Letter Writing: A letter is a written message from one party to another containing information. Letters promote the preservation of communication between both parties. They may bring friends or relatives closer together, enhance professional relationships and offer a means of self-expression.
Letter writing is an essential skill.
There are two types of letters- formal and informal.
Formal Letter: A formal letter is an official letter. It is a letter written for official purpose.
Parts of a Formal Letter:
Sender’s Address and Date
Pokhara
August 22, 2017
Inside Address
The Manager
Everest Hotel
Kathmandu, Nepal The Editor
The Kathmandu Post
Kathmandu, Nepal
Greeting or Salutation
Dear sir/ Madam,
Opening (First Paragraph) -The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc.
With the reference of your advertisement published in the Kathmandu Post, dated August 24, 2017, I am applying for the post of Supervisor.
I would like to draw attention of concerned authorities and public to terrible traffic jams in Kathmandu.
Main Body
❖ The mid paragraphs show the main massage. They should contain the relevant information.
❖ Use polite expressions to make your letter formal.
______________________________
Final Paragraph
❖ The final paragraph should state what action you expect from the recipient.
❖ State that you look forward to a response to your letter, query, complaint, etc. if appropriate.
_______________________________
Closing
❖ Use some complementary remarks, your full name and signature.
Yours faithfully,
Yours sincerely,
Yours truly,
Informal Letter: An informal letter is a letter written to a friend, a family member or a relative.
Parts of an Informal Letter:
Sender’s Address and Date
Pokhara
August 22, 2017
Greeting or Salutation
Dear Manju,
Hi, Nisha,
Opening (first paragraph) (The first paragraph generally expresses a greeting, followed by wishes of good health and what’s going around. It should be short and state the purpose of the letter.)
How are you? I hope you’re fit and fine. I thought I’d drop you a line to tell you about ____________
How are you? Hope everything’s OK_________
You might be surprised to hear from me _________
I’m so glad to hear that you have decided to___________
It’s been a while since we wrote________
I’m so sorry to inform you that______________
Main Body
❖ The mid paragraphs show the main message.
❖ Use active sentences, contractions, questions exclamations, tag questions, etc. to make your letters colloquial.
___________________________
Final Paragraph
❖ The final paragraph should contain short sentences.
❖ Make sure you finish with an informal phrase and mention the next time you will see the person you are writing to.
I can't wait to hear from you.
I am looking forward to seeing you again.
See you soon.
Let me know what your plans are.
I hope to be hearing from you soon.
Send my love to __________.
Give my regards to __________.
I hope you are doing well!
With affection (With all my love).
Closing
❖ Use some friendly remarks and your first name to close your letter.
Best wishes,
Ever yours,
With love,
Samples of Informal Letter: a. Write a letter to your aunt who lives in a village suggesting her to send her daughter to school.
Pokhara August 25, 2017
Dear Aunt, How are you? And how’s my cute sis, Puja? We’re fine and hope you all for the same. It’s too long we haven’t met. So, I’m writing to you.
I think Puja is now about five years old. The girls and boys of five years go to school from my locality. They sing songs, dance, and learn to read and write. What about Puja? Have you sent her to school?
Nearly a week ago, a relative from a village came to ours and stayed a night. My parents and he talked for a long time. Their talk was so conservative that it captured my interest. They were saying that sending girls to schools is useless as they have to go to look after goats, buffaloes and cows. They have to help mothers at home. When they grow, they need to get married. And they have to bear babies. What’s the use of learning? Will they go to any office? Will they earn money by learning?
Have you heard such people? I have seen so many uneducated women in my society. They can’t earn and their lives are very difficult. But, there are also some educated women who have very easy and civilized lives. Some of them work in offices and earn for themselves and for their families, too. They don’t have to depend upon their husbands. There is no difference between male and female. We have seen here, educated women can do what educated men can.
Education is very important, aunt. It gives knowledge, skills and ideas. It empowers a person. If you educate Puja, she will be like the educated women of my place. It may be that she can be like Parijat, Indira Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, etc. So, please, send her to school, ok?
