Are you predisposed to be clueless, when it comes to ending a letter? Here is a short guide explaining the intricacies of ending formal and informal letters gracefully.
I particularly enjoy writing and reading hand written letters more than e-mails. They have a more personal touch and they say a lot more than an email. Ending a letter can be difficult at times. You want an ending, which precisely says what you think and nothing less or more. Here are some simple tips and ideas on ending a letter effectively.
How to End a Formal Letter
In a formal or business letter, the concluding paragraph and line are important and it will depend on what kind of business you are conducting through that textual communication. Whatever the purpose might be, it should end saying how you are looking forward to hear from them about your proposal. Let it sound professional and keep it crisp. While it shouldn’t be bursting with emotion, neither should it be too cold.
In today’s world, when businesses are looking to give a personal touch to everything they do, you can afford to end a letter with a positive note and a tinge of enthusiasm. Thank them for their service if they have offered you any and show your enthusiasm in collaborating with them for the particular business transaction.
If it is a cover letter for a job application, say that you are looking forward to an interview invitation from that company. After the concluding line, comes the farewell. Following are the concluding farewell expressions, that sound appropriate for ending a business letter:
- Thanking You, Yours Sincerely
- Thanking You, Yours Faithfully
- Thanking You, Respectfully Yours
- Kind Regards
- Thanking You in Anticipation
I think it shouldn’t be very difficult to figure out the ending of a letter, that you are writing to be thankful. Well just thank the person again in the ending too and ask the person to feel free to contact you when he/they require any help. The end farewell expression could be:
- Thanking you Again, Yours Sincerely
- Thanking you Again, Yours Faithfully
- Thanking You Again, Yours Gratefully
Ending an Informal Letter
There are no formalities between friends. So, there is no formal structure to end an informal letter. You can be as frank and free in expressing your thoughts as possible. In the concluding line, you could talk about how you are looking forward to your friend’s or acquaintance’s answer to your letter or meeting him as soon as possible. You could end with something like ‘Between friends, there are no farewells‘ or ‘Until we meet again‘ and end with something like the following farewell expressions:
- Take Care
- Catch You Soon
- See You Soon
- Adios Amigo/Amiga
- Hugs
Love Letter Endings
How do you end a letter written to the love of your life? I do not advocate proposing love through letters. That you must do in person. Well, if you are really in love, you will know what to say. Make sure that you do not sound cheesy to the point of being creepy. End the letter telling him/her about how much you miss her/him and how you look forward to your meeting. A simple ‘I love You‘ is enough at the end. Here are some of the farewell greetings to use in the ending of a love letter:
- Always With You
- Love
- Truly Yours and Yours Only
- Yours Unconditionally
- Yours Forever
A letter ending is decided by how close you are to the person (or how close you want to be!) and how different and personal you want to be in the letter. There is always the P.S. (Postscript), to say add something more. In informal letters, you can use it to convey an afterthought. Like the famous ‘P.S. I Love You’ usage, you can use it effectively, to add more grace to your letter ending. Its usage in formal letters is not recommended.
When it comes to writing love letters or letters to friends, don’t stick to a convention, you can make your own creative ending and avoid cliches. A letter ending is a parting statement, that lingers long after reading. Ergo, make sure that you choose your words wisely.