SOME COMMON MISTAKES IN LETTER WRITING

Letters are important in our everyday lives. As technologically developed as the world is today, people still rely on concrete evidence to have something confirmed in writing which a letter does from time to time.

When we write a letter, it gives both the sender and receiver a sense of personal touch. Both parties see themselves as important and part of the development of something, whether real or imaginary; the letter also “acts as an ambassador” for the writer. At the same time, “letters are long-lasting, tangible evidence of information you communicate to others.” For the purpose of this writing, our attention will be more on the business than the personal letter. As important as the letter is, there are pitfalls to letter writing.

Though different media of communication exist, “based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories of communication, which are formal and informal communication that have their own set of characteristic features Buzzle.com.” The letter is still one of the most frequently and widely used particularly in formal (business) communication –

Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business communication or corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. ... written memos and corporate letters are used for communication. … formal communication is straightforward, official and always precise and has a stringent and rigid tone to it (Buzzle.com).

The letter is part of the verbal communication and falls in the class of written subcategory. Writing has a number of advantages over speech and non-verbal communication. That writing is recorded gives it a huge advantage over speech and non-verbal communication. More so, the chances of misinterpretation are not as rampant if not greatly reduced as we have in the other forms of communication. This means that at any point in time, we must know how to write a letter and write it well, too. This brings us to the issue of what a letter is.

The Merriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary (2003) defines a letter as: "a direct or personal written or printed message addressed to a person or organization." We can see from this that for something to qualify as a letter, it must be written or printed. We need to give room for technology here as some letters are sent online. Those materials will be classified as written. The item must also be directed, that is, addressed to a particular person or organisation. We should add, too, that a letter could be addressed to a group of people.

Letters can be classified as formal or informal. The style and language determine the formality or otherwise of a letter. Based on this brief introduction, we can then begin to view the mistakes that are associated with letter writing.

1. The first mistake that most writers make in letters is the address of the letter. The address here means the actual physical address of the person or organisation writing the letter. It is use to show the address a reply could be sent to. The Collins English Dictionary (2005) adds more to this as it states that a letter is: “… addressed to a person, company, etc., usually sent by post in an envelope.” This tells us that the issue of address is of importance to the letter. Whether the letter is sent by hand, post or over the electronic media, the address is very important and constitutes one of the areas mistakes occur. The address could be in the form of the physical address the letter will be delivered to or the person who the letter is directed to. This is taken care of in the letterhead as the address; telephone number; email address; logo etc. would have been pre-printed with the letterhead. “When letterhead stationery is not available, a return address with the same information that a letterhead contains is placed immediately above the date line in the letter” KCI Reader-Based Writing Style Guide.

Some people write their names at the top of their letters to show who they are. This sounds outrageous but it happens. You are not expected to write your name anywhere unless at the identification line at the bottom of end of the letter. However, you name could come up if you are using the name as a letterhead. For example a typical example, check this link by just clicking here

Here the name serves as a letterhead and has no direct relationship as would have been expected with the normal address. This is the more reason why the font and character are different so as to make it unique. The address could be open-punctuated or closed- punctuated. The use of closed or open punctuation brings up the mistake in the letter. With the open punctuation, it means the addresses are devoid of the usual punctuation marks “Open punctuation omits all nonessential punctuation (even omitting the colon or comma after the salutation and the comma after the complimentary closing)” KCI Reader-Based Writing Style Guide. For example a typical example, check this link by just clicking here

Alternatively, the address could take the closed punctuation:
In Closed Punctuation Style:
• A period follows the date and the last word of the identification line
• A colon follows the salutation (note that in the British style, this will take a comma)
• A comma follows all lines in the inside address except: the last one before the postal code, the complimentary closing, the company name, and the identification line. “What is open punctuation, standard punctuation and closed punctuation?” Yahoo Answer. For example a typical example, check this link by just clicking here

The mistake here is that people would use the open punctuation in the address alone and leave the rest elements. In the open punctuation style, the salutation, complementary closing and identification line are all left un-punctuated. We however need to mention that the body of the letter would have to be well punctuated irrespective of whether the open or closed punctuation style is used.

