LETTER WRITING
By:
Zainab, Saadia Aslam
Iqra Almas, Mehwish,
Shahid Murtaza
MPhil session 2013-2015
Presented to: Miss Lubna Zahid
What is letter???
“A written or printed communication directed to a
person or organization.”
Sample Format:
Before writing a letter
Examine the tone of the letter to which you are going to respond.
Identify your audience and purpose in order to determine the type
of letter you will write (formal or informal).
Analyze your reader:
Who is your reader?
Will my reader be favorable or unfavorably
disposed to what I am going to say?
What impression do I want my letter to make
on reader?
Letter Mechanics
Pronoun
The use of personal pronouns is important in letters . . . I,
he, she, it, we, they, you
In a letter, do not refer to yourself in the third person
by using “the writer”.
It is perfectly natural and appropriate to refer to
yourself as I and to the reader as you.
Letter Mechanics
Focus and Specificity
Be Focused.
Write concise and purposeful letter
Do not write confused, overlong letter.
Do not be rude.
Do not try to impress with your writing.
i.e.
Please, very very very thank you
1. Informal Letters:
These are the letters which keep us
in touch with family and friends.
These are usually chatty and informal.
When we need to communicate
a lot of information
When we want to communicate
something that is difficult to say
Face to face
To mark some special occasion.
2. Formal letters:
Formal letters are letters to people whom we
don’t know on personal level.
To find out information
To apply for a job
To make a complaint
3. Semi-formal letters:
We write semi-formal letters to people that we do not
know very well. Compare some expressions of informal
and semi-formal letters:
Informal: I'm sorry, but I can't come on Friday night.
Semi-formal: I'm afraid I won't be able to come on
Friday in the evening.
Informal: I didn't like the food.
Semi-formal: I was dissatisfied with the food.
Letters format
Modified Block Style Full Block Style
Semi Block Style
Things to remember while writing letter
Decide how formal your letter needs
to be:
How you write the letter will depend on your relationship with
the recipient.
If you're writing to anyone with whom you hope to have a
professional relationship, the letter should be formal.
If you're writing someone you know very well, the letter
should probably be informal.
Decide whether you'll send a
handwritten letter or typed.
The way you choose to send your letter also indicates
a degree of formality.
Most formal letters should be typed and sent
through the post.
For informal letters, an email or handwritten letter
is acceptable.
Start with a salutation
The salutation you use will depend on your
relationship with the recipient of the letter, as
well as the formality of the letter.
Start the letter
If you're writing a personal letter, start by asking
after the recipient's well-being. This can be "I hope
you are well" or "How's it going?".
If you're writing a business or other formal letter,
get straight to the point.
Proofread your letter.
Before you send the letter, read over it a few times to
make sure it conveys what you wanted to say, and
that it's free of spelling or grammatical errors.
Use a complimentary close.
A complimentary close ends your letter on a good
note. Make two hard returns after the last paragraph
of the letter, then write the complimentary close.
"Sincerely yours,"
"Kindest regards,"
"Best wishes."
Two main categories of Letter:
Personal Letters:
A type of letter (or informal composition) that usually concerns
personal matters, rather than professional concerns and is sent
from one individual to another.
Business Letters:
A letter written in formal language, usually used when writing
from one business organization to another.
Personal Letter:
It is a kind of letter that we write to our:
Parents
Close relatives
Close friends
Purpose
Friendly letters convey personal information
about ourselves.
They show caring and concern for friends and
relations.
Taking the time to hand-write a letter
demonstrates our level of caring
Parts of an Personal (Informal) letter
1. My Address
2. Date
3. Greeting
4. Introduction
5. Explanation
6. Close
7. My name
Informal or Personal letter
(Modern)
Your
FirstPrimary School,
write your
address
Your Street,over
here
on the
Your right hand
town,
side.
Your County
Postcode
Now22,
June the2014
date
That’s
Dear over here!
Then drop down one line and write Dear
by the left hand margin.
Informal or Personal letter
(Traditional)
Your
FirstPrimary School,
write your
address over here
Your Street,
on Your
the right
town, hand
side.Your County
With a sloping margin
Postcode
Now the date
June 22, 2014
That’s over here!
Dear
Then drop down one line and write Dear
by the left hand margin.
Personal Letter
Example
Write a letter to your friend Mona telling her
about your visit to Countryside.
Po box 999,
Karachi,
Pakistan.
18-5-2014
Dear Mona,
This summer was great. I traveled to Countryside
with my family. First, let me tell you about my
flight..................................
The first day was wonderful. We went to lots of
interesting places. For example,……………….
