HOW TO WRITE OFFICIAL AND FRIENDLY LETTER
HOW TO WRITE OFFICIAL AND FRIENDLY LETTER: A letter is a piece of hand writing or printed text addressed to a recipient and sent by mail.
Or.
A letter is a writing or printed message normally sent by post in an envelope.
Therefore letter writing is the process of exchanging information, ideas and feelings through writing. By letter writing, friends, family members, relatives, co-workers, subordinates, bosses and government officials can communicate effectively.
There are different types of letters: These are such as social letters, business letters, application letters, letters to the editors, Complaint letters, etc. All these and other types of letters perform different roles.
TYPES OF LETTERS
A. Application letters.
B. Social letters/friendly
A. APPLICATION LETTERS
These are letters written when seeking an employment. They are very important as they help the applicants to secure the employment. And since they concern your career, they should be given sufficient attention and thought.
Application letters are generally one page at most in length and have a standard format.
I. The first paragraph explains which job you are applying for and how/where you heard about it.
II. The second paragraph briefly describes your most relevant III. qualifications and/or experience.
III. The third paragraph explains why you want the job and why you think you would be good at it.
IV. The final paragraph says how you can be contacted and/or when you are available for an interview.
Never write your name at the top of the letter.
1. THE OPENING STATEMENTS IN APPLICATION LETTERS
1. In responses to your advertisement for the post of
2. I have come to know through a reliable source that you urgently need the services of a receptionist.
3. I wish to apply for the post of Sales Representative, advertised in the Daily News of 23rd July 2017.
4. I have the honor to apply for the post of Purchase office advertised in yesterday’s Sunday News.
5. I have the honor to respond to your advertisement of yesterday’s MWANANCHI Newspaper for the post of Human resource officer.
6. With reference to the Guardian Newspaper of 5th August, I would like to apply for the post of Assistant lecture at your University.
2. CLOSING STATEMENTS APPLICATION LETTERS
If offered this job, I would do my best to win your confidence through hard and sincere work.
I look forward to hearing soon from you.
I wonder if you would kindly give me an opportunity to present my candidature in detail in person.
I look forward to an early interview at your convenience. Yours faithfully.
I look forward to hear from you soon, and to be given an opportunity to present my credentials in interview. Yours faithfully.
3. OTHER USEFUL EXPRESSIONS IN FORMAL LETTERS
i. Further to my later of 27th November 2019.
ii. Perhaps you would be kind enough to let us know…….
iii. I enclose with this letter copies of my certificates.
iv. We note from your letter of 2nd January 2015 that…..
v. We are wondering whether…….
E.g. We are wondering whether you have perhaps concentrated too much on the academic aspects of the matter.
vi. We trust that……..
E.g. We trust that the payment will be made before the end of this month.
4. CLOSURE
i. Hoping to hear from you soon…………….
ii. Thank you once again…………………….
iii. A waiting an early reply……………..
iv Looking forward to hearing from you soon…………..
FORMAT OF OFFICIAL/FORMAL LETTER
1. SENDER’S ADDRESS.
Mazinyungu Secondary School,
P.o. box 23416,
Morogoro.
2. DATE. 11th August 2018.
3. RECEIVERS ADDRESS,
The Class Master,
Form Three Girls,
P.o.box 23416,
Morogoro.
4. SALUTATION.
Dear Sir/Madam
E.g. RE: FAILURE TO SIT FOR ENGLISH TEST.
6. BODY OF THE LETTER.
I am writing to form you that I was not able to sit for the last week announced English test. I was very sick suffering from Malaria and I had to attend the medical check – up.
7. COMPLEMENTARY CLOSE.
Yours faithfully.
8. SIGNATURE
R.M
Robby Mark
ELEMENTS OF OF APPLICATION LETTER
An application letter regardless of their purpose, consist of the following parts or elements:
1. Writer’s/ sender’s address – this is written on top right hand corner. This part is also called a letterhead.
2. Date – (this is under a sender’s address), it shows the date of the letter i.e. the day in which the letter was written.
3. Reference number (= if any) on right hand side below the date.
4. Receiver’s / sender’s address – this is written on left hand corner /side. It consists of the name or title of the person, place of business or any place where the letter is intended to reach.
5. The salutation; this is the greeting that begins the letter. Use dear Sir/Madam if you write to someone whose name you don’t know i.e. he or she is not known to you.
