Letter Writing in English: Types, Structure, & Samples

What is Letter Writing?

Letter writing is done to convey your requests, wishes, concerns, and emotions in writing. You can send a handwritten or a digitally typed letter. This can be done by email, envelope, or by post. A letter is a useful means of communication. A letter can be written for any and every occasion. Hence, there are several types of letters for every event. The three types of letter writing are:

1. Formal Letters

2. Informal Letters

3. Semi-formal Letters

The section below will explain these in detail.

Also Read: Paragraph Writing

Types of Letter Writing

Depending on the event and occasion, there is a way of writing a letter. There are three broad types of letter writing in English covering these events. Here are they:

Formal letters

To interact with people professionally. Formal letter writing is for the time when the writer has to interact professionally. These are strictly official in nature and cannot be informal in tone. There are several types of formal letters:

Business Letters

It contains general information like quotations, orders, complaints, or other professional concerns. These have to be strictly formal in tone.

Job Application Letters

The job application letter writing involves formal language and vocabulary. It is mostly an official letter to the company or a concerned individual.

Complaint Letters

These types of letters are also very formal in tone. Even if you are expressing a grievance, you have to keep your tone very polite while addressing the issue.

Official Letters

These type of letters are to deliver a piece of information or update to offices, their branches, and others. Moreover, these can also be letters to ask for information on certain matters.

Also Read: Speech Topic in English

Informal Letters

Informal letter writing is yet another form used in personal interactions. These can be written to family, friends, and acquaintance. Moreover, you can also write these to relatives. Like formal letters, informal letters are also of several types. These types are:

Personal Letters

The personal letter writing can involve writing a letter for a social event. These can be written for happy or sad moments. You can write personal letters for sending congratulations or condolences to family, friends, relatives, or acquaintances.

Invitation Letters

If you wish to invite family or friends to a personal event, writing an invitation letter can be a great idea. This type of letter can be casual and polite in tone.

Semi-formal Letters

A semi formal letter can be casual in tone. However, you can not use slang or any extremely informal vocabulary in that letter. You have to respectful in semi formal letters and avoid inappropriate words.

Letter to Acquaintance or Colleagues

You can write semi-formal letters to your relatives, colleagues, and people you know. This is similar to the informal tone. However, the vocabulary and choice of words have to be more polite and considerate.

Also Read: Tenses in English

Format for Letter Writing in English

You must know the letter writing format before starting to write a letter. For writing a letter, you must be conscious of writing the right thing in well structured format. This will not only make it more readable but also more understandable. Here are the formal and informal letter writing in the sections below:

Formal Letter Format

Here is the formal letter format that you can follow to write a proper formal letter:

1. Header (date/address/return address)

Date: It is important to add the date on the letter.

Address: Write the full address of the recipient. This must include their post office box number.

Return Address: Also include your company’s complete address so that it is easy for the recipient to respond.

2. Subject

This is a very important part of a letter. You summarize the purpose of writing this letter in one line for the reader.

3. Salutation

If the name of the recipient is known, you can write “Dear” before the name. However, if you are not aware of the name, you can use their title (Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs.) instead.

4. Body

This is where the main text of the letter is. You start off with an introduction after the greeting. It can be used to introduce the writer, the purpose of writing the letter, or both.

The Further paragraphs will explain the details of the issue one by one. You can include 2 to 4 paragraphs, depending on how brief you wish your letter to be. Additionally, it also depends on what you want the receiver to know. This part of the format can also sound like essay writing in English.

Make the final paragraph summarize the key points. This is also where you can thank the recipient or the reader.

5. Closing

Lastly, close the letter with a simple sign off. You can end your letter with the following sign offs:

• Sincerely
• Best regards
• Respectfully

6. Signature

The final component has to be your signature. You can include your full name and job title (if needed).

Also Read: Idioms in English

Informal Letter Format

Here is the informal letter format to help you understand the structure of writing an informal letter:

1. Address and Date

In formal letters as well, you have to mention the address of the receiver and the date of letter writing. Moreover, the address must be detailed and even the country name must be mentioned. The date format can be any of the following:

• 14/02/2025
• 14thFebruary 2025
• February 15th2025

2. Greeting & Salutation

In informal letters, you can mention your family, friends, and relatives. You can use “Dear” before the name of the person, or their relation with you. For example, “Dear uncle/Dear cousin”

3. Introduction

In the first paragraph of your informal letter, you should include questions around the reader’s health and well being. You can also explain in short what the letter is about.

4. Body

The body of a formal letter is expected to be readable and subtle. However, in an informal letter, you can include several new English words or your code words that only you or the recipient knows.

5. Conclusion

Finally, you can conclude the informal letter on a friendly note. You should use words and English sentences that reflect your eagerness to hear from them back.

6. Forms of Signature

You can end the letter with “yours lovingly, yours affectionately, or with love, etc” Moreover, you can also use “kind regards” and write your name below it.

This was all about how informal and formal letters are written. The section below is about letter writing examples for you to understand better.

Also Read: Present Tense

Sample Letters

Reading sample letters can help you ace in letter writing. You can read the following samples and notice the content and its tone.

Formal Letter

The following formal letter sample is written for the book publisher. You are writing this as an order for your store:

Informal Letter

Here is an informal letter example for you to learn how to write an informal letter. The letter below is for a cousin who completed a 2 months trip to the UK:

These were the formal and informal letter formats and samples. Besides this, there are several more topics that are trending for letter writing. Explore them in the section below.

Also Read: Future Tense

Trending Topics for Letter Writing

The trending topics for letter writing for formal and informal letters are:

These are the several topics that you can choose from to practice letter writing. For more tips, refer to the section below.

Also Read: Past Tense

Tips to Write an Effective Letter

Tips to write an effective and persuasive letter, you must follow the tips below:

1. Firstly, identify the type of letter you are writing

2. Decide and gather all the information and details you wish to include in the letter before starting the writing part.

3. Make sure you write a good and precise introduction (especially in formal letters).

4. Do not sway away while writing and stick to the main intent of the letter.

5. Maintain the length of the letter do not exceed the limit and write unnecessarily long letters.

Conclusion

To sum up, you have to indulge in letter writing carefully and take care of numerous things. This includes considering the receiver of the letter, the type of letter one is writing, and structure one has to follow. You can take help from the samples above and write an exceptional letter - whether formal or informal!