1-Types of Formal Letter
The formal letter is of various types and is used in all organizations (Government or Private) as a means of communication. Formal letters are used for internal as well as external communication. The types of formal letters are mentioned below.
- Letter of Enquiry
- Order Letter
- Letter of Complaint
- Reply to a Letter of Complaint
- Promotion Letter
- Sales Letters
- Recovery Letters
2-Format of Formal Letter for SSC MTS
The tone of a formal letter is professional and serious and most of the sentences are generally complex and add specific meaning to the writing, and meant for the understanding of the reader. The format of a formal letter is standard and applies to all, therefore, The main intention is to send an official message to the receiver. it is important that you follow the format mentioned below!
A formal letter comprises of following elements:
- Address (Sender’s/Receiver’s)
- Date
- Salutation
- Subject
- Body Text
- Ending
1) Format of Formal Letter – Address
Senders’ Address – Always write your address on the left-hand corner, you need to mention your street address, city, state, pin code, and your contact number.
Receiver’s Address – Always mention the receiver’s address in the right-hand corner just below the date.
2) Format of Formal Letter – Date & Salutation
Date – The date should always be placed just below the sender’s address with a line gap.
Salutation – “Dear Sir/Madam” suffices, if you know the name of the person, address them directly ensure that you address them formally using “Rev.”, “Dr.”, “Mr.“, “Mrs.“, or “Ms.“, and include their full name.
3) Format of Formal Letter – Subject & Body
Subject – Subject is the agenda or purpose of writing the letter. Write the subject of the letter, keep it brief, and if possible in one line only.
Body Text – Always organize the writing into paragraphs, the writing should include sophisticated vocabulary, standard spellings, and punctuation. the reason behind using paras is to keep the reader interested and to separate one point from another, its always about giving as much clarity as possible to the reader.
- The 1st paragraph also known as Introduction should be short and on point, mention the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph itself so that the reader is clear about your intentions behind writing the letter.
- The paragraphs in the middle are also called the body of the letter and it should contain some relevant details with reference to the purpose stated in the 1st para.
- The last paragraph also known as conclusion should talk about the action you expect the recipient of the letter to take. Maintain a requesting tone in the last paragraph as much as you can.
4) Format of Formal Letter – Ending
Ending of a formal letter – Sign off with an appropriate closing statement followed by your signature and full name, the most preferred salutations are – Yours Faithfully, Your Sincerely, etc. Signing off with an appropriate statement signifies that you hold the receiver in high regard.
3-Type-wise Format of Formal Letter
Below, we have mentioned in detail all the types of formal letters, their purpose, and their respective examples. Go through them carefully, understand how all the letters are different from each other
• Letter of Enquiry
The agenda behind writing this letter is to collect information about something or someone. Here you should mention why you expect the sender to give you particular information.
Format of Formal Letter: Collecting Information
Points To Remember:
– Always start with a brief introduction about yourself
– Try including the name of the concerned organization
– Mention relevant details about the area of inquiry
– Include deadlines by which you need the information(Including deadlines signifies the urgency)
Example:
Ajmer Road,
Jaipur – 26
October 13, 20xx
The Director
ABC Classes
Ajmer− 25
Dear Sir,
Sub.: Enquiry about GMAT Coaching Classes.
This is with reference to your advertisement in the ‘The Times of India’ for GMAT Coaching classes. I have cleared my engineering with Computer Science as the main subject. I am interested in joining your institute for the coaching classes.
Kindly let me know about the procedure of applying for the qualifying criteria and exam date (if any). I would also like to enquire about the duration of the concerned coaching program, the duration and the number of classes per week along with the available mode of classes. It would be great if you could share the information about the fees payable and the study materials.
I would like to enroll as soon as possible. Early response will be highly appreciated.
Thanking you.
With kind regards
XYZ