Page 13 - Success Plus English Language and Literature Class 10

Writing

Introduction: Formal Letters

Formal letters are written to people one conducts business with, to employers/employees, to make
requests, inquiries or complaints to authorities, and for several similar matters that must be conveyed
in a polite, formal manner. While informal letters are conversational in tone, containing everyday
language and contractions, care should be taken while writing a formal letter to maintain a tone that
remains respectful throughout the letter, never sounding curt. It must succeed at communicating all
relevant information with clarity.

If a formal letter is written on a blank piece of paper, it must begin with the complete address of
the sender, followed by the date, recipient’s address, salutation, subject, body, closing, name and
signature.
Many formal letters are written on letterheads which include the name of the company/authority,
its logo and the officer’s credentials, along with the complete contact information – address, phone
numbers and email IDs.

Parts of a Formal Letter

1. Sender’s address: The complete address of the sender, including pin code, is written on the top
left corner of the page when not using a letterhead. Commas are not used in addresses except
between city and state if mentioned in one line.

2. Date: The date follows the address with a double space in between. Use the day-month-year
format: 1 October 2019.

3. Reference: A number or code that may be an inquiry number, invoice number, receipt number,
file number, complaint number, registration number, account number, roll number, product code
or number, property code or number, etc., generated by the authority that is being sent the letter.
The reference helps the authority to register or take note of the matter accurately.

4. Recipient’s name and address: The complete formal name with an appropriate title – Mr, Mrs,
Ms, Dr, Prof., Rev., etc. – preferred by the recipient, followed by their designation and the
complete mailing address.
5. Salutation: If the sender is unaware of the recipient’s name or is writing to a superior or official,
‘Dear Sir/Madam’ should be used. Otherwise, the recipient’s full name or last name prefixed
with their title is appropriate.
6. Subject: A concise statement of the purpose of the letter usually in the form of a phrase. It must
be either highlighted or underlined for emphasis.

7. Body: The body describes the main idea or message to the recipient. It usually consists of three
paragraphs, the first of which introduces the context, the second elaborates on the reason
that the problem must be addressed or describes the current status of the matter, and the third
concludes by stating what the sender expects to be done.

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