Writing letters is a very important skill which makes you a professional in whatever the field you are operating in. Your writing is a reflection of yourself and it represents your position as well as the institution you are working for.
A letter is a written Message which is characterized by its ability to last longer than words spoken. Hence, there is legality attached to it when need arises.
Due to above reasons, usually, a writer takes much care in writing a letter in order to create the expected impact out of it. Hence, it is important to learn the accepted norms and techniques of writing professional letters.
It is important to have proper concerns about the purpose of the letter and about the nature of the receiver of the letter. Depending upon which the write has to decide on the content as well as the techniques of writing.
The language you use when writing letters should have the following basic qualities and you should consider these seriously when you write business / professional letters.
Name of the firm , address, telephone number, web address, email address and Logo
Top left , just after the Letterhead Just before the salutation
| Closed form: - The Chairman, |
Open form : |
Salutation is placed below the name and address of the recipient
Topic comes after the salutation. It should be short and to the point
Body is usually divided into paragraphs according to the breadth of your letter.
The subscription should always agree with the salutation
After the subscription
Name of the writer should be mentioned along with the official designation underneath.
Introductory paragraph of the letter should be written in a manner that the reader’s attention is assured. Professional letters are usually written with a reference to the previous correspondence or events if there is any. In order to provide a pleasing tone and to add courtesy as well as professionalism, we usually do not commence letters with negative expressions, regrets or rejections.
Following are few examples for the opening lines of the introductory paragraph.
2nd and the following paragraphs of your letter bring forward the core-thought of the letter. It is very important to bring each and every fact or pint in a proper order and flow to match with the purpose of the letter. The logical flow and the clarity of idea presentation is vital in delivering the intended message.
Generally, separate paragraphs are constructed in order to discuss different matters while giving priority to each matter via each paragraph. However the coherence between each paragraph should be well maintained. The central idea is continued throughout the letter.
Short paragraphs written with clarity are very much effective in communicating ideas. Choice of words and the length and complexity of your sentences are decided based on the type of reader you have in your mind.
Few technical aspects to remember are as follows.
Following are few phrases you may find useful when commencing your different paragraphs.
| Purpose | Phrase |
|---|---|
| To arrive at the core message | As a matter of fact… In fact… |
| To arrive at the core message in contrast to the previous paragraph | However… Despite… |
| To arrive at the core message while agreeing to the previous paragraph | Accordingly… As per… According to… Therefore…. As a result.. |
| To arrive at the core message which is a negative one | We regret to inform you that… I’m afraid that… |
| Referring to attachments | Attached you will find Attached here with Enclosed here with Enclosed please find… |
The purpose of the conclude paragraph is to arrive at the core message again while summarizing the gist of the message. The sentences here are very specific and to the point.
Following are few examples of concluding sentences. You can wind up your letter with a closing line as follows.
| a/o | account of |
| advt. | advertisement |
| Co. | Company |
| c/o | care of |
| Dept. | Department |
| e.g. | for example (exempli gratia) |
| ex. | example |
| Inc. | Incorporated |
| Inv. | invoice |
| I.O.U. | I owe you |
| Ltd. | Limited |
| N.B. | Take Note |
| No. | Number |
| O/a | On account |
| p. | per or through |
| Pro.tem. | for the time being |
| P.S. | postscript |
| P.T.O | Please turn over |
| re. | refer or referring to |
| Reg. | registered |
| R.S.V.P. | Please Reply |
| via. | by way of |
| viz. | namely |
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Learn English easy way, with simple clarifications along with suitable examples. Good luck on your new journey !
