1. menus and recipe writing

20. LETTER TYPES
What is Letter Writing?
Letter Writing has been deemed as one of the most useful forms learnt and used for various reasons. There are several kinds of letters, each of which has its own form and style. However, there are certain parts of the letter which remain the same. They include:
Sender’s address
Date
Greeting or Salutation
Body of the Letter
Subscription
Signature
Sender’s Address
The writer’s complete postal address has to be mentioned at the beginning of the letter on the left-hand side of the paper. This lets the receiver know where you wrote the letter from.
Date
The date is written just below the sender’s address, and It lets the recipient know when exactly the letter was written. The date may be written in any of the following ways:
4th July 2005/ July 4, 2005/ 4/6/2005
4-6-2005/ 4.6.2005
Greeting or Salutation
The Salutation depends on the relationship between the sender and the receiver.
To members of your family and friends, it could be Dear Father, My Dearest Friend, Dear Uncle, Dear Diana, etc.
To Business people or any officer of higher rank, it could be Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, Sir/Ma’am, etc.
Body of the Letter
The message that you want to convey is stated in the body of the letter. The style, however, depends on the type of letter you are writing. The style of a friendly letter differs completely from that of a business letter or an official letter, but there are certain points that apply to both formal letters and informal letters.
Generally, when you draft the body of your letter, see to that you divide it into short paragraphs, according to the change in the subject matter. Use simple and direct language that is easy to comprehend. Put down all your points in a logical order. Mind your punctuation; incorrect punctuation will alter the meaning of the sentence completely.
Subscription
The subscription helps you end the letter in a polite and courteous manner. The subscriptions change according to the type of letter you are writing. It can be written as Yours faithfully, Yours lovingly, Yours sincerely, With love, etc.
Signature
The signature or the name of the writer should be written just before the subscription.
Different Types of Letters
Letters can be classified into two main types according to the purpose of the letter. Informal Letters, also known as Social Letters, include Friendly Letters and Notes of Invitations.

Formal Letters, also known as Business Letters, include Letters of Application, Letters to Higher Authorities, and Letters to Newspapers.

Informal Letter
Letters to friends and family can be written in a conversational style. They are just a composition of spontaneous thoughts, and they are easy and personal. When writing an informal letter, you are free to use colloquial language, which would be quite out of place in a formal letter. This does not mean that you can pen down random thoughts that are totally disconnected and make no sense. Wrong spelling, punctuation and grammar are not allowed even though the letter is informal and personal.
An informal letter can be written by following a basic format that includes the sender’s address, date, greeting, body of the letter, subscription and signature. To know more about how to write an informal letter, visit Informal Letter Format.
Formal Letter
Formal letters or Business letters should be clear and concise. You should always remember that formal letters are written to bring important information into consideration, so you should always take care to draft the letter carefully by providing only the necessary information.
The language used in formal letters is a lot more professional than informal letters. The format of formal letters is the same as explained above, with a few additions, viz., ‘the Receiver’s Address’, ‘Subject’ and ‘Signature’. Check out Formal Letter Writing in English for more information on formal letters.
Types of Letters Examples
Sample Informal Letter – Letter to a friend in reply to her about planning a trip together