Ways of writing letters .and it's types

Hy every one hope all of you will be fine and good

FORMAL LETTER

A formal letter is written for business or professional purposes with a specific objective in mind. It uses simple language that can be easy to read and interpret.

Definition of Formal Letter

A formal letter is any letter written in the professional language, with a prescribed format for a formal purpose, i.e. it can be a recommendation letter, enquiry letter, complaint letter, cover letter and so on. All business letters are formal, but vice versa is not possible. Such letters are used for a variety of reasons like a formal invitation, proposal, and reference, making a complaint or inquiry, applying for a job. While writing a formal letter one should keep in mind the following things:

• It should be in specified format.

• It should avoid the use of unnecessary words.

• It should be straight to the point.

• It should be relevant and objective.

• It should be complex and thorough.

• It should be polite, even if it is a complaint letter.

• It should be free from any mistakes, i.e. grammatical or spelling.

A formal letter will encompass many things and is related to the business letter. To put this into perspective, all business letters are formal letters but not all formal letters are business letters. The term formal letter can be used to entail any written letter for a formal purpose, whether that be a recommendation letter, an invitation letter, a complaint letter and so on.

Letters of complaint:

Many people feel it very necessary to write a letter of complaint regarding faulty products or poor service. A complaint letter needs to be carefully written to ensure that it is firm but also polite so as not to put off the reader. It also needs to make it clear what you are looking for in the way of compensation.

Example of a Complaint letter:

You are Keerti/Krishna of 56, Indrapuram, Bangalore. You bought a new VIP Washing Machine from M/s Rama Electronic, Commercial Street, Bangalore last week. Now you find that the machine makes an unbearable noise and motor tears delicate fabrics. Write a letter to the dealer complaining about the same and requesting him to change the machine as early as possible.

Cover Letter

A cover letter for your job application:

All job applications should be accompanied with a concise and well written covering letter for CV to boost your chances of being selected for an interview. A well-written cover letter should highlight the main reasons why you are the best person for the job.

Reference letter:

Students will often ask a teacher to write them a letter of reference for employment or college admission. Reference letters help boost your CV and increase your chances of getting hired. These letters highlight the general strengths of the student and why they would be perfect for any job or college.

Letter of recommendation:

Unlike a simple reference letter a letter of recommendation is more specific. It is there to actually recommend the person being written about and to endorse them to the reader. The letter should focus on specific examples that prove the person is a strong candidate for the job. Generally, these letters are sent directly to the requester and not seen by the student.

Resignation letter:

When you are leaving a job you want to ensure that you do not burn any bridges or alienate anyone that you have worked with. After all you may want to work with them again at some point in the future and a well written letter of resignation can help you maintain good relations.

Thank You Letter

Thank You Letter:

Thank you letters are a great way to build good relationships in both business and personal lives.

Please take a look at the above image to understand thank you letters better.

Letter of interest:

A letter of interest is similar to a cover letter for a job but is typically sent to companies that you are interested in working for but are not currently advertising any jobs within your area of interest. These can be highly effective if written well as they show initiative and a drive to succeed.

Simply put, this letter expresses your desire to meet with a hiring manager in order to learn about opportunities that might be available to you.

Format of a Formal Letter

A formal letter usually follows the format above.

Formal Register in a Formal Letter

Always use a formal tone while writing a formal letter. Since a formal letter is usually written for official reasons, avoid using informal language. This means that you should use words such as "please" and "kindly" but avoid using words such as "cool" and "awesome."

Sender's Address

In a formal letter, the sender's address is usually written at the top, left-hand corner of the letter. However, sometimes it could also be written on the right-hand corner.

Date in a Formal Letter

In a formal letter, the date is usually written below the sender's address on the left-hand corner of the letter. Sometimes, it could also be written below the sender's address on the right-hand corner.

Address of the Addressee

In a formal letter, the date is usually followed by the address of the addressee i.e. the person you are writing the letter to. The address always appears on the left-hand side of the letter.

Designation and Address of the Receiver

In a formal letter, the designation and address of the receiver appear below the date on the left-hand corner of the letter.

Salutation

In a formal letter, it is important to include an appropriate salutation after the address of the receiver. Generally, your salutation should be "Dear Sir/Madam" or "Dear Mr. ____." For example, if you are writing a letter to the manager of a company, and his name is Robert Smith, your salutation could be "Dear Mr. Smith."

DEFINITION

Subject Line

In a formal letter, a subject line should follow the salutation. A subject line is basically a line describing what your letter is about. Make sure that the subject line is precise and short.

DEFINITION

Introduction, Body, and Conclusion

A formal letter should always include an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction will introduce the purpose of your letter in a line or two. This is followed by the body, where you should provide more information about what you need and why. Finally, in the conclusion, you should reiterate your request and thank the receiver for considering your request.

DEFINITION

Complimentary Close

A formal letter should conclude with a complimentary close. A complimentary close is placed before your name when you close the letter. Some examples of good complimentary closes in a formal letter include:

Yours sincerely,

Yours truly,

Yours faithfully,

Regards,

Informal letters

Informal letters are written to friends and relative for personal communication and uses a casual or an emotional tone. The article excerpt presents you all the important differences between formal and informal letters in a detailed manner.

Definition of Informal Letters

An informal letter is a letter written to someone; we know fairly well. The letter can be used for some reasons like conveying message, news, giving advice, congratulate recipient, request information, asking questions, etc. It is a personal letter, written to whom you are familiar with, like friends, siblings, parents or any other closed one. There is no specific format prescribed for writing this letter.

While writing an informal letter, one can afford to be friendly, and make use personal or emotional tone. Slang or colloquial terms, codes, abbreviations, etc. can also be used at the time of writing it, depending on the familiarity with the recipient.

Key Differences between Formal and Informal Letter

The significant points of difference between formal and informal letters are discussed as under:

1. A formal letter is one, written in formal language, in the stipulated format, for official purpose. A letter is said to be informal when it is written in a friendly manner, to someone you are familiar with.

2. Formal letters are written for official or professional communication. On the other hand, informal letters are used for casual or personal communication.

3. There is a manner prescribed for writing formal letters. As opposed to informal communication, which does not follow any format.

4. Formal letters are usually written in the third person, however, for business letters, first person is used. On the contrary, informal letters are written in first, second and third person.

5. Formal letters are used for writing letters to business, i.e. partners, suppliers, customers, clients, etc. , college or institute, employer, professionals, etc. As against this, we use informal letters for writing letters to friends, relatives, acquaintance, etc.

6. While writing formal letters, we use passive voice. Conversely, an active and imperative voice is used.

7. The sentences we use at the time of writing a formal letter are, long and complex. Unlike an informal letter, where we use short and simple sentences which are easy to interpret.

8. The size of a formal letter should be concise; that does not include irrelevant matter. In contrast, the informal letter can be concise or large.

9. Formal letters do not include contraction like (didn’t, can’t) and abbreviations rather it uses full forms. As compared to informal letters, which makes use of contraction, abbreviation, idioms, phrasal verbs and even slang and colloquial terms.