FORMAL LETTER Written with a purpose. MCB Unit 2 - Education FORMAL LETTER Written with a purpose. Includes letters of complaint, suggestion or concern, recommendation letter, official invitations, etc. Also sometimes referred to as business letters. Strictly uses formal language.

FORMAL LETTER FORMAT Sender’s Address (full) Date (in words and full) Receiver’s Address The + Receiver’s Designation Name of the Newspaper, Publication, Company, etc. Address Subject: Salutation Content Body of the letter (3 paragraphs) 1st Para (Introduction) 2nd Para (Main content/Details of the Topic, Subject) 3rd Para (Suggestions/Conclusion) Closing Line Yours sincerely/ faithfully Signature Full Name (address to include the following) [Leave a line between each para OR If not leaving line between paras, leave some space from the margin before starting a new para]

SAMPLE FORMAT Flat#, Floor#, PQR Apartments ABC Road Area City, Country 25 May, 2016 The Editor (The + Receiver’s Designation) Forbes Middle East (Name of the Newspaper, Publication, Company, etc) Office# OR Floor# + Building Name (Full Address) Area City, Country Subject: (in one sentence) Sir/Madam OR Dear Sir/Madam, 1st Para (Introduction) 2nd Para (Main content/Details of the Topic, Subject) 3rd Para (Suggestions/Conclusion) Yours sincerely/ faithfully, Signature XYZ  

TIPS FOR WRITING FORMAL LETTER Write as simply and as clearly as possible. Do not make the letter longer than necessary. Do not use informal language. Do not use contractions – I am instead of I’m, must not instead of mustn’t, do not instead of don’t, etc. Subject Line: To be written in one sentence only. Purpose is to give the reader an idea of what the letter is about before reading it. Salutation or greeting: Dear Sir or Madam - If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. Dear Mr House - If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is used for both married and single women.

TIPS FOR WRITING FORMAL LETTER Ending a letter: Yours faithfully - If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, end the letter this way. Yours sincerely - If you know the name of the person you are writing to, end the letter this way. First paragraph This should be short and state the purpose of the letter - to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc. Second paragraph This should contain the relevant information behind the writing of the letter. Keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and logical manner. Last Paragraph  The last paragraph should state what action you expect the recipient to take - to create awareness, to refund, send you information, etc.

SAMPLE LETTER 1302, Dune Apartments Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai P.O.Box 7719 Dubai, UAE 12 January, 2016 The Editor The National 56/8F, Hamdan Street Abu Dhabi, UAE Subject: Increasing Awareness of Health and Diet Sir, I write this letter to highlight the changes that are being observed in terms of awareness among people regarding health. Health seems to be quite on the top of people’s priority list. (1st para)

SAMPLE LETTER CONT. To give a few examples- in 2014 there were only 5 yoga centres which doubled by 2015. As compared to 2014, the use of refined oil has increased by three times in 2015. There is a steep rise in the number of people going for morning walks, i.e. from 5% to 25%. The number of people going for regular health checkup has also gone up considerably. This shows that people’s attitude and concern regarding their own health has undergone a change. The dictum ‘Health is Wealth’ is probably being understood. As long as one lives, one should be healthy, hale and hearty, is the motto. This has given boost to health related businesses that have shown an upward movement. If one is conscious about one’s health, it definitely pays in the long run. (2nd para) Through this letter I want to urge people to avail the facilities available to them as well as go for regular morning walks to keep themselves hale and hearty. (3rd para) Yours faithfully, (signature) XYZ

PRACTICE QUESTIONS Though there is a movement like ‘Sarvashiksha Abhiyan’ and enrolling of underprivileged children in schools, there are still many children who do not go to school, rather have never seen a school. It is indeed disturbing. You decide to write a letter to the editor of an Indian newspaper expressing your views on educating the underprivileged and the steps to be taken. Take ideas from the MCB unit ‘Education’. (150 words) OR As per a recent report, in spite of the government’s initiatives and provisions made for the girl child in India, statistics show that the enrolment position of girls in primary and upper primary grades are not very encouraging. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily, expressing your concern about the issue and the need to work on a war footing to counter the problem of poor enrolment of girls. Invent necessary details to support your concern. (150 words)