A formal letter is one written in a formal and ceremonious language and follows a certain fixed type. Such letters are written for official purposes to authorities, dignitaries, colleagues, seniors, etc and not to personal contacts, friends or family. A number of conventions must be adhered to while drafting formal letters. Official emails include business letters, recommendations, requests, complaints, official and promotional postcards, and more.
GREETINGThe official letter should start with the words Dear Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms and the name of the person you are referring to. WARNING! The business letter CANNOT write the person's name after addressing Mr., Mrs. or Ms, only the surname. If you are writing to an unknown addressee, the letter should start with the words Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Sir / Madam.
OPENING PARAGRAPHThe first paragraph should clearly state why you are writing the letter and what you want to find out: I am writing in connection with… I am writing to complain about / enquire about / tell you about / suggest… I would like to request further information about… I would be most grateful if you could send me details of ... In response to your letter of May 5, I am writing to…
MAIN PART (2-3 paragraphs)This is the main body of the letter. It is divided into three paragraphs or two paragraphs if the letter is shorter. The main part reveals the content, the main point of the letter. All necessary facts, names, figures, events, situations, problems, evidence, analysis, expectations are summarized here.
WARNING! Official letters should be brief, not to include too much information. WARNING! Remember that an official letter requires an official language style and should not contain:shortened forms of verbs, e.g. instead of I’d like we write I would like;idiomatic appeals, e.g. instead of it’s off the beaten track we write it is an isolated area:language characteristic of spoken speech, for example. instead of I want to tell you about we use I would like to inform you.
It is advisable to use the connecting words to organize the connection between paragraphs: To list facts and enter ideas in a consistent way, use the following connecting words: firstly, secondly, to begin with, in addition, furthermore, lastly, moreover, besides;for contrast, use on the one hand…, on the other hand…, however, still, in spite of / despite, nevertheless, etc.;to summarize, use all in all, to sum up, in conclusion, etc.;For definition of purpose use in order to, so that, so as to;Use as a result, consequently to describe the consequences.
WARNING! The official correspondence should be preferred indirect question, rather than a direct question. What is the price of the course? in an official letter it is better to state the sentence as follows: I will be grateful if you could tell me what the price of the course is. Do not forget about politeness formulas, such as I would be very pleased if ..., Will you be so kind to inform me ... etc.