BOOK Ⅰ THE BASIC RULES OF SUCCESSFUL LETTER WRITING

1．Letter Writing as a Social Asset

What the ability to write good letters can mean to you

A letter is like a＂visit＂on paper

How letters can enrich life－create more enduring friendships

The busiest people make the best letter writers

Write the letters that don＇t need to be written

Send personal letters instead of greeting cards whenever you can

If you＂don＇t know what to say＂in a letter

2．Personality in Letter Writing

Make your letters sound the way you do!

Visualize the person to whom you are writing

Just write as you speak－that＇s the whole secret!

Use your customary words and patter

Some easy ways to make your letters sound conversational

Keep your language simple－short words are the best

How to write with greater ease and clarity

People judge you by your letters

Avoid careless remarks that may be misunderstood

Don＇t write anything you may later regret

The letter everyone loves to receive

3．The Physical Characteristics of Your Letter

The correct stationery for social and personal correspondence

Short notes should be handwritten

Use of the typewriter

The spacing and arrangement of a letter

Sequence of pages and folding the letter

How to avoid mistakes in spelling and grammar

The use of punctuation

4．The Parts of a Letter

The heading

The salutation

The body of the letter

The close

The signature

How to address the envelope

BOOK Ⅱ YOUR SOCIAL CORRESPONDENCE

1．The General Rules of Social Correspondence

All social correspondence has a specific purpose

The difference between formal and informal correspondence

What you should know about informal correspondence

What you should know about formal correspondence

2．Dinner Invitations and Acknowledgments

Always respond promptly to a dinner invitation

Dinner in honor of a special guest or guests

Dinner to celebrate a special occasion

Dinner followed by concert or opera

Dinner by sons and daughters in honor of parents

How to postpone or cancel formal dinner invitations

How to break a formal dinner engagement

Inviting a friend to fill an empty place at dinner

Informal dinner invitations－and how to answer them

Inviting friends to dinner and the theater

When a daughter acts as hostess

Note to recall an informal dinner invitation

Note to break an informal dinner engagement

Note to an intimate friend recalling a dinner invitation

Note to an intimate friend breaking a dinner engagement

3．Luncheon and Supper Invitations and Acknowledgments

Invitations for simple informal luncheons

Inviting someone you do not know

Supper invitations

4．Party Invitations and Acknowledgments

Card party invitations

For an informal bridge luncheon

For a formal bridge luncheon

For an informal cocktail party

For a formal cocktail party

For an informal tea party

Formal tea parties

Garden party invitations

Invitations for house and week-end parties

Invitations for showers

Invitations for christenings

5．Dance Invitations and Acknowledgments

Debutante dances and dinner dances

Supper dance invitations

How to acknowledge formal dance invitations

Recall or postponement of formal dance invitations

Subscription dances and charity balls

Invitations for informal dances

The friendly note of invitation

Asking an invitation for a relative or friend

6．Wedding Invitations and Announcements

Announcing an engagement

The church wedding

Church admission card

The home wedding

Train and direction cards

Wedding announcements

Enclosing＂at home＂cards with the announcement

Wedding invitations for special and unusual circumstances

Invitation to a double wedding

The bride with one parent

When the bride has no parents

Invitations for a second marriage

When the groom is in the military services

Recalling a wedding invitation

How to acknowledge wedding invitations

The informal wedding invitation written by hand

Bride＇s note of invitation to a close friend

To a relative

If there has been a recent bereavement

To an old friend of the groom－a stranger to the bride

To a business associate of the groom

Inviting a friend to the reception only

Invitations to wedding anniversaries

7．Letters of Thanks

When and how to acknowledge wedding gifts

To relatives

To intimate friends

To less intimate friends

To a business associate of the groom

To an old classmate of the groom－a stranger to the bride

Shower gifts should be individually acknowledged

Notes of thanks for Christmas gifts

For birthday gifts

For wedding anniversary gifts

For a gift for a newborn baby or young child

