Letter. Types of letters
Plan:
1.
Types of letters
2.
Formal and informal
It is possible that, with the advance of new technologies, you may think that letters
do not carry the same weight as they did a few years ago. Nevertheless, it remains
the most successful means of communication on a wide variety of occasions and
continues to be widely used.
In fact, when the purpose is to make some kind of formal request or presentation,
this type of communication channel is usually used. Nowadays, letters can be
found in the traditional format, i.e. on paper, but we can also find letters in digital
format. In this post you will discover the different types of letters in English.
Types of letters in English
Formal letter
It is a type of letter that follows a certain pattern and formality. They are strictly for
professional use and are directly addressed to the matters to be dealt with in the
letter. It is important to keep in mind that any letter that is commercial or addressed
to the authorities falls into the category of a formal letter.
Informal Letter
These types of letters are personal and do not have to follow any established
writing pattern or adhere to any formality. The content is personal information and
may also consist of a written conversation. Informal letters are typical letters that
may be written between family members, partners, friends or acquaintances.
Business letter
It is a type of letter written between different business correspondents. They
typically contain business information such as quotations, orders, complaints,
claims, letters for collections, etc. These cards always maintain a formal character,
so we can find formal structures and patterns.
Official letter
It is a letter that is written when offices, branches and subordinates must be
informed about some kind of official information. The type of information
typically conveyed in this type of letter usually consists of rules, regulations,
procedures, events or any other type of information of this nature. Official letters
are formal in nature and follow a structure in keeping with this type of tone.
Social Charter
These are letters that have been written for a special reason or event. The content
of this type of letter is usually a congratulations, a condolence, an invitation letter,
among other types of special social events.
Circular letter
It is a type of letter intended to announce a piece of information or data to a large
number of people. To meet this objective, a copy of the letter is distributed to all
target persons. The content of this type of letter can be an important announcement
such as a change of address, the departure of an important partner from a company,
etc.
Employment letters
They are all those letters related to the employment process: the letter of
incorporation, the promotion letter, the cover letter, etc.
We hope this post has helped you to learn about the different types of letters in
English that we can find and to improve your communication in English in your
daily life.Letter WritingA letter is a written message that can be handwritten or
printed on paper. It is usually sent to the recipient via mail or post in an envelope,
although this is not a requirement as such. Any such message that is transferred via
post is a letter, a written conversation between two parties.Now that E-mails
(Advantages and disadvantages) and texts and other such forms have become the
norm for communication, the art of letter writing has taken a backseat. However,
even today a lot of our communication, especially the formal kind, is done via letters.
Whether it is a cover letter for a job, or the bank sending you a reminder or a college
acceptance letter, letters are still an important mode of communication. Which is why
it is important that we know the intricacies of letter writing.Types of LettersLet us
first understand that there are broadly two types of letter, namely Formal Letters, and
Informal Letters. But then there are also a few types of letters based on their contents,
formalities, the purpose of letter writing etc. Let us have a look at the few types of
letters.
Formal Letter
: These letters follow a certain pattern and formality. They are strictly
kept professional in nature, and directly address the issues concerned. Any type of
business letter or letter to authorities falls within this given category.
Informal Letter
: These are personal letters. They need not follow any set pattern or
adhere to any formalities. They contain personal information or are a written
conversation. Informal letters are generally written to friends, acquaintances,
relatives etc.
Business Letter
: This letter is written among business correspondents, generally
contains commercial information such as quotations, orders, complaints, claims,
letters for collections etc. Such letters are always strictly formal and follow a
structure and pattern of formalities.
Official Letter
: This type of letter is written to inform offices, branches,
subordinates of official information. It usually relays official information like rules,
regulations, procedures, events, or any other such information. Official letters are
also formal in nature and follow certain structure and decorum.
Social Letter
: A personal letter written on the occasion of a special event is known
as a social letter. Congratulatory letter, condolence letter, invitation letter etc are all
social letters.
Circular Letter
: A letter that announces information to a large number of people is a
circular letter. The same letter is circulated to a large group of people to correspond
some important information like a change of address, change in management, the
retirement of a partner etc.
Employment Letters
: Any letters with respect to the employment process, like
joining letter, promotion letter, application letter etc.
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