Some papers set a task to a friend or family member. Students relax and lose marks: informal does not mean careless. The examiner still wants paragraphs, accurate SPaG and every bullet covered – just in a warmer voice. This free pack gives you two informal tasks in exam layout, the grids explained, and a model email that is friendly, structured and error-free.
Free to download, print and share for personal or classroom use. Answers included.
What’s in this worksheet
- Know-the-format box for this text type
- Task 1 in Pearson exam layout (Information box, bullet points, word count, marks)
- Task 2 in Highfield exam layout (notes stimulus)
- Planning grid and lined answer space for both tasks
- Plain-English version of the official marking grids
- Indicative content list for Task 1
- 296-word model answer with examiner notes
Common mistakes on this topic
From our tutors’ marking and the most recent examiner reports – check your work against these:
- Treating ‘informal’ as ‘anything goes’: text-speak, no capitals, no paragraphs. Register marks and SPaG marks both fall.
- Writing formally to a friend – ‘Dear Sir’, ‘Yours faithfully’ – which is the wrong register for the audience.
- Chatting for 200 words and forgetting the second bullet (the advice).
- Overusing exclamation marks. One or two is friendly; ten is noise.
How to use it
- Read the ‘Know the format’ box, then do Task 1 under exam conditions – 5 minutes planning, the rest writing, timed as the task box says.
- Mark yourself against the grid and the indicative content list. Be honest about which band each strand lands in.
- Read the model answer and its notes, then rewrite your weakest paragraph. Do Task 2 a few days later without looking at the model.
Related free resources
- Speech – Exam-Style Writing Tasks (Functional Skills Level 2)
- Letter of Application – Exam-Style Writing Tasks (Functional Skills Level 2)
- Plan a Functional Skills Writing Task in 5 Minutes – Free Planning Sheet
- All free Functional Skills English Level 2 resources
Frequently asked questions
Can I use contractions in an informal exam task?
Yes – ‘I’m’, ‘don’t’, ‘you’ll’ are natural in a letter or email to a friend and show you can match register to audience. What you cannot use is text-speak (‘u’, ‘gr8’), emojis or slang.
Does an informal letter still need paragraphs?
Absolutely. Paragraphs, accurate spelling and punctuation, and covering every bullet are marked exactly the same way as in a formal task. Only the tone changes.
How should I sign off an informal letter or email?
‘Love,’, ‘Best wishes,’, ‘Take care,’ or ‘See you soon,’ followed by your first name. ‘Yours sincerely’ would be wrong for a friend – it signals you have not understood the audience.
Want a tutor to mark your work? Not sure where you stand? Take the free 15-minute mini mock test. Ready to get qualified? Our live 10-week Functional Skills Level 2 English course runs in small groups with a mock exam included, and the 5-day revision course is there if your exam is close.