FORMAT 1 · FORMAL LETTER · from a person to an organisation (bank, school, company, society)
[Your Full Name]
[House / Flat No., Street]
[Locality, City – PIN Code]
[Mobile] · [Email]
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
To,
The [Designation, e.g. Branch Manager]
[Name of Organisation, e.g. Bank Name]
[Branch / Office Address]
[City – PIN Code]
Subject: [One line saying what the letter is about, e.g. Request to update registered mobile number in savings account No. XXXX1234]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I, [Your Full Name], hold [account / admission / membership / customer] number [number] with your [branch / school / office] since [year]. I am writing to [state the request or issue in one sentence].
[Give the facts in order: what happened, when, any reference numbers, and what you have already tried. Keep it to two or three short paragraphs.]
I request you to kindly [state exactly what you want done] by [date, if any]. Copies of [documents] are enclosed for your reference.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
[Your Full Name]
Enclosures: 1. [Document] 2. [Document]
FORMAT 2 · BUSINESS LETTER ON LETTERHEAD · with reference number (Ref. No.)
[COMPANY NAME PRIVATE LIMITED]
[Registered Office Address, City – PIN] · [Phone] · [Email] · [Website]
CIN: [CIN, if a company] · GSTIN: [GSTIN, if registered]
Ref. No.: [ABC/SALES/2026-27/045] Your Ref.: [their letter no., if replying] Date: [DD Month YYYY]
To,
[Name of Recipient]
[Designation]
[Company Name]
[Address]
[City – PIN Code]
Kind Attn.: [Name, Department]
Subject: [e.g. Revised delivery schedule for Purchase Order No. PO-2026-118 dated 02 September 2026]
Dear Sir/Madam,
With reference to [your letter / purchase order / our meeting] dated [date], we [confirm / inform / request] [main point in one sentence].
[Details: quantities, dates, amounts, specifications. Use a short table or numbered points if there are several items.]
1. [Point one — e.g. 400 units will be dispatched on 15 October 2026.]
2. [Point two — e.g. The balance 600 units will be dispatched on 30 October 2026.]
3. [Point three — e.g. Prices and payment terms remain as per the purchase order.]
We request you to [action required] by [date]. For any clarification, please contact [Name] at [phone / email].
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
For [COMPANY NAME PRIVATE LIMITED]
(Authorised Signatory)
[Name]
[Designation]
Encl.: [list of enclosures]
CC: [Name, Designation — for information]
FORMAT 3 · OFFICIAL LETTER · to a government office or authority
To,
The [Designation, e.g. Municipal Commissioner / Tahsildar / Regional Passport Officer]
[Name of Office / Department]
[Address]
[City – PIN Code]
Through: [Proper channel, if you are an employee — e.g. Head of Department]
Subject: [e.g. Request for repair of street light at Ward No. 12, Sector 4, near Shiv Mandir]
Reference: [Application / complaint no. and date, if any]
Respected Sir/Madam,
I, [Full Name], [son / daughter / wife] of [Father’s or Husband’s Name], resident of [full address], respectfully submit the following for your kind consideration:
1. [Fact one — what the problem is and since when.]
2. [Fact two — earlier complaints with numbers and dates, if any.]
3. [Fact three — why it needs attention: safety, deadline, hardship.]
I therefore request you to kindly [specific action] at the earliest. I shall be grateful for your help.
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
[Full Name]
[Address]
[Mobile] · [Email]
Place: [City]
Date: [DD Month YYYY]
Enclosures: [ID proof, earlier complaint copy, photographs]
Parts of a formal letter — and what goes in each
Part What to write Tip
Sender’s address Your name, address with PIN code, phone, email Not needed on company letterhead — it is printed above
Ref. No. and date Reference number from your register; date as 15 October 2026 Write the month in words to avoid 10/11 confusion
Receiver’s address “To,” then designation, organisation, address, PIN Address the post (e.g. Branch Manager) when you do not know the name
Subject One line with the purpose and any account, order or file number The reader should know the request without opening the body
Salutation “Dear Sir/Madam,” in business; “Respected Sir/Madam,” to an official; “Dear Mr. Rao,” when you know the name Match the closing to the salutation
Body Opening (why you write), details (facts, dates, numbers), request (what, by when) Three short paragraphs are usually enough
Complimentary close “Yours faithfully,” after Sir/Madam; “Yours sincerely,” when you used the person’s name Do not use “Yours lovingly” or “Your obedient” in business
Signature block Signature, name, designation; “For [Company]” above an authorised signatory Sign in blue or black ink on printed letters
Enclosures and CC List each attached document; name people who receive a copy Number the enclosures to match the attachments
Block format or modified block?
• Block format (used in Formats 1–3): every line starts at the left margin; leave one blank line between paragraphs. It is the most common business format and the easiest to type.
• Modified block: sender’s address, date and closing start at the centre of the page; everything else is on the left. Some schools still teach it — follow your board’s instructions in exams.
• Use one font (Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman), 11–12 pt, margins of about 2.5 cm, and keep the letter to one page when you can.
Before you send it
Delete this page before you send or print the document.
• Replace every [bracket] and delete the format labels and this page.
• Check names, designations, account or order numbers and dates against your documents.
• Keep a copy and note the Ref. No. in your outward register so you can quote it later.
• For letters that need proof of delivery, send by Speed Post or courier and keep the receipt, or ask for a signed acknowledgement on your copy.
• Sending it as a Layers document shows when the recipient opened it, and you can set a reminder to follow up.
Fields in [SQUARE BRACKETS] must be completed or deleted. © Layers (layers.md), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may adapt and reuse this template with attribution.
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