The 8 characteristics of a formal letter (explained)

A summary of the characteristics of a formal letter, in order to know how to write this kind of documents.

Normally, a formal letter will be addressed to a person in authority or with a certain degree of hierarchy, with the capacity to influence some relevant aspect of our lives. For this reason, it is important to know how to write a formal letter correctly.

In this article we will see the most relevant characteristics of the formal letter that must present this type of writing, pointing out the different parts that form it, and finally we will mention some examples of types of formal letter and when to use them.

What is a formal letter?

The formal letter is the type of written communication that we write with the intention of being sent to an authority. whether known or unknown, but always with the need to maintain an attitude of formality. In order for the formal letter to be well written, it must respect and comply with minimum quality, structure and language.

Normally, this type of letter are the ones used to communicate in the professional and academic field.It is a requirement that the ideas expressed in the letter be clear and understandable.

Generally, the objective or purpose of the formal letter will be informative, that is to say, to transmit information that we want to present as objective. Therefore, it will be essential that the information we present is clear and concise, facilitating communication. Let's see how to achieve it.

Main characteristics that the formal letter must comply with

The characteristics that we will mention and explain below are not exclusive to formal letters, they can appear in other types of writing as long as their main purpose is to give a clear and concise message.

1. It has an informative purpose

In most cases, the main purpose of formal letters is to inform, i.e. to give new textual information, to give new textual information about some aspect either known or unknown to the person who receives it.

As we have pointed out above, these letters are mainly used in the professional and educational fields. Therefore, the purpose will be to transmit information in a formal way and not with the intention of establishing a personal contact with the other individual, nor with the intention of generating specific emotions.

2. Use of a formal and respectful language

Formal letters, as mentioned above, are usually addressed to a person in authority. It is therefore essential that we use formal and respectful language, following a series of culturally established norms.

Regardless of the purpose of the letter, it should be written in a polite manner, using good manners, courtesy and diplomacy, since this way we are more likely to achieve the intended purpose of writing and sending it.

In the same way, it is also the use of the third person is also recommended to refer to the addressee and thus achieve a more formal wording. Instead of using "I recommend you" it would be better to use the expression "I recommend you". Even so, if the first person is not abused, it can also be used on some occasions; its use is not totally prohibited in formal letters.

As we said before, the formal letter can be addressed to someone we know, for example our boss at work, or on the contrary to someone we do not know, such as the employee selection person of the company where we want to be hired. But regardless of whether the addressee is known or not or the degree of trust we have with him, the formal letter must be written using formal terms.

3. The message must be explained precisely

In order to make the message clear, it is essential to convey a main idea it is essential to convey a main idea, to select a single objective to be achieved by sending the letter.. In this way and in relation to the previous point we will avoid unnecessary phrases or content, filler and distracting from the main idea.

In the event that it is necessary to transmit complex or more extensive information, it will be better to condense and summarize the content, so that the message is precise and fulfills the relevant purpose.

4. Formal letters are short, brief, and brief in length

Keeping in mind that the purpose of formal letters is to convey a message clearly and concisely, it is necessary that both the letter and the paragraphs and sentences used are brief and as short as possible..

Therefore, letters with few and short paragraphs are recommended, in order to prevent the recipient from getting bored, losing attention or interest and thus achieving the objective we are looking for.

5. The information transmitted must be clear

If we want the addressee to understand the message written in the letter it will be important that the words, terms, phrases, and ideas expressed are not too wordy or unnecessarily ambiguous, thus hindering the understanding and purpose of the letter.thus hindering the understanding and purpose of the letter. Thus, our purpose will be to write a clear text in which only one idea or message can be interpreted, without giving rise to multiple interpretations.

Two types of clarity must be achieved. On the one hand, there is visible clarity which refers to a clean presentation of the writing, with good handwriting if we write by hand and respecting the appropriate writing structure.

On the other hand, it is necessary to comply with semantic clarityThe use of sentences and ideas that make sense, avoiding those that can generate more than one possible interpretation or those that are ambiguous.

6. Adequate proofreading

Another very important aspect to take into account when writing formal letters, bearing in mind that they are addressed to a person in authority and what is the purpose of the message we are sending, is grammatical and lexical correctness.

Grammatical correctness is linked to not presenting grammatical errors, understood as the set of rules of the language that regulate its use, nor spelling mistakes; we will have to be especially attentive and review before sending the letter.

On the other hand, a good use of the lexicon will also be necessary, making an adequate use of the relevant words and vocabulary without being rude or too colloquial..

Similarly, it is important that the lexicon is appropriate to the type of message and the person to whom it is addressed, and that it is coherent and appropriate within the letter itself (e.g. make sure that the tenses match).

It is also necessary to use punctuation marks in a relevant way, in order to make the reading easier and more pleasant, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to make the message clearly understood.

7. Simple expression

Not expressing ourselves in a vulgar way does not mean using only cultured or excessively technical words if it is not necessary. This can defeat the purpose of presenting a clear and understandable message.

Thus, we can use everyday words and terms, but without losing sight of who the letter is addressed to.

8. Structure and parts of the formal letter

The formal letter should consist of the following parts: the letterhead, located on the left side and refers to the data of the person sending the letter; the addressee, refers to the data of the person to whom we send the letter; the place and date of writing, will appear in the upper right corner citing first the city followed by the date; the heading, we will address the recipient in a respectful manner using formal and polite terms such as "dear sir and full name" always followed by a colon.

After the heading will appear the introduction where the purpose of the letter will be concisely mentioned; the body, where the main message of the letter will be developed, is the longest part; the farewell or closing, using cordial and polite terms such as "Yours sincerely" or "best regards" and finally the signature, where the name and position of the person sending the letter will normally appear.

Normally, the structure of the formal letter presents elements of protocol. By protocol elements we mean, for example, introducing, referring to the professional position held or performed by both the sender and the receiver.

Types of formal letters

In this section we will refer to some types of formal letters according to the purpose or objectives we want to achieve with it:

• Formal letter of resignation: when we want to leave the job in which we are.
• Formal letter of complaint, in order to communicate a complaint or disagreement.
• Formal letter of thanks, to express gratitude.
• Formal letter of request, with the purpose of requesting something.
• Formal letter of invitation, as an invitation to an event.
• Formal letter of introduction, usually presented together with the resume where skills, studies and experience are expressed, as well as why we are interested in the job.