This research aims to describe the ability of the fifth year students of SDN 51 Pekanbaru City in writing formal permission letter. The description of abilities are selected into ten kinds. They are the ability of writing (1) date and place of the letter, (2) subject, (3) the address, (4) salut or greeting, (5) opening paragraph, (6) tontent of the paragraph, (7) closing pragraph, (8) closing g…