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Letter Writing
 What is Letter?

According to Oxford Dictionary, “A letter is a message that is written down or printed on paper
and usually put in an envelope and sent to somebody.”

From the above definition, it can be said that a letter is a written message, printed or hand written,
that is sent to someone by other through post or mail or in some other way.

Letter is an important symbol of human civilization. It has been used as a media of exchanging
information from the primitive age. Its true that exchanging letters through posts has taken a
back seat with the advent of modern technology, but the style of communicating through letters
still persists in the form of emails.The importance of letters as one of the most effective
communication is far far from diminished even today.

Knowing how to write letter is a fundamental skill you will use in business, job, school, college
and personal relationships to communicate information, goodwill, or just affection.

Moreover, letter writing is an important part of various competitive exams as well.

 Types of Letter:

Letter can be categorized into different types based on formalities maintained, information
contained, purpose of use etc.

Primarily they are of two types:

 Informal Letters
 Formal Letters

 Informal Letter:

Informal letters are also known as personal letters. Such types of letters are usually written to
relatives, family, friends, or acquaintances. These letters may or may not have a concrete reason
for writing. The aim of writing informal letters is to create a personal memoir. It need not adhere
to any formalities or follow any set pattern.
 Formal Letters:

The letters that follow a certain formality and set pattern are formal letters. Such letters are
precise, directly addressing the concerned issue and are kept strictly professional in
nature. Formal letters are short and to the point.

A variety of letters that fall within the category of formal letters are –

 Business letters
 Official letters
 Social letters
 Circular letters
 Employment letters

 Format of Formal Letter:

A formal letter must adhere to the prescribed format. The letter writing format of a formal letter
is as mentioned.

1. Sender’s address (From address)

2. Date (10th Sep 2021)

3. Receiver’s address (To address)

4. Subject (Sub: )

5. Salutation ( Dear Sir/Mam)

6. Body of the letter (Should be to the point)

7. Complimentary close (Thanking you, Yours faithfully/ yours sincerely)

8. Signature line: sender’s name, signature and designation (Sign)

Everything should be written on the left side.

Little more about these 8 components:

 Sender’s address: One of the most essential components, also known as the return address.
It is the mailing address of the sender. The address and contact details of the person sending
the letter are written here.

 Date: Immediately after the sender’s address comes the date on which the letter is written.
Candidates, while writing the letter in the exam, can follow any of the formats to write the
dates: DD/MM/YY or MM/DD/YY.

 Receiver’s address: The corresponding address, i.e. the address of the recipient of the mail
is written here. Candidates must start with the receivers’ designation followed by the name
of the organization and then the full address, Pin code and country (if the information is
known).

 The subject: This highlights the aim of writing the letter. The subject of the formal letter
should be very brief (6 to 8 words) and must be preceded by the word ‘Subject’. The
receiver, through the subject, understands the purpose of the letter at a glance.

 Salutation: This is a customary greeting to the recipient of the letter. If the name of the
recipient is known, the salutation starts with ‘Dear’ followed by Mr/ Mrs/ Miss, etc. If the
person is unknown or even the gender is not known the recipient can be addressed as Dear
Sir/Dear Madam.

 Body: The most important element of any letter. It furnishes the reason behind writing the
letter. For formal letters, candidates should use short, clear, logical paragraphs to state the
subject matter. The body of the letter is generally divided into 3 paragraphs:

1. Introduction: It states the main point.

2. Middle part: Supporting points and details to justify the need and importance of letter writing.
3. Conclusion: Request for some action or what is expected.

 Complimentary Closure: This is to end the letter with respect in a polite manner such as
‘Yours faithfully’, ‘Yours sincerely’, etc.

 Signature Line: This is the last part where the sender of the letter signs off with his first or
last name. The signature line may also include a second line for the title or designation of the
sender.
 Candidates writing formal letters in the exam must remember the following pointers:

 Use of colloquial words, short forms, slang language and abbreviations are restricted.
 The letter must be to the point, precise and clearly indicating the message. ∙
 The subject line is very important in Formal Letters.

 Format of Informal Letters:

While writing informal letters, the below-mentioned format should be followed.

