Letter: Purpose

Essential Elements

A letter’s purpose determines its content, style and tone. Typical purposes include to inform, to complain, to request, to persuade or to thank.
Context is important: tailor your letter’s tone and language to its purpose, the recipient and the scenario.
Always maintain a clear focus on the purpose throughout the letter, making sure every paragraph contributes to that goal.

Structure

Every letter should start with an introduction, clearly stating the purpose of the letter.
Follow this with the body, developing your points logically. Each point or argument should be in a new paragraph.
Next comes the conclusion, summarising the key points and reiterating the letter’s purpose. This can also include any necessary call to action related to the purpose of the letter.
A concluding sign-off, such as ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’ should be used, depending on the formality of the letter and familiarity with the recipient.

Tone

Adapt your tone according to the purpose of the letter. The tone could be formal, polite, friendly, urgent, persuasive, or apologetic, depending on the desired outcome.
Ensure a tone that is respectful and appropriate to the reader, even when writing to complain. This increases your likelihood of being taken seriously and achieving your purpose.
The tone should be consistent throughout the letter to prevent confusion and maintain coherency.

Language

Use persuasive techniques, such as rhetorical questions, emotive language, statistical evidence, or logical reasoning, when the purpose is to convince or persuade.
Deploy descriptive language when narrating or expressing thanks to engage the reader’s interest.
Use polite and respectful language, especially when complaining or making requests, to receive a positive response.
Choose your vocabularly carefully to reflect the seriousness or casualness of the situation, the reader’s level of understanding, and the purpose of the letter.

Remember, the key to effective transactional writing lies in understanding the purpose, addressing the reader appropriately, and constructing a well-structured, cogent text where every element contributes towards achieving the intended outcome.