Letter writing
Rules and Criteria for Letter Writing
A good letter should be clear, organized, grammatically correct, appropriate in tone, and complete in format.
1. Basic Parts of a Letter
A standard English letter usually contains these parts:
- Sender's address
- Date
- Recipient's address — mainly in formal letters
- Salutation / Greeting
- Subject — mainly in formal letters
- Opening paragraph
- Main body
- Closing paragraph
- Complimentary close
- Signature / Name
Example of a formal letter structure
Sender's Address
City, Country
Date
Recipient's Address
Subject: Request for Leave
Dear Sir/Madam,
[Opening paragraph]
[Main paragraph]
[Closing paragraph]
Yours faithfully,
Your Name
2. Types of Letters
There are three important categories.
A. Formal Letters
Used for official or professional purposes.
Examples:
- Application letters
- Complaint letters
- Request letters
- Letters to a principal
- Letters to a government office
- Business letters
- Letters to newspapers
- Inquiry letters
Tone: polite, respectful, professional.
B. Informal Letters
Written to people you know personally.
Examples:
- Letter to a friend
- Letter to a brother or sister
- Letter to a cousin
- Letter to a parent
Tone: friendly, personal, natural.
C. Semi-formal Letters
Written to someone you know but in a relatively formal relationship.
Examples:
- Letter to a teacher
- Letter to a landlord
- Letter to a neighbor
- Letter to a club organizer
Tone: polite but not excessively formal.
3. Rules for the Address
The sender's address should normally appear at the top right or top left, depending on the format required by your school or examination.
Example:
No. 25, 78th Street,
Mandalay, Myanmar.
Avoid unnecessary information.
❌ Incorrect:
I live at No. 25, 78th Street, and my house is very beautiful...
✅ Correct:
No. 25, 78th Street,
Mandalay.
4. Rules for Writing the Date
Common formats include:
British style
10 August 2026
or
10th August 2026
American style
August 10, 2026
For school examinations, 10 August 2026 is a clear and unambiguous choice.
5. Rules for the Salutation
The greeting must match the relationship with the recipient.
| Situation | Salutation |
|---|---|
| Unknown person | Dear Sir/Madam, |
| Known man's name | Dear Mr Smith, |
| Known woman's name | Dear Ms Smith, |
| Friend | Dear John, |
| Family member | Dear Mother, / Dear Uncle, |
| Teacher | Dear Sir/Madam, / Dear Mr Smith, |
Important
Do not mix formal and informal styles.
❌ Dear Sir, Hi! How are you?
✅ Dear Sir, I am writing to request...
6. Subject Line in Formal Letters
A subject should be short and specific.
Examples:
Subject: Application for Leave
Subject: Request for a School Certificate
Subject: Complaint About Poor Internet Service
Avoid writing a long sentence as the subject.
❌
Subject: I am writing this letter because I want to complain about...
✅
Subject: Complaint About Internet Service
7. Rules for the Opening Paragraph
The opening should immediately explain why you are writing.
Formal
I am writing to request permission to attend the school trip.
Informal
How are you? I hope you and your family are doing well. I am writing to tell you about my recent trip.
Avoid unnecessary introductions.
8. Rules for the Main Body
The body should contain the main information.
A useful structure is:
Paragraph 1 — Purpose
Explain why you are writing.
Paragraph 2 — Details
Give the necessary information, reasons, facts, or explanations.
Paragraph 3 — Action / Request
Explain what you want the reader to do.
For example:
Complaint letter
- Explain the problem.
- Give relevant details.
- Explain the effect of the problem.
- Request a solution.
9. One Main Idea per Paragraph
Do not put everything into one large paragraph.
❌ One very long paragraph containing:
- the reason
- background information
- complaints
- requests
- conclusion
✅ Divide the information logically.
Paragraph 1: Reason for writing
Paragraph 2: Details
Paragraph 3: Request/conclusion
This makes the letter easier to read and gives it a professional appearance.
10. Formality and Tone
The tone must match the purpose.
Formal
Use:
- I would like to...
- I am writing to...
- I would appreciate it if...
- Could you please...?
- I would be grateful if...
- Please consider my request.
- I look forward to your response.
Avoid:
- Hey!
- Give me...
- I want you to...
- What's up?
- Send it ASAP!
Informal
You can naturally use:
- How are you?
- Thanks for your letter.
- I'm really happy to hear from you.
- Guess what!
- See you soon.
- Take care.
11. Avoid Contractions in Formal Letters
In formal writing, it is generally better to write the full forms.
| Informal | Formal |
|---|---|
| I'm | I am |
| I've | I have |
| I'll | I will |
| can't | cannot |
| don't | do not |
| won't | will not |
| I'd | I would / I had |
Example:
❌ I'm writing to ask for your permission.
✅ I am writing to ask for your permission.
Contractions are perfectly natural in informal letters.
12. Grammar Criteria
A good letter should have accurate:
Subject–verb agreement
❌ He go to school every day.
✅ He goes to school every day.
