Little Red Book

of
Letter Writing
 By the same author

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The Students'Companion

Fiction

Vilayti Pani: The Anglo-Indian Novel

 First published in 2012 by
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj
New Delhi 110002

Sales centres:
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Copyright © Terry O'Brien 2012

First impression 2012

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a
retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publisher.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Terry O'Brien asserts the moral right to be identified

as the author of this work.

Printed in India by
Gopsons Papers Ltd.
A-2&3, Sector 64
Noida 201301

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or
otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the
publisher's prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in
which it is published.
I dedicate this book to late Prof. A.P. O'Brien, my father, friend, guide and
mentor, who inspired me to the canon of excellence: re-imagining what's
essential
 PREFACE

The art of letter writing has been there ever since man learnt to write. Letters
are written and sent and received every day and the destination: the world
over. There are many categories: business letters, political letters, love letters,
invitations, thanks and much more.
The forms of communication in the world today are many-telephone, telex,
computer mailbox. Why even a letter can arrive within seconds of being sent.
But there is nothing quite like an old-fashioned letter to get the message,
whatever it might be, across.
Indeed there is a romance surrounding writing and receiving letters. Letters
don’t just transmit written messages but also the attitude of the writer and the
recipient.
The Little Red Book of Letter Writing covers both business and personal
letter; letters for many occasions and circumstances. The book deals with:
Letter-Writing Techniques and Letters for all occasions.
Letter Writing
 I. Layout and Component Parts
Every letter is made up of a number of components
There are rules that govern where, how and why these components are
used.

NOTE: Such rules are actually conventions, observed to ensure that

information is conveyed rapidly and effectively.
Breaking the rules is sometimes acceptable, but in formal and business
correspondence, it is probably wise not to do so without a good reason.
Layout
There are two styles of layout now in common use:

1. The fully-blocked layout.

2. The semi-blocked layout.

NOTE:

Informal handwritten letters are best laid out in the semi-blocked style.
When typing a letter, it is possible to choose between the two layouts,
but if you are writing letters on behalf of a company, check back in the
filing to find out which the company prefers to use.
If you need to send a formal letter but cannot get to a typing machine, it
is best to use the fully-blocked style.

Semi-blocked Layout

In this format, each paragraph is indented from the left-hand edge of the
page.
The subscription (yours sincerely, yours faithfully, etc. and the signatory
(the typed version of the sender’s name placed after the signature are
also indented.)
The date and any reference number is placed on the same line at the top
 of the page and the subject heading is centred under the salutation.
When using the semi-blocked style, it is usual to punctuate using
‘standard punctuation’.

Fully-blocked layout

This format is now more widely used in the business context because it
looks less informal.
Each paragraph of this style of letter is started flush left rather than
indented. A line space is left between each paragraph.
The subscription, signatory and subject heading are also typed flush left,
and the reference and date have a line to themselves.
If your letter is typed using the fully-blocked layout, it is usual to use
‘open punctuation’.

Punctuation of Addresses and other Details

There are two styles of punctuation in common use.

The first, ‘standard punctuation’ is usually used for letters that are laid
out in the semi-blocked style.
It consists of adding commas to the ends of the lines of an address, after
the salutation and subscription, and in the date.
The second style, known as ‘open punctuation’, entails no punctuation at
all.

Margins

It is normal to leave a good margin on either side of the wording of your

letter. This is especially important with business correspondence when space
must be left for the recipient to punch holes in the left-hand side for filing and
may be needed on the right-hand side for the recipient’s own notes.

Component Parts

Each letter written will make use of one or more of the following
components. Those composing business letters will use most of these
components, whereas an informal or personal letter may omit some of the
details.

Sender’s Address

This is the first item written in a letter. Handwritten letters normally give the
address in the top right-hand corner.

Telephone Numbers

It is usual to omit your telephone number from your address on a handwritten

letter.

Letter reference

The first reference number normally found on a business letter is that of the
sender’s office.

Date

The reference number is always followed by the date, either on the same line
as the reference, but placed on the right-hand side of the paper, or on the left-
hand side two lines below. It is best to write the date in figures and words:
15th January 2010, rather than 15.1.12. This is because in some languages
(including American English) the day and the month are often written in a
different order. For example, a French businessman fixes a meeting with a
British client for 5.6.94. He arrives on 6th May, only to find that he is not
expected until 5th June.
If you are punctuating the date, use the following formula: 15th January,
2012. If, however, you are using the open punctuation style, the date should
read: 15 January 2012.
Americans write dates giving the month first (December 15, 1994), but this
formula should be avoided in Britain.
Private/confidential

It may be that you are sending a personal letter to the addressee’s place
of work. In this case, you should mark the envelope, and place the word
‘Private’ as prominently as possible above the date. This means that the
letter will not be opened by other members of staff, and if it is opened
inadvertently the wording at the top of the letter should warn the reader
not to continue reading.
The word ‘Confidential’ is used to describe a letter or document that
contains sensitive information. Some managers and executives keep
letters marked confidential to themselves, whereas others trust certain
staff members with them. Thus, letters marked ‘confidential’ achieve a
restricted circulation in the office.

Method of Delivery

If you are putting your letter into recorded, registered or special delivery, or if
you are using any other special means of carriage (courier, by hand, etc.), this
should also be indicated after the date. If you are faxing a letter, the words
‘Fax — Urgent’ followed by the receiving fax number could also be placed
here.

Inside address

The inside address is crucial to the safe arrival of a business letter with
the right person. It is not necessary to give an inside address in a
personal/informal letter.
The inside address should be placed at the left-hand side of the letter,
after the date, with each successive line flush against the left margin.
Give the full address here as it is written on the outside of the envelope.
If a letter goes astray, it may be possible to deduce its whereabouts by
checking the file copy of the letter.
As far as possible, try to find out the name of the person who can deal
with the matter at hand.
Be sure to use the correct spelling of their name (find out their initials or
first name, but use initials only in the inside address). If the addressee is
 a woman, find out whether she prefers Miss, Mrs or Ms. Note down also
the addressee’s exact title and department. The company’s Switchboard
operator should be able to help you with these details.

Having the right name is important for a number of reasons:

It helps you get things done quickly. Having the right name also enables
you to chase up the right person by telephone if you do not receive a
satisfactory reply within a reasonable time.
Taking the trouble to find out the correct spelling and title shows
courtesy and respect.

It is usual when addressing letters to banks, firms of solicitors and some other
bodies to address only the company. Previous correspondence will tell you
how to address your letter (banks, for example, usually ask on their letterhead
that you address the Manager), or you can find out by calling the company in
question.

Attention Line

If you are addressing the company only, you may wish to add an ‘attention
line’ at the start of the address, however, and this should be positioned two
lines above the company name with a line space in between. The attention
line, which is usually written ‘Attn: Mr R.K.Mehra’, for example, will
indicate that there has been previous correspondence on this matter, dealt
with by Mr Mehra.

Salutation

With the exception of postcards, memos, invitations and replies to invitations,

all letters should start with a salutation:
Dear Sir/Dear Mrs Chopra Sir
The formality with which you open a letter depends on the relationship
between you and the recipient.

The simple ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ is the most formal of all salutations. It is

rarely used today, except perhaps in letters to the editors of national
 newspapers. ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’ is used when you have not
been given the name of the person to whom you are writing, when
writing to a company rather than a person, or when the letter is very
formal. For example, a job advertisement may ask for letters of
application to be addressed to ‘The Personnel Officer’. If this is the case,
try to find out his or her name. If this fails, the ‘Dear Sir or Madam’
formula is best. Never write ‘Dear Personnel Officer ’.
If you know the name of the person you are writing to, it is usual to use
their title and full name: Dear Mrs Chopra, Dear Mr Jha. Do not use
initials in a salutation of this type, reserve them for the inside address.
Some companies use the full name and omit the title: Dear Minu Chopra,
Dear Rahul Jha. Many people are irritated by this practice, so avoid it if
you can.

NOTE: In the last three decades or so, business life has become much
more informal.

Subject Heading

Most business letters begin with a subject heading, underlined or

otherwise distinguished from the rest of the text.
It should indicate the general subject of the letter for quick reference.
It should sum up accurately in no more than two or three words what it
is you are writing about.

Body of the Letter

In general, the shorter the letter, the better.

The first paragraph should tell the recipient why you are writing.
The following paragraphs elaborate.
The final paragraph should sum up and elicit a response.

NOTE: If you need to give detailed information, it is best to do this on a

separate sheet with a suitable heading, and attach it to your letter as an
enclosure.
Subscription

There are many forms of subscription (which is also known as the

complimentary close), and like salutations, the one you choose depends on
the level of familiarity or formality between you and the addressee:

To close a letter to an aunt ‘Yours faithfully’ would convey a formality

that may suggest a falling-out.
On the other hand, it would be very strange indeed to end a strongly-
worded letter of complaint to a noisy neighbour with ‘Kind regards’.

NOTE: One rule exists to make things simpler: when using the ‘Dear
Sir’ /’Dear Madam’ salutation, always use ‘Yours faithfully’.
When writing to a person you have met or spoken to a number of times on
the telephone, use ‘Yours sincerely’. The Computer now only ends up with
‘Yours truly’.

Signature

Signatures are normally made up of initials and surname, but may be

simply the Christian name if the letter is personal and/or informal.
When typing, six carriage returns should give you enough vertical space
to fit in a signature.

Some Subscriptions and some Suggestions for Use

 NOTE: Sometimes, the sender of a letter is not available to sign it once
it has been typed. In this instance it is usual for the person responsible
for typing the letter to put the letters ‘pp’ (meaning per procurationem,
for and on behalf of) next to the signatory.

Signatory and Designation

This is the typed version of the sender’s signature, and gives either the
full name or initials and surname.
If the sender is a woman, then she should also have her preferred title
(Mrs, Miss or Ms) typed in brackets after her name.
The name should be followed by the sender’s position in the company,
typed on the line below.
This is known as the designation, and it can add weight and authority to
your words, but is most useful in that it enables your correspondent to
 get further letters and telephone calls through to you.
If the letter is handwritten and formal, it is still a good idea to add your
name in block capitals after your signature in the position where the
signatory would normally be typed and to give your preferred title in
brackets.

Enclosures

If you are enclosing other materials along with your letter, indicate this
by typing the abbreviation ‘Enc.’ or ‘Encs’ after the designation. Some
people also give details of what the enclosures are, for extra information.

Copies

If a copy of the letter is being sent to another person, the abbreviation

‘cc’ is used to indicate this, followed by the name of the recipient(s) of
the copy or copies. Some companies also send ‘blind copies’ to relevant
people. These are not listed on the letter to the addressee, but will be
labelled ‘bc’ on the sending office’s file copy

Continuation sheets

If you have to use more than one sheet of paper for your letter, it is
informative to mark the first sheet with a catchword in the bottom right-
hand comer, such as PTO, MORE, or CONTINUES.
Continuation sheets should be numbered (although it is not necessary to
number the letterhead), and the name of the addressee along with his or
her company should be typed at the top of each new sheet on the left-
hand side.

Component parts for informal letters

Writers of informal and personal letters may bend the rules almost as much
as they like. However, most informal letters still contain the following
components:
 Sender’s address (with telephone number if using printed stationery,
without if handwriting the address).
Salutation (except for instances such as postcards).
Complimentary close.
Signature.

Sample Letters
The sample letters on show how to lay out all the component parts in semi-
blocked and fully blocked style.
Example of semi-blocked layout, typed
15 Ekta Garden
I P Extension
DELHI 110 092
16 th June 2010
Mrs J. Chawla
Manager
Indiana Hotel,
I6 Park Street
KOLKATA,

Dear Mrs Chawla,

Reservation
Following our telephone conversation earlier today, please would you reserve
a double room for my husband and me, for Friday 25th July to Sunday 27th
July inclusive (2 nights bed and breakfast).
I understand the cost will be Rs 4000 per night, breakfast included.
I am enclosing a cheque for Rs 2000 as a non-refundable deposit against
cancellation.
I look forward to meeting you.
Yours sincerely
E. Malhotra (Mrs)
Enc.
Example of semi-blocked layout, handwritten
I5 Ekta Garden
I P Extension
DELHI 110 092
16 th June 2010
Dear Manju and Rajesh,
Congratulations — you’ve tied the knot at last! I was so glad to see your
picture in the paper. You both looked very happy, and I hope that will
continue.
Good luck, and congratulations once again.
Best regards,
Uma

Example of fully-blocked layout. typed

I5 Ekta Garden
I P Extension
DELHI 110 092
21 August 2010
The Manager
Urban Bank
12 Park Street
KOLKATA
Dear Sir
Personal accounts 0318 & 04578
Michael Das and I have just got married. We both hold personal accounts at
your branch. We would like to close our separate accounts and at the same
time open a joint account. Please would you let me know how best to do this,
and send us any forms that are required. In view of our changed status, we
both also need to review our pensions. Do you have any information on
pensions particularly suitable for young married couples? If so we would be
very glad to receive it.
Yours faithfully
Janet Pradhan (nee Das)

Planning

Thorough planning is as important in letter-writing as it is in running a

business or organising an event. The main objects in planning a letter are to:

Define the purpose of the communication.

Collect all relevant information.
Organise the information so that the reader can follow it.
Ensure effective communication through appropriate language.

Purpose

All planning starts from a purpose.

In general, letters fall into one or more of the following categories of
function:

To request information.
To pass on information.
To request or recommend that an action be taken.
To pass on news.
To pass on a message of congratulations/condolence/etc. The first step in
putting together a letter is to decide which category it falls into.

Collecting and organising information

The statement of purpose is useless on its own. It now needs to be made

specific by deciding what information is necessary to fulfil the stated purpose
of the letter. You will need to jot down:

The name, address and position of the person to whom you are writing.
A statement of why you were prompted to write (a prevous letter from
the correspondent? a telephone conversation? a recommendation from a
 third party?).
A statement of what you expect the recipient to do when they receive
your letter (send information? perform some action?).
A list of the points of information you wish to convey to enable the
recipient to respond as you require.

NOTE: What is your relationship with her (very formal, formal,

informal, very close)?

First Draft

After the purpose of the letter has been defined and all relevant information
has been collected, it is time to make a first, rough draft. This can be
handwritten, and can be built up according to the following stages:

Opening: The first line or paragraph, which indicates what prompted

you to write and the reason for writing.
Body of the letter: A number of paragraphs setting out information or an
argument, or just separate pieces of ‘news’.
Close: The last paragraph, in which you state clearly the response you
are expecting, and when you need to hear from the reader.

Openings

Do not waste valuable time with an opening that states the obvious:
‘I am writing in response to your advert …’
‘We are in receipt of your letter, which we received at this office today.’
‘Just a note to say…’
Of course you are writing, of course the letter has been received at that
office, or that office would not be responding. And yes, it is ‘just a note’ —
you obviously could not be bothered to write a full letter! Try:

‘I saw your advertisement in yesterday’s Daily Press and would like to

apply for the job…’
‘Thank you for your letter of 25th April.’
‘I am enclosing the information you requested…’
These are good openings that get straight to the heart of the matter. Here are
some more examples:

‘Thank you for your enquiry about … I am enclosing the information …

’
‘As discussed in our telephone conversation yesterday, I am sending …’
‘I would like to apply for the position of … which I saw advertised in
…’
‘It was good to meet you yesterday…’
‘Thank you for taking the time to meet …’
‘I was so sorry to hear …’
‘I have been referred to you by…’
‘I wish to recommend …’
‘I wish to make a complaint …’

The body of the letter

Organise the information you have jotted down into an order.This will enable
you to move from one point to another showing the reader clearly your
reasoning.

