Format
There are certain conventions that your reader will expect you to follow; if you don’t, you will create a bad impression
Here is a letter in standard format. Refer to the notes afterwards for explanation
42, Greyhound Road
Perry Barr
Birmingham
B42 6HJ
Mr. E. Scrooge
The Manager
Barclay’s Bank Ltd
113 Mammon Street
Andover
HU4 9ET
5April 2003
Application for post of trainee manager
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Yours sincerely
Jane Teller
1 Your address, but not your name, usually goes in the top right hand corner. You would not
Be concise and relevant
The person you are writing to may be deluged with letters and if yours is 3 sides of dense text, then there is every possibility it will end up in the bin. Letters should take seconds rather than minutes to read.
As a result, get straight to the point and stick to it, don’t include any unnecessary or supplementary information, don’t use any flowery language or long words just for the sake of it, and don’t repeat too much information which may already be included in a CV, for example
Check your grammar and spelling very carefully
Use the right tone of language
It’s important to use the right type of language, the right ‘register’. Most letters you write will need to be formal, but not overly so. In fact, you should use similar language to that which you use in your academic writing. This means you should:-
avoid everyday, colloquial language; slang or jargon
avoid contractions (I’m; it’// etc)
avoid emotive, subjective language (terrible, rubbish etc)
avoid vague words such as nice, good, get etc
You should always be polite and respectful, even if complaining. One way of doing this in English, which is common in formal letter writing, is to use ‘modal verbs’ such as would, could and should. Instead of simply writing Please send me, you could express this more formally as I would be grateful if you could send me ... Don’t overdo it though, and make your language too formal or maybe old fashioned; don’t look through a thesaurus and put in lots of unnecessarily long words.
Having said this, British people tend to be fairly informal, even in business and academic circles, so it is normal to start using first names at an early stage
Make sure the letter is well presented
First impressions are important, so use good quality paper, centre the letter on the page, don’t leave coffee stains on it, make sure you’ve spelt the person’s name correctly and don’t forget to sign it
Sample letter 1: Covering letter
12, Kenmore Road
Littletown
LT12 9BH
1st December 2001
Mr G. Sands
Fitness First
Lake Road
Littletown
LT1 5MX
Dear Mr Sands
Re: Fitness Instructor FF/32
I am writing to apply for the job of Fitness Instructor, as advertised
in Thursday's Courant. This is an ideal job for me given my enthusiasm
for sport, my related experience and qualifications.
Sport and fitness training have always been important to me, which is
why I chose to take a BTEC Diploma in Sports Science. I obtained distinctions
in the Sports Anatomy & Physiology and Sports Injuries modules last
year and am confident that I will get similar marks in Exercise Physiology,
Mechanics of Sport and Sports Supervision & Management this year.
I am a confident user of Microsoft Office 2000 and have worked extensively
with Fitness Publisher, a program for analysing fitness.
As you can see from my CV, I've taken the opportunity to gain extra
qualifications that were on offer at college, which has helped me get
part-time work as a pool attendant. I'm called on to provide cover during
busy times so am used to working irregular hours at short notice. I've
also run a lunchtime aerobics class at college since the start of this
year.
I finish college in six weeks and am keen to find a job rather than
carry on with further full-time study. I could start any part time work
or training sooner as many of my classes are finishing and most of my
assignments are done. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Louise Longford
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work/applications/example.shtml
Sample letter 2: Business letter
Whitcomb Polytechnic
20-30 Newcastle Road
Whitcombe
Tyne and Wear
WT5 4AH
11 October 1997
The General Manager
Fukuoka Motors (UK) Ltd
PO Box 137
York Road
Loughton
Durham
LT3 5HD
Norooz means new day or daylight. The spellings and pronunciations of Norooz vary, depending on the culture. It symbolizes the first day of spring, at the time of the spring equinox, when sunlight is divided equally between northern and southern hemispheres. This traditional Iranian holiday is not only celebrated within Iran. It is also celebrated in Turkey, Afghanistan, Albania, the countries of Central Asia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, to name a few. It usually is celebrated on the 21st of March of each year, but can be celebrated either a day before or after this date, depending on where it is observed. Besides being a Zoroastrian holiday, Norooz has significance for the Bahai’i religion and Sufism
In the article "The New Year of Iranian Peoples", author Dr. Ali Jafari, states that Norooz had its origins some fifteen thousand years ago, during the reign of the mythical Persian King Jamshid. Since life, at that time, revolved around the seasons, spring was seen as a time of new growth, new life and that of abundance. According to Dr. Jafari, it was Jamshid who introduced and started the Norooz celebrations. The prophet Zoroaster, however, later added and put in place the many additional festivals and rituals associated with this celebration. To Zoroastrians, Norooz was a celebration of Ahura Mazda and the Holy Fire
Twelve centuries later, in 487 BC, the Persian emperor Darius celebrated Norooz festivities at Persepolis. Much of the palace was adorned with statues depicting this celebration. It was here, that Norooz became a very special celebration, and it has been suggested that Persepolis may have been built for the purpose of celebrating Norooz. After Darius, Norooz traditions continued through the Parthian and Sassanid dynasties. It survived the introduction of Islam in 650AD and continued to be celebrated through the subsequent Turkish and Mongol invasions
Norooz today is commemorated by several events. First, as the spring equinox approaches, all Persian families do a spring cleaning and buy new items, such as clothes. The disposal of the old, with the replacement of the new, symbolizes rebirth during the spring. Also, the night before the last Wednesday of the Persian calendar is the traditional Iranian Festival of Fire. This festival dates back to Zoroastrian times and symbolizes the celebration of the good (light) over the bad (darkness). Small fires are made in the streets and people jump over the fires to symbolically rid themselves of sickness and problems. The fire, in turn, replaces health and good luck to those who jump over it.
At home, a traditional table containing the seven S’s or haft seen is prepared. Seven items, which start with the letter S in Farsi, are placed on this table, each symbolizing different aspects of life. The table is adorned ornately, for it not only has spiritual value to those that make it, but also represents their good taste. On Norooz, family members gather around the haft seen and wait for the exact moment of the spring equinox, at which time gifts are exchanged. The families spend the rest of Norooz visiting close family, relatives and friends, with a number of short visits. Traditionally, the youngest of the family visits the eldest member first. As the day goes on the eldest will reciprocate and repay his respects to the younger family members. Visits are typically short and are highlighted with many varieties of sweets and pastries.
Thirteen days after Norooz, Iranian families mark the occasion with a picnic outdoors. At some time during the picnic, home grown lentil sprouts are thrown into running water to symbolize the removal of all bad luck and ill-will. This day officially marks the end of all the Norooz festivities
Norooz is a holiday tradition that is in harmony with the rebirth of nature. The celebration encompasses the ancient concept of good versus bad, as well as death and rebirth. Norooz truly is one of the most important events in Iranian culture and is celebrated by many throughout the world