HOW TO WRITE A
FORMAL LETTER?
Antoni Pluciński and
Stan Bazus
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1. WRITE PERSONAL
INFORMATION
It is very important to add your name
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and date to a formal letter, because it
makes it easy for the person who
receives your letter to know who it
was from, when it was sent and how
to get back in touch with you. It should
be laid out this way: Your name
should be written on the first line,
preferably in the top left, followed by
the date, also written on the first line
but in the top right. Finally add your
email and address on the second line
to finalize your personal information
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section.
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2. BEGIN YOUR
LETTER WITH A
FORMAL SALUTATION
After finishing your personal information
section, it is important to start the letter
with a formal salutation, to stay very
polite and to give a good first impression.
If you do know their name use “Dr.”, “Mr.”
or “Mrs.” followed by their full name. This
is a great way to sound warming and
formal at the same time. On the other
hand, if you don’t know their name
consider using “Sir” and “Madam”, which
respectful replacements for names.
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3. WRITE THE BODY
OF THE LETTER
Right after start writing the body of the
letter, which includes the introduction,
purpose of your letter and the conclusion.
The body is normally around 2 to 3
paragraphs in length. In your first
paragraph, state the purpose of this letter
and introduce yourself to the person.
Your second paragraph should be used
to underline the message you are
sending, talking about what you want to
do and the reason your purpose is
important. Finally, finalize your body with
a paragraph that states, in a convincing
tone, how you want to proceed. This can
also include a call to action, such as
“Please contact me at your earliest
convenience”
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4. INCLUDE A
SIGN-OFF PHRASE
After finishing your main letter finalize
it with a tiny but important detail called
‘Sign off phrases’. They are extremely
important, since they conclude the
letter with a formal phrase, expressing
your gratitude or regards. Examples
of respectful sign off phrases to use
could be, “Your Sincerely” or “Best
Regards” which thanks the reader for
their attention and concludes the letter
in a peaceful manner and creates a
pleasant atmosphere.
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LABELLED
EXAMPLE
Personal
Information
Formal Salutation
Body
Sign Off Phrase
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