Introduction
A Letter is a written piece of communication serving a purpose of the writer. There are broadly two types of letter, namely Formal Letters, and Informal Letters. But then there are also a few types of letters based on their contents, formalities, the purpose of letter writing etc. Let us have a look at the few types of letters.
- 1. Formal Letter
2. Informal Letter
3. Business Letter
4. Official Letter
5. Social Letter
6. Circular Letter
7. Employment Letters
Letter:
Letter writing is an important aspect of day to day life: almost all our concerns, feelings and opinions can be expressed through letters. Hence letter writing is something which every man of letters should know.
Letters are of different kinds. They can be broadly categorized into formal and informal. Formal letters discuss formal matters, they express opinions and feelings on a certain topic of importance. Informal letters are basically letters dealing with personal matters. Then again formal letters are written to strangers. Informal letters are written to friends or relatives. In competitive exams, the strange part is that the student is called upon to write letters to even friends and relative on matters related to formal letters. Therefore we cannot afford such a clear demarcation. However, all letters, in general, have a certain structure.
Heading
This is the part of the letter which contains the address of the letter writer. It also shows the date on which it was written.
Greeting
In the case of letters written to friends and relatives we may write Dear brother, Dear friend etc. In the case of letters to strangers, we use the salutation Dear Sir/ Dear Madam/ Dear (Name of the concerned person) for all concerned.
Body
It is important to divide the letter into paragraphs including introduction and the purpose for writing the letter. The knowledge of punctuation and a logical presentation of thoughts are essential perquisites.
Leave-Taking
Once we have had our say we take leave of the concerned person with courteous words such as Yours Sincerely, Yours affectionately etc. The former for strangers and the latter for friends.
Writer
Below the leave-taking is written the name of the letter writer.
Structure :
74/6, Midland
Midland - 700020 --------- The Heading
19, June, 2015
Dear Sir --------- The Greeting
I am extremely aggrieved by the poor condition of some the roads in the Trans -Yamuna area of Delhi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - The Body- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yours Sincerely, --------- The leave-taking
Rini Mathews --------- Writer's Name.
Sample
Date: 23.6.15
Room no. 31,
Someshwar Nagar,
M. G. Road,
Goregaon West,
Mumbai – 400 401
12 December 2017.
To,
The Editor,
Times of India.
Subject: To highlight the status of pollution in Mumbai.
Respected Sir/Madam,
I, Ms. XYZ, am a resident from Goregaon West and a responsible citizen living in Mumbai. With the above-mentioned subject, I would like to draw your attention towards the state of pollution in Mumbai. It is been observed in different forms and is everywhere. The worst thing about it is, that it is spreading uncontrollably.
There are handful citizens that take proper precautions like segregate the wet waste and the dry waste, make use of public transportation services whenever possible and avoid using plastic bags. However, their efforts drench in vain because a maximum population belonging to this metropolitan city fails to understand the severity of the situation. It might be due to the busy and rash lives citizens live or maybe due to inadequate awareness and knowledge. Trash bins are present where four streets meet but not in some interior areas. Due to this, people living in the interior areas deposit waste from their respective homes openly on the streets. Places, where trash bins are available, are not cleared or picked up on a regular basis. The waste piles up and this influences the breeding of mosquitoes and eventually, to diseases. Instances like the burning of plastic, dry leaves or rubber tires has also been observed. It is a humble request to prepare an awareness chart about the same so that masses can estimate the severity of the problem we’re facing or are about to face. Thanking You Sincerely, Ms. Mathews