Letter Writing Made Easy! : Featuring Sample Letters for Hundreds of Common Occasions

Table of Contents

PART ONE: PERSONAL LETTERS
Introduction: How to Write Intimate Personal Letters
Chapter 1: Apologies
Chapter 2: Asking for a Favor
Chapter 3: Condolence
Chapter 4: Congratulations
Chapter 5: Declining an Invitation
Chapter 6: Declining a Request
Chapter 7: Encouragement and Emotional Messages
Chapter 8: Informal Messages for Holidays and Special Occasions
Chapter 9: Invitations
Chapter 10: Reminders and Admonitions
Chapter 11: Thank-You Notes

PART TWO: BUSINESS LETTERS
Introduction: How to Write Effective Business Correspondence
Chapter 12: Banking and Credit
Chapter 13: Career
Chapter 14: Government
Chapter 15: Housing
Chapter 16: Insurance
Chapter 17: Medical Concerns
Chapter 18: Military Affairs
Chapter 19: Press and Media
Chapter 20: Products
Chapter 21: Schools
Chapter 22: Services
Chapter 23: Taxes
Chapter 24: Travel

APPENDIX
Forms of Address
List of Important Addresses

Excerpt–Sample Letters
Taking Responsibility for Property Damage
Dear name,
I feel just terrible about the unfortunate damage I/my son/daughter/etc. caused to your item. I intend to take full responsibility for replacing/repairing it.
It was very kind of you to dismiss the damage as merely accidental, but I just won’t feel right until your item is restored to its original condition.
I hope you don’t mind that I contact a repair/replacement company to arrange for an estimate, and I would appreciate it if you would let me know the best time for them to drop by without inconveniencing you any further.
Please accept my apologies, and I hope we can quickly put this unfortunate incident behind us and continue our wonderful friendship.
Best regards,

On Promotion
Dear name,
Well, I knew it was only a matter of time before your superiors would reward all of your hard work and brilliance with a promotion! Congratulations on your new position! Your skills and smarts will surely serve you well as the new name of position/title.
Best wishes for continued success. I can’t wait to see how impressed everyone will be when you start to make a real difference in the name of department department.
Again, congratulations, you deserve it. And I am extremely confident that your future holds many more promotions of such prestige.
Best regards,

Formal Engagement Announcement
Mr. and Mrs. name of bride’s parents
have the honor of announcing
the engagement of their daughter
name
to name of groom
Optional:
Name of bride’s parents
request your presence
at type of event (i.e. luncheon, dinner, reception)
on day,
date,
at location
from time to time
to celebrate this happy occasion
Please R.S.V.P. to name
at telephone number
by date

Encouraging a Politician to Support an Issue
Dear Senator or Mr./Ms. name:
The purpose of this letter is to voice my support of describe issue. I know that it is currently under a great deal of scrutiny, and if certain politicians have their way, it could be dealt a severe–if not fatal– financial/constitutional/political blow.
Describe the situation, and your position/suggestions for resolving it.
I implore you to use your voice in Congress to do anything and everything you can to stave off legislation that would cut federal funding/outlaw a practice, etc. It’s vital that we protect our rights/resources, etc., and the prospect of a future without this protection is downright frightening.
Sincerely,

Thank You for the Job Interview
Dear name of interviewer:
It was very kind of you to take the time from your busy schedule to meet with me on date to discuss the opening for position. I want you to know I appreciated the opportunity.
The meeting certainly increased my interest in the position, which was already high. I was very impressed with your describe specifics of the department or company. I firmly believe I can contribute significantly to the company with my describe skills and work values.
Thank you again for your time and interest in my qualifications, and I look forward to hearing from you about the results of my interview.
Sincerely,

Protesting Cancellation of a Show
Dear name of network executive:
I recently read that your network has decided to cancel name of program. This news was particularly disturbing to me/my family, since I/we watch this show religiously and always thoroughly enjoy it.
I understand that your decisions are based primarily on ratings, and that the reason you canceled name of program was because its ratings were not sufficiently high to attract sponsors for it. At the same time, I would hope that if enough loyal fans expressed their support for the show, we could save it.
To that end, I have encouraged all those I know to write or call your office. I also have a suggestion: why not try a different time slot, one that is perhaps more conducive to attracting the show’s target viewers, and one that is a little less competitive? I am sure you have considered this option, but would it hurt to try it?
More importantly, I believe you should consider saving the show because of what it stands for. It deals with sensitive issues very intelligently, and as such is one of the few network programs that can communicate strong values and moral lessons to the public, over and above its sheer entertainment value. And what’s more, the writing and acting are always of the highest quality.
In short, we need more shows like name of program, not less of them, for many reasons. I urge you to reconsider this decision.
Sincerely,

© 1995 Santa Monica Press LLC