LETTER-WRITING is an important channel of communication between people who are geographically distant from one another. In earlier times when the telephone and e-mail were not available, the only means of communication between people was through letters.
Letter-writing is a skill that has to be developed. In general there are two types of letters: formal, that are written to convey official business and information and informal, which are personal letters to communicate with friends and family. Formal letters are sent out when we need to write to various public bodies or agencies for our requirements in civic life. For example, we might have to ask for a certificate or to inform a change in our address. A letter is usually one in a series of exchanges between two people or parties.
Formal Letters
Formal Letter: A formal letter is one written in an orderly and conventional language and follows a specific stipulated format. These letters are written for official purposes only, such as writing a letter to the manager, to the HR manager, to an employee, to the Principal of the college or school, to a teacher, etc. But we do not use formal letters for personal use such as writing it to our family, relatives or friends.
Let us now examine some of the steps in writing formal letters.
- (i) Introducing oneself if it is the first time you are writing
(ii) Referring to an earlier letter if you are responding to it. - Stating the purpose of the letter
- (i) Stating action/information required from the addressee
(ii) Explaining action taken/supplying information - (i) Urging action to be taken
(ii) Offering assistance in future
This is the basic structure of a letter. It will have to be modified according to the purpose for which it is written and the person to whom it is addressed.
When you write a letter you should keep in mind the following points.
- Purpose
- Person to whom it is addressed
- Tone you should adopt
- Completeness of the message
- Action required
- Conciseness of expression
We have so far considered the content of letters. A letter also has a
typical format. - Name and address of sender
Companies have printed letterheads with the name of the
company printed on them. A letterhead may also carry the
name and designation of persons in responsible positions. - Name and address of addressee
- Date
- Mode of address or salutation
Salutation is the mode of addressing a person. We may have the following forms.
(i) Dear Sir/Madam (when we are writing to a total stranger whom we do not know at all).
(ii) Dear Mr/Ms/Dr/Professor + Surname as in: Dear Dr Sinha, (when it is a formal relationship with the addressee and the writer does not know him or her personally).
(iii) Dear Sujata (when the writer knows the addressee personally and the two share a semi-formal relationship). - Reference to previous correspondence, if any.
Most official letters carry a subject line just above the salutation. This is for quick reference to the subject. - Content of letter
The content of the letter begins on the next line and is arranged in two or three paragraphs. - Complimentary close and signature
Letters usually end politely with the following phrases:
Thank you, With regards, With best wishes, Hope to see 2020-21
NAME
POST
Company
LOCATION PINCODE
12 November 2005
Mr Shagun Thomas
801, Vijay Apartments
Begumpet
Hyderabad 500 016
Sub: Your application No. F323 for a new gas connection
Dear Mr Thomas,
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
Ritu Patel
Nowadays all the parts of a letter are aligned on the left. This style is called the Full-Block style. The date and signature are very important in letters. l We do not use commas after every line in the address. DO not begin your letters with hackneyed expressions like, ‘With reference to your letter dated 10 January’. Instead,
use personalised variations like, ‘I was glad to receive your letter of 10 January…’ or ‘We were happy to note from your letter that the goods have reached you safely…’ l Never end your letters with hanging participles like ‘Thanking you’ or ‘Awaiting your reply’. Instead write, ‘Thank you’ or ‘We/I await/look forward to your reply’.