NEW WORLD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
ACADEMIC SESSION 2018–2019
SECOND TERM
ENGLISH WORKSHEET
LETTER WRITING
GRADE V
NAME: _____________________________ SECTION: __________ DATE:____________
LETTER WRITING
Every educated person should know how to write a clear and readable letter. Everyone has
sometimes to write business letters of some sort, and may have to face the problem of writing
an important letter that will vitally affect his interest in life. The art of letter writing is,
therefore, no mere ornamental accomplishment, but something that every educated person must
acquire for practical reasons.
THE FORM OF LETTERS
Letters are messages, and certain letter-forms have been established by experience and
custom as the most useful forms learned and used by every letter-writer, for neglect of them is a
sign of ignorance and carelessness.
There are several different kinds of letters (such as friendly letters, business letters, etc.)
each of which has its own particular form; but there are certain matters of form which apply to
all, and these may be explained first.
In all kinds of letters, there are six points to be attended to, namely:
1. The Heading consisting of (a) the writer’s address and (b) the date.
2. The courteous Greeting or Salutation.
3. The Communication or Message – The body of the letter.
4. The Subscription, or courteous Leave-taking, or Conclusion.
5. The Signature.
Tips for formal letter writing:
1. Be concise. State the purpose of your formal letter in the first paragraph and don’t veer
from the subject. Keep the letter short and to the point.
2. A formal letter should be written in a tone that is slightly more formal than your everyday
language. Avoid using contractions.
3. Once you have written your formal letter, proofread it. Check the grammar and
punctuation for correctness and make sure the sentences are complete.
1
Formatting a formal letter
1. THE HEADING
This informs the reader where you wrote the letter, and when. The where (which should
be the writer’s full postal address) gives the address to which the reader may reply; and
the when is for reference, as it gives him the date on which you wrote.
The position of the heading is the top left-hand corner of the first page – the address
above and the date just below it, e.g.,
123 Elm Ave.
Attica, Indiana 47918
January 2, 2014.
Inside Address
The inside address consists of the name and address of the person to whom you are
writing. This address is usually placed below the heading.
J.C Larsen Company
456 Maple Lane
Canada - 127003
2. SALUTATION or GREETING
This comes after the inside address. The form of greeting will depend on whether or not
you know the intended recipient of the formal letter. The most usual greeting is
Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, etc.
Note: The use of the term Dear is purely formal, and is a mere polite expression, not
necessarily implying any special affection.
The position of the salutation is at the left-hand of the first page at a lower level than the
Heading.
3. SUBJECT
The subject line of a business letter is the portion of the letter where you tell the reader
about your subject. Although a subject line is not always necessary in a formal letter, it
can be helpful , as it immediately conveys to the reader the subject of the letter.
2
4. THE COMMUNICATION OR BODY OF THE LETTER
This is, of course, the letter itself, and the style in which it is written will depend upon the
kind of letter you wish to write. The style of a letter to an intimate friend will be very
different from that of a purely business letter or an official communication. But a few
hints that apply to all letters are given below.
a. Use simple and direct language and short sentences. Do not try to be eloquent, and drag
in long words, just because they are long words. Be clear about what you want to say,
and say it as directly as possible.
b. Try to be complete. It is a sign of slovenly thinking when you have to add postscripts at
the end of a letter. Think out what you want to say before you begin to write; and put
down your points in some logical order.
c. Write neatly. Remember that your correspondent has to read what you write, and do not
give him unnecessary trouble with bad penmanship and slovenly writing.
d. Mind your punctuation, and put in commas, semicolons and full stops in their proper
places. Incorrect punctuation may alter the whole meaning of a sentence.
5. THE SUBSCRIPTION OR COURTEOUS LEAVE-TAKING
A letter must not end abruptly, simply with the writer’s name. This would look rude. So
certain forms of polite leave-taking are prescribed. Such as –
Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, etc.
[Different leave-taking forms are used in different kinds of letters, and these will be given
under their proper heads.]
The subscription, or Leave-taking phrase, must be written below the last words of the
letter, and to the left side of the page.
Note: The first word of the Subscription must begin with a capital letter; e.g.,
Yours sincerely,
6. The SIGNATURE or name of the writer -
This must come below the Subscription. Thus:
Yours sincerely,
Ezra Twig
3
To sum up:
In writing a letter, first write your address and under it the date in the top left-hand corner
of the first page.
Then, write the Salutation lower down at the left side of the page, beginning with a
capital and putting a comma after it.
Next, begin your letter (with a capital letter) on the next lower line, to the left of the
salutation.
At the end of the letter, write the Subscription, or words of leave-taking at the left side of
the page, with your signature below it.
For example:
Write a letter to your friend inviting him to spend a day with you.
C-63, Canal Colony,
Harington Avenue- 526010,
New York
2nd September, 2019.
Dear Geoffrey,
We have not met ever since the holidays have begun and I am missing you and Tariq
already.
I would be happy if you could come and spend a day with me, next week. Why don’t you
write the day convenient to you? Then, I could telephone Tariq also to join us.
I have got a videotape of the ‘Lion King’ which I know none of us has seen. I am sure we
will have a really good time seeing it and playing football in the park near my house. Mom has
promised us a Chinese lunch whenever you and Tariq come. Do write soon that you will come,
or telephone, if your telephone is in order again.
I am already looking forward to being with you again.
Yours sincerely,
David
4
Write a letter to your friend telling him about your leisure time activities.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
