LETTER WRITING

WRITING LETTER FOR CLASS

10th/11th & 12th

By – VIKAS KUMAR

PGT ENGLISH

KV AMBASSA

LETTER WRITING

LETTER

The most common form of a written communication is the letter. Letters should have a format that goes with the latest conventions.

Types of Letters:

Informal Letters- These are letters written to close associates ( i.e.letter to parents, friends, neighbours, classmates, siblings)

Formal Letters- These are:

a. Business or Official letters (for making enquiries, registering complaints, asking for and giving information, placing orders and sending replies).

b. Letters to the editor (giving suggestions on an issue).

c. Application for a job.

Points to remember while drafting letters:

 Write the letter in full block format (i.e., to the left).

 State your reason for writing in the first paragraph and stay on track.

 Always include specifics that will help ease the recipient’s task. For instance, if you are writing to a bank, mention your account number.

 If you refer to other correspondence, quote date of the letter(s), reference numbers, file numbers, order numbers, cheque number with date. Include copies, whenever possible.

 Gently and respectfully direct the recipient’s course of action.

 It may be strongly worded, but always be courteous and use polite language and pleasant tone.

 Self-introduction should be avoided.

 Informal expressions, greetings or contracted forms of words should not be used.

 The language should be simple, straight forward and to the point.

 Leave a line/additional space between paragraphs since no indentation is followed.

 Open punctuation to be followed (no punctuation marks to be used).

 Do not mix up the old format and the new format.

 In letters to the Editor: Do not ask the editor to solve the problems.

 In job application letters, Curriculum Vitae (CV)/ Bio-data/ Resume should be written. It should not be included in the body of the letter but after the complimentary close, as an enclosure.

 In the letter to the Editor, use ‘yours truly’ or ‘yours sincerely’, as the complimentary close.

Types of Letter -

1. BUSINESS LETTERS

 Making enquiries/ asking for information

 Replying to enquiries/giving information

 Placing orders and sending replies

 Cancelling Orders

 Letters registering complaints

2. Official Letters

 Registering Complaints

 Making Enquiries

 Making request/appeal

3. Letters to the Editor

 Giving suggestions on issues of public interest.

 Expressing views on an issue already raised in an article/ write-up/in a published letter.

4. Letters of Job Application

 Application for a job

FORMAT:

Sender's Address : Devi Enclave Raj Ram Marg Bangalore-21 Date : 24 July 20XX Address of the Addressee: The Director//Mr/Mrs Global Enterprises, 8th cross, Victoria Layout, Bangalore Subject : ................................................................. Salutation/Greetings Introduction :-------------------------------------------------------- Body : Main Part of issue of subject----------------------------------- Conclusion :------------------------------------------------- Signatory: - subscription/Complimentary close Yours -------------: Name :

1.     Sender’s address:- The address and contact details of the sender are written here. Include an email and phone number, if required or if mentioned in the question.

2.      Date:- The date is written below the sender’s address after Leaving one space or line.

3.      Receiver’s address:- The address of the recipient of the letter is written here (the officer/principal/Editor)

4.     The subject of the letter:- The main purpose of the letterforms the subject. It must be written in one line. It must convey the matter for which the letter is written.

5.     Salutation-  in letter salutation or greetings must be written according to the type of letter i.e. – (I) For Informal letters- Dear/ My Dear/ My Dear Ravi,                           II) For Formal (Personal) letters- Dear Mr Roy/ Dear Mrs Roy

              III) For Formal (Official/Business/Others) letters- Sir/Madam, Respected Sir/Respected Madam

6.     Body:-The matter of the letter is written here. There should be some space between salutation and first paragraph of body. It may be written in two or three paragraphs. While writing this section of the letter generally following points are included –

