Formal correspondence: letters of invitation, request, enquiry, complaint, job application and to the editor
English · Unit III · Topic 15 of 16 · 5 min read
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Cases checked to exist. Read the judgment before quoting a holding.
Every case cited here has been checked to exist — the citation resolves and names the right parties. The propositions attributed to each case have not been verified line by line against the judgment. Case names link through to the full judgment: read it before quoting a holding in an examination answer, and never carry a proposition from notes into court on trust.
1. Layout of a formal letter
- Sender’s address (top left in the modern block format), then the date. In the exam, use a neutral name (“A. B. C.”) and address; do not write your own name or roll number.
- Receiver’s designation and address: The Editor, The Hindu, Bengaluru.
- Subject line: one line stating the purpose.
- Salutation: Sir / Madam, or Dear Sir / Madam.
- Body in three parts: opening (why you write), details (facts, dates, effects), closing (what you want done).
- Complimentary close: Yours faithfully (to an unknown official or editor); Yours sincerely (to a person addressed by name).
- Signature and name.
2. The six kinds and what each needs
| Kind | Must contain |
|---|---|
| Invitation | the occasion, date, time, venue, chief guest; request to attend; RSVP |
| Request | what is requested, why, for how long; a polite closing |
| Enquiry | what you saw (advertisement, notice); specific numbered questions; request for brochure or reply |
| Complaint | the transaction (order no., date, amount); the defect; what you want (replacement, refund, repair); a time limit |
| Job application | the post and where advertised; qualifications; experience; why you suit the post; availability for interview; enclosures (bio-data) |
| Letter to the editor | a request to publish; the problem, its extent and effect on the public; a suggested remedy; an appeal to the authorities |
3. Model: letter to the editor on irregular power supply (10 marks)
A. B. C.
12, 4th Cross, Vidyanagar
Hubballi 580 021
5 February 2026
The Editor
The Times of India
Hubballi
Subject: Irregular power supply in Vidyanagar
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the electricity supply company and the authorities to the irregular power supply in Vidyanagar, Hubballi.
For the past six weeks the area has had unscheduled power cuts several times a day, often lasting three to four hours, and the voltage fluctuates sharply when supply returns. No advance notice is given, and complaints made to the local office on the helpline go unanswered.
The effects are serious. Students preparing for examinations cannot study in the evenings. Patients who depend on medical equipment at home and the elderly suffer in the heat. Small shops and workshops lose business, and several households have had appliances damaged by voltage fluctuations. Water cannot be pumped to overhead tanks, so the power cuts cause a water shortage as well.
I request the authorities to publish a schedule of any necessary load-shedding, replace the overloaded transformer in the area, set up a working complaint cell, and fix responsibility for the delay in repairs. I hope this letter will move them to act promptly.
Yours faithfully,
A. B. C.
For water supply (June 2025) keep the frame and change the body: water is supplied once in four or five days, at odd hours and with low pressure; it is sometimes muddy; people buy tanker water at high cost; there is a risk of water-borne disease; request a fixed timetable, repair of leaking pipelines and testing of water quality by the City Corporation.
4. Model: leave letter to the Principal
To
The Principal
XYZ College of Law
Hubballi
3 February 2026
Subject: Request for leave for eight days
Respected Sir,
I am a student of the first semester of the five-year B.A. LL.B. course. My elder sister’s marriage is to be held at our native place, Davanagere, on 12 February 2026. As the only brother, I have to help my parents with the arrangements and attend the ceremonies.
I therefore request you to grant me leave for eight days, from 8 February to 15 February 2026 (both days inclusive). I shall make up for the classes missed by obtaining notes from my classmates, and I shall submit any assignment that falls due during this period on my return. A copy of the wedding invitation is enclosed.
Thanking you,
Yours obediently,
A. B. C.
I Semester, B.A. LL.B., Roll No. ___
5. Short frames for the other kinds
- Invitation (Secretary, Law Students’ Association to a judge): “We have great pleasure in inviting you to inaugurate the moot court competition on … at 10.30 a.m. in the college auditorium … We would be honoured by your presence.”
- Enquiry (to a publisher or institute): “With reference to your advertisement in … dated …, I should be grateful for the following information: (1) the duration and fee of the course; (2) eligibility; (3) the last date for application.”
- Complaint (to a dealer): “On 2 January I purchased a laptop, invoice no. …, for Rs. …. Within a week the screen stopped working … I request you to replace it within seven days, failing which I shall be constrained to approach the District Consumer Commission.”
- Job application (junior associate in a law firm): post and source; LL.B. and bar enrolment; internships; skills (drafting, research, Kannada and English); “I would welcome an opportunity for an interview”; Encl.: bio-data.
How this is examined
The 80-mark paper has offered a letter to the editor in each of its last two sessions; the 100-mark paper has set a request letter to the Principal. The question is an alternative to the comprehension passage, so choose the letter if you can write a full page quickly. Write about 150 to 200 words in the body, with a subject line and correct close.
Now try the real questions: English past question papers.