Formal Letter Writing

How to Write Formal Letters

Help with formal and business letter writing. A summary of writing rules including outlines for cover letters and letters of enquiry, and abbreviations used in letters. Jump to:
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Layout of a formal letter Formal letter writing rules Content of a formal letter Abbreviations used in letter writing Outline for a covering letter Outline for a letter of enquiry

Layout of a Formal Letter

The example letter below shows you a general layout for a formal letter. Pass your mouse over the different areas of it to find out more information (JavaScript needs to be turned on in your browser).

Rules for Writing Formal Letters in English

In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions.

Addresses:
1) Your Address The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter. 2) The Address of the person you are writing to The inside address should be written on the left, starting below your address.

Date:
Different people put the date on different sides of the page. You can write this on the right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a word.

Salutation or greeting:
1) Dear Sir or Madam, If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name. 2) Dear Mr Jenkins, If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women.

Ending a letter:
1) Yours faithfully If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way. 2) Yours sincerely If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way. 3) Your signature Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If you think the person you are writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put you title in brackets after your name.

Content of a Formal Letter

First paragraph The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc.

The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle of the letter should contain the relevant information behind the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are not very long, so keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and logical manner rather than expanding too much. Last Paragraph The last paragraph of a formal letter should state what action you expect the recipient to take- to refund, send you information, etc.

Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing

The following abbreviations are widely used in letters:
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asap = as soon as possible cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this abbreviation to let them know) enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter) pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc) ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it) pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter continues on the other side of the page) RSVP = please reply

Outline: A Covering Letter

A covering letter is the one that accompanies your CV when you are applying for a job. Here is a fairly conventional plan for the layout of the paragraphs. Opening Paragraph Briefly identify yourself and the position you are applying for. Add how you found out about the vacancy. Paragraph 2 Give the reasons why you are interested in working for the company and why you wish to be considered for that particular post. State your relevant qualifications and experience, as well as your personal qualities that make you a suitable candidate. Paragraph 3 Inform them that you have enclosed your current CV and add any further information that you think could help your case. Closing Paragraph Give your availability for interview, thank them for their consideration, restate your interest and close the letter.

Outline: A Letter of Enquiry

A letter of enquiry is when you are approaching a company speculatively, that is you are making an approach without their having advertised or announced a vacancy. Opening Paragraph Introduce yourself briefly and give your reason for writing. Let them know of the kind of position you are seeking, why you are interested and how you heard about them. Paragraph 2 Show why their company in particular interests you, mention your qualifications and experience along with any further details that might make them interested in seeing you. Paragraph 3 Refer to your enclosed CV and draw their attention to any particularly important points you would like them to focus on in it. Closing Paragraph Thank them, explain your availability for interview and restate your enthusiasm for their company and desire to be considered for posts that might as yet be unavailable.

Writing Bibliographies
What is a Bibliography?
A bibliography is a list of publications used in a piece of writing or research. Whenever you are writing something such as a book, an academic work, a magazine article, etc. you will need to include a bibliography. If you use any information form other published materials you must list these in the bibliography. This provides a way to show where you have looked for this information, and allows the reader look further into related issues. Academic institutions in English speaking countries regard any uncredited reference, even if the exact words are not used, as plagiarism. Jump To:
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Basic Examples Advanced Examples Questions Other Links

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Bibliographies - Basic Examples

There are various different systems used for bibliographies. The main point to remember is to be consistent. If you follow this one, you will write a perfectly acceptable bibliography. Pass the mouse over any of the words in the examples below for an explanation.

For Books
Clarke P. I., (1996), Computers and Language Learning, A Press, London

For Journals
Williams H. E., (1994), 'Early language acquisition', Journal of Early Learning, Vol. 12, No 2

Bibliographies - Advanced Examples

The following are examples of entries which could be found in a bibliography. You can find more information about each of the different elements by clicking on any highlighted area.

Books
Knight P., (1992), Computers and Language Learning, A Press, London

Collections
Karim A. (ed.), (2000), Computer Based Learning, A Press, London Samuel P. , 'Computer Testing' in Computer Based Learning, Karim A. (ed.), (1996)

More than one book in the same year

Zhenka J., (2001a), Computer Languages, A Press, London Zhenka J., (2001b), CALL, A Press, London

Questions About Writing Bibliographies

Below are a number of questions to test your knowledge on writing bibliographies. Click on your chosen answer to see if you are correct. 1) When you are writing an entry for a book, you start it with the name of the author. a) True b) False 2) Which one of the following is the second thing you need to list?