Tenses
Use the appropriate tense for the situation.
I visited Bagan last week.
I am writing to request permission.
I have received your letter.
Articles
Use a, an, the correctly.
Prepositions
Pay attention to:
- in
- on
- at
- for
- from
- to
- with
Pronouns
Make sure pronouns clearly refer to the correct people or things.
13. Vocabulary Criteria
Use vocabulary appropriate to the audience.
A formal letter should use precise and professional vocabulary.
Instead of:
I want you to fix this problem quickly.
Use:
I would appreciate it if you could resolve this issue as soon as possible.
However, do not use difficult words simply to sound intelligent.
Good writing is:
clear + precise + natural
rather than:
complicated + unnecessarily long
14. Linking Words
Use linking words to make ideas flow logically.
Adding information
- furthermore
- moreover
- in addition
- also
Giving reasons
- because
- since
- as
- due to
Giving results
- therefore
- consequently
- as a result
Contrast
- however
- although
- nevertheless
- on the other hand
Conclusion
- finally
- in conclusion
- therefore
15. Rules for the Closing
The closing should match the salutation.
Formal letters
If you begin:
Dear Sir/Madam,
use:
Yours faithfully,
If you begin with a person's name:
Dear Mr Smith,
use:
Yours sincerely,
Informal letters
You can use:
- Best wishes,
- Kind regards,
- With love,
- Take care,
- See you soon,
16. Important Rule: Yours Faithfully vs Yours Sincerely
This is especially important in examinations.
Unknown person's name
Dear Sir/Madam,
→ Yours faithfully,
Known person's name
Dear Mr Smith,
→ Yours sincerely,
Example:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to request...
Yours faithfully,
John
But:
Dear Mr Smith,
I am writing to request...
Yours sincerely,
John
17. Spelling and Punctuation
Check:
- Capital letters
- Full stops
. - Commas
, - Question marks
? - Apostrophes
' - Spelling
- Paragraph breaks
For example:
❌ dear sir i am writing to request leave
✅ Dear Sir, I am writing to request leave.
18. Avoid Repetition
Do not repeat the same idea unnecessarily.
❌
I am very happy. I am really happy. I am extremely happy because I am happy about the news.
Better:
I am delighted to hear the good news.
19. Be Concise
A good letter should contain enough information but no unnecessary information.
A useful principle is:
Say what is necessary, explain it clearly, and stop.
For examination writing, always follow the required word limit if one is given.
20. Coherence and Cohesion
These are important criteria in high-quality writing.
Coherence
Ideas are arranged logically.
Purpose → Details → Explanation → Request → Conclusion
Cohesion
Sentences are connected using:
- pronouns
- linking words
- repeated key terms
- appropriate transitions
Example:
I recently purchased a mobile phone from your shop. However, the phone stopped working after two days. Therefore, I would like to request a replacement.
21. Relevance
Everything in the letter should relate to the topic.
If the question is:
Write a letter requesting leave from school.
Do not spend half the letter describing your family history.
Focus on:
- reason for leave
- dates
- relevant explanation
- request for permission
22. Accuracy
Before submitting a letter, check:
Content
- Did I answer every part of the question?
- Did I include the necessary details?
Organization
- Is the letter properly formatted?
- Are the paragraphs logically organized?
Grammar
- Are my sentences grammatically correct?
- Are my tenses correct?
- Is subject–verb agreement correct?
Vocabulary
- Is my vocabulary appropriate?
- Is the tone suitable?
Mechanics
- Is spelling correct?
- Is punctuation correct?
- Are capital letters correct?
23. Letter-Writing Assessment Criteria
For school or examination purposes, you can use this 100-point rubric:
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct format | 10 |
| Address & date | 5 |
| Appropriate salutation & closing | 5 |
| Content / ideas | 20 |
| Organization & paragraphing | 15 |
| Relevance | 10 |
| Grammar | 15 |
| Vocabulary | 10 |
| Coherence & cohesion | 5 |
| Spelling & punctuation | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
24. The Golden Formula for Letter Writing
A simple formula to remember is:
FORMAT → PURPOSE → DETAILS → REQUEST/RESPONSE → CLOSING
For a formal letter:
Who am I?
↓
Why am I writing?
↓
What information does the reader need?
↓
What do I want the reader to do?
↓
Polite conclusion
Quick Checklist
Before submitting your letter, ask yourself:
F — Format
☐ Is the letter correctly formatted?
P — Purpose
☐ Is the purpose clear?
C — Content
☐ Have I included all necessary information?
O — Organization
☐ Are my paragraphs logically arranged?
T — Tone
☐ Is the language formal/informal as required?
G — Grammar
☐ Are my grammar and tenses correct?
V — Vocabulary
☐ Is my vocabulary appropriate?
C — Cohesion
☐ Are my ideas connected?
S — Spelling
☐ Have I checked spelling?
P — Punctuation
☐ Have I checked punctuation?
The most important rule
A successful letter is not simply grammatically correct. It must be appropriate for the reader, purpose, situation, and type of letter.
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