How to write formal letters

    FORMAL LETTERS

Formal letters are also referred to as official letters. These letters deal with subjects such as inquiry, ordering, transfer of money, reference, request, booking, complaint, apology, application, and many more. Business letters are formal. Nothing in such messages should sound too personal or intimate; what matters is: setting your letter out correctly, keeping to the point, and maintaining the necessary formal tone.

LAYOUT OF A FORMAL LETTER

I. The writer's address and the date are written in the same way as in a personal letter.

II. The address of the person/ company addressed to is written (after the date). 

III. The greeting is quite different from that of a personal letter. It is always 'Dear Sir' if you are writing to an official who is a man. If you know that the office is a lady, you should greet her as 'Dear Madam.' If you are writing to a business firm and not to any particular official, the greeting is 'Dear Sirs.' A comma always follows the salutation (e.g., Dear Sir).

IV. The subject, with which the letter deals with, is indicated by a business heading that is written in the middle of the writing space between the salutation and the first paragraph. It is also underlined. The title makes the filing of the letter easier.

V. An immediate reference is made in the opening sentence of your letter to previous communications (if any) to enable the addressee to identify your correspondence. A connection is made to the subject of the message if there is no previous correspondence.

VI. The body of the letter may begin under the standard distance from the margin that a new paragraph begins. Divide the form of a message into appropriate sections.

VII. The including sentence refers typically to the main topic of the letter.

VIII. The most common form of subscription is 'Yours Faithfully' or 'Yours Sincerely' followed by a comma.

IX. Use your full signature in business letters, i.e., initial is the first name plus in the surname. Below your top mark, right clearly, within brackets, your full name.

A FEW POINTS TO REMEMBER REGARDING FORMAL LETTERS.....