Closing paragraph

This paragraph is one of the most important in the letter. It is the point at
which you draw a conclusion and make a clear statement of the action you
require and the timescale involved, for example:

‘I would therefore be grateful if you would send me all the information

you have on the bank’s share-dealing service as soon as possible.’
‘With this in mind, it is important that we meet in the next two or three
days. I would be grateful if you would call to arrange a time.’

Both of these endings request an action and give a timescale.

Saving Time
Business thrives on communication, and despite advances in electronic
communications, the letter is still the most popular way to get a message
across. Facsimile transmissions are most often made in the form of letters,
and important telephone conversations and meetings are still confirmed in
writing. Thus, many businesses devote a fair proportion of staff time to
drafting and typing letters.

A short letter that is clear in its aims will prompt the recipient to
immediate action. A long rambling missive may be left for days in the
pending tray until the recipient can find enough time and motivation to
unravel your thought processes. It may even go completely unanswered.
A well-written letter is desirable because it is effective.
 II. Punctuation and Spelling
Without a mastery of spelling and punctuation writing of any kind becomes
laborious, and it is difficult to be sure that your correspondent will understand
your message. At the same time, correct spelling and punctuation are seen as
signs of a person’s efficiency and reliability.

The Elements of Punctuation

Punctuation is used to separate words into groups in order to make their

meaning clear. The ‘weapons’ in the punctuation, when used according to
their proper function, can enable the writer to make complex sentences
without losing the reader’s interest or understanding. Wrong punctuation, on
the other hand, can in some cases lead to ambiguity and error.

Full stop (.)

The full stop is used to mark the end of a sentence. It is also used to show that
a word has been abbreviated. Abbreviations are those words that have been
shortened so that they do not include the last letter of the original word.
Contractions, on the other hand, are shortened words that do contain the last
letter of the word. Contractions do not need a full stop:

Dr = Doctor (contraction, therefore no full stop).

Mr = Mister (contraction, therefore no full stop).
Mrs = Mistress (contraction, therefore no full stop).
p.m. = post meridiem (abbreviations, therefore use full stops).
P.O. = Post Office (abbreviations, therefore use full stops).

In the UK and the USA, a full stop is also used to mark the decimal point.
However, in many countries, including most of those in Continental Europe,
the full stop is replaced by a comma in this context.
Comma (,)

A comma is used to separate one part of a sentence (clause) from

another. It marks a short pause for breath:
 ‘Aunt Manju said she would think about coming at Diwali, but we have not
heard from her yet.’
‘Although we have not heard from her yet, we are expecting Aunt Manju for
Diwali.’
If the clause can be removed from the sentence without changing its basic
meaning, use two commas, one at the start and one at the end of the clause, to
mark it off:
‘The information pack, which I read over the weekend, has been very
instructive.’
The clause between the commas must relate to the subject of the sentence
(in the above case, ‘the information pack’). ^ Commas are also used to
separate items in a list:
‘Jayalalitha has now passed grades one, two, three and four in music.’
NOTE: There is no comma before the word ‘and’ in English. Writers of
American English frequently put a comma in this position (when it is
known as the ‘serial comma’), but it is not usual in the UK.

Semi-colon (;)

This is used to mark a pause that is not quite as long as a full stop. The
two parts of a sentence separated by a semicolon are usually linked in
some way:
‘The night shift staff start appearing at about 4.15 p.m.; the day shift
ends at 4.30 p.m.’
A semi-colon is also used to separate items in a list where those items
are long enough to include commas. This avoids confusion with the
comma, which would normally be used. If semi-colons are used in a list,
the start of the list is normally marked with a colon: ‘We have visited so
many places in the last few days: Huaz Khas, where artists sell their
work on the streets; the Qutub Minar with its architecture; the beautiful
Taj Mahal; and of course, the Lotus Temple.’

Colon (:)
The colon is used to mark the start of a list, but also to separate two parts of a
sentence where the second half illustrates a statement made in the first half.
‘This nation remains divided: rich and poor, north and south, the employed
and the unemployed.’

Apostrophe (’)
Used to indicate the possessive or to show that some letters have been
omitted from a word:

‘It’s Raju’s day off.’

In this sentence, the apostrophe is used in two different ways: in the words
‘it’s’, it shows that a letter is missing (it is). In ‘Raju’s’, the apostrophe
indicates that the day off belongs to Raju.
While it is usual to add an apostrophe to a noun to make it possessive (Raju
becomes Raju’s), do not add the apostrophe when using the pronoun: his,
hers, theirs, its, ours, yours. The exception to this rule is ‘one’s’.
When making a possessive from an English name that ends in ‘s’, a decision
needs to be made about whether to add the second ‘s’ or whether to add just
the apostrophe (Mr Peters’s, for example). It is normal to add the second ‘s’,
but if pronunciation would be awkward (e.g. Mr Bridges’s), omit it (Mr
Bridges’).
With Greek and Biblical names (e.g. Archimedes’ principle), and phrases
containing the word ‘sake’ (for heavens’ sake, for conscience’ sake), it is
usual to omit the second ‘s’.

Getting it Right

One of the most common mistakes made in written English is misuse of these
two tiny words. It even appears in advertising and on shop signs.
Its means ‘belongings to it.’
It’s is a shortened form of ‘it is.’
Inverted commas (‘ ’) and quotation marks (“ ”)

Single inverted commas are used to show that a word is being used to
mean something slightly different from usual, or to indicate a slang
word. Use inverted commas where you might otherwise use ‘so-called’.
His so-called skills in letter-writing are non-existent. His ‘skills’ in
letter-writing are non-existent.
Inverted commas are also used to show that the words inside them are
being quoted: She said, ‘His so-called skills in letter-writing are non-
existent’.
Quotation marks are used to indicate a quote within a quote:
‘This card says “Get Well Soon”,’ she said.

Exclamation mark (!)

This punctuation mark is used to round off an exclamation-a sharp command:

Get out!, Go away!, Come here!.

Question mark (?)

The question mark is used in place of a full stop at the end of a question.
It is now sometimes also used instead of semicolons to mark a list of
questions.

Brackets ( ) or [ ]

Brackets are used to mark off parts of a sentence that are extra, much in
the same way as commas are used to mark off subordinate clauses.
They can also be used to enclose abbreviations, definitions, examples
and illustrations, and numbers in lists:
‘International Business Machines (IBM) declared profits of … ‘
‘IBM (which employs 2,000 staff in the town) declared profits of …’

Dash (—)

A dash is an informal method of marking a parenthesis, in a similar way

to a pair of commas or brackets.
 It gives a pause that is slightly longer than a comma but shorter than a
semicolon. It should be written with a single space on either side of it.
Some Dash systems are able to give two lengths of dash. The longer is
the width of the letter ‘m’ (known as an em-dash), and the shorter is the
width of the letter ‘n’ (an en-dash). The hyphen is shorter again than the
en-dash.

Hyphen (-)

This short line is used to show that a word has been ‘broken’ from one
line of text to the next, or to separate suffixes such as re- from nouns
where they would otherwise cause confusion:
recreation means play, but re-creation means creating again
recover means get well, but re-cover means covering again>
reform means to re-organise, but re-form means to form anew.
Hyphens are also used for a whole host of other reasons, mostly to string
two or more separate words together into one idea, or to show a
relationship:
bargain-hunting
labour-saving device
a six-year-old child
follow-up
India-Pakistan relations = relations between India and Pakistan
50-60% between 50 and 60%.

Capital Letters
Capitals should be used in the following instances:

At the start of a sentence.

At the start of proper nouns (people, places, organisations, etc.).
For the titles of things (books, plays, songs, etc.).
In some abbreviations, and always in acronyms.
For the word ‘I’.
For certain words connected to religion — God (when referring to the
one God, and not many gods), the Bible, the Qur’an, Allah, etc.
For titles of people, when referring to the title holder, but not when
referring to the title itself: ‘He became president of the USA’ but ‘I saw
 that President Clinton had already arrived’ and ‘I saw that the President
had already arrived’.

Bullets (•)

These black dots are available on word-processing software, and can be

used to mark items in a list, as in this book, especially where each item
in the list runs to more than one line.

Spelling it Right

Most word-processing packages now include an electronic dictionary

and spell-checker, and a large number of people rely on them alone to
ensure that letters contain no errors of spelling. However, spell-check
programmes are fallible, and are no alternative to the power of the
human brain.
Most spelling errors occur simply as a slip of the pen or typist’s finger.
However, some people really do have difficulty recognising words that
are spelled incorrectly, and this can be serious handicap, especially if
called upon to write business letters. You may be perfectly well-
qualified in your field, but if you frequently make spelling mistakes,
some people may begin to doubt your competence.

Spelling ability can be improved very quickly by doing some or all of the
following:

Read as much as you can. This will help you to recognise misspelled
words, and help to improve your writing style overall.
If you have time, slow your reading right down so that you can say each
word under your breath. Say each syllable carefully and look at how
long words are constructed.
Ask a friend to give you dictation.
Always check words you are unsure of in a dictionary
Always read through letters you have written, looking for spelling
mistakes and words you have missed out. Don’t rely on a computer to
help you.
 The rest of this section contains three lists of words. The first is a list of
words that a spell-check programme may skip over as correct, because they
are words in themselves, but used in the wrong context (knot for not, four
instead of for, too instead of to or two). Such words are known as
homonyms.
The second lists commonly misspelled plurals, and the third is a list of other
words that are frequently misspelled.
Homonyms and other words your spell-checker may miss
Some Difficult Plurals
Some words have no singular, e.g.: scissors, trousers, tidings, thanks,
spectacles.

Other Commonly Misspelled Words

absorb, absorption
acknowledge, acknowledgment/acknowledgement
accidentally
accommodate, accommodation
achieve, achievement
acquaintance
acquire, acquisition
address, addressing, addressee
adequate
advertise, advertisement
aeroplane not airplane
agree, agreeing, agreeable
aggression
allot, allotted, allotment
amateur
among
analyse, analysis, analyses (plural)
anxiety, anxious
apparent
appear, appearance
appropriate
arctic
argue, arguing, argument
atmosphere
attach, attached
awful, awfully
bachelor
beautiful, beautifully
believe
benefit, benefited
breathe
busy
careful, carefully
channel, channelled
character, characteristically
cigarette
colour
commemorate
commit, committed, committee, commitment
comparative, comparatively
complete, completely
conceive, conceivably
conscientious
conscious
damage, damaged, damaging
deceive, deceit
decide, decided, decision
defence, defensive
descend, descendant
desperate, desperately
detach, detached
deteriorate
develop, developed, development
diamond
diesel
disappear, disappeared, disappearance
disappoint, disappointment
disaster, disastrous
discipline
dissatisfied
disservice
dissuade
doubt
due, duly
dye, dyeing
eight, eighth
embarrass, embarrassment
excite, exciting, excitement
exercise
exhibition
exhilarating
expense, expensive, expensively
faithful, faithfully
February
finish, finished, finishing
foreign
forty
fourteen
fuel, fuelling
fulfil, fulfilled, fulfilment
grief, grievous, grievance
guarantee, guaranteed, guaranteeing
guide, guidance
half, halves
happen, happened
height
honest, honestly
humour, humorous
hygiene
identical, identically
illegal, illegally
illiterate, illiteracy
immediate, immediately
immense, immensely
inadequate
incidentally
incur, incurring
independent
indispensable
inoculate
install, instalment
irregular, irregularity
jeopardy, jeopardise
jewellery
knowledge, knowledgable
label, labelled
language
leisure
liaise, liaison
library
likelihood
livelihood
maintain, maintenance
manage, manager, management
manoeuvre, manoeuvring
marry, marrying, marriage, married
messenger
minuscule
minute
miscellaneous
necessary
occur, occurred, occurring, occurrence
panic, panicked
parliament, parliamentary
peculiar, peculiarity
permit, permitted,. permission, permissible
physical, physically
pleasant, pleasure
possess, possession
predecessor
prepare, preparation
previous
primary, primarily
proceed, procedure
profession, professional, professionally
pronounce, pronunciation
public, publicly
pursue, pursuing
quality
 real, really
receive, receipt
recommend
reconnaisance
refer, referring, reference
regret, regretted
relevant
retrieve
rhythm
ridicule, ridiculous
routine
satisfied, dissatisfied
sacrilege, sacrilegious
scarce, scarcity, scarcely
science, scientific, scientifically
scissors
secret, secrecy
secretary
sentence
separate, separation
service, servicing, serviceable
severe, severely
similar, similarity, similarly
sincere, sincerely, sincerity
skill, skilful, skilfully
solicitor
special, specially
speech
statistics, statistically straight, straighten
succeed, success, successful, successfully sudden, suddenness supervise,
supervisor
surprise
syllabus
tariff
technique, technical, technically
temperature
temporary, temporarily
tobacco
tomorrow
traffic
truth, truly, truthfully
twelve, twelfth
typical
underrate
unnatural
unnecessary
until
usual, usually
vaccinate
valuable
various, variety
vehicle
view
visit,visited,visitor
Wednesday
weigh, weight
welcome
wisely,wisdom
withhold
woman, women
yield
 III Grammar and Style
When it comes to communicating on paper, however, the physical side of that
conversation is lost. Writers are reduced to words on paper.
The basis of good writing is, of course, the use of the correct grammar. But
there is more to natural style than just understanding the rules. This section
gives some hints on good grammar, but also advises on how to write simply
and effectively, and how to convey the correct messages in the most
appropriate manner. It shows how to avoid using words and phrases that are
meaningless, and how to divide the writing into rhythmic sentences and
paragraphs that will be read attentively, and get you the result you want.

Choosing the Right Words

The English language contains a large number of words. It is a complex

language because it makes many subtle distinctions between different types
of thing, i.e. there are many words that mean almost the same thing as each
other, but not quite. Choosing the right word can be a difficult task, and many
people fall into the habit of using clichés or formula sentences that have been
read so often that they are simply ignored as meaningless.

Use Everyday Words

As a rule in modern correspondence, use short, everyday words, unless a

longer word is really the correct one. Brevity is always desirable, so if you
find you can use one word instead of three, do so.
A Treasury of Words Meaning

Meaning

Never use words that you do not understand; if you use the wrong word, or
show you are ignorant of its meaning, you run the risk of losing the respect of
your correspondent. You may also cause time-wasting confusion into the
bargain. A dictionary is a necessary reference for anyone who writes letters.
Never use a noun as a verb
This is a frequent fault among those who wish to make their style racy,
particularly those in advertising. It creates ugly constructions that maybe,
difficult to read (some people may even suspect a typing error), so avoid it.
Look out for such sentences as ‘It will impact our sales’, and use the more
usual construction ‘It will make an impact on …’

Avoid tautologies
Tautologies are usually two- or three-word phrases that say the same thing
twice: numerous in number; new innovation; advance planning. Some
tautologies may even cause hilarity and they can always be pared down.
Probably the most famous tautology in the language at present relates to
killing something dead.

Avoid euphemisms
A euphemism is a word used when a person is trying to skirt around the issue
by not naming the subject. ‘House of ill repute’ is a euphemism for ‘brothel’,
just as ‘lady of the night’ is a euphemism for ‘prostitute’. Of course,
euphemisms can add humour to a personal letter, but in the interests of
directness and clarity in formal and business correspondence, it is best to
avoid them.

Tempting phrases and their alternatives

This list gives a number of clichés, tautologies and other outmoded or faddish
words and long-winded phrases that should be eradicated from modern
correspondence. It also gives straightforward modern alternatives. Replacing
these tempting phrases with pared-down alternatives may cut the length (and
fuddle-factor) of a letter drastically.
Delete
 IV. Addressing An Envelope
There are two reasons for paying attention to the way you address an
envelope. First, a clear address with full details, and positioned correctly on
the face of the envelope, enables it to be processed using the postal service’s
most efficient technology. It is therefore more likely to be delivered at the
correct address in the shortest possible time.
Second, the wording on an envelope has the effect of saying ‘hello’ to the
recipient. It gives a first impression, and while you may not be too impressed
that the correspondent was a colonel in the armed forces, the Colonel himself
may be the kind of person to consider your omission of his title an irritating
lack of courtesy and respect. In most circumstances this kind of first
impression is not desirable, and following the conventions described in this
chapter will help to avoid it.

