Letter writing has always been a concern for students of all levels. Letter writing has always been used for communication. It is a necessary skill that needs to be learned and practised at all levels. We have been teaching letter writing in almost all of our classes, but unfortunately, the students are not able to learn this skill. In this article, I will discuss the format and types of letter writing with examples of previous years’ question papers of the CBSE and HBSE Boards.
The Purpose of Letter Writing?
What is the purpose of letter writing? Before you begin writing, everyone must know the answer to this question. First, think about the main points of the letter and create mental outlines of them. “A letter is a written message sent from one person (or group of people) to another via a medium.” The primary goal of letter writing is to convey a message to friends, offices, and local officials. It implies that your ideas should be self-explanatory and that the letter’s purpose should be met. While writing a letter, you must keep certain points in mind. These are referred to as the “7 C’s” of letter writing.
7 C’S OF EFFECTIVE LETTER WRITING FOR STUDENTS
The art of letter writing is the same as a means of effective communication and things should be properly communicated to the receiver. I had got the opportunity to deliver the live lecture on EDUSAT, HARYANA and an explanation of the 7 Cs of effective letter writing was one of my topics. Today, I am explaining the same things to boost the knowledge of my students. Let us dive into the topic of writing an effective letter by using 7 Cs:
- Clear: The letter’s content must be clear, understandable, and progressive towards the required results. The expressed ideas must be logically connected. The language should be straightforward. Long and ambiguous expressions, as well as repetitive words and phrases, should be avoided. Jargon should be avoided.
- Concise: The letter should be brief and to the point. All words should stand on their own. While writing the letter, try to avoid including any irrelevant information. Long and ambiguous expressions, repetitive words, and long phrases should be avoided. Mention only the necessary points.
- Correct: Avoid misinformation. Write only those things which are feasible and valid as per the requirement of the letter.
- Considerate: Be courteous to the letter’s recipient. Always be courteous when writing a letter. Avoid using rude language because it harms the relationship between the sender and the receiver.
- Concrete: The explanation of the queries should be concrete and effective.
- Coherence: The main points of the letter should be explained in the first paragraph. In the body of the letter, elaborate on the main points. The solution is required in the conclusion section. It means, there should be continuity in all parts of the letter.
- Complete: It is assumed that a letter has a proper structure and that the contents are meaningful. It means that it should be finished from all sides. The letter should include all parts of the letter. A letter is said to be structurally complete when all of its obligatory and optional parts are present.
Parts or Structure of Letter Writing
After learning the fundamentals of letter writing, it is now time to understand the structure of a good letter. All of these letter components will be used in future letter writing exercises. The major components of any letter, regardless of its type, are as follows:
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- Sender’s address: Write the complete address of the person who is writing the letter.
- Reference number and date: Write down the reference number and date of your despatch register for future reference.
- Receiver’s Name and Address: Name and address of the receiver of the letter.
- Subject of the Letter: Write the main subject of the letter in one sentence.
- Greeting or Salutation: Give proper respect to the receiver of the letter.
- The body of the letter should be composed of three to four paragraphs. In the first paragraph, properly put your question. In the second paragraph, explain the things in detail. Elaborate your queries and requirements in simple and clear language so that the receiver can make them out easily. In the third paragraph, give the solution to the problem.
- It ends the letter politely and respectably. Yours lovingly, Yours faithfully, Sincerely Yours or Yours sincerely and Yours truly are used.
- Signature: Put your signature at the end.
Types of Letters
As we have discussed above, there are broadly two types of letters, known as Formal and Informal Letters. While teaching students, we also discuss a few types of letters. They are based on the subjects, contents, formalities, and the purpose of letter writing. Let me introduce you to some types of letters which are found in C.B.S.E/HBSE’s examinations in class 10th and 12th:
- Formal Letters: As discussed above, they are letters that follow some formalities and different structures. They are professional, clear, appropriate, and should follow the 7c’S(discussed above). Examples are business and official letters.
- Informal Letter: These are personal letters means that there is no formality as in friendship They are written to friends and families.
- Business Letter: As the name suggests, these are written for business. They are commercially used and contains complaints, orders, quotations of products, claims letters, etc. They are called formal as they have to follow certain rules of structures and patterns. They are required to fulfill certain formalities.
- Official Letter: Such letters are written to officials for some complaints and grievances of the public. Official letters are also formal and follow some structure and fixed patterns.
- Letter of Application/Application for Job: You write such letters when you apply for any job. This is called as a covering letter.
- Letter to the Editor: Letters are written to editors if people’s complaints are not solved at local level offices. They cover some broader aspects of society like pollution problems, problems with straw animals, and electricity problems in the locality.
- Circular Letter for Masses: It is issued for the masses and general information for the public.