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TOPICLetter Writing:

PRESENTED BY :

USMAN IDREES

WAQAR HASSAN

HAIDER MEHBOOB

ABUZAR IQBAL

CONTENTS

• INTRODUCATION

• FORMAT

• CLASSIFICATION

• SOCIAL LETTER

• FRIENDLY LETTER

• BUSINESS LETTER

• LETTER OF APPLICATION

• LETTER NEWSPAPER

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Definition of “Letter”

Letter

“A written or printed communication directed to a person or organization.”

The Importance of Letters

• Represent your company’s public image and your competence

• More personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mail

• More permanent than e-mail

• Constitute an official legal record of an agreement

Introductory Components of a Letter

• Personal Address– Street address– City– State– Zip Code

• Company Address– Company’s name– Street address– City– State– Zip Code

• Full Calendar Date– May 31,2009– 31May 2009

• 2-4 spaces

• Address of the reader– Reader’s Name– Reader’s Title– Company Name– Company Street

Address– Company City– Company State– Company Zip Code

• 2-4 spaces

• IF you know the reader’s name, salutation will be– First / Last Name– Followed by Colon– For example

• Dear Mr. Smith:• Dear Ms. Jones:• Dear Miss / Mrs. Jones:• Dear Chris Evans:

• OTHERWISE– Use title

• Dear Vice President:

– Use department’s name• Accounting Department:

• 2 spaces

• Includes– Introductory Paragraph– Discussion Paragraph– Concluding Paragraph

• 2 spaces below salutation• 2 spaces b/w paragraphs

• Place a comma after complimentary close

• Preferred close is Sincerely,

• 2 spaces below body

• Sign your name legibly

• Type your name• Mention your title

(Optional)

• 4 spaces below complimentary close

Letter Formats

• Full-block format– All text typed on left

margin– Spaces between

paragraphs

• Simplified format– Same as full block

format except• No Salutations• Subject Line introduced• No Complimentary

Close

Full Block Format

Simplified Format

CLASSIFICATION OF LETTERS

Classficat ion

Formal Informal

FORMAL LETTERS

Formal Letter

• A formal letter is a letter written to a business, a college, or any professional that are not considered friends or family.

Name Address Phone number Email

Example of layout: Dear (Name), (Body of letter) Sincerely, (Name) (Sign in pen under typed name)

• ADDRESSEE: someone you don’t know

• WE TALK ABOUT: work, business or offical subjects

• KINDS OF FORMAL LETTERS:

What kind of business letter am I writing?

CHARACTERISTICS

Letter of inquiryLetter of applicationLetter of complaintLetter of regretThank you letter

LAYOUT

1. Address + date

2. Salutation

3. Body

4. Complimentary close

5. P.S.

ADDRESS & DATE

• In the top left corner..– Address and date of

the person/company you are writing to

• In the top right corner...

- Address and date (leave a line between the address and the date)

Hillcrest Secondary School,P.O Box 60453,Livingstone, ZAMBIA10101

7th February 2004

SALUTATION

• The most common salutation in an informal letter is “Dear….”

• Note that it is followed by a comma.

Dear Mr / Ms Harkness (if you know the name) /

Dear Sir or Madam NOT Dear Manager (if you do not know the name).

BODY

TOPICFORMAL REASON(ENCLOSURE)CONTACT

4. COMPLIMENTARY CLOSEI look forward to hearing from you. Yoursfaithfully, (if you do not know the name) Yours sincerely, (if you know the name).

STYLE

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

USEFUL LANGUAGE

SAMPLES

123 Pine StreetOak Ridge, NJ 07438

October 30, 2005

ABC Company345 Spruce StreetWhatever, IL 01233

Dear Mr. Brown,

Insert the part of the body of the letter here. The body of the letter should tell something about what you hope to convey.

It should also have a closing paragraph in it. There should be at least two sentences per paragraph.

Sincerely,

Mrs. DeGrawMrs. DeGraw, Chairperson

Enclosure

INFORMAL LETTERS

Informal letter

• An informal letter is a letter you would write to a friend of family member. It doesn't necessarily need a format, but there is a standard.

Example of layout: Dear (Name), Body of letter Sincerely, (Name)

 

Format

Explanation

Address

·  The writer’s address is written at the top right-hand corner

·   For example:

25, Jalan Tebing 8/8,

Seksyen 8,

40000 Shah Alam,

Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Date

·        Written below the address.

For example: 6 June 2011 For example: 6 June 2011

The format of writing an informal letter

36

Informal letter The format

 

SOCIAL LETTERS

Social letters

Between friends and relatives, to promote

communication and enhance friendship.

