formal letter

Welcome to the journey of

Formal Letter writing

Guide: Dr. Vivek Agrawal MA, M.Phil, Ph.D.

B.Ed. (CIEFL), Hyderbad

When writing letters, decide if they are going to

be:

Formal Informal

Formal

To people you don’t know

To an organisation such as a bank , educational institutions or the council

Letters of complaint, letters of enquiry and letters of application

Layout of formal letters

1 .Sender’s Address2. Date3.Receiver’s Address4.Refrence (optional)5.Subject6.Salutation7.Body of the letter8.Complimentary close9.Signature10. Enclosures (optional)

How to write Address

1.House No. / Flat No.2. Name of Building3. Name of colony 4. Name of City & Pincode5. Name of District6. Name of State

How to Write Date

1. July 13,20152. 13th July, 20153.13 July,20154. 2015,July 13

Letters are made up of different parts:

1. The Greeting

If you know the name of the person you are writing to, begin:

• Dear Mr. Jones, (to a man)

• Dear Mrs. Jones, (to a married woman)

• Dear Ms. Jones, (to a woman)

• Dear Miss Jones (not used much these days)

If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, begin:

• Dear Sir, (to a man)

• Dear Madam, (to a woman)

• Dear Sir or Madam, (when you don’t know which)

2. The opening paragraph

This paragraph contains a clear statement of your reason for writing.

Some typical openings are:

• I am writing in/with reference to.....

• I am writing in response to....

• I am writing to complain about...

3. The body of the letter

The body can contain 1-3 paragraphs.

Very rarely would it contain 4 or more paragraphs.

4. Signaling the end The final sentence or paragraph often indicates that the letter is going to finish. Some typical sentences are: • I look forward to receiving your reply. • Thanking you in advance for your consideration. • I look forward to hearing from you • Please find enclosed a copy of my CV for your perusal.

5. The closing This phrase puts an end to the letter. If you know the name of the person you are writing to, end with • Yours sincerely, If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, end with • Yours faithfully,

6. The signature

In a formal letter it is common to print your name under your signature.

Dear Ms Roberts, I am writing in reference to your advertisement for summer language courses abroad. I would like to receive more detailed information about the courses you offer. I would be able to attend a course for two or three weeks in June. Could you please send me more information and details of prices?

I would particularly like to know how many students attend the school, and the maximum number of students per class. I would also like to know the resources the school has. Your article mentioned a language library and fully equipped computer rooms. Would it be possible to use these facilities also in the evenings ? Could you inform me of the staff? Are they all qualified teachers?

I would be grateful if you could send me more details regarding the social and sports programs offered. Are the activities included in the price ofthe course? Furthermore, I would appreciate your informing me on the amenities near the school. I look forward to receiving your reply. Yours sincerely, Robert Black

Another Example

45 Orange Close West Burnham West Yorkshire

23rd March 2000

The Manager Barclay Building Society Long Street West Hartlepool

Dear Sir

Thank you for your letter dated 15th March.

I am afraid I cannot agree with your letter. I have studied my bank statement and still cannot find the charges you say are outstanding.

This is the third letter I have sent and if no action is taken within the next five days I will contact my solicitor.

I hope this matter can be settled as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

Ann Angry

Useful language for Letters of Complaint

Opening Remarks:

-I am writing to complain about/regarding/on account of/because of/on the subject of...- I am writing to draw your attention to...- I am writing in connection with...- I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction with...- I am afraid to say I have numbers of complaints about...- I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed with...- I was appalled at...- I feel I must protest/complain about…

Useful Phrases- We ought to discuss the matter...- To make matters worse...- I was very disappointed to find that...- I would be grateful if you could...- I should have been informed that...-The first problem was... Another problem was... The most visible problem...-I hope you will understand that I was very dissatisfied...-I believe you can appreciate how disappointed I was when...

Linking Words

Even though, however,

furthermore, firstly, finally etc.

Closing Remarks -I would like to hear your explanation for the above problems...-I would therefore be grateful if you could give me a full refund...- I would like a full refund as soon as possible...-I would like to have all or part of my money refunded...- I am not satisfied with...- I hope/assume you will replace...- I trust the situation will improve...- I hope the matter will be resolved...

-I hope we can sort this matter out amicably-I look forward to hearing from you in your earliest convenience to offer me a complete refund-I feel I am entitled to a partial refund in addition to an apology for the inconvenience caused- I insist you replace the item at once...- I demand a full refund...-I hope that I will not be forced to take further action- I look forward to hearing your early reply- I look forward to receiving a prompt reply

Alignment FormatsBlock Format – All lines in the letter align at the left margin.Modified-Block Format – All lines except the date, closing, and signature block align at the left margin. The date, closing, and signature block BEGIN at the center of the page.With Indented Paragraphs – Either of the above formats may also include indented paragraphs.

Punctuation Formats

Open Punctuation – NO punctuation following the salutation or closing.Mixed/Standard Punctuation – A colon follows the salutation, a comma follows the closing.

Thank You

Dr. Vivek Agrawal