Letter Writing

Letter writing:-

Before two decades people mostly communicate with the help of letters, when there were lacks of resources like telephones, Mobiles, internet, video confessing etc. It has been always been a popular mode ode of communication. Advancement of modern information technology has badly affected the art of letter writing. Now –a- days only some people prefer to write letter because it is slow in delivering a massage. But still letter writing is an important tool in business and very useful to develop and maintain healthy relationships. These letters are known as business letters. It is always done for particular purpose. Letters are classified into following categories:

PERSONAL or SOCIAL LETTERS APPLICATIONS FORMAL or BUSINESS LETTERS Personal or social letters:

Personal or social letters are called as INFORMAL LETTERS.

INFORMAL LETTERS: Informal writing is when you are writing to

someone you know personally or when you are writing subjectively to express your own private feelings and thoughts. In simple words Nonofficial Letter i.e. Letters written to the loved ones like brother, mother, father, wife etc. Example of informal letter is on next page 2.

Write a reply to your friend to explain that how he can be good student.

10, Model town, GT road, Jalandhar 25 Aug, 2012

Dear Rehan, It was lovely to hear from you after such a long time. In your letter you asked me for some advice on how to become a successful student. If you want to be successful, you must set goals. Moreover, you must be motivated. Motivation makes you work hard. This will help you to achieve your goals. In addition, you must pay attention in class. You must always ask questions if you do not understand. You can ask your teachers to explain things to you. To be a successful student you must be organised. Use a notebook to write down all your homework. You must also complete your homework on time. Homework helps you to understand and remember what the teachers have taught. You should also take part in co-curricular activities. These activities help you became a better person. You learn leadership skills and values like cooperation and tolerance. Discipline is important in our lives. Hence, it is important that you obey the school rules. Lastly, you must respect everyone. You must respect your parents, your teachers, the school staff and also your friends. There are also several things you must avoid if you want to be a successful student. You must avoid wasting time. Do not waste time on Facebook. Also, do not play computer games all the time. It will not help you in any way. Avoid skipping school. I have to stop here. I hope you find the above tips useful. Till I hear from you, take care. Your friend, Mand y

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL LETTER It is the style of writing, or the way we use words to say what we want to say. Different situations call for different ways of putting words together. The way we write in academic and scientific settings differs greatly from the way we write to a friend or close one. The tone, vocabulary, and syntax, all change as the occasion changes. This difference in the styles of writing is

the difference between formality and informality, or the difference between formal and informal writing.

FORMAL LETTER: 1. Avoid using colloquial words/expressions (substitute with children, man/boy, wonderful, many, etc.) 2. Avoid contractions (write out full words – cannot, will not, should not, etc.) 3. Write in third person (except in business letters where first person may be used). 4. Avoid clichés (use many, was absent, etc.) 5. Avoid addressing readers using second person pronouns (use one, one’s, the reader, the reader’s, etc.) 6. Avoid using abbreviated words (use full versions – like photograph, television, etc.) 7. Avoid imperative voice (use Please refer to… 8. Use passive voice (e.g. It has been noticed that…. 9. Longer and more complex sentences are preferred (short simple sentences reflects poorly on the writer) 10. State your points confidently and offer your argument firm support.

INFORMAL LETTER: 1. May use colloquial words/expressions (kids, guy, awesome, a lot, etc.) 2. May use contractions (can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, etc.). 3. May use first, second, or third person. 4. May use clichés (loads of, conspicuous by absence, etc.) 5. May address readers using second person pronouns (you, your, etc) 6. May use abbreviated words (photo, TV, etc). 7. May use imperative voice (e.g. Remember….) 8. May use active voice (e.g. we have noticed that…..) 9. May use short and simple sentences. 10. Difficulty of subject may be acknowledged and empathy shown to the reader.

BUSINESS LETTER: A commercial business letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter will depend on the relationship between the parties concerned. There are many reasons to write a business letter. It could be to request direct information or action

from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to identify a mistake that was committed, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong or simply to convey goodwill. Even today, the business letter is still very useful because it produces a permanent record, is confidential, formal and delivers persuasive, well-considered messages

MEANING: Business letters are written to various business firms for ordering goods, asking for quotations, price or specification of goods. Business letters should be short, clear and point to point.

DEFINITION: “Business letters are formal letters used for business-to-business, business-to-client, or client-to-business correspondence. There are a number of elements to a business letter.” (By: Jacky Gamble)

Format:[SENDER'S ADDRESS]

[DATE]

(Optional) [SENDER'SPHONE] (Optional) [THE SENDER'S E-MAIL] Ref no: [RECIPIENT'S COMPANY] [RECIPIENT'S ADDRESS]

Dear [RECIPIENT W/ PREFIX]: [First Salutation then Subject in Business letters] Sub: [CONTENT] [VALEDICTION (Sincerely, Respectfully, Regards, etc.)

