Letter Writing

A letter is a written message that can be handwritten or printed on paper. It is usually sent to the
recipient via mail or post in an envelope, although this is not a requirement as such. Any such
message that is transferred via post is a letter, a written conversation between two parties.
Letter writing has been deemed as one of the most useful forms learnt and used for various
reasons. There are several kinds of letters, each of which has its own form and style. However,
there are certain parts of the letter which remain the same. They include:

 Sender’s address

 Date

 Greeting or Salutation

 Body of the Letter

 Subscription

 Signature

1. Sender’s Address

The writer’s complete postal address has to be mentioned at the beginning of the letter on the
left-hand side of the paper. This lets the receiver know where you wrote the letter from.

2. Date

The date is written just below the sender’s address, and It lets the recipient know when exactly
the letter was written. The date may be written in any of the following ways:

4th July 2005

July 4, 2005

4/6/2005
3. Greeting or Salutation

The Salutation depends on the relationship between the sender and the receiver.

 To members of your family and friends, it could be Dear Father, My Dearest Friend, Dear
Uncle, Dear Diana, etc.

 To Business people or any officer of higher rank, it could be Dear Sir, Dear Sirs,
Sir/Ma’am, etc.

4. Body of the Letter

The message that you want to convey is stated in the body of the letter. The style, however,
depends on the type of letter you are writing. The style of a friendly letter differs completely
from that of a business letter or an official letter, but there are certain points that apply to both
formal letters and informal letters.

Generally, when you draft the body of your letter, see to that you divide it into short paragraphs,
according to the change in the subject matter. Use simple and direct language that is easy to
comprehend. Put down all your points in a logical order. Mind your punctuation; incorrect
punctuation will alter the meaning of the sentence completely.

5. Subscription

The subscription helps you end the letter in a polite and courteous manner. The subscriptions
change according to the type of letter you are writing. It can be written as Yours faithfully, Yours
lovingly, Yours sincerely, With love, etc.

6. Signature

The signature or the name of the writer should be written just before the subscription.

Different Types of Letters

Letters to friends and family can be written in a conversational style. They are just a
composition of spontaneous thoughts, and they are easy and personal. When writing an
informal letter, you are free to use colloquial language, which would be quite out of place in a
formal letter. This does not mean that you can pen down random thoughts that are totally
disconnected and make no sense. Wrong spelling, punctuation and grammar are not allowed
even though the letter is informal and personal an informal letter can be written by following a
basic format that includes the sender’s address, date, greeting, body of the letter, subscription
and signature.
2. Formal Letter

Formal letters or Business letters should be clear and concise. You should always remember
that formal letters are written to bring important information into consideration, so you should
always take care to draft the letter carefully by providing only the necessary information the
language used in formal letters is a lot more professional than informal letters. The format of
formal letters is the same as explained above, with a few additions, viz., ‘the Receiver’s Address’,
‘Subject’ and ‘Signature’.
Letter Writing Tips
Now that we have learned the basics of communicating via letters and the types of letters as
well, let us focus on some tips for the actual letter writing.

1] Identify the type of letter

This obviously is the first step of the letter writing process. You must be able to identify the type
of letter you are to be writing. This will be dictated by the person the letter is addressed to and
the information that will be conveyed through the letter. Suppose you were writing to the
principal of your college to ask for leave, this would be a formal letter (Types of formal letters
with samples). But say you were writing to your old college professor catching up after a long
time. Then this would be a personal (informal) letter.

2] Make sure you open and close the letter correctly

Opening a letter in the correct manner is of utmost importance. Formal letters open with a
particular structure and greeting that is formal in nature. Informal letters can be addressed to
the person’s name or any informal greeting as the writer wishes. Even when closing the letter, it
must be kept in mind what type of letter is being written. Formal letters end respectfully and
impersonally, whereas informal letters may end with a more personal touch.

3] Establish the main intent of the letter

Once you start writing, make sure to get to the point as soon as possible. Especially in formal
letters, it is important to immediately make clear the purpose of the letter.

4] Be careful of the language

A letter is always supposed to be polite and considerate. Even if it is a complaint letter, the point
must be made in a careful and courteous manner. So it is necessary to use polite expressions
and civil language in all types of letters.

5] Length of the letter

And the other important factor to be considered is the length of the letter you are writing. It
should be kept in mind that formal letters are generally to the point, precise and short. Lengthy
formal letters tend to not have the desired effect on the reader. The length of an informal letter
is determined by the message in the letter and the relation to the recipient.