Find out all you need about formal letters. Our writing guidelines and samples will help you craft quality formal letters.
Formal letters are letters written in standard language, and in a specified format, for official purposes. They are primarily used in academic and professional settings, and their function and purpose may change depending on the circumstances in which you are writing. Formal letters are used for various reasons, such as formal invitations, references, proposals, and making an inquiry or complaints. The letters are also used to introduce another document, inform, persuade, or apply for a job. Any communication that you may consider official enough to be typed or written in a letter can be referred to as a formal letter.
When writing formal letters, all sentences must be clear and not longer than necessary. You should go straight to the point and avoid using unnecessary casualness, slang, abbreviations, and codes. The tone should also be formal and appropriate for the person you are writing to. Additionally, you must be conscious of the letters' arrangement from the dates and addresses down to the salutation and heading, then the introduction, body, and conclusion, as well as closing and signature. The letters must be relevant to the topic of discussion and free from any grammatical or spelling mistakes