Modern communications mean that it’s no longer necessary to write letters. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

1In the pastIn years gone by, before the age of the telegraph or telephone, letter writing was the main means of communication for most people. Since then we have developed faster and more direct ways of contacting people, and personal mail has become relatively rare. It is true that in many cases 2in which our parents would have written a letterwhere our parents would have written a letter, we prefer 3to pick up the phone, email or even textto pick up the phone, to email or even to text instead. These are perfectly suitable ways of inviting friends to call round or exchanging news with a family member, for example, and they have 4the advantage of immediate communicationthe advantage that the communication is immediate and we can receive a reply very quickly. In business, too, fax and email are extremely useful. However, 5in my opinion, there are timesin my opinion there are times when there is 6no suitable alternative to a letterno alternative to a letter. Letters are generally more formal and carefully composed than emails. This makes them more suitable for occasions when 7lettersthey are likely to be kept and re-read, perhaps several times, by the recipient, 8such as formal letters of thanks or sympathyas with formal letters of thanks or sympathy. In addition, letters provide a written record, unlike telephone calls, so they are also a better way of setting out an important or complex argument, 9for example, in official complaints or legal mattersas in official complaints or legal matters. In conclusion, I would definitely agree that there are fewer 10occasionstimes when we need to write letters than in the past. On the other hand, I feel there are still some important occasions when a letter is the most appropriate form of communication.