Postal Addresses

Addressee’s title and name.

Addressee’s position in the company (if appropriate).
Addressee’s company name.
Building number (or name) and street name. Alternatively, this part of
the address may be a unit number and the name of an industrial estate or
business park.
Name of locality, village or hamlet.
Postal town in capital letters.
County name (or its abbreviation).
Postcode in capital letters and no punctuation.

Envelope Layout

The recipient’s address should be typed or written clearly in the lower half of
the front of the envelope, towards the right- hand side. Leave space for
stamps or franking slips to be positioned in the top right-hand corner.
If you are handwriting your envelope, indent each successive line of the
address as you would inside the letter. If you are typing the envelope, the left-
hand edge of each line should line up vertically. Unless you are addressing an
unusually large envelope or parcel, it is not necessary to double-space the
address. Equally, it is not necessary to add the word ‘To:’ unless you are
addressing a bulky parcel, in which case it would be useful to distinguish
between the recipient’s and the sender’s address.
You may find that an address is too long to fit on to the envelope. In this
case, type the postal town and the district on the same line. Alternatively,
omit the district and type the post- code on the same line as the postal town,
but leave about eight spaces between the two to enable postal workers to find
the postcode at a glance.

Sender’s Address

The address of the sender should be written on the outside of the envelope.
Place it on the back flap or on the front of the envelope in the top left-hand
corner. Many companies have envelopes printed with their address, but if you
are writing letters on personal stationery, it may save you time to have
stickers printed with your name and address for this purpose. In any case, the
most important thing is to avoid any confusion between the two addresses
because of their proximity. This is particularly important when sending letters
overseas.
Parcels should always give both addresses with the words ‘To:’ and ‘From:’
in the appropriate places.
It goes without saying that you should always add the correct postage (it is
always annoying for a recipient to receive a letter with a surcharge to pay),
and remember to leave space for the appropriate stickers for any special
means of carriage (registered, recorded delivery, etc.). These will normally be
placed on the left-hand side of the envelope.

Envelopes Checklist

Have you:

Written the recipient’s address correctly and in the right order?

Included the postcode?
Added your own address?
Left space for stamps and other stickers?
 Put everything in the correct position on the envelope?

Titles and forms of address

The way a person is to be addressed has for centuries been hedged about by
the conventions of etiquette within the social hierarchy. While in the past few
decades, this hierarchy has become less rigid than it once was, there is still a
great deal to be said for knowing how to address a person properly. Even in
this day and age, failure to use the correct form of address may be seen by
some as ignorance or lack of courtesy. To look at it another way, there are
probably a great number of people who would be irritated or even insulted by
not being addressed properly, and a very tiny number of people who would
object to being given their full title. So if in doubt, err on the side of
formality.

People of no rank
Most people have no special title, and so the form of address you would use
depends on their sex and, when addressing women, their marital status.

Addressing men
The formal way to address a man is to use his initial(s) and surname,
followed by. the abbreviation Esq. (for esquire). However, this form is
gradually going out of style (it refers back to the days when knights
employed squires), and a plain Mr is becoming more common. Despite this, it
is still a good idea to use Esq. for members of the professions. Remember
that if a person claims any title at all (e.g. Dr or Professor) you should not use
Esq., and never use Esq. and Mr together.
A boy gains the title ‘Mr’ when he reaches about the age of 16. Some people
use the title ‘Master’ when, addressing younger boys, but using the child’s
Christian and surnames in full will do.
Addressing women
Unmarried women and girl children are normally addressed as Miss. But
some unmarried women (especially those in business) find any reference to
their marital status an unnecessary distinction and prefer to be addressed as
Ms. If you do not know the addressee personally, you will be able to find out
which title a woman prefers by checking how she signs herself in her own
letters, or by calling her, her office or her company’s switchboard

Addressing a married woman

A married woman is traditionally known by her husband’s name. So Alice
Jenkins, the wife of Charles Jenkins, would formally be addressed as Mrs C.
Jenkins, or Mrs Charles Jenkins.
However, as more and more married women enter the workforce, and are
gradually accepted as individuals in their own right, it is now common to
address a married woman using the title ‘Mrs’, but giving the woman’s own
Christian name or initial. Therefore, Alice Jenkins, the bank manager would
be addressed Mrs A. Jenkins or Mrs Alice Jenkins. Just as some unmarried
women wish to avoid continual reference to their marital status in a business
context, so married women have also taken to using ‘Ms’ instead of ‘Mrs’.
However, it may also be the case that a woman retains her maiden name for
business purposes after she has married. In this case in particular, it is
important to use Ms. Again, take your lead from the addressee.

Divorced or widowed women

It is usual to address a divorced woman using her own Christian name or
initials rather than those of her exhusband. By contrast, a widow usually
continues to be addressed by her husband’s Christian name or initials.

Women doctors
If a woman is a doctor, she should be addressed as such, using her Christian
name or initials. So, if Alice Jenkins were not a bank manager, but a GP, she
would be addressed Dr A. Jenkins, MD. The reasoning goes that the title
belongs to her and not to her husband. The same rule applies to the term
Professor.

Addressing married couples

In formal letters, married couples are normally addressed using the initials of
the husband only: Mr & Mrs C. Jenkins is an example.
At one time it was the convention to address the wife alone when sending
personal letters, expecting the husband to have the opportunity to read his
wife’s correspondence. Nowadays, this is hardly ever done, except when
replying to a formal invitation or thanking a hostess for hospitality.
If there are doctors in the family, use one of the following formulas as
appropriate:

Dr C. & Dr A. Jenkins (if they are both doctors).

Dr & Mrs C. Jenkins (if the man only is a doctor).
Mr C. and Dr A. Jenkins (if the woman only is a doctor). The same rules
apply to the term Professor.

Medical Consultants and Dentists

Once a physician qualifies as a consultant, he or she no longer uses the title

‘Dr’, but reverts to Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms. Dentists should also be called by
these titles.

Addressing unmarried couples

Of course, there are many couples who are not married, but are living
together as if they were, and many have stable families with children without
the legal matrimonial ties. In this case, the two individuals should each be
addressed by their full names and titles:
Mr C. Jenkins & Miss A. Hodge or
Mr C. Jenkins & Ms A. Hodge.

Degrees of Formality
Obviously, the rules on forms of address are not legally binding. So if you are
writing personal and informal letters, you may simply wish to give names and
surnames without any title at all. But this would certainly look out of place in
a formal or business context unless your addressee is a particularly close
colleague of long standing.

Members of the armed forces

There are two rules when it comes to addressing members and ex-members
of the armed forces.
First, all those below the rank of commissioned officers and the highest non-
commissioned officers should be addressed by their civilian titles (Mr, Sir,
etc.). Second, it is usual only to use a person’s service rank when writing to
them at their station or on matters concerning service business.
However, some retired members still like to be addressed by their former
service rank, and it would be discourteous to refuse to do so. As always, take
your lead from the addressee.

Accepting a Position

When you have been offered a job, it is usual to write to the new employer,
formally accepting the position. Thanks are obviously in order, but avoid
appearing too grateful. Include the details of the job as you understand them.
This is not useless repetition, but gives your prospective employer an
opportunity to ensure that there is no confusion.
If the vacancy was handled by the company’s personnel office, it is
appropriate to write to the Personnel Officer rather than the person for whom
you will be working. You should of course respond to a job offer as soon as
possible, if not by return.
This letter is best typed, and should be set out as a formal business letter.

Acknowledgments

There is no better way to lose business than to allow a letter to remain

unanswered. Even if you are trying to keep your head above during the busy
season, acknowledging the receipt of a letter is polite and looks efficient.
Acknowledgments can also be used to obtain further information to speed the
relationship along.
Simple acknowledgments of the receipt of a letter (an enquiry, perhaps, or
an order or application) can be printed on postcards and addressed using
sticky labels, or on A5 headed paper (a short message such as these would
look terse on A4).

Apologies

There are some occasions when there is no getting round it — you are in the
wrong. You may have made a complaint that turns out to be unfounded, or
you may have failed to do something you promised to do, or done something
you promised not to do. Whatever the situation, it is wise to make the
apology immediately, or as soon as possible after you find out that apologies
are in order. Probably the best way to do this is by letter — it is so much
easier to apologise on paper than in person.

Appeals and Fundraising

At some time, you may be called upon to raise money for a charity or for a
club or society, and persuading people to part with their cash is not an easy
business, however worthy the cause. If your request is made by post, it may
be even more difficult to influence people to give generously — we are all
much more likely to consign a begging letter to the waste-paper basket
without a second thought, than say ‘no’ to a personal caller with a collecting
tin.
Your fundraising letter will need to overcome a number of pitfalls and
obstacles before it can be successful in its aims. The first obstacle is the
addressee’s interest. The letter must invite attention and make the reader
continue reading far enough for you to get your point across. The overall
presentation and the first paragraph of the letter are therefore very important.
Second, you must avoid the pitfalls of unnecessary information when
describing your ‘project’. Third, you must tell the addressee how he or she
will benefit from the ‘project’ — why anyone should bother sending a
donation. Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, you must spur the reader to
action.

Bon Voyage

In these days of global mobility, many people have friends who are planning
a lengthy trip abroad, either for business or pleasure.
It is not necessary to send a bon voyage message to people who are taking
their two-week annual vacation, unless you have a particular reason to make
contact. However, cards and letters to those who are embarking on more
lengthy trips are much appreciated in those apprehensive days before
departure.
The best way to send this message is with a decorated greetings card. To
make your communication truly personal, chose a card that is blank inside.
Start your message as you would a personal letter (Dear Vicky), or write it
as you would a postcard, without a salutation.
What to say? Here are some ideas:

How exciting embarking on the trip must be.

How much the person will be missed.
Remind the person about the lot of those left behind.
A quip about the pain of vaccinations.
A comment on the size of the business traveller’s expense account.
Exhort the person to keep well/keep out of trouble.
Wish their business success.
Exhort the person to write (add your full address).
Finish with the words Bon Voyage.

Change of Address

One of the many things to be done when moving house or office is to inform
friends, colleagues, customers and relatives of your new address.
By far the best way to do this is to send out postcards with the information.
You may even wish to have a number of postcards printed professionally. For
a home address you will need to include the following information:

The words ‘change of address’.

 Your name.
The new, address including the postcode. You will be able to find out
the postcode.
The new telephone number/fax number as applicable.
The date from which the new address takes effect.

Complaints

There are two basic rules for writing letters of complaint.

The first is to leave yourself time to calm down (if you were initially angry
about the incident) and the second is to consider whether you have a valid
reason for complaining. Only make a complaint if you really are aggrieved,
have been put at risk or seriously inconvenienced.
Most companies take customer complaints seriously, and run a Customer
Relations department or something similar to answer questions and
complaints. A telephone call will yield the name of the manager of that
department.
Try to keep your letter courteous; avoid using an accusatory tone or
demanding what is going to be done about it! Stating your case calmly and
politely almost always brings a quick, positive response.
If you have used a product or service before and have never had cause to
complain, say so. Your bargaining power is in your being a loyal customer
who wishes to remain so, but may be turned away by the incident.

Responding to letters of complaint

Letters of complaint should always be taken very seriously, especially if you
are providing goods or services.
Your letter should be courteous, even if the complainant has abused you.
You should be truthful — if you have already been having trouble with the
product, say so. Try not to sound as if you are making excuses, but offer a
reasonable explanation for the lapse. Never show that you do not believe the
customer, or lead him to believe that the matter is not being taken seriously.
Say that the customer’s patronage is important to you, and apologise for
inconvenience.

Condolence
Letters of condolence are so difficult to write. It is hard to find the words that
describe our feelings with sincerity and without cliché, because we are afraid
most of all to mention death.

Congratulations

There are many occasions on which it is appropriate to offer your

congratulations: the passing of important exams; an engagement, marriage or
birth; or a promotion at work. It is usual on all these occasions to confine the
contents of your letter to just the subject in hand, keeping news, gossip or
business for another letter. Here are some sentiments you might like to
express on different occasions:

Passing exams

Congratulations.
Say how you heard the news.
Name the exam.
Mention the hard work that must have been done in study and revision.
Ask questions about the future: will the student be going to a new job?
Will the student be continuing in education? Will the new qualification
help with promotion, or lead to a raise in salary?

Engagement
At one time it was not done to congratulate a woman on her engagement,
only the man. However, with so many people setting up home together before
they are married, our social code has become much less formal. Now it is
acceptable to congratulate both the woman and the man, and even do it in a
single letter addressed to them both.

Congratulations.
Say how you heard the news.
Say how well you think the couple suit each other (if this is what you
think).
Ask when the wedding is expected to be.
 Ask to meet the ‘other half’ if you haven’t already done so.
Avoid mentioning previous relationships.

Marriage

Congratulations.
Say how you heard the news.
Say what a good choice the couple have made.
Wish the couple good luck for their new life together (even if they have
been living together for a number of years, marriage is definitely a new
step).
Express your hope that the couple enjoys or enjoyed their honeymoon.
As with engagements, avoid mentioning previous relationships.

Birth of a child
Keep your sentiments centred on mother and child and you won’t go far
wrong.

Congratulations.
Say how you heard the news.
Wish mother and child well.
Express your hope that they are both in good health.
Ask questions: sex of the child; its weight; who does it look like; when
will mother and child be home?

Promotion
Congratulating a colleague, friend or business contact on a promotion or new
job is a good way to stay in touch and foster goodwill. Avoid flattering your
correspondent or criticizing his or her previous employers.

Congratulations.
Say how you heard of the move/promotion.
Explain how you think the new job would suit the correspondent: new
challenge; better location; better working conditions.
Perhaps suggest a meeting/lunch/dinner.
 V. Cover Notes
A cover note is normally used when the sender wishes to transmit printed
material (brochures, price lists, information packs, etc.), but has no other
substantial message for the addressee. A covering letter is normally requested
to accompany a CV in application for a job, and is usually more complex.
A cover note is useful if you wish your addressee to have the impression
that he or she has received a personal service, or if you wish to convey your
name and position for the addressee’s further use. The general rule is
‘courteous but short’. You may wish to match the length of the message with
the size of paper and use A5 rather than the standard A4.

With Compliments
If there is no need whatsoever to say anything to the addressee, then it may
be appropriate to use a compliments slip instead of a cover note.

Disputes

Many disputes are conducted by letter, and perhaps the most familiar of all
disputes are those with neighbours: the blaring radio, loud all-night parties (to
which you are not invited, adding insult to injury), unsightly piles of scrap
metal in the front garden, problems with fences, party walls, overgrown trees
… The catalogue is endless.
But most differences are solved quickly and easily with the right word in the
right ear. Here are some guidelines:

Wait until your temper has cooled before writing your letter.
Use words of reason not a stream of obscenities.
Explain your problem clearly and simply.
Try to see the other person’s point of view. Maybe it was causing a
problem, perhaps some of this is your fault.
Try to criticize not the person but the action.
State clearly want you would like to be done.
Remember the law, and don’t say anything you are likely to regret.
Form Letters

Form or standard letters are useful in offices where a large number of very
similar letters are written every day. They may appear in several forms: pre-
printed forms that list various options for the sender to communicate
photocopied standard letters that are filled in with the relevant name and
address; word-processed letters that are merged with a file of variables to
produce what appear to be individually- produced letters.

