Letter Writing

With the advent of emails and modern technology, the concept of writing Letters has taken a back seats
but the style persists and people use it while writing emails. Letters are a form of verbal and written
communication, which contains information or message, send by one party to another, to convey the
message. It is sent by one party to another, to provide certain important information.
Objectives of letters writing

• A Letter bridges communication gap between two or more parties.

• A Letter can create awareness, inform or provoke a thought in the receiver or the mass.
• A well-written letter is a good way to express one’s feelings.
• A heartfelt letter acts as a personal memoir and may be preserved by the receiver.

Business Letter
• A business letter is a formal way of communication between two or more parties.
• Business letters can be informational, persuasive, motivational, or promotional.
• A business letter can…
o tell an employer why you want the job.
o tell a company that you don’t like their service.
o ask someone for information.
o tell someone in government what you think.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS

1. Letters represent your company’s public image and your competence.
2. Letters are more personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mail.
3. Letters constitute an official legal record of an agreement.
4. Letters provide a wide range of corporate information.
ELEMENTS OF A GOOD LETTER
• The most important element of writing a good letter is your ability to identify and write to your
audience.
• If you are addressing your letter to the department of human resources, avoid using highly
technical terms that only engineers would understand, even if your letter is addressed to an engineering
company, chances are that the personnel in human resources does not have an engineering background.
• The next element is that you make sure your present your objective in a clear and concise manner.
Don't be vague about your objective.
• Another important element to remember is to remain professional. Even if you are writing a
complaint letter, remain polite and courteous, simply state the problem(s) along with any other relevant
information and be sure to avoid threats and slander.
Styles Format Business Letter
The Styles of Business Letters (Layouts of Business Letters) have undergone changes over the period of
time. In the old times, the style was followed strictly. But recently liberty has been given to the business
people to follow their own styles. Although no room was allowed for deviation form the standard form an
effective letter during old days, the letters written then was more effective. There are still many business
houses which use the old layout. But things have become much easier and business people have taken
liberty in their approach towards adopting the layout of their business letters.
1. Full Block Style: Full block format is considered the most formal of the three styles. In full block
format or style, every line is left justified. The dateline is placed two to six line spaces below the
last line of the heading or letterhead. The inside address placement varies depending upon the
length of the letter. A common spacing is four line spaces below the date line. The salutation is
placed two lines below the attention line (if an attention line is provided). The first line of the
body is placed two lines below an attention line or two to four lines below the last inside address
line. When using full block, paragraphs are single spaced, with a double space between
paragraphs.

Full block format

LETTER HEAD
( 6 – 10 SPACES)
DATE
(1-4 Spaces)

Recipients’ Name

Recipient’s Address
(2 Spaces)

SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is followed by Comma or Colon

2 SPACES)

Ref/Sub

(2 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left (Paragraphs – Not indented)

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2 -3 SPACES)

CLOSING, ------------------Closing followed by Comma

(3-4 SPACES)

SIGNATURE

(2 SPACES)

Enclosing signature

(2 SPACES)

CC

(2 SPACES)
Full Block Form

Your Name
Address
Phone Number
E-mail (optional)

Date
Name of Receiver
Title
Company Name
Address

Dear __________,

Subject_____________

When writing a letter using block form, no lines are indented. Include your name, address, and phone
number where you can be contacted, as well as the date. You then include the name and address of the
person you are sending the letter to.

With new paragraphs, just skip a line instead of indenting.

Add your phone number where you can be contacted in the last paragraph. If the receiver needs to use a
relay service to call you, briefly explain that you are deaf/ hard-of-hearing and that s/he can call you
through relay. Give the receiver his/her state relay number and explain that s/he will need to give the
operator your number. Then give him/her your number.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Name
Your Title
2 Block Style: The block style is also known as the Full block style. In this style, all elements of the letter
are justified to the left. This business letter style is becoming very common, for the obvious reason that
typing in this manner is easier, especially on a computer.
3. Semi Block Style: Semi-block format or style is frequently called modified semi-block because it
is a slightly less formal modification of full block format. This letter style places the date line in
alignment with, or slightly to the right of dead center. Another option for placing the date line in
semi-block is flush right. Similar to full block, semi-block places the inside address, salutation
and any end notations flush with the left margin. However, unlike full block, each body
paragraph of semi-block is indented five spaces. The complimentary close and signature block are
aligned under the date.

