Formal Letters
Formal Letters
GRADE 10
FORMAL LETTERS
A formal letter is usually written to ask for information, register requests, place
orders, make complaints or lodge complaints with government departments or
businesses. You might write a formal letter to get your opinion published in
newspapers and magazines. There can be dozens of other scenarios where a formal
letter may prove to be handy.
As you can understand, these letters are written to people in positions of power
such as principals, editors, government representatives, company heads, etc.
For example, you might:
• Ask for information from the dean of admission in a college
• Register request with Municipal Commission of our area
• Place orders with chief sales officer of a company
• Lodge complaints with their district magistrate
• Share your views with the editor of newspaper or magazine
A good formal letter has multiple attributes, such as:
• A clear purpose
• Appropriate and structured content
• Logical sequence of events
• Clarity
• Formal tone
Points to be kept in mind while drafting a formal letter:
• Follow the format strictly.
• The subject line must match what is asked in the question. Avoid a long
subject line.
• Get right to the letter's purpose in polite and formal language. It should
focus on the desired topic.
• Be clear, concise, and to the point. Stick to the stated word limit.
• Use simple language so that the letter is easy to understand.
• Always leave a line after writing the sender’s address, date, receiver’s address,
subject and salutation.
MARKING SCHEME
FORMAT 1
CONTENT 2
ORGANISATION OF IDEAS 1
GRAMMAR & ACCURACY 1
TOTAL 5
FORMAT
DATE
27 July/27th July, 20XX
The Manager
RECEIVER’S DESIGNATION AND FULL MAILING ADDRESS
K & K Enterprises
Meerut-XXXXXX
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BODY
(I B C)
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Rounak NAME/SIGNATURE
IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE KEPT IN MIND:
• Complimentary close: (largely accepted) Yours truly- editor
Yours sincerely/faithfully-formal/business
• The Sender’s address must ideally be in 3 lines. If details are not stated, one
can invent basic details like, House No/Building No/Lane No etc.
• The Receiver’s address should also be in 3-4 lines.
• Subject Keywords : Editor: Regarding………
Complaint: Complaint ……….
Enquiry: Enquiry about…….
Placing Order: Placing an order of……….
SAMPLE
The residents of your area are facing lots of inconvenience due to poor maintenance
of the public park of your locality. Write a letter to the Editor of a local daily
drawing the attention of the concerned higher authorities towards the problem and
requesting them to solve it. You are Tanvi/Shridhar, a resident of Safdarjung, New
Delhi.
4H/35
Safdarjung
New Delhi
20 March, 2025
The Editor
The Modern Times
New Delhi
Sir/Madam
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to express my
serious concern about the poor maintenance of the public park in our locality.
The public park in our area is in a pathetic condition. The gardeners are not regular
and the plants are not pruned regularly, as a result, the park has an ugly look. The
park has become a thoroughfare for stray animals as there is no gate at the entrance
of the park. All the anti-social elements gather in the park in the evening making it
difficult for the women folk to have a walk. Our regular complaints to the local
authorities have failed to bring any change in the situation.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Tanvi/Shridhar
LETTER OF COMPLAINT
❖ Letters of complaint are written when you have a problem with a product or a
situation. The tone of this letter has to be very polite.
❖ Take care of the following things while writing these letters.
• Describe what is wrong with the product or describe the issues/problems.
• Explain how you would like to get the problem resolved.
• Explain that you look forward to receiving a reply with a resolution.
You bought a mobile phone from a reputable showroom in Mumbai but after a month it
developed a serious fault. Write a complaint letter to the manager asking for immediate repair
or replacement of the same. You are Sadiq/Razia, 123, TT Nagar, Bhopal.
30 September, 20XX
The Manager
Shiv Ram & Sons
Mumbai-132445
Sir/Madam
Recently I bought a Samsung Galaxy S24 from your show–room vide receipt number 123
on 15 September 20XX. The phone has a warranty of three years vide warranty card
number 123 valid up to 30th August 20XX.
