Parts Of A Letter and Their Purpose

These are the different parts of a letter to know how to write one.

PARTS OF A LETTER – At some point in your career, you will need to write a letter, formal and informal, and here are its different parts.

How to write a letter? Even the most well-spoken in English can ask this. It is human to forget after all, therefore, whether you’re an expert or a novice, it is important to have a guide. This will help prevent mistakes for as much as we all know, letter writing is an important skill, especially in your professional career.

In letter writing, you must be aware of its rules, formats, examples, and the way how things are put such as your feelings, ideas, and thoughts in words. There are two types of letters – formal and informal. When it comes to the basics, it is also important to know the important parts of a letter.

Parts Of A Letter

The part

  • Heading – This part contains the name and address of the company. Oftentimes, this is found in the upper left-hand corner of the page and holds details such as name, return address, phone number, email, and date. 
  • Date – This indicates the date of the delivery and this is essential when it comes to determining a fault or delay. It should be written in full such as 22 October 2017 or October 22, 2017. Putting the date in figures must be avoided.
  • Inside address – This is where the name and address of the recipient are indicated. Make sure their name is spelled correctly and the address is as complete as possible to be sure they receive the letter.
  • Salutation – This is the friendly and formal greeting to the receiver of the letter. If possible, avoid using “To Whom It May Concern” as this may come across as personal or outdated. “Dear” is the most common form of salutation used in a letter. If you are sending in for a job and don’t know whom to address the letter to, you may use “Dear HR Manager” “Dear HR Department” or “Dear Company Recruiter”.
  • Body of the letter – The body is where you write the details of your letter which should start with a short explanation of the reason why writing them. The introduction should be composed of one or two sentences but must have the most important details. The rest of this part reflects the details of your letter.
  • Complimentary close – Some examples of this are “Sincerely,” “Best regards” and “Thank you”. This should have its own line that starts with a big letter and ends in a comma.
  • Signature – This is found after two to four lines between the closing line and typing your name with appropriate suffixes such as MA or MD or if you are writing for a business or organization, you can type your position below your typed name. Your signature should be in blue or black ink.

Here’s an Authorization Letter Sample format:

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