Semi Block format

LETTER HEAD
(6 – 10 SPACES)

DATE
(2-4 Spaces)

Recipients’ Name
Recipient’s Address

(2-3 SPACES)

SALUTATION, ----------------------- Salutation is followed by Comma or Colon

(2 SPACES)

Ref/Sub

(2-3 SPACES)

Paragraph Indented, Left, Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2-3 SPACES) Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

 (2-3 SPACES)

Text Aligned Left, Text Aligned Left

(2 -3 SPACES)

CLOSING, ----------------- Closing followed by Comma

(4 SPACES)

SIGNATURE

(2 SPACES)

Enclosing signature

(2 SPACES)

CC

(2 SPACES)

4. Indented Style: Indented style is somewhat more complicated than other popular styles of
business writing. In indented style, new paragraphs in a piece of writing are indented that is, they
begin about 1.5 centimeters to the right of the left margin. Other parts of a business letter are
moved farther to the right half of the page. Indented style is one of the older formats for business
writing currently in use, though other formats are becoming more popular. Indented style is a
format that many of today’s business people were trained to use.
 5. Simplified Style: Simplified format or style unlike full block and semi-block has fewer internal
parts. This format is also the most widely used format in professional correspondence. Simplified
format is focused and professional without unnecessary formality. Simplified format places all
internal parts in left alignment; however, the traditional salutation is replaced with an all-caps
subject line that is also placed flush with the left margin. Body paragraphs are left aligned and
single spaced within and double spaced between. In simplified style, the writer’s name and title,
if necessary, are aligned with the left margin and typed in all caps at least five spaces below the
last line of the body or message of the letter.

Simplified Style Form

Your Name
Address
Phone Number
E-mail (optional)

Date

Name of Receiver
Title
Company Name
Address

SUBJECT LINE (use capital letters)

When writing a letter using simplified style form, put the date on the left. Then, put the receiver's
name, and his/her title, company name, and address.

Write a subject line instead of a salutation. The subject line must be in all capital letters.

At the end of the letter, put your name and title, all in capital letters.

YOUR NAME
YOUR TITLE
Hanging Indentation Style: A hanging indented letter style is when a paragraph is indented so that the
first line hangs over the rest. Normally you would see a first line indent. This is when the first line is
moved to the right and the rest of the paragraph starts at the margin. The most common place hanging
indents are used is on a bibliography reference page. When typing you can change the indentation by
either formatting the paragraph or changing the page margins.
Types of Letters: Letters are categorized into two types.
Informal Letters
These are also known as personal letters, usually written to family, friends, relatives, neighbors or to
acquaintances. These letters may or may not have a concrete reason of writing. They may be written just
to share an experience, enquire about someone’s how about, updating someone with a general incident
etc. In these letters we cover personal letters (letters to family, letters to relatives, love letters and letters
to elderly people) and social letters (letters to friends, social invitations, congratulatory/apology letters,
letters of condolence/sympathy, thank you letters).

Purpose of Writing an Informal Letters

The main purposes of writing an informal letter are;
• To express feelings and emotions.
• To stay in contact with family and friends.
• To send invitations, replies, thanksgiving etc.
• To make personal complaints.
• To communicate by expressing sympathy, feeling
• congratulating someone etc.
1. Formal Letters
These letters are written to discuss business, apply for services, make requests, file/register complaints
etc. The foundation of these letters and categorization depends upon what is being discussed in the letters.
The Letters are short and to the point. The formulation of formal letters, letters of application, official
letters and letters to the Editor.

