Letter Writing When a buyer needs to order some goods, he
writes an order letter to the seller. The three
A letter is a written message that can be
handwritten or printed on paper. It is usually
sent to 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.
Now that E-mails and texts and other such
forms have become the norm for
communication, the art of letter writing has
taken a backseat. However, even today a lot of
our communication, especially the formal
kind, is done via letters. Whether it is a cover
letter for a job, or the bank sending you a
reminder or a college acceptance letter, letters
are still an important mode of communication.
Which is why it is important that we know the
intricacies of letter writing.
Types of Letters
Let us first understand that there are broadly
two types of letter, namely Formal Letters, and
Informal Letters. But then there are also a few
types of letters based on their contents,
formalities, the purpose of letter writing etc.
Formal Letter: These letters follow a certain
pattern and formality. They are strictly kept
professional in nature, and directly address
the issues concerned. Any type of business
letter or letter to authorities falls within this
given category.
Types of Formal Letters and Formal Letter
Format
A. 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
B. Order Letter
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.
C. 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
E. 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 punctuations and correct
spelling
 Avoid slang, fancy terminologies of jargon
 Clearly discuss the promotion
 Avoid the use of abbreviations

F. Sales Letters
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
G. 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.
Informal Letter: 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.
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.
Business Letter: This letter is written among
business correspondents, generally contains
commercial information such as quotations,
orders, complaints, claims, letters for
collections etc. Such letters are always strictly
formal and follow a structure and pattern of
formalities.
Official Letter: This type of letter is written to
inform offices, branches, subordinates of
official information. It usually relays official
information like rules, regulations,
procedures, events, or any other such
information. Official letters are also formal in
nature and follow certain structure and
decorum.
Social Letter: A personal letter written on the
occasion of a special event is known as a
social letter. Congratulatory letter, condolence
letter, invitation letter etc are all social letters.
Circular Letter: A letter that announces
information to a large number of people is a
circular letter. The same letter is circulated to
a large group of people to correspond some
important information like a change of
address, change in management, the
retirement of a partner etc.
Employment Letters: Any letters with respect
to the employment process, like joining letter,
promotion letter, application letter etc.
Letter Writing Tips
Now that we have learned the basics of
communicating via letters and the types of
letters as well, let us focus on some tips for
the actual letter writing.
1] Identify the type of letter
This obviously is the first step of the letter
writing process. You must be able to identify
the type of letter you are to be writing. This
will be dictated by the person the letter is
addressed to and the information that will be
conveyed through the letter. Suppose you
were writing to the principal of your college to
ask for leave, this would be a formal letter.
But say you were writing to your old college
professor catching up after a long time. Then
this would be a personal letter.
2] Make sure you open and close the letter
correctly
Opening a letter in the correct manner is of
utmost importance. Formal letters open with a
particular structure and greeting that is
formal in nature. Informal letters can be
addressed to the person’s name or any
informal greeting as the writer wishes.
Even when closing the letter, it must be kept
in mind what type of letter is being written.
Formal letters end respectfully and
impersonally, whereas informal letters may
end with a more personal touch.
3] Establish the main intent of the letter
Once you start writing, make sure to get to the
point as soon as possible. Especially in formal
letters, it is important to immediately make
clear the purpose of the letter.
4] Be careful of the language
A letter is always supposed to be polite and
considerate. Even if it is a complaint letter, the
point must be made in a careful and
courteous manner. So it is necessary to use
polite expressions and civil language in all
types of letters.
5] Length of the letter
And the other important factor to be
considered is the length of the letter you are
writing. It should be kept in mind that formal
letters are generally to the point, precise and
short. Lengthy formal letters tend to not have
the desired effect on the reader. The length of
an informal letter is determined by the
message in the letter and the relation to the
recipient.
Format of Formal Letter
A formal letter must follow certain rules and
conventions. Such a format helps in relaying
the information in a professional way. It must
be remembered that there are various such
formats for formal letters that people follow.
Sender’s Address
The sender’s address is usually put on the top
right-hand corner of the page. The address
should be complete and accurate in case the
recipient of the letter wishes to get in touch
with the sender for further communication.
Date
The sender’s address is followed by the date
just below it, i.e. on the right side of the page.
This is the date on which the letter is being
written. It is important in formal letters as
they are often kept on record.
Receiver’s Address
After leaving some space we print the
receiver’s address on the left side of the page.
Whether to write “To” above the address
depends on the writer’s preference. Make sure
you write the official title/name/position etc of
the receiver, as the first line of the address.
Greeting
This is where you greet the person you are
addressing the letter to. Bear in mind that it is
a formal letter, so the greeting must be
respectful and not too personal. The general
greetings used in formal letters are “Sir” or
“Madam”. If you know the name of the person
the salutation may also be “Mr. XYZ” or “Ms.
ABC”. But remember you cannot address
them only by their first name. It must be the
full name or only their last name.
Subject
After the salutation/greeting comes the
subject of the letter. In the centre of the line
write ‘Subject” followed by a colon. Then we
sum up the purpose of writing the letter in
one line. This helps the receiver focus on the
subject of the letter in one glance.
Body of the Letter
This is the main content of the letter. It is
either divided into three paras or two paras if
the letter is briefer. The purpose of the letter
should be made clear in the
first paragraph itself. The tone of the content
should be formal. Do not use any flowery
language. Another point to keep in mind is
that the letter should be concise and to the
point. And always be respectful and
considerate in your language, no matter the
subject of your letter.
Closing the Letter
At the end of your letter, we write a
complimentary losing. The words “Yours
Faithfully” or “Yours Sincerely” are printed on
the right side of the paper. Generally, we use
the later if the writer knows the name of the
person.
Signature
Here finally you sign your name. And then
write your name in block letters beneath
the signature. This is how the recipient will
know who is sending the letter.
Format of Informal Letter
There is no set format when writing an
informal letter. But there is a general pattern,
some conventions that people usually follow.
We will be looking at this pattern and certain
tips on how to write effective and attractive
informal letters. These can act as guidelines
when you are drafting a letter, they are not
hard and fast rules. 
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.
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.
One way to determine the tonality of your
letter is to remember how you talk to the
person in a conversation. And then apply the
same syntax and sentiments to the letter.
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.
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,

