Tips For Formal Letter Drafting

The following points are to be regarded with mechanical and physical details of formal letters:

Heading / Title / Caption – The caption or heading comprises of the writer's address and the date of the letter. Only a date is required and writer's name is not included.

Inside address – this part demonstrates the name and address of the recipient of the letter. In the inside address, include the suitable title of respect of the recipient and copy the name of the organization same as that organization writes it.

Salutation / Greetings – Greetings like 'Dear Sir', is generally followed by a colon, except with a friendly, known or sociable tone is intended, in which case a comma is used. If you are unaware whether the recipient is a male or a female, then you can write ‘Dear Sir' or ‘Dear Sirs' and don't bother about it.

Subject or orientation line – The subject line replaces the salutation or greetings or it is included with it. The subject line states the main business of the letter.

Body of the letter – The real message is enclosed in the body of the letter, the paragraphs between the salutation or greetings and the positive close.

Positive close / Positive conclusion – The 'sincerely yours' facet of the formal letter is called the positive close. Other common ones are 'Thanking you', 'Cordially', 'Respectfully' or 'Respectfully Yours'. See that only the first letter is capitalized, and it is always followed by a comma.

Enclosures / Attachments – To be certain that the recipient knows that items accompany the letter in the same envelope, use such indications as 'Enclosure', 'Encl' or 'Enclosures' (when two or more attachments are there in the letter). For instance, if you send a resume and writing sample with your application letter, you would write this: 'Encl: Resume and Writing Sample'. If the enclosure is lost, the recipient will come to know.

Photocopy – If you want to send photocopy of a letter to others, specify this information among the end document also. If, for example, you were unhappy by a local trader's managing your repair issues and were sending a copy of your letter to the Better Business Bureau, you would write this: 'cc: Mr. Bhatia Mason, Attorney'.