There are two main types of letters you might write: formal letters, and informal letters.
Formal letters are for official business – like cover letters for job applications, writing to the government or businesses. They follow more strict guidelines to be proper. Your address and the date must be in the top left corner, followed by the address of the person you are sending it to. You must include a proper salutation, such as “Dear ____” or “To whom it may concern,” (if you do not know the person’s name or title). You MUST follow proper grammar rules, use proper punctuation and spelling. Remember, formal letters are professional. At the end of your letter, include a complimentary close, such as “Sincerely” or “Regards,” and add your name on the next line.
Informal letters are friendly letters, like what you might send to a friend or your grandparents. They follow many of the same steps as formal letters, but are a bit more relaxed.
You still include a salutation at the top, such as “Dear” or “Hello”, but you do not need to include your address or the recipients address on the letter page (only on the envelope). Your message, though still needing proper grammar, punctuation and spelling, can be less formal or official (ie: you could draw a smiley face, if you wanted). You can use fun colours and stationary (letter writing paper), or even draw your own pictures. (I would not recommend drawing pictures on a formal letter… that would not be so professional.)
Addressing the envelope:
The name and address of the person you are writing to go in the middle of the envelope. Your name and address go in the top left corner, and the postage stamp goes in the top right corner. The kind of stamp you need depends on where you are sending the letter to. If you are sending a letter to someone in Canada, you need a Canadian stamp. If the letter is going to the United States, you need a stamp for the U.S. or an international stamp. If you are sending your letter anywhere else in the world, you need an international stamp.
The order of the address is:
First Name Last Name
Street Address
City, Province Postal Code
Country (if outside of Canada)
Take your sealed envelope to a postal box like the one below, and your letter is on its way!
Read more about letter writing here: wikiHow – Formal and Informal Letters
Many of the rules for letter writing are the same as for emails. See the “How to Send an Email” post in the “How To…” section of this website for more information.