I regret to inform you that the phone has developed a technical snag and has stopped
working. Just a few days after its purchase, it had started giving me trouble off and on but
I related it to the connectivity issue or some minor fault that I thought would settle with
time.
It cannot be denied that mobile phones are not a luxury but a necessity these days.
Therefore, I request an immediate repair service or a replacement, whichever is feasible.
Yours sincerely
Razia
SAMPLE 2 (OFFICIAL COMPLAINT LETTER)
The insanitary conditions in your colony are causing numerous diseases. Write a letter
to the Municipal Commissioner bringing the problem to his notice and request him to
take urgent action in the matter. You are Deepak/Deepa of C 2/8, Ankur Enclave, New
Delhi.
C 2/8
Ankur Enclave
New Delhi
30 September, 20XX
Sir
This letter in to bring to your immediate attention the insanitary conditions in our colony.
I have been a resident of the Ankur Enclave for the last 15 years and the problem
associated with sanitation and hygiene has always been a major concern.
Rubbish and garbage lie in heaps. Lack of drainage system raises a persistent foul smell
in the area. During rainy season water stagnates in pits on the street which makes the
whole condition even worse. These become the breeding ground for mosquitoes, which
expose the residents to multiple diseases like dengue, malaria, etc. Our colony has become
an unhealthy and disease-prone area. Every day, someone or the other is succumbing to
deadly diseases. Some of the families have also shifted lock, stock, and barrel to better
localities.
Time and again the concerned local authorities have been informed about the issue but
no attention has been paid. Therefore, I humbly request you to take this matter with
utmost seriousness and take stringent steps to resolve the aforementioned problem.
Yours sincerely
Deepak/Deepa
QUESTIONS TO ATTEMPT
1. There is a busy road in front of your school. A large number of students have to
cross the road while going back home. They run a great risk. Write a letter in about
120 words to the Editor of The Modern Times, Agra drawing attention of the
authorities concerned to the problem. Make a request to mark a zebra crossing or
to put traffic lights in front of your school. You are Amit/ Anita of Alok Colony,
Rama Road, Agra.
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2. You live in a crowded area in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Unauthorised parking
of vehicles in your area is causing a lot of inconvenience to the locals. Write a letter
in about 100 words to the Police Commissioner of the district complaining against
this practice. You are Akash/ Akansha of Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad.
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3. You are Rita/Ragini, a resident of Alam Nagar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
You recently bought a television set from Capital Electronics, Noida. However,
after a month, the TV set stopped working properly. Write a letter of complaint in
about 120 words to the manager of the store, asking him to send a technician, or, if
required, replace the television, since it is within the warranty.
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4. You are Shammy/ Sapna, a resident of 12, Mall Road, Agra. You have noticed that the
majority of water taps in your colony keep on leaking. Also, water drips from various
joints in the supply pipes. All these lead to a big wastage of potable water. Write a letter
of complaint to the Municipal Commissioner, Agra, requesting him to get the necessary
repairs done at the earliest in about 120 words.
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5. You are a resident of Kamala Colony. There have been incidents of chain snatching in
your locality in the past 2-3 months. Your resident welfare association took it up with the
local police station requesting patrolling in the area after 6 p.m. and surprise checks both
of which have not happened. Write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper in about
120 words highlighting the attitude of the police authorities.
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6. You are Abhimanyu Sikri/Aditri Sharma, resident of 119, Nilgiri Apartments,
Kirti Nagar, Delhi. You purchased a wardrobe made of recycled wood shaving;
from M/s Pawan Sales, Ramesh Nagar, Delhi. Write a letter of complaint in about
120 words to the Sales Manager asking for replacement of the product which you
purchased 15 days ago. You have found that doors do not shut and the paint is
uneven.
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LETTER OF ENQUIRY
An enquiry letter is a formal letter, written to enquire and get details regarding
something that a person is interested in.
• It could be written concerning an item that a person is interested in buying, a
course that a person wants to study, a vacation trip that a person wants to go
on, etc.
• As the sender of an enquiry letter needs information about something, the
enquiry letter must mention the contact details of the sender where the said
information has to be sent.
