The letter: definition, particularities and types.
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A letter is a text used to inform, request, congratulate, give a condolence, etc. Although in these times technology makes the use of this text less and less frequent, even within the institutional framework, it is essential to resort to it to comply with an infinity of administrative requirements necessary to resolve various situations of an institutional nature.
Particularities of a letter:
A letter is always directed to another person and the form that is used to enunciate the message will depend on the proximity with the interlocutor. For example, it is not equal to the treatment we have with a childhood friend, to which we can openly address him, that the treatment we have with our boss with which we must address him in a way that demonstrates his hierarchy in front of who writes. Thus, the way to write it will depend on the treatment between the one who sends the letter and the one who receives it.
The writing of this type of texts can throw some information of the one who writes it, because depending on the vocabulary and the style used will reveal aspects such as culture, personality and treatment between the addressee and the sender.
It is necessary to take care of the writing, spelling and style in any type of letter. As well as the relevant structure for the required case.
Parts of the letter:
• Letterhead (if it is an institutional letter).
• Place and date
• Header (sender data).
• Greeting.
• Body of the letter (the message).
• Farewell (attentively, signature).
• In some cases, it is possible to add a PostScript that means that there was something that was not said and taken up in this space. Generally it is a brief note that clarifies the forgetfulness.
Types of letters:
Following the ideas of Sánchez Lobato (2007), a letter can be of the following type:
• Friendly: this shows closer treatment, the style is, if you want informal. In the same way, it is necessary to respect the style and the spelling.
• Circular: it is a variant of the commercial letter.
• Commercial: this has a fixed structure, its content is brief and precise and its senders are related to banking entities and businesses.
• Informative: agreements are communicated, meetings, proposals are called.
• Social: this is a protocolary action: presentations, parties.
• Literary: this reflects feelings, experiences.
In short, the recognition of the types and structure of a letter will allow us to handle the best way of writing and although the theory is an important part, the practice will be decisive to achieve efficient texts.
Bibliographic references:
Sánchez L., Jesús (coord.) (2007) Knowing how to write. Buenos Aires: Alfaguara.
