Professional Documents
Culture Documents
[FORMAL LETTERS]
Business or formal letters are not only limited to the world of business. You may write a formal letter for a number of reasons: a) To apply for a job b) To enquire about a product or a vacancy for a job c) To complain to a public services department about unsatisfactory products or services
Guideline s
1) Formal letters are naturally much formal in style. Use serious tone. 2) Set out your letter in correct format as marks will awarded accordingly. 3) Include all the points given and elaborate on them, adding relevant details where possible.
Exam Tips
Refer to the question every now and then to remind yourself who you are writing to and why. This will help you avoid writing out of topic.
FORMAT
Aspect Heading What it Consists 1) The writers address is at the left hand corner (do not write name) 2) A line is drawn after this 3) The name and address of the company or the person to whom the letter is addressed below the line 4) Underline the postcode and state.
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[FORMAL LETTERS]
5) The date is written on the right, on the same line as the postcode and state. 6) The date may be written in full. 18 OCTOBER 2012 The use of the term Dear, as a polite expression. Dear Sir / Madam 1) Title of the letter is written after the salutation and underlined. 2) It should state the purpose of the letter. Application for the Post of Secretary 1) contents of the letter depend on its purpose: a) Letter of Complaint b) Letter of Enquiry c) Letter of Application The contents of the letter should be brief and direct and written in formal language. Each point should be numbered. The letter should have an introduction and a conclusion. Refer to number 8 The closing phrase should be written on the left: Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely SHOULD NOT be used for formal letters. This should be below the closing phrase The name of the writer should be in block letters written below the signature. Name of the post held by the writer should be written below the name.
A. Letters of Complaint 1) You usually write letters of complaint when you are unhappy with social issues or dissatisfied with a certain product or service provided by a department. For example: a. A product you have bought which turns out to be defective b. Poor services rendered at government departments like hospitals, registration department, post offices , immigration, etc. c. Clogged drain, uncollected rubbish, water or electricity disruption without prior notice, exorbitant phone, bills, irregular bus services, etc. d. Crimes and thefts, noisy neighbourhood, drug addicts, etc. e. Social issues like pollution, domestic violence, child abuse, indiscipline in schools and gangsterism. f. Lack of recreational facilities such as childrens playground in housing estates, etc.
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[FORMAL LETTERS]
Question
You have just visited your friend in the general hospital in your town. You were very disturbed by the lack of cleanliness of the place. Write a letter of complaint to the superintendent of the hospital about the unsatisfactory conditions at the hospital with the help of the short notes below: Compound littered medicine bottles boxes syringes Dustbins overflowing rubbish foul smell Drains clogged food wrappers others overflow rain Wards floors dirty not mopped blood stains Rats roaming fearlessly outside and inside health risk to patients
Sample Letter
47, Jalan Mahsuri, Taman Mewah, 81750 Masai, Johor.
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[FORMAL LETTERS]
The Superitendent, General Hospital, Bandar Aman Jaya, 81750 Masai, Johor 2012 18 OCTOBER
Dear Sir,
Complaints on Unhygienic Conditions in Hospital I wish to express my utmost disappointment with the conditions at the Aman Jaya General Hospital in Masai. Last Week, I went to visit my friend who had been admitted for appendicitis. It was a very unpleasant experience for me. 2. The compound of the hospital was littered with medicine bottles. The bottles were everywhere including in the toilets. Not only that I could see medicine boxes everywhere at the ward. Empty syringes were thrown outside the rubbish bins. The scene was not only unsightly but also reflected the irresponsible attitude of the hospital staff themselves. 3. The dustbins were overflowing with garbage. It looked as if the workers had not collected the rubbish for days. The stale rubbish emitted foul smell around the place. The rubbish attracted stray cats and dogs and dogs which scattered the rubbish along the corridors. 4. The drains were clogged with food wrappers, rotting vegetables and other kinds of food. As there was no swift flow of water, the drains overflow when there was heavy rain. 5. The floor of the wards was dirty and stained with blood. Obviously, the floors have not been swept and mopped regularly. I was appalled at the sight of rats in enormous size roaming fearlessly in broad daylight. They not only feed on the rotten food in the dustbins but were seen running in and out of the wards. These rats definitely pose a health risk to patients, visitors and staff alike.
