This article was co-authored by Tami Claytor. Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification.
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A letter to Authority is similar to a "Letter of persuasion". However it should not be mixed with a "Letter of Complaint"; its main aim is to try to convince and persuade an authority figure into doing something, or changing his mind on a particular matter. For instance, your boss at work decided to cancel some employee benefits such as free transportation for all workers, due to budget cuts. You can write a letter to your boss to argue your position.
Steps
Preparation:
Analyze the situation or prompt. Highlight the KEY WORDS.
Think about the appropriate tone to use; remember you are talking to an authority figure, and you are persuading him, not forcing him. Therefore, do not be aggressive, and stay polite!
Think of valid and powerful arguments; talking about important things, and use strong arguments in order to convince him/her. Talking about irrelevant and weak arguments will ruin your letter.
Prepare hard evidence and facts, in order to justify your arguments.Advertisement
Layout:
Like any other Letter, you should state your address, his/her address, and the date.- YOUR ADDRESS: Building #, Street Name, City/ State, Zip Code, Country. (on the top right)
- DATE: The date is under your address.
- HIS/HER ADDRESS: Building #, Street Name, City/ State, Zip Code, Country. (below the date, and on the left)
Greetings:- If the person you are addressing is known: "Dear Mr./ Mrs./ Miss Smith," (Title + Last name).[1]
- If the person you are addressing is unknown: "Dear Sir/Madam,"
Introduction:- Your position.
- Reason for writing.
- Example: " I am a student at Harlem High School writing on behalf of all students concerning the discontinuation of the art, drama, and music programs in our school"
Body: (consists of about 3 paragraphs)- Paragraph 1: Argument 1, with justification.
- Paragraph 2: Argument 2, with justification.
- Paragraph 3: Counter Argument/ or suggestions and solutions.
Conclusion: conclude what you previously said, and write closing remarks. Example: "I hope you find this option suitable", "I hope you take this matter into consideration", "Thank you for your time and effort", etc.[2]
Sign off:- If the person you are addressing is Known: "Yours sincerely,"
- If the person you are addressing is Unknown: "Yours faithfully,"
- Under it, write your full name and signature.[3]
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Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do you sign off a letter respectfully?
Tami ClaytorTami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification.
Etiquette Coach"Sincerely" and "With warm regards" are both good options. You could even say something like "Sending you wishes for a nice day" to mix it up a little bit. - QuestionHow do you write your name in a formal letter?Tami ClaytorTami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification.
Etiquette CoachAlways write your full name if you're addressing the letter to someone you don't know.
Tips
- Connect your sentences and paragraphs, and introduce your points using the right linking words/ phrases.Thanks
- Use formal language; impersonal style , frequent use of the passive, complex sentences, use of participles, non-colloquial English, no descriptions or feelings, advanced vocabulary...Thanks
- Address the issue clearly.Thanks
Warnings
- Do not be aggressive; let us not forget who we are talking to, and that you are trying to convince, not to refute or complain. DO NOT write for example: "I would like to refute this decision", or "I am writing to tell you that you should not cut our benefits as employees", or "I am writing to tell you that the decision you made was a poor one".Thanks
- Avoid One Sentence Paragraph.Thanks
References
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