Structure of a Formal Letter
Letterhead /
Sender's Name
Sender's Company Name
Sender's Street Address
Sender's City
Sender's Phone Number
Sender's Email Address
Date - You can write this on the right or the left on the line before/after the address. Write the month as a
word. Example: December 23, 2020 / 23rd December 2020
Receiver’s Name
Receiver’s Company Name
Receiver’s Street Address
Receiver’s City
Receiver’s Phone Number
Receiver’s Email Address
Subject / Reference Number
Salutation / Greeting
Introduction - The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry,
complain, request something, etc.
Body - The paragraph(s) in the middle of the letter should contain the relevant information behind the
writing of the letter. Most letters in English are not very long, so keep the information to the essentials and
concentrate on organizing it in a clear and logical manner rather than expanding too much.
Conclusion - The last paragraph of a formal letter should state what action you expect the recipient to take to refund, send you information, etc.
Complimentary Closing
Signature
Name of Sender
Designation of Sender
Salutations:
The choice of salutation depends on whether or not you know the recipient of the letter. The most widely
used salutation is “Dear,” and is recommended if you’ve never met the intended recipient. The salutation is
followed by the person’s name and punctuated with a colon or comma.
Use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. Use “Ms.” in the salutation if the
recipient is a woman and you do not know her marital status. The same applies to professional titles such as
Dr., Professor, and Honorable.
Examples:
Dear Mr. Ibrahim
Dear Ms. Ibrahim
Dear Dr. Ibrahim
Dear Professor Ibrahim
If you don’t have a contact at a certain company, search online for a name, a job title, or department.
Example:
“Dear Manager,”
Example:
“Dear Human Resources Department,”
If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use “Dear Sir or Madam,”
As a last resort, use the generic salutation “To Whom It May Concern”
Common Complimentary Closing
Faithfully, - If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way.
Sincerely, - If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way.
Best wishes/Best regards, - When addressing a good friend or colleague.
Remember, only the first letter of the phrase is capitalized.
Writing a letter, formally:
Although the body of every letter looks different and the information in it varies, there are a few key rules to
follow.

Keep it focused. Business letters should have a clear objective.

Proofread. Errors can cause misunderstandings.

Avoid contractions. Write out each word fully.

Be tactful. Avoid writing anything you’ll regret being recorded for posterity.
Each thought should be contained in its own paragraph. Keeping paragraphs short also helps keep your
message clear; aim for no more than four sentences in a paragraph and keep each sentence concise.