Format of a Letter
• A letter is composed of various elements that may change depending upon the nature of the letter.
The main elements of a letter are given below
Senders; address is the mailing address of the sender. It is an essential part of both, formal and informal
letters. It is also known as the return address as it acts as a back up address incase the letter gets damaged
or unaccepted.
• It is omitted only if the letter, is being written/typed on a letterhead or stationery already
imprinted with the same.
• Senders; address follows a typical format of writing as given below that consists of the
designation of the sender (optional) followed by the name of the organization, building numbers,
street/area, state/town, pin code and name of the country (if corresponding internationally).
• In case of a business letter, a reference number may also be included depicting that the letter is
written in response to a particular enquiry, letter, file, record etc.
• Note Designation of the sender, name of the organization and reference number are not included
in the formation of sender’s address of informal letters for obvious reasons.
 Line 1 Designation of the sender (optional) (formal letters)
 Line 2 Name of the organization (formal letters)
 Line 3 Building number, street/area (formal letters)
 Line 4 State/town (pin code-optional)
 Line 5 Country (if corresponding internationally)
 Line 6 Reference number (if applicable)
Formal letter
The Manager
ABC Pvt. Ltd
23, Gulberg
Lahore-00000
Pakistan
Ref no 229/3A/20XX Informal letter
23, Gulberg
Lahore-00000
Pakistan
Date
Succeeding the space after the return address comes the date on which the letter is written/sent. One may
opt any format out of the two stated below to record the date in the letter.
 DD/MM/YY : 24th August, 20XX
 MM/DD/YY : August 24th, 20XX

Receivers’ Address
• Receivers’ address is the corresponding address of the person to whom the letter is being sent. It
is placed after the date in formal letters. Since personal letters are sent to acquaintances or known people,
receivers’ address is only mentioned on the envelope carrying the letter.
• If the letter is being addressed to someone whose title/post/name of the official and name of the
organization is known, then the sender must start with the receivers’ designation and name of the
organization followed by the building numbers, street/area, state/town, pin code (optional) and country (if
corresponding internationally) as formatted tittle
 Line 1 Name of the official/professional title
 Line 2 Name of the organization
 Line 3 Building number, street/area
 Line 4 State/town (pin code-optional)
 Line 5 Country (if corresponding internationally)
The Manager
EcotechPvt Ltd
19/B2 Gulberg
Lahore – 0000
Pakistan
Subject
• A Subject determines the purpose of writing in the brief. It help the recipient to deal successfully
with the aim of yours letter. It is preceded with the word subject and is placed directly after the receivers’
address.
• It is part of formal business letters which are written either in reference to an earlier in reference
to an earlier correspondence or to someone with whom the sender is usually in contact. You must have
written a subject at least once while applying for leave concession, filing a complaint, executive a deal
etc. It should clear, Concise not than 10 words.
Salutation
• The salutation is a customary greeting to the recipient of the letter. It varies depending upon the
intimacy/relationship between the sender and the receiver. It usually begins with the word ‘Dear’
followed by the title (Ms/Mrs/Mr/Dr) if know and the first name of the person.
• Incase the gender and name of the recipient is not known you must address the person as Dear
Sir/Dear Madam, Since the salutation is professional in formal letters. The salutation used in personal or
informal letters is friendly.
• You may greet the receiver as ‘Dear/Dearest’ followed by their first name/nick name. it is
advisable to greet your elders with respect such as Dear Grandma/Dear Grandfather etc and not use their
names.
Salutation for Informal and Formal letters
For Informal Letters
(a) For Blood Relations (older) Respected
(b) For Blood Relations (Youngers) My dear, dear
(c) For Intimate Friends and Relatives Dear, My dear
For Formal Letters
(a) Editors, Post Masters, police Officers Sir/Madam
(b) Government Officials etc Sir/Madam
(c) Principals and head of institutions Respected Sir/Madam
(d) present or Prospective Employer Sir/Madam
(e) shopkeeper, Businessmen, Manager Sir/Madam
(f) Strangers and Acquaintances Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Sir/Madam Ms
Body
• The body is the most important elements of the letter. It can said to be the destination of journey
as it lays the reason behind your writing. It includes the message the sender wants to convey. While the
body of a personal letter can be long and detailed containing as many feelings, experiences, advices, news
etc on a personal front built in formal letter it is best to use short, clear, logical paragraphs to state your
subject.
• There can be three sub-parts of the body of a formal letter for letter drafting as follow, an
introductory paragraph stating the main point, middle paragraph justifying the importance/need of writing
with supporting points and a concluding paragraph restating the purpose and requesting for some action.
The paragraphs of the body must be indented depending upon the style chosen.
• Be sure to skip 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 attractive
appearance of the letter.
Concluding Line
• It comes at the end of the body of the letter, always begin as a new paragraph. It is determined by
the writer’s relation with the addressee.
(a) For friends ‘with best regards’, ‘with best wishes’
(b) for parents and elders ‘with love and respect’, ‘with respect and affectionate regards’
(c) For younger relatives ‘with love’, ‘Best wishes’, ‘with best wishes’
(d) For official letters ‘thanking you’, ‘with best regards’

