Kinds of Letter

Letters can be classified from different points of view. But the following classification is common and usually followed to have an easy glance of the total picture of letter.

Mainly letter is of two kinds:

• A: Formal
• B: Informal

Formal letter:

Formal letter is one which is written in formal style of a language, especially, to the educational institutions, business organizations, government agencies and above all, to different offices to serve official purposes. It is also called the official letter. The tone of official letter should completely be formal, impersonal, concise and serious expressing dignified attitude toward the readers.

Informal letter:

Informal letters are those which are written to near-and-dear ones, e.g. to parents, brothers, sisters, friends, colleagues, relatives, neighbors etc. This is mainly personal or private letter. Therefore, the style and tone of this kind of letter are informal. The expression of thoughts and feelings is quite intimate. Writers of this letter usually use simple and natural language they use in everyday conversation.