Letter-writing | CBSE Class 11 English Notes

This note covers formal and informal letters, planning a message, letter layout, salutations and endings, requests for information, job applications, the curriculum vitae, covering letters and guided letter-writing practice.

Note: This chapter is in the current NCERT textbook but is not part of the CBSE 2026-27 examination syllabus for Class 11 English. Use it to build understanding, and check your school's own syllabus before relying on it for exams.

How do purpose and reader shape a letter?

What distinguishes formal and informal letters?

Letter-writing is a means of communication between people in different places. It is a skill that develops through practice. A letter is usually part of a series of exchanges between people or parties, so a writer must consider what has already been communicated.

In general, letters fall into two types. Formal letters communicate official business and information. Informal letters include personal communication with friends and family. The distinction concerns the relationship and purpose as well as the appearance of the letter.

Formal letters help people communicate with public bodies and agencies about civic requirements, meaning needs connected with public services and community life. Asking for a certificate or reporting a change of address are examples. These purposes need clear information and a recognisable purpose; include a request when action is needed.

The addressee is the person to whom a letter is addressed. Identify this person before choosing the language. Writing to an official about a missing document involves a different relationship from writing to a friend about an experience.

What should be decided before drafting?

Tone means the attitude conveyed by the wording. Choose a tone suited to the reader and purpose. Completeness means including the information needed to understand the message; conciseness means expressing it without unnecessary words.

Use these considerations together. A brief letter can still be incomplete if it omits the actual request. A detailed letter can still be unclear if it does not explain why the details matter. The aim is a complete message expressed economically.

For example, a request for a certificate needs to make that purpose clear. A notification of a changed address instead supplies information. Do not turn both into the same memorised paragraph simply because both are formal letters.

How can you build a formal letter step by step?

What sequence organises the message?

A formal letter has a basic structure, meaning the order in which its message develops. This structure must be modified for its purpose and reader. Some stages offer alternatives: a first letter introduces the writer, while a reply can refer to earlier correspondence.

Correspondence means an exchange of letters. A reference to earlier correspondence connects the present letter with what the reader already knows. It should help the reader understand the current message rather than delay the purpose with an empty opening.

1. Establish the connection. Introduce yourself when writing for the first time, or refer to the earlier letter when responding.
2. State the purpose. Explain the reason for writing so that the reader can identify the matter being discussed.
3. Develop the message. Say what information or action you require, or supply information and explain action already taken.
4. Indicate the next step. Urge the required action or offer further assistance, according to the situation.

How does the sequence work in a request?

Worked example 1. You have not received the Roll Number card for the Class XII examination. The task is to ask the Registrar, Examination Branch, Central Board of Secondary Education, for it. A Roll Number card is the examination document referred to in this request.

Answer: Begin by identifying yourself as the candidate writing about the Class XII examination. State that the card has not arrived. Ask the Registrar to arrange for it to be sent. End with a polite request for a reply.

A possible body sentence, meaning a sentence within the main message, is: “I have not yet received my Roll Number card for the Class XII examination. Please arrange to send it to me.” This wording expresses the supplied problem and the requested action.

To turn this into your own complete letter, use your actual identifying details and address. Obtain the candidate name, registration number and examination date needed to identify the request accurately.

The same structure also allows replies. A reply would explain what action has been taken or what information is being supplied. This is why a useful plan identifies the letter's function before deciding how each paragraph will begin.

How should you arrange the parts of a formal letter?

What does the full-block layout show?

Format means the visible arrangement of a letter's parts. In the full-block style, all parts are aligned on the left. This includes the sender's details, date, addressee's details, main message and ending. The date and signature are very important.

The sender is the person writing the letter. A company may use a letterhead, printed stationery carrying its name. A letterhead may also include the name and designation, or official position, of a responsible person.

A subject line briefly identifies the matter being discussed. Most official letters carry one just above the salutation, which is the greeting used to address the reader. The subject provides quick reference; it does not replace the message itself.

Worked example 2. Use the gas-company format to identify the order of the parts. Ritu Patel, Manager, Customer Services, writes from Vijayanagar Gas Company to Mr Shagun Thomas about his application for a new gas connection.

How do you use the format without inventing the message?

Answer: Place the sender's details first, followed by the date and recipient's details. Add the subject and salutation. Write the body below, then the polite ending and signature. Keep these parts aligned on the left when using full-block style.