a) The date of publication b) The title of the book c) The place of publication 3) When you are writing an entry for an article, you do not have to give the issue number. a) True b) False 4) Which of the following is the last item in an entry? a) The date of publication b) The title of the book c) The place of publication 5) If the abbreviation Eds. is used, there was only one editor. a) True b) False 6) The title of a book can be underlined or written in italics. a) True b) False

English Language Tips

Adjuncts Adverbs of time, place, frequency, degree and manner, together with Adverbials (phrases that have a function similar to Adverbs), all of which modify the Verb in the Clause or Sentence are known as Adjuncts Adverbials Phrases that function like Adverbs are known as Adverbials. Adverbs An Adverb is a word that can change the meaning of all sorts of grammatical categories, including Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs and Nouns There are a number of different types, such as Adverbs of time, place, frequency, degree and manner. Articles A and AN are the Indefinite Articles, used to show that a Countable Noun is Singular and doesn't refer to any particular example of that Noun. THE is the Definite Article, used to refer to a specific example of a Noun either Singular or Plural. As AS can be an Adverb, a Conjunction and a Relative Pronoun. Auxiliary Verbs An Auxiliary Verb is used together with another Verb to make a Question, make it NEGATIVE, give EMPHASIS, show Tense or a combination of these. BE, DO and HAVE are the Auxiliary Verbs. Conjunctions 2 Conjunctions, like AND, AS, BECAUSE, BUT and LIKE, join up information in a Sentence or Clause.

Conjuncts A Conjunct links or relates what is said in two sentences, like HOWEVER; THEREFORE and NEVERTHELESS. Conjuncts are members of the wider group known as Conjunctions. Countable & Uncountable Nouns A Countable Noun can be Singular or Plural. An Uncountable Noun does not have a Plural form. Demonstratives Demonstratives indicate a specific Noun or noun group. The category can be divided into two sub-categories; Demonstrative Adjectives, which are used with the Noun they point to, and Demonstrative Pronouns, which replace the Noun as well as pointing to it. NB THIS; THAT; THESE and THOSE are identical whether they are functioning as Pronouns or Adjectives. Determiners Articles, Numerals, Possessive Adjectives, Quantifiers and Demonstrative Adjectives are all Determiners, which means that they restrict a Noun to a single example or to an identifiable group. Disjuncts A Disjunct modifies a whole Sentence or Utterance by expressing the speaker's attitude, opinion or evaluation of what is being said. Disjuncts are members of the group known as Sentence (or Sentencial) Adverbs and Adverbials. Ditransitive Verbs Ditransitive Verbs can take a Direct Object and an Indirect Object. Interrogative Adjectives Question words, like WHAT and WHICH that accompany and ask for a Noun to be specified, identified or given a number are INTERROGATIVE Adjectives. Interrogative Adverbs Question words that affect the Verb in terms of concepts like TIME (WHEN), MANNER (HOW), REASON (WHY) or LOCATION (WHERE) are INTERROGATIVE Adverbs. Interrogative Pronouns Question words that act like Pronouns, like WHAT, WHICH, WHO and WHOM are called Interrogative Pronouns. Intransitive Verbs do not take an Object Only Transitive Verbs can have a Passive form. Its & It's IT'S is a contraction of either "it is" or "it has". (TAKES APOSTROPHE) ITS shows possession. (NO APOSTROPHE) Like LIKE can be an Adjective, Adverb, Conjunction, Noun, Pronoun or Verb. Modal Verbs A Modal Verb is used to express the speaker's ideas about such things as the possibility, intention, obligation and necessity of the action or state described by the Verb it accompanies. CAN, COULD, WILL, WOULD, etc, are examples of Modal Verbs. Monotransitive Verbs