1. Address
2. Date
3. Salutation
4. Body of the letter
5. Sender’s name and signature

 Little more about these 5 components:

1. Address: The sender’s address is important in informal letters. Since informal letters are
personal letters and sent to acquaintances or people who are known, the receivers’ address is
only mentioned on the envelope carrying the letter.

2. Date: Same as in a formal letter format.

3. Salutation: Salutation in informal letters can be Dear/Dearest/ Hi/Hello followed by the first
name/nickname of the recipient.

4. Body: The body in the informal letters can be long and detailed containing diverse feelings,
experiences, advice, news, etc.

5. Sender’s name and signature are the same as in the formal letters.

 Important pointers of Informal letter:

1. The subject line is not required in an Informal Letter.

2. No prescribed format has to be strictly followed.
3. The usage of language must be friendly and casual.
4. The letter can have extra information, as per the sender’s choice.
 Important Tips For Good Letter Writing:

Candidates appearing for competitive exams are encouraged to follow the below mentioned tips
to write a good letter in the examination and fetch good marks.

 Candidates must be able to identify the type of letter they will write. For example: writing a
letter to the Principal asking for leave is a formal letter, but writing a letter to the friend to
catch up after a long time would be an informal letter.

 Opening and closing of letters must be in the correct manner. Formal letters must open and
close in a professional manner while informal letters can be directly addressed to the person
with greetings. Even closing the letters is significant. Formal letters always end respectfully
and impersonally, whereas informal letters may end with a more personal touch.

 In formal letters, making clear the purpose of the letter immediately is important. Candidates
writing formal letters must make sure to get to the point as soon as possible.

 A letter is always supposed to be considerate and polite. It is essential to use polite words
and civil language in all types of letters, be it formal or informal. Even if the letter is about
any complaint, the point must be made in a careful and courteous manner.

 The length of the letter also holds relevance. In formal letters, the matter should be
expressed to the point, precise and short, while the length of the personal or informal letter
depends on the message and the relation to the recipient.

 What is Business Letters?

The term “business letters” refers to any written communication that begins with a salutation,
ends with a signature and whose contents are professional in nature. Historically, business letters
were sent via postal mail or courier, although the internet is rapidly changing the way businesses
communicate.

There are many standard types of business letters, and each of them has a specific focus.

 Sales Letters: Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the
interest of the reader. Since the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters
include strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include
information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website link.
 Order Letters: Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer
or wholesaler to order goods or services. These letters must contain specific information
such as model number, name of the product, the quantity desired and expected price.
Payment is sometimes included with the letter.

 Complaint Letters: The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a
business may be the deciding factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but
tactful and always use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you.

 Adjustment Letters: An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or

complaint. If the adjustment is in the customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. If not,
keep your tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint.

 Inquiry Letters: Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the recipient.
When composing this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what
information you need. Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the
reader to respond.

 Follow-Up Letters: Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial
communication. This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a
businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the status
of his application. In many cases, these letters are a combination thank-you note and sales
letter.

 Letters of Recommendation: Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of
recommendation before they hire them. This type of letter is usually from a previous
employer or professor, and it describes the sender’s relationship with and opinion of the job
seeker.

 Acknowledgment Letters: Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send

them to let others know that they have received a prior communication, but action may or
may not have taken place.

 Cover Letters: Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise.
They are used to describe what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient
should do with it, if there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are
generally very short and succinct.

 Letters of Resignation: When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is
usually sent to his immediate manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last
day of employment will be. In many cases, the employee also will detail his reason for
leaving the company.
 Request Letter:
A request letter is a formal letter or a document that is written in the context of requesting
anything from an official. It is a formal way of demanding a favor from high officials or
administrative personalities. It can be written to your boss or manager to get leave or salary or
promotion or to your Principal to get bonafide or other certificates . A request letter is also sent
to a company from a social welfare organization to request a donation.

 Sample Request Letter:

Letter of Request to issue Bonafide Certificate.

From

Krishna Paul
B.Tech II Year
ID No.-

6th Jan. 2021

To

The Principal
MLR Institute of Technology
Dundigal, Hyderabad

Sub: Request to issue Bonafide Certificate.

