"I have now attained the true art of letter-writing, which we are always told, is to express on paper exactly what one would say to the same person by word of mouth.“ - Jane Austen

1. Appreciation, Apology, and Acknowledgement letters
A letter is the most basic — yet the most flexible — mode of
correspondence, regardless of its subject matter.
Prepared by:
Ruchi Joshi
Assistant Professor
Career Development Cell
Parul Institute of Engineering and Technology

2. What is Letter Writing?
Letter writing is the skill to write a
message in written or in text format.
Some letters are written through the
mail and some are printed via paper.
These letters can be formal or
informal and they are sent via post
or email to the recipients.
"I have now attained the true art of letter-
writing, which we are always told, is to
express on paper exactly what one would
say to the same person by word of mouth.“
- Jane Austen

3. Importance of letter writing
"How wonderful it is to be
able to write someone a
letter!
To feel like conveying your
thoughts to a person, to sit at
your desk and pick up a pen,
to put your thoughts into
words like this is truly
marvelous.“
Haruki
Murakami (Norwegian
Wood)
For
documentation
For getting
instant attention
For official
communication
Strengthens
language skills
Helps in creative
expression

4. Structure of letters

5. Types of Letters
1. Acknowledgement letter
2. Goodwill letter
3. Letter of recommendation
4. Credit and collection letter
5. Appreciation letter
6. Inquiry letter
7. Sales letter
8. Claim letter
9. Request letter
10. Adjustment letter
11. Apology letter

6. Things to be kept in mind while writing letters
• Write your letter as soon as possible. Try to send the appreciation letter or email as soon as possible. For example, if you have an
informational interview with a contact, send them a thank-you letter by the next day. You want the person receiving the letter to remember
what you are thanking them for.
• Explain why you’re writing the letter. Clearly explain what you are showing appreciation for. Especially if you dropped the ball on
writing immediately and it has been a while, the person might need a reminder.
• Keep the letter short and focused. Keep your letter concise. You want to express your thanks without going on for too long. A couple of
paragraphs is typically sufficient.
• Be sincere. Don’t go over the top in your appreciation. Express your gratitude sincerely, but briefly. Simply state how much you value the
person’s help or achievement.
• Edit, edit, edit. Be sure to proofread your letter before sending it. You want to appear professional and polished, even in an appreciation
letter.
• Consider the format. You might consider sending your letter in one of three formats: in a business letter format, as an email, or as a
personalized thank-you letter. For more formal relationships (such as an employer or a new networking contact), consider the more
professional business letter format. If you want the person to receive your letter right away, consider sending an email. A personalized letter
or card would be appropriate for close contact, friend, or family member.

7. Appreciation letters
• A letter of appreciation is a letter written by one party to another to thank the
former at a personal level. This letter is a valuable one to master writing and is
often considered a skillful piece in professional life, acting as a bridge of
stronger future connections.
• An appreciation letter is a professional note written to business contacts that
demonstrates your gratitude. There are likely many times in your life when it is
appropriate to write a letter of appreciation. You might receive a gift, advice, or
professional connections from a person in your personal or professional life.
Regardless of what favor you are showing gratitude for, an appreciation letter can
make a positive impact on someone you know.

8. Apology letters
• The purpose of an apology letter is to atone for a mistake, offense, or
harm that you caused toward another party. In addition to acknowledging
your responsibility in the situation, it’s an opportunity to validate the
recipient’s experience and feelings. It’s also a way to begin to restore
trust and communication in the relationship by affirming how you’ll
work to repair the damage and avoid causing offense in the future.
• Keep in mind that an apology letter is not a tool for justifying your
actions or exculpating yourself. The letter is for the recipient, meant to
address your actions and their feelings.

9. When to write an apology letters
• An apology letter can be valuable in situations when you’ve
caused or contributed to wrongdoing or a mistake that
adversely affected another person.
For example,
you might want to write a letter to a friend, family member, or partner
whom you care about but have insulted or taken for granted. Apology letters
can also be useful when you’ve compromised other relationships, such as
those in the workplace. You might decide to write an apology for a job-
related mistake or for failing to give a colleague credit.

10. Basic Apology Letter Outline
1. Express Remorse
Since a sincere apology letter comes straight out with it, you
can literally begin with “I’m sorry …” or “I apologize for …
,” then specify exactly what the apology is for. If you’re not
feeling truly sorry for your actions, then this entire exercise
is in vain. It will reek of insincerity. You have to be
authentic in your desire to show remorse, especially in the
opening lines.
2. Take Responsibility
Taking responsibility for your actions doesn’t mean making
excuses. Quite the opposite. You shouldn’t bother with
excuses because the offended person won’t want to hear
them.
3. Make Amends
When you offer to make amends, you show that you want to
make the situation right. If you can offer an olive branch,
now’s the time to do it. It's important to offer suggestions of
things you can do to make up for the mistake or other
situation that led you to need to issue an apology.
4. Provide Assurance
Finally, assure the other party that this mistake won’t
happen again. Whenever you make a mistake or offend
someone, you create a tiny crack in their trust. They may
believe that you regret the error, but are still concerned that
it may happen again. This is why it’s important to make
reassurances at the closing of your letter.

11. Acknowledgement letters
• An acknowledgment letter is a receipt letter that informs the sender that
the receiving party has received the information that the sender has
given. This is a document that can be used as proof that the sender has
sent the substantial information that he or she intended to send.
• Formally, in certain applications, this becomes a professional response
from the applicant that the receiving party received the document from
the sender. This includes sending an application made by a job applicant,
requests or inquiries that would take time to process, and others.

12. Reasons Why You Should Send a Thank-You Letter
1. Gratitude Makes a Difference
• Why is saying “thank you” so important? Because expressing gratitude makes a real, positive difference for both the person saying thank you and
the person receiving the message. One study showed that people habitually underestimate the impact that their expression of gratitude would have
on the recipient.2
• They also overestimated how awkward it would be to send their thanks. (In other words, if you’re holding back because you’re afraid you’ll put
your foot in your mouth, don’t—chances are, your colleague will be delighted with your card or email.)
2. They May Expect It
• On the other hand, not sending a thank-you note may do some real harm. In a Top Resume survey, 68% of hiring managers said that receiving a
thank-you note had an impact on their decision-making process after a job interview—and 16% had decided against moving forward with a
candidate because they didn't send a note.3
3. It’s the Right Thing to Do
• Professionals who take the time out of their busy schedules to help you with your career search deserve your thanks. They are also putting their
reputations on the line whenever they agree to add you to their professional networks—they’re doing so is a statement of their belief in your
abilities and potential.

13. Acknowledgment letters
(Practice)
1. Accept a request to serve in an honorary position
2. Accept a resignation
3. Accept and express appreciation for a suggestion
4. Acknowledge an order or subscription
5. Acknowledge payment of an overdue balance
6. Acknowledge the receipt of a report, letter or other
7. Acknowledge the Return of an Item For Exchange, Refund or Credit
8. Confirm an appointment, meeting, or interview
9. Confirm miscellaneous business agreements

14. Apology letters
(Practice)
• Apologize for a defective, damaged, or incomplete product
• Apology for a late payment
• Apologize for a missed deadline
• Apologize for a shipping delay or error
• Apologize for an invoice or billing error
• Apologize for damage properly
• Apologize for providing incorrect or incomplete information

15. Appreciation letters
(Practice)
• Appreciation letter to employment
• Customer service appreciation letter
• Appreciation letter to boss
• Thank you letters to boss
• Customer appreciation letter

16. Thank You