The document outlines the essentials of letter writing, including its definition, significance, and guidelines for effective communication. It emphasizes the importance of pre-writing planning, tone, format, and offers eleven rules to enhance clarity and persuasiveness. Additionally, it details a structured writing process and provides examples of different tones suitable for various audiences.

1. Basics of Letter
Writing
Manshi
M.Phil. ELT
Department of English & Modern European
Languages
BanasthaliVidyapith, Rajasthan

2. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
Content
• Definition of “LETTER”
• Why ‘Letter writing’ matter?
• Pre-writing Planning
• Eleven Rules for Better Letter Writing
• Tone
• Format of Letter

3. Definitionof“Letter”
Letters may be created and sent as:
• E-mail or electronic transmissions (including fax)
• Hand-delivered transmissions
• Regular mail transmissions
A letter is a written message that can be handwritten or printed on paper
conveyed from one person (or group of people) to another through a medium.

4. Why‘Letterwriting’matter?
Therefore . . .
• Letters should be truthful as they may become a permanent record of what
you know, think or feel at the time you are writing the letter.
• Letters reflect the character and communication skill of the writer.
A writer, writing away, can always fix himself up to make himself more
presentable, but a man who has written a letter is stuck with it for all time.”
– E. B.White

5. Pre-writingPlanning
Here are some simple steps to take when planning a letter or other
communication of any significance:
1. Do a SAP (subject, audience, and purpose) analysis
2. Gather the information you need and do whatever additional research is
required to complete the letter.
3. Make a simple 1-2-3 outline of the points you need to cover, in the order you
want to present them.
4. Now sit down, and start writing!

6. SAPAnalysis
SAP analysis is a process that quickly enables you to pin down the content and
organization of your letter.The process requires you to ask and answer three
questions:
• What is the subject (topic) of your letter?
 Make it as narrow and specific as possible
• Who is your audience? (Who will be receiving your letter?)
 here are some things you want to know about your reader: JobTitle, Education,
Industry, Level of interest.
• What is the purpose of your letter?
 Keep your goal in mind as you write, so that you may persuade the reader to
agree with your point of view.

7. GatherInformation
In order to write an effective letter and save time in doing so, you need to have all
your information at hand, such as copies of previous correspondence on the topic,
customer records, service orders, and so on.
For instance
It really helps to have all the facts in front of you — dates and costs of your exams,
test results, doctors seen, and a copy of your policy, so you can reference the part
that supports your argument.

8. MakeaSimpleOutline
An outline can make the writing easier and ensure that all key points are covered.
For instance
A letter requesting a scholarship or financial aid, for instance, might be organized along
the following lines:
1. Describe your educational goals and ambitions.
2. Explain why you need financial aid to attain these goals.
3. Say why you deserve to be given the aid.
4. Cite specific evidence (e.g., community service, extracurricular activities, grade point
average, honors and awards).
5. Ask for the specific amount of money you need.

9. The3-StepWritingProcess
The task ideally should be divided into three steps:
1. Writing- When you sit down to write, let the words flow freely. Don’t worry about style,
syntax, punctuation, or typos — just write.
1. Rewriting- In the second draft — the rewriting step — you take a critical look at what you’ve
written
1. Polishing- In the third draft, you give your prose a final polishing by editing for style, syntax,
spelling, and punctuation.

10. ElevenRulesforBetter LetterWriting
Here are 11 tips on style and word choice that can make writing clear and
persuasive:
1. PresentYour Best Self- Never write a letter when angry.
2. Write In A Clear, Conversational Style- Keep it simple
3. Be Concise- Avoid redundancies and wordy phrases. Don’t be so concise that your
tone is blunt
Redundancy Rewrite as
advance plan plan
actual experience experience
two cubic feet in volume two cubic feet
cylindrical in shape cylindrical
uniformly homogeneous homogeneous
Wordy phrase Suggested substitute
During the course of during
In the form of as
In many cases often
in the event of if
exhibits the ability to can

