Ever wondered how the practice of writing letters came into being?
Letters were one of the earliest
forms of passing communication across to family and friends, and it has continued to exist since
then. Letter writing is no mere ornamental accomplishment. Even today, letter writing has been
thought of as a necessary skill that every individual should acquire.
What Is Letter Writing?
Letter writing has been deemed as one of the most useful forms learnt and used for various reasons.
There are several kinds of letters, each of which has its own form and style. However, there are
certain parts of the letter which remain the same. They include:
Sender’s address
Date
Greeting or Salutation
Body of the Letter
Subscription
Signature
Sender’s Address
The writer’s complete postal address has to be mentioned at the beginning of the letter on the left-
hand side of the paper. This lets the receiver know where you wrote the letter from.
Date
The date is written just below the sender’s address, and It lets the recipient know when exactly the
letter was written. The date may be written in any of the following ways:
4th July 2005
July 4, 2005
4/6/2005
4-6-2005
4.6.2005
Greeting or Salutation
The Salutation depends on the relationship between the sender and the receiver.
To members of your family and friends, it could be Dear Father, My Dearest Friend, Dear Uncle, Dear
Diana, etc.
To Business people or any officer of higher rank, it could be Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, Sir/Ma’am, etc.
Body of the Letter
The message that you want to convey is stated in the body of the letter. The style, however, depends
on the type of letter you are writing. The style of a friendly letter differs completely from that of a
business letter or an official letter, but there are certain points that apply to both formal letters and
informal letters.
Generally, when you draft the body of your letter, see to that you divide it into short paragraphs,
according to the change in the subject matter. Use simple and direct language that is easy to
comprehend. Put down all your points in a logical order. Mind your punctuation; incorrect
punctuation will alter the meaning of the sentence completely.
Subscription
The subscription helps you end the letter in a polite and courteous manner. The subscriptions
change according to the type of letter you are writing. It can be written as Yours faithfully, Yours
lovingly, Yours sincerely, With love, etc.
Signature
The signature or the name of the writer should be written just before the subscription.
Different Types of Letters
Letters can be classified into two main types according to the purpose of the letter. Informal Letters,
also known as Social Letters, include Friendly Letters and Notes of Invitations.
Formal Letters, also known as Business Letters, include Letters of Application, Letters to Higher
Authorities, and Letters to Newspapers.
Informal Letter
Letters to friends and family can be written in a conversational style. They are just a composition of
spontaneous thoughts, and they are easy and personal. When writing an informal letter, you are free
to use colloquial language, which would be quite out of place in a formal letter. This does not mean
that you can pen down random thoughts that are totally disconnected and make no sense. Wrong
spelling, punctuation and grammar are not allowed even though the letter is informal and personal.
An informal letter can be written by following a basic format that includes the sender’s address,
date, greeting, body of the letter, subscription and signature.
Formal Letter
Formal letters or Business letters should be clear and concise. You should always remember that
formal letters are written to bring important information into consideration, so you should always
take care to draft the letter carefully by providing only the necessary information.
The language used in formal letters is a lot more professional than informal letters. The format of
formal letters is the same as explained above, with a few additions, viz., ‘the Receiver’s Address’,
‘Subject’ and ‘Signature’.
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.
Employment Letters: Any letters with respect to the employment process, like joining letter,
promotion letter, application letter etc.
Types of Letters Examples
Sample Informal Letter – Letter to a Friend in Reply to Her about Planning a Trip Together
16/65, Martins Castle
DB Road
Hyderabad 500023
20/05/2020
Dearest Caro,
I was happy to see your letter, and I loved your idea. I have been wanting to go on a trip with you for
a long time, and I think both of us can finally make time to plan and make it happen.
I have a list of places that I thought would be fun to visit. I also do have a list of things I would like to
do on our trip. I am too scared of heights, and I know you are too, but I have always wanted to try
out bungee jumping with you. Let me know what you think about it. We can also find affordable and
beautiful places to stay, and I am sure we can chart it all out. I cannot wait to go on this adventure
with you. I know it is a secret to be kept since it is going to be just us, and that makes it all the more
exciting. I know for sure that it is going to be worth it too.
I will make sure that I meet you next weekend and make plans for the trip. It would definitely be
difficult to get our parents to allow us on this trip, but let’s try hard and make this work. See you
soon.
Love,
Rose
Sample Formal Letter – Letter of Application
3, Old Gate
Nagpur 440003
20th April, 2018
The Principal
Taurina High School
Mumbai 500043
Subject: Application for the post of English Teacher
Dear Sir,
I am applying for the position of English Teacher in your organization with reference to the
advertisement on The Indian Express dated 18/04/2018. I have great interest in this position and
would highly appreciate it if you could consider my application.
I have completed my Post Graduation in English and have experience of working as a High School
English Teacher for two years. In my teaching experience, I have come across various challenging
situations with kids and parents, and I have learnt to handle all of them well. I have enjoyed
connecting with the children and being a part of their growth and development as considerate and
intelligent individuals.
I have attached my resume and experience certificate for your kind perusal and hope to hear from
you in this regard.
Yours faithfully,
SEAN ALEXANDER