MONOTRANSITIVE VERBS take a single Object. Negative Pronouns NO-ONE; NOBODY; NEITHER; NONE and NOTHING are the Negative Pronouns, which are used to replace a Noun or Noun Phrase and make it negative. Noun Phrase A Noun Phrase consists of a Noun together with any of the words that modify it, including Determiners and Adjectives Numerals Numerals are part of the family of Determiners and consist of Cardinal Numbers (one, two, three ...) and Ordinal Numbers (first, second...). Parts of Speech- Alone As an Adjective, ALONE is Predictive - it cannot come before a Noun. It is also an Adverb - live ALONE, etc. Parts of Speech- Because BECAUSE can be either an Adverb or a Conjunction Parts of Speech- But BUT is a Conjunction, Preposition & Adverb Parts of Speech- Few FEW, FEWER and FEWEST can used an Adjective, Noun or Pronoun Parts of Speech- How HOW can be either an Adverb or a Noun Parts of Speech- If IF is a Conjunction (occasionally a Countable Noun used in the Plural = IFS) Parts of Speech- Just JUST can be an Adjective or an Adverb. As an Adjective, it means being fair and doing what ought to be done. Parts of Speech- Little LITTLE, LESS and LEAST can be used as Adjectives, Nouns andPronouns Parts of Speech- Many MANY can be an Adjective, Noun or Pronoun Parts of Speech- Much MUCH, MORE and MOST can be used as Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns & Adverbs Parts of Speech- Nevertheless NEVERTHELESS = Adjective & Conjunction Parts of Speech- Since SINCE can be an Adverb, a Conjunction or a Preposition Parts of Speech- These & Those THESE is the Plural of this and, likewise, it can be a Demonstrative Adjective or a Demonstrative Pronoun THOSE is the Plural of that. It can also be a Demonstrative Adjective or a Demonstrative Pronoun Parts of Speech- This & That THIS can be a Demonstrative Adjective or a Demonstrative Pronoun THAT can be an Adverb, Conjunction, Demonstrative Pronoun, Adjective, or a Pronoun. Parts of Speech- What WHAT can be an Adjective, Adverb or a Pronoun

Parts of Speech- Where WHERE can be an Adverb, Conjunction, Noun or Pronoun Parts of Speech- Which WHICH can be either an Adjective or a Pronoun Parts of Speech- While WHILE can be a Conjunction, Noun or Verb. Parts of Speech- Who WHO can be either an Adjective or a Pronoun Parts of Speech- Whom WHOM can be either an Adjective or a Pronoun Parts of Speech- Why WHY - Adverb or Noun Personal Pronouns I; YOU; SHE; HE; IT; WE; and THEY are the Personal Pronouns that can act as the Subject of a Verb. ME; YOU; HER; HIM; IT; US and THEM are the Personal Pronouns that can act as the Object of a Verb. NB: YOU and IT do not change and HER can also be used as a Possessive Adjective. Possessive Adjectives MY; YOUR; HER; HIS; ITS; OUR and THEIR are the Possessive Adjectives that are used to show who owns something. NB: HER is the same when used in the Personal Pronoun form and HIS and ITS can also act as Possessive Pronouns. Possessive Pronouns MINE; YOURS; HERS; HIS; ITS; OURS & THEIRS are Possessive Pronouns that show who owns something and replace the Noun itself. NB: HIS and ITS are the same when they are acting as Possessive Adjectives. Prepositions Prepositions like IN, OF and ON link Nouns, Pronouns & Gerunds to other words. Pronouns Pronouns are words that can replace or substitute a Noun or a Noun Phrase, inc. I; ME; MINE; MYSELF; SOME; ANY; NO; NOBODY; NO-ONE; NOTHING; THIS; THAT; THESE; THOSE; WHAT; WHICH; WHO and WHOM. Quantifiers Words that show how much of a Noun there is or how many examples of a Noun there are called Quantifiers, a category that includes Numerals and words like SOME and ANY; NONE; EITHER and NEITHER. Reciprocal Pronouns Reciprocal Pronouns show that an action works both ways: James and Kate love EACH OTHER. (This means that James loves Kate and that Kate loves James) Reflexive Pronouns MYSELF; YOURSELF; HERSELF; HIMSELF; ITSELF; OURSELVES; YOURSELVES & THEMSELVES are the Pronouns used when the Subject and Object or complement of the Verb are the same.

NB: The second person (YOU) has either a Singular or Plural reference. THEMSELF and ONESELF are often used as an impersonal Singular reflexive pronoun when it isn't clear if the person referred to is male or female. Relative Pronouns Words used to introduce clauses in sentences, like THAT; WHICH; WHO; and WHOSE are Relative Pronouns. So SO can be used to emphasise an Adjective, Adverb or a combination of Adverb + Adjective. So & Such 1 SO can be an Adverb, Conjunction or Pronoun. SUCH can be an Adjective, Adverb or Pronoun Some & Any 1 SOME and ANY can be Pronouns or Quantifiers. Spell SPELL can both regular (SPELL\SPELLED\SPELLED) and irregular (SPELL\SPELT\SPELT). Such SUCH can be used to emphasise a Noun (with or without an Article), or an Adjective + Noun. Themself & Themselves THEMSELF is used as an alternative to HIMSELF or HERSELF when the Gender is unknown or indeterminate. It is, therefore, Singular, which some people use as grounds to find fault with it as a word and call it wrong. THEMSELVES is Plural. They're, Their & There THEY'RE = THEY ARE THEIR = Possessive Adjective THERE can be used as an Adverb or a Noun. Transitive & Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs can take an Object.

