Delhi Public School

Moradabad

Class X: English Writing Skills

LAYOUT AND CONTENT ORGANISATION OF A FORMAL LETTER

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Letters written to the editor are different than the other types of formal letters. These are written
to influence public opinion and raise one’s voice against or for some social condition. So, such
letters have to be objective. One must not talk about personal problems but about the interest of
the society. These letters serve as an appeal to the authorities and the society.

❖ The contents of the letter are aligned to the left of the sheet, starting with the sender’s
address at the top-left corner.
❖ It is advised to leave a line between the various elements of your letter so that all the
elements/items stand out distinctly.
FORMAT
• SENDER’S ADDRESS (The sender’s name is not mentioned here. Also, do not put any
punctuation marks here)
eg: 24 Civil Lines
Moradabad
Uttar Pradesh

• DATE (DD/MM/YY format) 04 May 20XX /(MM /DD/YY) –May 04, 20XX

• RECEIVER’S ADDRESS (The address should include the name and/or designation of
the receiver. Do not use any punctuation marks in the address.
Eg: The Editor
The Times of India
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi

• SUBJECT (states precisely the purpose of the letter. Keep the subject short and crisp,
preferably not more than seven to eight words)
Eg: Need for traffic signals at Deendayal Crossing/ Roadside nuisance caused by …

• SALUTATION/ GREETING (use correct names and titles)

Eg: Madam/Sir

• BODY OF THE LETTER :divided into short clear paragraphs, most generally in three
paras
 PARA1: should state the purpose of the letter and should contain the reference to the issue.

Examples :
➢ Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the
attention of the concerned authorities to the nuisance caused by
the………………
➢ Through the columns of your daily, I would like to highlight the
…………………
➢ Through the columns of your widely read newspaper. I would like to
……………
➢ Kindly allow me to attract the attention of the authorities to the
…………………
➢ Kindly allow me some space in your esteemed newspaper to ponder over the
subject………………/spread the message ……………

PARA 2: talk about the issue /problems/causes in this paragraph. Give details to establish
cause - effect relationship. Elaborate at least three- four points to emphasise your point
or in support of the issue.

PARA3: Give your suggestions in this paragraph before finally concluding the letter. Sum
up the letter with a polite wish/idea/request, or an appeal for action to improve the
situation.Examples:
➢ I am sure it is the public conscience that can make the city safe……… and the
public cry that can awaken the authorities to some strict action against the …..
➢ It is the joint responsibility of the public and the authorities to ………….
➢ I hope together we can make a difference.
➢ I hope my letter will serve as an eye opener for the public and concerned
authorities, and earnest steps will be initiated by one and all in this direction.

• COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE: This is short, polite closing that ends the letter. It should
correspond with your salutation.
Eg: Yours truly/ Yours sincerely (No apostrophe before ‘s’ in ‘yours’)

• Name/Signature: to be put below the complimentary close and above your name.

Other points to remember:

• Make sure you adhere to the format.
• Underline the subject of the letter with a pencil. Also, underlining the main points is very
important. Use a pencil and scale for underlining.
• Make sure you double check for grammatical accuracy and spellings.
• Leave adequate number of lines between paragraphs to make it look clean.
• Presentation is very important.

Sample letter: Letter to the Editor:

 QUESTION: Write a letter to the editor of a local daily complaining against the
school-bus drivers for rash-driving and overcrowding of buses causing risk to the
lives of innocent school children. You are Dipti/ Deepak, C-4C, Phase II, Janakpuri,
New Delhi.
Answer:
C-4C, Phase II
Janakpuri
New Delhi

04 May 20XX

The Editor
The Tribune
Mahatma Gandhi Marg
New Delhi
Subject- Regarding reckless driving of school-bus drivers
Sir/Madam
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the concerned
authorities towards the grave issue of rash driving being done by school bus drivers that pose a
threat to the lives of innocent school children and trespassers.
Driving in a zigzag manner on packed roads, crossing speed-limits, not following traffic lights has
become very common. Despite such strict regulations regarding speed, none of these drivers seem
to follow them. This shows that there is lack of implementation. This is a menace to other road
users as the bus drivers that drive at high speed might crush down whoever comes in their way.
These drivers need to understand their responsibility and must value the lives of the little innocent
children who travel in their buses.
By addressing this issue, it is hoped that the public awareness towards the dangers of reckless
driving can be raised. The general public must inform the authorities if they see any such case of
rash driving n roads. It is also the time for the traffic authorities to take stronger measures against
the reckless drivers, which includes levying heavy fines and forfeiting of their licenses if they are
found guilty of breaching the traffic rules. I hope my letter will serve as an eye opener for the
authorities and general public, and earnest steps will be taken by one and all in this direction.

Yours Sincerely
Dipti/Deepak
LET’S PRACTICE:

Q1. Road accidents in big cities is a common phenomenon. Unfortunately, hardly anyone comes
to the rescue of road victims because of fear of harassment by the police. Now that the Supreme
Court has issued guidelines that people who take road victims to a hospital will not be questioned
or detained, there is no reason for the bystanders/passersby should hesitate to help road victims
and thus discharge their duty as responsible citizens. Write a letter in 120-150 words to the editor
of a national daily to make people of Supreme Court guidelines, and urge them to help people in
distress. You are Shivam/Shweta, 24, Raj Nagar, Kanpur.

