Formal letters are very important for any organization and business. There are certain rules to be followed when writing a formal letter. Most of the business letters are formal letters so never use an informal language while writing them.

In a formal letter your address and the address of the person you are writing the letter should be written in the top left hand corner of the letter. After the address, the date is specified and then the salutation and ending a letter. Always end a formal letter with yours faithfully, yours sincerely and with your signature.

In the content of the formal letter, the first paragraph should be brief and contain the purpose of the letter whether it is a request or an enquiry or a complaint. The next paragraph should contain the details of the information like the date, time, venue for an interview, etc.The formal letters shouldn’t be too long so it should be written clearly and to the point. Last paragraph should state what you expect the reader to do or what action to be taken.

There are certain abbreviations, which are widely used in a formal letter like ASAP i.e,.as soon as possible, PTO i.e., Please Turn Over and RSVP, i.e., Reply if you please. The different examples of formal letters are covering letter, enquiry letters, request letter etc.Which ever kind of formal letter it is, state clearly what you want in the beginning and ending of the letter. Be to the point and straightforward while writing a formal letter.

When writing formal letters like the complaint letter, job application or covering letter provide necessary documents related to the letter. When you are asking for some information or requesting the format, make it short and simple as if you do not know much about the subject. Cleary asks the details and information and end the letter.