Section C
1.
Nature and Functions of
Letters
Letter writing is a familiar activity.
Every literate person has to write a letter once in a while. While it is a
passion with some people to write letters, others undertake the activity only
sometimes as and when the occasion arises. We may have to write different types
of letters at different times.
Primarily, there are three types of
letters that people may have to write from time to time.
i.
Private letters:
Private
letters are letters that we write as social beings to
our relatives, friends and acquaintances,
sometimes even to people we may not be very close to. The purpose of
these letters is generally to build relationships, to
keep relationships alive, to infuse warmth into them and make them stronger.
They may sometimes be written with a specific purpose in view such as a son residing
in a hostel writing a letter to his father requesting him to send some money. For the most part, these letters are a part of our social interaction as private citizens
with other citizens and do not involve any kind of
official or business relationship
Private letters always follow informal style. They have a certain degree of warmth and intimacy and may sometimes contain some private information. They are lively
in tone, interesting and warm. They
generate a feeling of an actual meeting between
the writer and the receiver of the letter. They reflect
the relationship that the writer has with the receiver.
ii.
Official Letters:
Official letters are letters written to people holding some official position for
some purpose related to their position. Unlike
private or personal letters, they are polite in tone and
formal in style. The warmth and intimacy
found in private letters is conspicuously missing.
These letters may be written to make a request for a service, to communicate a complaint or grievance and have it redressed,
or to draw attention to some problem.
iii.
Business Letters:
Business
letters are the kind of letters that business
organisations have to write in the pursuit of their business. They are related to the different activities that business people have
to engage themselves in to run their business successfully and to make
it flourish. There are a variety of purposes for
which they may be written. Making inquiries, asking for quotations,
placing orders, making
complaints and claims, answering claims and complaints, promoting sales,
seeking professional advice, satisfying the customers, collecting payments,
arranging loans, getting credit are just some of the purposes for which
they may be written. They require you to be formal
courteous, patient, helpful, appreciative and
respectful. Besides, they must be concise,
precise, clear and unambiguous.
Punctuation
styles in letters
Three
different punctuation styles are used in different letter formats.
i.
Open
Punctuation: In this style, no punctuation sign is used in any part of the
letter except the body. However, normal punctuation is used in the body.
ii.
Mixed
Punctuation: In this style, four commas and one full stop are used in the parts
of a letter above and below the body. The first comma occurs between the date
and the year, the second comes after the house number or shop number in the
address, the third occurs after the salutation and the fourth is placed after
the complimentary close. The full stop is used at the end of the inside
address. Normal punctuation is used in the body.
iii.
Close
Punctuation: In close punctuation, a number of commas are used in the upper and
lower parts of the letter.
There
is a comma between the date and the year, a comma after every element in the
address and a comma after the salutation and the complimentary close. A full
stop is used at the end of the inside address. Normal punctuation is used in
the body of the letter.
Writing
Styles for Different Types of Letters
1.
Private Letters
……………………………………………………………………………………
Writer’s Address
Date………………..
Salutation
Body of the letter
Complimentary Close
Signature………………..
Name in capital Letters
Note – Some people use printed letterheads for writing private letters.
In that case, the name and address of the writers is already printed at the top
middle of the page. In this case, there is no need to repeat them at the places
shown above.
2.
Official Letters or Applications
To
The ……………………..
…………………………….
……………………………..
Subject…………………….
Salutation
Body
Complimentary Close
Date…………………
Signature………………
Name……………………
3.
Business Letters
i.
Heading (Name and postal address of the
organisation)
Phone No., Fax No. and email ID may
also be included
ii.
Date………………………
iii.
Reference……………………
iv.
Receiver’s Address
v.
Subject
vi.
Salutation
vii.
Body of the letter
viii.
Complimentary Close
ix.
Signature
x.
Name
xi.
Identification Mark
xii.
Distribution List
xiii.
Enclosures
Note – The exact location of these elements, however depends on the
format (style) used for writing the letter.