Q2. The dependence of civilised societies on the limited energy resources is growing day by day.
Write a letter to the editor of a widely circulated daily to draw attention of the general public to
the need to shift to alternative sources of energy. You are Anant/Ambika, 244, Green Park, South
Delhi.

Hints: dependence on fossil fuels…coal, oil. Natural gas…..over growing demand….. limited
resources…high consumption…..fast depletion…..effect on climate……..cause of air, water and
soil pollution….. use of alternative sources of energy…. Solar energy…..advantages…..solar
panels to generate electricity….. wind turbines….means of generating electricity….need to
harness hydroelectric, geothermal and biomass energy….steps by
government….subsidies….creating awareness…..shift is necessary…..balance in nature…..for
future generations.

Q3. You are Radha G, member of NGO AWAAZ. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily
for a public movement to clean the Yamuna river. (You must introduce yourself, describe how the
people are to be blamed for polluting the river and suggest the need for installing water treatment
plant to clean the river).

LETTER OF COMPLAINT

• FORMAT: Format remains the same for all formal letters. Go with the same format
as the format of ‘the letter to the Editor’.

Tips for writing a Complaint Letter:

• Although the motive of complaint letter is to vent out your grievance and frustration, it is
imperative that you use a tone which is polite and simple. Try to be formal and avoid using
offensive and disrespectful words.
• Make sure that you introduce yourself properly.
• The purpose of writing should be loud and clear.
• Do not deviate from the topic and write to-the-point.
• Make sure you adhere to the format.
• Underline the subject of the letter with a pencil. Also, underlining the main points is very
important. Use a pencil and scale for underlining.
• Make sure you double check for grammatical accuracy and spellings.
• Leave adequate number of lines between paragraphs to make it look clean.
• Presentation is very important.

Sample letters:
QUESTION: You are Sanjeet of 122, Phase III, Arjun Nagar, New Delhi. A number of
scooters and cars are parked in your locality without any order, causing blockage of the
streets. Write a letter to the local Secretary of the Resident’s Association complaining against
this problem.
Answer:
122, Phase III
Arjun Nagar
New Delhi

10 May 20xx

The Secretary
Resident’s Association
Arjun Nagar
New Delhi

Subject- Complaint regarding the issue of bad parking habits in the locality.
Sir
I am a resident of Arjun Nagar Phase III and I would like to drive your attention towards the bad
parking habits of residents in our locality. It is resulting in a lot of chaos and no place for parking
for those who come back late.
Despite defining the area assigned to each vehicle, cars are parked amidst two parking spots. One
vehicle occupies the space for 2-3 vehicles leading to mismanagement. Two-wheelers are placed
nowhere near the allotted zone. This creates problem for other people as they have to then spend
a lot of time finding parking spots in other localities. It induces frustration and tension for safety
of vehicles. Various notices and warnings have been given to the rule-violators, but to our dismay,
no betterment can be seen.
I request you to take strict action as this is leading to fights between the residents. Please find out
some effective ways to deal with this problem. Some strict methods should be implemented to stop
the residents who are violating the rules and disturbing the peace and discipline of the locality. An
effective and speedy action is expected considering the depth of the situation. I hope an effective
solution will be worked out soon and this problem will be solved at the earliest.
Yours Sincerely
Sanjeet
A concerned citizen

Q. You read in a newspaper the article ‘An Old Couple robbed in Delhi. You decide to write
a letter to the Commissioner of police complaining against the rising rate of crime against
the old and helpless people. Write the letter giving suggestions for the security of the older
people. You are Arun of d-9 \ 9, Phase-I, Ashok Vihar.
D 9\ 9 , Phase-I
Ashok Vihar
Delhi

10 May 2020

The Commissioner of Police

Delhi Police
Police Head Quarters
New Delhi -110002

Subject: Rising rate of crime against the Aged.

Sir
I wish to lodge a serious complaint against the rising crime and violence against the aged. Every
few days, we hear a murder of or robbing of the old. There have been many cases of different types
of crime taking place with the old people, especially those who are living alone.

The elderly people need love and respect. They are at such a point of their lives that they need to
be protected and cared. They deserve to live their lives peacefully. But, it is too disheartening to
see the crime rate against the elderly rising at such a fast pace. We, as the citizens, should take care
of every need of these elderly, but it is a matter of shame that these old people become the victims
of crime as they are soft targets for the criminals.

I feel your department can do a lot to make the aged feel secure in their homes. Beat constables
should be given instructions to visit the old, helpless and if aged single people from time to time.
There can be a special phone number at every police station for the use of the aged. The police
officers and constables should be given special training to be sensitive to the needs of the aged.
I hope the police department will take some effective measures to prevent crimes against the aged.

Yours truly
Arun

Let’s Practice:

Q. You are Mahira Rajput/ Mihir Rajput, residing in 1545-A, Model Town, Delhi. Write a letter
to the municipal commissioner complaining about the dirt and filth lying around in your colony.
Mention the problems faced by the people and also suggest some ways to solve the problem.

Q. Write a letter to the Commissioner of municipal corporation complaining about the street lights
of your locality that do not function and have not been repaired for long. You are Sara/Sahitya,
rsiding in A-141/B, Mayur Vihar, Delhi.