LETTER WRITING

WHY DO WE WRITE LETTERS

➤ We write letters to our friends and relatives to know about them
➤ We write for sending and receiving information.
➤ We write letters to different institutes, organizations for seeking specific information, admission and also for jobs.

TYPES OF LETTERS

• Personal
• Formal/business/official

PURPOSES OF PERSONAL LETTER

Below are some purposes of a personal letter

• to thank
• to apologize
• to invite
• to make an arrangement
• to request
• to reply to another letter

Different Parts of a Personal Letter

The five parts of a personal letter

• Heading
• Greeting/Salutation
• Body
• Complimentary closing
• Signature

1. The Heading - this includes the recipient's address and the date (in some cases, it's OK to just write the date)

2. The Greeting/Salutation - the act or an instance of welcoming (Dear.......,)

3. The Body - the main text of your letter

4. The Complimentary closing the closing includes a short capitalized expression, such as "Sincerely," or "Love,"

5. Signature - name and signature

Below is a sample of personal letter. Look at it carefully to identify different parts and the way they are presented in a letter.

Instruction : Suppose you have been ill for a few days. Therefore, you missed some classes. Now, you write a letter to your friend telling him to provide information and materials you missed during the time.

Here is another example of a personal letter. Now discuss in pairs or groups and identify different parts of this letter. Also notice the language of the letter and tell your friends or teacher if it is easy or difficult.

Do you think that it is possible for you to write the same type of letter on another topic in this way? You can write another letter and show your friends or teacher.

Instruction : Suppose you have witnessed a street accident recently. The accident was very terrible and you still cannot forget it. Now write a letter to your friend describing that street accident.

Formal Letters

Objectives

We write a formal letter to request for something or asking for something or getting some information.

Different parts of a formal letter 

There are seven parts of a formal letter. These are:

• Date
• Address
• Salutation
• Introduction
• Body
• Closing
• Signature

1. Date
The date is put at the top of the page for any business communication. It is an official record of correspondence that may be kept for future reference.

2. Address
The address of the person receiving the correspondence includes formal name, street address, city, state and postal code.

3. Salutation
The salutation is the formal way of addressing a person. Common salutations are Dear or Dear Mr. Hasan, Dear Sir/Madam, etc.

4. Introduction
The first few sentences of a letter are introductory in nature. The introductory section introduces the subject of the letter.

5. Body
The body of the letter shares most of the information. It also contains some supporting ideas.

6. Closing
The closing of the letter summarizes what the letter was about.

7. Signature
It contains the writer's name, address, etc.

TASK-1

Instruction: Suppose there is a Computer Training Institute in your locality. You have noticed the advertisement of admission into a 'Basic Course'. You want to attend the course. Now write a letter to the Coordinator requesting him to send you an admission form.

Example of a Formal Letter

Here is another example of a formal letter. Now discuss in pairs or groups and identify different parts of this letter. You may also notice how the main point is presented in the letter. Do you think that it is possible for you to write another letter on the same type of problem you notice?

Task-2

Instruction : Suppose your school stands on the river Mogra. The river is beautiful. The river is used in many ways. However, some people often throw wastes into the river and pollute its water. Throwing waste, chemicals and fertilizers into river can be causes of many diseases.

Now, discuss in groups about the causes and effects of water pollution. You can also discuss it with your teacher. After the discussion, write a letter to the Headmaster of your school requesting him to organize a rally to create public awareness about water pollution.

TASKS FOR PRACTICE

1. Suppose you have got scholarship for your brilliant result. So you need to open a bank account to receive the monthly stipend. Now discuss in pairs or groups and write a letter to the manager of a local bank requesting information for opening a bank account.
2. Suppose you live in a hostel. When you need, you talk to your parents and family members on mobile phone. But a few days ago that phone set became dead. So you need to buy another. Now write a letter to you father/mother asking for money for a new phone set.
3. Suppose your father works abroad. He is returning home after a year. You need to go with your mother to receive your father at Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka. So you need leave for two days. Now write a letter to the Headmaster of your school requesting him to grant you leave of absence for two days.
4. 16 December is our Victory Day. On this day, different cultural programmes are organized. Suppose, class VIII of your school want to stage a short drama on the coming Victory Day. Now discuss in groups and write a letter to the Headmaster of your school requesting him for permission to carry out the plan.
5. Suppose there is no internet facility in your school library. But it is very important because educational materials at all levels are available from websites. Thus you can collect huge information and reading materials if you have the internet connection. Now discuss in groups and write a letter to the Headmaster of your school requesting him to provide internet facility in your school library.