There are several Types of letters According to the purpose with which they are written. In this sense, we have business letters, letters of recommendation, letters of resignation, formal letters, personal letters, among others.
Letters are written documents that contain information that a party wishes to transmit to another party.
In this order of ideas, each of the types of letters mentioned above are adapted to the communicative needs of the person writing the letter.
For example, if I want to write a letter to a friend, then it will be personal. Now suppose that this friend is celebrating years and I want to congratulate him through a letter; In this case, the document will not only be personal but will also be a birthday letter.
In this sense, letters constitute an effective means of communication between two or more parties and at the same time they are a way of preserving the love of writing and reading.
Classification of card types
In general terms, letters can be classified into two large groups: formal and informal (also called personal).
Formal letters
The Formal letters Are those that are issued by a competent body, whether a company, an organization, a department or an individual who holds an important position within the company.
Also considered formal letters are those that are issued by natural individuals in order for them to be read by some organization or company.
Below are thirteen types of formal letters.
1- Business letters
Business letters are any type of written document that is developed in the professional field. They are headed with a greeting and end with the signature of the issuer, who usually holds a relevant position within a company.
These types of letters can also be issued by departments of an organization, for example: the human resources department. Similarly, they can be issued by the company itself.
2- Letters of orders
Order letters are issued by a consumer and received by a supplier. These letters are sent in order to ask the supplier a certain amount of products.
The order letters should include the following aspects:
- Quantity of product required.
- Name of the product to be purchased.
- Product model.
- Color, size (if applicable).
- Price expected to pay for the product.
- Pay mode.
3- Sales letters
Sales letters are intended to get the reader to purchase an advertised product. Usually use persuasive statements that attract the attention of the prospective buyer.
This type of card includes the following aspects:
- Appeal : This part establishes a relationship between the sender and the reader, making the latter feel identified with the contents of the letter even if it has not been written personally for him.
An example of an appeal might be"Are you tired of spending hours in the kitchen to have a healthy dinner?" Many people could identify with this statement, which makes them want to continue reading.
- Description of the product or service : This section includes relevant information about the product or service being offered: What is it for? How is it used? How much does it cost?, among others.
- Contact information : Lastly, the sales letters close with the numbers and mails of contacts. Sometimes the physical address where the product can be purchased (if any) and the website of the corporation are also included.
4- Claims letters
Complaint letters are used to file complaints about an acquired product or a service received.
The tone of the complaint letters must be respectful: it is necessary not to be carried away by the emotions of anger or anger that could have generated the product in us.
These types of letters should include the following aspects:
- General information of the issuer: Name, age, address, among others.
- Data on the acquisition of the product or service: Date of acquisition, establishment in which it was acquired, invoices and purchase receipts, among others.
- Information about the failure of the product or service.
- Possible solution that expects to be given to the problem.
5- Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are documents attesting to the quality of a person's work.
These types of letters are issued when a person wants to get a new job and are drafted by people who are in the ability to determine if the applicant's performance is optimal.
In this sense, letters of recommendation are usually issued by tutors, teachers and former bosses of the applicant.
These types of letters include information on the applicant's attitude and abilities, the activities he has carried out throughout his career, the reasons for which he is suitable for work, and others.
6- Letters of resignation
Letters of resignation are issued by an employee who wishes to leave his or her job. This letter is sent to the immediate superior of the employee you wish to resign.
Waiver letters include the date on which the employee leaves his or her job permanently.
In general, the reason for leaving work is usually included, although it is not an essential requirement.
7- Letters of dismissal
Letters of dismissal are issued when a company wishes to inform one of its employees that they no longer require their services, so they must leave their position.
Letters of dismissal include the date on which the employee is expected to stop working for the company and the reason for the dismissal.
8- Letters of receipt
Letters of receipt are written to let an individual or a company know that a letter has been issued by them.
It should be noted that this type of card does not guarantee that the information has been read.
9- Letters of authorization
This type of card is issued to give another person the authority to act on behalf of the person writing the letter.