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I hope the hospital authorities will take immediate action to improve the conditions in the hospital.
Thank you.
B. LETTERS OF APPLICATION A letter of application is used when one applies for a job. You also use a letter of application to apply for a scholarship, to ask to attend a course, to get a licence to operate a business, etc. i. Start a letter with reference to the job you are applying for and when you came across the advertisement and the date of the advertisement. Reasons for applying the job Expected salary (if mentioned in the advertisement) Reference to certificates and cv enclosed Make a plea asking to be considered for the job.
Sample Letter
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[FORMAL LETTERS]
You came across the following advertisement in a newspaper. You are interested in applying for the scholarship. Write a letter of application for the scholarship.
THE MOON SCHOLARSHIP FUND We are giving away 20 scholarships for undergraduates from universities and private colleges in the country. Requirements: 1. Malaysian students aged 19 24 years 2. Pursuing a degree or diploma in Mass Communications 3. Possess good SPM results with distinctions in 119 English and Bahasa Malaysia 4. Willing to work with our newspaper upon graduation Interested candidates should send in your application, passport-sized photograph, relevant documents and a CV, before 20 October 2012, to: The Manager, Moon Scholarship Fund, Lot 31, Jalan Barat, 506202 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Room 441, Delima College, MARA Universtiy of Technology (UiTM) 42100 Shah Alam
The Manager, Moon Scholarship Fund, Lot 31, Jalan Barat, 506202 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 2012
18 OCTOBER
Application for The Moon Scholarship Fund / The Teaching Post I refer to your advertisement with regards to the Moon Scholarship Fund appeared in yesterdays issue of The Moon. I would like to submit my application for the aforementioned scholarship.
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2. I am pleased to inform you that I scored 9 As in my SPM Examination and 2 As and 3 Bs in my STPM examinations respectively. I am presently in my second year in UiTM pursuing a degree in Mass Communications. 3. I hope to be a journalist upon graduation and would consider it an honour to work for your newspaper establishment. I was working as a sub-reporter with The Moon for three months before I joined the university. 4. I am enclosing a copy of my curriculum vitae, a passport-sized photograph, photocopies of my SPM, STPM certificates, my first year university results and the names of two referees as requested.
C. LETTERS OF ENQUIRY Use a letter of enquiry when you wish to ask for information about: i. ii. iii. iv. A new product in the market The cost of a particular product Services provided by agency The cost of accommodation
Should state precisely the nature of information required. Should be brief, courteous and direct to the point.
Sample Letter
The Prefect Board of your school I organising a three-day motivational course. The prefects hope to hold the course in a hotel. As the Secretary, write a letter of enquiry to the Manager of a hotel in your town to enquire about their seminar package promotion.
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[FORMAL LETTERS]
Your letter should include information about: Date, time and duration of the course Number of participants prefects and teachers
You should enquire about: The cost for the use of a seminar room for three days Accommodation for two nights Meals for three days state how many meals per day
The Prefect Board, SMK St Thomas, 33, Jalan McDougall, 93000 Kuching.
The Manager, Crowne Plaza Riverside, 236, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 93100 Kuching. OCTOBER 2012 18
Dear Sir,
Enquiry about Seminar Package Our schools Prefect Board is organising a three-day motivational course during the semester holidays and we hope to hold it at your hotel. 2. The course will be held on the 28, 29 and 31 October 2012 for three days and two nights. There will be 80 prefects and 8 teachers joining this course. 3. We are interested to know more about your current Seminar Package promotion. Please provide us with details of the cost for the use of a seminar room as well as the room rates for our accommodation. We would like to request for three meals per day with two tea-breaks in between the sessions. Our seminar will include a lot of
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[FORMAL LETTERS]
presentations and we would like a mini-stage to be set up in the room for the activity. The sessions will commence at 8.00 a.m. daily will end at 11.00 p.m. 4. As this is an educational seminar, we hope to receive a special student rate from your establishment.
We look forward to receiving a reply from you soon. Kindly address your correspondence to:
The Secretary, The Prefect Board, 33, Jalan McDougall, 93000 Kuching. (Tel: 082-242935)
Thank you.