Get-well Letters

These days it is most common for people to send flowers to someone who is
ill or in hospital, but even though flowers are a nice idea, a letter conveys
your sympathy for a long time after the bouquets have wilted.
The most important thing is to put yourself in the position of the person who
is sick. It may be possible gently to poke fun at a minor condition in which
there is some pain, but no trauma. A patient with a very serious condition on
the other hand would not be cheered by your making light of the situation,
and so you should probably stick to sympathy and good wishes.
Here are some pointers:

Start by saying how you heard of the person’s illness (or if the source is
not legitimate, i.e. you heard from local gossip, you might prefer to say
simply that you heard).
Commiserate and sympathise with the patient — try to imagine what it
must be likeio be in their position.
Mention something that the patient might look forward to doing when
they are well.
Exhort the patient to ‘get well soon’, and assure them that they are in
your thoughts.

Good Luck

As with letters of congratulation, wishing a person luck for a particular event

is a good way to stay in touch and make your support known. There are a
number of occasions on which you may feel it appropriate to wish a person
good luck: examinations, a driving test or starting a new job.
For this kind of communication, it is nice to use a decorated card or
postcard. Keep the message short and sweet and you cannot go wrong.

Information

Many of the letters handled by the postal service each day are requests for
information or contain information in response to such requests. It is in the
interests of most businesses and bodies to give you the information you need,
especially if you are considering buying something, and many bodies have
departments whose sole purpose is to help you.

Requesting information
There are two keys to getting the right information: first is finding the person
who can give you what you are looking for; second is making that person
understand what it is you want to know.
Before you start, make sure that you know exactly what information it is
you require, and consider who might best be able to give you that
information.

Invitations

Receiving and replying to invitations were once a fixed part of most people’s
social life. At one time, even invitations to visit someone at home were
printed and formally addressed. With the advent of the telephone and less
formality in social life, many invitations are extended by word of mouth, and
responses are acceptable in the same manner. Formal invitations are now
only used on very special occasions, such as weddings, special wedding
anniversaries, coming- of-age parties, etc., and informal invitations written as
short letters are much more common.
This section starts with formal invitations, and goes on to discuss other
types of invitation and replies to them.

Responding to a formal invitation

Responses to formal invitations are usually written on postcards or
personalised cards. The response should be phrased in the third person, just
as the invitation is phrased in the third person.
The response — accepting
Include the following:

Thanks for the invitation.

Name the event.
Say you can attend and how nice it will be.
Any other information.
Say you look forward to the occasion.

The response — declining

Include the following elements:

Thanks for the invitation.

Positive sentiment about wanting to come.
Identify the event.
Give reason for declining.
Apologies and plans to meet, where appropriate.

Job Applications

Some of the most important letters any person has to write are letters of
application for a job.
This means that the people dealing with job applications are often snowed
under, and they will never be able to interview everyone who applies. They
will have a few criteria by which to choose a small number of people, and
those are the people who have submitted a faultless CV and covering letter,
who have some idea what the job and the company are about, and can present
themselves in the best possible light.

Types of application
Jobs are either advertised in the press, made known by word of mouth or
found by ‘speculative application’ (writing to a company that has not
advertised but may by chance need your services).
If responding to an advert, you will often find that the advertiser has
specified the means of application.
Advertisers may:

Request a handwritten letter of application.

Request a Curriculum Vitae (in which case always include a covering
letter).
Give an address or telephone number for requests for an application
form.

If the job has not been advertised, you will need to send a covering letter
and a CV.
So there are three documents that need to be dealt with: CVs, letters of
application and application forms.

Putting together a CV
‘Curriculum vitae’ means ‘the road of life’. It gives a picture of your career
and some other personal details. CVs should be short and informative: one or
two sides is just right. More than this is too much. A CV cannot be compiled
quickly. It requires a great deal of thought, and possibly three or four redrafts,
checking facts, wording, spellings and grammar, and taking care over layout.

Planning
A CV can be broken down into a number of sections. Each section requires
certain information to be given (the listed order is recommended):
Personal details

Full name.
Contact address in full.
Contact telephone number.
Date of birth and age.
Marital status and details of children, if any.
Nationality (immigration status).
Statement of objectives
A short paragraph stating your purpose; e.g. to secure a position giving
greater responsibility, more flexibility, new challenges, in which to exercise
skills already obtained.

Education
List in chronological order:

Names and addresses of schools at secondary level.

Dates attended.
Secondary qualifications.
Names and addresses of colleges or universities.
Dates attended.
Qualifications obtained.

Training courses
List in chronological order:

Names of courses and duration (do not list courses of less than a week).
Dates attended.
Qualifications (if appropriate).

Other skills

Fluency or working knowledge of languages.

Driving licence.
Computer software/language skills, etc.

Employment
List in chronological order (or alternatively in reverse chronological order,
giving the last position first):

Dates of employment.
Name and address of employers.
Employer’s business if not obvious.
Your position.
 Short description of responsibilities, number of staff supervised, any
particular successes, reason for leaving.

Personal interests
List activities genuinely pursued: voluntary work; playing a musical
instrument; reading a certain type of book; involvement with a certain sport; a
certain form of cooking, art, performance arts, etc.

Referees
Either give names and addresses of people who have agreed to act as referees,
or indicate that references are available on request. It is polite to contact
potential referees before submitting their names and ask for permission to do
so.

The right words

Most advertisers receive large numbers of CVs, and if they are all perfectly
typed and laid out, the only way you are going to make an impact is if you
use words that grab attention. These are not the kinds of words used in banner
headlines, just words that show you are energetic, enthusiastic and
knowledgeable in your field.

Active words
Most employers want to find people who are active and energetic, even if
they do not say as much in their advertisements. Therefore, avoid passive
constructions: ‘I took responsibility for’ is better than ‘I was involved in’, ‘I
managed’ is better than ‘I was asked to deal with.’

Here are some other active constructions:

• I developed • I created
• I took responsibility for • I managed
• I devised • I controlled
• I initiated • I responded to
• I negotiated

Simple words
Using simple words is not a mark of simple-mindedness. Short, well-chosen
words ensure clarity. Long words often give the impression of pomposity,
and even stupidity, when they are used incorrectly. It is always possible to
find a phrase to cover the meaning of a more difficult term, and it is desirable
that you do this whenever possible.

Jargon
If you must use technical terms and jargon, make sure that you are using
them correctly, and that you include terms that are widely used in your field.

First person singular

Even in a CV — the only document dedicated to talking about oneself —
using the first person can become wearing to the reader. Some people avoid
this by adopting a telegraphic style:
‘I managed a team of five’ becomes ‘Managed a team of five’, for example.
Others write their CVs in the third person, so that ‘I managed a team of five’
becomes ‘She managed a team of five’. The first solution is, however, more
widely used. Whichever solution you opt for, make sure that you use that
form of words throughout, and avoid switching from ‘I managed’, to
‘Managed’ to ‘She managed’, which is just hopelessly confusing.

Checking your English

Never send out a finished CV unless it has been read by at least one person
other than yourself. However good your spelling may be, there may be one
error that you simply did not see, and that one error could cost you an
interview.

Presentation and layout

Most CVs are laid out in a similar way, giving information in a certain order.
 VI. KEY POINTS: Notes for Good Presentation
Use headings for each section
Use headings for each job or school
Type headings in a consistent style: underlined, capitals, bold, etc.
If you have the option, use as few typefaces as possible
Select a typeface that is easy to read
Use good quality white A4 paper and matching envelopes
Never use personalized stationery or letterhead
Type on one side only
Never present a CV that has liquid paper corrections
Leave good margins at the sides and at the foot of the page

Covering Letters

All CVs should be accompanied by a covering letter. This should tell the
employer which job you are applying for and a few words drawing attention
to salient parts of your CV, saying why you are interested in the job, and why
you think you would be suitable for the job. Your covering letter is a very
important part of the application, and so it will require a great deal of thought.

Planning a Covering Letter

Read the advertisement carefully. Find out as much as you can about the
company advertising the job by telephoning for a copy of their Annual
Report (if it is a public company) or asking around. Put yourself in the shoes
of the advertiser, and try to get an all-round picture of the person they are
looking for.
All job advertisements are worded to attract a certain type of person. Apart
from telling you what qualifications you need to have, the advertiser will use
words that describe the kind of personality they wish to employ. They may
use some of the following phrases:
• self-starter • with initiative
• looking for a challenge • working knowledge of
• experienced • outgoing personality
 • keep a cool head • flexible
• mature • self-motivated
• ambitious • articulate.
Next, look through your CV and decide which points prove that you have
the background and qualifications necessary. You will need to draw attention
to these items in the letter.
Finally, it may be that you lack one or more of the skills or attributes asked
for. If it seems to you that you could do the job despite this lack, you will
need to say so in the letter. You may have some parallel or similar experience
that you can point to as a substitute.

Written or Typed?

Most employers like to see a handwritten covering letter Many will ask for
this in advertisements. However; if there is not a specific instruction to do so,
and your handwriting leaves something to be desired, perhaps it might be
wise be wise to type your letter and there is nothing to stop you doing this.
CVs, on the other hand should always be typed.

Speculative Letters

One way to get around the intense competition in today’s job market is to
write to possible employers in the hope that they can find a place for you.
While the chances of securing an interview are not high, you may at least
secure a place in the personnel files, and may be considered for interview
when the next suitable opening appears.
Some preliminary research will be necessary to find the companies that
definitely employ people with your skills and background. Libraries hold
directories of companies, which will give details of their business. Asking
friends and family may also bring useful information.
When you have the information you need, draft your letter with the
following points in mind:

What has prompted you to choose this company in particular? It may

run training courses or it may be expanding into your field, for instance.
What kind of job are you looking for?
 What skills do you have to offer?

In the case of the speculative letter it is your aim to make the addressee turn
the page and read your CV, and after that, to invite you to the company’s
offices for a ‘discussion’. Sound enthusiastic about the company and flexible
in terms of the role you might be able to play, and the company is more likely
to be able to find a job for you.

Application Forms

Many companies make use of standard application forms, and ask applicants
to telephone or write for a form, which must then be submitted by a certain
date. The standard application form usually covers all the items in a standard
CV, but may also include questions about your general health and more wide-
ranging ‘essay-style’ questions about the kind of job you are looking for,
what characteristics you have that may make you suitable for the job and
questions about your personal interests and activities. Your answers to these
sections in particular will be used as the basis of further questions at an
interview, and your ability to put down a few coherent thoughts may decide
whether or not you get to that stage.
Here are some notes to bear in mind when filling in application forms:

Read the instructions and follow them to the letter.

Make a copy of the application form and draft your answers before
making a start on the real thing.
Be succinct — you will probably not have enough space to be verbose.
Put in as much research as you would for any other application. Keep
going back to the original advert and read especially carefully any extra
information that may be supplied with the application form.
Include your CV with your application form if you believe it will add to
the information given.
Check and double-check for spelling and grammatical errors. If you
have made a howler on the form itself and you have time to obtain
another form, do so rather than using liquid paper.
A returned application form should always be accompanied with a
shortened version of the covering letter: ‘I have completed your
application form with regard to the position of Line Manager advertised
 last week, and am returning it as instructed.’
Return the form before the closing date.
See also References and Testimonials.

Love Letters
The art of writing love letters may well be dying out. Teenagers are glued to
the telephone, and adults have ample opportunity to say how they feel
without any impropriety being attached. And yet a well-written and sincere
love letter is still a thing of the utmost romantic importance, an opportunity to
say all those things that tie up your tongue — hopes; dreams, fond memories,
words of appreciation and flattery. You might even wish to propose marriage
by mail.
Love letters should without doubt be handwritten, and on the very best
quality paper you can afford. It is not appropriate for a man to use scented or
delicately-coloured paper. A solid cream or white watermarked paper is good.
Women have a much wider range of stationery to choose from, but avoid the
truly soppy!
The basic rule is tell the truth. In affairs of the heart deluding yourself or
your loved one will inevitably lead to heartbreak. Never write anything you
do not mean.

Breaking off a relationship by letter

Many people believe that writing a ‘Dear John’ / ‘Dear Jane’ letter is a
profoundly cowardly way of breaking off a relationship. They hold that a
face-to-face conversation, however difficult, is the only honourable course of
action.
However, letters have the advantage that they give the sender time to
formulate his or her thoughts dearly and to consider how to put them in the
least hurtful way. The Dear John letter ensures that reasons are
communicated in an atmosphere of serious reflection, rather than a torment of
rejection. As with love letters, be truthful and sincere. If there are positive
points, mention them. Don’t dwell too much on negative aspects and try to
avoid expressing hurtful sentiments.
Memoranda
Memoranda (or memos) are notes used for communications within a single
company. They are not normally placed inside an envelope, but may be if the
contents are private or confidential.
Memos need no inside address, but the name and department of the recipient
should be given. In the same way, they need not be signed, but the sender’s
name and department should be added. Some companies also use memos for
general information to be communicated to all staff, either pinned to a notice
board or duplicated and delivered to each desk individually.
Because memos generally act as informal notes, they need not strictly be
written in the style of formal letters, but the information should be laid out
clearly and succinctly.
If you are writing a memo to be pinned on a notice board, make sure that
you give it a subject title that will draw the attention of passing staff. Memos
are useless unless somebody reads them. You may even concoct a headline
similar to a newspaper headline to draw attention.
Memos can be used for a variety of other purposes:

To record the points covered or agreed at a meeting

To request that a person attends a meeting
To list the tasks being delegated to the addressee
To pass on any information.

Memos should always be filed for future reference.

Newspaper Announcements
Almost all newspapers carry announcements of births, marriages and deaths,
and many also give space to notices of all sorts of milestones: coming of age,
christenings, memorial notices, examination successes, etc.
When planning an announcement, check copies of newspapers for the
column you would like to use. You will be asked to pay a certain amount per
line of column space, or if you wish your message or notice to be placed in a
box, you will be charged at a higher rate.
The wording of each notice is usually very similar, so check the papers in
question. Below are some guides.

Births
Birth notices usually give the following information:

The family’s surname.

Date of the birth.
Christian names of the mother and father (and sometimes the maiden
name of the mother).
Place of the birth.
Sex of the baby (son or daughter) and names.
Names of other children if appropriate.

Deaths

With announcements of deaths, we return to formality. Give the following

information:

Name of the deceased.

Date of death.
A word on the cause of death (tragically, suddenly, after a long illness,
peacefully, etc.).
Age of the deceased.
Mention the closest of the family.
Place, time and date of the funeral.
Arrangements for flowers and name and telephone number of the
funeral service if necessary

Acknowledgments

After a death and funeral, relatives sometimes prefer to express thanks for
sympathy and support through the Acknowledgments column.

In Memoriam
These notices are published on the anniversary of a person’s death:
Gupta, A_ J_, on 20th June 2001. Gone but not forgotten. F, Rosy Sinha,
died 16th April 1979. In loving memory. P.Malhotra died 25th May
1953. Lovingly remembered by brother Raj. Treasured memories.
Congratulations notices
On a lighter note, a coming of age (18th or 21st birthday) and passing exams
is a time for congratulations. Notices are often given in columns or as display
notices (in boxes). They are very simple to word:
Tejender Congratulations on your 21st. With love from Mum, Dad and
Mimi.
Press Releases
The writing of press releases is normally the domain of a body’s press office
or PR and marketing team. However, people with little or no PR background
may wish to inform the press of developments in order to elicit some
publicity. This is normally done by way of a press release, which is
essentially an information sheet giving the major points.
On receipt of a press release, a newspaper or other publication may either
make up a short article incorporating the information given on the release, or
detail a reporter to find out more.
Notices of births, marriages and deaths are normally written out and sent to
a particular department for publication in full.
It is the editor’s job to select the news and articles to be published, and any
one press release will be vying for attention among a stack of others. Many
newspapers now employ a number of editors, each covering a different
section of the publication: home news, foreign news, women’s interest, eating
out, motoring, etc.
For a press release to be successful, it must first reach the right person, and,
second, it must grab that person’s attention.