Complimentary closure
• It is a polite way to end your letter with respect. The traditional rule of Etiquette in Britain in that
a formal letter starting with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ must end with ‘Yours faithfully’, While a letter starting
with ’Sir/Madam’ must end with ‘You sincerely’.
• In informal or personal letters, you may close the letter with ‘Yours Lovingly’, ‘Your truly’,
‘Your affectionately’ so on and depending upon your relation with receiver.

For Informal Letters

(a) For friends and acquaintances ‘Your sincerely’, ‘Sincerely yours’
(b) for relatives and friends ‘Yours affectionately’, ‘yours loving’ etc
For Formal Letters
(a) Principals, Headmasters etc ‘yours obediently’
(b) Editors, Government officials, Shopkeepers, private firms etc ‘Yours faithfully’, ‘Your truly’
(c) Strangers ‘Your faithfully’
(d) For employment from one official to another, complaints or requests to officials ‘Your
faithfully’
• Note: only the first letter of the first word in the complimentary closure is capitalized and all the
other words are written/typed in small case.

Signature Line
• It is the last part of the letter where the sender signs off with his/her first and last name. The
signature line may also include a second line in formal letters for the title/post of the sender, if
appropriate.
Comparison Chart

Formal Letter Informal Letter

A formal letter is a letter, scripted in the formal A letter written in a friendly way, to someone you
talk, in the stated format, for official purpose. known with, is called an informal letter.

Format

Written in prescribed format only No prescribed format.

Objective

Professional communication Personal communication

Contractions and Abbreviations

Avoided Used

Written In

A formal letter writes in the First person – First person, second or third person.
Business letters, third person – some others.

Written to

Business, college/institute, employer, Friends, family, acquaintances, etc.

organizations, etc.

Sentence

Long and complex Short and simple

Size

Concise Large or concise

Different types of formal letters

Basically, they all have the same layout styles, salutation and endings. However, the information that you
include in these letters differ. Here is a closer look at different types of formal letters.
Inquiry letters
These letters are used to request more information about a product or service. You must clearly explain
what information you are seeking. You may also ask for further details in the form of catalogs, brochures
etc.
Sales Letters
Sales letters are used to promote new products and services. A sales letter must clearly state the
advantages of using the specific product you are trying to promote. Ideally, a sales letter must highlight an
important problem and then explain how that problem can be solved by using your product. All sales
letters must include a call to action.
These letters are written to tell about a product to the customers with an intention of selling it. A sales
letter helps in the sale promotion and presenting introductory offers. It makes it easy to understand the
facts and figures and also strengthen the partnership and the joint ventures. While writing a sales letter
one must keep in mind the following points:
• The language must be formal
• Only use easy and clear language
• Avoid slang and use of abbreviations
• The content must be clear, concise and understandable
• Avoid adding extra details or information
• Pay attention towards the targeted audience
• Provide details, features, uses of a newly launched product

