Letter Writing
By
MUHAMMAD SANAN IBRAHEEM
MUHAMMAD SOHAIL
AHMAD IJAZ
ABDUL JAWAD
Submitted to: MAM TAYYABA NOREEN
Subject: EXPOSITORY WRITING
Date: 03/03/2025
UE BUSINESS SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION JAUHARABAD CAMPUS.
Definition of Letter Writing?
Letter is a written message. We write a Letter to persons who are far away with us. We want
to convey our message to them in a clear and forceful manner.
What is Letter Writing?
The exchange of written and printed communication. Writing letters is considered to be an
easy thing to do. But very few write really good letters. A good letter should follow all the
rules of good conversation and good composition.
Types of Letter:
1) Formal Letter
2) Informal Letter
3) Business Letter
4) Official Letter
1) Formal Letter:
A formal letter is a type of letter written for official or professional purposes. It follows a
specific structure and is used for communicating with people such as employers, businesses,
or government officials.
Formal letters are used for things like applying for jobs, making complaints, requesting
information, or sending invitations for official events.
To communicate with government offices, institutions, or authorities.
Used for communication between businesses, clients, or employees.
To apply for jobs, internships, or promotions.
To share important updates, notices, or decisions.
To express dissatisfaction or request action regarding an issue.
2) Informal Letter:
An informal letter is a type of letter written to friends, family, or someone you know
personally. It has a casual and friendly tone.
To stay in touch with friends and family.
To share happiness, sadness, or excitement.
To guide someone or seek guidance.
To invite a friend or relative to an event.
To celebrate someone’s achievements or send best wishes.
To inform someone about life events.
3) Business Letter:
A business letter is a formal letter used for communication between companies,
organizations, or individuals in a professional setting. It is typically used to discuss business
matters, such as transactions, agreements, requests, or other official business activities.
Business letters are used for a variety of reasons, including job applications, inquiries,
complaints, proposals, and confirming appointments or meetings. They follow a formal tone
and structure to maintain professionalism.
To communicate officially between businesses, suppliers, clients, or employees.\
To ask for information about products, services, or agreements.
To report issues with a product or service.
To formally order goods or services.
4) Official Letter:
An official letter is a formal letter written to government authorities, institutions, or
organizations for official purposes. It follows a professional tone and structured format,
ensuring clarity and formality in communication.
Official letters are used for various purposes, such as:
Making requests to government offices.
Responding to official notices.
Submitting applications for permissions, grants, or approvals.
Addressing legal or administrative matters.
Describe Essential Parts of a Formal Letter. / Discuss about the layout of a
Formal Letter. What are the non-essential parts of a Formal Letter?
Example: Business Letter
A business letter is different from a private letter. Private letters are written in an easy mood,
whereas business letters are written according to a specific format and style. The letter should
be drafted in such a manner that anyone could get an idea of the contents of the letter at a
glance. The necessary or essential parts of a business letter are given below
1. The Heading:
The heading of the letter is the first part of a business letter. It shows the address of the
company. Most firms use printed letter pads.
The heading is generally printed at the top of the page. If it is not printed, it is typed at the
right-hand side of the letter. It includes the company's name and address.
Example:
LIVER BROTHERS LTD.
14-SHAHRA-E-QUAID-E-AZAM
KARACHI
2. The Date:
The date is written at the right-hand side of the letter or just from the center of the page below
the heading. Proper space between the heading and date should be given. There are many
ways of writing the date, but the common formats are 4th March, 2007 or March 5, 2007. The
name of the month should be written in full. Abbreviations of the month should never be
used, such as 4th Mar, 2007 or Feb 24, 2007.
Example:
4th March, 2007
3. The Inside Address:
The inside address is written after the date. It includes the name and address of the person to
whom the letter is written. It is written from the left-hand margin below the date line. The
name of the person or post is written in the first line. The number of the building and the
name of the street or road are written in the second line. The name of the town or city and
postal code are written in the third line. If the letter is written to a person or firm outside the
country, the name of the country is written in the fourth line.
Example:
Mr. Muhammad Jamil,
Sitara Industries,
Manager,
Lahore.
