BGCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1 REVISION

GUIDED COMPOSITION PART 3 (LETTERS)

By Berry Shaba

Introduction

It is normal for examiners to include letter writing in the examination either in Section A or
in Section B. If a question on letter writing is part of Section A (free topic question) and you
are not familiar with the question, you can always choose not to answer that particular
question. However, if the letter is part of Section B, there is no choice. It is for this reason
that candidates need to practise writing all kind of letters because one can never know what
the examiners might have in store for them in Section B of Paper 1. Letter writing is a form
of communication which occurs regularly in our social as well as business lives. As such
there are certain rules, regulations and practices which are followed in the letter writing.
However, this discussion will only focus on letter writing with specific reference to
examination writing. Letter writing can be categorised under; informal and formal.

Determining whether a letter is formal or informal

a).Informal letters are personal or friendly letters that are sent to friends, relatives or close
acquaintances (a person with whom you have a relationship which is not as close as
friendship).

b). Formal letters are basically letters whose purpose is to communicate matters relating to
business issues. We write letters to organisations, which provide us with services and
products. Some of these organisations include: schools, supermarkets, our lawyers, doctors,
plumbers, electricians, water supply organisations, hospitals, etc

c). In order to determine whether a letter is a formal or informal, candidates must work out
who the recipient of the letter is and what the purpose of the letter is:

RECIPIENT - If recipient is someone from our personal relationships then chances are great
that the letter you are required to write is informal. If the letter we are writing has to do with
our business relationship, then the letter is formal. The recipient of formal letters can be
organisations or individuals representing their organisations.

PURPOSE - Most importantly, candidates need to work out whether the purpose the letter is
addressing is personal issues or business.

NB. In order to determine whether a letter is formal, candidates must examine the purpose of
the letter and the correspondent’s relationship with the recipient.

Types of business letters

There are many kinds of formal letters. The most common are: letters of request,
replies/responses to other formal letters, complaints, letters of congratulations, letters of
sympathy, letters of appreciation, invitations, announcements and many others. Remember
that all formal letters must be respectful and courteous.

Letters of request

A letter of request is a formal message in which the correspondent asks for something to do
with either work or business matters. Some reasons for writing a request letter include:

When writing a letter of request, the writer needs to courteous and tactful because you want
the recipient to respond to your request promptly and accurately. Therefore, the writer must
ensure that the request is:

a). brief and specific

b). provide complete and accurate information about the matter being requested

c). be reasonable (do not request for things that are beyond the official duties of the
organisation or the recipient).

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Example

P O Box QE92
Gaborone

29 June 2011

The Registrar
Gaborone University of Science and Technology
P O Box GU68
Gaborone

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Request for undergraduate special entry requirements (BSc. Computing)

I completed BGCSE last year and would like to study at your college. Your website does not
address the question of special entry requirements.

I did not study pure sciences or Computers which are an entry requirement for the BSc
(Computing). However, I do have a certificate of competency from the Motusi Computer
Society the most prestigious computer society in the whole country. I have been the country’s
leading young computer scientist for the past five years. Are there any special entry
requirements for me? Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Tsholofelo Modise
Email: tsh1949@africaonline.com

………………………………………………………………………………………………......

Replies/Responses to other formal letters

Letters of response include: Inquiry replies, Acknowledgements, Referrals, Follow-ups,

Refusals, Confirmations, Response to a complaint.

Example

The director of Motusi Private Clinic received a letter of complaint from Mr Kenneth
Mponang shown below (LETTER A). He responded to the complaint immediately.
(LETTER B)

Letter A

Private Bag X01

Gaborone

10 December 2011

The Director
Motusi Private Clinic
P O Box A4B
Gaborone

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Complaint about negligence by clinic administration staff.

On November 10, my ten-year old nephew, Peter Mponang fell off his bicycle. Our layman
observation indicated that he sustained a serious injury so we drove him to your clinic. His
leg had swollen three times its normal size so did the left side of his face.

When we arrived, the receptionist gave us a number and told us to wait for our turn. Our
pleas to be attended first fell on deaf ears. We requested to see the officer-in-charge but the
receptionist told us that she was unavailable so we waited for two hours before Peter was
attended to by a doctor.

I was outraged by the treatment we got from the receptionist despite the fact that our case was
an emergence. The check-up cases before us could have waited. The delay and lack of
concern could have been life threatening. I hope you will look into this case and
communicate with us. Also, I truly hope that no one experiences negligence and lack of
attention we got at your clinic.
Yours faithfully

Kenneth Mponang

Letter B (The response)

The Director
Motusi Private Clinic
P O Box A4B
Gaborone

15 December 2011

Mr. Kenneth Mponang

Private Bag X0
Gaborone

Dear Mr. K. Mponang

Re: Response to complaint about negligence by clinic administration staff

I do hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter of complaint dated 10 December 2011. On the
behalf of the directors and staff of Motusi Private Clinic, I would like to apologise for the
manner young Peter Mponanag was treated by our member of staff.

