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Formal Letter

Letters may have taken a back seat in a world where fax, e-mails and text messages
have taken over, as they are a faster means of communication. Yet, writing letters
and receiving them can be more exciting as they help to form a personal connection
between people.

Formal letters are written for official purposes. They should be short, clear and to
the point. We write formal letters to principals, companies, editors, bank managers
and so on. Letters of application (for jobs or for leave) are also formal letters.

The format of a formal letter is given below.

Sender’s address

Receiver’s Name
Designation
Address
Date

Subject:

Sir/Madam

Opening statement—introducing oneself
Reason for writing in
Further details/queries/complaints

Yours faithfully/sincerely

When you write a formal letter, you must remember these points:

1. You must always use formal language.

2. Avoid starting with ‘I’.

3. Keep sentences short and to the point.

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