The structure of a social letter

• Headings: the writer’s address and the date• Inside Address: the receiver’s name and

address• Salutation: complimentary greeting as Dear John• Body of the Letter: introduction, purpose

(matter) and conclusion• Complimentary close: Sincerely yours, etc.• Signature: Your full name, Christian name or

a nickname• Postscripts (P.S.): supplemented information

①Headings

② Salutation,

③ Body of Letter ------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

④ Complementary Close

⑤ Signature

The Language of Social Letters

1. With clarity: short sentences concrete , specific words

2. Simple: plain, familiar word vigorous words, verbs

3. Conversational: contractions, occasional asides, telling a story or incident

What are the parts of a friendly letter?

heading greeting body closing signature

heading

311 East College StreetStanley, N.C. 28164August 15, 2004

greetingDear Phil,

How has your summer been? Not too hot I hope. Did you get to visit your grandparents? Did you go on your trip to Toronto as you had hoped? They say Toronto is a beautiful city.

This is my second season at Camp Bellaire. I just passed my swimming test. Now I can swim out to the raft and also use the boats. To pass I had to jump into the water with my clothes on (as if I had just fallen out of a boat). Then I had to take them off down to my trunks, even my shoes and socks, and finally swim back to shore. It was tough, but I did it!

I’m looking forward to seeing you soon. There is lots of news to catch up on!

body

Your friend,

Mike

closing

signature

INVITATION LETTERS

What is an Invitation Letter?

• An invitation is a request to attend an event. It could be an invitation to a barbecue, a night at the theater, a birthday or anniversary party, a housewarming, or a wedding.

• It could be a formal event or a casual one, even a religious event.

Formal Invitation Letter

• Format: Handwritten or typed.• published; engraved or preprinted invitation or

card. R.S.V.P. (usually on separate card)• Style/Tone/Voice: Formal. Active or passive

voice. • Structure: (1) State the occasion, (2) State when

(be specific), where (include address; also a map, if necessary), (3) R.S.V.P., (4) Other information, e.g. a luncheon will be held, formal dress is required (white/black tie, etc.)

• Handy Phrases: R.S.V.P.; We invite you to share our joy; Request the pleasure of your company.

Sample of Formal Invitation Letter

Twila Lockard Davis and Gladys Lockardinvite you to an

Open Housecelebrating the fiftieth wedding anniversary of our

parents,Thomas and Susannah Lockard

Saturday, May 25th, 2002from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

at the home ofDr. and Mrs. David Hasbro

4776 Wailing Wind Dr.Indiana, Pennsylvania

Please no presents, just your presence!

Informal Invitation Letter

• Format: Handwritten or typed

• Tone: Informal. Active voice

• Structure: What, When (be specific), where (include address), charge (any), RSVP, dress (casual, costume,…)

• Handy Phrases: R.S.V.P. (Please Reply)

A Sample Informal Invitation Letter

Dear Dr. and Mrs. Davidson,

We will be celebrating Paula and Steve’s thirtieth year of ministry with a dinner at the Floribunda Commons Restaurant, Saturday, November 29th, at 8:00 p.m. Please let us know byMonday the 24th if you can join us on this happy occasion.

With love,Armineh Izadi

BUSINESS LETTERS

What is a Business Letter?

• A business letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties.

Functions of the Business Letter

1. It provides a record of the activity for someone's file.

2. It allows the writer to provide more context or explanation than is usually possible on a form.

3. It helps the audience( reader ) remember what is to be done.

The Main Components of a Business Letter

• Business letters usually contain the following information (in this order):

• Writer's address (street, city, country).• Date of writing • Recipient's name, job title, and address• Subject • Salutation or Greeting (Dear Mr./ Mrs./ Ms…..) • Message (body of the letter) • Closing • writer's signature, typed name, and position of sender • In some situations, a business letter may also include the following optional

information:• Writer's Initials: typist's initials ( if writer did not type letter).• Enclosures (Encl:) • Carbon copy Recipients (cc:)• Photocopy recipients (xc:)

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

• A formal business letter usually consists of six parts:

Heading, Inside address, Salutation, Body, Close, Signature Sometimes, notations are included, but they are

optional.

Heading• It gives your detailed address and the date

on which the letter is written. You should write your address as follows:

Sample 1 17 Trumpington StreetCambridge, CB2 1QA U.K.29 May, 2002

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

– Line 1: The doorplate number and the name of the road (or P .O. box )

– Line 2: The name of the city or county– Line 3: The name of the province or state and

the postal code – Line 4: The name of the country– Line 5: The date

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

Inside Name and Address• It refers to the addressee's name and address,

including his or her full name, title, and address. This part can be dropped from private letters.

• There can be various types of honorific(showing respect) titles, such as Mr. , Miss, Mrs., Ms., Dr. , Prof. , and Pres. (President).

• If you are not sure about a person's specific name, you can use such a title as "The Sales Manager".

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

Salutation

The most typical form of salutation is: Dear + title + name. For example, you can write "Dear Prof. Smith" or "Dear Miss Chen". It is usually followed by a comma (in British English) or a colon (in American English)

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

• If you are not sure about the specific name of the addressee, you can use such forms as:– (a) "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" when the sex

of the person is known;– (b) "Dear Sir or Madam" when the sex of the

person is unknown; – (c) "Dear Sirs" when it is a collective body;– (d) "To whom it may concern" when it is a

letter of certification, recommendation, etc.

