How to write a letter
Letters may need a sympathetic opening
Research shows that the tone of a letter does affect how readable it is. A cold mechanical letter can cause readers to turn off before they read your message. That does not mean that we write to a customer the same way we would write to a relative. But it does mean you should use compassion and common sense.
The overview sentence is about the content. It’s one sentence that acts as a kind of table of contents. If the main message is “Your benefits have been denied. . .”; the overview sentence might be, “This letter will explain why we denied your benefits, what you can do if you think we’re wrong, and how long you have to reapply.” You should present the information in the letter in the same order as in the overview sentence.
3 REASONS TO TEACH LETTER WRITING
1. The Personal Touch:
Those of us who grew up in an age before the internet really got going will well remember the excitement of waiting for and receiving a letter. Many of us will have had childhood pen pals we never met, or received love letters from our teenage sweethearts. Maybe some of those treasured letters are still securely stored in a bedside drawer.
There is something extremely personal and intimate about the letter that email is incapable of capturing. Letters are a physical thing and their increasing rarity make them seem even more intimate today.
2. Impact
Receiving a personally written letter in this day and age is something a unicorn in communication terms. Students who know how to produce a well-crafted letter can use it to their advantage. For example, any business hiring manager will undoubtedly be numbed by the constant torrent of emails applications flooding into their Gmail or Hotmail inbox.
That mailed resume accompanied by a handwritten letter that waits for them on their desk in the morning is sure to stand out and secure an attentive read. The letter, in its various forms, is guaranteed to stand out and make an impact in an age where the vast majority of communication is digital.
3. Handwriting
Just as letter writing has declined in popularity, so too has the emphasis on well-developed handwriting skills. You can, if you wish, take the opportunity here to have the students work on their handwriting skills. While students may protest that they can accomplish the task much quicker by word-processing, another benefit of handwriting a letter is that the speed becomes almost meditative. This allows students to focus carefully on their grammar and punctuation, without always resorting to the crutch of spell-checkers and grammar correction software.
INFORMAL LETTER FEATURES
Formal letters can be written for a wide range of purposes and may come in a variety of shapes including a letter of complaint, a cover letter accompanying a job application, a letter of invitation, a reference letter, or a proposal letter – to name a few. Though each will adhere to their own rules of formatting and tone, when writing any formal letter students should avoid using slang or contractions. Language should be straightforward and polite. Encourage students to avoid bursts of purple prose in favor of direct, functional language. Usually, a formal letter will be written to achieve a particular end and should be written with that end foremost in mind. Students should avoid meanderings and stay firmly focused on the task at hand.
A Note on Salutations
If the student knows the intended recipient’s name, start with Dear Mr. / Mrs Surname and end with Yours Sincerely. If they don’t know the recipient’s name, start with Dear Sir / Madam and end with Yours Faithfully.
Use of Rhetorical Devices
As mentioned, formal letter writing focuses on attempting to convince someone to take some course of action or other. To do this it is helpful to employ some rhetorical devices to make the writing more persuasive. Some useful techniques to encourage your students to employ include:
Direct Address: Using the pronoun ‘you’ in a formal letter makes the reader feel that you are speaking directly to them. This helps to engage the reader and encourage them to continue reading the letter.
Emotive Language: Where students are trying to convince the reader to take a course of action, the use of emotive language can often be a powerful tool. Students can use either positive or negative colored words to create the desired response in the reader.
The envelope
In the United States, the maximum weight for a first-class letter is 3.5 ounces. If your letter is more than three pages or you’ve written it on heavy paper, you’ll have to weigh it to make sure it meets the requirements. The size and shape of the envelope matter too. It has to be rectangular and smaller than roughly 6 by 11 inches, or you run the risk of the post office returning it.
After you’ve determined that the envelope is the right kind, now you just have to mail it. (If it’s a personal letter, you can always deliver it yourself. In that case, just write the intended recipient’s name on the outside of the envelope. A bonus of hand delivery? You can use any size or shape envelope you want!)
In the top left-hand corner, write your name and address or attach a mailing label. In the center of the envelope, carefully write the name and address of the recipient. Besides the state abbreviation and zip code, international letters should include the country for both the destination and return addresses.
