FORMAL
CORRESPONDENCE
English for Professional Communication
Semester A231
Contents
01 Introduction to Formal Correspondence
Essential Elements o f Formal Correspondence
Important Guidelines on Writing Effective Letters
02 Formal Letters
Principal Parts of a Formal Letter
Formal Letters Format
1. Introduction
Formal correspondence refers to written communication
that usually takes part in professional settings.
It is frequently used to communicate, relay information,
demand or suggest in professional, business, academic, or
official situations.
It follows specific formatting, language, tone and
procedures.
Formal correspondence can be identified as formal letters,
emails, memos, proposals and so on.
To sum up, it functions as a record and physical proof
of information shared with others.
Essential Elements of Formal
Correspondence
Structured Format
it often adheres to a set of structures that includes components
such as headings, addresses, salutations, and signatures.
Language
it uses a formal and professional tone with clear, concise and
coherent language.
Purpose
it is used for official or professional purposes to convey information,
make requests, make complaints, offer recommendations, or present a
proposal.
Appropriate Closing
it typically concludes with a courteous ending with the sender’s
name, title and contact information.
Guidelines on Writing
Effective Letters
Audience
know your audience and their needs.
Purpose
identify your objective of writing the letter.
Message
create your message by incorporating the information that readers need,
such as facts, suggestions, and details.
Tone
select the appropriate tone and style of writing that suits the letter
and is reader-friendly.
2. Formal Letters
Formal letters continue to play a crucial role and are
still relevant even in the digital age, particularly in
professional settings as they signify a company’s
public image. They are the official legal record of an
agreement and are more formal in tone and
structure. Compared to emails, formal letters are
more solid and secure.
1 Letterhead
Principle 2 Date 6 Body
Parts of a 3 Inside Address
7 Complementary
Formal 4
Salutation Close
Letter 5 Subject Line 8 Signature
9 Enclosure
1. Letterhead
The letterhead displays the
company’s name, address, phone
number, and email address. It is
often positioned in the center and
at the top of a formal letter.
Depending on the choice of the
firm.
2. Date
The date appears before the
inside address and after the
letterhead.
Example:
11 September 2023
September 11, 2023
The inside address refers to the recipient’s
3. Inside (receiver’s) address. It includes the name,
Address title (if any), company street address, city,
state and zip code of the recipient.
Example:
Dr. Malar
Director of Pharmacity
No. 10 Jalan Saudagar
Hicom Glenamrie
Shah Alam
40150, Selangor
Salutation is the writer’s greeting to the reader. It is
positioned below the inside address.
4. Salutation The salutation should follow this rule:
Dear Sir
Dear Madam is used formally/in general
Dear Mr. Khairul Amin
Dear Ms. Kelly Chen if you know the recipient’s name
if you come across a name that is not
Dear Taylor Smith gender specific, you may write the full name
Dear Sirs
Dear Members of the Committee
when addressing a group of people in
Dear Board of Directors
general or an organisation
Dear Esteemed Colleagues
5. Subject
Line The letter’s objective or purpose is stated in the
subject line. It gives a brief indication of the letter’s
content. It is positioned below the salutation and
should not be more than 10 words.
Example:
Inquiry Regarding Pro Ink Printer Pricing
ELITE 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
6. Body of the
Letter The writer provides information, makes a request, or
writes a reply in the body of the letter. The letter
should include an effective opening and closing to
catch the reader’s interest to read and reply
promptly. The next table illustrates the functions of
each part of the body:
Part Purpose
Begin the letter with a courteous opening such as “We are pleased to inform you…”
Beginning Try to pique the reader’s attention and interest to read further.
State your intention, and explain the situation.
The body of the letter should contain information such as facts and details that are
relevant to its purpose.
Body
Create a concise, clear and complete message that is easy for the reader to
understand.
End the letter with an indication of future action and close courteously.
Mentions the action to be taken by the reader, if necessary.
Ending
The final sentence should conclude with the same tone used throughout the letter
to maintain goodwill between the sender and receiver.
In formal letters, they are two common
7. complimentary closes that are still being used until
Complementary today. The closes follow the form of address used in
the salutation.
Close
Salutation Complementary Close
Dear Sir
Dear Madam Yours faithfully
Dear Mr. Khairul Amin
Dear Ms. Kelly Chen Yours sincerely
Dear Taylor Smith Yours sincerely
Dear Sirs
Dear Members of the Committee
Yours faithfully
Dear Board of Directors
Dear Esteemed Colleagues
8. Signature After the complimentary close, allow a few spaces of
four to five lines for the writer’s signature. Then, type
the writer’s name and title underneath the signature.
Example:
Yours sincerely
Mike Golding
Mike Golding
Chairman
9. Enclosure Enclosure refers to additional documents that are
attached to the formal letter such as invoices,
contracts and agreements, brochures, pamphlets,
diagrams, illustrations, references, resumes and so
on. It is stated at the end of the letter.
Example:
Enclosure (if there is only one item enclosed)
Enclosures (2)
Encl.: Project X Report
Formal letter format follows a specific structure
and set of conventions, where you indent and
Formal where you place certain kinds of information in
Letter your letter.
Format
Frequently used letter formats are known as Full-
block and Semi-block.
Formats convey messages according to the
company’s preference.
1 2
Full-block Format Semi-block Format
The simplest type of format. The letterhead, date,
Every part of the letters is written complementary close and the
on the left margin. signature are positioned at the
Prefered by many organisations. center point.
Not as frequently used.
Sample letters
1 2
Full-block format Semi-block format
