Letter Writing by Eguriase S. M. Okaka
LETTER WRITING
LETTER WRITING
What is a letter?
What you write
when you cannot readily meets a person to tell him all that you would (want to)
tell him or her is called a letter.
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER
Since a letter is
one’s message to another, when one cannot readily meet or talk to him or her,
one must express oneself clearly, by saying what he or she means. In other
words, the tone of one’s letter must reflect clearly one’s intention,
especially in the light of the relationship that exists between him or her and
the addressee.
Basically, there
are three types of letters viz: Formal or Official letters, Informer letters,
and Semi-formal.
Formal or Official Letter
Formal letters
are letters that one writes for official purposes. Such letters, among other
ones, include letter written for employment or business or protest, et cetera.
Language of Informal Letter
The language of
formal letter is strictly official. There is no place in it for informal or
semi-formal tones. So, such things as nicknames, slang, contraction, should not
be found in it.
Structure of a Formal Letter
Let us answer
this practical question on how to write a Former letter. Write a letter to the
Personnel Manager of Guria Concept & Books, applying for the post of a
Secretary.
Below is an example of a Former Letter.
No. 250 Emovon Street,
Off
3rd East Circular Road,
Benin
City,
Edo
State.
4th
January, 2020.
The Personnel Manager,
Guria Concept & Books Ltd,
Guria Close,
Benin City.
Dear Sir,
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF A
SECRETARY
I wish to apply
for the above vacant position in your esteemed business outfit.
I attended Oviewa
Primary School Benin City from 1995 - 2001 where I obtained my Primary School
Leaving Certificate. I then proceeded to Progress Comprehensive College, also
in Benin City where I had my secondary education from 2001 - 2006 and passed
with flying colors. I did not stop there, as I proceeded again to University of
Benin where I took a course in Business Administration and Secretariat Studies
(2007/2008 session), and graduated with a first class degree.
Since then, I
have become particularly interested in interactive and multimedia work and I
wish to develop my skills in that direction. That is why I apply for the above
position.
I am a young man
of 26 years old and I hail from Ugheli South Local Government Area of Delta
state.
I shall be grateful
if am invited for an interview and possibly be considered for the job.
I enclosed
relevant credentials for your consideration and as an attestation to the
Schools attended and certificate obtained.
Thanks and God
bless you as I wait patiently for a favorable response to my application.
Yours faithfully,
……………………..
Eguriase S. M. Okaka.
The next
political year is around in Nigeria, for the transition to civil
administration. Write a letter to the Direction of INEC, advising him on how to
make for a stable and smooth transition. Your answer should not be more than
four hundred and ninety words.
Answer:
No.
29, Eriamaitoe Street,
Off
3rd East Circular Road,
Benin City,
Edo
State.
26th
February, 2019.
The Director,
Nation Electoral Commission,
Abuja, Nigeria.
Dear Sir,
AN ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE FOR A SMOOTH
AND STABLE TRANSITION
Another political
year is here before us in Nigeria. Considering the failures of the past INEC
directors to achieve smooth and stable transition in the past political years,
I wish to, as a responsible citizen of this great nation, advice you on how to
for a smooth and stable transition this political year. My advice is simple and
effective, ensure that all the citizen of this country that are of age register
for the election. Make sure that the elections are conducted in a public and
open place. Let qualified people from the three major tribes of the country
direct the elections.
Concerning
registration, each and every citizen of the country; that is of age must
register duly for the election and be given a voters card for that purpose.
This will make for a democratic process where everyone will by his vote, be
precisely responsible for the result of the election. Nobody will have the
revolting excuse of counting his responsibility out of the election culture.
Then, all the
elections, right from the Local Government Area level to the Presidential,
should be carried out in open and public places. This will make it possible for
everything to be done in the view and gaze of all. Such an election-culture
will make every chance and occasion of rigging impossible.
But, all in all,
qualified people from the three major tribes of Nigeria should be selected both
to direct the election and to collate the results. This will have a double
barreled effect. It will free the election program from corroding tribalism and
every crippling inefficiency.
Moreover such
election results should be announced progressively and immediately. That is as
soon as every level of the election-program has been completed in full view and
participation of the people, the result should be given immediately, then, on
the final Election Day, all the results will also be given. This will make our
people confident that what is happening is “our own thing” and also make the
temptation to affect election results (that is, by the directors) impossible.
With all these
ways of approach to our election programs this political year, our elections
will be done by our people and for themselves. Thus, we will have the election
that is our election, and the transition to civil rule will be smooth and
stable. There will be no cause for a dissension or revolt from any quarter and
our military will have no cause again to jump into our politics again.
Thank you!
Yours sincerely,
Mark Sylvester.
INFORMAL LETTER
What are informal Letters?
The informal
letters are unofficial letters that one writes to parents, friends, relations
et cetera. Generally, it is a letter we write to persons we are familiar with.
Language of Informal Letter
The language is
wholly unofficial. The tone is personal and intimate. Slang, contractions and
other informal ways of expression are permitted in informal letters, though
thus permission is a matter of degree. For instance, one should not be too
informal in the language of his or her older person.
Question:
Your Chemistry
teacher has just asked you to buy very important but costly books in his
subject, write to your father asking him to buy you the books or to send you
money so that you can buy the books.
Answer:
Progress
Comprehensive College,
P.