Acceptance letter
An acceptance letter is one that is written when you want to accept a job, a gift, an invitation, an honor, a
resignation etc. You may have verbally accepted the job or gift. Still it is a smart idea to formally accept
the offer with an acceptance letter.
Replying to an Inquiry
This is the kind of letter that you may have to write very often. Customers who make inquiries about your
products or services are definitely interested in buying them. When you reply to these inquiries you have
to provide as much information as possible. Your reply should prompt the client to take the desired
action: it could be subscribing to a service you provide or purchasing a product you offer.
Making a Claim
We are not always satisfied with the quality of a product or service we purchase. In that case, we will
need to make a claim against unsatisfactory work. A claim letter must clearly express your dissatisfaction.
It must also state what action you expect the service provider to take.
Adjusting a Claim
Your company may be offering the best products and services. Nonetheless, from time to time you may
be called upon to adjust a claim. This type of letters must address the specific concerns of dissatisfied
customers.
Apology letters
Business apology letters should be typed on a computer. Use a serif font, such as Times Roman. Once
you have typed the letter, print it on good quality, white paper.
Cover Letters
A cover letter is one that is sent along with your CV when you are applying for a job. The purpose of a
cover letter is to elicit a positive response from your prospective employers by highlighting the plus
points in your resume.

Letter of Complaint
Suppose you placed an order of some items. The quality promised and the quality of the items received is
not the same. What will you do? You either want to replace them or want your payment back. How can
you do so? This is where the letter of complaint comes into play. While writing this type of letter,
• One must clearly provide the details of the problem faced
• Tell what action you want to be taken
• Provide information like the date of arrival of orders, order number, or the details of the previous
complaint (if any)
• Give a deadline to respond within
• Attach a copy or a specimen of the invoice or any other receipt
• Use polite yet assertive words regarding complaint issue
• Never excuse or make any allegation by self

Reply to a Letter of Complaint

Suppose sometime you received a complaint and you want to reply to it. It is most important to try to look
after such complaints as they may cost you your/ organization’s reputation. How will you do so? How can
you provide better customer services? It is important for you to
• Clearly address the problem and the trouble costs to the customer
• Apologize for the error on your side
• Clearly state the course of actions you will take for the arisen issues and the time until you will do
so
• Assure the customer for no more future grievances and troubles
• Be very clear and specific about every detail
Promotion Letter
This type of letters mainly refers to the one of promoting new developments and up-gradation. The
promotion can be of anything new opening of a new branch or show-rooms, new schemes, or any other
promotional discounts. For any promotional letter, it is very important to
• Use clear, definite terms
• Proper use of punctuation and correct spellings
• Avoid slang, fancy terminologies of jargon
• Clearly discuss the promotion
• Avoid the use of abbreviations

Order Letter
When a buyer needs to order some goods, he writes an order letter to the seller. The three main parts of
this letter are
• The details of the items or the goods being ordered must be clearly stated. It must have complete
information like the quantity of the goods, model number (if possible), etc.
• The information related to the shipping must also be clearly given. The mode of shipping,
shipping location and the desired date for the goods to be shipped must be clearly stated.
• The inquiry related payment whether it is the mode of payment, date of payment or terms and
conditions regarding payment should be clearly mentioned.

Recovery Letters
There are sometimes when a company or an organization needs to collect money from a client or a
customer. The intention behind writing recovery letters is to recover the money form the customer
without bothering or annoying the client. This type of letter includes detail information regarding the
amount of unclear payment, last date of payment of the amount, the detail of the legal action in case of
non-payment of the dues. Although it is a recovery letter, one must always keep in mind
• The remainder must be in the polite language
• The detailed information and the reasons must be clear and understandable by the client
• The language should be formal.
• Provide the detail of legal action in case of non-payment of further delay in clearing the dues.
Acknowledgment letters are a professional courtesy, meant to acknowledge the receipt of something, or
to acknowledge a fact or an error. It usually entails a short detail of the day something arrived and a note
of thanks.
Bad news letters:
As opposed to the good news letter, a bad news letter, such as dismissal and rejection letters, need to be
handled carefully. While you need to maintain the concise and professional tone of a business letter, you
also need to be sensitive to the reader's feelings. In a bad news letter, instead of conveying the bad news
to the reader outright, you need to place it in the middle of the text.

