Letter of attestation writing and free samples
A letter of attestation is a formal document. This fact alone is enough to make its composition a tough task for a person who has never done such a thing before. Now, do you want to obtain a magical skill which will make the writing of formal papers easy and quick? Go on reading!
Source: UGC
When you are composing a formal paper, the main thing you should know is the proper format. Every official document has its own which is accepted and recognised. A protocol should not be written as a certificate, and a request should not have the form of a claim. That is all. It is not simple to keep in mind all these formats and styles, but luckily, we have a short guide for you and some samples of attestation letter which will help you complete your writing smoothly and quickly.
What do people use an attestation letter for?
Well, such a document may have different purposes. Sometimes, it is meant to confirm the fact that somebody has completed something and now possesses a particular skill or meets specific requirements. Sometimes, it may be requested by a court trial, and in such a case, it is necessary as a documented description of somebody’s character and personality. Such reports may be issued by a pastor, a teacher, even an employer, but this must be a person who has known the particular individual well enough in any case.
Source: UGC
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In separate situations, such papers are needed to attest and verify some documents. These are usually diplomas, certificates and other documents shown on request to whom it may concern. As a rule, the procedure of attestation is completed by the authority that has produced the mentioned papers, and it is done on a special request.
Some universities demand such documents from candidates when they fill out application forms. In such cases, students need to write such letters for themselves and provide the requested information.
Finally, there are situations when such a letter is required for a product. The person who produces it verifies the conformity of the product after testing it thoroughly.
These are only several situations when you may need to write a letter of attestation for yourself or on behalf of another person. However, in practically all cases, the format will be the same, and the scheme of writing will be the same as well.
Writing a letter of attestation: How to get it done easily!
Source: UGC
From the very start, you need to remember that it is a formal document. Everything you state in it may be (and probably will be) verified and checked. If you do not want to have problems, make only those statements which are absolutely true and factually correct.
There are no precise size limits for this document; so it may be several lines or several pages long. It will depend solely on how much you can say about the person who will use this paper. However, you should always remember that everything you write in it should be strictly to the point and as short as possible.
The choice of paper and font
This point matters especially for those who have their own letterheads. If you are a student and compose it for yourself to send together with your application form, you will definitely have no letterhead. If you are an employer who writes it for a former employee’s new workplace, you should obviously use the letterhead of your company to give the document the necessary weight and validity.
In all other cases, use plain white paper and a clear font which is easily readable. If there is a lot of text in your letter, it is better to have it on several pages than to reduce the size of the font to squeeze the text into one page.
The readability means a lot and the neat formal look of the paper will create the essential first impression about the one who is described in it.
Opening the text
Source: UGC
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Everything you write below the name of your organisation (if you have a letterhead) is a part of the text body. The very first line you write should be the date of the writing. Sometimes, it makes sense to state a later date (a couple of days later than the actual day and month), but it is done in case you will send the document via mail. Make sure that you write the name of the month instead of providing its number to avoid any confusion and mistakes.
Now we come closer to another difference connected to the choice of paper for your document. If you use a letterhead, you will not need to write your address once again. If you use plain paper, you need to write your name and address right after the date. Then, in another block, you will need to write the name and title of the person who will deal with this document. In separate cases, however, you will need to address your letter as “To Whom It May Concern” because you may simply not know who is going to deal with such documents. Thus, you will need to write the name of the facility and its address in the address block.
Source: UGC
Unlike many other business papers, this one will not start with any “Dear” salutations. You just need to state the correct department or employee who will deal with it. Even if you compose this paper on behalf of another person, try to get to know who is in charge of dealing with this document. Avoid addressing it “To Whom It May Concern” by all means and resort to this phrase only in case there is no other option available.
Then, you will need to type the main line, which will name the subject of the paper. This is necessary when you compose this document for another person.
Drafting the text properly
If you are writing about yourself, you will not need any line saying that this is an attestation letter for John Doe. Instead, you will go straight to the text, in which you confirm some of your skills or abilities. Your presentation of your skills will only look better if it is really short. A couple of phrases will do for the description because you would hardly want to be seen as a person who cannot stop while speaking about his or her own merits and virtues. In the meanwhile, if you are speaking about another person, you should feel free to add some emphasis to the description (only a little and to the point) to provide the person with a good recommendation.
Source: UGC
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When describing another person, start with your own name and job title and then go directly to the point, let the reader know that you are doing this to confirm the skills of this person. Still, if you are speaking about yourself, you will need to add a specific line called 'Declaration'. This line will highlight your intention to provide only proved facts and nothing but the truth. This part is typical and normal for business papers which confirm something or render a kind of certification.
It sometimes happens that people need confirmation of their good behaviour or nature. Such documents are often requested by institutions connected to the law or when a person is under a court trial or is suspected of being a criminal. As an employer or a pastor, or any other person who knows this person well enough, you need to speak about his or her character, habits and ways but remember to say only the truth. Even though you are not under oath, the fact that you provide false information or embellish negative details may be a blow on your reputation.
Completing the discourse
In the end, you will need to sign all the facts and statements you have made above and thus prove them once again. Your signature shows that you accept full responsibility for what you have provided in the text. With this in mind, you should make sure, for the last time, whether every fact you have provided is correct and can be proved upon request.
Source: UGC
Some documents of this type require notarization. You should make this point clear from the very start so that you can date the paper with the actual day when it will be notarized. Also, in such cases, you should remember that a notary may need to see you signing the document to prove that the signature is yours. You better leave the space empty but take a pen with you to sign the paper at any moment when the notary gives you instructions.
When your paper is complete, what next?
Proofreading is a must if you want to create a good impression. It looks equally poor when a business document comes with mistakes or awkward sentences from both an individual and a company. Since your goal is to present your own or another person’s merits from the best sides, give proofreading enough attention.
All this should be done before you print the paper out. When printing, make sure that everything is accurate and that the text is placed correctly on the letterhead sheets (providing you use them). Also, check the margins, which are necessary for any business document. The smallest allowed margins make 2.5cm on each side. It is better to leave the left one a little wider. Number the pages if you have several within your document. It will help the reader find the way through the text. Number the pages even if there are only two of them.
Source: UGC
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If you are not sure or if you were not instructed previously on how to deliver the document to the addressee, make things clear before you come to your own conclusion and make a wrong step. A majority of business documents are forwarded by regular mail. If this is the preferred way of delivery, do this but leave a copy just in case.
Sometimes, it is necessary to send a signed document via email services. You will need to print the letter out, pass all the procedures (notarization and signing with your own hand), and then scan the sheet. Sometimes, business persons prefer inserting their previously scanned signatures into the scanned image of a document, but this is not the best way. People who know such tricks may see the trace of graphic alternation of the original image and reject your signature as a fraud. To avoid this, just spare a few seconds to sign the text with your own hand and scan it afterwards to receive a clear and untouched image.
Where can you find a good letter of attestation sample?
Source: UGC
Having a writing guide before your eyes is good but seeing a good sample may be very helpful too. So, let us see where you can find reliable samples of this document just to take a look at and use them as a canvas for your own attestation letter.
- Check out for inspiration: an attestation letter sample for an employee
- Consider as an example of a positive and factual letter of attestation for an exam
- Take advantage of downloadable examples of diverse letters of attestation
- An informative good behaviour attestation letter
We believe this letter of attestation writing guide was helpful to you and now you will be able to write any paper of this type rather quickly. Even though the instructions seem to be long, there are several key points which you should remember to get through the writing process easily. They are: tell the truth, be concise, and stick to the point. This will help you keep your documents formal, laconic, stylish, and impressive.
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Source: Legit.ng
