Writing a Formal Letter: Rules, Types and Examples, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Object Oriented Analysis and Design

Download Writing a Formal Letter: Rules, Types and Examples and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Object Oriented Analysis and Design in PDF only on Docsity! Writing  a  Formal  Letter       A  formal  letter  (or  business  letter)  is  a  piece  of  formal  correspondence  and  has  a   very  specific  format.  It  should  be  within  one  page  and  be  fully  blocked   (everything  is  lined  up  to  the  left  and  between  every  section  is  a  double  space).   There  are  a  number  of  sections.  They  include:     1. Heading.    This  includes  the  return  address  (the  writer’s  address)  and   should  be  two  or  three  lines.  Include  the  postal  code.  If  the  letter  is  being   written  from  a  company,  the  company’s  letterhead  may  serve  as  the   heading,  if  the  address  is  already  printed  on  it.       2. Date.  There  should  be  double  spacing  above  and  below  the  date.       3. Inside  Address.  This  is  the  address  of  the  person  you  are  writing  to.   Include  the  name  and  position  of  the  person  if  you  know  it,  followed  by   the  address.       4. Greeting  (also  called  Salutation).  The  greeting  in  a  formal  letter  is   always  formal  and  usually  starts  with  the  word  “Dear”  followed  by  the   person’s  family  name  or  job  position  (Dear  Mr.  Smith  /  Dear  Human   Resources  Director).  The  greeting  ends  in  a  colon.       5. Body  (the  paragraphs).  This  part  of  the  letter  is  the  text.  Each  paragraph   should  be  separated  by  double  spaces.  Also  there  should  be  double  space   between  the  greeting  and  the  body.  It  could  be  three  to  five  paragraphs,   but  not  usually  more  than  five.  Indenting  is  not  necessary.       6. Complimentary  Close.  This  is  the  short,  polite  closing  that  ends  with  a   comma.  A  common  complimentary  close  is  Best  regards.  There  is  a  double   space  between  this  and  the  body  and  between  this  and  the  signature  line.       7. Signature  Line.  This  is  your  signature  (usually  for  printed  letters).  It  is   possible  to  put  a  digital  signature  here,  your  name  in  blue  or  just  your   name  in  black.  If  your  name  is  in  blue  or  in  the  form  of  a  digital  signature,   your  name  is  required  in  black  at  the  bottom.  Otherwise,  just  your  name   in  black  is  printed  (unsigned)  if  the  letter  is  not  on  paper.       A  formal  letter  should  not  contain  post  scripts  (PS).                     The  Body     The  body  of  the  letter  (the  paragraphs)  is  very  important  and  this  text  type  has   specific  rules  for  writing.  Here  are  the  rules  for  paragraphs  in  the  body  of  a   formal  letter.       In the first paragraph, you should say clearly who you are and why you are writing. The introduction paragraph is quite short, just about three sentences, so you don’t explain anything or give details here. It is like an introduction. The reader should know exactly what the purpose of the letter is. Avoid unnecessary discussion or opinion here. Simply say what your purpose is. The second paragraph is for details or explanation. You should give details on what you mentioned in paragraph one and explain anything that needs more information. A third paragraph can be added if there is a lot more information that is needed, or if there is another topic that needs to be covered. If it can all be put into one paragraph (paragraph 2), then it is better to keep it shorter. However, if another paragraph is really necessary, put it here. The next paragraph should state what you would like the reader to do. If you need information, ask for it here. If you wish to apply for something, state here what you need the reader to do for you. You may want a letter of recommendation or perhaps you need product information. Be clear and tell the reader exactly what it is you need from him or her. The last paragraph is also very short, like the first paragraph. You should thank the reader for his or her time and include your email, telephone number, etc if you need the reader to reply to you. This is especially important for job application letters. You can also include your telephone number/e-mail address after your printed name at the bottom, so that they can contact you ASAP if necessary. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter for yourself and include photocopies of any relevant documents and enclose them with your letter.   Types  of  formal  letters     There  are  many  types  of  formal  letters.  They  include:   1. Complaint  letters   2. Job  application  letters   3. Letters  requesting  information   4. Apology  letters   5. Letters  to  the  editor     On  the  following  pages,  you  will  find  a  sample  template  and  examples  of  the   different  types  of  formal  letters.               