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How To Write A Formal Letter
By Alan Leach
While the growing use of email communication has meant written correspondence is not as formal as it used to be, there are still many occasions when knowing how to write a formal letter is important. There are many kinds of formal letter, including a letter of complaint and a letter of recommendation. While each kind of letter has its own conventions, we concentrate here on how to write a generic formal letter.
Formal letters should always be typed on a word processor, and printed out on good quality paper, preferably with the company letterhead at the top. If a letterhead is not available, type the details in the top left hand corner, including the company name, address and contact details. This is followed by the date, which should be written in number, month and then year order (such as 18 November, 2005).
The recipient's name and contact details come below the date, and ensure any names are spelt correctly. The salutation (such as Dear Mr Smith) comes next, and a good tip for those of you who want to know how to write a formal letter is to avoid first names. The recipient's title and then surname is sufficient.
When learning how to write a formal letter, you should be aware it is common to provide a subject heading, which is typed in bold and in capitals. It explains succinctly what the letter is about.
Once these conventions have been followed, the main body of the letter follows. Paragraphs are important to assist with clarity. The first paragraph should always answer the question of why you are writing. The remaining paragraphs will give more information about this first sentence, before the final paragraph explains what action you would like or you expect to be taken.
To learn how to end a formal letter properly, just remember the rule that if you began with a name (such as Dear Mr Smith), you should end with ‘Yours sincerely'. ‘Yours faithfully' is appropriate if you started the letter with ‘Dear Sir / Madam'. The last step in learning how to write a formal letter is to provide your signature plus your name and position printed underneath.
As for issues of style, there are a number of important things to remember when learning how to write a formal letter. Your letter should be as short as possible, and less than one page if possible. When you write the letter, always think to yourself ‘how can I make this letter shorter and clearer'?
Formal letters should always be polite and as free of emotion as possible. Even when writing such things as a letter of complaint, do not allow your own emotions to cloud the language you use. State the facts simply and succinctly.
Your writing style is also an important consideration when learning how to write a formal letter. Avoid contractions (such as ‘don't', ‘won't' and ‘I'm') and avoid the use of informal vocabulary or slang. Grammar and spelling should of course be checked thoroughly to ensure the letter is error-free. How can you expect to look business-like and professional when there are simple spelling mistakes in your letter?
We have looked at some of the main ideas as to how to write a formal letter. The key point to remember is how you speak is certainly not the same as how you should write a formal letter. In summary, be as brief and clear as you can, use a neutral tone and avoid emotion.
Learning how to write a business letter is not difficult, and following the above steps will certainly lead you in the right direction.
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