How To Write A Formal Letter

Use These Tips When Writing an Important Letter

When was the last time you actually "wrote" a letter? Adrian Clark 2008 In today's Internet- and e-mail-driven society, the need to write a formal letter arises less often than in the past. However, it is still occasionally necessary to present a formal letter to obtain information, to apply for an academic program or a job, to complain about a product or service, or simply to express your opinion in an effective and coherent manner.

Tips for formal letter writing

The professionals at our editing service always advise clients to:

Be concise: State the purpose of your formal letter in the first paragraph and don't veer from the subject. Try to avoid flowery language or long words. Keep the letter short and to the point. This excerpt from Strunk and White's The Elements of Style (4th edition) provides the perfect rule of thumb:

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

Use the right tone: A business or formal letter should be written in a tone that is slightly more formal than your everyday language. Avoid the following: slang or jargon; contractions such as I'm, can't, it's; and vague words such as good and nice. Be polite and respectful, even if you are complaining. Proofread: Once you have written the formal letter, check the grammar and spelling carefully. Use the spellchecker on your computer and then read the letter over yourself as the spellchecker will not likely catch every error. Use a dictionary or thesaurus, if necessary. Check the grammar and punctuation for correctness, and make sure the sentences are complete. It is usually a good idea to have someone else proofread your formal letter, even after you have done so, as you may have overlooked errors in something that you have read over many times. If this formal letter is important enough for you to take the time to write, don't rush its completion. Errors may diminish the impact of the statement or impression you are trying to make. Use proper format and presentation: Remember that the first impression is the one that lasts. Use good quality paper and a matching envelope for your formal letter. Make sure the recipient is addressed properly and that his or her name is spelled correctly. Equally importantdon't forget to sign the letter!

Present your ideas properly: Formatting a formal letter

Adhering to the standard conventions of good formal letter writing and presenting your letter attractively will ensure that your thoughts are seriously considered by the recipient and given the attention and consideration they deserve. Here are a few formatting tips:

Heading: The heading consists of your address (but not your name) and the date. Telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are not usually included here, but they are acceptable. Using block format, the heading goes in the top left-hand corner of the page.

123 Elm Ave. Treesville, ON M1N 2P3 November 23, 2008

Inside Address: The inside address consists of the name and address of the person to whom you are writing. You should try to address the formal letter to a specific person, but if you do not know his or her name, at least try to include his or her title. This address is usually placed four lines below the heading if a word processor is used or one line below the heading if the letter is handwritten.

Mr. M. Leaf (name) Chief of Syrup Production (title) Old Sticky Pancake Company 456 Maple Lane Forest, ON 7W8 9Y0

Salutation: Skip one line after the inside address and then type the salutation. Your choice of salutation depends on whether or not you know the intended recipient of the formal letter. The most usual greeting is Dear followed by the person's name and punctuated with a colon. If you don't know whether the person you are addressing is a man or a woman, you may begin with Dear Sir or Madam, again followed by a colon. Ms. may be used if you don't know the marital status of a woman. Furthermore, if the person has a specific title such as Dr., make sure that you use it. Dear Mr. Trunk: Dear Mrs. Branch: Dear Ms. Root: Dear Dr. Acorn:

Body: Skip one line after the salutation and begin typing the body of the formal letter. This is the main part of the letter. Keep in mind the rules outlined above regarding brevity and coherence. It is best to use short, clear, logical paragraphs to state your business. Closing and Signature: This is the end of the letter. Skip one line after the last paragraph of the body of the letter and type the closing. Only the first word of the closing should be capitalized. It is punctuated with a comma. Leave several lines after the closing and type (or print) your signature. Your actual handwritten signature is to be inserted between these two printed lines, written in ink.