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

Body It usually includes three components:

–(1) the purpose of writing the business letter; –(2) the detailed message of the

business letter; and –(3) the conclusion of the business

letter.

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

Complementary Close

–It usually takes the form of "Yours sincerely" or "Sincerely yours" followed by a comma.

–It can also be "Yours faithfully" (in British English) or "Yours truly" (in American English)

Writing a Business LetterWriting a Business Letter

Signature It should be placed

between the complimentary close and your printed name. If you want to indicate your title or position, put it below your printed name.

Format of Business Letters

• Usually, there are two formats of English business letters:

The semi-indented style

The blocked style

• According to the semi-indented style, the heading, inside name and address, salutation, complementary close, and signature are flush with the left margin. The body is also flush with the left margin, but the paragraphs in it are indented five spaces.

semi-indented style

Blocked Style

• According to the blocked style, the heading, complementary close, and signature are flush with the right margin, whereas the rest components of the letter are flush with the left margin, including every paragraph of the body.

LETTER OF APPLICATION

Format26 Brookbank Road,

Chalkside,Surrey SN 5 3BQ

The Managing Director, (sender’s address)

Sinton Experts LTD,3 Castle Chmabers, Chalkside,Surrey.(recipient’s address)

December, 10th 2012(date)

Dear Sir, (salutation)

Following greetings and salutations are appropriate for a letter of application

1. Dear Sir/Madam,

Yours faithfully,

2. Dear Sally Brown.

Love,

3. Dear Mr Carver, Yours sincerely,

4. Dear Mr Davies,

Yours,

1. Dear Sir/Madam, √

Yours faithfully, 2. Dear Sally Brown, × (do not start with Dear+person’s full name)

Love,

3. Dear Mr Carver, √

Yours sincerely,

4. Dear Mr Davies, × ( the ending is too informal)

Yours,

Read the letter and complete the paragarph plan: age/qualifications reasons for writing closing remarks

experience/personality

• Dear Mr Savage,

1 I am writing to apply for the position of part-time shop assistant at the Cobweb records as advertised in The Evening Post yesterday.

2 I am an eighteen-year-old student. I am currently studying Music at Preston College.

3 I have some experience as I worked in a department store last summer. I am very friendly and polite, which I believe are necessary qualities for dealing with customers. I am also hardworking and don’t mind working shifts.

4 I hope you will consider me for the job. I would be happy to attend an interview. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

• Yours sincerely,• Simon Smith• reason for writing age/qualifications• experience/personality closingremarks

OFFICIAL LETTERS

Official Letters also called Formal Letters

45 Orange Close

West Burnham

West Yorkshire

23rd March 2000

The Manager

Barclay Building Society

Long Street

West Hartlepool

Dear Sir

Thank you for your letter dated 15th March.

I am afraid I cannot agree with your letter. I have studied my bank statement and still cannot find the charges you say are outstanding.

This is the third letter I have sent and if no action is taken within the next five days I will contact my solicitor.

I hope this matter can be settled as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

(Ann Angry)

ADDRESSES

AND DATE

Space for signature but write or type your name clearly underneath

LETTERS OF NEWSPAPER

A written report and analysis of the news, often providing forecasts, typically directed at a special audience, as business people, and mailed to subscribers: a stock-market newsletter.

Format of letter Newspaper

Decide on one or two main points. Do whatever you can to make your letter timely. Know pertinent information about the publication

to which you are submitting your letter. Read letters that have been published recently

in the newspaper to which you are submitting your letter.

Be sure your letter includes several different methods by which personnel from the newspaper can contact you, such as your mailing address, home and cell phone numbers and an e-mail address.

Print your name under your signature.

SAMPLE

• Letter to the Editor of a newspaper complaining about the reckless driving on the roads

Perera No. 2, 1st Lane,

ABC

Aug 21, 2013

To,

The Editor,

The Indian Express,

ABC-62.

Dear Sir,

With due respect, I wish to draw kind attention of the concerned authority and general public through your esteemed daily, towards increasing incidents of road accidents. Road accidents are a frequent feature of newspapers. Road accidents are on a rise especially in big cities.

Persons sitting on steering do not have control over it. They do not have any regard for the traffic rules. Over-speeding, jumping red lights, overtaking from wrong side are common place. In most of the cases they escape unpunished due to their social status and corrupt bureaucracy. Every year, large numbers of people die in road accidents. It is one of the biggest reasons of unnatural deaths in India. In the past fifty years, more persons succumbed to death due to road accidents than in wars with our enemy countries. So the time has come to develop a movement against reckless driving.

I hope, civic authorities and civilized people will pay heed to my prayer.

Yours faithfully,

XYZ