Formal Letter Writing

How to Write Formal Letters

Help with formal and business letter writing. A summary of writing rules including
outlines for cover letters and letters of enquiry, and abbreviations used in letters.
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Layout of a formal letter

Formal letter writing rules
Content of a formal letter
Abbreviations used in letter writing
Outline for a covering letter
Outline for a letter of enquiry

Layout of a Formal Letter

The example letter below shows you a general layout for a formal letter. Pass your
mouse over the different areas of it to find out more information (JavaScript needs to be
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Rules for Writing Formal Letters in English

In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal
or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible,
and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal
language like contractions.
Addresses:

1) Your Address
The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter.
2) The Address of the person you are writing to
The inside address should be written on the left, starting below your address.
Date:

Different people put the date on different sides of the page. You can write this on the
right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a
word.
Salutation or greeting:

1) Dear Sir or Madam,

If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always
advisable to try to find out a name.
2) Dear Mr Jenkins,
If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only.

If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms,
which is for married and single women.
Ending a letter:

1) Yours faithfully
If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way.
2) Yours sincerely
If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way.
3) Your signature
Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If you think the person you are
writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put you title in brackets after
your name.

Content of a Formal Letter

First paragraph
The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an
enquiry, complain, request something, etc.
The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle of the letter should contain the relevant
information behind the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are not very long, so
keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and
logical manner rather than expanding too much.
Last Paragraph
The last paragraph of a formal letter should state what action you expect the recipient to
take- to refund, send you information, etc.

Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing

The following abbreviations are widely used in letters:

asap = as soon as possible

cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this abbreviation to let
them know)
enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter)
pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else's behalf; if
they are not there to sign it themselves, etc)
ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it)
pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter continues on the other
side of the page)
RSVP = please reply

Outline: A Covering Letter

A covering letter is the one that accompanies your CV when you are applying for a job.
Here is a fairly conventional plan for the layout of the paragraphs.
Opening Paragraph
Briefly identify yourself and the position you are applying for. Add how you found out
about the vacancy.
Paragraph 2
Give the reasons why you are interested in working for the company and why you wish

to be considered for that particular post. State your relevant qualifications and
experience, as well as your personal qualities that make you a suitable candidate.
Paragraph 3
Inform them that you have enclosed your current CV and add any further information
that you think could help your case.
Closing Paragraph
Give your availability for interview, thank them for their consideration, restate your
interest and close the letter.

Outline: A Letter of Enquiry

A letter of enquiry is when you are approaching a company speculatively, that is you are
making an approach without their having advertised or announced a vacancy.
Opening Paragraph
Introduce yourself briefly and give your reason for writing. Let them know of the kind of
position you are seeking, why you are interested and how you heard about them.
Paragraph 2
Show why their company in particular interests you, mention your qualifications and
experience along with any further details that might make them interested in seeing you.
Paragraph 3
Refer to your enclosed CV and draw their attention to any particularly important points
you would like them to focus on in it.
Closing Paragraph
Thank them, explain your availability for interview and restate your enthusiasm for their
company and desire to be considered for posts that might as yet be unavailable.

Parts of a Business Letter

This resource is organized in the order in which you should write a business letter, starting with the
sender's address if the letter is not written on letterhead.

Sender's Address
The sender's address usually is included in letterhead. If you are not using letterhead, include the
sender's address at the top of the letter one line above the date. Do not write the sender's name or
title, as it is included in the letter's closing. Include only the street address, city, and zip code.

Date
The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is completed
over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. When writing to companies within
the United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based convention for formatting
a date places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and
year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either
left justify the date or tab to the center point and type the date.

Inside Address

The inside address is the recipient's address. It is always best to write to a specific individual at the
firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person's name, do some research by calling the
company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs.,
Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of
a woman's preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom
you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind being
addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write the address, use the U.S. Post Office
Format. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all-capital letters on the last line.
The inside address begins one line below the sender's address or one inch below the date. It should be
left justified, no matter which format you are using.

Salutation
Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and
typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation
(for example: Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and last/family name
followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation.
If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as their job title followed by the
receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine
gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris's gender.

Body
For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body of
the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful to
remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and
then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the
main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and
supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases,
request some type of action.

Closing
The closing begins at the same vertical point as your date and one line after the last body paragraph.
Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and
the sender's name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the
closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.

Enclosures
If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this simply
by typing Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each
document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have included many documents and
need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.

Typist initials
Typist initials are used to indicate the person who typed the letter. If you typed the letter yourself,
omit the typist initials.

