ALOE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE (GRADE 8)
TEACHERS: MR MSOMI & MR SCHOLTZ
Format of Formal Letter Writing
Sender’s Address
Date (Month Day, Year)
Recipient’s name/ Designation
National or Local Daily’s name/Organisation
/ School Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Salutation (Sir/ Madam)
Subject: Title of Subject
Introductory Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Body: Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Body: Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concluding Paragraph 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closing (Sincerely)
Name
Marking scheme - Formal Letter:
(8 marks)
Skill Assessed:
*Knowledge/Understanding- 2 mks
*Application
- 3mks
*Communication
- 3mks
Total - 8 mks
Format
 Writer’s address
½ mark
 Date
¼ mark
 Designation and complete address of the recipient
½ mark
 Salutation (Sir)
¼ mark
 Subject
¼ mark
The Body
 Introductory statement (if well written)
½ mark
 Factual details: Information or news the writer wishes to share with the receiver
1mark
 Originally and writing skill….how imaginative and creative the child has been.
1 mark
 Language skills (Use of good vocabulary/grammar/figures of speech)
2 marks
 Coherence ( ie If a fluent thought process is visible as the matter progress from one paragraph to another…points well
organized and linked.)
1 mark
 Complimentary close
½ mark
 Subscription
¼ mark
Sample of a well drafted Formal letter-1
927 Council Street
South Extension
New Delhi- 110006
April 22, 2011
The Manager
Human Resource Department
The Times Daily
17 North Avenue
New Delhi – 110022
Sir
Subject: Application for Part –time job
This letter is in response to your advertisement in Sunday’s issue of The Times Daily. The advertisement did indicate that you were
now looking for 14 to 16 year –old students to work part time after school in order to get new customers for your newspaper. I would
like to apply for this job.
Next autumn, I will be promoted to tenth grade at Carver Middle School and I’ll be 15 years old,then. A job such as the one you
advertised would help me gain good work experience and allow me to earn some money for higher education.
I do have some experience which was gained by working in the school office. Mr. Paul Marks, the school principal, has given me
permission to use his name as a reference. He indicated that he would be glad to furnish a letter of recommendation.
I am available to come in for an interview any day after school.
Yours sincerely
Ashwin Xavier
Sample letter to the Editor addressing an issue of concern-2
927 Council Street
South Extension
New Delhi – 110006
April 22, 2009
The Editor
The Times of India
17 North Avenue
New Delhi – 110022
Sir
Subject: Increase in number of malaria causing mosquitoes in Seven Bungalows locality
This is to draw your kind attention, to the inconvenience caused due to the increasing number of mosquitoes in the Seven Bungalows
locality. This has been a major issue for the past many years. Many complaints have been lodged but to no avail.
This issue has caused a major trouble in the entire area. It has become difficult for people to walk in their localities during the
evenings. Despite repetitive complaints and letters, the land between the fourteen storeyed building ‘Avinash’ and the Seven
Bungalows bus depot is filled with trash.
Moreover, the drainage system is left open for the past few days and is even worse. The stagnant dirty water and the filthy surroundings have
become a breeding ground for malaria causing mosquitoes. Immediate action is required to be taken against this ordeal, since one of our
neighbourhood children could not appear for a crucial examination due to malaria. This is just once case, there are many others included in the list.
Hence, there are a few humble suggestions made by the entire locality. The area needs to be cleaned regularly. Pesticides/medicines should be
made use of to control the breeding of the mosquitoes. The drainage and the sewage should be covered properly. Since it is a barren land, it should
be covered entirely with mud/sand/gravel. Strictly no trash should be allowed to be thrown in this area.
We are law abiding citizens paying our taxes regularly. At least, we can expect this much from the government that they keep the surroundings
healthy and neat. We sincerely hope you will publish this letter in your daily to make the government and the mass aware of this problem that has
prevailed for a long time so that some concrete solutions can be found for this problem.
Yours truly
Arun Menon
Formal Letter Writing Rubric
Skill Strands
0 or ½ mk
1mk
Format(knowledge)
Meager or none of the required parts of the
format is seen in the letter
some of the components are present Most of the components of the
with traces of errors in more than 2 format is clear with very few
places
minor errors
0 or 1 mk
*Little or no use of key vocabulary / words/
phrases on the topic(to a very minimal
extent)
Usage of good
*Frequent/ plenty of mistakes in simple
vocabulary/grammatical conventions/ spelling, punctuation and grammar that
distracts reader’s attention
tone etc
*v.poor skills in constructing sentences
* Very minimal / or no use of appropriate
(Application)
tone
1mk
Organisation of ideas/ clarity/
comprehension
*Stream of consciousness writing. Overall,
the letter feels disorganized.
(Communication)
* Frequent evidence of redundancy that
shows lack of creative writing
*Paragraphs are not well developed and
there is no flow of thought process
.
* Little or no evidence of reflection on the
topic beyond basic understanding.
* It is hard to understand the information.
1 ½ mk
1 ½ - 2 mks
2 ½ - 2 ¾ mks
2mks
Letter has a complete layout
with Sender’s& receiver’s
address, date, salutation,
subject , regards and name
3mks
*Uses some key vocabulary and
other words/phrases related to
the topic (to a large extent) with
few minor errors.
* Extensive use of key
vocabulary indicates control of
topic ideas.
*No significant errors in
spelling, punctuation and
*Simple errors in spelling,
grammar.
punctuation, and grammar
mainly correct. Attempts at more *Uses appropriate tone
*Letter has 2 or more errors in
complex spelling or punctuation consistently
sentence construction
*Deviates from language tone more may contain mistakes.
than once
* Slight deviation from tone
*Glimpses of key vocabulary and
other words/ phrases related to the
topic (to a fair extent)
* Major errors in spelling ,
punctuation and grammar
1 ½ - 2 mks
. *Letter shows the student has
understood the topic but not all of
the important details.
*Whole letter is partially effective
with major errors in organizing ideas
and also in clarity
*Paragraphs are used to organize
ideas but evidence of redundancy
more than twice.
*The overall gist of the information
is satisfactory and specific parts
hinders the process of reading
2 ½ or 2 ¾ mks
* Paragraphs are used to
organize and mainly include
sentences on the same topic in
the Letter. Overall structure is
obvious.
*Whole letter is effective with
very few minor errors in
organizing ideas and also in
clarity
3 mks
*Paragraphs are detailed and
well-developed.
*Transitions between
paragraphs make language
flow naturally. Whole letter is
effectively structured.
*The overall gist of the
information is clear, but specific
* Both the overall meaning and
parts little confusing.
the supported details are
clearly presented
Total