Formats Used for Writing Business
Letters
There are five different formats used by different people for writing
business letters. The choice depends on the preference of the organisation or
the person writing the letter.
1.
Complete Block Format
·
In this format, all the parts of the letter
except the heading are aligned with the left margin.
·
The
heading is written at the top middle of the page.
·
The
parts are separated from one another by leaving one line space empty.
·
The
paragraphs in the body of the letter are also aligned with the left margin and
separated from one another by leaving one line space empty. No line of any
paragraph is indented.
·
Open
punctuation is used, which means that no punctuation sign is used in the parts
of the letter above and below the body. Normal punctuation is used in the body.
·
This
format is the most popular format these days as it is easy to follow and saves
a lot of time and energy wasted in moving the cursor right and left in
accordance with the requirements of the other formats. However, some people
avoid it because it is imbalanced and very heavy on the left side.
2.
Block Format
·
In
this format, the dateline, the complimentary close, the signature, name and
designation are aligned with the right margin. The heading is written at the
top middle of the page.
·
All
the other parts are aligned with the right margin.
·
All
the lines of the paragraphs in the body are aligned with the left margin.
·
The
different parts of the letter and the paragraphs in the body are separated by
double spacing i.e. by leaving one line space empty. Within the parts and the
paragraphs, single spacing is used.
·
Mixed
punctuation is used, which means that four commas are used, one between the
date and the year, the second after the house or shop number in the inside
address, the third after the salutation and the fourth after the complimentary
close. One full stop is used at the end of the inside address. Normal
punctuation is used in the body.
This side also saves a
lot of the stenographer’s time as most parts of the letter are aligned with the
left margin. It also gives a balanced appearance as some parts are aligned with
the right margin.
3.
Semi-Block style
This style is like the
block style in all other respects except that in it, the first line of each
paragraph in the body is indented five or ten letter spaces. In this format
also, mixed punctuation is used as in the block format. Those who use it say
that it is easier to read paragraphs with the first line indented.
4.
Indented Format
·
In
this format, the dateline, the complimentary close, the signature, name and
designation are aligned with the right margin.
·
All
other parts are aligned with the left margin.
·
In
the parts which cover more than one line, each new element is indented two to
four spaces.
·
The
first line of each paragraph is indented five or ten spaces but the other lines
are aligned with the left margin.
·
Close
punctuation is used, which means that there is a comma between the date and the
year, a comma after every element in the address and a full stop at the end of
it. A comma is also used after the salutation and the complimentary close.
Normal punctuation is used in the body.
·
The
first line of each paragraph in the body is indented five or ten spaces but the
other lines are aligned with the left margin.
·
This
format is the oldest format and the most difficult to follow because of the use
of a number of commas and a lot of indenting of the lines.
5. Hanging indented Format
·
This
format is like the block format except that the first line of each paragraph is
aligned with the left margin and the other lines are indented two to more
letter spaces.
·
It
has a very unusual appearance which may sometimes distract attention from the
message.
·
It
wastes a lot of time and energy because of a large number of indentations.
Therefore, it is not very popular.
Business Correspondence
2.
Elements (Basic Principles)
of
Business Writing
Effective communication is the soul of any business. It is not possible to run a
business successfully without effective communication. Most of the
communication in a business organisation is done through writing. Business
letters, reports, office memoranda form the core of any business.
The
objectives of business writing are different from those of other types of
writing. The aim in all business writing is to communicate a message clearly and unambiguously rather
than to provide aesthetic pleasure. The writer does not aim at impressing the
reader through a display
of his command over the language or create a thing of beauty that people would cherish for
generations. It is simply to get things done in
a manner which increases productivity and improves the quality of the products
and thus earns higher profits for the organisation. In order to make
business writing effective, we have to follow certain
rules which are known as the elements or basic principles of business
communication. Given below are the seven basic principles of business of
communication recommended by experts in business writing which are sometimes
referred to as the seven Cs of business communication.
1. Clarity – The
most important rule to be followed in business communication is clarity. The
message must be clear and it must be expressed in a language that cannot be
misunderstood.
i.
