Personal letters are mostly pleasant to write, because you are communicating with your family and friends. First you should say hello, just the word “Hello!
In case you are late with the answer, it is polite to apologize and mention the reasons. If you are already in a state of correspondence with the recipient and you have been asked questions, then it’s time to answer them now. Then after the introductory phrase “I’m fine,” you can move on to a statement of events, write about what’s bothering you.
Since the style of communication is informal, jokes, gossip (your own assessment of events or a description of the opinions of others) and retelling an article from a fashion magazine will do. In short, use anything that makes your letter interesting. Smiley faces, questions like “how’s it going?” and “really, is it great?” are good to enliven a personal letter.
Try to be sincere. Ask how your recipient is doing, and ask questions to continue the correspondence. At the end, express your feelings, e.g., “love,” “would like to meet,” “looking forward to hearing from you,” etc. Be sure to put your signature (emails are often missed), and the recipient may not guess who the letter is from (the email address is not always clear). Reread the letter and correct any mistakes if needed. They usually annoy people and show a lack of respect.
How to write a semi-official letter
Semi-official letters should be as brief as possible and should clearly state the point of the matter. Simplicity and logic are encouraged. In a bad mood a good letter cannot be composed. And it is better to exclude all the lyrical digressions and displays of emotion, and focus on the evidence base (especially important for complaints).
I advise to write a letter using a computer, then print it on an ordinary white sheet of A4 paper and sign it with a pen. It is allowed to compose letters in handwritten form. In this case write legibly and neatly, especially the last name.
Since it is legible, it is easy to read. Nowadays, serious organizations often register documents electronically. Your last name (it can be pretty, but elaborate) is well known only to you. If you change even one letter in your last name while registering your letter, then an electronic search in a huge database will sort of fail to find your application. And you will have trouble finding out if it is registered at all, although the answer may come later.
It is customary to always indicate the addressee in the upper right corner of the letter. Here are a few options to help you, they are all acceptable. It all depends on your preferences, and whether you know the name of the structural subdivision or officials of the addressee:
Federal Service Labor and Employment Service
or
To the Head of the Federal Service
such or such
Surname
otherwise
State Administration.
Department so-and-so’s name
more
To the editor-in-chief of
Publishing House
Below the addressee, write your surname, first name, full address for sending a response by regular mail, better also give a phone number.
If you already repeatedly address somewhere, it is necessary to specify the reference to the number and date of the received letter (possibly several). This greatly facilitates the processing of correspondence, and you will definitely receive a response taking into account the previous correspondence on the issue in question.
If you know the name of the person you are addressing, you can start the text with “Dear …!”, then end it with “Sincerely,”.
If there are any supporting documents, then below the text is necessary to note this fact. Then later you can easily prove that it was you who sent the letter. What documents (or copies) are sent can be specified in the text or directly in the note on the presence of attachments.
You must write the letter in duplicate. You may apply to the organization you want in person. In this case, be sure to ask the clerk’s office (secretary, office or general department) to put a date stamp on your copy of the letter. It is better to immediately put a registration number, but in large organizations may not register letters at once because of their large number. Therefore, it is enough at the time of application to have your copy of the letter stamped with the name of the organization and the date. This is very important if you need to meet a deadline or later confirm the fact of application.
But it is not necessary to go somewhere in person. It may be easier for you to go to the nearest post office. In this case, send it by registered mail with notification. The effect will be the same. After a while you can call the organization and find out the fate of your letter. Or you can not call anywhere, just wait for an answer.