Formal letter  (Letter to editor)–

 1. Statement of the Subject/problem/issue of the letter/ Introduction

             2. Causes of the Subject/problem/issue

             3. The outcome of the Subject/problem/issue

             4. Suggestions/remedies

             5. Conclusion

            Letters of Complaints

          1. Purpose with reference to the order.(Introductory)

2. Mention the reason for regret

3. Suggestions to repair/replace

       4. Conclusion

      LETTERS OF ENQUIRY

1. Introduction to the subject

2. Elaborate on the subject /request/enquiry

3. Conclusion

Placing order

1. Introduction to the subject

2. Elaborate on the subject

3. Details of items

            4. Conclusion

Informal letters/Others  types of letters

1. Introduction to the subject

2. Mention the reason for writing letter/issues/subject/problems

3.. Conclusion

7.     Signatory: - subscription/Complimentary close -

(I)               For Informal letters (Personal) –Yours......./ Yours affectionately/ yours sincerely (depending on the personal relationship)

(II)             For Formal (Official/Business/Others) letters- Yours Truly/ Yours Sincerely/ Yours Faithfully

8.     Sender’s name, signature and designation (if any)

SAMPLE LETTERS

(1)BUSINESS LETTERS

(A) Enquiry -

You are Megh/Maya of class X of St Peter’s School, Pitampura, Delhi. Write a letter to the Manager of Book World, RK Puram, New Delhi, inquiring about the availability of a few books you need for your school library. Write as the secretary of your school library.

St Peter’s School

Pitampura

New Delhi-110088

25th April, 2020

The Manager

Book World

A-14, Sector1

RK Puram

New Delhi-110045

Subject : Enquiry Regarding Availability of Books

Sir

We are in need of some books for our school library. I wish to inquire if these books are available at your prestigious store.

We would like to purchase ten copies of each of the following books

1. English Class- X

2. Maths Class -X

4. Science Class -X

5. Hindi Class -X

All these books are the prescribed textbooks for CBSE published by NCERT.

Kindly reply as soon as possible at the above address. Also please send the latest catalogue mentioning new arrivals and discounts extended.

Thanking You

Yours sincerely

Megh Chandra

Secretary, School Library

(B) Complaint –

You are Bhavik/Bhawna of class X of Tejas International School, Vijay Nagar Bulandshahar. Write a letter to the Manager of the Sports Store, Meerut, complaining about the defective stop watches you purchased from their store. Write as the Sports Secretary of your school.

Tejas International School

Vijay Nagar

Bulandshahar – 121301

25th April, 2020

The Manager

Sports Store

A-27, Abu Lane

Meerut-250001

Subject : Defective Stop Watches Purchased on 13th May, 2020

Sir

I am writing this to express my extreme displeasure at the quality of the watches we purchased from your store two days ago. As soon as we reached the school and opened the packet, we realized two of the four watches purchased were not working. The third one has started giving trouble since yesterday. The button to stop is quite stiff. Obviously, we are deeply disappointed at this purchase.

Our school’s sports meet is next week, and these watches were needed urgently. The watches were not checked thoroughly on the day of purchase, but your salesman had advised me that they were brand new pieces.

I hope that you will either replace them or repair them satisfactorily.

Yours Sincerely

Bhawna

Sports Secretary

(C) Placing an Order –

You are the Sports Secretary of Jagjiwan Memorial School, Patparganj, Delhi. You need a few items for the Annual Sports Meet to be held in your school. Write a letter to Vats Sports Company placing orders for the items.

Jagjiwan Memorial School

12/100, Patparganj

Delhi-110092

25th April 2020

The Proprietor

Vats Sports Company

23 Hapur Road

Meerut-250002

Subject : Order for Sports Goods

Sir,

We are placing an order for the following goods required at the Annual Sports Meet of the school scheduled for 5th May 2019.

1. Stop watches - 12 pieces

2. Hockey sticks - 28 pieces

3. Footballs - 12 pieces

4. Cricket bats - 10 pieces

5. Cricket balls-  6 pieces

 The prices of the items should be the same as in the previous supplied to us.

