,

Ramesh Varma

(189 words)

To improve the quality of your letter, you should include vocabulary from the glossary below.

Useful vocabulary for formal letter while requesting information

• I would like to request
• I would like to suggest if you can
• I would be grateful if you can
• I would like you to kindly
• I am entitled to request that
• I was wondering if it would be possible for you to

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 work permit in a city abroad where you had never been to. Hence, you want to seek information about that city from a friend who is living in that city.

Write a letter to your friend to request information about the city you are planning to move to and in your letter, write the following:

• Where and when you want to work
• What type of job it is
• For how long you want to work there

This prompt is asking you to request information about a city, but is an informal letter as you are asked to write it to your friend. 

Now that you know that it is an informal letter, let’s look at its structure.

Steps to write an informal letter while requesting information:

1. Identify letter – Informal
2. Write salutation (Dear Carol,)
3. Write greeting statement (I hope you are doing well.)
4. Describe the first bullet point
5. Describe the second bullet point
6. Describe the third bullet point
7. Write finishing statements (I hope we would meet soon in the next month.)
8. Sign-off (Yours truly,)

Sample Answer:

Dear Suresh,

I hope you are doing well and enjoying your life.

It’s been quite long that I couldn’t write to you as I was planning my visit to your city, London. I feel lucky enough that my company has selected me for a project in London and I would be reaching there in the next month.

My London based project is a great opportunity for me where I would be interacting with some clients for presenting business proposals and further finalizing the deals. This is a full-time job of day shift but sometimes, I may need to work in night shifts. As I am new to the city, I need some help from you if you can give some information such as the rent charges, food prices, availability of public transport, facility of banking and others. Since you are already in the city, I think you can be of great help in gaining familiarity to the city.

I would be staying in London for 2 years after which the project ends and I hope we will have great fun together in London.

Yours truly,

Pratham

(186 words)

To improve the quality of your letter, you should include vocabulary from the glossary below.

Useful vocabulary for informal letter while requesting information

• Well, you know
• As you know,
• It would be great to see you
• I have got a
• A lovely view
• On the bright side
• It would be nice
• Prices are crazy
• It was quite good
• Hope to see you soon!
• All the best!
• Good bye!
• Take care!
• Keep in touch!
• Contraction words: It’s, It’s been, can’t, haven’t etc.

Exercise:

1. You have planned to study a distance course online from an international university. Write a letter to the university officer requesting information about the course. In your letter, write:

• Why you are writing
• Which course it is and when you plan to study
• Why you want to study this course

2. You want to spend your holidays in the country outside India where your friend resides. Write a letter to your friend and in your letter, write:

• Where and when you want to spend holidays
• Why you want to visit there
• When you are planning to visit

3. You recently purchased a product from an online store and are unsatisfied about its quality. Now, you want to avail refund for the product but are unaware of the company’s return and refund policy. Write a letter to the customer relationship officer requesting information about the refund policy and in your letter, write:

• Why you are writing
• Why you are seeking refund
• When you want refund