Understanding how to write a good letter is one of the basic skills that can be applied in various fields, both in the fields of business, academics, and personal relations. As you already know, letters are a common method of communication used to convey information, goodwill, or simply the sender's affection for the recipient of the letter. To find out how to write a good and correct letter, try reading this article!
Step
Method 1 of 2: Writing a Formal Letter
Step 1. Understand the right time to write a formal tone letter or a formal letter
Generally, formal letters are addressed to people with whom you have only professional relationships, such as business associates or certain government departments, rather than to people with whom you have personal relationships.
- Then, the official letter can be typed using word processing software, such as Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or Text Edit, and then printed before sending. If the letter needs to be received immediately or if the recipient prefers to receive the email, we recommend sending the letter by email.
- If the recipient is your current boss or coworker, you may want to use a less rigid format. Generally, such letters can be sent via email and do not need to be accompanied by an address at the top of the letter.
Step 2. Write your address and the date the letter was written at the top of the letter
In particular, include your name and address in the left corner of the letter. If it's an official business letter, include the company's name and address, or simply affix the company's letterhead in the same place. After that, give a gap of two lines before writing the date of writing the letter.
- Include the full date in the correct format, such as September 19, 2021. It's best to avoid a less formal format like 19-Sept-2021 or 19/9/21.
- There is no need to include the date on the letter sent by e-mail.
Step 3. Enter the name and address of the recipient of the letter
If the letter was not sent by email, leave a two-line break and include the recipient's contact information in the blank space. In particular, list each of these information on a separate line:
- Full name and title of recipient of the letter
- Name of organization and company, if any
- Full address of the recipient of the letter (add two or more extra lines, as required)
Step 4. Include a greeting
Pause one line, then include a greeting such as “Dear,” followed by your name as the recipient of the letter. If you wish, you can include your full name, last name, or just first name. If necessary, also include the person's official address or title.
- If you only know the person's position in the office, but don't know their name, feel free to write, “Dear, Health Manager:” or a similar phrase. However, most of the time, the name of the person who filled the position can be searched online, so you can give it a try. first.
- If you really don't know the recipient of the letter, nor do you know his or her position, simply write down, "Dear Sir/Madam:" or simply "Dear:." However, such greetings sound stilted and old-fashioned and should be avoided, if at all possible..
Step 5. Write your letter
Formal letters should open with a clear statement of purpose (SOP). In particular, avoid abbreviations and use formal questions, such as “Are you interested in…” instead of “Are you interested in…?” Then, reread the body of the letter, with or without the help of another person, to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors in it.
If you are writing a formal business letter, make sure that the body of the letter is always short and to the point. Meanwhile, if the letter is addressed to a relative or close friend for reasons of exchanging news, please use a more relaxed and/or flowing sentence. However, it's a good idea to make sure that your letter doesn't exceed one page in length
Step 6. Include a closing greeting
A closing greeting is generally included to end the letter in a positive way and to build a deeper connection with the recipient of the letter. Therefore, after writing the last paragraph, include a closing greeting that fits the type of letter. For a formal letter, try to include a closing greeting such as, “Sincerely,” “Greetings,” or “Good luck.” Then put your full name below it, as outlined in the following guidelines:
- For formally typed letters, leave about four spaces between your closing salutation and your full name. Then, print the letter and affix your signature in blue or black ink on the blank space.
- In formal emails, include your full name just below the closing greeting.
- If you want, you can include the greeting in front of your name, especially in a formal letter. For example, if you are married, please include the name “Bu Amanda Surya” under the closing greeting.
Step 7. Fold the letter (optional)
If the letter is in the mail, try folding it into thirds. The trick is to fold the bottom half to the middle until it covers 2/3 of the letter area, then fold the top half to the middle until there is no more open letter area. That way, the letter size will fit most envelopes available in the market.
Step 8. Write the recipient's address on the front of the envelope (optional)
Find the center of the envelope, then write the recipient's full address there, like so:
- Mr Joko Susilo
- Jl. ABC no. 123
- Jakarta, 12345
Step 9. Write the return mailing address on the back of the envelope (optional)
Using this method, the post office can return mail they can't send, for whatever reason, to your address at no additional cost. Use the same method as when you wrote the address of the recipient of the letter, but just include a nickname instead of your full name there.