Kindly arrange to supply the goods by the end of this month. Please also ensure that the goods send are of the best quality and packed properly to avoid any transit damage. Payment shall be made soon after receipt of the goods. Damage goods or goods of inferior quality will not be accepted, nor any payment for the same will be made.

We seek your cooperation in this regard.

Yours truly

(Shrish Sharma)

Sports Secretary

(D) Reply to ‘Placing an Order –

You are the Manager of the Vats Sports Company. Write a reply to the above letter giving the information regarding delay in supply of some items.

Vats Sports Company

23, Hapur Road

Meerut-250002

Ref No.- SG/258/2019

25th April, 2020

The Sports Secretary

Jagjiwan Memorial School

12/100, Patparganj

Delhi-110092

Subject : Delay in delivery of some items against your order dated 10th April, 2020

Sir

With reference to your above order, we regret that two of the goods you had ordered, i.e. football and cricket bats, are presently not in the stock.

          However, we shall be receiving these items in a couple of days. This would delay the delivery of the goods by just two days. All the goods will be delivered to you by 2nd May 2020. The inconvenience caused is regretted.

Please be assured about the quality and excellent packing of the goods.

Your truly

Rajat Jain

Manager

(2) OFFICIAL LETTERS

1. You are Anuj Mittal. Write a letter to the General Manager of BSNL requesting him to send you the list of phone calls made from your phone.

11, sector 3

Rajendra Nagar

Ghaziabad-211010

25th May, 2020

The General Manager

Ghaziabad Telephone Exchange

BSNL

Ghaziabad-211002

Subject : Request for List of Telephone Calls

Sir

I am a resident of Rajendra Nagar, Ghaziabad. The phone number 0120-2265298 has been installed in my name at my residence, 11, Sector 3, Rajendra Nagar, Ghaziabad-211010.

I have not been receiving the list of phone calls made along with the bill sent to me every month. I am enclosing a copy of the last bill. I request you to kindly resume the said service to me.

I shall be grateful if you make this facility available to me at the earliest.

Yours sincerely

Anuj Mittal

Encl. Copy of the bill (paid) for the last month.

(C) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

1. Recently you travelled from Bengaluru City to Vasco aboard the Vasco Express. To your dismay, you found that the coach was infested with cockroaches. Write a letter to the Editor, ‘The Hindu’ drawing the attention of General Manager, Southern Railway, to the prevailing unhygienic conditions and asking for remedial action. You are Saroj/Saran, 5/31 Bengaluru Cantt, Bangaluru.

5/31, Bengaluru Cantt,

Bengaluru-560006

25th May, 2020

The Editor

The Hindu

Bengaluru-560001

Subject : Prevailing unhygienic conditions in Southern Railway

Sir,

Through the columns of esteemed daily, I wish to draw the attention of the General Manager, Southern Railway and the concerned authorities towards the prevailing unhygienic conditions in the trains and on platforms.

Recently when I was travelling from Bengaluru City to Vasco on the Vasco Express, I found that the coach was infested with cockroaches. Further observations revealed that all the coaches not only had cockroach infestation but also a rodent problem.

It was hard to sit while watching the cockroaches and rodents running here and there. Moreover, the toilets on the train and on the platforms were not clean. Foreign tourists travelling with us were very disappointed. The unhygienic conditions need to be checked soon before they become a nuisance.

I request you to take a note of the situation and take some remedial action.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely

Saran

2. After passing the secondary school examination, a candidate has to make a very difficult choice from a number of streams available to him for further study at the senior school level. There is no valid mechanism to assess the suitability of a candidate for a particular stream. Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily emphasizing the need of educational counsellors for guidance in this matter in each school. You are Vinita/Vinay, 48, Agra Fort, Agra.

48, Agra Fort

Agra-282004

25th May, 2020

The Editor

The Times of India

Agra-282001

Subject : Need of Educational Counsellors

Sir

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to bring to notice the dilemma that every student is confronted with while appearing for the secondary school examination. After passing this examination, a student has to make a difficult choice from a number of streams available to him for further study at the senior school level.