An application number identifies the matter; it does not show that the connection has been approved. Include approval, payment instructions or an installation date only when these have been confirmed.

The content, or main message, begins on the next line after the salutation and is arranged in two or three paragraphs. Address lines do not each require a comma. Keep information grouped clearly instead of adding punctuation mechanically after every line.

How do you choose a salutation and a suitable ending?

How does the relationship affect the greeting?

A salutation is the way a letter addresses its reader. It indicates the relationship at the beginning of the message. A greeting for an unknown official differs from one for a named professional or someone known personally.

Semi-formal describes a relationship combining personal acquaintance with some formality. Knowing someone's name is not the same as knowing them personally. The greeting should reflect the relationship rather than merely the availability of a first name.

What makes an ending complete?

A complimentary close is a courteous closing expression. Letters usually end politely, with wording such as “Thank you”, “With regards” or “With best wishes”. The closing formula and the writer's signature complete the letter.

In the guidance for choosing between endings, use “Yours sincerely” after addressing someone by name and “Yours faithfully” after “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam”. “Yours truly” also appears among the formal closing forms and in the job-application example.

Worked example 3. An enquiry to an unnamed tourism manager begins “Dear Sir”. Choose a matching ending and correct the incomplete phrase “Thanking you”.

Answer: Use “Thank you” as the complete polite expression, followed by “Yours faithfully” and the signature. This combines a courteous sentence with the closing form suited to the greeting.

A hanging participle here means an unfinished participial expression, such as “Awaiting your reply”, used as though it were a complete closing sentence. Replace it with “I look forward to your reply” or another complete expression.

Avoid hackneyed expressions, meaning stale, overused wording. A reference to an earlier letter should feel connected to the actual exchange. Acknowledging its receipt or responding to the information it contained is more purposeful than repeating a stock opening.

How can you write a personal letter or an information enquiry?

What flexibility does a personal letter allow?

The format of a personal letter is flexible. You might write just your city's name at the top, followed by the date. The example addressed to Sujata begins with Hyderabad and 12 November 2005, followed by the greeting.

Personal endings can reflect affection and familiarity. Examples include “Yours affectionately”, “With love”, “All the best” and “Take care”. Choose an ending appropriate to your relationship and complete it with your signature.

In the flexible format, your address, without your name, usually goes at the top right, but may also go on the left. The recipient's name or job title, if known, and address go on the left. Flexibility does not remove the need for clear information.

How does the tourism enquiry put a request into words?

The flexible format may also be used to seek information from the concerned authorities. In the tourism example, Suryadhan Kumar writes from 179 NCERT Campus, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110 016, on 9 September 2005.

The recipient is the Manager, Himachal Tourism, Mall Road, Shimla. The planned visit is to Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, during Dussehra. The request concerns lodging, meaning accommodation, especially inexpensive hotels in and around the destination.

Worked example 4. Draft the body of the enquiry using the holiday plan, hotel requirement and request for a city map and brochures about activities and sights. A brochure is an information booklet or leaflet.

Answer: “We plan to visit Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh during Dussehra. Please let us know about available accommodation, particularly inexpensive hotels in and around Dharamsala.”

“Please also send a city map and brochures giving information about local activities and places to see. Thank you.” End the letter with “Yours faithfully” and Suryadhan Kumar's signature after the greeting “Dear Sir”.

This request moves from context to specific needs. The holiday plan explains why the writer needs help. The hotel requirement narrows the enquiry. The map and brochures identify the materials requested. It asks for information without turning the enquiry into a hotel booking.

When adapting it, keep the requested action precise. Asking for accommodation information is different from reserving a room. Keep an information enquiry focused on the accommodation details you want the recipient to provide.

How do you turn a job advertisement into an application plan?

What information must you extract first?

A job application communicates a request to be considered for employment. Applications are usually written in response to advertisements. Begin by reading the advertisement carefully so that the letter addresses the advertised position and its requirements.

The sample advertisement appears in The Hindu dated 15 November 2005. It invites applications for Customer Support Executives at Wonderland Communications, South Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu. Customer support concerns assisting customers; the advertisement emphasises service and communication skills.

It invites graduate or diploma holders with or without experience. Good customer service skills are required, and excellent spoken and written English communication is essential. Applicants are asked to send their applications with a resume and a passport-size photograph.

