Writing Letters with Examples for Class XI

Letter Writing (Business Letters)

Important points to remember while drafting letters:

• Write the letter in the full block format (i.e. to the left)

• State your reason for writing in the first paragraph and stay on track.

• Always include specifics that will help ease the recipient’s task. For instance, if you arewriting to a bank, mention your account number.

• If you refer to other correspondence, quote date of the letter/s reference numbers,

• file numbers, order numbers, cheque number with date. Include copies whenever possible.

· Gently and respectfully direct the recipient’s course of action.

· It may be strongly worded but always be courteous and use polite language and pleasant tone.

· Self introduction should be avoided.

· Informal expressions, greetings or contracted forms of words should not be used.

· The language should be simple, straight forward and to the point.

· Leave a line/ additional space between paragraphs since no indentation is followed.

· Open punctuation to be followed.( No punctuation marks to be used)

· Do not mix up the old format and new format.

· In letters to the editor – Do not ask the editor to solve the problems.

· In job application letters Curriculum-vitae (CV) /Bio-data/ Resume/ should be written. It should not beincluded in the body of the letter but after the complimentary close as enclosure.

· In the Letter to the Editor use ‘yours truly’ as the complimentary close.

FORMAT OF A LETTER

1. Sender's Address :                                                  Devi Enclave

Raj Ram Marg

Bangalore-21

(Space)

2. Date :                                                                      14 April 20XX

(Space)

3. Receiver’s Address :                                               The Director/Mr/Mrs

Global Enterprises,

8th cross, Victoria Layout,

Bangalore

(Space)

4. Subject :                                                                  …………………………………………….

(Space)

5.Salutation :                                                              Sir

6. Body of the letter /Content :                                  Introduction

                                                                                   Main Body/Details/Explanations

                                                                                   Conclusion

(Space)

7. Signatory :                                                              Yours faithfully

RohanMathur

Sample Letter

Q. You are Sidhi/ Sanjay of U-03 G Block Kasturi Nagar Mysore-37.Write a letter to the Director, NGO Bird Links Society, Bangalore expressing your concern about the decrease in the number ofthe birds in Delhi.

House No- U/03

G Block Kasturi Nagar

Mysore -37

30 June 2011

The Director

NGO Bird Links Society

Bangalore

Karnataka

Sub: Diminishing number of birds: Need for Immediate Concern

Sir

I wish to bring to your kind notice my growing concern about rapid decrease in the population ofbirds in Mysore. Mysore is known to have more than 500 species of birds but many of them are onthe verge of extinction.

According to the reports from the recent seminar held on Conservation of Birds, there was a time,when a number of birds would flock to the banks of river Kaveri, Bandipur wild life sanctuary andforested canopy in Mysore. These numbers have come crashing down in the recent years.The main reasons are rampant construction of buildings, bridges and flyovers, filling of swamps,mangroves water bodies , cutting of forests and of course, oather ways of environmental pollution.

Many species have become endangered and the thousands of migratory birds flocking in seasons ,which was a feast to our eyes, have left this place to more healthy places. It is time the people ofMysore were made aware of this grave situation by conducting seminars and workshops and thepolicy makers and administrator thought over the engulfing problem and found solutions.

The locals should be given incentives for preserving the habitats of birds. Sanction for theconstruction of buildings, malls, bridges ands so on should be given only after proper evaluationof the environmental impact of those constructions over the life of species there. Let’s not forgetthat birds are an important link in the food chain.

I request the government, environmentalists and the society to show their concern before it is toolate.

Thanking you

Yours faithfully

(Sidhi Sharma)

 Sample Letter No-2

You are Suresh/Sarika Jain of No-20 JawaharNagar,Jaipur. Two months ago you bought a desert cooler from M/s Cool Home Coolers Jaipur. Now you discover that it is not working properly. Write a letter to the Manager Customer Care complaining about the malfunctioning of the unit and asking them to repair and if needed to replace it against warranty.

20 Jawahar Nagar

Jaipur

24 June 2011

M/s Cool Home Cooler

20 Nehru Marg

Jaipur

Sub : Complaint about the malfunctioning of desert cooler

Reference : Cash Memo No DC-98765 dated 17.4.2011

Sir

I wish to bring it to your notice that I purchased a ‘Cooler Home’ desert cooler from you on 17 April, 2011 (Vide Cash Memo No DC-98765, dated 17.04.2011). The cooler did function well in the beginning for one and a half months and then it has started giving problems. The problems are - water leakage, heavy noise while working and high consumption of power.

