The Layout Of A Business Letter/ An Official Letter/ Letter To The Editor
Letter writing is an art. It is the commonest mode of communication. It is different from other forms of writing because it is intended for a specific reader. A letter is written when something has to be conveyed to someone sitting far away. Writing requires imagination, creativity, careful planning and organization. The language of the letter should be interactive.
10 important points While writing a letter Remember to ..
- Mention your intention of writing the letter in the opening paragraph.
- Divide your letter into paragraphs, to mark changes of subject matter.
- Include all the relevant information.
- Be courteous and gentle in your suggestions, even while writing a complaint.
- Keep your sentences short.
- Use simple English words. Use simple and direct language.
- Avoid spelling, grammatical and careless mistakes in your letter.
- Write neatly.
- Be accurate, brief and precise.
- Use the block format that has no indentation and is left aligned.
The Layout Of A Business Letter/ An Official Letter/ Letter to the editor example for students
1. Sender’s Name (At the top left-hand corner)
2. The date (The date should be written below the address of the sender)
3. Name and the address of the addressee. (The name and designation of the addressee should be on the left margin)
4. Subject (It should be an instant idea of the theme and should not be written in more than one line) 5. Salutation (Salutation is the mode of addressing a person. The usual form of salutation
5)Sir or Dear Sir for individuals
ii)Sirs or Dear Sirs or Messers for companies and firms
iii)If the letter is addressed to a lady, the salutation ‘Madam’ should be used.)
6. The Body Of The Letter (Generally two or three paragraphs form the body of a letter. The first paragraph has the introduction (purpose of writing). The second one has the details about the problem or the subject (main information) and the final paragraph deals with the suggestions for the solution of the problem.)
7. Complimentary Close (A formal letter can be ended with ‘Yours faithfully, ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours truly. Remember that ‘YOURS’ never takes an apostrophe and the second word is not capitalized. This element is a single word or phrase, separated from the message by a blank line.)
8. Signature (The sender’s full signature with name and designation comes at the end of a letter.) [You have to leave one line gap between various elements.]
Business letters -Making Enquiries/ Placing Orders Inquiries are made when a buyer wishes to know the quality, price, availability of goods to be purchased, or the terms of sale.
Letters of enquires describes what the writer wants and why. It is also written to request information. That information can be for job seekers, prices, college applications or any other services.
A letter of placing an order is a contract of sale and purchase of goods or of services offered. Orders are considered to be one of the simplest types of direct requests. While placing an order just state your needs clearly and directly. You must be sure to include complete and accurate information.