In the area of the address too, we need to know that it is very important to state who the letter is directed to in an organisation. In business letters, there are two addresses: the sender’s and the recipient’s address. In the area of the recipient’s address, you must state who in particular the letter is meant for “write the address, name and position of the person you are writing to… (The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2006). ” It will amount to a waste of effort if, for example, you wrote to an organisation without directing your letter to a specific person as: The Lagos State Polytechnic rather than The Registrar, The Lagos State Polytechnic. To guard against your letter been thrown to the trash can, always direct your letters to a particular person in an organisation. We need to emphasise that another mistake arises in the use of abbreviation for the date. Dates (unless in informal letters) should be fully spelt out. Do not write 10 Aug. for example but 10 August.

The next mistake is the issue of the salutation. Most writers use the informal salutation for formal letter and vice versa. How would it sound to address your friend as Dear Sir/Madam and a total stranger as Hi. This area is one where the average writer goes wrong. Though the line between formality and informality is gradually thinning out (if it has not thinned out in some situations), people still expect you to keep to the right type of salutation, particularly in formal situations. The very idea of writing Dear Sir/Madam is gradually becoming old fashion as the much non-gender specific “To Whom it May Concern” is preferable. The only problem with this is that it is rather too distance. Most people still do not accept it. The best way to handle this is to make sure you know who will receive the letter. Nothing is more annoying than addressing a man as a woman and vice versa.
· To address someone whose name you do not know you can write:
o Dear Sir
o Dear Madam
o Dear Sirs
o Dear Sir/madam
o Dear Sir or madam (all especially BrE)
o To whom it may concern (especially AmE)
· To address someone by name, use their title and surname:
o Dear Dr Smith (BrE)/
o Dear Dr. Smith: (AmE)
o (not Dear James Smith or Dear Dr James Smith)
· To end formal letters in American English you use:
o Sincerely
o Sincerely Yours
o Yours Truly
In British English you should write:
o Yours sincerely if you have addressed the person by name,
o Yours faithfully if you have begun the letter Dear Sir/Madam, etc (The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2000).

· Another area of interest is that of the purpose of the letter. This means that at the beginning of the letter state why you are writing. Irrespective of the type of letter –whether business (formal) or personal (informal) – state the purpose of the letter. The first paragraph of every letter should be where this is done. If the writer tells the purpose of the letter right at the first paragraph it makes the reader get the essence and this solves the problem of wondering why such letters came in the first place. Some writers do not state why they are writing and this leaves the reader wondering what the letter is all about. When writing … be sure to have a clear purpose and state that purpose as quickly as possible (Corbis in Worth, 2004: 9).

· Paragraphing should also be taken into consideration in writing a letter. We need to know that our letters irrespective of whether it is formal or informal should be well paragraphed. Our letter should contain about four (4) paragraphs. Most writers use more and this creates problems for the readers. A letter of complaint for example, should be paragraphed in such a way that:
paragraph i will explain why you are writing;
paragraph ii will explain what the problem is and describe any action you have already taken;
paragraph iii will say what inconvenience it has caused you; and
paragraph iv will say what you want done about the problem (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary).

If this is done, the letter would be well organised and serve the purpose for which it is meant very well. It is funny, yet true, that most often “people use no paragraphing and the reader is faced with a "sea" of writing with no breaks from start to finish The IELTS Academic Writing Test – Task 2 Tutorial.” This brings up the issue of keeping your writing very brief. With the issue of paragraphing comes the one linking the ideas in the letter. Particularly in formal writings, your ideas must be linked with “formal linking words and phrases (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary).

· Do not use any clichés or stale expressions.
Clichés are overused phrases that have lost any meaning. Avoid phrases such as ‘at the end of the day’, ‘for all intents and purposes’ and ‘as safe as houses’ in your business writing. They add no meaning … and waste your readers’ time (Gladkoff, “Simple Tips to Improve Your Business Writing).”

