Format of Letter Writing

1. Letter Writing
By Dr Neeta Sharma
Asst Professor
Department of English
Shri Shankaracharya Mahavidyalaya,Bhilai

2. How to write Letter
• 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.

3. Types of Letter
• Formal Letter: These letters follow a certain
pattern and formality. ...
• Informal Letter: These are personal letters. ...
• Business Letter: This letter is written among
business correspondents, generally contains
commercial information such as quotations,
orders, complaints, claims, letters for
collections etc.

4. Formal Letter Writing
• A formal letter is one written in a formal and
ceremonious language and follows a certain
stipulated format.
Such letters are written for official purposes
to authorities, dignitaries, colleagues, seniors,
etc and not to personal contacts, friends or
family.

5. Beginning of Formal Letter
• Beginning the letter
• Most formal letters will start with 'Dear' before
the name of the person that you are writing to:
• 'Dear Ms Brown,' or 'Dear Brian Smith,'
• You can choose to use first name and surname, or
title and surname. ...
• 'Dear Sir/Madam,'
• Remember to add the comma.

6. Steps of Formal letter
• A formal letter has a format which needs to be followed. A
typical formal letter format is
• Sender’s address
• Date
• Name / Designation of Addressee
• Address of the Addressee
• Salutation
• Subject
• Body – Introduction, Content, Conclusion
• Complimentary Close
• Signature / Name of the Sender
• Designation of the Sender

7. Letter of Enquiry Formal Letter
• Letter of Enquiry
• As the name suggests this type of letter is the source of collecting
information. People usually use a letter of inquiry as one of the
most used business letter or formal letter. A letter of inquiry helps a
person to have information like some course or job inquiry, prices of
services and products, terms and orders or working agreements etc.
One must always keep in mind
• Give a brief introduction about yourself
• Include the name of the organization (if possible)
• Provide clear details about the area of inquiry
• Present your queries and doubt in a clear and understandable form
• Mention the deadlines by which you need the information

8. Sample Formal Letter
• Sample
• 16 Ring Road
Nagpur – 01
• November 30, 20xx
• The Director
ABC Classes
35 Patel Street
Delhi − 18
• Dear Sir,
• Sub.: Enquiry about CAT Coaching Classes.
• This is with reference to your advertisement in the ‘The Times of India’ for CAT Coaching classes. I
have passes the B.Sc. degree examination with Statistics as the main subject. I am keen on joining
your institute for the coaching classes.
• Kindly let me know about the procedure of applying for the qualifying test and its date. I would also
like to know the duration of the coaching programme, the duration and the number of classes per
week along with the available mode of classes. Information about the fees payable and the study
materials is highly appreciated. Could you please send me a copy of your prospectus?
• I would like to enroll as soon as possible. Your early response will enable me to decide fast.
• Thanking you.
• With kind regards
XYZ

9. Informal Letter
• Letter writing is an important skill to develop.
Written communication in both
the formal and personal matters is crucial and
so it is necessary to develop a skill for letter
writing. Here we will focus on how to
effectively write informal letters, and tips to
improve our efforts.

10. Informal letters
• Informal letters are written to close
acquaintances of the writer, their friends,
family, relatives, etc. Since they are written to
close relations the letters have an informal
and personal tone. Casual language is used
while writing informal letters. And sometimes
the letters may even have an emotional
undertone

11. Informal Letter
• Informal letters are mainly used for
personal communication. So they do not have
to follow any specific pattern, format or
conventions. They can be written as per the
writer’s wishes and the requirement of the
situation. So the letter is written in a personal
fashion in casual unassuming language.

12. Example of Informal Letter

13. Format of Informal Letter
• Address
• The first thing to write is your address, i.e. the
address of the writer. We usually write the
address on the left-hand side of the page at the
very top. The address should be accurate and
complete. Even when writing to close friends or
relatives the address must be written, so they can
reply back to the letter with ease. If the
recipient of the letter is in another country, do
not forget to write your country as well in the
address.

14. Format
• Date
• Next just below the address we write the date.
This allows the reader to have a reference as
to when the address was written. He can then
relate better to the contents of the letter.

