Letter Writing

Letter Writing

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

Letter writing is a structured form of written communication that follows a fixed block layout. For NABTEB English Language (3% of total marks, usually Paper II), candidates must master three categories: formal letters (to officials, editors, principals, firms), semi-formal letters (to elders, neighbours, known professionals), and informal letters (to family and close friends). The compulsory block format begins every element at the left margin: writer’s address → date → recipient’s address → salutation → subject/reference → body → subscription → signature. Two distinctions carry the highest marks: use “Yours faithfully” only when the salutation is “Dear Sir/Madam,” and switch to “Yours sincerely” whenever the recipient is named (e.g., “Dear Mr. Adekunle”). Dates must always be written in full (“15th June, 2024”) — figures lose marks.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Block Format and Order of Elements

A formal NABTEB letter follows this strict sequence:

Position	Element	Example
1	Sender’s address	24 Awolowo Road, Ibadan.
2	Date	15th June, 2024
3	Recipient’s address	The Principal, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.
4	Salutation	Dear Sir,
5	Subject/Reference	RE: REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION REVIEW
6	Body	Four paragraphs (see below)
7	Subscription	Yours faithfully,
8	Signature & Name	A. B. Coker

The body follows a four-paragraph rule: (i) opening/purpose, (ii) elaboration with specific details, (iii) supporting argument or evidence, (iv) closing request or expected action.

Salutation–Subscription Pairing

This pairing is the most frequently tested skill in Paper II letter-writing questions.

• Dear Sir/Madam → Yours faithfully (recipient unnamed)
• Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss + surname → Yours sincerely
• Dear + first name → Yours sincerely (informal only)

Language Rules

Formal letters prohibit contractions (“don’t,” “can’t,” “won’t”), slang, and first-person overuse. Vary sentence subjects: instead of “I request… I want… I hope…,” use “Application is hereby made…,” “Consideration would be appreciated…,” or convert to passive voice. End each formal letter with an action verb phrase — “thanking you,” “hoping to hear from you,” “urging prompt action,” “expecting your favourable response.”

NABTEB Question Patterns

Paper II typically offers one compulsory letter (10 marks) plus optional letters on topics like complaint to a newspaper editor, application for leave, invitation, condolence, or job request. Markers deduct for missing address, wrong subscription, abbreviated date, or paragraphs exceeding four.

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Formal vs. Semi-Formal vs. Informal — Deep Distinctions

The sender’s address is mandatory only in formal letters; in semi-formal and informal letters it is omitted because the writer–reader relationship is established. In informal letters, the salutation may be affectionate (“My dear Tunde,” “Dearest Mother,”) and the subscription can read “Yours affectionately,” “Love,” or “Best wishes,” — never “Yours faithfully.” Semi-formal letters to older relatives or respected figures keep the block layout but allow slightly warmer language.

Edge Cases and Optional Elements

• Recipient’s reference (Your Ref): appears only when replying to a previously received letter, formatted as “Your Ref: NAB/ADM/2024/145.”
• Enclosures (Enc): placed below the signature when documents accompany the letter (“Enc: Certificate of Birth”).
• Copy notation (c.c): used when a third party receives a duplicate (“c.c: The Bursar”).
• Postscript (P.S.): strictly avoided in formal letters; allowed informally for a quick afterthought.
• c/o (care of): used when directing a letter through an intermediary, written above the recipient’s address.

Common Mistakes NABTEB Markers Flag

1. Writing “15/06/2024” instead of “15th June, 2024” — automatic half-mark deduction.
2. Pairing “Dear Sir,” with “Yours sincerely” instead of “Yours faithfully.”
3. Beginning every paragraph with “I,” producing monotonous prose.
4. Omitting the subject line in formal letters — a frequent 1-mark loss.
5. Using block capitals for the entire letter, which violates block format conventions.

Worked Example (Complaint Letter — 10 marks)

To the Editor, The Punch Newspaper, Lagos. 24th May, 2024

Sir, RE: POOR STATE OF WATER SUPPLY IN ABEOKUTA NORTH

Application is hereby made to draw the attention of the Lagos State Government, through your widely read newspaper, to the acute water scarcity ravaging residents of Abeokuta North Local Government Area for the past six months.

For half a year, taps in Lafenwa, Sapon, and Ijeun have run dry. Residents, particularly schoolchildren and the elderly, travel long distances to fetch contaminated well water, resulting in recurring cholera outbreaks. Despite several petitions to the state water corporation, no remedial action has been taken.

Reports from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources indicate the area has untapped borehole capacity. Immediate drilling and pipeline reticulation by the Ogun State Water Corporation would alleviate the situation.

Yours faithfully,
M. O. Adebayo (Miss)
24 Awolowo Road, Ibadan.

Practice Prompts

1. Write a letter to the Principal requesting three weeks’ sick leave, attaching a medical report.
2. Write a semi-formal letter to an elder brother advising him against examination malpractice.

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