Reaching the right person

There are two ways of finding out to whom you should send your press
release. First, simply call the publication(s) you have in mind, and ask at the
switchboard. Second, consult one of the press directories found in the
reference sections of most comprehensive local libraries. These normally list
publications by category (national newspaper, regional newspaper, magazine,
etc.) and give the names and contact numbers of those people responsible for
certain subject areas. It is: just as well, however, to check with the publication
that the person listed still holds the post.
Those running press offices know how important it is to keep an up-to-date
list of contacts for press releases, and to keep abreast of personnel changes at
the relevant publications. A good press officer often has a personal
relationship with journalists and editors who specialise in the relevant field.

Attention please
Getting an editor’s attention is the real skill in the writing of press releases.
Avoid using banner headlines, or writing full press articles — it is up to the
editors and journalists themselves to do this. Simply find a suitable, short
heading and put down the facts as clearly as possible.
The subject should appear to be new, interesting and relevant. It is usual for
the first paragraph to encapsulate the story, and for subsequent paragraphs to
elaborate.
The release should be typed on headed paper, with the words ‘Press
Release’ printed large. Many companies who send out releases on a regular
basis print press release sheets as part of their company stationery and often
use colour in a bid for attention. However, avoid jazzy printing, because this
can simply obscure your message.

Giving information
The release should always contain the following items of information:

Heading.
Date of the event.
Date for release.
Name and address of body sending the release.
Indication that photographs are available if appropriate.
Name and contact number for the person who can give more information
if required.

Within the body of the release, follow these rules for clarity:

If you want to abbreviate a name or phrase, use the phrase in full the
first time it is mentioned, with the abbreviation in brackets. In
subsequent mentions, use the abbreviation only. It is not necessary to do
 this for well-known abbreviations, such as BBC, BJP, etc.
Write out the names of people in full, and always give their positions.
Write out the names of organizations in full, and give their purpose or
activity if not widely known.
Give exact figures and give them in full. Never give approximations.
Write no more than 500 words at the maximum. More detailed
information can and should be given as enclosures. Write on one side of
the paper only.
Give wide margins and use double spacing.
Stick to short, simple statements of fact. This is not the place to prove
your literary prowess.
Remember the recipient and present the information with his or her
knowledge and interest in mind. The language used for a release to a
regional newspaper will be different to that used for release to technical
or special interest magazines. For general interest publications, avoid
highly technical terms and jargon. For specialist publications speak the
specialist’s language.
If you are using more than one sheet, type the word MORE at the end of
the first and any subsequent sheets. Type the word ENDS at the end of
the release. Number each sheet.

Timing

The senders of press releases should time their circulation as well as they can.
It’s no use sending out information about an event taking place two months in
the future if the publication is a daily or weekly — it will only be lost under
the mountain of more immediate information. But give enough time for
journalists to make further enquiries and to plan their coverage of your story.
If the information is suitable for publication in the next issue, it is usual to
write the words ‘Immediate Release’ at the top of the sheet.

Quotations and Estimates

Most people will at some time or other need to call in people to undertake
certain jobs. Familiar examples are plumbers, decorators, builders, and so on.
An important part of the early negotiations is, of course, deciding how much
the job is going to cost.
An estimate is a rough guideline as to how much a particular person wants
to be paid to do a certain job. The total price is based on estimates of the
amount of materials required and the amount of time the job will take.
An estimate differs from a quotation in that a quotation should be a firm
statement of price. You will no doubt find that the actual cost rarely tallies
with the estimate, and the trades man almost always underestimates.

Redundancy and Dismissal

Unless an employee is being dismissed summarily for gross misconduct, be

sure to break the news gently and to give valid reasons for the move.

Redundancy
Most employers regret that they need to abolish jobs. Such cuts in workforce
are made either to reduce overheads or to focus the company’s attention on
different markets. In a lamentably large number of cases recently, redundancy
has been necessitated by bankruptcy.
When writing letters on the subject of redundancy, remember that it is a job
that is redundant and not a person. Try to express appreciation of the
employee’s work and regret at the circumstances. But don’t get too
sentimental.

References And Testimonials

A reference is a letter or oral communication describing or confirming a

person’s character. References are normally written by a person who knows
the subject well: a teacher, employer or personal friend. It is normally
requested by a potential employer, and written in response to that request,
with the particular job prospect in mind.

Naming referees
Some prospective employers ask the job candidate to give the names of two
referees. The employer will then write to the referee, and ask for a reference,
giving details of the job applied for, and perhaps asking for specific questions
to be answered. Alternatively, the employer may ask the candidate if a
previous employer can be contacted. Some candidates may find this awkward
— they may have left previous employment under a cloud, for instance, or
they may not have told their present boss that they are looking for another
job. The candidate must be prepared to give a good explanation as to why a
certain person should not be contacted, and the interviewer should be
expected to respect those wishes.
Many people give the names of two referees at the foot of a curriculum
vitae. This means that a prospective employer is at liberty to contact your
named referees without alerting you. It is always best to know when this is
going to take place, so a better way is to say that names and addresses of
referees are available on request.

Who to choose as a referee?

The custom is to choose one referee who knows you well, and has some
standing or authority within the community. That person may be a business
person, member of parliament or local councillor, or a teacher/school
principal. It is important that this person has known you for some time, so
that they can speak from experience. The reference given would contain
information about your character and personal behaviour.
The second referee should ideally be your previous employer, or a person
who has direct experience of you and so is well placed to speak about your
conduct and abilities at work.
The well-connected job applicant will choose somebody who is well-known
in the industry or perhaps known to the prospective employer. The essence of
choosing a referee is to find someone who can speak with authority and
relevance to your needs.

Permission to cite a referee

Before sending out a job application bearing a person’s name as referee, it is
essential that you ask permission to do so, and the most polite way to do this
is in writing.
Thank-you Letters

Letters thanking people for gifts, kindness or hospitality are easy to write and
gratifying to receive, especially if someone has put in a lot of work to find a
suitable present, or to entertain visitors for the weekend.
Thank-you letters should always be written promptly. Do not leave it more
than a week after the event. All thank-you letters should be handwritten on
personal stationery. While it is appropriate to use notelets or decorated cards,
postcards are perhaps a little too offhand.

Thanks for a gift

Many children will start their letter-writing careers thanking relatives for
gifts, but they often baulk at the task because they are not sure what to say.
Build up the letter in sections, using the following ideas:

Thanks for the item.

Name the item.
Say why it is particularly appropriate or desirable.

Thanks for hospitality

Thanks for hospitality can be written along similar lines to thanks for gifts:

Say thank you.

Say how good it was to see your host(s).
Mention why you enjoyed the stay in particular.
Pick out one aspect of the visit that you enjoyed in particular (a meal,
outing, relaxing in general).
Extend a return invitation of some sort. You may not be able to
reciprocate the scope of the hospitality you have received, but it is good
manners to at least offer an alternative.
Close with your repeated thanks.

Thanks for kindness

There are many other opportunities to write letters of thanks.
A friend may have written a reference that helped in landing a job, for
example, or may have put you in touch with a new business contact. If you
are a student, you may have cause to thank a person who organized work-
experience for you, or a teacher who worked with you after hours to get you
through an exam. For all of these occasions, and many others, the formula is
similar:

Thank the person for their kindness/hard work.

Say why their actions helped you or were important in the context.
Repeat your thanks.

To A Pen Pal

A good way of introducing children to foreign cultures is to have them find a

pen pal. Some correspondences started in childhood may endure for more
than the first exchange of letters, to become long-standing friendships, even
affording the opportunity for travel abroad and for receiving foreign visitors
at home.
Some correspondences are started in order to provide practice at writing a
foreign language, but many more are conducted in English. Some people
write to members of the armed forces serving overseas. The advice given
here is geared specifically towards those with foreign pen pals, but others
may find it useful when trying to find something to say to other categories of
correspondent.

Cultural exchange
The joy in having a pen pal is to find out about that person’s culture and way
of life, and that goes both ways. So do not take for granted everyday
activities or ways of doing things — your pen pal may find all these things
fascinating. Think about keeping a diary to remind you of things that happen
between letters, and keep up with the national and international news. Here
are some topics that may bear fruit:

Celebrations: what you do on New Year, for birthday parties, weddings,

etc.
Where you go for a holiday: what you do, where you stay, who you go
with, what the weather is like.
If you are still a student, how the education system works: explain levels
 of examinations, different types of school and college, the qualifications
you are taking.
Explain the job you do, and how you would like your career to develop.
Mention everyday events, and news about your family and friends.
Give descriptions of sports, hobbies, musical activities — anything that
gives a picture of your life.
Talk about international news — events your pen pal may have heard of:
your pal’s national team winning the world cup, or taking part in the
Olympics; international charities you may have contributed to.
Collect cuttings from newspapers to show your town, school, hobby
group; take photographs of events.

Try to introduce subjects as part of the ‘news’. Avoid writing a dry essay.

Style
As time goes on and you get to know your pen pal, your writing style will
become much less formal. If your reader speaks English as a second
language, keep your English simple.

To Authorities

Letters to the authorities (local government, the police or courts, etc.) should
be constructed as you would a business letter, and preferably typed.
In this case in particular, the person you are writing to is likely to be more
sympathetic if you keep it short and give only the relevant information. A
stream of abuse directed at your neighbour and her ferocious dog is unlikely
to be very constructive. Think out first what you have to say. Marshall your
evidence if you are including any, and consider whether this information
might not better be supplied in an enclosure. Consider what action you are
requesting (if any), and make that clear at the end of your letter.
One of the biggest problems in writing to the authorities is knowing who to
write to in the first place.

To MPs
Many pressure groups exhort us in their handouts to write to our MP to
declare our support of a cause or disapproval of action taken by Government.
Some even go so far as to draft a letter for us to sign and send. Indeed, apart
from casting a single vote at a general election, writing to our MP is one of
the few ways we have to make our opinions known.
But writing to an MP can be useful in other situations. Some MPs champion
the causes of individual constituents in cases of injustice and maltreatment by
the establishment, so a letter to an MP may well be a plea for help as a last
resort. Equally, if you agree with a particular position taken by your MP or
the party, or, on the other hand, object violently to something your MP has
said, let her know. This is one of the few ways to govern those who seek to
govern us.

Form of addresss
A member of parliament takes the initials MP after his or her name. If that
person has no other title, he or she should be called Mr, Mrs or Ms/Miss, as
usual: Ms Rita Singh MP.
 VII. How To Write A Setter Letter
Say what you mean, Get what you want
Communicate setter with a Well-Written Letter
In a man’s letter his soul lies naked.
Dr Samuel Johnson
India has the highest number of Post Offices in the world. India handles over
two billion items of personal correspondence a year.
Telecommunications and transmissions have risen exponentially, of course,
but it would be a brave fortuneteller who predicted the demise of letter
writing. After all, faxes and e-mails still have to be written.
There may be a sound reason for the letter’s survival in the face of progress.
A telephone call has the advantage of immediacy, with a minimum of
preparation, but that is also its weakness.
A letter allows the writer to:

Weigh thoughts
Plan strategies of approach and persuasion
Withdraw cruel and rash statements
Refine and sharpen arguments

AND ABOVE ALL-offer a period of rumination not to send it at all.

NOTE: A well-written letter also allows the shy and retiring writer to
stand tall alongside the brilliant telephone speaker.

Advantages

A letter is tangible
It carries weight
It is a record you can keep
It makes a pleasant change.

How does one coordinate paper, pen, envelope, stamp and address?
Most of us are a bit rusty when it comes to writing letters. Some of us never
really learnt once, it was normal for children who had received a gift to write
a short, neat and closely supervised thank you letter, sadly, this is not so
common nowadays. How would we complain to neighbours about their
barking dog, without causing World War Three; or write to an ombudsman
seeking redress over bad pension advice?
The essence of an effective letter is its individuality; every letter, in wording
and tone, must be unique to the circumstances and its recipient.
NOTE: Warning
So it can’t be stressed enough that the sample letters that follow are
simply guides to how various letter- writing problems might be tackled.
Many have been adapted from real letters that achieved results, gleaned
from colleagues, correspondents, companies and public institutions, but
it would be a mistake to regard them as models to copy.

Preparation and Planning

Always have writing materials around the house; a pack of good-quality A4
lightly lined bond paper if you write by hand, or standard bank, copier or
computer paper if you use a word processor or typewriter; a supply of POP
(Post Office Preferred) envelopes in a couple of sizes, 1st and 2nd class
stamps. You will never carry through your self-improvement letter-writing
plan if you have to concern yourself about materials every time.
(In Venezuela lovers use pink envelopes; they are charged half postage!)
Next, familiarise yourself with one of the accepted layouts for most letters:
The essentials are:
(1) Your address
(2) The date
(3) The recipient’s name and address.
The following can be dispensed with in personal letters to those you know
well:

The introduction
The contents
The sign-off, your signature
 In non-personal letters, your printed name. Sometimes it’s a good idea to
include a reference, which may summarise the content: Repairs to
garden tractor; or identify previous correspondence. Such references are
usually underlined and go under the introduction (Dear Mr Holmes) and
above the first line of the contents.

The Mansion,
Swinhoe Street,
Ballygunge
Kolkata-19
1 August 2010
Mr D D Singh,
Managing Director,
Garden Reach Engineering Ltd,
KOLKATA

Dear Mr Singh,

Begin your letter here.

If you don’t know who the managing director is you could hazard a
‘Dear Sir or Madam’; Or, better still, phone the firm’s switchboard and
ask for the managing director’s name and initials.
Indent each subsequent paragraph similar to the first, like this.
When you come to the end of your letter, close with either ‘Yours
sincerely’ if you know the recipient, or ‘Yours faithfully’ if you don’t.
You are writing to an official whom you’ve never met and are not likely
to meet, sign off with ‘Yours truly’. None of these sign-offs is set in a
written law, however.

Yours faithfully,
[sign here]
[your name here]
Now, the planning.
This is really another term for thought. In fact, three thoughts:
 Think about the reason you’re writing the letter. If there are several
reasons, separate them clearly and logically in your mind. Put them in
order of importance.
Separate facts from your opinions. State the facts first, then add your
opinions or comments if you must.
Focus sharply again on your reason for writing. What result do you
want? What do you want the recipient to do? In an extreme case, what
will you do if the recipient doesn’t do as you wish?

If you write by hand or use a typewriter, then it pays to do a draft which

gives you the opportunity to correct and change and polish the text. Does it
make the points clearly? Does it flow? Is every word spelt correctly? (The
dictionary check!) As with all writing, try to put yourself in the shoes of the
intended reader and imagine the reaction. Is it what you intended? Take your
time and get it right.

If you use a word processor, you will be familiar with the ‘edit as you
go’ technique which allows you to make corrections and revisions at
will.
When you are satisfied with what you see on your screen, then print.
Check the printout carefully: it’s amazing how many errors you pick up
when reading the printed word!

Your final version should be free of errors, well laid out and inviting to read.

NOTE: Letterhead

If you write more than one letter a week (that’s 50 a year) it would
make sense to have a letterhead printed.
A neat letterhead undoubtedly adds a touch of seriousness to any
correspondence.
When addressing an envelope be sure it bears all the information
necessary for sure and safe delivery, including the vital postcode.
The Focus:

When writing business or non-personal letters, be clear and concise.

In personal correspondence to those you know and love, be yourself (but
preferably personable and as informal and honest as you dare!)

Relationships by Post: Strictly Personal

We may be the last generation to write to each other.

Philip Larkin

Personal Letters
Personal correspondence runs parallel to one’s life:

birth announcements
thank-you notes for gifts through love letters
apologies and get well cards
letters of condolence.