O. Box 77777,
Oredo
Local Government Area,
Benin
City.
8th
January, 2021.
My dear Father,
Greetings, from
Progress Comprehensive College, Benin City. At first, I wish to thank you again
for the provision of my school fees. As usual, I paid it at once on arrival. Our
principal was very happy about that, and told the rest of the students to
emulate my exemplary behavior.
Now my dearest
father, my main purpose of writing this letter to you is to ask you to buy two
books for me. Our Chemistry teacher has just asked us to buy two books in
Chemistry, namely: Basic Chemistry by Goodman, and New Certificate Chemistry by
Ababio. As he explained to us by his thorough and honest way of approach to
matters, these books even though they are very costly books, are books we
cannot do without, especially now that we are in the examination class. The prices
of these books are N2, 000.00 and N2, 500.00 respectively.
I have asked you
to buy the books for me because; we have lots and lots of works doing at the
school now. You know this is my final
year at school. Further, the books in question can readily be available here in
Benin City where you are, than where, one must travel to Aba or Onitsha in
order to buy them there. But if you will not have the time to buy them, you can
send the money to me, and I will find a way of buying them immediately.
How is your
business doing over there? How are Mama and my brothers and sisters? Say me
well to everyone. Here I am trying my best to be the best; and to pass our
final examination with flying colors.
Greet mother and
others.
Yours affectionately,
Joseph.
Question:
Write a letter to
your pen-friend in America telling him/her how you spent the last Christmas
holidays.
Answer:
38 St. John’s Street.
Oshodi,
Lagos
State.
Nigeria.
West
Africa.
25th
May, 1995.
Dear Harris,
How are you doing,
men? I hope you are tit and hard. I thank you very much for your last letter to
me. I did not get it in time, because I was away from home for the last
Christmas holiday. You asked in your letter that I tell you how I am going to
spend the coming Christmas, but your letter got into my eager hands only when
I’d spent the holiday you were talking of. But I will still tell you something
man! I will tell you how I spent that Christmas holiday. Well, you knew already
that is Christmas presumably regarded to be the Birth of Jesus Christ so it is
celebrated by majority of people in Nigeria including your friend.
I was at Enugu
for the Christmas holiday. Enugu is the coal city of Nigeria – a land and state
where many things happen. As a happening gay, you would not expect me to miss
such a city at a happening time like Christmas. For the one month that the
holiday lasted, I did put up with Old Joe (Jakija), whose home is another Jack’s
city.
Old Joe runs a
Guest house. So, as you would guess, every day of the Christmas holiday began
and ended for me with the best of foods and drinks. But, these drinks and foods
were not the only things. Old Joe has a very big hall in his guest house and as
you would expect, many Christmas artists entertained the people, almost on
daily basis in this big hall. Indeed, it was an art galore. The musicians were
there, the dramatists were there, and all that. In short, man, I enjoyed much.
But I did not
only feed the body and the mind, I also took out the right times to attend
Christians Christmas services and fellowships, lest I will live by bread only.
The unforgettable service in this regard was the Christmas midnight mass. Man,
it was superb. The homily was on the birth of Jesus Christ, a homily that the
later songs sacraments glued to the souls of all.
That is my story.
I will also be grateful if you can give me your own experience of the Christmas
holiday. I know you must have made a great time of it. Next time, let us get
each other in time, so as to plan such times together. Take care and God bless.
Yours,
Mark.
SEMI-FORMAL LETTERS
What is Semi-Formal Letter?
They are partly
official letters that one writes to his or her teachers, parents and adult
persons.
LANGUAGE OF SEMI-FORMAL LETTERS
The language is
partly informal and partly formal. So, depending on one’s relationship to the
person he or she is writing to and it also depends on the degree of intimacy or
familiarity, age, etc. you must carefully choose the right tone and expressions
that would bear his or her semi-formal meanings out, properly.
Structure of a Semi-Formal Letter
Semi-Formal
letters have the same structure with the informal letters. Example of a
Semi-Formal letter is given below:
Question
You took ill
during the weekend, and therefore cannot go to school for the next week, on
account of admission in a hospital. Write a letter to your teacher explaining
yourself. Your letter should not be above one hundred and thirty words.
Answer:
Progress Comprehensive College,
P.
O. Box 777777
Oredo
Local Government Area,
Benin
City.
4th
February, 1995.
Dear Mrs. Okoro,
I am greeting you
from the hospital. How are you getting on with the onerous work of taking of
our class? You may be wondering why I of all people did not come to school
yesterday and today but I tell you the truth I may not even come to school this
whole week.
During the
weekend I fell ill of typhoid fever. Since the symptoms and malaria fever are
more or less the same, I went straight away for malaria medicine; little did I know
that I was self-medicating. But I was not getting better at all so my father
then took me to a Medical facility in our community. There, before everything
else the doctor carried out a laboratory analysis of my condition. Typhoid was
the result. He thus admitted me for a
week with serious treatment being given.
So, I request
that you excuse me from class works as a result of my treatment and full
recovery. You can also tell the principal of my condition. He is a real father.
I know he will sympathize with me.
As for the
treatment I am receiving, so far so good, I will soon be ready to join the
class again. Greet all my fellow classmates for me tell them that I miss them.
Yours sincerely,
Michael.
Note that all the letters here are
presented in block presentations.
THE END
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