Etiquette In Society-Correspondences

Etiquette-Correspondences

Keeping in touch with other people through correspondence is one of the most lasting, secure ways to maintain friendships.

No matter what the distance, or how much time has passed, if regular communication is kept up, friendship will be maintained and may even grow. Here are some common-sense rules about correspondence.

Always answer your mail promptly.

A prompt reply is appreciated because it shows you are eager to correspond. Invitations, condolence's, and greetings should be sent as soon as possible -- a courtesy that shows people you are thinking of them.

Write your bread-and-butter notes no later then the day after departure.

Expression of gratitude should never be belated, as a courtesy to the hostess. By being prompt you are showing appreciation for the favor.

Show good taste in selecting writing paper.

Use different paper according to the occasion. Expensive paper is not necessary for a letter to a friend, but school notebook paper is not correct for a thank-you note. A nice medium, such as unlined white paper, may be used, except for printed invitations, birthday cards, or the like, as the occasion demands.

Good penmanship is desirable.

There are many styles of handwriting, but the rule is ledgibility. If your writing is not clear or readable, you should print or typewrite, until your handwriting has improved. Using a typewriter is correct, though not as personal as your own handwriting. Sloppy, careless letters are un-pardonable, so rather then send a hurried note that may be displeasing, copy the letter over.

Use the proper form in writing a letter.

Follow the basic principle that "if you will not do something correctly, there is no reason to do it at all." Proper form is not difficult. A well-known pattern that people have found satisfactory for years and years is: Start with a greeting, move into the main part or body of the letter, and finish with a conclusion and farewell.

In writing, be yourself.

Too often, people use correspondence as an excuse to be different, which is not good because it confuses others. Your letter should express a bit of yourself. Write a refined version of the way you speak and act, because this is what the recipient expects and usually desires.

Bear in mind the person you are writing to.

You can easily fall into a lengthy discussion of yourself and bore the reader. True, he is interested in you and your activities, and you should give him any important details about your doings, depending on how intimate you are. Then show your interest by commenting on news you have of him, or say you wish you had more. You might even ask a question or two, without seeming to pry into personal matters.

In closing a letter, be sincere but not to flowery.

As in speaking, think before you write, so as not to write anything you may regret. Conclusions and farewells are often awkward. Uncomfortable passages can be avoided by being brief and to the point.

Place your letters, notes, invitations, and other greetings carefully in their envelopes.

An untidy folded communication is surely not calculated to keep your reader's regard

Address the envelope carefully.

A badly addressed envelope spoils its chance of being delivered. Without a return address, the letter may end up in the dead-letter office.