March 2015 – Share Knowledge

1. Definition of Letter

A letter is a written message from one party to another containing information. Letters guarantee the preservation of communication between both parties. They bring friends or relatives closer together, enrich professional relationships and provide a satisfying mean of self-expression. Letters contribute to the protection and conservation of literacy, which is the ability to write and read. Letters have been sent since antiquity and are mentioned in the Iliad by Homer (lived around 7th or 8th centuries B.C.). Works by both Herodotus and Thucydides, also mention letters.

2. The Advantages of Letter

Despite email, letters are still popular, particularly in business and for official communications. Letters have the following advantages over email:No special device is needed to receive a letter, just a postal address, and the letter can be read immediately on receipt.An advertising mailing can reach every address in a particular area.A letter provides immediate, and in principle permanent, physical record of communication, without the need for printing. Letters, especially those with a signature and/or on an organization’s own notepaper, are difficult to falsify than an email and thus provide much better evidence of the contents of the communication.A letter in the sender’s own handwriting is more personal than an email.If required, small physical objects can be enclosed in the envelope with the letter.Letters are unable to transmit malware or other harmful files that are able to be transmitted by email.Letter writing leads to the mastery of the technique of good writing.Letter writing leads to the mastery of punctuation and paragraphing.Letter writing engages in reading and self-improvement, getting better at creativeness and originality.Commitment to reading and thinking.Letter writing can provide an extension of the face-to-face therapeutic encounter.Letter writing can acknowledge special, unusual or challenging situations.Letter writing can help students in reading and writing procedure.

3. Types of Letter

Bussiness LetterA business letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of contents, for example to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by the letter’s recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication. Letter of Thanks A letter of thanks or thank you letter is a letter that is used when one person/party wishes to express appreciation to another. A thank you letter should be written as a standard business letter or personal letter, and should not normally exceed one page. Personal thank you letters can be hand-written in cases in which the addressee is a friend, acquaintance or relative. Thank you letters are also sometimes referred to asletters of gratitude. These types of thank you letters are usually written as formal business letters. Love Letter A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Whether delivered by hand, mail, carrier pigeon, or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings. Love letters may ‘move through the widest range of emotions – devotion, disappointment, grief and indignation, self-confidence, ambition, impatience, self-reproach and resignationNational Letter of IntentThe National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete’s commitment to participating National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) provides governance oversight of the program. Started in 1964 with seven conferences and eight independent institutions, the program now includes 676 Division I and II participating institutions. There are designated dates for different sports, and these dates are commonly referred to as “Signing Day”. Division III institutions are specifically banned from using the NLI, or any similar document that is not executed by non-athletes at those institutions. NLIs are typically faxed by the recruited student to the university’s athletic department on a National Signing Day.The NLI is a voluntary program with regard to both institutions and student-athletes. No prospective student-athlete or parent is required to sign the National Letter of Intent, and no institution is required to join the program.Letter of Resignation A letter of resignation is written to announce the author’s intent to leave a position currently held, such as an office, employment or commission. Such a letter will often take legal effect to terminate an appointment or employment, as notice under the relevant terms of the position; many appointments and contractual employments are terminable by unilateral notice, or advance notice of a specified period of time, with or without further conditions. Even where an oral notice would be effective, the effective date or time of termination may be directly or indirectly fixed on delivery of a written letter or email, for the sake of clarity and record. In response, different arrangements may be made or agreed, such as an earlier effective date, or improved terms and conditions of appointment upon withdrawal of the letter. It should normally be delivered in advance to the appropriate supervisor or superior, and contain such information as the intended last day at work. A period of notice may be required expressly by contract, impliedly by the pay interval, or otherwise. Nevertheless, in practice, some resignations can be effective immediately. For courtesy’s sake, a letter of resignation may thank the employer for the pleasure of working under them and the opportunities and experience gained thereby, and also offer to assist with the transition by, for example, training the replacement. A more hostile letter may assert other sentiments or claims, particularly that the contract or terms of employment have been broken. In any case, the terms of the letter and its consequences may often be negotiated, either before or after delivery.

The example of letter

1. Letter of Application