Everyone will inevitably come across circumstances when they need to write a formal letter, whether it’s for a job application, a letter of complaint or a business letter. It’s important to ensure that you are using the proper tone and correct language. In this article, we will provide you with some tips to write a better formal letter and some useful phrases to include in the letter.
1. Be precise and concise
Be direct and to the point. Explicitly let the reader know your purpose of writing in the first paragraph. Avoid using fancy language. Don’t ramble or include any unnecessary information. A formal letter requires a swift delivery of intent, so save your fancy vocabulary for creative writing.
2. Use the right tone
Make sure you use the right tone when writing a formal letter. A formal letter should be polite and sincere (yes, even when you are writing a letter of complaint). You can do so by using polite words, for instance “could”, “would”, “may”, “please”… Avoid contractions (such as “can’t”, “I’m, “that’s”, etc.), slangs and jargons.
3. Use of acronyms and abbreviations
It is common in the business world to use acronyms to abbreviate terms. However, when writing in a formal manner, ensure that the full name of the term is mentioned at least for the first time you use it. For instance, when writing about Private Equity, which can be abbreviated into PE, you should write “Private Equity (PE)” the first time you mention it. Subsequent mentions can then be written as “PE”. Remember that although formal writing should be concise, it should still be understandable by the reader.
4. Proofread
Mistakes create a bad impression. Check your accuracy in your grammar and spelling carefully. Read it over multiple times and more preferably ask someone to check it for you. If you are handwriting your letter, make sure your writing is neat and clear.
Below are some practical phrases to suit different purposes in the letter.
Greetings:
If you don’t know the name of the receiver:
“Dear Sir or Madam,”
“To whom it may concern”
If you know the name of the receiver:
“Dear Mr Smith,”
Opening:
“In response to an earlier correspondence”
“Thank you for your letter regarding…”
“In reply to your letter of…”
“With reference to your letter of…”
“I apologise for the delay in replying to your email (or mail)”.
“Thank you for expressing interest in…”
Stating reason for writing
“I am writing to…
ask for further information about…
apply for the position of…
make a reservation for…
confirm my booking of…
express my dissatisfaction with…
complain about…”
Body:
Making a request
“Could you please let me know if you…?”
“Would you be available to…?”
Offering help
“Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.”
“If you have any inquiries, feel free to contact me.”
Apologising
“I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
“Please let us know what we can do to compensate you for the damages caused.”
“We will make sure that this will not happen again in the future.”
Attaching files
“Please find file in the attachment.”
“I am attaching my CV for your consideration.”
“Please see the statement attached.”
Ending:
“I look forward to hearing from you.”
“I look forward to your reply.”
“I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.”
Closing:
Yours faithfully, (when you don’t know the receiver’s name)
Yours sincerely, (when you know the receiver’s name)
Sincerely,
Above are only a few frequently used phrases for writing a formal letter. There are, of course, many other ways to express yourself in a formal manner. Frequent practice would allow you to improve your writing abilities. You should also consider taking a short course on business and formal language usage, especially if you see an upcoming need to write formally. Some language schools listed on FluentUp provide business language courses that cover both spoken and written skills. Be sure to check them out!
