Letters to friends and close relations should be written in an easy, conversational style. A personal letter should have the same tone as a friendly chat. And as a general rule they should be unpremeditated and spontaneous compositions.

The body of the letter
The style in which the body of the letter is written depends upon the kind of letter you are writing. The style or tone of a personal letter will be quite different from that of a business letter. The following hints, nevertheless, apply to letters of all kinds.

Every educated person should know how to write a good letter. All of us have to write letters of some sorts at some point of time.

Business letters should be brief and to the point. As we all know, business people are always busy. They will not have enough time to read long, winding letters. Unlike personal letters, business letters are written in a more formal style. Certain polite expressions such as those given below are commonly used in business letters:

You may have verbally accepted a job offer or an invitation. But writing an acceptance letter is still a smart way of formally accepting an offer and expressing your appreciation.

When should I write an acceptance letter?

Acceptance letters are written in the following situations:

Letters sent to friends and relatives are called personal letters. Personal letters are usually written in an informal language. The tone and style of a personal letter should be familiar and intimate depending upon the level of intimacy you have with the person you are writing to.
Formal and elaborate sentences won’t look natural on a personal letter. Instead, write short and loosely connected sentences. You may also use conversational idioms and colloquial expressions. Contracted forms like won’t, can’t, I’ll etc. are also very common in personal letters.
A personal letter should express the personality of the person who wrote it. It should be a like friendly talk and the reader should be able to hear your voice as he/she goes through the letter.

Letter-writing is a useful art. All of us have to write letters, as occasion demands – personal letters to friends and relatives, business letters, invitations, applications and so on.

Forms of letters

Each type of letter has its own particular form, but there are certain features common to all types.