Types of Letter Writing

Observations

"The test, I think, of a good letter is a very simple one. If one seems to hear the person talking as one reads the letter, it is a good letter."

Do you need to write a letter for business, professional, or employment purposes? The content and format of the letter you write will depend on the circumstances. You may need to write a letter or email message to apply for a job or contact a client. Or perhaps you need to send an appreciation letter, a business announcement, or a resignation or retirement letter.

Regardless of the reason you're writing, it's important to send well-written correspondence that's carefully proofread and edited.

Not sure what to write or how to get started? See a list of types of letters, as well as examples of each. Also, review a list of elements to include in any business letter or email.

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. Let us have a look at the few types of letters.

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.

Informal Letter:

These are personal letters. They need not follow any set pattern or adhere to any formalities. They contain personal information or are a written conversation. Informal letters are generally written to friends, acquaintances, relatives etc.

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 a certain structure and decorum.

Social Letter:

A personal letter written on the occasion of a special event is known as a social letter. Congratulatory letters, condolence letters, invitation letters 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.

Format of a Formal Letter

As we said earlier, 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. The one explained here is the one most commonly used for formal communication these days.

• Sender’s Address The sender’s address is usually put on the top right-hand corner of the page.
• 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.
• Receiver’s Address After leaving some space we print the receiver’s address on the left side of the page.
• 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.
• Subject After the salutation/greeting comes the subject of the letter. In the centre of the line write ‘Subject” followed by a colon.
• 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.
• 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.
• Signature Here finally you sign your name. And then write your name in block letters beneath the signature.

Format of Informal Letter

• Address The first thing to write is your address, i.e. the address of the writer.
• Date Next just below the address we write the date.
• Greeting Now since you know the person you are writing to, the greeting can be informal as well.
• Introduction ParagraphThe introductory paragraph sets the tone for the whole letter.
• Body of the Letter The letter overall should maintain a friendly tone.
• Conclusion In the conclusive paragraph sum up the reason for writing the letter, i.e. summarize the letter.
• 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,

  Kindly

Letter Writing Tips

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 (Types of formal letters with samples). But say you were writing to your old college professor catching up after a long time. Then this would be a personal (informal) 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.

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.