Examples
Examples- Adjectives that look like Adverbs 1 BEASTLY; BROTHERLY; COSTLY; COWARDLY; DAILY; ELDERLY; FATHERLY; FORTNIGHTLY; FRIENDLY; GHASTLY; GHOSTLY; LEISURELY; LIKELY; LIVELY Examples- Adjectives that look like Adverbs 2 LONELY; LOVELY; MONTHLY; MOTHERLY; NIGHTLY; SILLY; SISTERLY; TIMELY; UGLY; WEEKLY; YEARLY Examples- Adverbials IN FACT; ALL IN ALL; ALL TOLD; AFTER LUNCH; IN FRANCE Examples- Adverbs of degree 1 ABSOLUTELY; WHOLLY; COMPLETELY; DEFINITELY; ENTIRELY; FAIRLY Examples- Adverbs of degree 2

FULLY; NEARLY; PARTIALLY; SIMPLY; SURELY; THOROUGHLY; TOTALLY; UTTERLY Examples- Adverbs of frequency 1 ALWAYS; USUALLY; GENERALLY; NORMALLY; FREQUENTLY; REGULARY; OFTEN; SOMETIMES Examples- Adverbs of frequency 2 OCCASIONALLY; SELDOM; RARELY; NEVER; EVER; DAILY; WEEKLY; MONTHLY; YEARLY Examples- Adverbs of manner 1 ANGRILY; BADLY; BEAUTIFULLY; CAREFULLY; CARELESSLY; CASUALLY; CHEERFULLY; CLEVERLY; CORRECTLY; FORMALLY; GENTLY Examples- Adverbs of manner 2 HAPPILY; IMPOLITELY; INFORMALLY; UNHAPPILLY; KINDLY; LUCKILY; UNLUCKILY; POLITELY; POWERFULLY; QUICKLY; QUIETLY; RUDELY Examples- Adverbs of manner 3 SADLY; SHYLY; SLOWLY; SOUNDLY; STUPIDLY; SWEETLY; SUDDENLY; THOROUGHLY; WELL; WILDLY Examples- Adverbs of place 1 AHEAD; AROUND; BACK; DOWNHILL; DOWNSTAIRS; DOWNTOWN; HERE; THERE Examples- Adverbs of place 2 INDOORS; INSIDE; LOCALLY; OUTDOORS; OUTSIDE; UPHILL; UPSTAIRS Examples- Adverbs of time 1 AFTERWARDS; ALREADY; BEFOREHAND; EARLY; EVENTUALLY; FINALLY Examples- Adverbs of time 2 JUST; LATELY; NOW; RECENTLY; SOON; STILL; TODAY; TOMORROW; YESTERDAY Examples- Auxiliary Verbs 1 AM; 'M; ARE; 'RE; AREN'T; IS; ISN'T; WAS; WASN'T; WERE; WEREN'T; BE; BEING; BEEN Examples- Auxiliary Verbs 2 DO; DON'T; DOES; DOESN'T; DID; DIDN'T Examples- Auxiliary Verbs 3 HAVE; 'VE; HAVEN'T; HAS; HASN'T; HAD; HADN'T; HAVING Examples- Conjunctions 1 AND; AS; BECAUSE; BUT; LIKE; OR Examples- Conjunctions 2 HOWEVER; ALTOGETHER; THEREFORE; THUS; HENCE; LIKEWISE; NEVERTHELESS; NONETHELESS Examples- Conjunctions 3 ALTHOUGH; THOUGH; WHERE; WHEREVER; WHEREAS; WHILE Examples- Conjunctions 4 IF; SO; THAT; UNLESS Examples- Conjunctions 4 AFTER; BEFORE; SINCE; TILL; UNTIL; WHEN; WHENEVER Examples- Conjunctions 5

