LETTER WRITING - OFFICIAL AND FRIENDLY by Samson Mwita

LETTER WRITING

There are two major types of letters;

(a)          Personal/friendly/informal letter.

(b)         Business/formal/official letter.

PERSONAL/FRIENDLY/ INFORMAL LETTER

A friendly/informal letter is written to relatives, parents or familiar friends. Because of the relationship between the addressee and the writer, even the language tends to be informal in nature.

Features of Informal Letter.

i.        One address; that is, the sender’s address on the top right hand side.

ii.      The date below the sender’s address.

iii.    Salutation, which can be; Dear Pendo, Hi Pendo, or Hello Pendo‟.

iv.    Introduction of the letter.

v.      The content containing the information /message you are communicating.

vi.    The ending, with; Yours’, Your friend, It’s me, love, Yours affectionate, In love, etc.

vii.  Sender’s name or signature.

viii.Punctuations marks can be used.

ix.    The use of personal language is common. It can express the feelings and emotions of the writer. E.g. You have driven me crazy, The first time I saw you, you stole my heart away.

x.      Use of colloquial/casual/informal language like honey, sweetheart, mummy, daddy, hi,

xi.    The use of slangs, e.g.  tsup! I wanna tell you sth, I’m gonna visit you...

xii.  Ungrammatical language can be employed. E.g. someone may write “luv” for “love”,

xiii.Contracted form is common. E.g. I’m, I’ve, We’ll, I don’t. 

xiv.The letter can be as long as the writer pleases.

xv.  Incomplete sentences can be used. E.g. you know what...

PARTS OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

1.    The Sender’s address.

This appears at the top right of the letter. Although it is necessary to punctuate the letter, in modern writing punctuation are not used. Sender’s address helps the receiver/addressee when replying the letter. NOTE: Your name is not part of sender’s address.

2.    The Date.

It goes below the sender’s address and can be abbreviated or written out in full. This helps to know whether the letter has reached on time or not. There are different ways of writing the date. The one you choose is largely a matter of personal preferences

22.4.2015.

22/4/2015.

2015, April 22^nd.

22^nd,April 2015.

April 22^nd, 2015

2015, 22^nd April.

3.    The Salutation

This appears below the date line on the left hand side, it can be; Dear Pendo, Hi Pendo, or Hello Pendo‟ if you are writing to a friend, or a relative of your age. Dear father, dear aunty Amoti, hello mum, hi aunty Abooki if you are writing to older family relatives.

4.    The Body of your letter

The content containing the information /message you are communicating. It is written in paragraphs each one carrying a main idea.

5.    The Closing/ending.

You may end with; Yours, Your friend, It’s me, love, Yours affectionate, In love, Lots of love, Your loving niece, Your loving son, kind regards, Best wishes, All the best, etc

6.    Sender’s name.

Type your name. You may just need to type only your first name because this is a person who knows you in person.

7.    PS or Postscript

This contains things you have forgotten in the body. Postscripts are not usually long.

THE FORMAT OF A FRIENDLY LETTER

SENDER’S ADDRESS DATE SALUTATION INTRODUCTION MAIN BODY CLOSING NAME OF THE WRITER

Heritage Secondary School P . O .  Box  38430 Dar-es-Salaam   23rd,June 2018 Dear Derrick, It’s been a long time since I last heard from you. How is London? I landed safely and I’m now back to school. Things have changed dramatically over the past few years here in Tanzania since I left for London. My country is now busy advancing in all walks of life. We’ve got a president that would qualify for the name “A man of the people”. His Excellency Dr. John Pombe Magufuli is a man of integrity, very hardworking and determined to see Tanzania listed among the second world economy countries by 2025. There are many developmental projects on progress including but not limited to construction of the standard-gauge railway line from Dar-es-Salaam to Mwanza, construction of Tazara and Ubungo flyovers to solve the traffics in the city, not to mention of course the industries that are now mushrooming everywhere across the country. I hope the next time you visit me you will see a different Tanzania from the once you saw the last time you visited me. I also hope that we will remain friends forever for yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision but today’s friendship makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.  Your loving friend                        Jesca

ASSIGNMENT Imagine that you witnessed a bank robbery at your local NMB branch and using this imaginary robbery, then: Write a letter to your friend called Pendo informing her of the bank robbery.

BUSINESS/OFFICIAL/FORMAL LETTER.

Formal letters include business transaction letters like job application, order letters, letter of adjustment or complaint, editorial letters, requisitions, acceptance letters, confirmation letters, payment request, debt reminders and many others. All business letters have the same format. There are two addresses, the language used is formal, the body is brief, and the tone is official.

