FORMAL LETTERS

A formal letter is one written in a formal and ceremonious language

and follows a certain fixed type. Such letters are written for official
purposes to authorities, dignitaries, colleagues, seniors, etc and not
to personal contacts, friends or family. A number
of conventions must be adhered to while drafting formal letters.
Official emails include business letters, recommendations,
requests, complaints, official and promotional postcards, and
more.
 GREETING
The official letter should start with the words Dear Mr / Mrs / Miss /
Ms and the name of the person you are referring to.
WARNING! The business letter CANNOT write the person's name
after addressing Mr., Mrs. or Ms, only the surname. If you are writing
to an unknown addressee, the letter should start with the words Dear
Sir or Madam or Dear Sir / Madam.
 OPENING PARAGRAPH
The first paragraph should clearly state why you are writing the letter and
what you want to find out:
I am writing in connection with…
I am writing to complain about / enquire about / tell you about /
suggest…
I would like to request further information about…
I would be most grateful if you could send me details of ...
In response to your letter of May 5, I am writing to…
 MAIN PART (2-3 paragraphs)

This is the main body of the letter. It is divided into three paragraphs or
two paragraphs if the letter is shorter.

The main part reveals the content, the main point of the letter. All
necessary facts, names, figures, events, situations, problems, evidence,
analysis, expectations are summarized here.
 CLOSING PARAGRAPH
In this part, the author of the letter usually express the hope of receiving
a response through the phrases:
I look forward to hearing from you / to your reply.
If you require any further information, do not hesitate / feel free to
contact me.
 SIGNING OFF
Finally, do not forget to sign the letter: Yours faithfully (if you do not
know the name of the person to which write a letter); Yours sincerely
(if you know the recipient's name), then your first and last name
 WARNING!
Official letters should be brief, not to include too much information.
WARNING! Remember that an official letter requires an official language
style and should not contain:
shortened forms of verbs, e.g. instead of I’d like we write I would like;
idiomatic appeals, e.g. instead of it’s off the beaten track we write it is an
isolated area:
language characteristic of spoken speech, for example. instead of I want
to tell you about we use I would like to inform you.
It is advisable to use the connecting words to organize the connection
between paragraphs:
To list facts and enter ideas in a consistent way, use the following
connecting words: firstly, secondly, to begin with, in addition,
furthermore, lastly, moreover, besides;
for contrast, use on the one hand…, on the other hand…, however,
still, in spite of / despite, nevertheless, etc.;
to summarize, use all in all, to sum up, in conclusion, etc.;
For definition of purpose use in order to, so that, so as to;
Use as a result, consequently to describe the consequences.
 WARNING!
The official correspondence should be preferred indirect question, rather
than a direct question.
What is the price of the course? in an official letter it is better to state
the sentence as follows: I will be grateful if you could tell me what the
price of the course is.
Do not forget about politeness formulas, such as I would be very
pleased if ..., Will you be so kind to inform me ... etc.
 LAYOUT OF FORMAL LETTER
YOUR ADDRESS
GREETING

OPENING PARAGRAPH

MAIN PART

CLOSING PARAGRAPH

SIGNATURE
 SOURCES

• www.writeawriting.com
• www.usingenglish.com
• https://www.thoughtco.com/formal-letter-structure-1210161
• http://
www.nvtc.ee/e-oppe/Varkki/layout/rules_for_writing_formal_letters.ht
ml
• https://www.ukpostbox.com/blog/how-to-format-formal-letter