For a＂Bon Voyage＂gift

The bread-and-butter letter

Thanks for gifts to a patient or invalid

Thanks for a favor received

Thanks for a letter of condolence

Thanks for a letter of congratulation

On a birthday

On an engagement

On a marriage

On a wedding anniversary

On the birth of a child

On graduating from college

On winning an honor or distinction

8．Letters of Congratulations

Congratulations on an engagement

Congratulations on marriage

Congratulations on a wedding anniversary

Congratulations on a birthday

Congratulations on the birth of a child

Congratulations on graduation

Congratulations on winning an honor or distinction

Congratulations on a promotion or a new venture

Congratulations on a speech or a performance

9．Letters of Condolence

On the death of a parent

On the death of a husband or wife

On the death of a child

On the death of a relative

When death is a release

When someone is killed or commits suicide

Some famous letters of condolence

10．Notes of Sympathy on Illness，Injury and Material Loss

To those who are ill

To those who have been injured

To those who have suffered material loss or damage

11．Letters of Introduction

To be presented in person

To be sent by mail

＂Follow-up＂letters of introduction giving additional information

A famous letter of introduction

BOOK Ⅲ YOUR PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE

1．The General Rules of Personal Correspondence

Answer every letter promptly－it＇s easier for you

You don＇t need literary style to write interesting letters

How long should a letter be？

2．Friendly Letters

How to begin a friendly letter

What to write in a friendly letter

What not to write in a friendly letter

Consider the person to whom you are writing

How to close your letter

Examples of letters to personal friends

Friendly letter from one man to another

Letters to friends in distant places

Letters from distant places to friends back home

Christmas letter to a friend

3．Family Letters

The ever-welcome letter from home

To a daughter living and working in another city

To a husband away on business

To a married sister living at a distance

Letters to children away at school or camp

Excerpts from letters to children written by famous people

From a bride to her parents on her honeymoon

Letter to a relative who has asked for advice

4．Love Letters

Examples of love letters from women to men

Examples of letters from men to women

Excerpts from the love letters of famous men and women

Postscript on personal letter writing

BOOK Ⅳ YOUR BUSINESS AND CLUB CORRESPONDENCE

1．The General Rules of Business Correspondence

The parts of a business letter

The inside address

The salutation

The body of the letter

The complimentary close

The signature

Addressing the envelope

Suggestions for writing more effective business letters

Write your letters from the reader＇s point of view

Be sure it sounds sincere

Enthusiasm is contagious

Courtesy counts in letter writing，too

How to prejudge the effectiveness of your letter

2．The Tone and Language of a Good Business Letter

Abbreviations in business letters

The opening paragraph

Examples of effective openings for various types of letters

The closing paragraph

Examples of effective closings for various types of letters

The use of postscripts in business letters

The Ten Commandments for writing a good business letter

3．Examples of Routine Business Letters

Letters of order and confirmation

Letters of complaint and adjustment

Letters of inquiry and acknowledgment

Letters about credit

Collection letters

Acknowledging collection letters

Miscellaneous business letters

4．Letters That Sell

Examples of effective sales letters

Letters that sell good will

5．Letters of Application

Don＇ts in preparing your letter of application

Examples of good letters of application

Letters of reference

Letters of introduction and reference

Letters requesting information from references

Thank-you letters for help in getting a job

6．Your Club Correspondence

Notification of election to office

Letters of resignation

Requests to speak or entertain at a club

Answers to invitations from clubs

Letter of thanks for speaking or entertaining at a club

BOOK Ⅴ CHILDREN＇S CORRESPONDENCE

1．The Letters All Children Must Learn to Write

Children＇s thank-you notes for gifts

Children＇s thank-you notes for hospitality

Children＇s personal correspondence

2．Children＇s Invitations and Acknowledgments

Notes of invitation

Notes of acceptance

Notes of regret

Appendix

Forms of Address