Forms of Writing

Letter Writing

  • Official Letters:
    • Written to persons in companies/organizations for work/business purposes.
    • Examples: business transactions, job applications, letters of enquiry, letters to the editor, colleague communication.
    • Differ from personal letters in style and form.

Parts of an Official Letter

  • Sender's Address:
    • Top left corner, unpunctuated (unless on letterhead).
  • Date:
    • Below sender's address.
  • Inside Address:
    • Receiver's address, left side, below the date, unpunctuated, each line starting from the left margin.
  • Salutation:
    • Common forms: "Dear Sir," "Dear Madam," or "Dear Madam/Sir" (if gender unknown).
    • If the name is known: "Dear Ms. [Name]" or "Dear Dr. [Name]"
  • Subject:
    • Brief statement of the letter's purpose, below the salutation.
  • Body of the Letter:
    • Brief, clear, precise, and polite.
    • Avoid outdated expressions.
  • Complimentary Close:
    • "Yours faithfully" (if salutation is "Dear Sir" etc.).
    • "Yours sincerely" (if receiver addressed by title and name).
  • Signature:
    • Full signature, name, and designation on separate lines.
    • Company name above the signature (if applicable).
    • If signing on behalf of someone else, include their name and designation below the signature.

Additional Elements

  • Reference Numbers:
    • Above sender's address for filing purposes.
  • Attention Line:
    • Above salutation, directed to a specific person in large organizations.
  • Enclosures:
    • Listed on the left margin, below the signature line.
  • Copies:
    • Names of recipients of copies, below the enclosures.

Job-Application Letters

  • Used to apply for specific job openings, usually with a CV/résumé.
    • Solicited: In response to advertisements.
    • Unsolicited: Knowing of vacancy from a reliable source.
  • Acts as a cover letter for the CV.
  • Highlights qualifications and skills relevant to the job.
  • Objective: To secure an interview.

Effective Covering Letter Features

  • Tone: Friendly but formal.
  • Length: Single page, ideally three paragraphs.
  • Customization: Tailored for each application.
  • Style/Layout: Grammatically correct, good quality paper, appealing to the eye.
  • Persuasive: Show genuine interest in the organization and position.
  • Relevance: Omit irrelevant personal information.

Letters of Complaint

  • Written with correctness, clarity, conciseness, and courtesy.
  • Follow the three S's: state (problem), substantiate (details), seek a solution (suggest a fix).

Order Letters

  • Significant in business; affect revenue and goodwill.
  • Follows an inquiry about a product.
  • Order letters used even with electronic/printed forms available.

Key Points for Writing Order Letters

  • Introduce yourself (if first order) and reference the information source.
  • Provide exact product codes/references.
  • Include all product details (quality, shape, size, color, quantity, etc.).
  • Specify the expected delivery date.
  • Mention payment terms and mode.
  • Provide specific packing/marking instructions.
  • Mention preferred transportation mode.
  • Include the complete delivery address.
  • Include your reference number or refer to the seller's quotation number.
  • Maintain a courteous and polite tone.

Résumé Writing

  • A brief written account of personal details, qualifications, experience, etc.
  • Sent with application letters.

Résumé Guidelines

  • Neat, visually appealing, well-designed information.
  • Avoid overcrowding.
  • Include contact details (address, phone, email).
  • Clearly list academic qualifications and work experience (with dates and responsibilities).
  • Mention job-related skills (computer, language).
  • Use action verbs to describe experience and skills.
  • Mention areas of expertise.
  • Avoid exaggeration.
  • Omit irrelevant information (marital status, family, hobbies).
  • Tailor each résumé to the specific job.

Résumé Sections

  • Heading: "Curriculum Vitae" of [Your Name].
  • Personal Profile: High-impact statements about personal strengths.
  • Experience: Bulleted description of experience/capabilities.
  • Achievements: Impressive statements with facts/dates.
  • Career History: Short paragraph or bullet points of career progress.
  • Personal Details: Full name, gender, address, contact numbers, DOB, marital status (if relevant), education.
  • Other Information: References (or state available upon request).
  • Date the CV.

Report Writing

  • Presents information on an event, situation, or process.
  • Written in clear, simple language.
  • Consider the report's purpose, audience, and intended use.
  • Types: newspaper reports, scientific reports, official reports.

Newspaper Reports

  • Direct style, factual, impersonal, and objective.
  • Headings: simple present tense or past participle.
  • Combination of active/passive voice.
  • Quotes from important figures.

General Reports

  • Similar purpose to newspaper reports but less formal.

Official Reports

  • Formal, written in response to instructions from authority.
  • Presents facts clearly and concisely for decision-making.
  • Also known as 'survey reports'

Official Report Format

  1. From: (Name and designation)
  2. Date
  3. To: (Name and designation)
  4. Title
  5. Terms of reference
  6. Abstract/Summary
  7. Body
  8. Conclusion
  9. Signature

Notice, Agenda, and Minutes

Notices

  • Displayed in public places (schools, offices).
  • Conveys information, announcements, regulations, warnings, or directions.
  • Short and clear.
  • Includes details like date, time, venue, program, contact people, and deadlines.
  • Meeting notices must adhere to organizational rules on timing.

Agenda

  • List of items for discussion, accompanying meeting notices.
  • Allows attendees to prepare, maintains order, minimizes irrelevant discussion.
  • Prepared by the secretary in consultation with the chairperson.

Agenda Drafting Tips

  • Order items by importance and urgency.
  • Begins with "Confirmation of minutes of the previous meeting."
  • Ends with "Any other matter."
  • Realistic and achievable within the time.
  • Refer to minutes of previous meeting, actions, correspondence, and suggestions.

Minutes

  • Record of meeting proceedings (issues, suggestions, decisions).
  • Includes date, venue, agenda, and attendees.
  • Chairperson ensures clear discussion, participation, and discipline.
  • Concludes by summarizing solutions/decisions, suggesting action, setting next meeting date.

E-mail

  • A formal email should possess: a subject line, salutation, complimentary close, sender's name, and designation.
  • Address the recipient by name.
  • The body should be brief.
  • Include a line indicating the response required from the recipient and how soon you need it.

E-mail ettiquete

  • Use "To" line for email id of the recipient.
  • If there is more than one recipient, the addresses can be separated by semicolons(;).
  • Use "CC" carbon copy to send copies of your letter to other people whom you want to keep informed.
  • The addresses you type into the 'BCC' (blind carbon copy) field will not be seen by other recipients ('To' and 'CC').
  • 'Subject' line must give a clear idea of the content of your message.

Blog Writing

  • Is a personal online space for creating content and sharing experiences with various audiences.
  • Like any other content writing task requires research, structuring, writing, and editing.

Blog Content

  • Coherence.
  • Brief paragraphs.
  • Attractive headlines.
  • Visually appealing designs.

Blog Writing Style

  • Friendly.
  • Interactive tone.
  • Short and simple sentences.