Letter Writing

With the advent of modern technology, it is true that writing letters is not something that is seen anymore. However, it remains a hobby for a lot of people, and while physically writing letters on paper has become outdated, emails have taken their place. Emails are simply letters written over an electronic medium.

Emails need to be written with the utmost care since they are mostly used for formal communication. Very infrequently can official emails have a hint of informality in them, which is why it is important to know how to write a letter.

What Are The Types Of Letters?

Based on the tone and the requirement, there are different kinds of letters. Each of them adheres to a certain kind of format. These are:

• Formal letters

• Semi-formal letters

• Informal letters

Formal Letters

These are letters that are strictly meant for professional or official purposes. They need to be precise, crisp, and to the point. It is important to stick to certain formatting while writing formal letters since they go through official channels of communication.

Semi-formal Letters

These are letters that are not as formal in tone, but also not completely informal. For example, these are letters that are circulated within companies officially but may be addressed to juniors or colleagues, hence they have a subtle tone of informality or friendliness.

Informal Letters 

These letters are meant to be given for all unofficial purposes, between acquaintances and friends and known people. They do not require any tone of formality as such and can work with informal salutations. 

Format Of Letter Writing 

1. Writer’s Address

In this section, the writer of the letter must write his/her complete address along with the zip code. This address is important in the case of all kinds of letters as it enables the receiver to reply and understand where the letter is from. In case the letter gets lost in transit, this address can be used for the return. The designation of the sender is only written in the formal letters.  

2. Date

Succeeding the space after the sender’s address comes to the date on which the letter is written/sent. This is also to be included in all letters irrespective of their nature. One may choose any format out of the two mentioned below to record the date in the letter-

DD/MM/YY : 24th August, 20XX

MM/DD/YY : August 24th, 20XX3. 

3. Recipient Name and Address 

The receivers’ address is the corresponding address of the person to whom the letter is written. It is put after the date of informal letters. As personal letters are sent to acquaintances, receivers’ addresses are only mentioned on the envelope carrying the letter. This also needs to be mentioned in all letters. 

4. Subject

A Subject displays the purpose of writing in a few words. It helps the recipient to comprehend the aim of your letter. It is written with the word subject and is written directly after the receivers’ address. The subject should be very clear and precise and not more than 10 words.

For example - If you want to write a letter to complain about the delay in service-

Subject- Complaint about the delay in service delivery.

The subject is usually the part of the formal and semi-formal letters as it can be in correspondence to the last letter or to someone the sender knows.  

5. Salutatin

The salutation is a formal or informal greeting to the recipient of the letter. It varies depending upon the relationship between the sender and the receiver of the letter. It usually starts with the word ‘Dear’ followed by the title (Ms/Mrs/Mr/Dr) and the first name of the receiver (if known). 

Examples-For relatives and friends- Dear (informal or semi-formal)

For formal acquaintances- Sir/Mam (semi-formal or formal)

For someone of higher post- Respected Mam/ Sir (only formal)

6. Body of the Letter

The body is the most important aspect of the letter. It is important because it consists of the crux of the matter. It basically includes the message the sender wants to convey. While the body of a personal letter can be lengthy and detailed containing all the feelings, news, and all the information on a personal front, it is advised to use precise language so that the reader gets clear information. 

There can be three sub-parts of the body of a formal letter -An introductory paragraph stating the main point, A middle paragraph explaining the importance/need of writing a letter. Concluding paragraph restating the purpose of the letter and requesting for some action. Usually, formal and semi-formal letters have smaller bodies in comparison to informal letters. 

The paragraphs of the body must be intentional depending upon the style chosen. The last line must be mentioned where you thank the person for his or her time to read the letter and take appropriate action if necessary.

Tip-Be sure to leave a line between the salutation and introductory paragraph and also between the concluding paragraph and closure. Margins must be left on all four sides of the letter. It creates an attractive appearance to the letter.

7. Closing Salutation

The letter must have a greeting followed by the full name of the sender if the letter is formal or just the first name in an informal letter.

For example-

Thanks & Regards- Formal

Respectfully- Formal and Informal

Yours Sincerely- Formal

Yours Lovingly- Informal

This is how you can format a letter. Check the type of letter and choose the right format to write it down. Learn from the experts of Vedantu about how to compile a letter in a simpler and better way to score more in the exams.