Time has finally come to talk about one of the oldest type of writing and form of communicating messages, long before the internet and the mobile phones have become and vital forms of communication. Maybe you have guessed it by now, we will discuss about LETTERS!
Putting down such a composition is a great writing exercise especially because there are many types of letters and, therefore a lot of useful vocabulary to learn and use. There are bussiness letters, job applications, letters of complaint, personal letters and letters of condolence, and personal or business ‘thank you’ letters.
Usually, business letters are written in formal register, while the personal letters use the semi-formal or informal register. The degree of formality is also shown by the way you send your letter: a hand written letter(typed for business correspondence) sent by post or a letter sent via e-mail(for time sensitive content).
Before the content of the letter, you should write the name of the person you are writing to, the address and the date. If you are typing your letter, use a leatter head on a word processing program.
Start your letter with a salutation: “To Whom It May Concern:”, “Dear Sir/Madam,”(formal), ”Dear, ”Hello”(informal).
Like most types of compositions, letters should have an introduction( in which you state the reason why you are writing), a main body(in which you develop your ideas/purpose) and a conclusion (to sum up your message).
After you have finished writing, proof-read your letter and end it with a complementary close which can be
Formal: Sincerely yours , Best regards, Kindest regards.
Semiformal: Regards, All the best.
Informal: Love, Affectionately, Fondly.
If you are this year’s lucky winner of our Essay Cometition, you might be writing letters from the 2-week language camp in the UK!
May the best essay win!