Clarity of thought – To achieve the aim of clarity, the
writer must have a clear idea of the objective
of his communication. He must also have a clear idea of what he wants to communicate. At the same time, he should also be
able to visualise clearly what response the message
would generate in the receiver. He must also have a clear idea of what
would be the most suitable medium for the kind
of message he wants to communicate and the audience to
whom he wants to communicate it.
ii.
Clarity of expression – The message should be communicate
through language which can be easily and correctly understood by the intended
receiver. The following guidelines may be followed to achieve this aim:
a.
Familiar vocabulary: One should use the most commonly used
words which the people around are familiar with and can easily understand. It
is undesirable to use strange, difficult and pompous
vocabulary just to impress the receiver with one’s command over the
language.
b.
Short and simple sentences: We should use short and simple sentences which are easy
to interpret. Complex, complicated and involved
structures should be avoided as far as possible because they can confuse the receiver. Instead of saying
We are going to launch a new model of our air
conditioner which will not only be less costly but also be more effective as
well as economical as it will consume less power and achieve higher cooling in
less time because of the new technology that we have used in making it.
We can say
We are
going to launch a new model of our air conditioner. It will cost less than the
old model. We have used new technology to make it. It will make it more
effective. It will achieve greater cooling in less time. It will consume less
power. So, it will also be economical.
c. Active rather than passive voice: Active voice conveys the message more directly than passive
voice. It is better to say ‘We will immediately look into your complaint and
find a solution’ than to say ‘Your complaint will be looked into immediately
and a solution will be found’.
d. Use one word instead of many if possible: If you can use one familiar word in
place of many words, it will make your message easier to understand. For
example, instead of saying ‘in close proximity to’, you can say ‘near’.
e. Avoid jargon:
The specialised terminology used by people belonging to a certain field of
specialisation is known as jargon. Jargon words should be avoided as far as possible
especially if the receiver of the message does not belong to the same field of
specialisation as you because it is likely to create problems in understanding
the message.
f. Use verbs instead of nouns: Verbs should be preferred to nouns as far as possible
because they give the message more directly. Instead of saying ‘We have arrived
at the decision ---------’, we can say ‘We have decided -------.’
g. Avoid ambiguity: Try to avoid language which can be interpreted in more ways than one. It
can lead to misunderstanding and confusion. If you say ‘Flying planes can be
dangerous’, It is not clear whether you mean that the planes that fly can be
dangerous or the act of flying planes can be dangerous.
h. Use concrete language: Do not use language in your correspondence. Try to be
precise and concrete. Instead of saying early or late, give the exact time and
instead of saying economical or expensive, give the exact price.
2.
Conciseness: Keep your message as brief as
possible. A compact message is more effective and easier to understand than a
long one which contains a lot of information not required at all. The reader
gets lost in the maze of words and the essential message may be lost on him. To
achieve this aim,
i.
Do not use long introductions. Come to the point straight away.
ii.
Be relevant. Do not include anything in your
communication which is not required. It makes difficult for the reader to pick
the grain from the chaff.
iii.
Use
single words in place of long and wordy
expressions.
But be
careful that conciseness is not at the cost of clarity. A laconic message which
does not make your intention clear is of no use.
3.
Completeness: It means that your communication should be complete in all
respects. It should include all the required
information. An incomplete message can do more harm than good.
i.
It
is discourteous and can irritate the receiver
and thus lead to strained relations.
ii.
It
results in the wastage of time and energy as
well as money – your own as well as of the receiver. The receiver will have to
continue writing to you until he gets all the required information and you will
have to write back to him several times instead of just once.
iii.
Incomplete
information can lead to wrong decisions and thus
result in loss to the organisation.
iv.
If
an external party is involved, it may lead to disputes
and avoidable litigation.
To
make your information complete, make sure that you have answered the six
necessary questions – who, what, when, where, why and
how.
If you
are replying to a communication, make sure that you have given all the
information sought by the other party and answered all his questions.