11. ElevenRulesforBetterLetterWriting
4. Be Consistent
5. Use Jargon Sparingly- Technical terms are a helpful shorthand when you’re
communicating within the profession
6. Break UpYour Writing Into Short Sections
7. Length- keep your letter to one page
8. Avoid Big Words
Big word Substitution
beverage drink
dentition teeth
eliminate get rid of
furnish give, provide
incombustible fireproof

12. ElevenRulesforBetterLetterWriting
9. Prefer the Specific to the General
10. Organization- Alphabetical order, Order of location,Order of increasing difficulty,
Problem/solution, Chronological order
11. Use ActiveVoice
PassiveVoice ActiveVoice
A good time was had by all. We all had a good time
The corporation terminated the Joe was fired.
employment of Mr. Joseph Smith.
Joe was fired.
Grandma’s apple pie was enjoyed by Everyone in
the family enjoyed everyone in the family.
Everyone in the family enjoyed everyone in the
family. Grandma’s apple pie.
Control of the bearing-oil supply is Shutoff valves
control the bearing-oil provided by the shutoff
valves.
Control of the bearing-oil supply is Shutoff
valves control the bearing-oil provided by the
shutoff valves.

13. Sample
(1) (2)

14. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
Tone
ForcefulTone
used when
addressing
subordinates
or others
who,
basically,
have to do
what you tell
them to do.
PassiveTone
used when
addressing
superiors and
others who,
basically, you
have to listen
to and please
— bosses,
customers,
clients.
PersonalTone
used when
you want to
give support
or establish or
improve a
relationship
Impersonal
Tone
used when
you either
want to keep
a relationship
on a strictly
professional
level
page 14

15. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
FORCEFULTONE
1. Use the active voice.
2. Be direct.
3. Take a stand.
4. Avoid hedge phrases and weasel
words — (e.g., “believe”,
“seem”,“might,” “may,” “perhaps”,
“suggest” etc).
5. Be clear.
6. Be positive.
7. Don’t qualify or apologize

16. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
PASSIVETONE
1. Suggest and imply.
2. Do not insist or command.
3. Use the passive voice when possible.
4. Do not pinpoint cause and effect
(e.g., solve the problem, but do not
look to lay blame on the reader or
anyone else).
5. Use qualifiers (for example, “might
be,” “may,” “approximately,”
“roughly”).
6. Divert attention from the problem to
the solution.
7. Focus on the solution to the
problem, rather than assigning
blame.

17. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
1. Be warm.
2. Use the active voice.
3. Use personal pronouns ( “I,” “we,”
“you,” and so forth).
4. Use the person’s name.
5. Use contractions (we’ll, it’s, they’re,
can’t).
6. Write in a natural, conversational
style.
7. Write in the first person (“I”) and in
the second person (“you”).
8. Vary sentence length.
9. Let your personality shine through
in your writing
PERSONALTONE
page 17
Sample
Natural
Style

18. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
1. Do not use the person’s name.
2. Avoid personal pronouns when
possible.
3. Use the passive voice when
possible.
4. Write in the third person (for
example, “the company,” “the
vendor,” “the purchasing
department,” “the client”).
5. Write in a corporate or formal
style.
6. Be remote and aloof.
IMPERSONALTONE
page 18
Sample
Formal
style

19. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
FormatofLetter
• Date – Month Day, Year (December
20, 2020)
• Sender Address
• Receiver Address
• Subject
• Salutation
• Body – 1st paragraph (introduce a
letter’s subject ), 2nd paragraph
(elaborate on the subject), 3rd
paragraph (summarize the topic and
close on a positive note)
• Complimentary close
• Signature block

20. ACTIVITY1
Identify theTONE.
(A) (B)

21. ACTIVITY1
Identify theTONE.
(C) (D)

22. ACTIVITY2
Is this format correct?
(A)

23. Contoso
Pharmaceuticals
ThankYou