Double-check that everything is correct on the outside of the envelope. If it is, fold your letter and insert it neatly. Don’t seal it until you’re sure that you’ve included every page you intend to send.
Letter-writing tips
Offer pleasantries
While personal letters naturally tend to use a friendly tone, formal letters, too, can benefit from pleasantries and polite etiquette. A simple phrase like “How are you?” or “I hope you’re well” at the beginning of a letter can help connect the sender and recipient, even if the subject matter is strictly business.
Likewise, you can also express sympathy, regret, support, or gratitude in both formal and informal letters. Aside from mere etiquette, these pleasantries establish a personal connection that separates your letters from those written by machines.
Write for your reader
As with all writing, modify your language to accommodate your specific reader. If you’re writing a formal letter to a business associate, be professional and courteous. If you’re writing a personal letter to an old friend, feel free to crack jokes and use slang.
Sometimes the lines blur—a “formal letter” to a work friend might be more casual than a “personal letter” to a distant relative. Keep in mind the specific reader as you write to strike the right tone. If you’ve never met the recipient before, stick to courteous formality.
Include all necessary information
If you have a lot of information to convey, make a small list beforehand to make sure you cover everything. Treat this like a mini-outline to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
This is especially important for invitations or letters about scheduling events. Make sure you clearly state the essential facts—particularly where and when —as well as other need-to-know information, like directions or special requirements.
Source:
https://www.plainlanguage.gov/resources/content-types/writing-effective-letters/
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-letter/
How to Write a Letter
How to Write a Letter in Hassle-Free Steps (With Sample)
Knowing how to write a letter, whether business or personal, is a skill that everyone needs. Sometimes, these letters will be short, informal emails. Other times, they’ll be highly polished for corporate correspondence. Learn how to write a letter step-by-step, and review a printable sample letter. Then, explore best practices for writing both formal and informal letters.
Let’s tackle how to write a letter in proper order, from top to bottom. These steps are directed toward a formal letter, though recommended adjustments for informal letters are also included.
- Sender’s address – To start, place your full address — including your full name, street address, city, state, and zip code — in the upper left-hand corner. If you’re not confident in writing addresses, learn how to write an address properly.
- Date line – Skip a line and specify the date. Use the date the letter is being written.
- Recipient’s address – Skip a line and place the recipient’s full address. For a formal letter, you’ll need to include the company name, the recipient’s name and title, and mailing address. For an informal, personal letter, there’s no reason to include the company name or job title.
- Greeting/salutation – Skip one more line to insert the greeting. This is called the salutation. In a formal letter, you use "Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. Last Name:" Formal letters require a colon after the greeting, while informal letters take a comma. For an informal letter, it’s fine to use the recipient’s first name followed by a comma.
- Body of letter – Skip a line and begin the letter. In the body of your letter, separate your thoughts into paragraphs. You never want to draft one big block of text. For each new set of thoughts or ideas, begin a new paragraph. Leave a blank line between paragraphs.
- Complimentary close – Skip one of your final lines to include a complimentary close. The closing can be as simple as, "Sincerely," "Yours truly," "Regards," or similar. There should always be a comma after the word or phrase you use to close a letter, whether it is formal or informal.
- Signature text – Skip three lines (where you’ll insert your handwritten signature), and type your full name. For a formal letter, you should also include your job title on the next line.
- Attachments – If you’re including any attachments with your letter, skip one more line and type "Enclosure." If there’s more than one attachment, indicate how many there are in parentheses, as in "Enclosures (4)."
Type the Salutation
Skip a line and type your salutation. You can’t go wrong with “Dear [Name of recipient],”. If you know the recipient well, go ahead and use their first name. If you don’t know them well or the relationship is formal, use their title and last name, e.g., “Dear Mr. Ferguson,” “Dear Prof. Slater,” etc. Make sure you spell the recipient’s name right!
If you’re writing a letter that’s not directed to anyone in particular in the organization, go with “To Whom It May Concern,”. Ideally, before you write a letter, you’ll do your research so that it’s directed to someone specific. Use “To Whom It May Concern,” only after you’ve diligently looked into whom to address and ascertained that a specific name isn’t available.
With the salutation in formal letters, you can follow the name with either a comma or colon. Back in the day, it used to be strictly colon as it connotes more formality than a soft, breezy comma. Most business etiquette folks agree that commas are fine today. If you want to add some military seriousness to your letter, go with the colon.