A Note About Format and Font

Block Format
When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The most
common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left
justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.
Modified Block
Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type, the body of the letter
and the sender's and recipient's addresses are left justified and single-spaced. However, for the date
and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type.
Semi-Block
The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each
paragraph is indented instead of left justified.
Keep in mind that different organizations have different format requirements for their professional
communication. While the examples provided by the OWL contain common elements for the basic
business letter (genre expectations), the format of your business letter may need to be flexible to
reflect variables like letterheads and templates. Our examples are merely guides.
If your computer is equipped with Microsoft Office 2000, the Letter Wizard can be used to take much
of the guesswork out of formatting business letters. To access the Letter Wizard, click on the Tools
menu and then choose Letter Wizard. The Wizard will present the three styles mentioned here and
input the date, sender address and recipient address into the selected format. Letter Wizard should
only be used if you have a basic understand of how to write a business letter. Its templates are not
applicable in every setting. Therefore, you should consult a business writing handbook if you have any
questions or doubt the accuracy of the Letter Wizard.
Font
Another important factor in the readability of a letter is the font. The generally accepted font is Times
New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may be used. When choosing a font, always
consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative company, you may want to use Times
New Roman. However, if you are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom
when choosing fonts.
Punctuation
Punctuation after the salutation and closing - use a colon (:) after the salutation (never a comma) and
a comma (,) after the closing. In some circumstances, you may also use a less common format,
known as open punctuation. For this style, punctuation is excluded after the salutation and the
closing.

Layout
The example formal letter below details the general layout that it should conform to. Each aspect is
detailed more fully below the image.

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Conventions
There are a number of conventions that should be adhered to and it is important that the overall
structure is as clear and concise as possible and that you avoid the use of colloquialisms (informal
language).

Addresses:
1) Your Address
Your address should be displayed in the top right-hand section. This will enable the person that you
are writing to, to reply.

2) The Address of the person you are writing to

This address should be displayed beneath your address on the left-hand side, remember to include
the name of the person that you are writing to (if known).

Date:
This should be displayed on the right-hand side of the page on the line beneath your address and
should be written in full format:
e.g. 1st January 2001

Salutation & Greeting:

1) Dear Sirs,
If you do not know the name of the person that you are writing to, use the greeting "Dear Sirs,". In
some circumstances it is useful to find a name, especially if you are making a request as this will
show that you have done your homework and you are more likely to receive a response.
2) Dear Mr Jones,
If you know the name, use one of the following titles:
Mr - for a male
Mrs - for a married female
Miss - for an unmarried female
Ms - for a female whose status is unknown or would prefer to remain anonymous
Dr - for a person with the status of a doctor
This should be followed by the surname only (not the first name).

Concluding:
1) Yours faithfully,
If you do not know the name of the person, conclude with "Yours faithfully,".

2) Yours sincerely,
If you know the name of the person, conclude with "Yours sincerely,".
3) Your signature
Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If it is potentially unclear what your title would
be then include this in brackets next to your printed name.

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Content
In modern society there is a trend to use a shorthand writing style, for instance replacing the word
"you" with "u" or replacing the word "weekend" with "wkend", there are many other examples. This
casual approach and informal writing style can easily be transferred, sometimes subconsciously,
when a more formal style is required.

Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph should be concise and should clearly state the purpose, whether it is to
lodge a complaint, make an enquiry or to request something.

Main Body
The main body should clearly state the points that you want to make. As a general rule it is a good
idea to keep this as to the point as possible to ensure that the recipient remains engaged. A longer
main body may be more appropriate when making a complaint as you may require to add more
detail in order to convey the importance of what you are putting across.

Concluding Paragraph
The concluding paragraph should outline what action you would like the recipient to take: to make a
refund, to send you information etc.

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Application

Complaint
A letter of complaint is sent to an individual or organisation in response to receiving poor service or
a product that is not fit for purpose. An example of a letter of complaint would be a one sent to a tour
operator who has provided a bad service while you have been on holiday. This does not necessarily
need to be concise as it is important that you detail your arguments and points as much as possible.

Enquiry
A letter of enquiry makes an approach to an individual or organisation either speculatively or in
response to printed public domain material whereby you are requesting some information. An
example of a letter of enquiry would be one sent to a company requesting a copy of their catalogue
or brochure. By their very nature these are short and to the point, it is usually beneficial to include
other methods of contact in case the company needs to get in touch with you via other means.

Request
A letter of request is similar to when you make an enquiry but specifically asks an individual or
organisation to take an action. An example of a letter of request would be one sent to request
sponsorship for a charity activity. It is important to stress the importance of being clear and concise
with this format as the recipient must remain engaged and interested in what you have to say.