When You Write a Letter

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When You Write a Letter (1922)
by Thomas Arkle Clark

Chapter 1

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Thomas Arkle Clark4382085When You Write a Letter1922When You Write a Letter (1922) front cover.png

When You Write a Letter

Some Suggestions as to Why, When, and
How It Should Be Done

By
THOMAS ARKLE CLARK
Dean of Men and Professor of Rhetoric
University of Illinois

BENJ. H. SANBORN & CO.
ChicagoNew YorkBoston
1922

Copyright, 1921
By BENJ. H. SANBORN & CO.

To my former students and
all others who have not
answered my letters

Preface

Everybody writes letters, but not everybody does it well. The ability to write a good letter couched in effective language and put into correct form upon appropriate stationery constitutes a tremendous business, political, and social asset. This little book does not guarantee to make you perfect in these details, but it does undertake to interest you and to offer you distinct help.

Thomas Arkle Clark

Urbana, Illinois
August 1, 1921

Contents

Letter-Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		1
Materials and Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		39
The Friendly Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		69
Formal Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		95
The Business Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		113
Letters of Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		147

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1932, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 92 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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