A letter generally should have 5 to 7 parts, depending on the type of letter. The common parts include:
- Heading (date and sender's address)
- Salutation or Greeting
- Body (main message of the letter)
- Closing (a polite ending phrase)
- Signature (sender's name and signature)
Some letters, especially formal business letters, also include the recipient's address and a complimentary close before the signature, making a total of 7 parts. Friendly letters may also have an optional postscript (P.S.) after the signature. So, a letter typically has between 5 and 7 essential parts for formal letters, and about 6 parts if including the optional postscript in informal letters.