Students appear to be totally helpless and sometimes even end up selecting the wrong choice of subjects, which they regret later. As there is no valid mechanism to assess the suitability of a candidate for a particular pressure, without realizing their own capabilities.  Hence, I feel that there is a need of educational counsellors for guidance that can show the students the right path.

Educational counsellors can help the students to bring out their hidden qualities. So, they need to be present in every school. Schools can also have career counselling workshops for the students on a regular basis. Parents and teachers can also play a very important role in shaping the young minds.

Thanking You

Yours sincerely

Vinita

3. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper on reckless driving.

No, 7, ABC Colony,

Ghaziabad-211008

25th May, 2020

The Editor

The Hindustan Times

New Delhi-110001

Subject : Reckless Driving

Sir

It is high time that proper steps are taken to put a stop to the reckless driving of cars in the narrow streets of our thickly populated city. Only yesterday a poor beggar very narrowly escaped being hit while crossing the street when a car came dashing along at a speed of about ninety kilometer an hour. Such reckless driving causes fatal accidents to pedestrians crossing the roads.

It is true that regulations regarding the speed limit do exist. But unless the police is strict in enforcing them, what do the drivers care? The police seems to take little or no notice of offenders. Consequently, car accidents are almost a daily occurrence.

I hope the police, the worst sufferer, will bring pressure to bear upon the police to put a stop to reckless driving before we have any more deaths due to accidents.

Yours truly

Sunil Singh

4. You are Nita Sharma, residing at A-406, Vasundhra Apartments, Ghaziabad. You are disturbed to watch the portrayal of women in TV serials. Write a letter to the Editor, The Times of India, BSJ Marg, New Delhi, expressing your views on the issue.

A-406, Vasundhra Apartments

Ghaziabad-211007

25th May, 2020

The Editor

The Times of India

BSJ, Marg

New Delhi-110002

Subject : Skewed the portrayal of women in TV serials

Sir

I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the skewed portrayal of women in TV serials. Most of the TV channels telecast family soaps which do not show women in proper light. A woman is either Kaikeyi or Sita.

The serials advocate values which are against basic Indian culture. There is no respect for values in these serials. The women are being portrayed as a house breaker, conspirator or vamp. The Indian women, known for her kindness, tolerance and sacrifices, is being portrayed as just the opposite.

I am of the opinion that the content of TV serials should be regulated and put under observation. This is the right time to check the trend before the image of the Indian woman is tarnished.

Yours truly

Nita Sharma

5. You are Saurabh Srivastava, a resident of Defense Colony Bagdogra, Siliguri. Your colony is facing the severe problem of inadequate and contaminated water supply. You decide to express your views and make the authorities aware of the situation by writing a letter to the Editor of The Siliguri Times, Siliguri. Write your letter in about 100-120 words.

Defense Colony

Bagdogra

15th April 2020

The Editor

The Siliguri Times

Siliguri

Subject: Inadequate and contaminated water supply.

Sir,

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the civic authorities to the contaminated and inadequate supply of water in our locality.  It is unfortunate that the local civic authorities do not take care to provide the citizens with even the basic amenities such as proper and adequate water supply. In our locality, water is supplied only for three hours in the morning.

For the rest of the day the taps remain dry. Also, the supplied water is impure. It is unhygienic and inadequate. There have been cases of water-borne diseases. The water-borne diseases may break out in the form of an epidemic, if the problem is not properly addressed to.

It is expected that instead of ignoring the issue, the authorities concerned will take immediate steps to ensure the supply of adequate and potable water in our locality so that we residents are able to live a disease-free and healthy life.

Yours truly

Saurabh

Srivastava

(D) JOB APPLICATION

Read the advertisement given below and write a suitable application in response to it. Sign yourself as Neha/Nitin.