Dear Sir,

With reference to the above subject; I, Harshita Reddy , studying in this reputed MLR
Institute of Technology and bearing the roll no: from ECE department, would like to inform
you that I want to make Bus Pass for which I need a Bonafide Certificate issued from college.

Hence I request to you to kindly instruct the concerned section to issue the Bonafide
Certificate at the earliest.

Thanking you
Yours Obediently
Sign and Name
 Complaint Letter:
A Complaint Letter is a type of letter written to address any type wrong doing, offence,
grievance, resentment arising out of a product, service etc. Complaint Letters are used to raise
your concerns about unfair things and seek a productive outcome. In a general way, a complaint
letter means a letter which is written to submit a complaint to the authority.

Sample Compliant Letter:

From,

Sanjeev Kumar,
Maruthi Nagar,
Hyderabad.

6th Jan. 2021

To,

The Secretary,
Residents Associations,
Golden Tower
Ameerpet, Hyderabad.

Sub: Complaint regarding the issue of bad parking in the locality.

Dear Sir,

I, Sanjeev Kumar, would like to draw your attention towards undisciplined parking habits
of the residents in our locality. It is obstructing the free passage of vehicles and also we are
finding it extremely difficult to locate a free space for parking our bikes.

It has now become a routine to see the cars parked in the place allotted exclusively for the
parking of two wheeler; while we are being forced to park our bikes even in other locality which
is not only frustrating but also a grave injustice to all the bike owners.

So, I request you to kindly come up with a mechanism to resolve the issue by imparting
discipline and introducing strict regulatory steps.

Thank you

Yours sincerely
Sanjeev Kumar
 Apology Letter:
Apology Letter is a letter written simply to apologize to someone for one’s mistake. In formal set
up apology letter is generally always addressed to higher officials to apologize for mistakes in
work or to clients.

Sample Apology Letter:

From

Shikha Roy
Personal Secretary
Infosys, Hyderabad

6th Jan. 2021

To

Mr. Anand
The Manager
Infosys, Hyderabad

Sub: Letter of Apology.

Dear Mr. Anand,

Please accept my sincere apology for sending wrong reports to the client. I fully
understand that this might have caused a lot of inconvenience to the client and our company.

I cannot defend myself, but I would like to state the fact that I am handling four projects
simultaneously which at times creates lot of confusion. It must have been one such occasion
when I mistakenly sent the wrong reports.

So, Once again I am tendering my sincere apology for the mistake and requesting you to
kindly suggest remedial steps if any to mitigate the damage.

Thanking you
Yours faithfully
Shikha Roy (sign)
 Unit No:
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 Job Application Letter:

A job application letter (also known as a cover letter) is a letter you send with
your resume to provide information on your skills and experience. This letter is your chance to
“sell” yourself to an employer, explaining why you are an ideal candidate for a position.

When you write your job application letter, it’s essential to pay close attention
to formatting. There’s a right way to format a cover letter; deviate from the standard guidelines
and hiring managers may drop you from consideration.

In fact, anything that makes your job application letter appear less than professional can
prevent hiring managers from taking you seriously as a candidate. Make sure your cover letter is
formatted properly and is free from errors before you send.

 Tips for Writing a Job Application Letter:

 Do not copy your resume: A cover letter is a sales pitch. The purpose of this letter is to
convince the hiring manager that you’re a strong candidate and to highlight your relevant
experience and abilities. Your application letter should show how exactly your background
makes you a good fit for a particular position. In contrast, your resume is a general record of
your experience, education, and accomplishments.

 Tailor each application letter to specific job requirement: As mentioned above,

emphasize in your letter why you are an ideal candidate for the specific job. This requires
that you personalize each letter to fit the company and position. Match your qualifications to
the job posting by highlighting the skills, experience, and requirements listed in the
description.

 Be professional: Application letters have a fairly rigid format—as hiring managers read
your letter, they will expect to see certain information included in set areas. You have
freedom within the structure to be personable, but it is important to stick to a certain level of
formality. Pay particular attention to the professionalism of your salutation. You wouldn't,
 for instance, want to refer to the letter's recipient by their first name unless specifically
requested.