Type the Body
Use the rest of the letter to justify the importance of your main point, by providing background info and supporting details. Use bold, crisp language. Avoid passive voice when possible.
The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action or follow up. If you have a question or request, make answering or fulfilling it as specific and turnkey as possible. Don’t be vague! Ask something the recipient can say yes or no to, or that makes it easy for them to direct you to the proper resource. Your recipient is likely a busy person, and the easier you make it for them to answer your letter, the more likely you’ll be to get a response.
End with another pleasantry such as “I look forward to talking to you soon” or “Please don’t hesitate to reach me by phone if you’d like to discuss in detail.” In many cases, it’s appropriate, and polite, to add: “Thank you for the time and consideration.”
The envelope
In the United States, the maximum weight for a first-class letter is 3.5 ounces. If your letter is more than three pages or you’ve written it on heavy paper, you’ll have to weigh it to make sure it meets the requirements. The size and shape of the envelope matter too. It has to be rectangular and smaller than roughly 6 by 11 inches, or you run the risk of the post office returning it.
After you’ve determined that the envelope is the right kind, now you just have to mail it. (If it’s a personal letter, you can always deliver it yourself. In that case, just write the intended recipient’s name on the outside of the envelope. A bonus of hand delivery? You can use any size or shape envelope you want!)
In the top left-hand corner, write your name and address or attach a mailing label. In the center of the envelope, carefully write the name and address of the recipient. Besides the state abbreviation and zip code, international letters should include the country for both the destination and return addresses.
Double-check that everything is correct on the outside of the envelope. If it is, fold your letter and insert it neatly. Don’t seal it until you’re sure that you’ve included every page you intend to send.
Letter-writing tips
Offer pleasantries
While personal letters naturally tend to use a friendly tone, formal letters, too, can benefit from pleasantries and polite etiquette. A simple phrase like “How are you?” or “I hope you’re well” at the beginning of a letter can help connect the sender and recipient, even if the subject matter is strictly business.
Likewise, you can also express sympathy, regret, support, or gratitude in both formal and informal letters. Aside from mere etiquette, these pleasantries establish a personal connection that separates your letters from those written by machines.
Write for your reader
As with all writing, modify your language to accommodate your specific reader. If you’re writing a formal letter to a business associate, be professional and courteous. If you’re writing a personal letter to an old friend, feel free to crack jokes and use slang.
Sometimes the lines blur—a “formal letter” to a work friend might be more casual than a “personal letter” to a distant relative. Keep in mind the specific reader as you write to strike the right tone. If you’ve never met the recipient before, stick to courteous formality.
Include all necessary information
If you have a lot of information to convey, make a small list beforehand to make sure you cover everything. Treat this like a mini-outline to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
This is especially important for invitations or letters about scheduling events. Make sure you clearly state the essential facts—particularly where and when —as well as other need-to-know information, like directions or special requirements.
Source:
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-letter.html
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-letter/
How to Write a Letter
Handwritten Letters VS Typed Letters: Which is Better?
On average, the US Postal Service sends over 173 million pieces of mail every day – and that’s just First Class! There’s no doubt that we’re a nation that loves sending snail mail . However, if you’re not used to writing letters , you might be unsure of how to go about it.
The purpose of your letter can dictate whether you should send a handwritten note or typed letter . It doesn’t always help, but there are some situations that will call for typed letters exclusively. These include letters that are more formal in nature, such as when contacting a company (especially to inquire about something or complain), applying for a job via mail, or sending a letter concerning a legal matter.
For example, if you’re fighting a legal fine, it’s not really a good idea to send something that’s handwritten. Formal topics and organizations will prefer typed letters. If what you’re saying is super important, then it may be best to save a copy and type your letter to avoid any mistakes. You don’t want an important word misread when it comes to a legal matter or when applying for a job! It could affect your whole case!
However, if you’re writing an informal letter , you don’t have to type it. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, but it allows you to create traditional and beautiful handwritten letters that create a lasting impression.
Why Send Handwritten Letters?
