1. Layout
full postal address followed by date in top right of letter
the name of person and address you are writing to goes in the left hand side above greeting but lower down than your address
the greeting is normally 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam' or full title if you are supposed to have met the person or spoken on the phone, or written before. For example, 'Dear Mr Brown' or 'Dear Dr Jones'
ending is always 'Yours faithfully' if you have opened with 'Sir' or 'Madam' or 'Yours sincerely' if you have used a name
you can print your initials and name after your signature
Content
begin with an introductory paragraph
the main body of the letter needs to be in a logical sequence and give enough detail to make the reader 'get the message'
the last paragraph should be a conclusion summarising the main purpose of the letter
the tone of the letter must match purpose outlined in the task - it can be neutral giving straightforward factual details or emotive using language to persuade reader about some issue
formal letters must stick to the conventions of formal writing, no slang, no shortened word forms, etc.
always match letter to purpose of writing