This will not serve any function in your letter. It will amount to a waste of time, resources and effort if your reader does not bother to read your letter. Modern business writing frowns at the idea of using dead expressions such as:
Please be informed, Kindly be advised, I would like to bring to your attention and I am writing to advise you should have been relegated to the recycle bin way before the turn of the new millennium. Unfortunately today’s writing is still full of centuries-old expressions like these, not to mention even worse ones such as Enclosed herewith please find our catalogue for your reference and perusal, With reference to your above-mentioned order, Further to the telecom today between your goodself and the undersigned. This type of writing is BORING! People are using these standard clichés simply because everyone uses them, and because they have been used for centuries… Taylor (2004:31).

Taylor continues, (click here)

· Unfamiliar acronyms, abbreviations or technical language (jargons) also account for the mistakes writers make in letter writing. This mistake arises as writers most often take it for granted that the readers of the letter will understand what the acronyms, abbreviations or technical language (jargons) mean. The mere fact that a word or an expression is very frequently used in one profession or situation does not mean that it will be understood by everyone in the society. We should also note that it is not everyone who would know the meaning of all abbreviations you use or know. For example, most students would abbreviate their notes when they write. In writing letters both business and personal situations, they take the abbreviations to out of school situations. The fact that everyone in your school knows the abbreviations does not mean that everyone in the society should. We do not need to write abbreviations and technical words if we can afford it. Acronyms could be forgiven as they are part of the society. Though we need to emphasis it that they should have been written out first before we can use them. The UN, US, UK, WHO, UNESCO etc. are well known acronyms that will most often not cause readers any worry but LAG would most certainly.

· Using ambiguous words is another area where writers make mistakes. By ambiguous words we mean words that have more than one meaning and as such result to confusing the readers of the letter. As much as possible, we should try to control ambiguity in the way we use words or punctuate our writing. “If something can be read and understood at the first time of asking, then it's good writing. Simple as that. No matter that it's grammatically correct, well structured and displaying a wide vocabulary: if it's not understood, it's poor writing Hopkins, G. (2000)” The following sentence creates a problem for readers as they are not sure if the emphasis is the men or calling attention to the fact that people are working ahead. Danger men ahead! The fact is that the sentence is meant to be a road sign used to warn motorists and cyclists alike that they should be careful as people are working further down the road. It turns out scaring the audience as they interpret it as the men working ahead are dangerous. It should have been: Danger! Men ahead. Ambiguity here is caused by the placement of the punctuation. So as a guide against ambiguity: Be clear and straightforward in your letters. Write what you mean. Don’t write in circles, making your reader guess what you mean Seglin with Coleman (2002:9).

· Bad spelling and misused words account for the other mistake that writers make in the course of writing letters. Non-verbal communication accounts for the greater part of day to day interaction and the impression we create for others of ourselves can not be easily erased. When you spell something wrongly or misuse words the reader takes you as a care-free person who is not worth doing business with in business communication and as another of those fools in informal writing. You might think it is normal that the receiver will understand that it is a harmless mistake that anyone can make when you write: “cause for course”, “red for read”, “from for form”, “force for false”, two for too and vice versa. What about the impression of you that this creates in the readers. We should not forget that: “there is a distinction between the meanings we ‘give’ in words and the meanings we ‘give –off” in non-verbal signals.” Most importantly, we should pay attention to the non-verbal signal we send with our letter particularly and in our day to day interaction with others as: “Non -Verbal signals are unconscious parts of our behaviour which is a deeply rooted part in our entire makeup. In fact, it is the most basic part of our personality Murugan.”