Lots of people still enjoy writing handwritten letters, although it’s definitely an art form that’s become a lot less popular since the dawn of the computer (and even the typewriter!). But that’s not to say it’s obsolete. There are still plenty of reasons to write with a good old-fashioned pen and paper , and we’ve got some of the best right here:
Add a Personal Touch
There’s no denying that a typed letter removes a little bit of the personal touch that a handwritten letter carries. By writing your words down directly, the recipient can imagine you sitting down and drawing out each letter carefully. Your sincere words will shine through your handwriting . You’re crafting something unique, and if that’s not personal, we don’t know what is!
Send Something to Save
Of course, typed letters can also be saved by the reciever, but there’s often not the same sentimental attachment. People are much more inclined to save something you handwrote yourself. They can trace the ink with their finger, see the little mistakes you made, and that uniqueness can be worth saving.
Look into the endless times people have chosen to turn handwritten letters into a book , just to prove how special they are! From love letters to “thinking of you” letters, people will keep them as treasured keepsakes.
Show the Extra Effort
There’s something about a handwritten note that stands out. Perhaps it’s that it took longer than simply typing up a message, or that putting pen to paper takes more effort. Regardless, it will show your passion and care towards the recipient.
Reduce Your Screen Time
We’re all guilty of spending too much time staring a screen now and again! Not to mention the effects that the blue light of a computer can have on your skin and eyes. By handwriting your letters, you can take time away from the digital world and get back to reality for a moment.
Type the Salutation
Skip a line and type your salutation. You can’t go wrong with “Dear [Name of recipient],”. If you know the recipient well, go ahead and use their first name. If you don’t know them well or the relationship is formal, use their title and last name, e.g., “Dear Mr. Ferguson,” “Dear Prof. Slater,” etc. Make sure you spell the recipient’s name right!
If you’re writing a letter that’s not directed to anyone in particular in the organization, go with “To Whom It May Concern,”. Ideally, before you write a letter, you’ll do your research so that it’s directed to someone specific. Use “To Whom It May Concern,” only after you’ve diligently looked into whom to address and ascertained that a specific name isn’t available.
With the salutation in formal letters, you can follow the name with either a comma or colon. Back in the day, it used to be strictly colon as it connotes more formality than a soft, breezy comma. Most business etiquette folks agree that commas are fine today. If you want to add some military seriousness to your letter, go with the colon.
4. Take Notes and Plan Topics Ahead of Time
One way to get around having writers block for thank you notes is to take notes as soon as an event or interview is over, whether it’s on your phone or in a notebook; jot down your overall impressions of the day and anything that really stood out to you. Try to paraphrase important ideas or note key concepts that were brought up in an interview or networking event. When it comes time to write your letter you can just pull out your notes for reference, write a small draft and then put it down in a card.
Your penmanship will also make you easily identifiable in another way other than your face or voice. Write neatly, without spelling errors, and write well, so that in the future, if your work ends up on someone’s desk, he or she already knows you who are by the handwriting and quality of your work.
6. Putting It All Together
Hi [person’s name],
I just wanted to take a moment to send you a note to thank you for the positive experience I got to share with you at yesterday’s [insert activity here]. I spent the ride back home following our meeting reflecting on [what stood out to you most], and I think it’s really going to change [5-10 words on what you learned]! I really appreciate your guidance, and I look forward to the next opportunity we might have to work together.
Thank you again for [what did you most get out of this interaction]. Looking forward to talking again soon!
With appreciation,
[Your name]
Where there are blanks, you will want to make sure you have referred to your note taking and chosen the best moments to showcase in your note. Don’t just choose random points just because they sound “good”- just like with any academic writing, you want to make sure the points relate and flow along in a logical progression.
It doesn’t have to be a long letter, but it does have to be one that shows you are thinking about how your interactions with the recipient will positively impact your career life. If this person seems like someone you would like to work with again and keep contact with, make sure that you allude to the possibility of future collaborations, so that the reader knows you are still interested in them.
Whether networking is done via WayUp and online or through a friend of a friend, separating yourself out from the rest as someone who gives that extra unprovoked effort is a great way to make a lasting impression that goes beyond your online networking accounts. If you wanna have the best reputation, one way to solidify it is by sending the best thank you letter!
Resource:
https://www.wayup.com/guide/community/contributor-handwritten-thank-you-note-wandy-ortiz/