Sample Letter Requesting Information 65 Geylang East Ave 4 #12-34 Singapore 153045 November 11 2016 Service Desk Dictionary Heaven Pte. Ltd. 2A Tampines St. 1 Singapore 246810 Dear Customer Service Representative: My name is Justin Thyme and I am interested in ordering your new dictionary and grammar book called “I live for English”. I have been trying to order it online, but I have not had any success, and would like to know how this can be done. When I went to your website, I entered the correct information, including the book’s ISPN number: C29874. The website asked for my credit card information, as well as for my particulars (mailing address, phone number, etc.). I was able to enter all of this information, but I still could not purchase the book. I was somewhat worried because I entered my credit card information a few times into your system, and I did not receive any message saying it was successful or unsuccessful. I sent an email to my credit card company, but they could not explain why this occurred. They suggested I write to you instead. Please advise me on the best way to make this purchase. If I need further instruction, please send me any necessary directions. Alternatively, I could pick the book up in person if you supply it at any of the major bookstores in town. Please let me know where I can buy this title, or if there are any others ways I can try. In addition, please check your sales records to see if any of my purchase attempts made it through to you. Thank you in advance for taking care of this matter. I have always used books from your series and would like to remain a loyal customer. Any information can be sent to grammarman@hotmail.com Best regards, Justin Thyme         Sample Cover (Job Application) Letter   1 Geylang East Avenue 1, Unit 11-01 Singapore 389778 May 01 2016 Getta Djab Director of Human Resources DBS Bank 14 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 112334 Dear Ms. Djab Please consider this letter my application for the position of bank teller at the Tampines Branch of DBS, a position listed on your website on April 28, 2016. My objective is to find a rewarding position with an institution that makes use of my education as well as my strengths and talents. Considering my qualifications, I strongly believe that DBS may hold that opportunity and that I would be an asset to your service team. My education and experience have provided me with an in-depth knowledge of banking operations, as well as the organizational structure. I have an undergraduate degree in Business, during which I also studied Psychology and French. Subsequently, I received my Master’s degree in Business and have been able to use the knowledge I gained in both degrees to become an effective business representative. I would like to find a position that allows upward movement. I believe in starting at an entry position and working my way to the stretches of my potential. I have been interested in banking since I was a high school student and that has shaped the direction of my tertiary education. I believe the DBS may be the institution that helps me grow along with it. I have attached a copy of my resume with a list of references. I would very much appreciate an opportunity to further discuss my qualifications with you. I may be reached any time at banker@gmail.com or via mobile at +65 94857632. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Otto Graff       Sample Apology Letter Department  of  Customer  Service   Holiday  Spinn  Hotel   21  Downda  Road   Singapore   101010     May  08  2015     Ms.  Anna  Holly  Day   16  A  Beet  Street   Singapore   202020     Dear  Ms.  Day:     My  name  is  Shea  Monyu  and  I  am  the  director  of  the  Customer  Service   Department  at  Holiday  Spinn  Hotel,  Singapore.  Thank  you  for  your  letter  of  April   28,  2016.  It  is  with  great  concern  that  I  read  your  letter  about  the  service  you   received  at  our  hotel  between  April  24  and  April  27,  2016.       Firstly,  on  behalf  of  the  hotel  and  the  housekeeping  department,  I  would  like  to   apologize  for  the  fact  that  your  room  was  not  properly  serviced  during  your  stay   and  they  you  left  with  a  very  bad  impression  of  our  hotel.  We  take  pride  in  our   level  of  comfort  and  cleanliness  at  Holiday  Spinn,  so  I  have  taken  your  claim  very   seriously  and  have  discovered  that  a  problem  with  a  new  scheduling  software   caused  the  confusion  about  having  the  appropriate  staff  attend  to  your  room  at   the  appropriate  time.  For  this  we  sincerely  apologize.       I  have  issued  a  credit  to  your  visa  card,  so  that  you  will  not  be  charged  for  your   stay  with  us  and  would  like  to  personally  invite  you  to  stay  with  us  again  for  a   free  four-­‐day  holiday  at  a  time  of  your  convenience.  We  value  you  as  a  loyal   customer  and  I  would  also  like  to  assure  you  that  we  have  taken  steps  to  insure   that  this  kind  of  mistake  will  not  happen  again.  I  do  hope  you  come  to  visit  us   again,  compliments  of  Holiday  Spinn.       We  value  your  feedback  and  look  forward  to  hearing  from  you  about  our  service   once  again,  so  that  we  can  work  to  serve  you  better.  Please  feel  free  to  contact   me  personally  if  you  have  any  questions,  or  would  like  me  to  take  care  of  your   free  booking.  I  may  be  reached  through  the  email  on  our  website  or  at   +6599199100.  I  look  forward  to  serving  you  again.       Warmest  regards,     Shea  Monyu   Director  of  Customer  Service   Holiday  Shinn