Formal Letter – How To Write a Formal Letter? Format Template, Samples

Formal Letter – Before we start with this article on how to write a formal letter and provide its Template to you. Let’s first understand its basics. We hope our formal letter format and samples will help you in your formal letter.

Formal Letter

A letter which is not used for personal purposes and is written in a specific format with a very formal language. A formal Letter has a specified and strategised organisation of writing style. These letters are thereby not used as family letters, or a letter to friends or cousins, siblings and relatives. Generally, we write such kinds of letters on official platforms including writing a letter to the principal in the school, to the higher delegates in the office, letters to the managers and HR, and an appointment letter to the employee.

As specified earlier, the formal letter has an organised style of writing along with some conventional format. We can’t write the letter as per our choice and cannot add any kind of creativity which is against the style of an informal letter. Also, the language of this letter should be very formal, to the point and very brief and precise. In this article, we have attached all the templates along with a sample of writing the formal letter. If anyone is willing to write a formal letter, this article would be a perfect guide and a roadmap to frame the formal letter.

Formal letter
Formal letter templates and samples

Purpose of the formal letter:

As formal letters are used as professional platform letters, the defined format and the formal style of this letter are used for several purposes. If we need to use them in the business areas, official domains, or school perimeters, the formal letters could serve various purposes such as

  1. Conveying information about your issues and problems in a formal background
  2. To express certain official details regarding your working domain
  3. To convey information from One official to the Yadav working in the same department.
  4. As a means of business purpose, in an agreement of trade and commerce.
  5. To the editorial board of the newspaper to highlight certain issues faced by people of some areas.

How to Write a Formal Letter – Framing out a formal letter

The formal letter has a very defined and precise structure. To frame out that format, the formal letter writing style is sketched out below.

  1. The very first approach to writing the formal letter is putting down your address( person who is writing the letter/ sender)
  2. Add in the date on which you are writing this letter.
  3. After this, you have to add the address of the person whom you are sending to this formal letter.
  4. If you are writing to an official of an organisation, add the name of the organisation along with the person’s designation.
  5. The most important part of a formal letter is the subject of that letter. The whole subject should be in a single line which can be used as a statement of purpose of that letter. Therefore, add in the subject of that letter.
  6. You need to add a greeting to the person to whom you are writing. Therefore, putting down a salutation or addressing them in a certain style is a must. E.g. dear sir/ma’am, Respected Sir/mam
  7. After you have completed the initial start of the formal letter, it is followed by the body of that letter which would comprise three parts written in three different paragraphs.
  8. The first part should be a brief introduction about who you are and precisely writing your issue in a single statement of purpose.
  9. The second part is followed by a detailed highlight of your issue stating every point related to that problem. Do not stretch the second paragraph as an elongated one. It should be precise but all the points covering the matter should be stuffed in it.
  10. The last and final paragraph is a conclusion. It is a display of your expectations and your hope for the issue and what you are looking forward to. Always end your letter with a positive notation.
  11. Finally, add your ending salutation. For example, yours faithfully, yours sincerely, Best regards etc.
  12. The ending part should be consisting of your name, your designation, and your signature. You have to write your name in block letters and conclude it with your final signature.
  13. Use words like thank you, and always try to maintain a very formal tone with the polite nature of writing while framing a formal letter.

Type of formal letter:

Formal Letters are generally written for this purpose;

  1. Application purposes
    • Sick leave application
    • Leave application for marriage 
    • Leave application for death
    • Leave application for maternity
  2. Appointment letters
    • Appointment of a person in the office
    • Appointment of an employee in a specific position
    • Appointment of an employee/professor/teacher in the educational domain.
  3. Job offer letter
  4. Resignation letter
  5. Business agreement letter
  6. Trade and commerce letter
  7. Letter of complaint 

Parts of a Formal Letter

  1. Your name
  2. Your address
  3. Date
  4. To,
  5. Receivers’ Name and
  6. Receivers’ Address
  7. Subject of letter
  8. Salutation
  9. Body
  10. Conclusion
  11. Closing salutation
  12. Your name (in block letters)
  13. Your designation
  14. Your signature

Formal letter Template:

A rough sketch to how to frame out your formal letter is attached below:

Your name

Your address

Date of writing the letter

To
Receivers name
Designation of the receiver
Organisation name
Address of the organisation

Subject/statement of purpose:

Salutation (respected Sir/madam),

Introduction (stating yourself and highlighting the subject)

Body (stating concerns about your issue and details related to that problem)

Conclusion(positive notation along with your expectation)

Closing salutation
Your name(in block letters)
Your designation
Your signature

Formal letter writing samples:

Sample 1-  Job application letter template and Sample 

A Job application letter is a formal letter written by the applicant to request the HR or concerned authority Regarding his selection for that specific job. One can write this application to apply for a specific job in a specific organisation. 