A resume is a concise account of an applicant's background, academic qualifications, meaning educational attainments, and experience, if any. The terms curriculum vitae and biodata are also used for this record of personal and professional particulars.

How can the advertisement become a checklist?

1. Identify the post. Record the advertised position so the application clearly names the job sought.
2. Read the qualifications. Check the degree or diploma requirement against the applicant's actual educational background.
3. Read the experience condition. Notice that applicants with or without experience may apply; previous employment is not insisted upon.
4. Identify the skills. Connect relevant customer service and English communication abilities with the requirements.
5. Check the enclosures. An enclosure is a document or item sent with a letter. Here the advertisement requests a resume and passport-size photograph.
6. Record the destination. Send the application to the organisation and address specified in the advertisement.

Worked example 5. Can someone seeking a first job apply under this advertisement? Answer: Yes, provided the stated educational and skill requirements are met, because the advertisement accepts candidates without experience. Do not confuse “without experience” with “without qualifications”.

Check salary, interview dates and application deadlines with the employer before treating them as confirmed. When preparing a response, distinguish the employer's requirements from the applicant's evidence of meeting them.

How do you prepare a curriculum vitae from accurate details?

Which particulars belong in the document?

A curriculum vitae organises particulars about the applicant so that qualifications, skills and background can be read separately from the covering letter. A covering letter is the accompanying letter that introduces the application and connects it to the job.

Begin with the applicant's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and date of birth. Academic qualifications are educational attainments, recorded with the examination, board or university, subjects, year and division. Division means the classification of the result.

References here are people, such as a school Principal, who can certify the applicant's character and conduct. The term does not mean books consulted or the subject line of a letter. Its meaning depends on the application context.

How do you avoid filling gaps with invented particulars?

Worked example 6. An applicant has just completed a Diploma in Communication from the State Polytechnic and is seeking a first job. Identify the educational fact that can be recorded and the experience claim that must be avoided.

Answer: Record the Diploma in Communication and the State Polytechnic as the supplied educational details. Describe the applicant as seeking a first job. Do not turn that into a claim of previous customer-support employment.

Complete the result division, year of completion, date of birth and telephone number from the applicant's actual record. Review the completed form to identify any particulars that still need to be collected.

Review the resume alongside the covering letter. The two should agree about qualifications and experience. If one presents the applicant as a newcomer while the other lists invented employment, the application loses internal consistency. Accuracy matters in both the organised record and the accompanying prose.

How can a covering letter connect the applicant to the job?

Which details make the application relevant?

The covering-letter example is addressed to the Manager, Human Resource Division, Wonderland Communications, South Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu. A Human Resource Division is the part of an organisation concerned with personnel matters, including employment.

Its opening identifies the Customer Support Executive post and the advertisement in The Hindu of 15 November 2005. Naming both links the application to a particular opportunity. The reader can immediately identify why the letter has arrived.

The applicant has just completed a Diploma in Communication from the State Polytechnic. If selected, this would be the applicant's first job. The letter connects that position with the advertisement's acceptance of people without previous experience.

The personal qualities presented are sincerity, honesty and willingness to work hard. The applicant also describes being friendly and outgoing, with good communication skills. Outgoing means sociable and willing to interact with others.

What does a worked body look like?

Worked example 7. Use those details to draft an application body. Keep the stated qualification, first-job position and qualities. Do not add a name, contact details or past employment.

Answer: “Please consider my application for the Customer Support Executive position advertised in The Hindu on 15 November 2005. I have recently completed a Diploma in Communication at the State Polytechnic.”

“This would be my first job if I am selected, so I welcome the opportunity for candidates without experience. I am honest, sincere and hardworking, with a friendly, outgoing manner and good communication skills.”

“My resume accompanies this application. I would welcome an opportunity to meet you.” Add the sender's actual name and address, the date, the recipient's details, salutation, courteous close and signature to form the complete letter.

Use an advertisement checklist when assembling the application. Include both the resume and the passport-size photograph requested by Wonderland Communications, and check that every required enclosure is present before sending the application.

This model also shows how a request can close positively. The applicant looks forward to meeting the employer without claiming that an interview has already been arranged. A wish for future contact is different from an appointment confirmed by the organisation.

How can you answer the practice tasks and revise your draft?

What does each writing situation require?

The practice tasks vary the reader, purpose and kind of content. Use the task instruction to identify what the letter must accomplish. A request, suggestion, expression of views, narrative and description need different development even when some format elements are shared.