Wanted Office Assistant cum Administrator, preferably a commerce graduate, with minimum two years of experience in a concern of repute. Knowledge of computer is a must. Good communication and command over written and spoken English is desired. Apply within 10 days to the Manager, Tulip India Ltd, Muzaffarnagar.

21, Raj Marg

Muzaffarnagar-267020

1st July, 2020

The Manager

Tulip India Ltd

Muzaffarnagar

Subject : Application for the post of Office Assistant cum Administrator

Sir

With reference to your advertisement in ‘The Times of India’ dated 29th May, 2020 for the post of Office Assistant cum Administrator. I wish to apply for the same. I have the required qualification and experience for the post. I can join immediately if selected.

My detailed bio-data is enclosed.

Yours sincerely

Neha Mittal

Encl. Bio-data

BIO-DATA

Name Neha Mittal

Sex Female

Date of Birth 16th March, 1996

Father’s name Mr MK Mittal

Marital status Unmarried

Current address 21, Raj Marg, Muzaffarnagar-267020

Contact number 0561-2345234, 09872342556

Educational qualification B Com

Work experience 5 years

Worked as Accounts Assistant in Goel Enterprise, Muzaffarnagar.

Salary expected Negotiable

Other skills Well versed in English and Hindi Knowledge of Ms-Office

References 1. Mr Prashant Juneja, Executive Engineer, UPSEB

2. Mr Sumit Sehgal, General Manager, JPG Products

(E) LETTER OF COMPLAINT

1. You are Arman/Arpita of 14, MG Road, Pune. You had bought textbook, ‘First Flight’ for class X from neighbourhood bookstore. After browsing through the book, you realized that a few pages were missing and the print overlapped on a few pages. Write a complaint letter in 125-150 words to the Manager, Dawn Books, Lawrence Road, Chennai, requesting him for a replacement or refund.

14 MG Road

Pune-411005

13th May, 2020

The Manager

Dawn Books

16, Lawrence Road

Chennai-600007

Subject : Defective book replacement

Sir,

I have bought a copy of the NCERT Book, ‘First Flight’ prescribed by CBSE for class X from your authorized retailer, M/s Indian Schoolbook store, Shivaji Road, Pune-411005 vide cash receipt no 145/13-14 for 60/-.

 I regret to inform you that printing has overlapped on some pages, so it is unreadable. In addition, some pages of the book are totally missing. No doubt, you must have received complaints about such problems from other customers, as it appears that one batch of books is having such defects.

When I asked the shopkeeper to replace the book, he asked me to approach you, who are the authorized distributor for NCERT books in South India.

I want you to replace this defective book, or if not possible, refund me the amount paid.

Thank you

Yours faithfully

Arpita

2. You had bought an expensive wrist watch last week. Now you realize that it is not functioning properly. Write a letter in 125-150 words to the Manager, Edison Watch Works, New Delhi, complaining about it and requesting him to repair or replace it immediately. You are Gobind/Gopa of 68, Park Street, Kolkata.

68, Park Street

Kolkata-800004

12th May, 2020

The Manager

Edison Watch Works

576/13 Mohammedpur

New Delhi-110066

Subject : Defective watch replacement

Sir,

I have bought a HMT Watch ‘Padmini’ sr no AC 14432/P from your authorized retailer, M/s Indian Watch Store, Park Street, Kolkata-800004 vide cash receipt no /WS 476/13-14 for 560/-.

I regret to inform you that the watch does not give the correct time, as it losing about 10 minutes everyday. In addition, the back cover has started showing signs of rust within one month of use. It is shocking that such defective products are being sold to the unsuspecting customers who support the government by buying products manufactured by the public sector.

As it is within the guarantee period, I asked the shopkeeper to replace it, but he asked me to approach you, who is the authorized distributor for HMT watches.

I want you to replace this defective watch, or if not possible, ask the retailer to arrange for its

satisfactory repair.

Thank you

Yours Faithfully

(Gobind)