How to Write a Letter

Letter writing was considered to be an art in the earlier days. Writing a letter was taken very seriously as people put lot of efforts to create one. This can be seen in the letters of the earlier days which were long and elegant. However, nowadays, people do not have the time to read long letters, especially in business settings where they are bombarded with many letters everyday. This makes it important for people to learn the art of letter writing which is used in the modern world, to ensure that their letter gets noticed in the pile of many. Hence, here are some tips to help you write a letter, for both formal as well as informal purposes.

Tips for Writing a Formal Letter

A formal letter is a letter that is written to a person whom you do not know. This comprises letters that one writes for business purposes. As anything formal consists of rules, one has to follow certain specific rules while writing a formal letter as well. One of the most important factors that has to be kept in mind while writing a formal letter is that it should be short and precise. Also, it is necessary to mention the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph itself because most people do not actually read the whole letter, rather just scan it, giving more importance to the opening paragraph. Before you begin the letter, you have to provide the recipient with your name, address and contact number on the top of the letter head. This should be followed by the name and the address of the person you are addressing to. Then comes the date and also the subject, i.e. your purpose of writing the letter. Begin the letter with an appropriate greeting. Usually in a formal or business letter, the recipient is addressed by writing dear followed by his or her name. However, if you do not know the recipient, writing 'to whosoever it may concern' is more than enough. In the end of the letter, you should not forget to mention phrases like, 'yours sincerely' or 'yours faithfully', followed by your name. Here are some tips that will help you in writing formal letters.

Writing a Letter to the Editor
Many times an article in a newspaper or a magazine motivates us to write a letter to the editor, to share your views or insights about the topic. You can also pick up an issue that interests you to write a letter to the editor. Writing a letter to the editor also comes under the formal letter writing tab and so the above rules have to be followed while writing one. Before beginning the letter, go through the guidelines that the publication provide for readers who want to write a letter to the editor. When you write the letter, concentrate on the topic that you have chosen and see to it that you present your opinions in a concise manner. Your letter should not go beyond three paragraphs, wherein in the first paragraph you have to mention the main topic and in the main body, you have to provide evidence to support your point. In the final paragraph, add a sentence or two to reemphasize your point. Do not forget to proofread your letter well because a letter which has grammatical and spelling errors may be rejected by the editor.

Writing a Complaint Letter
A complaint letter, as the name suggests, is written by a person to another to complain about a particular thing. For instance, a complaint letter is a letter written to the customer service department of a company, if the customer finds some problem with the product or service provided by the company. In this case, you have to follow the rules of the business letter that are mentioned above. You have to mention the problem or issue for which you are writing the letter in the beginning of the letter itself. You have to provide the details of the product or service that you received like the date, name, location, etc in the main body of the letter. In the last paragraph, you have to mention what kind of apology you would like to receive for the inconvenience that you had to suffer.

Writing a Letter of Recommendation
A letter of recommendation, also known as a reference letter, is often needed by students who want to pursue further education or freshers who are looking for a job. Recommendation letters are written by professors who know the student, his/her abilities and interests well. Sometimes, the students are asked to write the letter and the professor just signs it. In any case, it is important to know what should be mentioned in the recommendation letter. The letter should reflect the individual's aptitude, academic skills as well as performance. If it is a character recommendation letter, a mention of the individual's personal qualities, along with appropriate examples should be included in the letter.

Writing a Cover Letter
A cover letter is a short letter that accompanies the resume. It is said that a good cover letter is very important as it is the first thing that the potential employer sees. It is in the cover letter that the person introduces himself to the recruiter. In this letter, one has to give information about one's education, qualifications, special skills, etc. However, it need not be elaborate because the details are already provided in the resume. One should end the letter by providing one's contact details including contact number and email address. An important thing that you must keep in mind is that though the resume you send to all the companies will be the same, writing a different cover letter for each organization will definitely help you in getting a job interview call.

Tips for Writing an Informal Letter

When writing a letter to a friend or may be to a family member, you need to know some tips on writing an informal or casual letters. As you are writing a letter to a person whom you are very close to, you do not need to follow any kind of rules here. Begin the letter by writing the date on which you are writing the letter because letters from friends and loved ones are kept for a long time and writing the date will be really useful. While addressing the recipient, you do need not to write dear so and so, rather you can begin by saying 'hi' or 'hey'. The length of the letter also does not matter here and you can actually write several pages when it comes to an informal letter. The tone of your letter will depend on your relationship with that person. At the end of the letter, do not forget to write things like 'will wait for your call' or 'email me soon'. You can close the letter by using phrases like 'Cheers', 'Looking forward to meet you', etc.

Hopefully, this article has helped you in understanding letter writing skills. Though it is better to send business or formal letters through email, sending personal or informal letters to friends and family in one's own handwriting will make the recipient feel really special. Hence, follow these tips while writing a letter and you will surely be able to make great impression on the person who receives your letter.