WRITING: AN Petr Novotný Gymnázium Dr. Karla Polesného Znojmo

INTRODUCTION s, as well as other forms of electronic communication, have become more common than the traditional letters; however, for certain types of messages (complaints, job applications, etc) "paper" letters are still preferred or required. The style of a particular is always relevant to the type of message and the target reader.

SUBJECT HEADER Use short and accurate SUBJECT header, which clearly reflects the content of your . Always fill in the SUBJECT header, do not leave it empty. Avoid meaningless SUBJECTS as "Hello", "Important" or "Interesting news", which are generally associated with spams and viruses, and immediately deleted by many recipients.

SALUTATION In informal s (to family members or friends) you can also use salutations as Hello + first name (Hello Jane,) or Hi + first name (Hi Jane,) This is not so common in traditional "paper" letters. In formal s follow the traditional salutation rules as Dear Mr + surname (Dear Mr Moorman,) or Dear Sir, etc After the salutation use a comma (,) or nothing

THE MESSAGE If you divide the message into paragraphs, use blocks (ie leave empty lines between individual paragraphs). This is clearer and safer than indenting, which may be lost during the transfer. If you add attachments to your , make sure to mention them in the message. Also check that you have really included the attachments. Using ALL CAPITALS is the digital equivalent of shouting and is considered rude. Avoid using all lower-case either.

CONCLUDING COMMENT AND COMPLIMENTORY CLOSING At the end of informal s use: "Take care", "Best wishes", "Yours (forever)", "Love", "Lots of love", etc followed by your name. At the end of formal s use: "I look forward to hearing from you (soon/shortly)." followed by: "Yours faithfully" if you don't know the addressee's name (and began with "Dear Sir / Madam") or "Yours sincerely" if you have the contact name (and began with "Dear Mr / Mrs /...") and your full name.