A Residents' Welfare Association is a neighbourhood residents' organisation. Water scarcity means a shortage of available water, while conservation means saving it and avoiding waste. For this task, proposed measures should address both the shortage and the careful use of water.

In the newspaper task, law and order concerns public order and safety. A narrative recounts experiences or events, whereas a description communicates what was observed. The rescue and cultural-visit tasks therefore call for different ways of developing the body.

How should you review an answer?

1. Check the reader. Confirm that the address, salutation and tone suit the person named in the task.
2. Check the purpose. Make the request, suggestion, views, experience or description clear early in the message.
3. Check the information. Include supplied facts and use your actual experience where the activity calls for it.
4. Check the ending. State the action required where appropriate, choose a courteous close and include the signature.
5. Check conciseness. Remove repeated wording while retaining the details needed for a complete message.

The open-ended activities require the writer's own ideas or experience. Before drafting a full rescue narrative or cultural description, collect those details. The task title alone does not establish a rescue location, a performer's name or a particular work of art.

Use this distinction in revision: format organises the visible parts, while content fulfils the task. Correct placement of the date cannot make an incomplete request complete. Equally, a clear request still needs a suitable greeting, ending and identifying details.

Glossary

• Addressee — The person to whom a letter is addressed and its message is directed.
• Salutation — The greeting used to address the reader at the beginning of a letter.
• Subject line — A brief indication of the letter's topic, provided for quick reference.
• Full-block style — A letter layout in which all parts are aligned along the left side.
• Letterhead — Printed stationery carrying a company's name and sometimes responsible persons' names and designations.
• Correspondence — An exchange of letters connecting the present communication with earlier messages.
• Complimentary close — A courteous closing expression used towards the end of a letter.
• Conciseness — Expressing the message without unnecessary wording while retaining its essential information.
• Resume — A concise record of background, academic qualifications and experience, if any.
• Covering letter — The accompanying letter introducing an application and relating it to the advertised post.
• References — People in suitable positions who can certify an applicant's character and conduct.
• Enclosure — A document or other item sent along with a letter.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: Every letter needs exactly the same paragraphs. Correct: Adapt the basic structure to the purpose and reader. A first communication may introduce the writer, while a reply may refer to an earlier letter and explain action taken.
• Misconception: Every official letter must contain a subject line. Correct: Most official letters carry one just above the salutation. Preserve that qualification instead of turning a common feature into an exceptionless rule.
• Misconception: A personal letter's address must be on the right. Correct: It usually goes at the top right, but may also go on the left. The personal format allows flexibility.
• Misconception: “Thanking you” is a complete closing sentence. Correct: Use “Thank you”. Similarly, replace “Awaiting your reply” with a complete expression such as “I look forward to your reply”.
• Misconception: The gas-connection application number proves approval. Correct: It identifies the application being discussed. Approval requires a separate confirmation from the gas company.
• Misconception: The customer-support advertisement requires previous employment. Correct: It accepts applicants with or without experience, while still specifying educational and communication requirements.
• Misconception: A resume can be completed by guessing missing particulars. Correct: Enter accurate personal and educational details. Do not invent years, results, experience or references to fill a form.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. A formal letter communicates official business; an informal letter includes personal communication with friends or family. Classify a request to an agency for a certificate and a letter telling a friend about an experience. Give one reason for each. [2 marks]

1. The certificate request is formal because it asks an agency to deal with an official requirement.
2. The letter to a friend is informal because it communicates a personal experience within a personal relationship.

Q2. Full-block style aligns every part of a letter on the left. A draft puts its sender's address on the right and centres its signature. Identify the two changes needed to make its alignment full-block. [2 marks]

1. Move the sender's address to the left so it follows the full-block arrangement.
2. Move the signature to the left as well, aligning it with the other parts of the letter.

Q3. A tourism enquiry concerns a Dussehra holiday in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. The writer wants inexpensive hotels in and around the destination, a city map and brochures about activities and sights. Draft three separate sentences covering the purpose, accommodation enquiry and requested materials. [3 marks]

1. We are planning a holiday in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, during Dussehra and would be grateful for information to help us prepare for our visit.
2. Please let us know about accommodation available in the area, particularly inexpensive hotels in Dharamsala and its surroundings.
3. Please also send us a city map and brochures describing activities and places to see during our stay.