For all of this you need to cultivate a personal voice in your correspondence
light and friendly, sincere and sympathetic, affectionate and loving, according
to the occasion and the recipient.
Personal letters will inevitably convey your thoughts and emotions, but you
need to measure your emotions with care.
There will be moments in your life when you’re tempted to open your heart
to a correspondent completely. Just remember that your outpourings will be
on permanent record, which is fine if they remain in safe and discreet hands
but emotionally scarring if they don’t.
Perhaps the most common of personal communications is the thank-you
note.
Some people finish up with a terse, flat ‘Nikita- I wish to thank you for the
colourful bedsheet’. Yet gift-givers are almost always so delighted to receive
grateful acknowledgements that it’s worthwhile honing your thank-you skills:
SOME POINTERS:

Should a personal note be handwritten? YES! — Handwritten notes are

 certainly appreciated. But if your handwriting is semi-legible, typescript
is perfectly acceptable.

And it is even more acceptable if the introduction — Dear Rita/Ravi! Mrs

Mehra—and perhaps the close—Ever yours/ With much love, etc — are hand
written: Because thank-you letters are so prized, it’s worth remembering that
these need not be limited to acknowledging presents and hospitality.
If somebody has helped you in some way, and given generously of his or
her time or support, a gracious thank-you note is not only likely to be
appreciated but also remembered and treasured.
Love Letters
Monday

My dear Anita,
What a wonderful weekend! Can I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I
did? For me it will always remain one of the most deliriously exciting
occasions of my life.
The real reason for this letter is to say, once again, that I love you.
It gives me a thrill just to write that down. Let me throw caution to the
winds — do you love me? I can’t tell you how happy I’d be to know that you
feel the same way about me as I do about you. All I can say is that I’ve never
felt anything like this before in all my life.
It’s a big step making such a commitment! Excuse the cliche, that we’re
made for each other.
In just under a week we’ll be together again and when you look into my
eyes (and my heart) you’ll know, you’ll really know, that I speak the truth.
My beautiful Anita, is it our fate to become the two happiest people in all the
world?
I think of you constantly. I love you.
Barry

Handwritten letters are preferred and advised, as is best quality

stationery. In your excited state, don’t forget the postage stamp.
Don’t lapse into mushiness. Be gentle, tender and understanding.
Don’t give the impression that you’re doing the object of your desire a
 great favour. A little humility can work wonders.
Note the simple, sincere-sounding I love you at the end.

Congratulations on an Engagement/Marriage
Monday
Dear Preity,
I got the news this morning and can’t wait to congratulate you and Kapish
on your engagement.
Although we have known each other most of our lives, I have only known
Kapish for the six months since he came into your life. But even in that short
time I have come to realise what an ideal couple you make! You must be over
the moon, and your parents must be delighted.
Let’s meet soon — I want to hear it all. And please give my love and
congratulations to Kapish.
Your devoted friend,
Mimi

These are among the most pleasant forms of personal correspondence,

so don’t hold back on your goodwill or enthusiasm.
A letter like this will help cement your friendship to the couple, who’ll
value and remember your supportive and affectionate response.
Letters similar in tone can also be sent to the couple’s parents, although
some might regard this as cynical networking.

Thanks for the Present

30 June
Dear Ashutosh and Divya,
I can’t tell you how thrilled we were when we unwrapped your most generous
gift.

How could you have known that Jairam is desperate for toast? He
almost fainted with joy when he tried out the automatic individual slice
pop-up control. And you chose green! How did you know that that will
be perfect in our kitchen-to-be?
It was lovely seeing you both at our wedding, and when we settle down
 (we’re temporarily in Jairam’s old flat) I’ll let you know. Once again,
many thanks.

Love,
Mimi

Undoubtedly over the top but think of the warm glow you’ll give the
recipients! Although the use of ‘Thanks for the Gift’ cards is increasing,
a personal, preferably handwritten, note wins hands down for sincerity.
A personal note can soften the rather calculated way in which such gifts
are solicited nowadays (tick off the list of suggestions, phone the store,
etc).
Unsolicited gifts from those who were not invited to the wedding
deserve a very special letter of thanks.
In all such letters be sure to acknowledge what the present actually is.
If the gift is money, the donors might get enjoyment from knowing how
you intend to spend or use it.

Saying Thanks
Sunday
Dear Mrs Sharma,
It was most thoughtful and kind of you to visit me yesterday.
Thoughtful, because through a mutual friend you found out that I was rather
lonely and feeling concern for me, and kind because you took a couple of
hours from your very busy schedule to come and see me.
Your visit cheered me up immensely, and you’ll be pleased to know that I
spent most of this morning in the garden because of your encouragement.
You have my heartfelt thanks,
Yours sincerely,
Abida Hussain

Who could fail to be touched and rewarded by the gratitude so sincerely

and graciously expressed in a note like this? Handwritten, of course.
Similar thank you letters (for gifts, visits, hospitality, a timely note of
sympathy or support, some special effort) should pay tribute to
thoughtfulness, kindness, generosity, compassion, etc.
 A teacher who spent out-of-hours time helping your child, a neighbour
who towed your car to a garage, a colleague who took the trouble to
check on your family’s needs while you were hospitalised — all would
he pleased to be thanked but more than pleased to receive a thank-you
letter.

Saying Please
2 September
Dear Uncle Terry,
I remember that when you were down here last Christmas you asked me to
keep you posted about my new business. You told me then that you thought
the ‘Vivid Publishing Firm’ I was developing should be a big commercial
success.
Unfortunately this has turned out not to be the case. The two partners who
joined in the venture struck problems and abandoned the project and although
it had promise. Actually I am in the right- they cost me nearly 800,000 rupees
with nothing to show for it.
As a result I face losing my business and everything I’ve sunk into it.
Ironically, I’ve now found a new partner who’s solved the problems, but
unless I can find 60,000 within two weeks I will face bankruptcy — at 29!
You know I’ve put everything I have, physically, mentally and financially,
into the business. I’ve worked an average 16 hours a day for two years. I’ve
borrowed to the limit (My parents have helped, of course). Uncle Terry, it’s
not easy making this appeal, and I apologise unreservedly for writing to you,
but you are my last resort, my final hope. If you can manage to lend me the
60,000 you will see every paise back.
I will understand totally if you can’t see your way to helping me financially.
And regardless of what you decide, I would in any case welcome any advice
you can give me.

Your affectionate nephew,

Derek

The outcome of begging letters is notoriously difficult to predict. Instead

 of producing the desired effect (money) they can result in
misunderstanding, hostility, family quarrels and total estrangement. So
beware!
Give a brief background to the crisis but also stress the positive outcome
(if there is one) if it will solve the problem. A would-be benefactor
might consider being a rescuer but balk at throwing good money after
bad.
A flattering end-note (asking for advice) might help hit the right button.

Congratulations
Sunday
My dear Bunty,
We’ve just heard from your mother about your graduation, and Aunt Lata
and I are just as thrilled as she is.
What a wonderful achievement — and you’ve worked so hard for it, too.
We’re particularly pleased that you’ve proved yet again that there are brains
in the family!
Obviously we’re keen to know about your plans for the future, so make sure
you write, and also visit us soon. Once again, our wholehearted
congratulations.

Love from us both,

Arthur

Being offered congratulations is a life-enhancing experience.

For many people it doesn’t happen too often, so when some
achievement (graduating, having a baby, getting a first job or a
promotion, learning to fly, passing a driving test) is greeted with written
congratulations, it can make someone’s day
Make it (SAS) short and sweet, on a card if you like, and preferably
handwritten

Apologies
Evergreen Apartments
 DWARKA
Delhi
Day of Atonement
My dearest Abhijeet,
How can I apologise for my behaviour at your dinner party yesterday?
Although my recollections are muddled I now realise that I must have upset
your guests, embarrassed you and Rita and generally made an obnoxious fool
of myself.
It was completely unforgivable, but I hope you will find the generosity to
forgive and forget. The thought of losing your friendship over my display of
stupidity is more than I can bear. Can I assure you that what happened was
untypical and will never, never happen again.
With fond regards to you both,

Tejender

A difficult letter to write and demanding a high order of courage, but

should you decide to write an apology, don’t hold back. To work, it
must be an all-out, grovelling, hand- wringing, reproachful confessional.
Ask for forgiveness and pray that the transgression will be deeply buried
and forgotten.
Write promptly and arrange to see the victims soon to avoid having the
incident fester in their minds.
Don’t rely entirely on written words. Accompany them with flowers.

Get Well
Thursday
Dear Allen,
Joanne told me that you were spending your holidays this year at Shimla,
you lucky thing — the mountains, the lake, just lying about all day doing
nothing — where can I buy a ticket?
I’m told also that everything went well and that you’re doing fine, so keep
up the good work. And don’t be too impatient — on the outside it’s wet and
cold and grey, and last night Jerry was caught in a five-mile motorway
tailback because of fog. And my car’s in the garage; I spun on the ice last
week, hit a brick wall and demolished the front end and lights — such fun!
Sam also has car troubles — his was stolen and although it was eventually
found it was minus the radio and his favourite leather jacket.
But the good news is that Helen’s young man has asked her to marry him
(do you remember Trevor? He has an engaging lisp) and I won the bridge
prize last week.
Anyway, Allen, relax and enjoy your holiday and you’ll be well and fit in no
time. We think of you all the time.

Love from us all,

Deepa

When you hear of a friend or colleague in hospital the knee-jerk reaction

is to send off one of the thousands of cards published specifically for the
occasion. But after a week or two, when the clutter of cards has been
cleared from the bedside unit, a letter can be a godsend to a bed-bound
patient.
Avoid dwelling on medical matters, keep it cheerful and pack it with
news and gossip that can be recycled during visiting hours.

Condolences (intimate and informal)

15 June
My dear Vandana,
We are deeply saddened by your mother’s death and our sympathies and
condolences go out to you and your family.
Although we hadn’t seen your mother during the last few years our
memories of her will always remain. She was so big-hearted and generous
that just thinking of her gives us a warm glow of deep and lasting affection.
We will miss her terribly but the loss to you must be incalculable.
There must be ways in which we can help you at this most painful time.
Prateeksha will call you next week, and I hope to see you very soon.

You are constantly in our thoughts.

 In sorrow and sympathy,

Rohit and Prateeksha Gill

Avoid cards; write a brief, comforting hand-written note as soon as you

can after hearing about the death. Offer help as well as sympathy.
Write from your heart; feelings honestly expressed, however clumsily,
will always be appreciated. But contain your emotions or you risk
sounding maudlin.
Offer a recollection of the deceased if you wish: fond memories, a
particular occasion, a summary of the person’s outstanding qualities.
Don’t recall circumstances surrounding the death; rather try to take the
receiver’s mind forward — to some future event or meeting.

Condolences (to a non-acquaintance)

326 Ekta Garden
I P Extension
DELHI 110 092
Tel. 011- 22256788

12 November

Dear Mrs Khanna,

I would like to express my sincere condolences to you over your sad loss of
Harish.
You may have difficulty remembering me but I met you on a couple of
occasions at Harish’s Restaurant.
I would like you to know that Harish will always have an important place in
my memory. I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for his unfailing help
in my career. He was both wise and generous, as I’m sure you know. He also
guided me through a distressing and emotional period when I lost my little
daughter and, a short while later, when my wife left me.
Losing Harish is an immense blow to me, so I know his loss must be
overwhelming for you.
 Please accept my deep sympathy, and if there is any way in which I can help
you, please let me know.

Yours sincerely,

Devender Singh

Sending condolences to a relative or close acquaintance can be a matter

of duty. Expressing your sympathy to a bereaved person who doesn’t or
hardly knows you is an act of compelling unselfishness.
Your duty in such cases is to provide a personal testament to the
deceased, simply and sincerely. Coming ‘out of the loss’, as it were,
such letters are invariably valued by the bereaved and may even offer
new insights on the life of the loved one.

Responding to Sympathy and Condolences

Janet Prasad,
17 Kolaba Road,
Mumbai

22 July

Dear Mr Paresh
Please accept my thanks for your kind letter and your very kind words about
Rita.
I have been deeply touched by the dozens of letters and cards I’ve received,
and comforted to know how much Rita was admired and loved.
Thank you for your thoughts and for you offer to help. It is exceedingly
generous of you, and I shall contact you should the need arise.
Yours sincerely,
Julie Pradhan.

Although it is quite common to acknowledge letters of sympathy and

 condolences with cards, writing a letter, when the emotional landscape
has cleared a little, can be therapeutic or cathartic.
It is an unfortunate fact that after a death many bereaved people find
themselves facing an unexpectedly lonely existence. Part of the reason is
that friends and acquaintances are sometimes hesitant to make contact,
perhaps feeling that they might be intruding on the person’s privacy and
grief. Writing letters can provide a vital link to continuing relationships.

Commiseration
Dear Jatin,
I was sorry to hear that you and Mita have decided to separate.
I know that you’ve had your difficulties lately so it wasn’t a total surprise;
nevertheless I had hoped you would find a way to rediscover your former
happiness.
Is there anything I can do to help? As you know, I love and care for you
both, so it’s a double dilemma for me.
Would it help if I spoke to Mita? At the risk of being thought an interfering
so-and-so I will do anything I can to help you two back together again. But if
it is not to be, then you know you will always have my love and friendship
and that you can pick up the phone any time and call —

Your devoted friend,

Julie.

Certain misfortunes can be soul-destroying: separation and divorce,

bankruptcy and redundancy; sudden disablement, a shop-lifting or drunk
driving charge, personal catastrophes that can wreck the life of a friend,
relative or colleague. Do you comfort, or walk away?
Writing a letter of comfort to someone caught up in a personal tragedy
can be like walking over broken emotional glass and is never without its
dangers, but knowing that someone cares can help restore that person’s
shattered self-confidence and hope for the future.

The Gloved Fist

 Dear Ashish,
I’m sorry to have to write this letter, but I see no other way of appealing to
you to pay back the Rs 4000 I lent you last December.
As you know, this is not the first time I’ve asked you for repayment but now
I really must have the money as I’m way overdrawn at the bank, all because
of that loan. Our agreement, by the way, was that you would repay it all
within six weeks. So it’s long overdue.
I know you’ve had problems, and from our long acquaintance I know you to
be completely honest and a person of integrity, so I have no doubt you will
pay me. And if, for any reason you cannot right now, I’m sure you would tell
me so that we could work something out.
Ashish, I desperately need that money, and now. It would be crazy if this
matter ended a long and enjoyable friendship, wouldn’t it? So please call or
write urgently.
Preetam.

When a friend or relative won’t pay back a loan and goodwill is running
low, you want to send out a lynching party, not a letter. But
confrontational anger is a last resort and can result in legal action,
shattered relationships — and still no money.
Letters that express your disappointment and anger can be written
without intemperate language and wild threats. Make your points firmly,
of course, but allow that the misdemeanour is untypical and forgivable.
Cool reason and an appeal to the person’s sense of fairness is more
likely to be productive than hostile fireworks.

Announcements and Invitations

Announcements and invitations need principles of written etiquette. A good
many still retain, probably unintentionally, the pomposity of a more formal
age, whereas today we generally prefer a more relaxed approach to such
correspondence.
There are cards for all occasions, of course, in an almost overwhelming
choice.
Beginning at the beginning, with births, the news of the happy arrival is
usually spread via a card, the appropriate columns of the local newspaper, or
by word of mouth.
 There isn’t a lot to say about a baby other than that it has arrived and that it
is a boy or a girl with such and such a name, so to announce it with a letter
seems excessive.
Although many people like copperplate formality for parties and receptions,
others prefer a lighter, more informal touch for their invitations. Whatever the
tone, though, don’t forget the essential information.