Key Points of Better Letter Writing

1. Words are the writer’s tools and the writer need to put the right word and right expression with
precision. It should however be remembered that right words become relevant only in the right context.
For example an emotional or flowery language has to be fully avoided in a business letter.
2. To the Point content: Nothing more is harmful to good communication than confused state
which may result in not conveying the exact point. Before writing a letter one should ne sure of what one
wants to convey. All the facts and methodically. One should not be vague about one’s objective.
3. Conciseness: Formal letters must be concise. In formal letters specially one must not write
unnecessary sentences. To the point information or enquiry is prerequisite of a business correspondence.
Long illustrations and elaboration must be avoided all costs.
4. Courtesy: A letter reveals its writer’s personality and character. One must remain totally
professional while writing a letter. Even while writing a complaint letter, care should be taken that it is
couched in polite and civilized language. Good judgment determines what and how a point has to be
conveyed.
5. Correct Use of Punctuation Marks: Use of punctuation marks, use of capital letters, commas or
colons is must to make our writing effective. Sometimes placement of comma or full stop at a wrong
place may change the meaning of the sentence can steal the effectiveness of a good letter. Hence utmost
attention should be paid to punctuation while writing.
6. Style: The conversational style is the most suitable one for letter writing. It is best to write in a
simple, clear style maintaining a logical sequence of ideas. Every sentence should grow out of the
preceding one. There should be no abrupt jumping from one idea to the another.

Elements of a Letter at a Glance

Informal Letters
1. Senders’ address
2. Date
3. Salutation
4. Content required can be long and detailed
5. Concluding line
6. Complimentary closure
7. Signature line
Formal Letters
o Senders’ address
o Date
o Receivers’ address
o Subject
o Salutation
o Content-Specific, to the point
o Concluding lines
o Complimentary closure
o Signature along with designation or title

