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Reprint edition published in April 2020.

Reading Level: 16-40 years

Letters are of three types (a) Informal (b) Formal or Business Letters (c) Letters to the Editor. (a)Informal letters are those that we write to our friends, family members and acquaintances. Generally speaking, informal letters are more close to the heart and can be of two pages to five pages in which you can pour out your feelings without thinking for the choice of words. You are at your disposal to scribble your thoughts. However, the writer has also shown the art of writing informal letters in different moods. Contrary to the popular belief that informal letters are easy to write, it should be noted that "Business" Letters follow a set trend of pattern as shown earlier in this book, but there is no specific trend for informal letters and this aspect makes informal letter writing more than unique. All said and done informal letter writing1nculcates , a sense of creativity in an individual. (b)Formal letters are those which an individual write to a stranger or such letters which are used in an organization. In fact, applications and memos can be termed as ramifications of formal letters. Unlike informal letter, a business letter has to be precise i.e. to the point any "excess" can mar the contents of the letter. In business letters, the choice of words take the precedence over emotions. Always remember that a formal letter has to remain very official and any use of superfluous emotional lines will kill the importance of the letter. However formal letters have a set pattern of opening lines as well as closing lines which make them easier to write. All Business letters are based on the left hand alingnment and most of the people who correspond within the organisations are still not aware of this fact. In his twelve years of corporate career, the writer has seen some of the best and the worst formal letters written by individuals placed very high on the hierarchy ladder. During the course of the book, the writer will also incorporate some of the worst business letters to enlighten the reader about the follies of those letters, by giving a critical analysis. The same will also be done with the bad applications and the readers will get an insight as to why applications for job are not complemented by "Interview Letter". (c) Letters to the editors are a different brand of letters altogether. Such letters are written to the newspapers and various journals to express the views of the reader and what he felt about a particular article. Often it has been seen that readers write the letter to the editor just for the heck of it and to see their names on the national newspapers or journals. This type of letter is a combination of Informal Letter and a Formal letter. If there is something in the article which the reader does not agree to, then it is very important to give the facts supportinq your dissent, because ultimately millions of people all over the country are reading your letter. So, writing a letter to the editor is quite a responsible task and one must not venture into writing such a letter without having a sound knowledge on the subject. However, congratulatory letters are a, different ballgame altogether and one can easily write such letters. It should also be noted that like formal letters, the choice of words play a pivotal role in this type of letter.