Wedding announcements
Wedding announcements invariably take on a formal tone and appearance —
almost always in the form of an elegantly printed card. The usual formula is:

Sharmila and Ratul Banerjee

would be delighted if you could join them
to celebrate the engagement of their daughter
Shivani
and
Jatin Mukherjee
at a party in the Admiralty Room, Nelson Hotel,
Main Road, Ranchi,
on Saturday, September 30, at 8.00 pm.
RSVP
Ekta Garden
14, C P
(91-011) 2274752
The invitation has a similar style:
Mr and Mrs Banerjee
request the pleasure of the company of
at the marriage of their daughter Shivani
to Mr Jatin Mukherjee
at The Free Church, South Extension,
on Saturday, May 23, at 3 o’clock
An RSVP should be appended to the invitation or, more thoughtfully, an
addressed reply card could be included for the guest’s response.
 When replying to invitations, a good rule is to match the style of your reply
to that of the invitation. If handwritten, it is a courtesy to reply similarly; on
the other hand a formal invitation suggests a formal reply. While that’s
straightforward enough some people have a problem finding the words to
gracefully decline an invitation.
There are two things to remember:

Be complimentary, disappointed and apologetic

Explain the reasons for your inability to attend

6 March
Dear Sharmila and Ratul,
We were delighted to get your kind invitation until we checked the family
diary and were dismayed to find that we have a long-standing engagement to
spend the day with Sharmila’s parents in Hazaribagh that weekend. We only
visit them a couple of times a year so we can’t let them down. It’s a great
shame.
So please accept our apologies — and our best wishes for a great party!

Yours in regret,

Jatin and Kitty.

Of all announcements, a letter advising relatives and friends of a death is

the saddest and probably the most difficult to write. Unsurprisingly many
bereaved people prefer to send out a simple, formal card, or use the
telephone, not least because the days surrounding a death are confused and
chaotic. However there may be circumstances that require a personal letter to
convey the news with greater sensitivity. This solemn duty may, if you are a
close relative or friend of the deceased, fall to you.
21 August
Dear Mr and Mrs Hilton,
It is my sad duty to inform you that Mary’s mother died yesterday, 20
August.
Her life ended painlessly and peacefully after her long illness.
 Mary has asked me to thank you both for your devotion to her mother and
for your many visits and gifts, which Ellen always looked forward to with
eager delight.
Ellen’s funeral will take place at the East Chapel cemetery, at 11 am, Friday
23 August.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Pinto.
Protecting Your Interests: Complaining with Effect
Buyer beware.
Even the most careful consumer occasionally gets caught with a defective
appliance, a botched repair job, a phantom delivery, an inaccurate bank
statement.
In the great majority of cases the supplier is only too happy to set things
right. But there are always the sloppy, intransigent or plain crooked traders
who’ll evade their responsibilities, and they can make your life hell—If you
let them.

Knowing how to complain effectively when you’re a victimised

consumer is one of life’s essential arts.
Knowing who to complain to is also important.
First in your sights should be the person or firm who actually sold
you the faulty goods or services. It is worth remembering that if
you have paid with cash or by credit card, your claim is not against
the manufacturer, importer or wholesaler, but the retailer or seller.
If you used a credit card you are further protected by the Consumer
Credit Act, which makes the credit card company responsible.
A further line of defence is the Consumer’s Forum, which
stipulates that goods or services must be ‘as described’, must be of
good quality and work satisfactorily, and must be fit for the
purpose for which they are sold. The seller or supplier is legally
bound to make sure that all of these apply; if not, you must be
compensated.
Other legislation that protects your interests includes the Consumer
 Protection Act, which prohibits labels or advertisements with
misleading prices; the Trade Descriptions Act, which forbids
traders to make false claims about the goods or services they sell;
the Unfair Contract Terms Act, which protects purchasers’ rights
from the ‘small print’ in contracts; and the Food Safety Act, which
protects consumers from unsafe or substandard foodstuffs.

But first, the letter.

It is absolutely vital to keep and copy all receipts, documents and

relevant correspondence. However aggrieved you may feel, don’t begin
your complaint by antagonising the supplier. State the facts clearly and
concisely. Make it clear what it is you want: a replacement, a refund, a
repair or compensation. Keep cool and calm, and you’ll collect.
You may find that your first letter fails to achieve the desired response.
Try again. Perhaps it didn’t make your case strongly enough or it was
read by the wrong person.

NOTE: You are likely to be fobbed off: ‘Sorry, your complaint should
have been made within 30 days… it is our policy not to make refunds…
we do not guarantee that product… it’s the manufacturer’s problem, not
ours.’ None of these responses is legally valid, so try again.

TIPS:

If you’ve been unable to get anywhere by complaining in person or over

the telephone, a letter backed by solid facts is hard to ignore.
Rather than address your letter to some anonymous executive, call the
firm’s switchboard and ask for the name of, say, the general manager,
sales manager or marketing director. In larger firms, senior management
may be surprised to learn that their company is treating its customers
unfairly.
Don’t attach original receipts or documents to your letter — always use
copies. Originals can sometimes get ‘lost’.
Don’t threaten legal action your initial correspondence; save it for a final
 showdown.
If you are forced, at last, into taking legal action, either use a solicitor or
make sure you know the working of the procedures of Small Claims
Courts. Apply directly to the courts for advice and information.

Fighting Environmental Pollution

3 Park Street
Kolkata
West Bengal

Monday, 16 May
Mr H. Sharma
18 New Street
West Bengal

Dear Mr Sharma,
Every day and evening during the past week (4-11 May) we have been
disturbed by excessive noise from your garage adjoining this house. The
noise is, I understand, due to your automotive engine-tuning business.
On three occasions I have asked you to eliminate or reduce the noise to an
acceptable level but it has continued unabated. I have explained to you that
the noise is distressing and is affecting our health. Mrs Sharma has suffered
almost continual headaches during this past week.
I am therefore forced to give you notice that if the nuisance continues
beyond today I will instruct my solicitor to initiate legal proceedings against
you, including a restraining order and a claim for compensation.

Yours faithfully,

H. S Bawa.

Installing proper sound reduction baffles is going to cost Mr Sharma a

huge sum, so don’t expect him to give in easily. But give in he must,
 because today noise Pollution is widely recognised as one of the main
environmental hazards that can make people’s lives a misery.
When appeals and warnings have gone unheeded, a nononsense letter is
called for — one that makes the consequences clear. But you must be
prepared to carry out your threat, or any future warnings and letters will
ring hollow the worst noise of all.

Writing to the Council

32 Circular Road,
Wellington Avenue,
Delhi

19 December
Planning Officer,
Highways Department,

Dear Sir,
The pavement outside the above address and along Circular Road is broken
and dangerous. I have stumbled on it several times and at least one other
resident, an old lady, is afraid to risk walking on the pavement for fear of an
accident.
Will you please have the pavement repaired, urgently.

Yours faithfully,

P.C. Thomas.

Keep it simple, factual and unemotional. Councils know by now that

they are liable for compensation if you have an accident attributable to
their lack of maintenance and care, so a letter like this will get action.
Make a phone call to find out to whom you should be writing and get a
name. If you don’t, your letter could ricochet around the corridors of
local power for months.

Holiday Woes
 2 October
Mrs A. Wilson,
Tour Booking Director,
Sunset Holidays,
High Street,
Chennai.

Dear Mrs Wilson,

I wish to make a complaint about the holiday I booked at your office on 19
July this year (Ref MAJ20232677).
Your booking assistant confirmed then that we would have a large, air-
conditioned double room with a spacious balcony directly overlooking the
beach. The suite bathroom was to have both a shower and bath.
We also chose the ‘A’ class accommodation because it gave us access to the
garden pool.
Instead, what we got was a cramped room without air-conditioning. The
bathroom had no bath. The balcony overlooked a drab apartment block with
washing lines. The beach and sea were not to be seen. The garden pool was
empty.
Our annual holiday was completely spoiled.
Quite clearly your firm failed to discharge its contractual and legal
obligations, and this letter is to inform you that I hold you liable for our failed
holiday and that I am seeking compensation. Please let me have your
proposals for compensation within seven days.

Yours faithfully,

C. N. Hashmi.

Complaints about miserable holidays are unfortunately fairly routine : it

is important to be specific—set out exactly what you were promised and
what was really delivered, but keep in mind that most holiday brochures
come loaded with loads of fine print.

Confirming Holiday Arrangements

 14 July
Tour Booking Director,
Sunset Holidays Ltd,
New Street, KERALA

Dear Sir / Madam,

Your Ref: CR68

This will confirm that I have booked the 10-day Egypt Holiday (Ref as
above) with you, departing Delhi 17 August and returning 27 August, for
which I have paid 48,000 for two adults including all supplements.
Please note that I have also booked the following special requirements:
(1) Spacious second-floor room with double bed and ensuite bathroom and
uninterrupted landscape views;
(2) Baby cot suitable for a two and a half-year old child.
If for any reason you cannot confirm any of the above please advise me
immediately.

Yours faithfully,

(Mrs) Julie Pradhan.

An increasing number of holiday makers are ensuring that any special

requirements agreed upon when making the booking are confirmed by
both parties before departure.
Although this procedure won’t guarantee that things won’t go wrong, it
should certainly make everything easier if you have to complain when
you return.
If this safeguard fails to protect you and your letters seeking
compensation are ignored or disputed, you should write to the concerned
authority.

Faulty Car Repairs and Servicing

 Aditi Apartment
Patparganj
DELHI

12 September
The Manager,
Mercury Motors Ltd,
Sector 5 NOIDA
Sir,
On 16 August I purchased an INDIGO Diesel grey from you. Within three
days it developed a serious gear-change problem and severe steering
mechanism. It is obvious that the car was defective at the time of purchase.
Under the sales agreement you are clearly in breach of contract and bound to
make whatever repairs or replacements as are necessary, free of charge. If
these take longer than 24 hours I will require a courtesy car during the repair
period.
I will call you tomorrow to arrange for the car to be restored to 100 per cent
as new roadworthy condition. I reserve my rights under the Sale of Goods
Act.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Patro.

Next to buying a faulty car, faulty auto repairs produce a veritable of

classic complaints. But you can seek protection under the Supply of
Goods and Services Act, which requires contracted work to be carried
out with ‘reasonable skill and care’.
Most problems of this kind are dealt with in person or over the phone.
But the writer probably fore sees trouble ahead, hence the precautionary
letter.

Bad Pension and Financial Advice

……………………
……………………
……………………
29 October September
Mr Manchanda.
Financial Consultants,
…………………………
…………………………
Sir,

Pension Scheme 96/666/GS2001

About three years ago (23 / 7 / 96) I asked you to recommend a pension plan
suitable for my retirement at sixty, on a monthly budget of 1200. In the
event you recommended that I transfer my current pension plan into a
twenty-year Personal Insurance plan towards which I have been paying 1113
per month.
My accountant has just analysed my current outlay with the expected return
and finds that if I had stayed with my former plan I would enjoy the same or
better pension benefits on retirement yet I would be paying only — per
month. This means that I am needlessly paying nearly 10,000 more for my
pension. In recommending the above product you have given me bad advice
which will leave me severely out of pocket. My accountant estimates my loss
to be 9,456.00 over the 20-year period.
As you know, you are bound by the Financial Services Act to deal promptly
with my complaint and offer appropriate compensation.
I expect your reply within 14 days and, if not forthcoming, I will forward
my complaint to the relevant authorities.
Yours,
Brajesh Sharma.

Financial advisers aren’t infallible, and it is always wise to get a second

opinion If you suspect that the advice you’ve been given has been
overoptimistic or appears to involve you in loss, arrange to meet the
adviser and ask for an explanation.
If not satisfied, write a letter demanding restitution, which, if your
complaint is justified, should lead to negotiations for compensation.
Your adviser is regulated by the Personal Investment Authority to whom
you should apply if your complaint remains unresolved
 Querying a Bank Statement
……………………
……………………
……………………
16 August
The Manager,
Corporate Bank Ltd,
…………………………
…………………………

Dear Sir,
Last month at your suggestion I transferred 60,000 from my current
account into a ‘Investment Bonanza Key’ 30-day account as it pays an extra
one per cent interest.
On my first statement I note that you have charged me 1600 for the
transfer. No mention was made of this charge at the time, so I would like an
explanation.
I also note that your monthly fee for July on my current account was
increased from the usual 800 per month to ‘2200, even though the account
has always been in credit. Please explain this.

Yours,

Jaishree Banerjee

It may seem laughable but many people go through life believing their
bank to be infallible. Not so. Anyone who fails to examine their bank
statements closely deserves to lose money from a bank account, not
make it.
In the recent years of intense competition, banks have introduced all
kinds of charges, fees and penalties to maximise revenues, so beware.
That cynical appraisal aside, banks are usually only too ready to put
things right if a mistake has been made — but only if you complain.
 Defective BuiIding Work
……………………
……………………
……………………
30 June
Mr Bhambani
New Builders
……………………

Dear Mr Bhambani,
I wish to complain about the extension and other work you carried out at my
house at the above address during March.
I am sorry to say that some of the work is of an unsatisfactory standard,
which has led to serious defects in the walls (damp patches), the plumbing
(leaking radiator) and floor (bad tiles). A detailed list of these faults is
attached.
I must request that you rectify these faults as soon as possible as we cannot
use the extension in its present condition.

Yours faithfully,

Ansul Diwan

This letter underlines the importance of having a firm, detailed estimate,

countersigned by both parties, before work commences. This will be of
enormous value should there be a dispute later.
Payment arrangements should also be agreed at this time: how much up
front, progress payments and, most important of all, the sum to be held
over for a period (13 months is common) to ensure that the builder will
make good any defects.

Querying Electricity, Gas, Water and Phone Bill

……………………
 ……………………
……………………

14 March
The Manager
Consumer Service Division,
Electricity Board,
……………………
……………………
Dear Sir / Madam,
Ref: A/c No. A326/EKT
I wish to query my last two accounts for electricity used between 1 October
and 28 February.
The amounts shown on the invoices are higher than usual, despite this house
being empty from 15 December to 28 January, when all power was shut off.
It would seem that the meter is faulty, or there is an electricity leakage of
some kind. Would you be good enough to have the meter tested so that the
charges can be adjusted?

Thank you,

(Mrs) Indrani Haldar.

If you think you are being overcharged or paying for electricity, gas,
water or telephone services you haven’t used, phone first to find out to
whom in the Company you should complain, then write.
If you have a suspected faulty meter, you may be required to pay for a
test, usually refunded if the meter is proved to be defective. If it is, you
can have your bill reduced or compensation paid. For all the utility
services there are scales of compensation payments made for interrupted
supply. If the Company is tardy in dealing with your complaint, your
nearest Consumer Forum will point you in the direction of the
appropriate watchdog.

Disputed Insurance Claim: the Last Resort

 ……………………
……………………

7 January
Claims Division,
XYZ Insurance Co,
XYZ Buildings,
Dear Sirs,
Policy No. TJ/13241/C887C
I refer you to our previous correspondence regarding my claim on the above
policy. In your latest letter you advise that your offer of Rs 3,400 will not be
increased, despite my submitting to you an independent loss assessor’s
estimate of Rs 4,850 for the damage.
Unless I receive a more realistic offer from you within 14 days I regret to
advise that our correspondence will be forwarded to the Insurance
Ombudsman Bureau, of which you are a signatory, for arbitration.

Yours faithfully,

D K Chatterjee, MD.

There are occasions when an insurance company and a policy holder fail
to see eye to eye. If you feel the company’s offer (or perhaps non-offer
if it argues that damage or loss is not covered by a policy) isn’t fair you
can pay for an independent assessment, which may help your case.
If not, you can, as a last resort, appeal to the Insurance Ombudsman
Bureau in Delhi. This won’t help you, though, if your insurer isn’t a
signatory to the scheme, so it pays to check on this before you sign any
insurance policy.