Our preliminary investigation indicates that the behaviour of our receptionist was both
unprofessional and inconsiderate. We would like to assure you and your family that it is not
this organisation’s policy to treat cases like Peter’s that way. As such we are in the process of
taking appropriate action. It is fortunate that there were no complications resulting from that
occasion.

We would like to invite you and your family to come and meet the directors and management
any day in the next two weeks. We look forward to your response. Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Emma Moeng

(Director)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

NB: A letter of response to a complaint must be graceful. In Kenneth’s (as is in all

complaints) he is assisting the clinic by pointing out a problem which if corrected will help
the clinic improve the way it works. This means that the response to a letter of complaint
must respectful and not defensive or be a justification. Emma admits to the negligence which
occurred at the clinic because her investigation results show that the receptionist was really in
the wrong.

Exercise

1. Why does Emma Moeng include the recipient’s name on the recipient’s address?

2. What is the difference between the reference sentences (subject line) in letter A and letter
B?

3. Why does Emma close her letter as, ‘Yours sincerely’?

4. How does Emma offer to deal with the matter?

5. Do you think Kenneth and his family will accept the apology? Explain.

………………………………………………………………………………………………......

Complaints

This kind of letter informs a company/organisation or individuals of the existence of a

problem. Such a letter presents the facts and expresses the complainant’s dissatisfaction. (See
letter B above)

Letters of congratulation

There are many occasions which call for congratulatory messages: promotions, appointments
and births, anniversaries and retirements. When written to business associates, it must be
cheerful, sincere and straight to the point. The letter of congratulation must have these three
important parts;

 Expression of congratulations

 Mention the reason for the congratulation

 Close the letter with an expression of goodwill which could be praise or expression of
confidence.

Example

Trendsetter
P O Box Z98
Gaborone

30 June 2011

Mr B Maatla
Marketing Director
TeleComs
P O Box H78
Gaborone

Dear Mr. B. Maatla

Re: Congratulations

On behalf of the directors, staff and the readers of Trendsetter magazine, I would like to
congratulate you on your recent promotion to the post of Marketing Director. You have
worked hard for TeleComs and I am delighted that your efforts have been rewarded.

As you assume your new duties and the responsibilities which go with the new job, remember
that my organisation and I wish you a fruitful future.

Yours sincerely

Daniel Cog

(Managing Director)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

NB: The writer did not at any point in the letter say “Good luck” to the correspondent. This
would have been inappropriate because it implies chance rather than hard work.

Letters of Sympathy

The purpose of a message of condolence is to let the recipient know that the correspondent is
aware of his/her personal grief/loss and wish to give sympathy and support. The message
therefore, should express sorrow/sympathy with dignity and respect. A letter of sympathy
may have the following parts:

 Begin by referring to the situation the recipient/s find themselves (NB – The
statement must avoid unpleasant reminders. Suppose it is a letter of condolence, the
word ‘death’ may be used but the correspondent must not describe the death).

 The second part of the letter must be an encouraging reference to the future. However,
it must uplift the spirit of the recipient as well as be realistic. This part can also
contain an offer of help if appropriate.

Example

Correspondent’s address

Date

Recipient’s address

Dear Mr J. Jones
Re: Condolence

The directors, management and staff or DG Cabs were saddened to learn of your of the
passing away of you son. We hope the time and love you and your son shared will help
comfort you in the time ahead.

Yours truly

Derrick Chandapiwa

(Director)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Letters of Appreciation: A letter of appreciation’s purpose is to say “thank you”. A thank-

you note must be brief and sincere. The letter must have:

 Start of by saying ‘thank you

 Close with a positive and heartfelt statement

Example

Correspondent’s address

Date

Recipient’s address

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Appreciation for roadside assistance

Thank you very much for the assistance you gave our Gaborone-Francistown bus crew and
passengers on 12 April 2011. Ferrying our younger clients to your bus depot helped them get
away from the harsh winter cold. Your technical assistance to the crew helped us win
customer confidence.

Your willingness to come to the aid of a fellow public transport operator will never be
forgotten by our staff, management and directors. Should your company need our assistance
any time, please let us know.

Yours faithfully

D. Galaletsang

(Managing Director)
Invitations: An invitation to a formal occasion should be pleasant and sincere. A formal
invitation should not be personal. A formal invitation must contain:

 A statement of invitation and the occasion

 Supply the place, date and time

 A RSVP notation (the RSVP abbreviation stands for – respondez s’l vous plait –)
which means please let us know if you plan to attend.

Example

Correspondent’s address

Date

Recipient’s address

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Invitation to ‘Trendsetter’ magazine launch

You are cordially invited to attend the launch of the magazine ‘Trendsetter’ on 10 August
2011 at the Molly Kalahari Hotel at 20:00. ‘Trendsetter’ is a new upmarket lifestyle monthly
magazine which is aimed at young professionals.

Admission will by ticket only. Please find enclosed a double ticket. RSVP. Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Bernie Mosweu

(Managing Editor)

Email: bsmukuyu19@gmail.com

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…ends/bs