Welcome to

the journey of
Formal Letter writing
Guide: Dr. Vivek Agrawal
MA, M.Phil, Ph.D.
B.Ed. (CIEFL), Hyderbad

When writing letters,

decide if they are going to
be:
Formal
Informal

Formal
To people you dont know
To an organisation such as a bank ,
educational institutions or the council
Letters of complaint, letters of enquiry and
letters of application

Layout of formal letters

1 .Senders Address
2. Date
3.Receivers Address
4.Refrence (optional)
5.Subject
6.Salutation
7.Body of the letter
8.Complimentary close
9.Signature
10. Enclosures (optional)

How to write Address

1.House No. / Flat No.
2. Name of Building
3. Name of colony
4. Name of City & Pincode
5. Name of District
6. Name of State

How to Write Date

1. July 13,2015
2. 13th July, 2015
3.13 July,2015
4. 2015,July 13

Letters are made up of different parts:

1. The Greeting
If you know the name of the person
you are writing to, begin:
Dear Mr. Jones, (to a man)
Dear Mrs. Jones, (to a married woman)
Dear Ms. Jones, (to a woman)
Dear Miss Jones (not used much these
days)

If you dont know the name of the

person you are writing to, begin:
Dear Sir, (to a man)
Dear Madam, (to a woman)
Dear Sir or Madam, (when you
dont know which)

2. The opening paragraph

This paragraph contains a clear
statement of your reason for writing.
Some typical openings are:
I am writing in/with reference to.....
I am writing in response to....
I am writing to complain about...

3. The body of the letter

The body can contain 1-3
paragraphs.
Very rarely would it contain 4 or
more paragraphs.

4. Signaling the end

The final sentence or paragraph often indicates
that the letter is going to finish.
Some typical sentences are:
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Thanking you in advance for your
consideration.
I look forward to hearing from you
Please find enclosed a copy of my CV for
your perusal.

5. The closing
This phrase puts an end to the letter.
If you know the name of the person you
are writing to, end with
Yours sincerely,
If you dont know the name of the
person you are writing to, end with
Yours faithfully,

6. The signature
In a formal letter it is
common to print your name
under your signature.

Dear Ms Roberts,
I am writing in reference to your advertisement for summer language
courses abroad. I would like to receive more detailed information about the
courses you offer. I would be able to attend a course for two or three weeks
in June. Could you please send me more information and details of prices?
I would particularly like to know how many students attend the school, and
the maximum number of students per class. I would also like to know the
resources the school has. Your article mentioned a language library and
fully equipped computer rooms. Would it be possible to use these facilities
also in the evenings ? Could you inform me of the staff? Are they all
qualified teachers?
I would be grateful if you could send me more details regarding the social
and sports programs offered. Are the activities included in the price of
the course?
Furthermore, I would appreciate your informing me on the amenities near
the school.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Black

Another Example

45 Orange Close
West Burnham
West Yorkshire
23rd March 2000
The Manager
Barclay Building Society
Long Street
West Hartlepool
Dear Sir
Thank you for your letter dated 15th March.
I am afraid I cannot agree with your letter. I have studied my bank statement and still cannot
find the charges you say are outstanding.
This is the third letter I have sent and if no action is taken within the next five days I will contact
my solicitor.
I hope this matter can be settled as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully

Useful language for Letters of Complaint

Opening Remarks:
-I am writing to complain about/regarding/on
account
of/because of/on the subject of...
- I am writing to draw your attention to...
- I am writing in connection with...
- I am writing to express my strong
dissatisfaction with...
- I am afraid to say I have numbers of
complaints about...
- I am sorry to say that I was very

Useful Phrases
- We ought to discuss the matter...
- To make matters worse...
- I was very disappointed to find that...
- I would be grateful if you could...
- I should have been informed that...
-The first problem was... Another problem was...
The most visible problem...
-I hope you will understand that I was very
dissatisfied...
-I believe you can appreciate how disappointed I
was when...

Linking Words
Even though, however,
furthermore, firstly, finally etc.

Closing Remarks
-I would like to hear your explanation for the above
problems...
-I would therefore be grateful if you could give me a
full refund...
- I would like a full refund as soon as possible...
-I would like to have all or part of my money
refunded...
- I am not satisfied with...
- I hope/assume you will replace...
- I trust the situation will improve...
- I hope the matter will be resolved...

-I hope we can sort this matter out amicably

-I look forward to hearing from you in your earliest
convenience to offer me a complete refund
-I feel I am entitled to a partial refund in addition to
an apology for the inconvenience caused
- I insist you replace the item at once...
- I demand a full refund...
-I hope that I will not be forced to take further
action
- I look forward to hearing your early reply
- I look forward to receiving a prompt reply

Alignment Formats
Block Format All lines in the letter align
at the left margin.
Modified-Block Format All lines except
the date, closing, and signature block align at
the left margin. The date, closing, and
signature block BEGIN at the center of the
page.
With Indented Paragraphs Either of the
above formats may also include indented
paragraphs.

Punctuation Formats
Open Punctuation NO
punctuation following the salutation
or closing.
Mixed/Standard Punctuation
A colon follows the salutation, a
comma follows the closing.

Thank You

Dr. Vivek Agrawal