Official Letter Format

businessletter

Some students may find composing an official letter ischallenging. However, with the correct instructions and some exercises, thistask may become easier.

When writing an official letter, you must take note of the formatand layout of the letter. Besides, you should always keep the letter brief andrelevant.

Besides this, ensure to present your intents and thoughtscorrectly. The most important part is to take note of the style and grammar. Anofficial letter must be formal.

It is not necessary to be sharp even though you are making acomplaint. Bear in mind, you should not use unofficial grammar or abbreviationsin this kind of letter.

There are various formats for writing official lettersnowadays. However, we shall study the format that the Malaysian government use,and the Malaysian education system teaches.

Ground Rules for an Official Letter Format

1. Sender address should write in the top left corner.

2. A flat line across the sheet divides the sender's addressfrom the receiver’s address.

3. The receiver’s address is after the sender's address.Underline the postcode and name of the city.

4. Date:

Write the date on the right and position the same line asthe last line of the receiver’s address. Spell out the month in full words, notnumbers. Do not use contractions such as Oct.

5.Opening Salutation:  

If you know the name of the receiver, then address hissurname (Dear Mr. Wong). If you do not recognize the name of the recipient,then use Dear Sir or Madam.

6. Heading:  

The subject heading conveys the purpose of the letter to thereader.  The subject heading is one linespacing after the salutation. Underline the heading.

7. The body of the letter introduces the contents of yourletter. Divide the body into brief and clear paragraphs. Number all theparagraphs exclude the first and last paragraphs.

a. State the main purpose of the letter in the firstparagraph, whether it is to advise, to inquire, to invite, etc.

b. From the latter paragraphs, you should incorporateadditional important data for your main purpose.

The number of paragraphs counts on the purpose of yourletter.

c. Include a call to action in the last paragraph. It iscommon to finish an official letter with a statement such as I shall call youon Friday to follow up this matter or I hope you can take prompt action tosolve this problem.

It is ideal to add a word of appreciation. Take note toarrange the message precisely and reasonably. Also, avoid long and redundantparagraphs.

8. Closing:

You can finish the letter with the closing salutation, suchas “Yours faithfully”. In effect, we normally write “Yours sincerely” if weknow the receiver. However, for examination goals, I would recommend you usesolely “Yours faithfully”.

9. Signature

Remember to sign the letter and write your name below it incapital letters within brackets.

More than 500 business letter samples on this website are to explain how to write effectively for various situations. The free sample letters can be copied or adapted to meet your precise needs. They will help you to say what you want to say and achieve the desired results. You will be able to save time and do your job better, more effectively, and easily without spending ages thinking about what to say.