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
With love,
Kabita
b. Write a letter to a friend living in a village insisting that village life is better than a city life.
Kathmandu
August 25, 2017
Dear Akash,
I’m glad to receive your letter after a long time. How can I delay to write you? We’re fine and hope for the same to you all.
I read you aren’t happy while living in a village. You’re quite right to some extent. There are not modern facilities which are found in a city. But the people are fed up with the city life.
As you walk around in the city, you cannot find a place where you can have fresh air to breathe. You’ll find dirty smell everywhere. You cannot find a place where you can have a peaceful rest. You’ll hear find noise, horror and rush. You cannot talk with your friends for a while in a calm mood. They are always busy and restless. You may blame them that they have ignored you, but it is not true. It is their compulsion. They must be busy to earn for a living.
Akash, you’ll be fed up very soon if you become an inhabitant of a city. It is often said, “You must die to see the heaven.” These proverbs are not jokes. These have bitter truths. If you believe, Akash, I’ll come back to my own village to enjoy my life peacefully. Oh Heaven! How can I forget the beauty of nature and the harmony of people in my village?
Akash, how are Bimal, Maina and Thule? Please, write to me about them, ok? I’ll come to accompany you while singing Maruni at the coming Dashain.
Ever yours,
Ishan
Samples of Formal Letter:
a. Write a letter to the Editor of the Rising Nepal which was published on August17, 2017 on terrible traffic jams.
Kathmandu
August 15, 2017
The Editor
The Rising Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Dear Sir,
I would like to draw attention of concerned authorities and public through your esteemed daily to terrible traffic jams in Kathmandu.
These days traffic jam is very common in Kathmandu. One cannot reach his/her destination on time due to the traffic jams on the road. Recently, it took me an hour to drive to Kalimati from New Baneshwor. It was a frustrating experience as the road was jam-packed with motorbikes, taxis, buses and cars. Water and oil tankers were also there to obstruct the route. During the tiresome journey, I noticed four causes of the traffic jam.
First, the motorcyclists tend to overtake every vehicle by violating the lane rules and obstructing the route of the vehicles coming from the opposite direction. As a result, traffic jams occur.
Secondly, the motorcyclists and taxi drivers cross the busy road from anywhere they like and sometimes they take minutes to cross the road. This causes a jam on all lanes and in both directions.
Thirdly, the public buses cause jams as the helpers instruct the drivers to stop the buses wherever they see a passenger waiting by the roadside. The traffic police look on helplessly as so many rules are broken.
Fourthly, the road widening works also lead to jams as we can see heaps of soil, sand and other construction materials including big drain pipes kept by the side of the already congested road.
If these shortcomings are corrected, I think the problem of traffic jam would be addressed to some extent.
Yours sincerely, Saroj Thapa
b. Write an application for the post of a teacher:
Jawlakhel, Lalitpur
August 25, 2017
The Principal
Sunshine Secondary Boarding School
Kathmandu, Neapal
Dear Sir/Madam,
With the reference of your advertisement published in the Kathmandu Post dated August 24, 2017, I wish to apply for post of an English teacher.
I am a young person of 25 years with sound physique. As regard to my qualification, I beg to state that in 2005, I completed my SLC and in 2009, my 10+2 level in the first division from Bhasker Memorial School. I passed my bachelor’s degree majoring in English in the first division from Multi Model College in 2012. I have earned online certificates from the renowned university as I finished TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) courses. I have participated several teacher’s training conducted by government and non-government organizations. I am good at operating computer office tools. I have five years’ experience as an English teacher at Trinity Academy, Pokhara. I have good command of spoken and written English. Copies of certificates, complete bio-data and a PP sized photo are attached herewith this application for your kind consideration.
If I were able to win your esteemed consideration, I would try my best to satisfy you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Kanchan Sharma
BIO-DATA Name: Date of Birth: Sex: Language Known: Nationality: Religion: Address: Contact No: E-Mail: Educational Qualification:
Exam Passed
Name of Board
Division
Year
Additional Qualification: Hobbies: Signature: Date:
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