Writing a Formal Letter

Formal letter writing is undoubtedly one of the most challenging types of letter format. When putting it
together, often you are addressing a person or organization with whom you are not familiar and the
quality of your content, including spelling and grammar will be strongly scrutinized.
Sender's Address: The sender's address usually is included in letterhead. If you are not using letterhead,
include the sender's address at the top of the letter one line above the date. Do not write the sender's name
or title, as it is included in the letter's closing. Include only the street address, city, and zip code.
Date: The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is completed
over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. When writing to companies within the
United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based convention for formatting a date
places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and year two
inches from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either left justify
the date or tab to the center point and type the date.
Inside Address: The inside address is the recipient's address. It is always best to write to a specific
individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person's name, do some research by
calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms.,
Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure
of a woman's preference in being addressed, use Ms.
Mr. - for a male Mrs. - for a married female Miss - for an unmarried female Ms. - for a female whose
status is unknown or would prefer to remain anonymous Dr. - for a person with the status of a doctor
If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that
title. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write
the address, use the U.S. Post Office Format. For international addresses, type the name of the country in
all-capital letters on the last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender's address or one
inch below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.
Salutation “Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person
and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation
(for example: Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and last/family name
followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation. If you don't know a reader's gender, use a
nonsexist salutation, such as their job title followed by the receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the
full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris
Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris's gender.
Body: For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body
of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful to
remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then
a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main
point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting
details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some
type of action.
Closing: The closing begins at the same vertical point as your date and one line after the last body
paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the
closing and the sender's name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the
closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.
Enclosures: If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this
simply by typing Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each
document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have included many documents and
need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.
A Note about Format and Font
Block Format: When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used.
The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter
is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.
Font : Another important factor in the readability of a letter is the font. The generally accepted font is
Times New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may be used. When choosing a font,
always consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative company, you may want to use Times
New Roman. However, if you are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom
when choosing fonts.
Punctuation: Punctuation after the salutation and closing - use a colon (:) after the salutation (never a
comma) and a comma (,) after the closing. In some circumstances, you may also use a less common
format, known as open punctuation. For this style, punctuation is excluded after the salutation and the
closing.
Types of Formal Letters
● Write a Request Letter
● Writing a Letter of Interest (job)
● Writing a Complaint Letter
● Writing an Apology Letter
● Writing a Letter of Appeal
● Writing an Invitation Letter
● Writing a Resignation Letter
● Requesting a Letter of Recommendation
● Interview Thank You Letters
● Write a Farewell Letter
● Writing a Reference Letter
Formal Letter Writing Workshop #1—Request Letter
A request letter is a letter requesting either information or a favor. There are a variety of things you can
request when writing a request letter. A good request letter will usually be concise and to the point. A
hard-copy request letter should be written in the business letter format, while an email should be sent in
the same format but without the heading (your return address, their address, and the date).
Request Letter Writing
● In the opening paragraph, briefly introduce yourself and let the recipient know why you are writing to
them.
● In the next paragraph, tell the recipient what you are requesting of them along with any pertinent details
that would help them to fulfill your request. If you need your request filled by a certain date, be sure to let
them know in this paragraph.
● In the closing paragraph, thank the recipient for their time/consideration and provide your contact
information (if applicable). Example
764 Cheery Lane Clearwater Falls, FL 23619
September 27, 2015
Mr. Louis Henderson Store Manager The Corner Cafe 273 Main Street Clearwater Falls, FL 23619
Dear Mr. Henderson:
My name is Cathy Pettis and I'm the chair of the Clearwater Falls Elementary School Fundraising
Committee. The committee is planning to hold a fundraiser next month to raise funds for this year’s field
trips and we're looking for donors to help out with providing goods for the fundraising event.
If The Corner Cafe is willing to help donate some coffee and cups, we would greatly appreciate it. Our
fundraiser will be held on the morning of October 18th and we're expecting around 200 people to show
up.
Thanks for your time and consideration, if you need to contact me with any questions, feel free to call me
at 555-555-5555, I'm available to speak between 10am-5pm on weekdays.
Sincerely,
Signature
Cathy Pettis
Formal Letter Writing Workshop #2—Letter of Interest
Letters of interest are written to express your interest in working for a particular company in a specific
field. Your letter may be written either in response to a job opening or just to investigate possible
employment.. However, make your letter stand out from the crowd using the following tips:
1. Before you write, do your homework. Research the background of the company and familiarize
yourself with their products and/or services.
2. Be sure to find out the name of the individual who does the hiring. Address your letter to his/her
attention and use her/his name in the salutation. Simply writing “To Whom It May Concern” and “Dear
Sir or Madam” could be considered be lazy or rude.
3. Start your introductory paragraph with the reason you are interested in pursuing employment with this
company. Try not to start the first sentence with “I”. (See sample letter of interest.) Also, explain what
prompted your inquiry, such as a classified advertisement, a media article or interview, or a referral from
an employee.
4. In the next paragraph(s), give specific examples of your qualifications. Don’t hesitate to indicate the
reasons why you would be an asset to the company. Illustrate your skills, strengths, and achievements in a
professional, yet personable way. Stay away from strings of abbreviated credentials. These, if you have
them, should be on the resume you’ll enclose with the letter. Direct the reader to your resume and any
other enclosures.
5. In your final paragraph, thank the individual for his/her time in considering you as a new employee.
Indicate a precise time when you will contact him/her by phone to follow up on your letter. Also, be sure
to let the individual know how to contact you.
A hard-copy interest letter should be written in the business letter format, while an email should be sent in
the same format but without the heading (your return address, their address, and the date). Keep your
letter short, no more than a single page.