Yours sincerely, Ezra Twig

Putting it all together

Here's an example of a formal letter: 123 Elm Ave. Treesville, ON M1N 2P3 November 23, 2008

Mr. M. Leaf Chief of Syrup Production Old Sticky Pancake Company 456 Maple Lane Forest, ON 7W8 9Y0 Dear Mr. Leaf: Let me begin by thanking you for your past contributions to our Little League baseball team. Your sponsorship aided in the purchase of ten full uniforms and several pieces of baseball equipment for last year's season. Next month, our company is planning an employee appreciation pancake breakfast honoring retired employees for their past years of service, and present employees for their loyalty and dedication, in spite of the current difficult economic conditions. We would like to place an order with your company for 25 pounds of pancake mix and five gallons of maple syrup. We hope you will be able to provide these products in the bulk quantities we require. As you are a committed corporate sponsor and long-time associate, we hope that you will be able to join us for breakfast on December 22, 2008. Respectfully yours, Derek Jeter

HOW TO WRITE INFORMAL LETTERS

Friday, 17. September 2010, 14:10 intermediate writing class An informal letter or email is usually between people who know each other fairly well. In addition to giving news, they are often used to request information, congratulate people, give advice and ask questions. There are a lot of similarities between informal letters and conversation. Informal letters ask a lot of questions, show interest and enthusiasm, and

imagine a lot of shared information. 1 Titles and addresses 2 Openings 3 Covering all the issues 4 Using informal language 5 Range 6 Connectors 7 Closing statements 1. Titles and addresses When writing an informal letter you sometimes write your own address and the date (but not your name) at the top right-hand corner of the page, then start the letter on the left-hand side. Addresses and dates are not given in an email, but emails do need a subject title. A subject title should be brief and should summarize the main point of the email. EXAM TIPS Many exams do not require you to write your address and the date at the start of your letter, so make sure that you follow any instructions carefully. Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing. In emails, you can also start with Hi (and the person's name), or just the person's name. Informal letters sometimes have a comma after the person's name, and the letter starts on the line below and is often indented. However, because of the popularity of word processing and emails, the rules on punctuation and layout have now become more relaxed. The important thing is to be consistent with the style that you choose to use (so if you use a comma after the person's name at the start of the letter, use a comma after the closing statement at the end).

STUDY NOTE Don't forget to use only the first name of the person you are writing to, not x Dear Mr John, which is never used, or x Dear Mr John Brown, which sounds too formal.

2. Openings When writing an informal letter, you are usually replying to another letter. You would normally start with a greeting, then acknowledge the letter to which you are replying. It is often a good idea to acknowledge some key information given in the original letter too. You can also make a comment on your own reply. USEFUL PHRASES Start with a greeting: How are you? | How have the family been? | I hope you are well. Acknowledge the original letter: Thank you for the letter and parcel which arrived this morning. | It was great to hear from you again after such a long time. | I was so surprised to hear that you are going to university in America! Make a comment on your reply: I have so much to tell you. | I'm sorry I haven't written for so long. 3. Covering all the issues When you have finished your opening comments, begin a new paragraph and cover all the information that you want to mention. A letter that is written accurately and with a good range of language will still not be effective unless you make sure that you say all the things you need to say. Make sure that your reply answers any questions that you were asked in the original letter or email and takes into account any additional information that you have been told to mention.

EXAM TIPS In many exam questions, you will be told what to include in your reply. There will also often be additional notes which serve as prompts for your reply. It is important that you include these in order to get a good grade. 4. Using informal language An informal letter or email is an opportunity to demonstrate informal language skills. There

