WITH examinations in mind, you need to be totally prepared for all types of questions that might appear in the examinations. Teachers tend to concentrate on the type of questions which always feature in the examinations.
All is fine as long as students get good grades in the examinations. But there are times when they usually do not appear and students are caught off balance.
The best as already indicated is to cover all possible areas for students to be fully prepared. If you look at past examination scripts, you will find that writing letters as the other form of communication in writing has been avoided for a long time. Your guess for the reason for that is as good as mine. I presume letter writing is taken as straightforward and students would have been given easy stuff to write. I do not know.
However, there are some valid points students need to know. There are three main types of letters to be aware of: The layout and style of your letter are ruled by the type of letter you are writing. To help you decide this, you should ask yourself three simple questions: Who is writing the letter? For whom is it intended? Why are you writing it? These could be shortened to: Who? Whom? Why?
Points to remember about letters: Plan all letters before you start writing. State your purpose in the opening sentences, answering questions like: Why? Whom? What? Who? The date is placed below the writer’s address. End off a letter with a “rounding off” statement, for example, I look forward to your reply/visit or many thanks again. These are just examples not compulsory for everyday use.
Whether or not your letter ends with “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully”, “Yours” always begins with a capital letter and “sincerely” and “faithfully” always begin with a small letter. Be consistent — if you have been taught to write indented, half-block or block letters, make sure you stick to the same form all the way through. Half-block form means that no punctuation is used in the address or in the ending of the letter.
The writer’s address is not indented and everything else is written along the left-hand margin, with a line left between each paragraph. Friendly letters: Although the style of a friendly letter is informal, it should still be clearly structured, with each paragraph carrying a main point. In addition, slang and “sloppy” expressions should be avoided. It is better to stick to the suggested endings.
(Yours sincerely, Yours truly) rather than use flowery ones such as “Your loving one”. Avoid over-personal details and try to keep your content relevant to the purpose of your letter. A letter to a pen-friend. Although at first a pen-friend is not known by you, you use the style of a friendly letter. Write about yourself, your family and friends, your school, your home and your hobbies.
Describe your country but do not make it sound like a geography book. Try to include one or two important events in your life, for example, a holiday or birthday party, local festival or celebration.
There are many other kinds of friendly letters, which may include letters of congratulation, invitation, acceptance of an invitation or explanation of failure to arrive at a party. Always remember to write a direct, simple style and friendly tone.
Business letters: Remember that your letter is intended for someone completely unknown to you so: deal strictly with the business in hand. Be clear and direct to the point. Address whoever you are writing to as Dear Sir/Madam. Write the position held by the above at the top of the business address. After you have written Dear Sir/Madam give your letter a title. Always conclude Yours faithfully.
Sign your name but also print it clearly below your signature so that there is no doubt about who you are. If you hold a position, (for example, manager), this should be printed below your name. Letter of complaint: Remember that in order for a company to act on your complaint, they need to know all the important details which might include: the model, make or detailed description of the product; the name and address of the shop where you bought it; date of your purchase; a description of the problem; what action you wish them to take.
Be reasonable, polite but firm in your tone — avoid threatening, angry or insulting letters. Letters to newspapers: These letters fall into a category of their own as your audience is the public. Usually, you are using the newspaper as a way of expressing an opinion, making a protest, reacting to someone else’s letter, offering praise or thanks or asking for information — but they are all matters which are important to the citizens of the country and which you feel need to be shared.
Although letters to the Press often express strong feelings or opinions, always try to express yourself clearly and objectively, giving balance to your arguments. Often, it is sufficient to simply address the editor as “Sir”. Identify the subject of your letter in the opening sentences. For views link with charlesdbe14058@gmail.com or sms to 0772113207.