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Communication Skills-Letter Formats

The document provides an overview of different letter formats and guidelines for writing effective letters. It discusses the modified block format, simplified format, and essential guidelines. Key guidelines include using a positive tone, stating the purpose clearly, personalizing the letter, highlighting important points, and using plain English with active verbs and hedging. The document also covers how to write bulleted lists in a parallel structure and with appropriate punctuation.

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Aaila Akhter
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44 views29 pages

Communication Skills-Letter Formats

The document provides an overview of different letter formats and guidelines for writing effective letters. It discusses the modified block format, simplified format, and essential guidelines. Key guidelines include using a positive tone, stating the purpose clearly, personalizing the letter, highlighting important points, and using plain English with active verbs and hedging. The document also covers how to write bulleted lists in a parallel structure and with appropriate punctuation.

Uploaded by

Aaila Akhter
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Other Letter Formats and

Essential Guidelines
Tamkeen Shah
Spring 2022
Overview
• The modified block format
• The simplified format
• Essential guidelines
• Language issues
Modified Block Format
• Same as the full block format, with two exceptions:
• The sender’s address and date, and the closing both appear towards
the middle or right side of the page (although text alignment is to the
imaginary left for the address written on the R.H.S)
• If using a company letterhead, there can be slight variations (as
shown in next slide)
Simplified format
• This format contains no salutation and no complimentary close. The
writer can sign off with a signature straight away.
• It (normally) has a subject line
• Extremely useful for impersonal situations
• Good option when the identity of the recipient is unknown
• In personal situations, the writer can start the first paragraph with the
recipient’s name (as shown)
Two important types of business letters
• A transmittal letter: Conveys a report from one organization to
another. To write a transmittal letter, follow these guidelines:
 Identify the report enclosed.
 Briefly explain the report’s purpose and scope.
 Explain any problems encountered.
 Acknowledge the people who helped.
• General information letter: serves to keep the writer in touch with
the reader (a common public relations device), to send information,
or to reply to requests.
• Follow these guidelines:
Introduce the context and purpose of writing.
If there is an acceptance or rejection, state it clearly.
Use formatting to highlight the main point.
Add extra information as needed, but keep it brief.
Essential guidelines
• A formal letter/business letter should sound and look more professional than
emails (which can sometimes be semi-formal).
• “….strive for an overall tone that is confident, courteous, and sincere.”
• Establish a positive relationship with your reader right away. If you have a
connection to the reader, mention it in your introductory paragraph.
• State your point early in the letter
• Employ a ‘you’ attitude. Focus on the problem/concern of the recipient first.
Explain your competencies and solutions later.
• Personalize your letter by making use of the pronouns “I”, “you”, and “we.”
• Use bold and italic fonts to draw emphasis to your key points
• Close off with a call to action (what you want the reader to do in response
to your letter), if possible.
Kindly update me about the latest progress on …..
Please send me the document…
Do let me know if you would be interested to receive more
information on…..
• State how you plan to follow up on this communication (if applicable)
“To set up an appointment to discuss your specific needs, please contact me at 0999
123456. I know how busy you are, so I will give you a call on Tuesday to follow up if I
haven’t heard from you.”
• Power-relations with the reader: orders to subordinates but suggestions to
superiors or equals.
Language issues
Used unbiased, non-discriminatory language.
E.g. The candidate must submit his educational certificates
before he appears for the interview….
The candidate must submit his or her educational certificates
prior to the interview.
The candidates must submit their documents before they
appear…..
The candidate must submit their documents before they….
Biased expressions Neutral alternatives
• mankind /humankind/ humanity/people/human beings
• man’s achievements human achievements
• manmade synthetic/manufactured/machine-made
• the common man the average person/ordinary people/
civil society/the end user/a layperson/
a non-expert
• man the stationstaff the station
• chairmanchairperson
• authoress author
• female astronaut astronaut
• forefathers ancestors
• foreman supervisor
• mailman mail carrier
• policeman/police womanpolice officer
• male nurse nurse
• Steward/stewardess flight attendant
• Physical handicap = physical impairment
• Victim of a disease = a person with a disease
• Confined to a wheelchair = someone who uses a wheelchair
• Aged people/old people/elderly people = senior citizens
Use plain English. A conversational style makes your point better.
• Compare:
Pursuant to our discussion of February 3 in reference to the L-19
transistor, please be advised that we are not presently in possession of
the above-mentioned item but expect to have it in stock within one
week. Enclosed herewith please find a brochure regarding said
transistor as per your request.

