Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 1: Write a letter
• Tips
• Warnings

Knowing how to write a letter is an important skill that you can use in your work, school, and personal relationships to convey information, benevolence, or affection. In this guide you will learn how to put your thoughts on paper in the correct format.

To step

Method 1 of 1: Write a letter

1. Determine how formal your letter should be. How you write your letter depends on your relationship to the recipient. Consider these guidelines:
   • If you are writing to a government official, prospective employer, dignitary, academic, or anyone else with whom you have a professional relationship, the letter must be formal.
   • If you are writing to your current employer, a colleague you don't associate with in your spare time, a distant or older relative, or someone you don't know very well, the letter should be semi-formal.
2. Decide whether to send a handwritten letter or an email. The way you send your letter also implies a degree of formality.
   • Most formal letters must be typed and mailed. An exception to this is if the letter has to reach the recipient very quickly, or if you know that the recipient prefers e-mail.
   • E-mail and handwritten letters are acceptable for informal letters.
   • For a semi-formal letter, you have to decide for yourself. If the other person has mainly contacted you via email, that's probably best. If you're not sure, go for the handwritten letter.
3. Use a letterhead, or write your address at the top of the letter (formal letters only). If you are writing on behalf of a company and there is a company letterhead, use that. Or, if you just want your letter to look a bit more professional, you can design a letterhead in a word processing program. Otherwise, you can just write or type your full address at the top left. Write your street name and house number first, and zip code and city on the next line.
4. Write down the date. When you have written your address, skip two lines and write the date. If you haven't written down an address, just start with the date on the left side of the paper.
   • Write the date in full. "Jun 6, 2014" is better than "6/6/2014" or "Jun 6, 2014".
   • If you are sending a semi-formal or informal letter via e-mail, you do not need to include a date - it will already be in your e-mail.
5. Write the recipient's name, title, and address (formal letters only). Skip two lines after your own address and write the recipient's name and title in full. On the next line, write the name of the company or organization (if applicable). Write the address on the third line and the zip code and city name on the fourth.
   • This is not necessary for e-mails.
   • This is also not necessary for semi-formal or informal handwritten letters. The name and address on the envelope are sufficient.
   • If you are writing a letter to obtain information and you do not have a contact person, you only write the name of the company or organization and the address.
6. Start with a salutation. The salutation you use depends on your relationship to the recipient of the letter and the formality of the letter. Here are some options:
   • For formal letters that you do not write to a specific contact, you can start with Dear Sir / Madam.
   • If you know whether you are writing to a man or a woman, start with Dear Sir or Dear Madam.
   • If you are writing a formal letter and you know a contact person, you can start with Dear Sir…, always followed by a comma. So for example "Dear Mr. Derksen,".
   • If you are writing a semi-formal letter, you can use "Dear" or "Dear" as the salutation.
   • For an informal letter you can start with "Dear", "Dear" or a more informal greeting like "Hi" or "Hello".
7. Write the recipient's name after the salutation.
   • If the letter is formal, use a title such as Mrs., Sir, Dr., or whatever title the recipient has, and then the last name.
   • If the letter is semi-formal, you have to decide whether or not to call the recipient by their first name. Better to stick to a polite title if you're not sure.
   • With an informal letter, you can generally assume that you can call the other person by their first name. An exception can be if it is an older family member, whom you call aunt or grandpa, for example, followed by the (first) name.
8. Begin the letter. Skip two lines after the salutation if you're typing, or skip to the next line if you're writing by hand.
   • If you are writing a personal letter, start by asking how the recipient is doing. This can be very informal such as "I hope everything is going well" or "How are you?".
   • If you write a business or formal letter, you will immediately get to the point. Time is money, and you don't want to waste the recipient's time.
9. Ask yourself what exactly you want to say. The main purpose of the letter is communication. As you write, ask yourself what information the recipient needs and put that in the letter. Do you want to talk about the price of your product, how much you miss the other person, or do you want to thank him / her for your birthday present? Whatever it is, the letter should aim to share information.
   • Know what you not must write. It is better not to send a written letter because you are angry or want to feel sorry. If you've written such a letter and you're not sure whether to send it, leave it for a few days before posting it - you might change your mind.
10. Read the letter again. Before sending the letter, read it a few times to make sure that what you wanted to say is correct and that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Use the spell checker on your computer or have a friend read it. Make the necessary changes.
11. Close the letter. Close the letter in the right tone and make sure you build a good relationship with the recipient. Skip two lines and then write the closing.
    • For formal letters, stick to "Sincerely" or "Sincerely".
    • For semi-formal letters you can keep it a little shorter, for example "Kind regards" or "Greetings".
    • With informal letters, the closure should reflect your relationship with the recipient. When writing to a friend, relative, sibling, you can end with "Love" or "The best".
12. Draw with your name. How you write your name depends on the nature of your letter.
    • For typed formal letters, leave about four lines between your closing and your typed full name. Then write your name or signature in blue or black ink in between.
    • If you're writing a formal email, type your full name after the closing.
    • If you want, you can use Mr. or Mrs., or your own title if you have one.
    • With semi-formal letters you have to decide for yourself whether to use your first name or your full name.
    • You do not have to write your entire name for an informal letter. Just type or write your first name.
13. Fold the letter (optional). If you are mailing the letter, fold it in thirds. Fold the bottom part of the sheet up two-thirds and crease. Then fold the top down so that the crease is flush with the bottom of the paper. If you fold the letter this way, you can be sure that it will fit most envelopes.
14. Address the envelope (optional) Find the center of the envelope, both length and width. Here you write the full address of the recipient, like this:
    • Mr. N. Derksen
    • Zeestraat 43
    • 3456AA Poortvliet
15. Write the return address on the envelope. If for some reason the mail cannot deliver your letter, your letter can be returned to you. Write your address on the back or in the top left corner of the envelope.

Tips

• Always write a comma after the salutation.
• Try to keep in mind what will be of interest to the reader.
• You can write letters to express your gratitude, sympathy, love, humor, concern, or other emotions.
• Be reasonable and polite when you write a letter of complaint - if you do, you are more likely to get a good outcome.
• Do not include too much unnecessary information in a letter, especially if it is a business letter.
• If you are printing a formal letter, use heavier than normal paper.
• If you're sending a formal or semi-formal email, make sure your email address looks respectable. A letter from "sweetstar189" is taken less seriously than one from "Janine.smit".
• Write letters in blue or black ink.

Warnings

• Signing on an envelope can hinder correct delivery. If you want to decorate your envelope or add stickers, do it on the back.