Staying Alive: Employer and Employee

Work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their
level of incompetence.
The Peter Principle
 24 Virginia Street,
Motherwell
MLI5 4DV
19 December
Mr M.B. Mittal
42 Chalker Avenue,
Motherwell
ML8 5GB

Dear Mr Mittal,
Re: Accident on North Campus, D.U.
On November 12 an accident on North Campus involving your Ford van
G25 RSB resulted in considerable damage to my Volvo Estate P24 GBM.
I have claimed for the damage covered by my comprehensive insurance
policy but this still leaves me liable for 64,000 not covered by the policy,
namely for the insurance excess amount, loss of no-claim bonus, a day off
work and transport incurred while the car was being repaired.
You have admitted that the accident was caused solely by your negligence
and so far I have heard nothing from you or your insurers.
As you are legally responsible for the 64,000 I look forward to receiving
this amount. If I do not receive it within 14 days a county court summons will
be issued against you.

Yours faithfully,

Dev Burman

Claiming Uninsured Expenses from a Negligent Driver

Claiming on car insurance policies is a complex business, mostly achieved
by a plethora of form-filling. But there often remains the even more complex
business of claiming compensation for uninsured expenses from a negligent
driver or the driver’s insurance company (if he or she is comprehensively
covered)
 This can require considerable patience and persuasion, and you may well be
driven to recover your loss through a small claims court.
In the workplace, employer and employee face a two-way trial.

When a job advertisement appears these days, the odds are that it will
attract dozens, sometimes hundreds, of applications. The employer (or
the personnel manager) then faces the task of sifting through the mass of
paper trying to pick a winner.
The would-be employee, on the other hand, is an entrant in a race that is
not necessarily won by the swift but more often by ingenuity and guile.

For the employer, knowing what he or she wants makes the task easier.

The wise employer will advertise a precise job description and all
applications will be compared to that. People who seem closest to the
ideal will be ahead in the race.
If you’re an applicant whose qualifications, experience and personal
profile fit the job description you’re in there with a chance. You might
be among the final half-dozen, but there is only one vacancy. So what
are the factors — the ‘special extras’ — that will provide that surge to
get you to the finishing line first?
At the interview stage there is a good chance that, of several equally
qualified finalists, the applicant with a pleasant appearance, exuding
self-confidence and a winning charm is most likely to get the job. But
less presentable applicants can do quite a lot about more subtle
presentational skills, such as writing enviably clear, persuasive,
attention-getting letters. In short, expressing and enhancing their
personalities through the written word. Qualities such as enthusiasm,
clarity of thought, confidence and know-how can all be conveyed to a
reader by a well-written letter.

Enlightened employers know how fewer and fewer recruits can

communicate well. Perhaps illiteracy has been largely overcome, but semi-
literacy is all around us. So be assured that good speakers and skilled writers
will always be in demand.
If you are a jobseeker, this section will try to help you develop some basic
writing skills :
Getting that Job — Some Preliminaries
Before starting on your written application, find out as much as you can
about the firm or organisation, and its business. Ask for any brochures they
may have. A knowledgeable applicant will win hands down over one who has
no idea what the employer actually does.

Send your CV with a covering letter explaining why you think you are
suitable for the job and state where you saw the job advertised.
It is customary to offer references, although not to enclose them with your
initial application.
Ask to be considered for an interview.
Don’t make claims that won’t stand up. By all means emphasise your strong
points, especially those relevant to the job, but don’t lie. Don’t claim
extensive experience if your lack of it will soon become embarrassingly
apparent. If you do lack experience, emphasise your enthusiasm, adaptability
and willingness to learn.
Before dispatching your application, check it thoroughly — several times —
for neatness and correctness. This applies particularly if you are
communicating by e-mail, when the speed of the process and the need to go
nowhere near a letter box can create the temptation to be over-hasty. Make
sure there are no spelling errors, especially in the firm’s or organisation’s
name: Keep copies of your covering letter and CV.
Your application may not be a response to an advertised job but a letter
inquiring if there is a vacancy. In this case, make sure your covering letter is
addressed to the right person, by name or title or both. If in doubt, call the
firm’s switchboard. Emphasise your willingness to be interviewed and that
you are prepared to wait until an appropriate job does become vacant.
Enclose your CV and ask if it can be filed to await a vacancy.
Be specific about your training, qualifications and work experience: A
‘course in cookery’ could mean anything to a hotel wanting a trainee chef; a
‘Master Chef’s Federation Catering Certificate’ could attract serious
attention. Don’t claim to have ‘worked for several electrical contractors’:
name them and also say when they employed you.
Applying for an Advertised Job
Personnel Manager Rupa Paper Products Ltd,
Okhla Industrial Estate,
DELHI

Dear Sir,

I am responding to your advertisement in the 10 February edition of the

‘Time’s Ascent’ for a Technical Support Manager.
The position is just what I have been looking for, and from the job
description I am sure I have the requisite training and experience. My CV is
attached.
Although I am happy and reasonably well paid in my present job, there are
few opportunities for advancement. I have studied at night for MBA Diploma
and now feel I am ready for a fresh challenge.
I am aware that your company is highly innovative and growing, and I am
sure I can play a part in its future success.
I live locally, am happily married with two children and genuinely see my
future in the paper products industry.
I look forward to hearing from you and can make myself available for
interview any day except Mondays.

Yours faithfully,

Rohit Bal.

This would be regarded as an intelligent covering letter for a CV.

Without frills, it projects ambition, enthusiasm, conscientiousness and
stability — presumably the qualities in a job applicant every employer is
looking for.
If ‘you think it helps, a brief paragraph about your family status
(stability) and interest in the employer’s industry (devotion) can be
included, as above.
 Always explain why you wish to leave your present job.

Inquiring about Job Opportunities

……………………
……………………
22 March
The Personnel Manager,
……………………
……………………

Dear Sir,
I am writing to inquire whether there are any openings in your company for
an editor Packaging, either now or in the near future.
At present I am employed as a Editorial Trainee at a publishing firm but feel
that my training and experience now qualify me for advancement
opportunities not available from my present employer.
My CV is attached, and you will see that I have spent the past six years on
editing.
I now feel I am ready for a position of greater responsibility with
opportunities for growth which I hope might be available at your firm.
I look forward to a favourable reply and can make myself available for
interview at almost any time.
Yours faithfully,
Shiva Kumar.

The big hurdle facing a letter like this is simply that there may be no
immediate job prospects at all. But there may be in the future — and
there is always the chance that your letter might be filed and referred to
if that happy Situation should come about.
Keep your letter short, snappy and, above all, optimistic. Try to convey
an impression of a person who is well qualified, hard-working and eager
to face the challenge of a new and more rewarding job.

Confirming an Interview
 ……………………
……………………
31 September
Mrs Brinda Karat,
Personnel Department,
………………………
Dear Mrs Karat,
Thank you for your letter inviting me for an interview for the position of at
your Noida Head Office.
I am pleased to confirm that 1 am available for the interview at 10 am on
Tuesday 8 November.
I look forward to meeting you then.
Yours sincerely,
Saira Banu.

If you get as far as being offered an interview, don’t assume it’s all over.
It’s not. You may be the only candidate, or you may have a dozen or
more rivals. That’s why it’s worthwhile making a good impression when
accepting or confirming your interview.
Make it crisp and businesslike and perhaps just a touch — but just a
touch — grateful.

Asking for a Salary Increase

18 April
Mr………………………,
General Manager,
The New Kenilworth Hotel
Kolkata

Dear Mr Jacob,
I would like to ask for a review of my salary which, as you know, has
remained unchanged during the three years I have worked as Booking
Manager of the hotel.
 In that time I believe I have worked hard and competently.
My range of duties has also grown: on Mondays and Tuesdays I have the
extra responsibilities of the switchboard and opening the cocktail bar in the
afternoons and I often fill in for absent staff at weekends. I believe you have
never heard a complaint against me and after three years here I am now an
experienced and more efficient employee.
However, none of the above has been rewarded even although our room
occupancy rate has increased by 18 per cent in that time.
I hope you will recognise my worth to the hotel with an appropriate increase
in my salary.

Yours sincerely,

Harish Trivedi, Front Desk

It shouldn’t happen of course, but it does: many employers don’t grant

salary increases unless they’re really pressed. If you find yourself in the
position of a salary supplicant, here are some points that may help your
case:
Stress the length of time your salary has remained static.
List any extra responsibilities you’ve taken on in that time.
Point out that in that time you’ve gained the experience which has made
you more efficient and productive at your job.
If your employer is doing well in terms of sales or profit, point out that
you as an employee, helped contribute to that and should be rewarded.

Asking for a Reference

……………………
……………………
March 25
The Principal
St.Xavier’s College
………………………
………………………
Dear Rev. Fathers,
I am applying for the position of………………………
at………………………XYZ Stores in town and wonder if you would be
kind enough to supply me with a reference.
I enclose my CV for your reference so you will see that I am a hard-working
father and that I have worked on several community projects. The new job
means a lot to me, especially the higher pay, as I have been very hard-pressed
financially during the past few years.

Yours sincerely,

Tushar Roy.

Employers and recruitment professionals are generally agreed on the

importance of references, which can act as a kind of ‘proof of existence’
for the candidate’s virtues. A job application accompanied by several
references will usually be taken seriously.
If asking for a reference, give the referee some guidance on what should
be stressed. In the above example the writer has enclosed his CV which
gives the referee some meat to work on.

Writing a Reference or Testimonial

……………………
……………………
……………………
18 May
To Whom it May Concern
I have known Miss……………………for six years, since she came to work
for XYZ in April 1992, as personal assistant to the sales director.
During this time she has been an enthusiastic, supportive and hard-working
executive — the complete professional. Her personal contribution to this
company has been considerable, and she will be missed both as a valued
colleague and friend.
 Any organisation fortunate enough to recruit XYZ will find her a highly
intelligent, fast-thinking, loyal and devoted employee. Joanna is energetic
and ambitious and intends to widen her experience in electronics sales, and
she leaves with our best wishes.
Sincerely,
Rahul Bajaj, Executive Chairman.

Most references arc coded; enthusiasms tend to be muted, flaws are

glossed over and weaknesses of character are expressed in the best light.
So if you really want to praise someone you have to break the mould to
try to ensure that your reference is read as sincere and truthful.
Rather than write a potentially damaging though truthful reference —
which could result in a libel action — make an excuse and leave the
testimonial writing to others.

Selling Yourself: Creating a Persuasive CV

Avoid too much ‘I,I,I,I....’
Most people would find it extremely difficult to tell his or her life story to a
complete stranger. To tell it on paper could prove to be even more difficult.
So it isn’t surprising that many jobseekers respond to ads in the recruitment
columns of newspapers and to websites on the Internet and turn to
professional writing services to create their CVs. Even then, results can be
uncertain and sometimes a waste of time and money.
Yet you can write an effective curriculum vitae by following some simple
rules.
First, presentation. A CV should be well laid out, attractive to the eye;
typed or prepared on a word processor using either a 12pt or 14pt typeface;
and preferably not more than two pages long. Good quality paper can help to
give a good initial impression. You’ll probably need a dozen or so clean,
clear copies.
Second, stick to the facts. Divide the CV into essential sections: personal
details, education and training, employment and career, professional
profile, useful talents and attributes. The order of these sections is a matter
of taste. Some prefer personal details (name, age, address, marital status, etc)
at the beginning of a CV; others at the end. However, your employment
record — the jobs you’ve held, right up to your present one — is of most
interest to an employer and should command pride of position. Including the
names and contact addresses or telephone numbers of referees is optional but
you should certainly say that references can be supplied on request if you
have them.
Personal Details:
Full name, address, phone number.
Employment and Career:
Lead off with details of your present or most recent job. If you have had
several jobs over a period of years, give more details about the most recent,
less information about your earlier employment. Supply start and end dates of
each of your jobs. Keep the summaries brief: name of employer, location,
type of work involved, and possibly the reason you moved on.
Education and Training:
Include brief details of secondary education, names of schools, colleges,
dates of attendence, exam passes from GCSE/Standard Grade upwards, any
special merits. Add to this details of any university courses or degrees, and
any other qualifications — for -example, business school courses, technical
or vocational training, etc.
Personal and Professional Profile:
While your employment record and educational qualifications provide an
objective summary of your current status as a jobseeker, a prospective
employer also needs to have an analysis of your personality and skills It you
believe yourself to be pleasant, optimistic, competitive and cooperative with
good communication abilities, then say so. Are you recognised as a good
team worker or a leader? Are you creative and outgoing, or do you possess a
quieter, more analytical nature? If you think certain qualities are relevant to
the job you’re applying for, stick them in. Then outline the skills you’ve
learned during your work experience — flesh out your job descriptions with
instances of specific attainments, workplace innovations, sales records,
management commendations and soon.
Other Attributes:
Here you could list such lifestyle bonuses as having a clean driving licence,
fluency in a foreign language, computer proficiency, etc.
Other Personal Details:
List your age and birth date, nationality, marital status and number of
children, state of health and, if you really must, personal interests, preferably
intellectual (chess); cultural (choir singing); sport (football referee, golf);
relaxation (gardening). Don’t say you’re a theatre-goer even if you are —
everybody does.
Try to cover all this in two pages if you can If you can’t, revise, deciding
what to leave Out can be as important as what you put in Check and double-
check for spelling errors and grammatical gaffes. Don’t make moral
judgments about yourself; passages such as ‘I am kind and considerate with
an unblemished record of honesty’ are out. Don’t lie: you’ll eventually be
rumbled. Don’t belittle previous employers or reveal confidential information
such as sales figures and production plans. E—mailing or faxing your job
application and CV as well as mailing them can help you get noticed.
Remember that you are marketing you. You’re both salesperson and
product. You have an intimate knowledge of the product and how good it is.
Now get out there and sell yourself!
E-mail
As users of mobile phones have discovered— you are not alone. In an
electronic system, you have to be prepared for Big Brother listening in.
Software is now available that permits employers, worried about viruses on
employees’ computers, to spy on staff, including reading their e-mails.
Technical limitations in the early days of e-mailing encouraged conciseness
in communication, leading to the widespread use of abbreviations and
acronyms, such as IYSWIM (‘if you see what I mean’) and BAK (‘back at
keyboard’) punctuation marks were used to devise symbols, called emotional
icons or emoticons such as the famous :—), created with the colon, dash and
right E parenthesis, look at it sideways and you’ll see why it’s called
‘smiley’. Technological improvements have obviated the need for these
shortcuts but many linger on. Use them with care and only with friends.
The speed with which e-mails can be sent and the degree of anonymity that
can be observed bring their own problems, but these can be overcome by
observing netiquette, which is a set of good behaviour rules intended to make
Internet communications (particularly in newsgroups or online chat areas)
more friendly and to avoid offending users who seem determined to be
offend. For example, the term flame bait is used to describe an insulting
message that is intended to provoke a flame response, possibly leading to a
flame war. The three basic rules of etiquette are:
 1. Be polite, particularly to new users — everyone has to start somewhere.
2. Be brief and to the point;
3. DON’T SHOUT — that is, don’t use capital letters unncessarily. Words
can be emphasised by *enclosing them between asterisks*, and the
lesser than and greater than symbols can also be used to express
emotions or actions.

HERE COMES A POEM BY W.H.Auden on letters:

THE NIGHTMAIL:

Night Mail
This is the night mail crossing the Border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner, the girl next door.
…………………….
Letters of thanks, letters from banks,
Letters of joy from girl and boy,
Receipted bills and invitations
To inspect new stock or to visit relations,
And applications for situations,
And timid lovers’ declarations,
And gossip, gossip from all the nations,
News circumstantial, news financial,
Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in,
Letters with faces scrawled on the margin,
Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts,
…………………….
Written on paper of every hue,
The pink, the violet, the white and the blue,
The chatty, the catty, the boring, the adoring,
The cold and official and the heart’s outpouring,
Clever, stupid, short and long,
The typed and the printed and the spelt all wrong.
…………………….