(email address of HR or recruitment Authority)
[email protected]

(Subject/statement of purpose)
Subject: Application for an accounts manager at a coffee house

(Salutation/greeting)
Respected Sir,

(Introduction stating about yourself and your interest specifying the statement of purpose)
With due respect, I would like to inform you that recently I have come across your vacancy in the post of accounts manager at your organisation. I have gone through all the eligibility requirements and I wish to work with you.

(Second paragraph stating your professional domains, educational qualification, capabilities and achievements of that work) and as an MBA pass out from the IIM, I have worked with many organisations and I have explored various domains in the accounts field. Previously, I have worked with waffle houses in the accounts department. I engage myself in certain domains including various product launching, reviewing the customer feedback and also working with the sales department to increase the sales with certain tricks and strategies.

(Concluding paragraph including a positive notation and your attached details)
I have attached my CV and my resume along with this letter. I have also attached all my work samples and I hope to look forward to you considering my application.

(Concluding salutation)
Thanking you,
yours sincerely,
XYZ XYZ (your name)
[email protected]

Formal letter writing sample 2- Resignation letter format Along with the template

Resignation letters are the formal letters which are written to resign from a specific company. It is written to the recruitment authority or the manager in chief stating the perfect reason why you are willing to resign from the organisation. The template along with the format of the resignation letter is given below.

Your name
Your address
Date of writing the letter

To

Receiver’s name
Designation
Organisation name
Organisation address

Subject: Resignation letter

Respected Sir/ma’am,

With due respect and humble submission, I would like to inform you that I am willing to resign from my designation (name of the position) for (organisation name) from (date you are willing to resign).

During my tenure of work, I have learnt a lot and have gathered various experiences by working with you and your company(Company name). I am grateful for your support and I’m humbled that I am eligible to put myself in various opportunities provided by you. I have polished a lot of my professional skills and gathered a lot of encouragement for working in my future endeavours.

If I am eligible to provide a smooth transition of my responsibilities to my successor, please inform me. I would be very grateful if I am of any help.

Yours sincerely,
Your name,
signature

Also, Check

Formal letter sample 3— letter to the editor-in-chief about Water Supply

11, old survey Road,
Bhagirathi Apartment,
Dehradun.

10 June 2021

To
The editor-in-chief,
Times of India,
Dehradun.

Subject: Irregular supply of water in the locality causing difficulties

Respected Sir,

I would like to inform you that there is an irregular supply of water in our area which is causing a lot of difficulties for the localities to stay here. It’s a sultry summer season and water scarcity is increasing a problem day by day.

Water is Supplied to a locality only for two hours every day which is bringing out a lot of problems and creating much inconvenience for the residents. The water supply is decreasing day by day and even water for drinking purposes is not sufficient daily. No household chores can be done and the water which comes seems to be dirty. We have issued a lot of complaints but the concerned authorities have taken no action.

Therefore I request you to please display this article as a problem that should be a cause of concern and people should come out with a solution to our problem and create awareness. Hopefully, I’m looking forward to you drawing their attention and helping us in resolving this matter as soon as possible.

Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Your name and signature

Difference between formal and informal letters:

Formal letterInformal letter
Written in a specific format,Written in a creative format
Used for official purposes Used Non-official event purposes 
Written in the company, organisationsWritten to relatives, friends, family 
Has salutation Has no salutation 
Used for official decision making Used in casual forms

FAQs:

Define a formal letter?

A letter which is not used for personal purposes and is written in a specific format with a very formal language and has a specified and strategised organisation of writing style is known as a formal letter. These letters are thereby not used as family letters, or a letter to friends or cousins, siblings and relatives. Generally, we write such kinds of letters on official platforms including writing a letter to the principal in the school, to the higher delegates in the office, letters to the managers and HR, and an appointment letter to the employee.

What is a classification of formal letters?

1. Application letter
2. Appointment letter 
3. Experience letter
4. Circular letter 
5. Leave letter
6. Resignation letter
7. Complaint letter

Formal letters in India and international forums:

Generally, these formal letters are used in professional platforms as a means to come be specified information to the person. The idea of the formal letter is stretched out in the private Companies and the corporate offices. The language restricted to it is English. In India, as the national language is Hindi, all the formal letters written in the government organisations are written in Hindi and formal letters are used both in private as well as government offices in India. Also, Students are nurtured to acquire the style of writing a formal letter on the school campus and some of the education boards have also included them in the means of English language syllabus. Therefore students can write these letters in any situation and can convey the specified information not only to the teachers and principals but also can use this skill in their future references. This article would give you a complete idea about framing a formal letter below.

Conclusion

Therefore, formal letters are used as a means of providing information on the official platforms. In this article, we have covered everything related to the framework and written down the steps of formal letter writing. Also, the types and samples of the formal letter are attached to it.

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