Letter Writing

 Writing a letter

A letter is a written message conveyed from one person (or group of people) to another through a medium-term usually excludes written material intended to be read in its original form by large numbers of people, such as newspapers and placards; however, even these may include material in the form of an "open letter". Letters can be formal or informal. Besides being a means of communication and a store of information, letter writing has played a role in the reproduction of writing as art throughout history. Letters have been sent since antiquity and are mentioned in the Iliad. Historians Herodotus and Thucydides mention and use letters in their writings

Social function :

personal letters are letters that are written to people we know such as friends, parents, siblings, and cousins. letters are not only written to inform but strengthen the bond between two people writing to each other.

Mail function Some of the functions include:

• Means of notification
• Means of request
• Idea
• Ideas or ideas
• As a reminder
• Historical evidence
• Work guidelines

Types of letter

There are a lot of types of letters like a business letter, love letter, letter of resignation, etc. but generally, letters are divided into two types, formal and informal 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.

Structure

Formal Letter

Sender’s Address

The sender’s address is usually put on the top right-hand corner of the page. The address should be complete and accurate in case the recipient of the letter wishes to get in touch with the sender for further communication.

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. It is important informal letters as they are often kept on record.

Receiver’s Address

After leaving some space we print the receiver’s address on the left side of the page. Whether to write “To” above the address depends on the writer’s preference. Make sure you write the official title/name/position etc of the receiver, as the first line of the address.

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. The general greetings used in formal letters are “Sir” or “Madam”. If you know the name of the person the salutation may also be “Mr. XYZ” or “Ms. ABC”. But remember you cannot address them only by their first name. It must be the full name or only their last name.

Subject

After the salutation/greeting comes the subject of the letter. In the center of the line write ‘Subject” followed by a colon. Then we sum up the purpose of writing the letter in one line. This helps the receiver focus on the subject of the letter in one glance.

Body of the Letter

This is the main content of the letter. It is either divided into three parts or two paras if the letter is briefer. The purpose of the letter should be made clear in the first paragraph itself. The tone of the content should be formal. Do not use any flowery language. Another point to keep in mind is that the letter should be concise and to the point. And always be respectful and considerate in your language, no matter the subject of your letter.

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. Generally, we use the latter if the writer knows the name of the person.

Signature

Here finally you sign your name. And then write your name in block letters beneath the signature. This is how the recipient will know who is sending the letter.

Informal Letter

Address

The first thing to write is your address, i.e. the address of the writer. We usually write the address on the left-hand side of the page at the very top. The address should be accurate and complete. Even when writing to close friends or relatives the address must be written, so they can reply back to the letter with ease. If the recipient of the letter is in another country, do not forget to write your country as well in the address.

Date

Next just below the address we write the date. This allows the reader to have a reference as to when the address was written. He can then relate better to the contents of the letter.

Greeting

Now since you know the person you are writing to, the greeting can be informal as well. If it is a friend or someone close to your age you can greet them by their first name, like “Dear Alex”. If you are writing to your relative like your mother/father/aunt/uncle etc, you may greet them as such, for example, “Dear Mom”. And if you are writing to an elder person, someone you respect greatly you can address them as Mr or Mrs. Like say for example you were writing a congratulatory letter to your teacher, it can be addressed as “Dear Mrs. Alex”.

Introduction Paragraph

And now we begin writing the actual letter. The introductory paragraph sets the tone for the whole letter. You might begin by asking the recipient about their well being. Or you may say that you hope the letter finds them in good health and great spirits. The opening of informal letters should be casual and comforting. It must not be formal and direct as in business letters.

Body of the Letter

The letter overall should maintain a friendly tone. But you have to adjust the language and the wordings according to who you are writing to. With a friend, you can afford to be very casual and flippant even. But if you are writing to an elder relative, you must be extremely respectful and considerate. One way to determine the tonality of your letter is to remember how you talk to the person in a conversation. And then apply the same syntax and sentiments to the letter.

Conclusion

In the conclusive paragraph sum up the reason for writing the letter, i.e. summarize the letter. Say a meaningful and affectionate goodbye to the reader. And do not forget to invite the reader to write back or reply to your letter. It shows an intention to keep the conversation going.

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

Linguistic features

usually, letters are using an expression, these are useful expression to it

Gratitude

• I’m just writing to thank you for….
• It was very kind of you to….
• Thanks very much for….
• I am very grateful for….

Giving advice

• Well, I though about it and if were you, I would…..
• Have you thought about….?
• In your last letter you said you weren’t sure what course of action to take, I suggest….
• I think you shouldn’t…..
• In your last letter, you asked me about …., I think…

Delivering good news

• I’m sure you will be happy to hear that….
• I am sure that you’ll be interested to know that….
• By the way, did you know that…?
• I am totally ecstatic to hear about…
• I was happy beyond limits to read that….

Delivering bad news

• I’m sorry but I have to tell you that…
• Bad news, I’m afraid, but no way to avoid it, so here it goes…..
• I’m extremely sorry to hear that….
• It was heart wrenching to read about….

Asking for help

• I wonder if you could help me.
• I hope it’s not toolike to much to ask but….
• I wonder if I could ask you a favor. Could you….?

Apologizing

• I would like to apologize for this…
• I’m so sorry that….
• Words are not enough to erase the pain I have given you but I want to say how sorry I am….