We hardly write letters nowadays. We dash off an email or punch in a text or a message in an app. However the letter writing skill is still a requirement of English courses. Should we still learn how to write a letter? I think so. Often an email is just another method of sending a letter. Even in today’s digital world business letters are still required. If you are searching for a job you are still expected to write a cover letter to accompany your resume even if you will send both by email. We still write letters of application, letters of complaint to a business, letters to a bank or even to the political representative of our community. You may also wish to write a thank- you letter to a firm that has granted you an interview. Sometimes we may need to write a resignation letter.
If you are writing to your bank to complain about a service you should still use the business style of writing. Even if you are sending it electronically your letter should have the look and the tone of a business letter. You therefore need to know how to write a business letter.
Business letters
A business letter will have two addresses. First write your address then the date then write the address of the person to whom you will send the letter. Your greeting would also be more formal. You can use Dear Sir or Dear Madam. If you know the name of the person receiving the letter then write their name in the greeting as for example, Dear Mr Martin or Dear Mrs Whyte.
When you are writing a letter to a business or one of those letters mentioned above you have to write a formal closing such as Yours sincerely or Yours truly. You should only capitalise the first word in the closing. You should also sign or write your full name, that is, write your first name and last name. You would not be on a first name business with the human resource director of the company where you hope to be hired so keep an appropriate tone.
As long as you have a relationship with a business or an institution you may have to write a formal letter at some time in your life.
Informal letters
Writing a friendly or informal letter is not a totally extinct or obsolete practice. Many people still write thank-you letters to acknowledge a gift or a thoughtful action. These letters are usually highly appreciated.
You would send a friendly letter to someone you know personally, usually a friend or relative or colleague. The style of this letter is less formal than that of a business letter. You will write your address and then the date. The greeting can be casual. It can be Hello Jane or Hi Mark. You can also write Dear Mark depending on how close a relationship you have. Notice however that we just write the first name of the person who will get the letter.
The ending or closing of the letter can also be informal such as Love or Sincerely. You would use just your first name to sign the letter as shown below.
Love,
Jan
While sending emails and text messages are now other choices for you to communicate, writing a letter still has its place in both personal and business relationships. It is worth knowing how to write letters.
photo credit: Today is a good day In the days before email via photopin (license)