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Dear Bank Exam Aspirant,

TalentSprint wishes you success in your endeavor to join Banking Career.
As part of our SBI & IBPS Bank Exam Learning Series, we are sharing with you a part of
our exclusive BankersChoice material which is designed to enable aspirant with clear
competitive advantage over others.
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For more information, Visit: www.BankersChoice.in or Call: 1800 103 3040 today.
Sridhar K, Sr. Vice President, TalentSprint

01

Imagine that you write to a real friend of yours. Friends usually have names so address
him/her with a name: begin the letter with Dear Janaki/ Tora /Revathi, etc. Begin your
letter with some general statements. Refer to the letter you have received from your
friend and thank him/her for it or apologise for the fact that you have not answered the
last letter soon enough.
Use the proper register. The letter is supposed to be informal so you can use
contractions, informal linking words like well, by the way, anyway, so, colloquial
expressions, etc.
You can use more-conversation-like statements or questions in your letter: You know that
I had this exam, right? You think he will be able to come to the party?
Use questions to ask about your friend - arrange the next meeting, send greetings to
his/her friends and family, etc.
End your letter in informal way: Best wishes; Love; Regards.

Useful expressions:
Thank you for your letter. It was nice to hear from you.
Your last letter was a real surprise. It was so nice of you to remember about...
Thanks a lot for the information you've sent me in your last letter.
I've just received your letter. I'm so happy to hear that...
I'm sorry I haven't answered earlier but I was really busy with my school.
I'm sorry I haven't written for so long but...

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Well, that's all for now. Will talk to you soon.
Give my regards to your Mummy.
I hope we will be able to arrange a get-together.
Do write back as I'm waiting for the news from you.

02

Q: You are spending your holidays in a very exciting place you have always wanted to
visit. The people you travel with are really nice so you enjoy their companionship. Write a
letter to your friend describing what you have been doing so far and what you still plan to
do.

Dear Sylvia,

Thank you a lot for your last letter. It was a nice surprise to hear from you. I'm sorry I
haven't written to you earlier but I had to organise some things concerning my trip.

As you probably remember I've always wanted to visit some unusual places. And now, at
last, off I went! But you'd never guess where I've chosen to spend my holiday. It's on the
snowy peaks of the Himalayas! You would never think of it, would you? I'm so excited
about the whole event!

The people I travel with are incredible. It's their fourteenth expedition there. They know
every path in the snow by heart and they are very helpful. They share their knowledge
and experience with me. Would you believe that here everything is different? You even
need to set your tent in a special way. It's all very challenging. Tomorrow we plan to
move further North so I may not be able to stay in touch for a while.

Anyway, I'd like to meet you when I get back. Hope you are enjoying your holiday. Do
write back soon.

Love,
Vat

03

Business Letter Writing

Learning Aims
After the completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Grasp layout of business letters.
2. Learn how to address envelopes.
3. Be familiar with styles of letters.
Brief Introduction
Business letters are the principle means used by firms or companies to keep in touch with
their customers. They are sent to ask for or to convey information, to make or accept an
offer, to deal with matters concerning negation of business and so on. Foreign trade
personnel should not only understand but also be good at business letters.
Section 1 The Structure of Business letters
Generally speaking, an ordinary business letter mainly consists of seven parts:
(1) Letterhead
(2) Reference and Date Line
(3) Inside Name and Address
(4) Salutation
(5) Letter Body
(6) Complimentary Closure
(7) Signature
Under some Circumstances more parts may be contained:
(8) Attention Line
(9) Subject Line/Caption
(10)

Reference Notation

(11)

Enclosure/Encl.

(12)

Carbon Copy Notation/CC

(13)

Postscript/P.S.

04

1. The Essential Parts

1Letterhead
Letterheads include the essential particulars about the writer-his name and postal
address, his telephone number, his telegraphic and telex addresses, the fax number and
telegraphic codes used and even his website. Good quality paper and a neat, wellorganized letterhead combine to enhance the prestige of the firm that uses them.
(2) Reference and Date Line
The reference may include a file number, department code or the initials of the signer
followed by the typist of the letter. They are marked Our Ref. and Your Ref. to avoid
confusion. They are typed immediately below the letterhead.
The date should always be written in standard form: September 10, 2006, for example.
All number form (10/9/2006) should not be used. The date should be placed on the righthand side for indented style and on the left-hand side for blocked style.
(3) Inside Name and Address
Generally, the inside name and address should include some or all parts of the following:
the receiver's name and title, company name, street address, cit state/province,
postcode and country. It appears on the left margin and usually starts two to four lines
below the last line of the letterhead.
(4) Salutation
Two lines below the inside name and address of a letter is the salutation. The customary
formal greeting in a business letter is Dear Sir or Dear Madam used f addressing one
person; and Dear Sirs, Dear Mesdames or Gentlemen for addressing two or more
people. If the receiver is known to the writer personally, a warmer greeting such as Dear
Mr. Smith is preferred.
(5) Letter Body
This forms body of the letter and is the part that really matters. Before you begin to
write, you must first of all consider the following two points.
What is your aim in writing this letter?
What is the best way to go about it?
Since the main purpose of the letter is to convey a message, the letter should be written
in language that is easily understood. The following serves as reminders.
Write simply, clearly, courteously, grammatically and to the point;
Paragraph correctly, confining each paragraph to one topic;
Avoid stereotyped phrases and commercial jargon.
05

(6) Complimentary Closure

The complimentary closure ends a letter in a polite way. The main words in
complimentary closure are as follows: sincerely, faithfully, cordially, respectfully and truly.
These words may appear in any of these combinations as Yours sincerely or Sincerely
yours. The choice depends on the writer's preference. It is usually placed two lines below
the last line of the body of a letter.
(7) Signature
The writer's signature consists of a handwritten signature and a typewritten signature.
When typing a letter, leave three blank lines below the complimentary closure and type
the signature identification and title on the fourth line. The writer's signature should be
placed between the complimentary closure and the typed signature.
(8) Attention Line
The attention line is used to name the specific individual the letter is addressed to. It is
usually placed between the inside address and the salutation or within the inside address
and centered over the body of a letter in the indented style.
2. The Optional Parts
(9) Subject Line/Caption
The subject line is the general idea of a letter. It is usually placed one or two lines below
the salutation and centered over the body of a letter in the indented style.
(10) Reference Notation
The initials of the person who types the letter should appear in business letters. If the
dictator's name is not typed in the signature area, the reference notation shows the
initials of both the dictator and the typist. It is placed two or three lines below the
signature.
(11) Enclosure/Encl.
If something is enclosed, note it below the reference notation.
(12) Carbon Copy Notation/CC
If copies of a letter are sent to other parties, type CC below the enclosure.
(13) Postscript/P.S.
If the writer wishes to add something he forgets or for emphasis, he may usually add the
postscript two lines below the carbon copy notation.

06

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