Writing a letter is an art. It is nowadays an essential part of life – personal as well as professional. It is one of the important arts of civilised life. It is an art which every educated man should develop. We have to write many letters of one kind or the other during our life-time. Hence, it is desirable to know what makes these letters interesting and attractive. The value of a good letter is great, both in business and in personal correspondence.
A letter is substitute to conversation. It is nothing but speaking with a pen. It should, therefore, be as simple in form a natural in style as if the writer were actually speaking to the addressee.
The object of a letter’s writer is to convey a message to the person at the receiving end, there being no personal contact. It is, therefore, natural that every letter should be simple, clear and concise.
The style of letters should be adapted to the person and the subject. To superiors, it should be respectful; to inferiors, courteous; to friends, familiar; to relations, affectionate; to children, simple and playful. On important subjects, it should be forceful and impressive; on lighter subjects, easy and flowing; in condolence, tender sympathetic; in congratulations, lively and joyous. In business letters, politeness and tact are very important. While in personal letters, sincerity is the highest virtue.
It is, therefore, essential to learn not only the technique but also the art of writing letters through constant practice.
Some tips for letter writing:-
- Write as you speak. Your letter should be in the nature of a conversation.
- Adopt a familiar style for those who are initiate, but write in a formal tone to the strangers.
- Have a suitable beginning before you start with the actual letter.
- Write what you have to say clearly and briefly, and do not beat about the bush.
- Be courteous and tactful. Avoid offence.
- Avoid boring remarks. Do away with hackneyed phrases.
- Never fail to date your letter.
- A student should write in a simple and clear language. The style of a letter depends on the nature of its contents. Private letters should be in the conversational style; business letters, short, concise and to the point; and official letters, formal and dignified.
- Do not neglect good spelling even in the most familiar forms of correspondence. A letter should be legible, grammatically correct and rightly spelt.
- Avoid bad punctuation which is often the cause of obscurity. Mind that there is no apostrophe (‘) with yours. Do not write ‘your’s’.