So as you can see, I really enjoyed my visit to
Countryside and I ……………………
I will write again soon.
Best wishes,
………………
How to Write
a Cover Letter
What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a letter sent alongside your resume
to introduce yourself, explain why you are sending in
your resume, and provide more information about
yourself. they are a chance to make a case, to
cover everything we can’t express in our
resumes
10 things to remember when writing a
covering letter
A good covering email will make your CV stand out from the
countless others that pass across an employer's desk. Here are
10 ways to ensure yours makes an impact:
1. Address the contact mentioned in the job advert and quote
the reference
2. Outline your current job situation and why you want to move
on - don’t be negative
3. Talk about the company to show you’ve done your research
4. State why you are interested in them as an employer
5. Tell them why they should be interested in you as an
employee
10 things to remember when
writing a covering letter
6. Tailor information to the job and avoid repetition
7. Highlight your transferable skills, achievements and
versatility
8. Tailor your information but don’t slavishly match the
job description
9. Make sure it’s neat, brief and has no typos
10. End by politely expressing interest in further
dialogue
Proofread, proofread, proofread!
You Should Include…
Your address and the date the letter
was written
The name and address of the person
to whom the letter is being sent
A salutation (Dear ____:)
The body of the letter
A complimentary close and signature
A title of respect, such as Dr., Mr., or
Ms.
A return address and zip code
Can also include reference initials,
enclosure notifications (such as your
resume), copy and postscript
You Should not Include…
including the wrong information can hurt,
rather than help, your application for
employment.
Mentioning salary requirements in the cover
letter, without it being requested . not good.
What if the employer wanted to offer more? Or
less?
When applying for a temporary job post, some candidates think it's OK to
let the employer know the job would be perfect for them, because they are
looking anyways!
Next to Nothing (too short)
"Here's my resume. Call me. [Phone number].“
Criticism of a Prospective Employer
You Should not Include…
Personal Stories
Awkward Language
Someone Else's Words
Irrelevant Experience
Arrogance
Wrong Company Name/Wrong Cover
Letter
Cultural Preferences
Jokes
The Body of the Letter
Your street address
Your city, state, zip code
First paragraph – This Month, Day, Year
Mr./Ms./Dr. Name
is where you will Title
Name of company/organization
Company address
mention the job for City, State, Zip code
Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Last Name:
which you're applying Paragraph 1: Answers “Why am I writing?”
Identify the position and the company
and how you found Indicate how you learned about the position
Request the employer’s consideration
the job listing. It only Introduce basic information about yourself
Paragraph 2: Answers “Who am I, and why should you hire me?”
needs to be 1 to 2 Contain a brief summary of your personal data and work experience.
Relate your skills, experiences, and qualities that would benefit you in this
position
sentences in length. Paragraph 3: Answers “What is my next step?”
Refer the reader to your enclosed resume
Reiterate your interest in the position
Specify how you will follow up
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Telephone number
Body paragraph – Most cover letters will only
have 1 or 2 body paragraphs. You don't want
to overwhelm the hiring manager or use up a
great deal of his or her time. Try to answer the
following questions in your body paragraphs:
Why am I a qualified candidate for this
position?
What work experience do I have that fits the
job requirements in the company's listing?
Why do I want to work for this company
specifically?
Final paragraph – This will be where you wrap up and discuss
how you will proceed with the application. Consider including the
following:Reiterate in one sentence why you feel you're a perfect fit for
the position.
Discuss what you'll do next. If you plan on following up with the hiring
manager in a week or two, include a specific date. Otherwise, just say
that you look forward to interviewing for the position and discussing
your qualifications further.
Provide your contact information. Include your email address and your
phone number so the hiring manager can get in touch with you.
Mention that your resume or references are attached (if applicable).
Thank the person for their time
End your cover letter with a respectful
closing statement. "Best" or "Sincerely" are both classic options.
Also, since you won't be able to sign your email, finish the letter by typing your full
name.
Email Cover Letter
THE BUSINESS LETTER
What is a Business Letter?
A business letter is a letter
written in formal language
writing from one business
organization to another,
for correspondence between such
organizations and their customers,
clients and other external parties.
Purpose
serve as a reference for the future. .
Provide information regarding
business activities
Business letter in the form of
circular letter- many people can
read message within one time
Establishment of relationship
Solve misunderstandings
Types of Business Letters
Inquiry
letter
Response
to a Letter Letter of
of Request Thanking
Types
Letter of Letter of
Request Complaint
Response
to a Letter
of
Complaint
Questions……..