4.
Correctness: Be careful that the information that
you are giving is correct and reliable in all
respects. If you are doubtful
about the information being given, verify
it before you give it. If you do not have the
required information, you had better ask for time to
get it instead of giving wrong information. Incorrect information within the
organisation can result in wrong decisions and losses to
the organisation. It also ruins your personal
credibility. Incorrect information supplied to an external party can
result in disputes and litigation. It can also hurt the reputation and credibility of your organisation.
5.
Candidness: It is also important to be candid in
your communication. Always try to be honest and sincere
in your message and the give the information
which you really believe to be correct. Never
try deliberately to conceal the facts or to distort them
even if they are unpleasant.
Any effort to befool somebody by knowingly giving wrong
information is sure to come to light sooner or later. And when the truth
becomes known, it can be unpleasant for you as
well as for your organisation. It can lead to disputes, litigation, wrong
decisions, and losses and ruin the fair image of the organisation.
6.
Courtesy:
Courtesy is another important requirement of business writing. Discourteous communication can
offend the receiver and lead to strained
relations. Being courteous involves a great many things.
i.
The
first requirement of courtesy is that you should be prompt
in answering the communications that to receive. Do not keep the other
fellow waiting for days as the information sought by him may be crucial and a delay may result in losses.
ii.
Make
liberal use of the markers of politeness like please,
kindly, pray etc. They cost nothing but the returns they bring are very
high.
iii.
If
you happen to make any error of omission or
commission, apologise as soon as you realise it
even if it is inadvertent and assure the fellow that you did not mean to do so.
iv.
If
anybody does you a favour, do not forget to
express your sense of gratitude. Thank them
liberally. They will feel elated if you do so.
v.
If
somebody else makes a mistake and then, when he
realises it, apologises, tell him that you did not mind
it at all and that there is no need for an apology. Assure him that he
need not let the matter worry him at all.
vi.
Do not use language that may hurt the self-respect of the receiver. Avoid using
humiliating words like ignorant, stupid, inconsiderate etc.
7.
Consideration: In all business writing, you must
show the receiver that you have a great regard for him
and his interests. Your correspondence should reflect the immense
importance you give him.
i.
To
do so, you should always use language which
shows that you care for his dignity and self-respect.
Never use a word which is likely to humiliate him or injure his self-respect. Never be
rude or arrogant in you correspondence with people.
ii.
To
adopt the ‘you attitude’ is another way of showing
consideration. It means not only giving preference to the pronoun ‘you’ over ‘I’ or ‘we’ and use it as much as you can
but also assuring him that you attach great value to
your relationship with him and that his interest is the uppermost in your mind.
It does not mean, of course, that you should subordinate your own interests to his. But you must
give him the feeling that your interests are common and
you are eager to promote them.
iii.
Consideration
also requires you to avoid gender bias. If you
use the traditionally male oriented language, it
may hurt the self-respect of the person you are
communicating with if the person happens to be a
female. You can avoid gender bias by using the following tips:
a. Wherever possible, try to use gender neutral terms like chairperson instead of
chairman. If that is not possible, you can use a slash and make use of both the terms, male and female. For example,
instead of using the salutation ‘sir’, you can use ‘sir/madam’.
b. Sometimes you can avoid gender bias
by using the plural pronoun instead of the
singular one. For example, you can say ‘Everyone is requested submit their
leave application in advance’.
c. At other times, it may be possible to
use the definite article ‘the’ instead of the
possessive ‘his/her’ as in ‘It will be appreciated if everyone gets the
casual leave sanctioned in advance’.
iv.
Always
use positive language in all your
communications. Even if you have to give a negative
message, make it less hurtful by using positive language. Instead of
bluntly telling an applicant for a job that he has been rejected, you can say,
“We are sorry to inform you that we are would like to do so at some future
date.” It is due to this reason that business organisations have started using
terms like ‘customer service cell’ instead of ‘complaint cell or grievances
cell’.
3.
Business Letters
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