The Letter
to the Editor
- The letter to the editor falls in the category of formal letter.
- It is written to the Editor of any national/local daily newspaper or magazine.
- It follows the format of formal letter.
Purpose : to address some important and urgent issue/problem and spread awareness about it with a view to
bring about a change in society/system.
1 Sender’s address
________________________ leave
a line
2 Date
(16 March 2018)
________________________
leave a line
3 Address of the receiver
_________________________
leave a line
4 Subject (short and concise)
_________________________ leave a line
5. salutation (sir/ma'am)
________________________ leave a line
6 Main
Body/content (3-4 paragraphs)
1 Paragraph – state the
present state of affairs, urgency or significance of the issue/topic/matter
2 Paragraph – describe reasons/problems
associated with the issue/topic
3
Paragraph – suggestions/measures, state the need of the hour
4 Paragraph – make an
appeal to the readers to do the needful, request the editor to give space to
the letter
7 Complimentary Close (Thanking you/Thank you)
________________________ leave a line
8 Subscription (Yours faithfully/Yours sincerely)
8 Name (name
given or ABC)
9. Designation (if required)
Points
to take care (dos and don’ts) :
1. Use
formal, simple and polite language
2. The
language should not be aggressive, insulting or rude
3. Don’t
use contractions/short forms such as I’m, you’ve, don’t and ur.
4. Don’t
use symbols and numbers such as &, +, @, 10th commission, etc.
5. Don’t
use imperative sentences such as take strict action and implement laws.
6. Informal
expressions/ greetings should be avoided. (hi, how do you do, what’s up)
7. Don’t
use derogatory words or defamatory language.
8. Align
the format and entire letter to the left.
9. The
matter and information should be straight forward, relevant and to the point. Avoid
giving unnecessary information.
10. Don’t ask the editor to take any
measures or solve the problem. He is only supposed to print letter in his
newspaper.
Subscription
:
Yours faithfully if the salutation is Sir/Ma’am or
Dear sir/ma’am
Yours sincerely if salutation is Dear Mr. Kapoor/Ms.
Shalini
Note that ‘Yours truly’ is used in place of Yours
faithfully by users of American English.
Marking
Scheme :
Format
– 1 marks
Content
– 3 marks
Expression
– 4 marks ( fluency – 2 & accuracy – 2 )
Total
– 8 marks
Sample of Letter to the Editor
Q. You are Neerav/Neeru, a resident of A-105, Naya Bazar, Chandigarh. You read
a newspaper report about increasing number of road accidents due to rash
driving by young generation. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily
to sensitize the people about the grave issue and suggest the measures to be
taken to curb the problem in about 120-150 words.
Ans.
A - 105, Naya Bazar
Chandigarh
14 March 2018
The Editor
The Times of India
New Delhi
Subject – Increasing number of road
accidents due to rash driving by youngsters
Sir / Ma'am
Through the column of your esteemed
newspaper I wish to draw the attention of readers towards increasing number of
road accidents. We all know that the main reason behind these accidents is rash
driving. The survey report by your newspaper shows that craze for speed among young
generation is responsible for increasing number of deaths in road accidents.
The caution boards on roads like ‘Speed thrills but kills’ and ‘Better late than never’ also are unable to diminish the fascination for speed among the youth. They lack sense of responsibility and discipline which are mandatory for a driver. Teenagers and youngsters believe in flaunting their brand new vehicles and driving skills which prove to be fatal.
There are many cases when they lose their life adding to the woes of their family. There is an added danger to the pedestrians and the bikers. The lives that could be productive by living more on this earth are laid down at the feet of rash driving.
It is very unfortunate that number of deaths in road accidents is increasing with devilish speed. It is essential for parents to be vigilant and restrain their children from driving if they are under age. The police should strictly implement the traffic rules. Heavy fines must be imposed on the people if they are defaulters in many cases such as not having driving license, being under age, over speeding, riding without helmets, etc. This is responsibility of the family, society and authorities to join hands to curb the problem.
I believe that little care with more strictness can reduce number of deaths and keep the roads safe and clean. The menace of rash driving can be curbed with vigilance and discipline. I hope that my letter would find sufficient space in your newspaper.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Neerav/Neeru
Q. You are Akansha/Akash, a resident of C-95, Patel Nagar, Meerut. You read a newspaper report about water crisis in neighbouring states. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily expressing your concern on the acute shortage of drinking water and suggest the measures to be taken to tackle the problem in about 120-150 words.
Ans.
C-95, Patel Nagar
Meerut
01 May 2018
The Editor
The Hindu
New Delhi
Subject – Problem of water scarcity
Sir / Ma'am
Through the column of your esteemed newspaper I wish
to draw the attention of readers towards looming crisis due to water scarcity
faced by many states such as Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, etc. Water is life as
it is the basic necessity of a living organism. It is ironical that we cannot
live without water still, we waste it like it is not going to be extinguished,
ever.
Every year percentage of potable water is getting
down and underground water table is going down posing a serious threat to the
existence of mankind. It is happening because we are becoming selfish, ignorant
and unconcerned and wasting water without thinking of future generations.
Man, being the most intelligent creation, has to
realise his responsibilities towards mankind and future generations. We should
avoid using taps and showers for brushing, shaving, washing, bathing, etc. Rather,
we should stick to bucket and mug for such needs. Reuse of water draining out
from ACs and water filters can solve the problem to a great extent.
To conclude, using water wisely and saving it to the
optimum level we can save the world from this looming danger of water scarcity.
As an individual, we all must realise our responsibility and become a water
saviour taking up all the possible measures. I do believe that little care with sincere efforts can
tackle even the herculean task. I request the editor to give sufficient space
to my letter.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Akansha/Akash
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