WHEREBY; WHEREUPON; WHILST Examples- Conjuncts HOWEVER; ALTOGETHER; THEREFORE; THUS; HENCE; LIKEWISE; NEVERTHELESS; NONETHELESS Examples- Definite Article THE Examples- Demonstrative Adjectives THIS; THAT; THESE; THOSE Examples- Demonstrative Pronouns THIS; THAT; THESE; THOSE; NONE; NEITHER; ONE Examples- Disjuncts 1 ADMITTEDLY; CERTAINLY; DEFINITELY, IN FACT; NATURALLY; FRANKLY; PERHAPS; STRANGELY Examples- Disjuncts 2 POSSIBLY; REALLY; ACTUALLY; OFFICIALLY; SURPRISINGLY; FORTUNATELY; LUCKILY; PREFERABLY Examples- Indefinite Article A & AN Examples- Interrogative Pronouns WHAT; WHICH; WHO; WHOM Examples- Modal Verbs CAN; CANNOT; CAN'T; COULD; COULDN'T; MUST; MUSTN'T; WILL; WON'T; 'LL; WOULD; WOULDN'T; SHALL; SHAN'T; SHOULD; SHOULDN'T; MAY; MAYN'T; MIGHT; MIGHTN'T; OUGHT; OUGHTN'T; NEEDN'T; DARE; DAREN'T Examples- Negative Pronouns NO-ONE; NOBODY; NEITHER; NONE & NOTHING Examples- Numerals (Cardinal Numbers) ZERO; ONE; TWO; THREE; FOUR; FIVE; SIX; SEVEN; EIGHT; NINE; TEN 0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10 Examples- Numerals (Ordinal Numbers) FIRST; SECOND; THIRD; FOURTH; FIFTH; SIX; SEVENTH; EIGHTH; NINTH; TENTH 1st; 2nd; 3rd; 4th; 5th; 6th; 7th; 8th; 9th; 10th Examples of Irregular Adjectives BAD; WORSE; WORST; FAR; FURTHER; FARTHER; FURTHEST; FARTHEST; GOOD; BETTER; BEST; LITTLE; LESS; LEAST; MUCH; MANY; MORE; MOST Examples of Some, Any & No 1 ANY; ANYONE; ANYBODY; ANYWHERE; ANYWAY; ANYHOW; ANYTHING; ANYPLACE Examples of Some, Any & No 2 SOME; SOMEONE; SOMEBODY; SOMEWHERE; SOMEWAY; SOMEHOW; SOMETHING; SOMEPLACE Examples of Some, Any & No 3 NO; NOONE; NO-ONE; NOBODY; NOWHERE; NOHOW; NOTHING Examples- Parts of Speech

Adjectives; Adverbs; Articles; Auxiliary Verbs; Conjunctions; Ditransitive Verbs, Gerunds ; Infinitives; Intransitive Verbs; Modal Verbs; Nouns; Prepositions; Pronouns; Relative Pronouns; Transitive Verbs Examples- Personal Pronouns (Object) ME; YOU; HER; HIM; IT; US & THEM Examples- Personal Pronouns (One) ONE, ONE'S and ONESELF can be used as Impersonal Pronouns, but they are rather old-fashioned now. Examples- Personal Pronouns (Subject) I; YOU; SHE; HE; IT; WE; & THEY Examples- Possessive Adjectives MY; YOUR; HER; HIS; ITS; OUR & THEIR Examples- Possessive Pronouns MINE; YOURS; HERS; HIS; ITS; OURS & THEIRS Examples- Prepositions 1 AT; BY; IN; INTO; OFF; ON; ONTO; TO UNDER Examples- Prepositions 2 ABOUT; ABOVE; AFTER; ALONG; AMONG; AROUND Examples- Prepositions 3 FOR; FROM; OF; OVER; PAST; TOWARD; TOWARDS THROUGH Examples- Prepositions 4 SINCE; TILL; UNTIL; WITH; WITHOUT Examples- Prepositions 5 AMID; AMIDST; AMONGST Examples- Prepositions 6 BEFORE; BEHIND; BELOW; BESIDE BETWEEN Examples- Quantifiers 1 SOME; MUCH; MANY; FEW; LITTLE; SEVERAL; A LOT OF; LOTS OF; HALF; PLENTY OF; 1; 1st Examples- Quantifiers 2 ALL; ANY; EVERY; EACH; BOTH; ENOUGH; NEITHER; EITHER; NONE; NO Examples- Quantifiers 3 MORE; MOST; FEWER; FEWEST; LESS; LEAST Examples- Reciprocal Pronouns EACH OTHER; ONE ANOTHER Examples- Reflexive Pronouns MYSELF; YOURSELF; HERSELF; HIMSELF; ITSELF; ONESELF; OURSELVES; OURSELVES; THEMSELVES; & THEMSELVES Examples- Relative Pronouns THAT; WHICH; WHO; WHOM; WHOSE Examples- Sentencial Adverbs 1 YES; NO Examples- Words that can give emphasis 1 REALLY; SO; SUCH Examples- Words that can give emphasis 2

MYSELF; YOURSELF; HERSELF; HIMSELF; ITSELF; OURSELVES; YOURSELVES; THEMSELVES (Reflexive Pronouns) Examples- Words that can give emphasis 3 DO + (Adverb + Verb); DOES + (Adverb + Verb); DID + (Adverb + Verb) Examples- Words that can give emphasis 4 HOW + Adjective or Adjectival Phrase WHAT + Noun or Noun Phrase