Method 2 of 2: Writing Informal Letters
Step 1. Identify the official level of the letter
Basically, the tone of the letter will depend on the level of closeness of your relationship with the recipient of the letter. To identify the formality of your letter, try following these guidelines:
- If the letter is addressed to a distant relative, elderly relative, or social partner, try using a semi-formal tone. If the person has already emailed you, please email them. If not, writing letters manually is the safest option to do.
- If the letter is addressed to a close friend or relative, please write it manually or send it via email.
Step 2. Begin the letter with a greeting
The greeting used is very dependent on the close relationship between you and the recipient of the letter, as well as the level of formality of the letter. Some possibilities that you can consider:
- If the letter is semi-formal, feel free to use a greeting such as "Hello." Then, follow the greeting with the recipient's nickname if you are not too far apart in age, or the recipient's name starting with a greeting such as "Sir" or "Madam" if the recipient is much older than you.
- If the letter is informal, you can also use a greeting such as "Hello," or a more casual greeting such as "Hi," or "Hey." Follow the greeting with the recipient's name.
Step 3. Start writing the body of the letter
Move on to the next line and start writing. If the letter is intended as a personal communication medium, try starting by confirming the recipient's information. For example, you can use formal sentences like, “I hope you are doing well” or informal ones like, “How are you?” In particular, use the words you would say if the recipient of the letter was in front of you.
Step 4. List the things that need to be communicated
Since the main role of the letter is as a medium of communication, please include things that you think the recipient of the letter needs to know, such as details of events that have occurred in your life. For example, if the letter is to your grandmother, don't just write, "Thanks for the gift!" Instead, show how much the gift means to you, like saying, “Last night my friends and I couldn't sleep because we played the game Grandma sent. Thank you!" Whatever the subject of the letter, the main focus should be on the desire to share information.
Understand information that should not be included. Basically, a letter written as an expression of anger or an attempt to beg for mercy should not be sent. If you've already written such a letter but aren't sure whether to send it, let it sit for a few days. Maybe, those few days can change your decision
Step 5. End the letter
To end an informal letter, use a closing greeting that reflects the closeness of your relationship with the recipient. If the letter is addressed to a spouse, friend, or close relative, please use a closing greeting such as “Greetings,” “Greetings of love,” or simply “Dear.” Meanwhile, for a semi-formal letter, feel free to use a warm, but still quite formal, closing greeting such as, “Greetings,” or “Warm greetings.”
- Ever heard of the term “valediction”? In fact, valediction is a formal expression in English that was commonly used in ancient times as a letter closing greeting. If you're writing an English letter to a friend and want to close it in a goofy style, feel free to use this method. For example, put a closing greeting in the form of a valediction such as, "I remain, as ever, your dedicated servant," ending with your name.
- If you want to add information after the letter has been written, use the caption P. S, which in English means Postscript ("after writing").
Step 6. Send the letter
Put the letter in an envelope, put a stamp, include the recipient's address, then immediately send it through the post office.
Tips
- Try to focus the body of the letter on a topic that will interest the recipient.
- Generally, greetings are always followed by a comma. However, in formal letters, the punctuation used is usually a colon instead of a comma.
- Always use polite language and sound arguments when writing a letter of complaint. Doing so will increase your chances of getting a positive response.
- If you want to print a very formal letter, we recommend using paper that is slightly heavier than standard copy paper.
- If you want to send a formal or semi-formal email, always use a professional-sounding email address. Emails sent by “sweetstar189” will certainly not be taken as seriously as emails sent by “jeni.sandra”, right?
- Always write letters using a blue or black ink pen.
- Make sure the address listed is correct.
- Always start a paragraph with a sentence written or typed in indented.
- Recheck the contents of your letter, at least twice.
- If the letter is written manually, make sure you always use a ballpoint pen that doesn't leak ink.