are a number of ways to make your language informal: USEFUL PHRASES Use intensifying adjectives and adverbs to show enthusiasm: I've got a fantastic new job. | My new boss is an absolute nightmare. Use idiomatic language: Things have been getting on top of me at work lately. | It's been ages since we last managed to meet up. | What have you been up to lately? | Let me know what you think. | I'll fill you in when we next meet. Use question forms to make the letter read more like a conversation: How are your studies going? | How does that sound to you? Use informal vocabulary: use get instead of receive, I guess instead of I think Use phrasal verbs and phrases: we get on well, write back soon, get in touch. Use contractions: I can't help thinking I should've told you sooner. 5. Range It is important that you use grammatical expressions and vocabulary appropriate to the level of the exam. Even if there are no mistakes in your writing, you will not be able to get a good grade if you use only the language and vocabulary that you learnt at elementary level. Even in informal writing, there is a good range of language you can use. USEFUL LANGUAGE Use the present perfect progressive to give news: I've been helping my parents out at their shop. Use a future progressive for future plans: I'm going to be staying at my grandmother's house all summer. Use conditional sentences to make suggestions: If you let me have your number, I'll give you a call at the weekend. Use polite question forms for requests: Do you think you could send me a copy of the photos? | Would you mind if we didn't go camping? Use question tags to check information: Nobody else knows, do they? | You don't mind, do you? 6. Connectors All good writing makes good use of connectors. However, many of the connectors you have learnt for other styles of writing are inappropriate in an informal letter or email. For informal writing, you need to use some of the connectors that are more specific to spoken language.

USEFUL PHRASES To introduce a topic: Well, you'll never guess who I bumped into yesterday. | I know how much you love tennis, so I've got us some tickets to Wimbledon. | By the way, did you know that John's got a new job? To go back to a previous topic: Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I really wasn't very happy there. | Now where was I? Oh yes, I nearly forgot, Mary asked me tell you about the cinema. To introduce surprising or bad news: Actually, he came to the party after all. | I'm really sorry but I can't make it. | To tell you the truth, I don't really like sports much. To summarise what you've already said: Anyway, we had a really nice time in the end. | Well, to cut a long story short, we didn't get there on time. 7. Closing statements The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email. USEFUL PHRASES Give a reason why you're ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! | I guess it's time I got on with that studying I've been avoiding. Make a reference to future contact: Anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates of the party. | I'll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times. | We must try and meet up soon. | I can't wait to hear from you. A closing statement, such as Take care, Best wishes or Love should be written on a new line. If you used a comma after the opening greeting, use a comma here too. Your name then follows on another new line. People often write an X below their name to indicate a kiss. If you have forgotten something important, add it at the end, after your name, after the letters PS. * Sample emails ** Part of an informal email: Anyway, I was really writing to ask if you would like to stay a little bit longer when you come over. You've already got the wedding invitation - I can't believe my sister's getting married in a few months' time! I was thinking perhaps we could spend some time together before or after the wedding. Let me know what dates would be good for you. Also, my mum would like to know if you wouldn't mind sharing a room. We're going to be quite busy, what with the wedding and everything. I know this is your first visit to Britain, so please let me know in your next email what kind of things you'd like to do when you're here. We're going to have a great time.

Write back soon. John

** An informal email in answer: To: John@bullnet.com From: Maria@winnet.com Subject: Your invitation Dear John, Thanks for your email. I'm glad to hear that everything is going well. Sorry I'm a bit late replying, but I've been really busy studying for my exams and I haven't had time to check my mail for days. Thank you so much for inviting me to stay a bit longer. I'd love to spend some more time with you. I'll really need a break after all this studying. My classes at university finish on 5th July. Is it OK if I come on Monday 15th July and leave on Friday 26th? If these dates sound good, let me know and I'll go ahead and book the flight. I need to ask you a few questions about your sister's wedding. What kind of clothes should I bring? I've never been to a wedding abroad before. Also, my family really wants to get a small gift for Jane. My parents are very fond of her. What do you think about some beach towels? They could use them on their honeymoon. Finally, you asked me what I'd like to do when I get there. Well, I guess the first few days we'll be busy getting ready for the wedding. After that, though, there are one or two things I'd like to do. You know I'm a huge fan of modern art and I hear that the Tate Gallery has a fantastic new exhibition on. Do you think we could go there one day? Of course, a day sightseeing in London would be great, too. Other than that, I'll leave it up to you. Anyway, I hope to hear from you soon. Take care Maria PS: By the way, could you please tell your mother that I don't mind about the room? Whatever is easiest for her will be fine.

Thanks for your concern!!!