4. The Salutation:
This part of the letter is very important. It shows compliments from the writer to the reader. It
should be pleasant. The salutation is written below the inside address at the left margin. It
may take a comma (,) or a colon (:) at the end. The most common salutation is "Dear Sir", but
it can be used according to the post and relation of the addressee with the writer.
Examples:
Dear Sir,
Dear Madam,
Gentlemen,
My dear Sir,
Mr., Mrs., Miss, Messrs., Esq.
5. The Body / Message:
The body of the letter is the most important part of a business letter. Great care should be
taken in writing the body of the letter because it contains the message or information to be
sent to the reader. The letter should be carefully drafted; otherwise, it may miss its purpose.
The body of the letter should be divided into different paragraphs according to their
importance.
6. The Complementary Close:
After the body of the letter, the complimentary close is written about midway between the left
and right margins. Its position should be at the left or from the center of the page. Generally,
a comma (,) is put after the complimentary close. Some commonly used complimentary
closes are:
Truly yours,
Very truly yours,
Sincerely yours,
Cordially yours,
Yours faithfully. It should correspond with the salutation. Example: Yours faithfully,
7. The Signature:
The signature comes after the complimentary close. It consists of the name and signature of
the writer and their post. It is also called the signature area. Proper space is provided for the
signature. After the signature, the name of the writer is typed, and their post is also typed.
Example:
Nazir Ahmed
Manager Finance.
OPTIONAL OR NON-ESSENTIAL PARTS
There are other parts that are not essential but optional. These parts can be adopted according
to the need of the letter.
1. Reference Number:
The reference number is written in front of the date line. It is helpful in filing and for future
reference. The number is usually taken from the first letters of the organization.
Example:
GCC/Sgd./2007/210
2. Attention Line:
When the writer wants to direct a letter to a particular person, title, or department in an
organization, they use the attention line. It is considered part of the inside address. The
attention line is usually placed between the inside address and the salutation, with a blank line
before and after it. Example: ATTENTION: Accountant.
3. Subject Line:
The subject line shows the matter to the reader at a glance. It is also helpful in filing. It is part
of the body, so it should be written after the salutation, but Pakistani writers like to place it
above the salutation. The subject line should be written in capital letters or underlined. No
full stop is used at the end because it is not a sentence.
Example: Subject: FREE MEDICAL CAMP
4. Enclosures
If something like cheques, bills, catalogues, price lists, or copies of previous correspondence
is sent with the letter, these should be mentioned at the left-hand bottom of the letter. It
avoids confusion.
Example: Enclosures: Cheques No. 747576.
5. Carbon Copy (C.C.)
When the writer wants to send a copy of the letter to persons other than the addressee, the
names of those persons should be typed just below the enclosures.
Example (C.C. 1) Mr. Amjad Bhatti 2) Shahid Sarfraz
When the writer does not want the addressee to know that copies of the letter are sent to other
persons, they write B.C.C. (Blind Carbon Copy) or B.P.C. (Blind Photo Copy) and the name
of the recipient on the copies only.
Example: B.C.C. Amjad Iqbal B.P.C. Riaz Alvi
6. Post Script (P.S.):
If something is left out from the body and is necessary to include in the letter, it should be
written below everything in the letter. As far as possible, the postscript should be avoided
because it creates a negative impression on the reader. But if it is necessary and we are forced
to include it, it must be handwritten.
Example: P.S. Do not forget to include the cheque to the new address.
Conclusion:
Letter writing is an important way of communication that helps people share their thoughts,
requests, and information. There are different types of letters, such as formal, informal,
business, and official letters, each serving a specific purpose.
A formal letter is used for professional or official matters, while an informal letter is
written to friends and family in a casual tone. A business letter is used for professional
communication between companies or individuals, and an official letter is sent to
government offices or institutions.
A well-written letter follows a proper format, including essential parts like the heading, date,
salutation, body, and closing. Optional parts like subject lines, enclosures, and references can
also be added as needed.
In short, writing a good letter requires clarity, politeness, and correct formatting to effectively
deliver the message.