Features of Formal Letter

a)      Brevity; It should be brief to capture the intended message. That is to say only the necessary words are written.

b)      Clarity; The letter should contain all the relevant information and written in a clear form.

c)    Courtesy: The letter should be polite and diplomatic without rude words. The use of formal vocabulary and polite language like I would like to..., would you..., thanks in advance...,

d)   Official titles such as manager, director, headmistress,

e)    The use of grammatically correct sentences.

f)    Impersonal language is used. It should not reveal the feelings of the writer even when the writer knows the addressee personally. E.g. It is said...,

PARTS OF A FORMAL LETTER

1)   Sender’s address.

This appears at the top right of the letter. Although it is necessary to punctuate the letter, in modern writing punctuations are not used. Sender’s address helps the receiver/addressee when replying the letter. NOTE: Your name is not part of sender’s address.

2)   Date.

It goes below the sender’s address and can be abbreviated or written out in full. This helps to know whether the letter has reached on time or not. There are different ways of writing the date. The one you choose is largely a matter of personal preferences

22.4.2018.

22/4/2018.

2018, April 22^nd.

22^nd,April 2018.

April 22^nd, 2018

2018, 22^nd April.

3)   Recipient’s address

It appears at the left below the date line. It should include the title of the recipient and the post office box. E.g.

The Headmistress,

Busegwe Girls High School

P.O.Box 1515

Musoma

Some formal letters may need to pass under forwarded signatures. In this case the recipient’s address will be the first on the left hand side followed by the addresses of the forwarders from superior to less superior with the abbreviation U.F.S. separating the addresses.

4)   Salutation

If you know the person’s name it’s better to use Dear Mr./Mrs./Dr/Ms/Prof………If not use Dear Sir/Madam. Your letter will be received more favourably if you address the person by his/her name. So try to find out their names.

5)   RE: Heading

This is a brief statement explaining your reason for writing your reason for writing the letter. It should be six words or less. It is usually bolded and/or underlined.

E.g.: RE: APPLICATION FOR A SECRETARY VACANCY.

6)   Body of your letter

Application letters should be brief so keep your sentences short and to the point. Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a new idea into your letter. End with a short sentence that anticipates a response of the addressee and your readiness to appear for an interview. E.g. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I look forward to an early affirmative response from your side for a chance to appear for an interview.

7)   Closing/ending.

You sign off your letter by writing;

Yours faithfully, if you don’t know the person’s name.

Yours sincerely, if you have included the person’s name.

However, in modern letters the words “thanks” and “regards” can be used.

8)      Signature

Put your signature above your name. If you are typing your letter make sure you leave enough space for you to fill in a signature.

9)   Sender’s name.

Close your letter by writing/typing out your name in full.

THE FORMAT OF A JOB APPLICATION LETTER

Business letters may appear in different formats namely;

1)      Indented punctuated format.

2)      Semi- blocked punctuated format

3)      Semi- blocked unpunctuated format

4)      Fully- blocked punctuated format

5)      Fully- blocked unpunctuated format

1)      In the Indented punctuated format, the heading, closing and signature are aligned along the right margin. Paragraphs are indented and addresses are slanted.

2)      In semi-blocked format the senders address is on the top right hand side, the recipient’s address is on the left below the dateline. The addresses are in block format. The paragraphs are indented and the closing is on the bottom right hand side.

3)      In a fully-blocked format all the elements are aligned along the left margin and the paragraphs are not indented but spaces are left between one paragraph and another.

THE BODY OF YOUR LETTER 

It is important to understand the skills in writing application letters. If your letter is badly written you might not get the job you are applying for. Here are things to note.

1.    It’s important to show where and when you saw an advertisement inviting applications.

Some samples of openings of Application Letter.

Ø  I am writing to apply for the post of Personal Secretary to the Public Relation Officer advertised in “THE TIMES” of July 10^th

Ø  I would like to apply for the post of English teacher advertised on “Radio One” on 23^rd March ...

Ø  In response to your advertisement in yesterday’s “DAILY NEWS” I am writing to apply for the post of Assistant to the works Manager …

Ø  With reference to the advertisement heard on Radio Free Africa on 27^th of July 2018, I would like to apply for the post of Computer programmer …

Ø  I am writing to apply for the above post which was advertised on your website www.udom.ac.tz on 2^nd of February 2018.

Ø  I am writing to apply for the post of Security guard advertised in the yesterday’s “MWANANCHI” and I am enclosing a copy of my CV as requested…

2.    It’s important to give the following information.

Age, sex, nationality, marital status, educational qualification, experience, reasons for applying and promises of loyal service (very brief), readiness for interview, referees and enclosed testimonials (CV and certificates).

THE ENDING

The end of your letter should correspond to its beginning.