Greeting  Kindly,

Now since you know the person you are Pick the one that best suits the occasion and
writing to, the greeting can be informal as then simply sign your name below the
well. If it is a friend or someone close to your greeting.
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”.
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.
Body of the Letter
The letter overall should maintain a friendly
tone. But you have to adjust the language and
the wordings according to who you are writing
to. With a friend, you can afford to be very
casual and flippant even. But if you are
writing to an elder relative, you must be
extremely respectful and considerate.
 FORMAL LETTER SAMPLE INFORMAL LETTER SAMPLE
Q: Write a letter to the editor of a daily Q: Inviting a friend for spending a vacation
newspaper complaining about the together.
construction work on your road in the
100, Navyuva Apartment,
middle of monsoon season causing
Bosebihar Avenue, Kolkata- 26
inconveniences to the people of your
locality.  August 23, 2021
D- 1801, Neptune Society, Dear Rudrashahi,
DS Marg, Lower Parel,
Mumbai 400 008. It’s been a long time since we met. How are
23rd August 2021. you? I hope you are doing well? I hope this
To, letter finds you in good health.
The Editor-in-Chief, As you know that summer vacation has
Hindustan Times, already started, I was thinking of spending the
Main Street, vacations together in Mumbai. I want you to
Mumbai 400 001. take you out on the city tour as well as
Sir, introduce my friends and family to you. I
Subject: Construction work in our locality would love to go out and have street food with
during monsoon season causing us you. We can enjoy some time near Marine
difficulties. Drive.

Through the medium of your esteemed and I am just excited at the thought of me and you
respected daily, I wish to inform the municipal spending the vacations together. I just hope
authorities of the difficulties the residents of that you share your response with me and let
my locality are facing due to me know if it possible for you to come to my
the construction and repair work currently place.
happening in our area. Monsoon season has With lots of love,
started a few days ago and is compounding Yours lovingly,
our problems. Sakhhi
The repair work has been ongoing for five
weeks now and is falling way behind schedule.
And now with the current weather conditions,
we are having persistent problems of water
logging and flooding in our area. Another
worry is about the accidents that may occur
due to the debris lying around the road.
Diseases caused due to waterlogging are
another one of our concerns.
Therefore I wish to draw the attention of the
concerned authorities with the help of your
newspaper. Hopefully, you will be able to help
us in drawing their attention and resolving
this matter at the earliest.
Thanking You,
Your Sincerely,
**signature**
[Mr. XYZ]
 JOB APPLICATION LETTER
John Donaldson
8 Sue Circle
Smithtown, CA 08067
909-555-5555
john.donaldson@emailexample.com
August 23, 2021
George Gilhooley
Times Union
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065
Dear Mr. Gilhooley,
I am writing to apply for the programmer
position advertised in the Times Union. As
requested, I enclose a completed job
application, my certification, my resume, and
three references.
The role is very appealing to me, and I believe
that my strong technical experience and
education make me a highly competitive
candidate for this position. My key strengths
that would support my success in this
position include:
 I have successfully designed, developed,
and supported live-use applications.
 I strive continually for excellence.
 I provide exceptional contributions to
customer service for all customers.
With a BS degree in Computer Programming, I
have a comprehensive understanding of the
full lifecycle for software development projects.
I also have experience in learning and
applying new technologies as
appropriate. Please see my resume for
additional information on my experience.
I can be reached anytime via email at
john.donaldson@emailexample.com or by cell
phone, 909-555-5555.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I
look forward to speaking with you about this
employment opportunity.
Sincerely,
John Donaldson (signature hard copy letter)
John Donaldson