 Carefully proofread: Employers are likely to overlook an application with a lot of errors.
Therefore, read through your cover letter, and even consider asking a friend or career
counselor to read the letter. Proofread for grammar and spelling errors. Be particularly
mindful to spell the letter recipient's name correctly, as well as the company name.

 Follow business letter format: Use business letter format when writing your letter. If
you’re sending a typed hard-copy letter, be sure to lead with a paragraph containing your
address, followed by the date, followed by the address of the recipient. If you’re sending an
email, you can omit the address and date sections.3

 Decide whether to send a hard copy or email: The main difference in formatting an email
application letter is that you need to include a subject line that clearly lays out your purpose
for writing, e.g. “Graphic Designer—Joe Smith.” And, instead of placing your contact
information at the top of the letter, as you would in a hard copy, you'll include it below your
signature.

 Format of Job Application/Cover Letter:

Contact Information
Name
Address
City, State Zip Code
Phone Number
Email Address

Date

Employer Contact Information (if you have it)

Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State Zip Code

Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name, (leave out if you don't have a contact)
Body of Application Letter
The body of your application letter lets the employer know what position you are applying for,
why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow up. See below for
a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown of the body of the letter.

First Paragraph:
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing. Mention
the job you are applying for and where you found the job listing. Include the name of a mutual
contact, if you have one. You might conclude by briefly and concisely saying why you think you
are an ideal candidate for the job.

Middle Paragraph(s):
The next section of your application letter should describe what you have to offer the employer.

It can be a single paragraph, or you can break it up into a couple of paragraphs. If the section gets
lengthy, you may use bullet points to break up the text. Remember, you are interpreting your
resume, not repeating it.

Mention specifically how your qualifications match the job you are applying for. In this portion
of the letter, make your case for your candidacy.

Use specific examples whenever possible. For example, if you say that you have lots of
experience working successfully on team projects, provide an example of a time you worked in a
group and achieved success.

Final Paragraph:
Conclude your application letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position.
Include information on how you will follow up.

Complimentary Close (examples)

Sincerely,

Signature (for a hard copy letter)

Typed Signature
Sample Cover Letter:

Melissa Brown
11 South Street
Harbor View, Maine 04005
555-555-5555
melissa.brown@email.com

July 14, 2021

Jason Rivera
Human Resources Director
Avery Solutions, Inc.
700 Commerce Way
Harbor View, Maine 04005

Dear Mr. Rivera,

I was excited when my former colleague, Stephanie Taylor, told me that you were hiring for a
Human Resources Specialist at Avery Solutions.

Stephanie has told me how important teamwork is to your group at Avery, and how much you
need an HR Specialist who can fit in with the department and hit the ground running on day one.
I believe that I am the ideal candidate for your team.

In my current job at Smith Group, I created and run our onboarding program, including
organizing background checks and new hire orientation. I also have extensive experience in:

Data reporting/data entry on HRIS software

Recruiting and hiring processes, including creating job descriptions and postings, screening
resumes, and scheduling interviews

Producing company events, such as the annual company-wide picnic (100+ employees from
across the country)

I’d love to speak with you about my qualifications and what I can do for your team. I’ve attached
my resume for your consideration. Please don’t hesitate to contact me on my cell at 555-555-
5555 with questions or to arrange an interview.

Best regards,
Signature (hard copy letter)
Melissa Brown
Sample Cover Letter:

From

Kavya Nayak
Kukatpally
Hyderabad

6th Jan. 2021

To

The Principal
Vasavi Institute of Technology
Hyderabad

Sub: Application for the post of Assistant Professor.

Dear Sir,

With reference to the above subject, I would like to inform you that, I Kavya Nayak had
completed Post Graduation during the academic year 2015. Recently I came to know through an
advertisement published in the Hindu regarding a vacancy for the post of Assistant Professor at
your college. I would be glad to apply for the role as I believe my passion for teaching and
enriching experience make me fit for the post.

I have attached my resume for your consideration and for detailed information regarding
my academic credentials and achievements in the field of teaching.

So, it is my humble request you to kindly consider my application and offer me a chance
to appear for the interview.

Thanking you

Yours faithfully

Sign