6. Heading; it should be very brief starting with RE: or REF:-the heading should carry a message (theme of the letter. It should be capital letter and underlined it if is handwritten but do not underline if it typed, bold it.
7. Body /message -it contains the message or the information of the letter. It is most important part which requires good flow of ideas and well punctuated.
8. Complementary close. -it consists of the words of respect to show the feeling of the writer of the letter towards his/ her correspondent / receiver of the letter. It should also relate with the salutation.
9. Signature and name of the writer.
Full name plus the name of the company, office or firm which the writer represents, written at an extreme end of letter. Although sometimes a company name may be written above the letter.
EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION LETTERS
Mjimwema Village,
P. O BOX 12567,
Dar es Salaam.
13th March 2023.
The Director,
Magae Language Institute
P.O. BOX 60435,
Dodoma.
Dear Sir,
RE: APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF A TRANSLATOR.
I have come to know through a reliable source that you urgently the services of some translators and interpreters.
I am 30 years of age with Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dar es salaam and presently employed with Top Travel ₰ Tours as an interpreter and translator. My main job here is to work as a guide – interpreter with foreign tourists and visitors especially from Asia, Europe and America.
I can read, write and speak fluently Chinese, English, French and Japanese. I have obtained a degree in translation and Interpretation of these languages from the University of Dar es salaam. I have also translated the book of “Houseboy” from French into English and Japanese languages and this has been acclaimed as a creative work of translation.
Although my present employers are fully satisfied with my work and conduct, but I realize that here is no opportunity for creative translation and further promotion. As I am keenly interested to upgrade my career, especially in creative translation, I have decided for a change.
I would be glad to provide you a couple of excellent references at the time of interview. I look forward for an early interview so that the matter may be discussed in detail and I may put before you other relevant data in regard to my long experience and expertise in the line.
Yours faithfully,
…………………..
Maliki Barnabas
B. SOCIAL CORRESPONDENCE/INFORMAL/FRIENDLY LETTERS.
The informal letters are normally written to our friends. These ones don’t follow any rule. They can be written the way how someone wants.
FRIENDLY/PRIVATE/PERSONAL LETTERS: These are those letters which are written to friends, relatives or acquaintances. They are therefore written in a free – and – easy manner.
FORMAT OF INFORMAL/FRIENDLY LETTER.
1. ADDRESS.
Mazinyungu Secondary School,
P.o. Box 23416,
Morogoro.
2. DATE.
11th August 2019.
3. SALUTATION,
Dearest Brother,
4. BODY OF THE LETTER.
The aim of writing this letter is to ask you send me some money for bus fare as we expect to close school very soon. Many kisses and hugs and a heap of love for my young brothers and sisters there at home.
5. COMPLEMENTARY CLOSE.
Your loving sister/brother,
6. SIGNATURE
A.B
EXAMPLES OF FRIENDLY/PERSONAL LETTERS
KICHANGACHUI SEC SCHOOL,
P.O.BOX 524,
KIGOMA.
7TH MARCH, 2016.
My dearest friend Aboliga the Frog,
I feel more than delighted to have this brilliant opportunity once and again of writing you this letter. First of all, let me please know how you and your family are. What about the little kids Junior, Muga and Maki? Are they all fine?
Back to me, I’m good and I continue well with my family only that Aunt Mwana was a little sick two weeks ago but thanks God she is all Ok right now and back to work as usual. As for my twin sisters Hafsa and Mwanaisha, they have just come from attending their Form Four graduation ceremony the moment I’m writing down this letter.
Dear Aboliga, I’m very sorry for having taken so long in replying your letter you wrote me about a month ago, you know I’m a bit busy getting prepared for my terminal exams at our school.
The aim of writing this letter is just to tell you about my plans of studying very hard if I succeed to join Form Two in the next academic year 2017. You know here at our school, we have something what we call screening in which students are required to attain the school required average to join the next class. For those students who fail to meet the required average will have only two alternatives, whether to repeat a year or quit the school, please pray for me to do well in my exams.
Apart from that, I have a special request to you my dear special one; I’m kindly asking you to send me stationery like pens, books, rulers, mathematical set and school bags when I let you know of my positive results.
Love you more and miss you much,
Your one and only best friend,
Joyce Kimani.