Letters of authorization are made when the person who writes can not or is not willing to go to an appointment, a meeting, among other situations.
10- Letters of permission
It is known as permission letters to two types of documents. The first is the one that emits an employee to his boss so that the latter gives him the permission to skip to work for one or more days.
This type of card includes the reason why you are planning to miss work and the number of days you are expected to miss.
The second document known as a permit letter is the one issued by a boss to his employee when he has accepted his application.
This type of card includes recognition by the boss and the date of departure and return of the employee.
11- Letters of application
Application letters are issued when an individual wishes to opt for a position within an institution.
These types of letters can be issued in different contexts: to choose a place within a university, a post in an internship, a job, among others.
12- Letter of Acceptance
Letters of acceptance are issued by an institution when they have accepted an applicant.
These letters include the reason you have been accepted, the date you are expected to be an active member of the institution, the position you will serve, and the length of time you will remain in the organization.
13- Transfer letters
Letters of transfer are issued by an organization or company to inform one of its employees that it will be transferred from department or headquarters.
These letters include the date on which the change will take effect, the department to which the employee will be transferred and the position he will hold in the new department.
Informal letters
Informal letters, also called personal letters, are those in which the interlocutors have a relationship that does not involve the world of business. In this sense, informal letters are transmitted between friends and family.
Unlike formal letters, informal letters do not have a specific pattern. They depend on what the issuer wants to transmit and on his ability to express himself in writing.
A birthday letter (which is an informal letter) can have an extension of one page or can be reduced to a few lines written on a pre-made card.
It should be noted that the use of informal or personal letters has declined in recent years due to the popularity of social networks.
Below are thirteen types of informal cards.
1- Birthday Cards
Birthday cards are documents that are issued to congratulate a friend or family member on their birthday. They usually include good wishes for the person entertained.
2- Duel Letters
Grief letters are issued when a person close to the partners has died. The sender expresses his grief over the death of the individual and comforts the receiver, offering him his unconditional support.
3- Letters of apology
It is issued when the issuer wishes to apologize for any action that has brought negative consequences for another person.
4- Letters of thanks
It is issued to show the person receiving the letter that they are grateful for the favor they have made.
5- Letters of congratulations
Letters of congratulations can be written for different reasons: for a promotion at work, for having won a prize at school, for having participated in a competition, among others.
In any case, what matters in these types of letters is the fact that the person who receives it should feel honored by the achievement that has obtained.
6- Letters of farewells
Farewell letters are written when one of the two partners leaves the city, state or country.
7- Welcome letters
Welcome letters are sent when someone has moved into the neighborhood or transferred to a new institute.
In this way, welcome letters express the good wishes of the sender to the newcomer.
8- Letters of love
Letters of love are sent in pairs, to express the affection that you have. You can also send a love letter to a person who is highly appreciated by the issuer but not necessarily your partner.
9- Letters of friendship
They are the ones that are exchanged between friends, in order to maintain contact despite the distance.
10- Christmas Letters
They are the ones that are sent in the month of December in order to wish"merry christmas"or"happy holidays"to another person.
The Christmas letters are usually accompanied by postcards that include a photo of the family that issues the letter with motifs alluding to the holidays.
11- Letters to Santa Claus
The letters to Santa Claus are written by children to ask gifts to this character. These letters usually include a list of possible gifts and acknowledgments for the gifts received the previous year.
12- Invitation Letter
The letters of invitation urge the receivers to attend a party or a meeting organized by the sender.
These letters can be sent in different occasions: a wedding, a birthday, a Christmas party, among others.
13- Letters of various subjects
In this last category, the rest includes personal letters that are not written for a specific reason, but constitute a casual exchange of correspondence between the interlocutors.
References
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- Types of letters. Retrieved on August 16, 2017, from unacademy.com
- All types of letters with sample. Recovered on August 16, 2017, from bankofinfo.com
- Different types of formal letters. Retrieved on August 16, 2017, from perfectyourenglish.com
- Business letter. Retrieved on August 16, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org