• It must contain the particulars of the thing enquired about.
• It must also list down all the aspects of the thing about which the sender
wants the detailed information.
SAMPLE
You are Rajan/Sanjita, a student of class XII and a resident of 44/H, Park Street,
Kolkata. You want to be an actor. Write to the National Institute of Acting, Santa
Cruz, Andheri(W), Mumbai, seeking information about their course, admission
procedure, eligibility criteria and other necessary details.
44/H
Park Street
Kolkata
The Director
National Institute of Acting
Santa Cruz, Andheri (West)
Mumbai
Sir/Madam
With reference to the advertisement published in the Kolkata Daily on February
15th, 2024, regarding the acting courses offered by your esteemed institute, I wish
to enquire about certain details. As a Grade 12 student awaiting my board
examination results, I am deeply passionate about acting and aspire to pursue it as
a career. Enrolling in your institute's acting course would be a significant first step
towards achieving this goal.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide details on the following aspects:
1. The department and programme faculty
2. Scholarships available
3. Admission procedure
4. Eligibility criteria
5. Hostel facilities
Additionally, I also request you to send me the prospectus detailing the course
information and the application form at your earliest convenience, enabling me to
proceed with the enrolment process.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Yours sincerely
Rajan/Sanjita
LETTER OF PLACING ORDER
An order letter is written to purchase something. It is composed in a formal
method of writing.
Important parts of a Letter of Placing Order:
Make sure that the main body is divided into three paragraphs. It is important to
make the letter presentable.
Para 1- should explain what are you going to place the order
Para 2– should talk about the details of the services or products that you are
placing the order for
Para 3– is going to be the concluding one, so do not forget to mention what you
want in response from the one who is going to receive the order
• End the letter by using the appropriate words to say thanks.
• Sign off by writing your name.
SAMPLE
Write a letter to the Manager, of Royal Books, Abu Hamour, Doha, placing an
order for bulk printing work. You are Muhammad Kalam from 12 B, Gem
Advertising, Al Wahab Street, Doha.
12 B, Gem Advertising
Al Wahab Street
Doha
1 March, 2024
The Manager
Printing and Packing Section
Royal Books
Abu Hamour, Doha
We hope you will complete the printing jobs within a week with all binding,
cropping and additional works included. Kindly note which books get a hardcover
and which one gets a paperback. All the books are black and white and the sizes
are well mentioned. Any delay in the completion would cause serious damage to
our reputation in the industry as our clients are from royal families here in Doha
and Dubai. Since we are placing such a huge order, we expect a discount of at least
15% on the printing cost. We will make an advance payment of $2300 via cheque
and the remaining payment will be made at the time of the completion of the work.
We hope to get the books delivered at the earliest. If satisfied with your services,
we would love to take this business relationship ahead.
Yours sincerely
Muhammad Kalam
QUESTIONS TO ATTEMPT
1. You are Ajay/Anjali, owner of a newly opened restaurant, Spice Junction, Anjuna
Beach, Goa. Write a letter to the Manager of Furniture World, Mapusa Market, Goa
placing an order for various furniture items in about 120 words. Include all details.
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2. You are Sakshi/Saksham, Hostel Warden, Radha Krishna Public School,
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. Write a letter to the Sales Manager, Bharat Electronics
and Domestic Appliances Ltd., New Delhi, placing an order for fans, microwaves,
ovens and geysers that you wish to purchase for the hostel. Also ask for discount
permissible on the purchase.
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3. Write a letter to the Director, Nehru College of Aeronautics, New Delhi, making
inquiries about the Engineering Courses, commencement time, duration of courses,
fee, mode of fee payments, etc. You are Peter Samson/Anne Aggarwal, Mohali,
Chandigarh.
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4. You are Vipul / Apurva, living at D-24 Island Avenue, Chennai. You have seen
an advertisement about a diploma course in the French language soon to be
organized by Maxwell Institute of Languages, Fort Road, Kochi. Write a letter in
120 words to the Director seeking all relevant information like admission
procedure, fee structure, duration of course, timing, transport facilities, etc.
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