A letter is a form of written communication. Letters are of two types: formal and informal. Formal letters include business letters, letter of complaints, letter to government officials, etc. Informal letters include letters to friends, relatives, acquaintances, etc.
Letters can be either formal or informal. While informal letters are written to friends, family and relatives, formal letters could be official letters, business letters, job applications or letters to editor.
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Letter Writing for Class 11 CBSE Format, Topics, Samples PDF
Letter writing is an essential skill. In spite of the prevalence of e-mail and text messages, letters are still one of the most important and popular means of communication. Trade, official correspondence, public representation, complaints and other dealings, transactions and communication with people are still conducted through letters.
In class XI, only formal letters are given in the syllabus. So, here we have covered only formal letters.
Types Of Formal Letter Class 11 Pdf
Different kinds of formal letters are
A. Business/Official Letters
- Making enquiries/asking for information Replying to enquiries/ giving information
- Sending quotations in response to enquiries Placing orders
- Registering complaints Cancelling orders
- Making request/ appeals
B. Letters to the Editor
- Giving suggestions on an issue of public interest
- Expressing views on an issue already raised in an article/ writeup/ in a published letter
C. Letters of Job Application
- Application for a job (includes resume)
D. Letters to Principal/ School or college Authorities
- Regarding admission School’s issues like leave for illness
- Requirement or suitability of courses
Points to be Kept in Mind
- Read the question carefully to understand it properly.
- Write down the key points for establishing good content and make sure that the body of the letter is in sync with the main theme.
- Your letter must be coherent and not begin or end abruptly.
- Avoid using long sentences. Avoid writing too much for explaining a single point.
- Keep your letter brief and to the point
- Stick to the word limit i.e. 120-150 words.
- Be polite and formal at ail times.
- Strictly avoid short forms or slang and use refined language.
Steps to Write a Letter
To write an effective letter, one must follow the correct format and the steps given below
Sender’s Address Make sure that the sender’s address is clear and precise. Specify the house number first, followed by the street, town/ state and pin code.
Example :
2334/31, Mangal Pandey Nagar
Ekta Park
Meerut-250002
This portion includes the sender’s full address. While writing the address, one must NOT use a comma at the end of each line.
Date and Receiver’s Address Next comes the date on which the letter is written, followed by the receiver’s address which comprises the receiver’s name/ designation and address.
Example:
12th December, 20XX
The Editor
The Times of
India Daryaganj
New Delhi-110002
Note The full address need not be written (it is optional).
Subject One of the most important parts of a letter is the subject. One must ensure that the subject expresses the main theme or crux of the letter clearly.
Salutation The salutation used in formal letters is a greeting to the person to whom the letter is addressed.
Body of the Letter The body of the letter is a complex part which contains all the information the writer (you) wants to convey. For this, start with introducing the purpose of writing. Then, build up the topic to develop the interest of the reader by stating the causes, effects and solutions to the problem being discussed.
The body includes three main parts
- Introductory Paragraph/ Sentence States the purpose of writing.
- Informative Paragraph Gives details of the problem, cause, effect, possible solution etc.
- Concluding Paragraph/ Sentence States your hope, comment, request, suggestion etc.
Complimentary Close This is a courteous way of ending a letter. For this, we write Yours sincerely/ Yours faithfully/Yours truly. The first letter of the second word (here ‘s’, ‘f, ‘t’) is never written starting with a capital letter.
Sender Just below the complimentary close, sender’s name is written as a mark of signing off. If applicable, the sender’s designation may be added.