CHAPTER Writing
01
Formal Letters
Letter writing is an essential skill. In spite of the prevalence of e-mail and text messages, letters are
trade, official
still one of the most important and popular means of communication. Commerce,
correspondence, public representation, complaints and other dealings, transactions and
communication with people are still conducted through letters.
Types of Formal Letters
Formal letters can be broadly classified into four types. These are
are written to lodge a complaint. The
1. Complaint Letters As the name suggests, these letters organisation.
complaint letters can be addressed to a public/private company or
when a person wants to get more information about
2. Enguiry Letters These letters are written These letters
quotation for purchasing a product or service.
a product or service or to obtain a
formal letters.
are the most common form of customer or an
Placing an Order These are business letters and are written when a
3. Letters for
product/s or goods from another company or
organisation wants to place an order for orders placed
organisation. These may also include
letters for cancellation or amendments to
placed.
as well as acknowledgement of orders general concern and to
Letters to the Editor These letters are usually written on a topic of concerning public
4. include suggestions on an issue
influence public opinion. They may
interests, complaints or requests.
Steps to Write a Letter must follow the correct format and the steps
given below
Letter one
To write an effective Formal sender's address is clear and precise. It is written at the
top
sure that the by the street.
1. Sender's Address Make page. Specify the house number first, followed
on the left hand corner of
the
town/state and pincode.
Pandey Nagar
Example : 2334/31, Mangal
Ekta Park
address, one must NOT put a
Meerut-250002
portion includes the sender's
fulladdress. While writing the
This
line.
comma at the end of each
2. Date and Receiver'sAddress While writing date, always remember the day is written address
in figures,which
month in words
year in full figures. The date on which the letter is written, followed by the receiver's comprises of the
receiver's name designation and the complete address.
Example : 12th December, 20XX
The Editor
The Times of lndia
Daryaganj
Delhi-ll0002
S. Subject Oneof the most important parts of a Formal Letter is the subject. One must ensure that the subject
the main theme or crux of the letter clearly. It must bebrief as possible, maximum three or four expresse.
words.
. Salutation The salutation used in formal letters is a greeting to whom the letter is
salutation depends on the relation and degree of intimacybetween the writer andaddressed. the
The torm of greeting or
But in official letters, we may use Sir/Madam or Dear Sir/Dear Madam, addressee in personal letters
the question. keeping in mind the gender, if specified in
D. Body of the Letter The body of the letter is a
complex
wants to convey. For this, start with introducing the part which contains all the information the wTiter (you)
The body includes three main parts. purpose of writing. Then build up the topic.
It should be
(i) Introductory
Paragraph/Sentence
(ii) Informative Paragraph Gives detailsStates the purpose of writing.
of the problem, cause, effect, possible
(ii) Concluding Paragraph/Sentence solution etc.
States your hope, comment, request,
6. Complimentary ClOse This is a suggestion etc.
courteous way of ending a letter.
For this, we write Yours sincerely/Yours
never written in capital letter. faithfully/Yours truly. The first letter of the second word (here 's',
'f,) is
7. Sender/Signature Just below the
complimentary close, sender's name is written as a mark of
applicable, the sender's designation may be added in brackets. signing off. If
Points to be Kept in Mind
" Answer the following questions in
drafting the letter
" Who are you writing to?
What is the reason for writing the letter?
What do you expect as the result of writing this letter?
" The subject line should match to
what is asked in the question. Avoid a long
Get right to the purpose of the letter in polite and subject line.
" Be clear, concise and to the point.
formal language. It should focus on the desired topic.
Stick to the word limit of 1 00-150 words.
" Use simple language so that the letter is
easy to understand. Do not use long-winded
Review your finished letter for clarity from the reader's sentences.
be taken in response to the letter. viewpoint, who should understand the action to
Note : Always leave one line space after writing the
sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject and salutation