15. Format
• Greeting
• Now since you know the person you are writing to, the
greeting can be informal as well. If it is a friend or
someone close to your age you can greet them by their
first name, like “Dear Alex”. If you are writing to your
relative like your mother/father/aunt/uncle etc, you
may greet them as such, for example, “Dear Mom”.
And if you are writing to an elder person, someone you
respect greatly you can address them as Mr or Mrs.
Like say for example you were writing a congratulatory
letter to your teacher, it can be addressed as “Dear
Mrs. Alex”

16. Format
• Introduction Paragraph
• And now we begin writing the actual letter. The
introductory paragraph sets the tone for the
whole letter. You might begin by asking the
recipient about their well being. Or you may say
that you hope the letter finds them in good
health and great spirits. The opening of informal
letters should be casual and comforting. It must
not be formal and direct as in business letters.

17. Format
• Conclusion
• In the conclusive paragraph sum up the
reason for writing the letter, i.e. summarize
the letter. Say a meaningful and affectionate
goodbye to the reader. And do not forget to
invite the reader to write back or reply to your
letter. It shows an intention to keep the
conversation going.

18. Format
• Signature
• There is no one way to sign off informal letters.
Since they do not follow a strict format, you may
sign off as you please. Some commonly used
phrases are
• Lots of Love
• Best,
• Best Wishes,
• Kind Regards,
• Kindly,

19. Latest Format of Formal Letter
• First Paragraph: Introduce yourself and the
purpose of writing the letter in brief.
• Second Paragraph: It should include the
matter in detail.
• Third Paragraph: Here you have to conclude
your letter by mentioning the conclusion or
solution.

20. Tips of Writing
• First Paragraph: Introduce yourself and the
purpose of writing the letter in brief.
• Second Paragraph: It should include the
matter in detail.
• Third Paragraph: Here you have to conclude
your letter by mentioning the conclusion or
solution.

21. Letter for Admission
• Sir you are kindly requested to grant
me admission to your school based on my
stated problem. I assure you that my presence
at school will turn out to be a valuable asset. I
hope that you will grant me the permission to
get admitted to your school. I shall be very
thankful to you for this favor.

22. Admission Letter Format
• Format and Content
• Avoid writing a generalized form letter. Instead, use the
college application letter format to explain how you
will benefit a university or college and why the
institution is perfect for you .Do your research to find
out the type of student the college favors and write
your letter in a way that highlights these attributes. List
your accomplishments in the order of importance and
include any special skills you have to offer. Proof read
the letter carefully, and preferably, have someone else
proofread it as well before sending.

23. Errors in Writing Letters
• poor punctuation and grammatical error
• Poor vocabulary, wrong
• selection of words
• Neglecting the main part of letter
• Forgetting the reader
• Long words and elaborate phrases. ...
• Complex sentences. ...
• Poor planning. ...
• Failing to make an impression. ...
• Too much text.

24. Examples of Phrases
• 5 Examples of Phrases
• Noun Phrase; Friday became a cool, wet
afternoon.
• Verb Phrase; Mary might have been waiting
outside for you..
• Gerund Phrase; Eating ice cream on a hot day can
be a good way to cool off.
• Infinitive Phrase; She helped to build the roof.
• Prepositional Phrase; In the kitchen, you will find
my mom.

25. Meaning of Cover letter
• A cover letter is commonly submitted with a
job application explaining the applicant's
credentials and interest in the position.
• A good cover letter complements the resume
and explains why the candidate is the ideal
person for the job.
• Common cover letter mistakes can sink a job
applicant.
• Understanding Cover Letters

26. Tips for Writing Cover Letter
• How do I write a good cover letter?
• Write a Fresh Cover Letter for Each Job. ...
• But Go Ahead, Use a Template. ...
• Include the Hiring Manager's Name. ...
• Craft a Killer Opening Line. ...
• Go Beyond Your Resume. ...
• Think Not What the Company Can Do for You. ...
• Highlight the Right Experiences. ...
• Showcase Your Skills.