The letters can be classified in the following two broad groups.
1. Social : Personal letters to friends and relatives, Invitation letters and Acceptance or Refusal notes thereof.
2. Business : The business letters include official letters, Applications and letters to newspapers besides the letters dealing with other businesses of formal life.
Social Letters
Such letters touch one’s personal life, relationships and feelings. They are frank, confidential and emotional in varying degrees subject to the kind of relationships. They should be written in an easy and conversational form because, actually you are talking through your pen. There is freedom to touch many subjects and any preferred order.
But the respect to the language and grammar should not be lost sight of. Being pretty and smart is good in any form and way. Your letter represents your face. Why look slovenly? Don’t create bad impression for no reason.
Some tips:
❑ If you are writing to an elderly friend or acquaintance, you may address him as ‘Dear Shri Amitabh Verma Ji.’
❑ The people where your letter addresses to with ‘Shri’, should preferably use ‘Sincerely yours’ or ‘Very sincerely yours’ in subscription or courtesying.
❑ Where the formal letters begin with the address ‘Dear Sir,’ the subscription, best accepted is ‘Yours truly’, or ‘Yours faithfully.’
Invitations : Invitations generally are written in the third person. They don’t contain any heading, greeting and bonding line or subscription. The name of the sender appears boldly in the place of the body of the letter. The address of the sender and the date is given on the left side below the message of invitation. The invitations always carry the abbreviation ‘R.S.V.P’ at left side below the message which means ‘Reply, if you please.’ The reply should also be in the third person. It should repeat the date and time mentioned in the invitation. They are addressed by name, for example—‘My dear Shri Pannikar. Generally any of the following subscriptions are used:
‘Sincerely yours’
‘Yours sincerely,’
‘Yours affectionately.’
Business Letters
Official and business letters should be to the point, clear and straight forward. Officials and business people have little time to waste on reading long winding text. Don’t use abbreviations. Write full sentences like, ‘We will appreciate…’ instead of ‘Will appreciate…’
If you are ordering goods through your letter, mention clear and exact description of the items and quantity being ordered. There should be no confusion or guess work involved.
If your letter is to a tradesman or proprietor or a manager, address with ‘Dear Sir’ and conclude with ‘Yours faithfully or truly’. If the letter is for a firm of associates (Messrs) address with ‘Dear Sirs’.
The same rules apply in case of professional men like solicitors, doctors, professors, writers etc. In replying to a business letter always refer to the reference number (if any) and the date of the letter you are responding to. For example—‘This is in reference to your letter No. NBS/112, dated 11-3-2007.’ It will make your opening sentence. It is always advisable to write the subject your business letter above the body of the letter. For example—‘Subject: The menace of loud speakers.’
Often business letters are signed by a clerk on behalf of his employer after subscription. In such letters, p.p. is put before the name of the firm which in latin stands for ‘per pro’ literally meaning ‘on behalf of’. The clerk writes his initials below. For example—
Yours faithfully,
p.p. M.M. Chandra & Bros.
(T.K.)
Job Application Letters
A letter seeking a job or employment with some government department, institution or a private firm has a definite format and adheres to norms in practice at the time of application.
General norms :
1. The general form of an application is the same as the business letters.
2. Address the receiver with ‘Sir’ only. End it with ‘Yours faithfully,’ subscription.
3. In ‘Subject:’ write the name of the post you are applying for.
4. Start the body of the letter by mentioning whether you are applying in response to an advertisement or you are offering your services on your own initiative.
5. The application letter must be accompanied by photocopies of all the relevant testimonials, certificates and references.
6. Also attach your Bio-data or Resume written neatly on a separate sheet using the following format:
bio-data
Name :
Father’s name :
Date of birth :
Complete address :
Educational qualifications :
Work experience :
(if any)
Hobbies and interests :
Languages known :
Any special achievement :
(if any field)
References :
7. At the end of the application letter, under your name and signature, list the documents you are enclosing with. For example :
Enclosures :
(i) Bio-data
(ii) Copies of testimonials—B.A. (Hon.), Java Rom
Computer course
(iii) Character certificate
(iv) Experience certificate from the previous employer
(v) College Table-Tennis championship certificate
Official Letters
Official letters are the most formal in character. They are totally bereft of emotional bondage. So, the letters to the officials must be properly addressed and should have standard subscription. The name, title and designation of the official must be clearly stated. For example :
Shri Piyush Kumar Gupta, M.A., L.L.B., I.P.S.
The District Police Commissioner,
Central Zone, Parliament Street,
New Delhi-110001
The body of the official letters (to officials) normally begin with—‘I respectfully beg to report…’ or ‘I wish to bring to your kind notice…’, etc. An official should be addressed as ‘Sir’ and the most acceptable subscription is ‘Yours most faithfully.’
Letters for ‘reader’s column’ of newspapers
The letters to the newspapers must always be addressed to ‘The Editor’ and ‘Yours Truly’ is the most commonly used subscription.
‘Sir’, is the proper salutation for the letters to the editor. If the writer wants his name to be printed along with his letter, the name should be written below the letter on the left. If the writer does not want his name published, he may just sign the letter with a nom de plume (assumed name) like ‘A concerned citizen’, or ‘Interested’ or ‘An affected person’, etc. But the writer must give his correct name and address in a covering letter or a newspaper of repute will not consider your letter for publication.
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