· The wrong impression we create of ourselves in others is most often due to our failure to read over (proofread) whatever we have written. The importance of reading over whatever is written can not be overemphasized. We need to understand that unlike speech where the speaker speaks and thinks of what to say, writing offers writers the opportunity to think, write, review, edit, change, rewrite etc. before they finally send what they want to send. Most writers leave out this important opportunity as they write and do not bother with reading over what they have written. It has been proved that the human brain has two spheres – one the creative; the other analytical. When you write, you are using the creative part of the brain. After some time, go over whatever you have written. You will certainly see something to change. This time the brain would have switched to the analytical part. This can be explained better by using the computer screen. Most often, when you type on the computer and read over your work, you rarely see the mistakes. This is because even while the mistakes are staring at you; you do not see them because you are still using the creative part of the brain. When you read the computer screen, you are only reading what you have in your head that you have put down in writing. If however, you print such item, you will discover errors in them. This supports the view by letter writing experts that you most always use the 24-hour drawer. This means you should not send your letter out right away but let it be in your drawer for 24-hour. By this time, you will have had the time to go over it and make the necessary amendments. Coupled with this is the issue of allowing another person to go over what you write. This does not mean that you are not competent enough to write. It gives your writing the benefits of a second opinion. When you write something and your friend or colleague reads over and say they do not understand a point you have made in the writing, you can imagine how a total stranger would take the writing. The greatest mistake we make with proofreading is to leave this important task to the computer’s spell-check. “Now that most writers use a computer, they rely on spell-check to catch those misspelled words. But spell-check can take you only so far. It will correct misspellings, but it will not tell you if you’re using the wrong word in a specific situation.” More so, you will not be there to speak for yourself as you would have before your friend or colleague. Worth, R. (2004: 39) proffers three proofreading rules that will of importance to any writers of letters:
1. Don’t proofread on the computer—it’s too hard to spot mistakes on a screen. Instead, make a hard copy and proof it at your desk.
2. Don’t proofread immediately after you’ve finished writing. You’re too close to the project, and you won’t see the mistakes easily. Instead, put the writing away for a day or two; then proofread it.
3. Proofread three times: once for content, clarity, and conciseness, once for grammar and punctuation, and once to make sure you’ve used the right words.

· Avoid pretentious words. This is the greatest mistake any writer can make. Most often we get carried away by our thoughts and assume that everyone thinks and reasons like us. We then go on ego trips by showing off the depth of our knowledge on the topic or subject of discussion. When this happens we become pretentious and nothings annoys your audience more than this. As much as possible, we should keep our letters as straight for as possible. We should try very hard to express and not impress. This is the essence of business correspondence which the business letter is one of its key members. “To write well, express yourself like common people, but think like a wise man. Or, think as wise men do, but speak as common people do – (Aristotle, Greek philosopher cited in Worth, (2004:8)).”
At any point in the course of your letter, try as much as possible to make you message as simple as possible. It is your duty to convey your message as quickly as possible.

· Not paying attention to the attitude you are conveying to your audience. This is conveyed through the tone you use to convey your message. The tone of the writing will determine how the recipient of your writing reacts to the writing.

Tone in writing refers to the writer’s attitude toward the reader and the subject of the message. The overall tone of a written message affects the reader just as one’s tone of voice affects the listener in everyday exchanges (Ober 1995:88).

To get the right tone to use for your letters, it is very important to consider who your audience is and suit your language to them. To do this, you must take into consideration and understand why you are writing your letter. If you understand the reason (purpose) behind the letter, the structuring of your language that will ultimately portray the tone will be taken care of. When you have taken care of the purpose of the letter and considered who will read your letter, you then settle down to consider what you want them (audience) to understand. You will not be there to explain things to them. The letter will speak for you and it is your responsibilities to make the letter speak as it should be convey the fact in the language that is appropriate for the subject, the purpose and the audience.

One test of a successful education is whether it has brought us to a position we can communicate, on a range of subjects, with people in various walks of life, and gain their understanding as well as understand them. But to be in such a position requires a sharpened consciousness of the form and function of language, its place in society, and its power (Crystal and Davy: 1969:4-5).

As we know, if we want to start picking the errors that writers make in the course of writing letters, we will not have the space to write them or the time to totally talk about them. These are just some common mistakes. Whatever mistakes you have made in the past should be left there. You must make concerted effort not to go back to them. “You can’t do much to change anything that you have communicated in the past. The future is a different story Hogan and Stubbs, (2003:9).”

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