[SENDER] [SENDER'S TITLE] Enclosures ([NUMBER OF ENCLOSURES)

TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS: Letter of inquiry Letters regarding quotations Complaint letters Sales letters Purchase letters

Letter of inquiry: We write these letters when we need some information from external agencies especially about facilities, pay scale, terms and conditions for a job, official, documents, and the availability of goods/items/brochure/catalogue/prospectus of business organization or educational institution.

For example: you are sunny, managing director of pro skills training centre which is in Jalandhar and write a letter to Golden Gate Engineering which is in Prince Square, Prince Street, Kowloon for the Enquiry about Quality Control Course

Pro skills training centre Jalandhar Date: 23 August 2012 Ref no: hd542 Golden Gate Engineering

Prince Square, Prince Street, Kowloon Dear Sir or Madam Sub: Enquiry about Quality Control Course I am writing to enquire whether your company could offer a course on Quality Control for our managers. I saw your advert in the HK Daily on Tuesday, 21 August 2012, and the Quality Control Training Course (Ref.: QC 101) mentioned in the advert might be suitable for us. I would like to know if it is possible for you to offer a 3-month training course starting before or, at the latest, on Monday, 10 September 2012, for a group of 20. Could you send us some information about the teaching staff and the possible schedule for this course?

I am looking forward to receiving your reply. Yours faithfully, Sunny (SUNNY) Managing Director ID mark: SnY Encl: -

LETTER REGARDING QUOTATION: A formal statement of promise (submitted usually in response to a request for quotation) by potential supplier to supply the goods or services required by a buyer, at specified prices, and within a specified period. A quotation may also contain terms of sale and payment, and warranties. Acceptance of quotation by the buyer constitutes an agreement binding on both parties. In other words all business concerns, govt. and semi govt. offices autonomous and all other institutions have to make purchases, so instead of going straight to place an order, quotations are often invited from various suppliers, depending upon nature, quantity and quality of goods required.

For e.g.:- you are Mr. Sunil Sharma, owner of shine computer from Nakodar, write a letter in which you have to send quotation regarding price of computers and laptops to brijesh sagar co. ltd (Delhi). Shine Computers Nakodar Date: 14APRIL2012 Tel No. 56564665

Fax No. 2265446 Ref: ABCD/CTG/2012/248 Brijesh Sagar co ltd Delhi Dear Sir, Sub: Price Quotation for Computer, Laptop and Printer. Thank you for your interest in our services. Please review the quotation letter with following cost bellow of Computer, Laptop and Printer: Item Name Brand

Configuration

Unit Price

Computer

ASUS

Processor: Ci7, MB: Intel, RAM: 3GB, HDD: 500MB

43,000/-

Laptop

Dell

Processor: Ci5, MB: Intel, RAM: 2GB, HDD: 350MB

42,000/-

Printer

HP

Laser-4240

27,000/-

Product Deliver, Installation and Service Terms: 5 days from work order date.

Payment Terms and Conditions: Taka 60% of quoted value should be paid along with work order and rest 40% should be paid at the date of job completion. Yours faithfully, Sunil (SUNIL SHARMA) Owner ID Mark: S.s. Encl: (1) Terms and conditions

COMPLAINT LETTER: A letter of complaint will almost certainly result in an official response if you approach it from a businesslike perspective. Make the complaint brief, to the point and polite. Politeness pays off regardless of the extent of anger you are actually feeling while composing this type of business letter. For e.g.: You are Suraj, owner of RS Collection, 65 market street Val haven, CT95135. Write a complaint letter to customer service for defective pairs of soccer cleats. R.S Collection 65 Market Street Val Haven, CT 95135 Date: June 30, 2012 tel no: 9014521454 Ref no: 021hgt Customer Service Cool Sports, LLC 8423 Green Terrace Road Osterville, WA 65435 Dear Sir or Madam Sub: complaint regarding pairs of soccer cleats We have recently ordered a new pair of soccer cleats (bill #6542951) from your website on June 21. We received the order on June 26. Unfortunately, when we opened it, I saw that the cleats were used. The cleats had dirt all over it and some of them were a small tear in front of the part where the left toe would go. Our order number is AF26168156.

To resolve the problem, I would like you to credit my account for the amount charged for my cleats; We have already went out and bought a new pairs of cleats from our local sporting goods store so sending another would result in having more pairs of the same cleats. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We have been a satisfied customer of your company for many years and this is the first time we have encountered a problem. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at (555) 555-5555. Yours faithfully Suraj (SURAJ KUMAR) MD ID Mark: SK Encl: (1) …..

PURCHASE LETTER: It is presumed before sending a purchase letter that requires enquiries regarding: prices of goods to be purchased quality of goods standing of the firm Terms and condition etc. have been made and the quantity to be purchased has been decided. For e.g.: Tom Atkinson COMANY Inc. 14 Edith Street, Hackney West, Date: 30 June, 2009 Ref no: hsl565 BCA Industries 1223 Second Street

Tempe, AZ 85245] Dear Sir sub: want to purchase some products. Please accept this purchase order for the following: QUANTITY PRODUCT 2 Compressor 234A 1 Compressor 323F

UNIT PRICE $2,300.00 $1,200.00

TOTAL $4,600.00 $1,200.00 $5,800.00]

We require shipment by [DATE, ex. June 20, 1998] Please refer to this order as “purchase order(sas545) If this order cannot be processed as requested, please contact me at 26564654 at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Tony (Tony Montana) Owner ID Mark: Tm Encl: (1)…..

