LETTER
A
letter is a
written message containing information from one party to another. The role of letters in communication
has changed significantly since the nineteenth century. Historically,
letters (in paper form) were the only reliable means of communication
between two people in different locations.
As communication technology
has diversified, posted letters have become less important as a routine
form of communication; they however still remain but in a modified
form. For example, the development of the telegraph shortened the time
taken to send a letter by transferring the letter as an electrical
signal (for example in morse code
between distant points. At the telegraph office closest to the
destination of the letter, the signal was transferred back into a
hardcopy format and sent as a normal mail to the person's home. This
allowed the normal speed of communication to be drastically shortened
for larger and larger distances. This required specialised technicians
to encode and decode the letter. The facsimile (fax) machine took this
one step further: an entire letter could be completely transferred
electrically from the sender's house to the receiver's house by means of
the telephone network as an image.
Today, the Internet is becoming (or has become) the predominant medium for sending letters. The term e-mail, meaning electronic mail, has entered into everyday speech. By analogy, the term
letter is sometimes used for e-mail messages with a formal letter-like format. (And regular letters, since they take longer, are often called "snail-mail.")
Historically, letters exist from the time of ancient india, ancient Egyp t and sumer, through,rome greece and china, up to the present day. Letters make up several of the books of the bible. archives of correspondence, whether for personal, diplomatic, or business reasons, serve as primary sources for historians
PARTS OF LETTER
- The Heading (The Retern Address) or Letterhead - Companies
usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is specially
designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information
about the organisation’s identity.
- Date - Date of writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005
(12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned with the return
address. The number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure,
though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often
omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is
pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the
article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the
day.
- The Inside Address - In a business or formal letter you
should give the address of the recipient after your own address. Include
the recipient's name, company, address and postal code. Add job title
if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title with a comma.
Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient 's
name.
The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11"
paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, the
inside address can appear through the window in the envelope.
- The Greeting - Also called the salutation. The type of
salutation depends on your relationship with the recipient. It normally
begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name. Use every resource possible to address
your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the name or the
sex of of your reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales
Manager or Dear Human Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business letter ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style).
- The Subject Line (optional) - Its inclusion can help the
recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your letter. Normally
the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re:
Subject line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all
captial letters. It is usually placed one line below the greeting but
alternatively can be located directly after the "inside address," before
the "greeting."
- The Body Paragraphs - The body is where you explain why
you’re writing. It’s the main part of the business letter. Make sure
the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but try to avoid
starting with "I". Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a new
idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you
choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line
between paragraphs.
- The Complimentary Close - This short, polite closing ends
always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its left edge
is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you use.
It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional rule
of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or
Madam" must end "Yours faithfully", while a letter starting "Dear " must
end "Yours sincerely". (Note: the second word of the closing is NOT capitalized)
- Signature and Writer’s identification - The signature is
the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last names.
The signature line may include a second line for a title, if
appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter
of the signature line in the space between the close and the signature
line. Use blue or black ink.
- Initials, Enclosures, Copies - Initials are to be
included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you
include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or '
Encs. ', as appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy
or copies are sent to someone else.
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