Are you struggling to write a formal letter? Cool! Just have a look at this blog post to know about formal letter writing. Especially, to help you out, here, we have shared the standard format of a formal letter with some samples. Also, for your better understanding, in detail, we have explained how to write a formal letter in a more professional manner.
What is a Formal Letter?
A formal letter is a letter written for official purposes in a professional tone. Like informal or personal letters, formal letters are not flexible. It is a kind of business letter that should be written in a standard format using conventional language.
A formal letter can be written for various reasons like applying for leave, resignation, job, etc. There are different types of formal letters such as sales letters, appointment letters, claim letters, inquiry letters, cover letters, complaint letters, acceptance letters, and apology letters. Depending upon your business need, you can write the appropriate letters of any type by following the general formal letter format.
Key Components of a Formal Letter
When you write a formal letter, you should include the following components to make it look professional.
Sender’s Address
The recipient should know from where the letter comes. So, begin the letter by writing the sender’s address. If you are the sender, then write your address details in the top-left corner of the page. You need not mention these details if you own a letterhead with your details printed on it.
Date
Mention the date on which you are writing the letter. The date should not be written as 30.08.2021. Leave a line below the sender’s address and write the date in the expanded format. Say, 30 August 2021 or August 30, 2021.
Recipient’s Address
This section should contain details about the person to whom you are writing the letter. The recipient should be addressed with a personal title such as Dr., Mr., Ms., etc. followed by the last name. When writing the recipient’s details, make a note to include the recipient’s company name and the correct address with the zip code.
Salutations
Greetings or salutation is the formal way of starting a professional letter. The most professional style of greeting a recipient is with their personal title and last name followed by a colon or comma. For example, you can write “Dear Mr.James” or “Dear Dr. San”.Never address the recipient by their first name. You can use “Dear Sir/Madam” to address the recipient if you are not aware of the recipient’s name.
Subject
To give a hint to your recipient about the purpose of the letter, add a crispy subject line.
Body
Here, explain the purpose of the letter in two or three paragraphs. In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and mention the reason for writing the letter in a concise manner. Next, in the next paragraph, include the details supporting the reasons mentioned in the introduction paragraph. Finally, in the last paragraph, summarize the purpose of the letter and thank the recipient for spending time on your letter. You can also include a call to action in the concluding paragraph.
Closing
Like the opening, the letter should also be closed formally with words such as Sincerely, Faithfully, Respectfully, etc.
Signature
Below the closing section, add a signature block. Below the space left for your signature, mention your name and contact information.
Enclosure
If you attach any documents as proof along with the letter, then make a note to add the enclosures list below the signature section.
Standard Format of a Formal Letter
The letter written for official purposes should be in a standard format including all the above-mentioned elements starting from the Sender’s Address to the Signature. When writing a letter, you can use a block format or a modified block format.
If you use a block format, the entire text should be left justified. If you use a modified block format, you can add the sender’s address at the top right corner. The block format is the preferred style of writing a formal letter.
For crafting a letter, you can use MS Word. To present the text in the letter clearly and in a readable pattern, use fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, or Courier New of font size 10 or 12 points.
Spacing is important while formatting. Between each paragraph, remember to add a blank line. The professional letter should be framed without any alignment, spacing, spelling, or grammatical errors.
Here is the standard formal letter template that you should follow while writing any type of business letter.
[Sender’s Address]
[Date]
[Recipient’s Address]
Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject:
[Body of the letter]
Thank you for your consideration. I am waiting for your response.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
[Sender’s Name]
[Contact details]
Enclosures:
1.
2.
Formal Letter Writing Tips
When writing a formal letter, make sure to follow the below-mentioned tips.
- The letter should be concise and clearly explain the purpose with supporting proof.
- Avoid writing a lengthy subject line.
- Do not elaborate on the purpose of the letter. It should be to the point and should not exceed more than one page.
- Be respectful and write the content in a professional tone.
- The formal letter structure should include all the components.
- Add the enclosures section at the bottom of the page if you attach any documents along with the letter, but this section is optional.
- Professional letters should be free from errors. So, without forgetting, proofread the letter and rectify the errors, if there are any.
Sample Formal Letters
For your better understanding, here we have added a few formal letter samples. Without skipping, have a look at all those formal letter examples and get an idea of how to write an error-free formal letter as per the standard template.
Sample #1
A sample resignation letter.
David
Newyork, 10014
30 August 2021
Peter Smith
Manager
XYZ Corporation
Newyork, 10045
Dear Mr. Smith,
Subject: Resignation Letter
I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Senior Sales Analyst for XYZ Corporation, effective from 15 September 2021.
Thank you for all the support and opportunities that you have provided in the past 9 years. I truly enjoyed my tenure at XYZ Corporation. I am grateful for the encouragement you have given me in achieving my career goals. It is XYZ Corporation that helped me gain the knowledge of sales and marketing that I would carry throughout my career.
Please let me knowif you need any help during this transition. I will be available to train my replacement. Also, I will complete all the pending tasks before my last working day.
Thank you once again. I am looking forward to staying in touch. You can email me at david@email.com.
Yours Sincerely,
(Signature)
David
Sample #2
A sample invitation letter.
ABC University
Newyork, 10014
August 30, 2021
Mr. James David
Managing Director
Infy Technologies
Newyork, 10045
Dear Mr. David,
Subject: Invitation to host Big Data Workshop
I would like to invite you to host the upcoming Big Data Workshop to be conducted by the Computer Science Department of ABC University. The workshop is scheduled on September 21, 2021 for the duration of 3 hours between 3.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. We wish to offer the knowledge of advanced technology to our students and faculty members with the help of technical experts and business leaders like you.
The workshop will be held at the Department Auditorium located inside the University Campus, Newyork, 10275. If you are interested in hosting the Big Data workshop and sharing your knowledge for the benefit of our students, please let me know at the earliest. I will make appropriate arrangements for your travel and accommodation at your convenience. Also, I will share other details regarding the workshop once you accept the invitation.
Thank you for your valuable time. I hope to hear from you soon. You can send an email to zen@email.com.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Zen Paul
HOD Computer Science Department
ABC University
Final Words
Writing a letter is a kind of art. You can easily write a formal letter if you are aware of the general letter-writing format. The key things that you need to remember while writing formal letters are the format, tone, and alignment.
As formal letters are written for professional use, you should write them without any errors. So, do a revision multiple times and rectify the errors if you spot any. When writing a business letter, be sure to stick to the point and address only the purpose with relevant proof.
You can become an expert at writing professional letters if you keep practicing. Since all the types of formal letters are of the same format, gaining knowledge of how to write a professional letter would help you to write professional letters of any kind. Keep practicing and become a wizard of letter writing.
If you are still confused about how to write a formal letter, then quickly connect with our experienced assignment helpers or refer to the sample formal letter format templates available online. The assignment experts at greatassignmenthelp.com will assist you in crafting all types of formal letters in a customized manner.