SALES LETTER: A sales letter is a piece of direct mail which is designed to persuade the reader to purchase a particular product or service in the absence of a salesman. It has been defined as "A form of direct mail in which an advertiser sends a letter to a potential customer." It is distinct from other direct mail techniques, such as the distribution of leaflets and catalogues, as the sales letter typically sells a single product or product line, and further tends to be mainly textual as opposed to graphics-based. It is typically used for products or services which, due to their price, are a considered purchase at medium or high value. For e.g.:

Document Makers 2398 Red Street Salem, MA 34588 March 10, 2001 Ref no: dfh44 Thomas R. Smith Drivers Co 3489 Greene Ave. Olympia, WA 98502 Dear Sir Sub: regarding sales of document papers Are you having trouble getting your important documents formatted correctly? If you are like most business owners, you have trouble finding the time to economically produce good-looking documents. This is why it is important to have a specialist take care of your most important documents. At Documents Makers, we have the skills and experience to come in and help you make the best possible impression. May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate of how much it would cost to get your documents looking great? If so, give us a call at and set up and appointment with one of your friendly operators. Sincerely, (Richard Brown) President ID Mark: RB/sp Encl: (1)……..

Business Reports: Business reports are documents that present data and information to specific readers. Examples include data from customer service reviews, presentations of new marketing and promotion approaches, or a financial plan for the annual budget. There are numerous types of business report formats, but credible and effective reports often have similar sections that present the material in standardized ways.

PURPOSE OF BUSINESS REPORTS: The main purpose of a business report is fact findings and prepares the base for making decision. Business reports bridges the gap between planning and implementation. It may be oral, written, long, short, formal or informal-whatever it is business report monitors the situation, investigate the truth, analyze the problem and recommend the solution. It also used in annual reports, monthly sales reports, reports requested by management exploring a specific issue, reports requested by the government showing a company's compliance with regulations, progress reports, and feasibility studies.

ELEMENTS OF BUSINESS REPORTS: MEMORANDUM: A brief note stating the purpose or giving an explanation of the issue(s). Used when the report is sent to someone within the same organisation. COVERING LETTER: Addressed to the receiver of a report giving an explanation for it. Used when the report is for someone who does not belong to the same organisation as the writer? TITLE PAGE: Contains a descriptive heading or name, may also contain author's name, position, company name and so on. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Summarizes the main contents. Usually 300-350 words.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: A list of the main sections, indicating the page on which each section begins. INTRODUCTION: Informs the reader of what the report is about - aim and purpose, significant issues, and any relevant background information. DISCUSSION: Describes reasoning and research in detail. CONCLUSION: Summarizes the main points made in the written work. It often includes an overall answer to the problem addressed; or an overall statement synthesizing the strands of information dealt with. RECOMMENDATION/S: Gives suggestions relating to the issue(s) or problem(s) dealt with. REFERENCES: An alphabetical list of all sources referred to in the report. APPENDICES: Extra information of further details placed after the main body of the text.

FORMAT: [COMPANY’S NAME] [ADDRESS]

Report Matter Submitted by: Name Post Submitted to: Name Post Date:

Body of Report Your name Post

For e.g.: you are Freda general manager of portable computers. Write a report to your training coordinator Belinda about the more utilization of resources in the company and for providing better services to our employees and customers.

Portable Computers Moga Report on Portable computer Use at client sites

Submitted to Belinda Gibson, Training Coordinator

Submitted by Freda Smith, General Manager Date: January 29 2003

To make the most of the technologies we discussed the other day to provide a quality service to our customers, it is essential that our training staff be equipped with portable computers which can be used at client sites. Over the next couple of weeks, please investigate the portable computers which would be most appropriate for our staff, and present your findings in the form of a formal management report. The selected machine needs to be compatible with the Windows software we are currently using. Other factors which should be considered when comparing the brands and models include: Initial cost; Weight and size; Screen size; Clarity of the screen image; RAM and hard disk size; Speed of the CPU; Battery capability; and With our training staff so often out at client sites, it would be useful if the machines also had modern facilities to enable staff to access their email. Please pass the report to me by the end of the month so I can read it over before discussing your recommendations with the equipment committee. Let me know if you have any questions. Freda General Manager

NOTICE: A notice is written in order to inform people or pupils (in a school) about an event or an activity. It could be about a competition, an exhibition or inauguration to take place in near future. Or any other activity especially in school likes an excursion, a meeting or a show.

Format of notice:

Name of the organisation issuing the notice Address

Notice Topic/ heading Date: Body ……………………………… Name Designation department