Formal Letter Format Guide + 20 Templates (Word)
A practical guide to writing a formal letter that is laid out correctly the first time, followed by the 20 letters people write most often: school leave and fee concession, TC and bonafide requests, a job application, office leave and resignation, a salary certificate request, bank letters, a municipal complaint, an RTI application, a police complaint, an authority letter, a society complaint and a payment reminder. Every blank is a yellow [bracket] so you can see what to replace.
Free · no sign-up · opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and WPS Office. Files contain no macros.
Preview
Real view of the file with its sample data (yellow cells are where you type).
Formal Letter Format Guide
How to lay out a formal letter (Indian, UK and US styles) and the 20 letters people write most often, ready to fill in.
How to use this file
• Replace every yellow [bracket] with your own detail, then remove the highlight (Home › Text Highlight Colour › No Colour).
• Where two forms are shown (he/she, son/daughter), keep the one that fits and delete the other.
• Delete any sentence that does not fit your case. Sign above your name and keep a copy of what you send.
• The online letter writer at toolkit.groupchaton.com fills 78 letter types in English or Hindi from a short form.
The 9 parts of a formal letter
| # | Part | What to write | Example |
| 1 | Sender's address | Your address. In Indian school applications it goes under your name at the end; in UK and US letters at the top. | House 24, Model Town, Ludhiana 141002 |
| 2 | Date | The day you write. Keep one style all through the letter. | Date: 03-11-2026 / 3 November 2026 |
| 3 | Receiver's address | Designation or name, office, city. Start with "To," in the Indian style. | To, The Branch Manager, State Bank of India, Model Town, Ludhiana |
| 4 | Subject | One line that says what the letter is about. Bold or underlined. | Subject: Request for a new cheque book |
| 5 | Salutation | Dear Sir/Madam, Respected Sir (school), or Dear Mr. Gupta when you know the name. | Respected Sir, |
| 6 | Opening | Who you are and why you are writing, in one or two sentences. | I am a student of Class VIII-B of your school. |
Indian, UK and US layouts compared
| Indian | UK / international | US (block) | |
| Your address | At the end, under your name (applications); top left in business letters | Top right, without your name | Top left, without your name |
| Date | Date: 03-11-2026, below "To" block or above it | 3 November 2026, under your address | November 3, 2026, on the left |
| Receiver | "To," then designation, office, city | Designation or name and address, left | Name, title and address, left |
| Subject | "Subject:" before the salutation | Bold heading after the salutation | "Subject:" or "RE:" before the salutation |
| Salutation | Respected Sir/Madam, / Dear Sir/Madam, | Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Mr Gupta, | Dear Sir or Madam: / Dear Mr. Gupta: |
| Before closing | Thanking you, | Not used | Not used |
Salutation and closing: which goes with which
| If you start with | End with | Used for |
| Dear Sir / Dear Madam / Dear Sir/Madam | Yours faithfully, | Offices, banks, companies when you do not know the name |
| Respected Sir / Respected Madam | Yours obediently, (students) or Yours faithfully, | Principal, teacher, senior officials in India |
| Dear Mr. Gupta / Dear Ms. Kaur | Yours sincerely, | A person whose name you know |
| Dear Rahul | Yours sincerely, / With warm regards, | Employer to employee, letters to people you know |
Getting the tone right
• Formal: plain and respectful. "I request you to look into the matter and take the necessary action at the earliest."
• Polite and warm: adds thanks and understanding. "I would be grateful if you could look into this at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your help."
• Firm: states a deadline and the next step, without rudeness. "If the matter is not resolved within 15 days, I will be compelled to take it up with the higher authorities."
• Never threaten, insult or exaggerate. Facts, dates and numbers make a letter strong; adjectives do not.
Before you sign: 10 common mistakes
• No date, or two different date styles in one letter.
• A vague subject such as "Application" or "Request".
• "Dear Sir" with "Yours sincerely" (use "Yours faithfully").
• Account, roll, invoice or consumer number missing, so the office cannot find your record.
• Asking for two unrelated things in one letter.
• Long paragraphs that hide the actual request.
• Text speak and short forms (pls, thx, u).
• Enclosures promised in the letter but not attached.
• No signature above the name, or no phone number to contact you.
• No copy kept, and no "received" stamp or signature on your copy.
…
What's inside
- The nine parts of a formal letter, in order, with what to write in each and a worked example
- Indian, UK and US layouts compared side by side: where the date and addresses go, how the subject is written, which salutation and closing to use
- Salutation and closing rules ("Dear Sir/Madam" needs "Yours faithfully", a name needs "Yours sincerely", students write "Yours obediently")
- How to keep the tone right: formal, polite and firm, with sentences you can borrow
- A checklist of 10 common mistakes to avoid before you sign
- 20 ready templates, one per page, with every detail to fill in marked in yellow
How to use it
- Read the short guide on the first pages once; it explains why each part of a letter is where it is.
- Scroll to the template you need (the contents table lists all 20) and copy it into a new document, or delete the pages you do not need.
- Replace every yellow [bracket] with your own detail and remove the yellow highlight (Home › Text Highlight Colour › No Colour).
- Delete optional sentences that do not fit your case, check the date and the subject line, then print and sign above your name.
- For a letter that is not in the file, use the online letter writer in this toolkit: it has 78 types in English and Hindi.
Tips
- Keep the subject line short and specific: "Application for sick leave from 03-11-2026 to 05-11-2026" is better than "Leave application".
- Write dates the same way all through the letter. In India DD-MM-YYYY is safest; in letters abroad write the month in words (3 November 2026).
- One letter, one purpose. If you have two requests for the same office, write two letters so each can be answered separately.
- Ask the office to sign and stamp your copy as received; it is your proof of the date you wrote.
Questions and answers
Which format do schools and boards in India expect?
The Indian format in this guide: To and the address, Date, Subject, salutation, body in short paragraphs, "Thanking you", the closing and your name with class and roll number. Most CBSE and state board books teach this layout.
Should I write "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"?
Use "Yours faithfully" when you begin with "Dear Sir/Madam" and do not know the reader's name, and "Yours sincerely" when you begin with the person's name. Students writing to a principal traditionally close with "Yours obediently".
Can I open the file without Microsoft Word?
Yes. It is a standard .docx file that opens in Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer, WPS Office and Word on phones.