Q4. A letter begins “Dear Sir”. The guidance pairs this greeting with “Yours faithfully”, places a signature after the close, and requires complete expressions such as “Thank you” or “I look forward to your reply”. Revise an ending that says “Thanking you. Awaiting your reply. Yours sincerely.” and has no signature. Explain four corrections. [4 marks]

1. Replace “Thanking you” with “Thank you” so that the polite expression is complete rather than an unfinished participial phrase.
2. Replace “Awaiting your reply” with “I look forward to your reply”, making the expectation a complete sentence.
3. Use “Yours faithfully” to match the supplied greeting, “Dear Sir”, which addresses an unnamed recipient.
4. Add the writer's signature after the closing formula, completing the ending and identifying the writer of the letter.

Q5. Wonderland Communications, South Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu, advertises Customer Support Executive posts in The Hindu on 15 November 2005. It accepts graduates or diploma holders with or without experience, requires good customer service skills and excellent spoken and written English, and asks for an application, resume and passport-size photograph. Produce a five-point application checklist covering the post, education, experience, skills and submission. [5 marks]

1. Identify the Customer Support Executive post and connect the application to the advertisement published in The Hindu on 15 November 2005.
2. Check that the applicant holds a degree or diploma, and prepare accurate educational particulars to demonstrate the stated qualification.
3. Record experience accurately. The advertisement accepts candidates with or without experience, so a first-time applicant need not invent previous employment.
4. Address both kinds of skill: good customer service abilities and excellent English communication in speaking and writing, using accurate information about the applicant.
5. Prepare the application with the resume and passport-size photograph, and use the supplied address: Wonderland Communications, South Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu.

Q6. An applicant seeks the Customer Support Executive post advertised in The Hindu on 15 November 2005. The applicant has just completed a Diploma in Communication at the State Polytechnic, seeks a first job, is sincere, honest, hardworking, friendly and outgoing, has good communication skills, encloses a resume and hopes to meet the employer. The advertisement accepts candidates without experience. Draft a covering-letter body as five separate points: application, education, experience, qualities and closing request. [5 marks]

1. I wish to apply for the Customer Support Executive post advertised in The Hindu on 15 November 2005 and request consideration for the position.
2. I have just completed my Diploma in Communication from the State Polytechnic and would like to present this qualification in support of my application.
3. If selected, this would be my first job. I am pleased that your advertisement welcomes applications from candidates who do not have previous experience.
4. I am sincere, honest and hardworking. My friendly and outgoing nature, together with my good communication skills, supports my interest in this customer-facing position.
5. I enclose my resume with this application and look forward to an opportunity to meet you in person to discuss my application.

Key takeaways

• Decide the purpose, reader, tone, necessary information and required action before drafting the main message.
• Adapt the formal letter's basic structure according to whether you are introducing yourself, requesting action or replying.
• Full-block style places all parts on the left; the date and signature remain very important.
• Most official letters have a subject line above the salutation, allowing quick reference to the matter.
• Personal letters allow a flexible format, while the greeting and ending should suit the relationship.
• A clear enquiry explains the situation and specifies the information or materials the reader should supply.
• Read a job advertisement for qualifications, experience, skills, required enclosures and the address for submission.
• Keep the resume and covering letter consistent, and obtain actual particulars instead of inventing missing details.

Test yourself

What are the six planning considerations for a letter?

Consider purpose, the person addressed, tone, completeness of the message, action required and conciseness of expression.

How does a first letter differ from a reply at the opening stage?

A first letter may introduce the writer; a reply may refer to earlier correspondence before developing the present message.

What distinguishes full-block style from the flexible personal format?

Full-block style aligns every part on the left. A personal letter allows flexibility, including an address usually at the top right but also permitted on the left.

What does Suryadhan Kumar request besides hotel information?

He requests a city map and brochures about activities and sights in Dharamsala.

Why can the diploma holder apply for a first job?

The advertisement accepts applicants without experience, provided they meet the stated educational and skill requirements.

What do references mean in a curriculum vitae?

They are people in appropriate positions, such as a school Principal, who can certify character and conduct.

Why should an application checklist include the advertisement's enclosures?

The checklist helps ensure that the application includes every item the employer requires, including both the resume and the passport-size photograph.

How can you check completeness without making the letter unnecessarily long?

Retain the purpose, necessary details and required action, then remove repetition and wording that adds no useful information.