I have enclosed a brochure on the L-19 transistor we talked about on


February 3. Our shipment of L-19s should arrive within a week.
Choose lively, active verbs to hold your reader's attention.
• To be in conflict with to conflict with
• To be of the opinion that to believe
• To make an arrangement to arrange
• To give consideration to to consider
• To carry out a review to review
• To conduct an analysis to analyze
• To perform an evaluation to evaluate
• To have an effect on to affect
• To make a resolution to resolve
• To hold an investigation to investigate
• Perform an assessment to assess
• To ensure a renewal of to renew
• To exhibit tendency to to tend to
• Eliminate redundancies
• Big/small in size big/small
• Compete with each other compete
• Equal to each other equal
• Exactly identical identical
• Exactly the same the same
• First priority priority
• Free gift gift
• intertwined together intertwined
• joint collaboration collaboration
• mental attitude attitude
• merge together merge
• mix together mix
• mutual agreement agreement or bilateral agreement
• a necessary prerequisite a prerequisite
• crucial importance significance / importance
• summarize briefly summarize
• ultimate goal goal
Use hedging

• We use hedges to soften what we say or write. Hedges are an important part of polite
conversation. They make what we say less direct.
• Hedging also lets a statement be vague, allowing the speaker escape absolute commitment
to it.
• Shielding verbs – seem, tend, look like, appear to be, think, suppose, reckon, believe,
doubt, be sure, indicate, suggest, believe, assume, suggest
I suppose the design could be expanded to a larger scale. (The design could be
expanded to a larger scale).
We feel they should be allowed time to decide (They should be allowed time to
decide)
I reckon that’s the best answer to the problem. (less direct than That’s the best
answer to the problem.)

• Modal Adverbs – possibly, perhaps, conceivably, likely


• Request instead of statement: Could you [do ]/ Would you [do] ? Instead of “Please
do”
• Downtoners: Somewhat/A bit/Sort of/Just/Fairly/Relatively/Quite
• The data is somewhat inaccurate (The data is inaccurate)
• Could you just send a quick message when you receive the parcel? (Could you send a
….).
• That clauses – It could be the case that…, it might be suggested that…, there is every
hope that…
It has been generally agreed that these new video phone technologies will transform
everyday life. (a more cautious and less personal statement than I agree that …)
How to write bulleted lists

• Keep the items short (less than two lines)


• Bulleted items should not repeat parts of the introductory sentence. If you have
bulleted items that start with the same words, consider including the words in the
introductory sentence.
Our software offers many advantageous features:
* The software has a friendly user interface
*The software has regular updates available online
*The software is open source
The software offers many advantageous features:
*a friendly user interface
*regular updates available online
*open source coding
• Keep the items parallel.
The items of a bulleted list must be of the same type. If your list items
are sentences, they must be all sentences. If they are phrases, they must be
all phrases. If they are single words, they must be all single words.
Writing parallel lists simply means that each item in the list has the
same structure. To be parallel, each item in the list must:
1. start with the same part of speech (e.g., noun, verb)
• Proof of acknowledgement
• Endorsement by your supervisor
• Submit on or before the deadline (Submission on or before the deadline)
2. use the same verb tense (e.g., present, past, future)
3. use the same voice (e.g., active or passive)
4. use the same sentence type (e.g., statement, question)
Key elements of a successful staff flu vaccination campaign include
• informing employees about the vaccination plan
• educating employees about its importance
• employees should be notified about when they can get flu shots

Key elements of a successful staff flu vaccination campaign include


• informing employees about the vaccination plan
• educating employees about its importance
• notifying employees about when they can get flu shots
• Punctuate bulleted lists appropriately
The introductory sentence must end with a colon (:).
If you have sentence items, each of them must begin with an
uppercase letter and end with a full stop.
The plan for today’s meeting is as follows:
• Executive director Rimsha Atif will present the new manufacturing plan.
• Financial adviser Ahmad Nadeem will review the sales from the last 7 days.
• Manager Sarah Collins will talk about workplace safety standards.
If your items are words or phrases that do not form a full sentence by
themselves, they should begin with a lowercase letter and are
punctuated as follows:
• no punctuation after the first item
• no punctuations after the second, third, etc., items
• a full stop after the last item.
A more formal style (used in legal writings) is to use this punctuation:
• a semicolon after each item but the last;
• a full stop after the last item.
If your second-last item ends with and or or, place a comma before
and or or.
The colours available for this product are:
• aquamarine blue
• carmine red, and
• cadmium yellow.
The End

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