SALUTATION	CLOSING/ENDING	CONTENT
Dear Sir/Madam	Yours faithfully Yours truly	Formal relationship (not friendly/very formal)
Dear Mr Mwita Dear Madam Dorah	Yours sincerely (because you mentioned the name)	Semi-formal (friendly atmosphere)

EXERCISE

(Daily Nation 31st July 2018) ‘DRIVERS WANTED’ The Managing Director of Barkhresa Group of Companies advertises the job vacancies for the competent drivers with a class C driving license, and a 10 year Heavy Duty trucks driving experience. Qualified candidate should send their applications to the address below ten days after the first appearance of this advert. Managing Director, Barkhresa Group of Companies, P.O.Box 2020 Dar-es-Salaam

AN EXAMPLE OF INDENTED PUNCTUATED LETTER BUSEGWE HIGH SCHOOL,       P. O Box 1515,           MUSOMA. 19th April 2018. HEADMISTRESS, BUSEGWE HIGH SCHOOL, P.O. BOX.1515, MUSOMA .          Dear Madam, RE: APPLICATION FOR A JOB AS ENGLISH TEACHER.         In response to your advertisement heard on radio free Africa on 22nd April 2018 that you are looking for the English subject teacher, I would like to submit my application.         I am a young male Tanzanian graduate aged 28 with a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree from the University of Dodoma. I graduated in 2012 leaving with an upper second class degree specializing in English and Literature. I would like to apply for a teaching job at your school on a permanent or contract basis, for the subjects mentioned above.          I am interested in working with your school, because I believe it will provide me with a good atmosphere to develop my potentials and utilize my abilities to the fullest. I am certainly sure that I am well experienced and qualified to shoulder all the responsibilities I am likely to be given, in order to meet the expectations of your institution, since I am young, energetic, smart, hardworking and confident fellow.           If I am given a chance to serve you as English / Literature teacher, I am sure to give you the fullest satisfaction out of my hard work, enthusiasm, experience and sincerity. Further details regarding my qualification, experience and other particulars are given in the enclosed bio-data.(CV). I look forward to an early affirmative response from your side, for a chance to present my candidature in person and appear for an interview at your convenience. Yours faithfully, Mwl. Samson M Marwa.

AN EXAMPLE OF A SEMI-BLOCKED PUNCTUATED LETTER BUSEGWE HIGH SCHOOL, P. O Box 1515, MUSOMA. 19th April 2018. HEADMISTRESS, BUSEGWE HIGH SCHOOL, P.O. BOX.1515, MUSOMA .          Dear Madam, RE: APPLICATION FOR A JOB AS ENGLISH TEACHER.         In response to your advertisement heard on radio free Africa on 22nd April 2018 that you are looking for the English subject teacher, I would like to submit my application.         I am a young male Tanzanian graduate aged 28 with a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree from the University of Dodoma. I graduated in 2012 leaving with an upper second class degree specializing in English and Literature. I would like to apply for a teaching job at your school on a permanent or contract basis, for the subjects mentioned above.          I am interested in working with your school, because I believe it will provide me with a good atmosphere to develop my potentials and utilize my abilities to the fullest. I am certainly sure that I am well experienced and qualified to shoulder all the responsibilities I am likely to be given, in order to meet the expectations of your institution, since I am young, energetic, smart, hardworking and confident fellow.           If I am given a chance to serve you as English / Literature teacher, I am sure to give you the fullest satisfaction out of my hard work, enthusiasm, experience and sincerity. Further details regarding my qualification, experience and other particulars are given in the enclosed bio-data.(CV). I look forward to an early affirmative response from your side, for a chance to present my candidature in person and appear for an interview at your convenience. Yours faithfully, Mwl. Samson M Marwa.

AN EXAMPLE OF A FULLY-BLOCKED PUNCTUATED LETTER BUSEGWE HIGH SCHOOL, P. O Box 1515, MUSOMA. 19th April 2018. HEADMISTRESS, BUSEGWE HIGH SCHOOL, P.O. BOX.1515, MUSOMA . Dear Madam, RE: APPLICATION FOR A JOB AS ENGLISH TEACHER.  In response to your advertisement heard on radio free Africa on 22nd April 2018 that you are looking for the English subject teacher, I would like to submit my application.  I am a young male Tanzanian graduate aged 28 with a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree from the University of Dodoma. I graduated in 2012 leaving with an upper second class degree specializing in English and Literature. I would like to apply for a teaching job at your school on a permanent or contract basis, for the subjects mentioned above. I am interested in working with your school, because I believe it will provide me with a good atmosphere to develop my potentials and utilize my abilities to the fullest. I am certainly sure that I am well experienced and qualified to shoulder all the responsibilities I am likely to be given, in order to meet the expectations of your institution, since I am young, energetic, smart, hardworking and confident fellow. If I am given a chance to serve you as English / Literature teacher, I am sure to give you the fullest satisfaction out of my hard work, enthusiasm, experience and sincerity. Further details regarding my qualification, experience and other particulars are given in the enclosed bio-data.(CV). I look forward to an early affirmative response from your side, for a chance to present my candidature in person and appear for an interview at your convenience. Yours faithfully, Mwl. Samson M Marwa.