UNIT6 

1	Letter writing is a way of communicating a message in written words.  People write letters for both business and personal reasons.  Business letters are generally more formal than personal letters.  Business letters include those used to apply for jobs, complaint letters, and sales letters.  Personal letters include correspondence between family members or friends, invitations, and thank-you notes.
2	Studies show that people who write well are more likely to have successful careers.  Skill in writing business and personal letters can make a difference in your life.  For example, a well-written letter applying for a job may lead to a fine position.  A good personal letter can help build or keep a valuable friendship.
3	A well-written letter should be clear, accurate, complete, concise, and courteous.  The first step in preparing a good letter is deciding what to say.  Make a brief list of the ideas you want to cover, and then plan the arrangement of these ideas.  Next, decide how best to put your thoughts into words.  It may help to write a rough copy of your letter simply to get words on paper.  Finally, go back and fix the sentence structure, grammar, and wording.  Use simple, direct statements rather than long, involved sentences.  Make each phrase easy for the reader to understand.
4	Think carefully about your readerfs familiarity with your topic.  Have you included everything the reader needs to know?  Forgetting even one necessary item can create confusion.  If the letter discusses an appointment, be sure you mention the location, date, and time.
5	Say what you have to say and then stop.  Too often, letters become cluttered with wordy phrases, stuffy expressions, and unnecessary details that dilute your message.  Use plain, natural language and get to the point.
6	The tone of the letter is as important as its language.  In general, make the tone friendly and polite.  Stress points that will interest the reader.