Kindly take immediate step to either repair the cooler or replace it as the cooler is still under warranty period.

Yours faithfully

Suresh

(SURESH SINGH)

Sample Letter No- 3

You are Isha/Ishan, the secretary of the Students’ Forum of Sahrudaya Vidyalaya, Indranagar. You have planned an excursion to Jog falls during the summer vacation. Write a letter to the General Manager, Southern Railway, for reservation of a bogie for 60 students from Bangalore toShimoga and back, supplying all necessary information.

Secretary

Sahrudaya Vidyalaya

Indranagar.

01 Mar 2012

The General Manager

Southern Railways

Bangalore

Sub: Request for the reservation of a Bogie for 60 students

Sir

A group of 60 students of class XI of this school has planned to visit Jog Falls during the summer vacation. They will be accompanied by three teachers and two attendants. They plan to leave Bangalore on 15th May by Jeevan Express and return by the same train from Shimoga on 25^th May. Kindly confirm whether a bogie can be reserved for the above mentioned dates. We would also like to know the estimated fare so that we can make necessary arrangements at our end.

The List of the members of the tour party is enclosed in the prescribed proforma. Kindly provide the eligible students’ concession.We request you to send the detail at the earliest @ sahrudayavidyalayaind@gmail.com/ @2852456 to enable us to plan in advance.

Yours faithfully

Isha

Secretary

Sample letter No. 4

You are Satish/Sonali, the student prefect in charge of the school library. You have been asked by

your Principal to write a letter to place an order for children’s story books (10 – 13 years). Write a

letter to M.S.Book Depot Ramnagar, Bikaner placing an order for the books. Invent the

necessary details.

St. Mary’s Convent

Jabalpur

15th July, 20…

M/s M.S. Book Depot

Ramnagar

Bikaner

Sub: Placing Order for Children’s Story Books

Sir

The school has decided to purchase story books for children between the age group of 10 and 13

years. The books mentioned below may please be sent by V.P.P. within 10 days from the date of

receipt of this letter.

S.No     Name of the book                               Author                     Quantity

1          Stories from the Panchatantra           A.S. Rawal                        5

2          Tales from the Arabian Nights          S.E. Paces                         10

3          The adventures of Tom Sawyer        S.E. Paces                         10

4          Tales from Shakespeare                    Charles & Mary Lamb     10

We request you to give 20 % discount on the printed prices. We assure you to pay the VPP

charges at the time of delivery of books.

Yours faithfully

Ram Kumar

(RAM KUMAR)

PRINCIPAL

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

1. You are Manas/ Manasi at the Press Apartments of Sunder Nagar, Bihar. The main road leading to this colony has three man holes causing frequent accidents at night. There are no street lights on the main road. Write a letter to the Editor of the Times of India drawing attention of the government to this problem of the residents.

2. Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily inviting the attention of the authorities towards the increasing Environmental pollution in your city.

3. You are Vishal / Veena, a student of class XII of 10, Green Park, New Delhi is interested in learning languages. You come across an advertisement in The Times of India issued by The Institute of Foreign languages, New Delhi about the certificate course in Japanese offered by them. You decide to write a letter to the Director of the Institute seeking more information about the course duration, working hours, fee structure, etc. Write the letter.

4. As Mr. R. Singh, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Cambridge High School, Pune, you had placed an order with Messrs. Scientific Equipments, Dadar, Mumbai for test tubes and jar for the lab. When the parcel was received you observed that markings on the test tubes were not clear and some of the jars were damaged. Write a letter of complaint seeking immediate replacement.

5. You are the Manager of Fitness Club of Gandhi Road, Ernakulam. Write a letter to Messrs. Pioneer Sports Co, Kochi, placing an order for a minimum of 4 fitness equipments with details.

6. You are Rama/Raman, a member of Parent-Teacher Association of Little Valley Senior Secondary School, Shillong. Write a letter to the Principal of the school asking him to introduce vocational stream in the school providing facility of teaching such subjects as computers, insurance etc. so that the students may not needlessly continue academic studies.

7. Write a letter to the Corporation authorities of South Chennai to complain about the general unsustainable growth of building activities in South Chennai with poor parking and other civic amenities to support it. Urge them to plan with a long-term view.

8. The photocopier of your office which was purchased recently has a problem with the toner settings. It is still in the guarantee period. As Purchase Manager of Talent Search, 15th Cross, J.P. Nagar, Mysore, write to the manufacturer seeking replacement of the defective part.

9. Write a letter to the librarian of the District Library in your town asking for details regarding membership. Also ask about the timings and rules and regulations of the library.