Today is our topic of discussion Writing a letter of request

Writing a letter of request

 

 

Read this letter carefully.

October 1998

The Project Director

DAE-DANIDA Strengthening Plant Protection Services (SPPS) Project

Plant Protection wing

Department of Agricultural Extension Khamarbari, Dhaka 1215

Dear Sir,

Supply of 4 copies of “Illustrated Guide to IPM in Rice in Tropical Asia”, published from IRRI, Philippines

VFAP is an NGO. It gives necessary training to farmers, agricultural workers coming from all over the district. Side by side with conducting training programmes, we develop extension resources and training materials. To facilitate these activities VFAP has a library which is user- friendly and has a good collection of books and journal on agriculture, especially Bangladesh agricultural extension activities.

We should be grateful if you would send us 4 copies of the above- mentioned guide for our library use. I am sure, the book will help our trainers, researchers and farmers to be acquainted with the latest IPM technology required for our agricultural development, especially in rice IPM.

May we look forward to receiving the book?

Yours sincerely

Kazi Salam Sikdar Executive Director

 

 

Note these words/expressions

DAE

Department of Agricultural Extension. This department is under the Ministry of Agriculture and is headed by a Director General.

DANIDA

Danish International Development Agencies

IPM

Integrated Pest Management. The integrated way of using insecticides (e.g. DDT) and biological control (e.g. birds used to consume locusts) is the basis of pest management.

IRRI

International Rice Research Institute in Philippines. We have BRRI (Bangladesh Rice Research Institute) at Joydebpur.

User-friendly

If anything is user-friendly, the users can easily and comfortably use it. The library is user- friendly, which means there are facilities and arrangements in the library (i.e. adequate desks, chairs, easy-to-find books and journals, proper lighting, ventilation, etc.) which help and attract people to come and work there.

We should be grateful if you would

This is a formal expression used to request services, things or information. You can also use: I would be grateful if you could… etc.

to be acquainted with

If you are acquainted with something, you know about it because you have learned it or you have experienced it.
Also you may be acquainted with a person. In that case it means you have met him or her and you know him or her.

May we look forward to receiving

The body of a request letter usually ends with this kind of expression. You may also use: I look forward to receiving……..

 

 

We look forward to your help and cooperation.
I look forward to seeing/meeting you Monday, 12 May.
We look forward to continuing our long association. (etc.).

 

Today is our topic of discussion Writing an information letter

Writing an information letter

 

 

Read this letter carefully.

Dear Penny,

It seems a long time since you left Dhaka. You might have seen on TV how Bangladesh is now in the grip of a devastating flood. Or, you must have heard or read about it in the newspapers. This flood that started in July has taken a serious turn. All the major rivers in the country are now flowing much above the danger level. Two-thirds of the country are now under water.

We cannot take our car out. The road in front of our house is under 2 to 3 feet water. Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and the eastern part of the city are the worst affected areas. We can get out of the house either by rickshaw or boat. Imagine a boat plying on a road in Gulshan or Baridhara!

The people, especially the slum dwellers and the poor, have been living in untold sufferings. However, they are getting flood relief, though I don’t know whether the relief they are getting is enough. The weather forecasts are saying that the flood waters would start receding from the 15th September. We are eagerly waiting to see that.

All for now, Penny. I hope this finds you, Peter and Laura keeping well and happy in London.
With very best wishes to you all.
Yours ever

Salma Afrin Chowdhury

 

 

Note these points

Inside address

This letter does not have an inside address, as it is not necessary in this type of informal letters. But, it may have its inside address like an official letter. However, the address of the reader comes on the envelope.

Salutation

The usual forms of salutation used in informal

Dear Kamal

letters are:

Dear Jane (Kamal, Jane, etc. are first names)

Dear Father

Dear Uncle Zahid (Father, Uncle, Aunt, etc., when used in salutation are written with the capital beginning.

Subject

You don’t have to mention the subject of an informal letter.

Body

The body of an informal letter could be of any length and on any topic of personal interest. It usually begins with telling that the writer has or has not been in touch with the reader for some time. And the writer has something to tell the reader or wants to know something from the reader.

However, the message, ideas or feelings of the writer should be expressed in simple, clear language as far as possible.
The body of the informal letter always ends with best wishes, regards, love and the like to the reader.

 

 

Ending

The following endings are used corresponding with the salutations.

 

Today is our topic of discussion Writing an official letter

Writing an official letter

 

Here is an application for a job. Read it carefully.

1. Letterhead/writer’s address – 3 Teen Aani Bazar Sherpur Town Sherpur 2100

2. Date – 20 September 1998

3. Inside address – The Director Department of Agricultural Extension Khamar Bari Farmgate, Dhaka 1215

4. Salutation – Dear Sir,

5. Subject – Field Officer

6. Body of letter – I saw your advertisement in The Daily Star yesterday for some Field Officers and would like to apply for a position.

I enclose my CV and the names and addresses of two referees.

I could come for an interview any day after 11.00am.

7. Ending – Yours faithfully

8. Signature with name – Kazi Md. Giasuddin

9. Left address on envelope – Supervisor Supervisor Non-Formal Education Programme Gonoshahajja Shangstha (GSS) Mymensingh

10. Right address on envelope – Same as the inside address

Read these notes carefully on different parts of a letter

Letterhead

If the letter-writer has a job he/she may use (for official letters) writing paper with his/her name and address printed on it. Or it could be just the writer’s address. In both the cases either just the top of the sheet or the top-right corner of the sheet could be used for this purpose.

Notice that no punctuation mark has been used in writing the address. However, a comma would be necessary to separate two names (e.g. those of a road and a town/city) if they are written on the same line. e.g. 3 Teen Aani Bazar, Sherpur Town

 

 

Date

The date could be written in different ways such as: 20th September 1998 September 20, 1998 20/9/1998
9/20/1998 (This form is usually written by the Americans or those who follow the American style).

Inside Address

In ‘Inside address’ the receiver’s name or just his/her designation with address appears. Notice the use of punctuation mark. (See 1 Letterhead under B above).

Salutation

If in ‘Inside address’ only the designation of the receiver is mention (e.g. The Director, The General Manager, The Chairman, The Principal, etc.), the salutation ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ is OK. If, on the other hand, the name of the receiver is mentioned (e.g. Mr. Abu Sadiq Khan, Professor Rokeya Khanam, Dr. Kamal Hamid Chowdhury, etc.), the salutation should be:

Dear Mr. Khan

Dear Professor Khanam

Dear Dr. Chowdhury Sometimes the form Dear Mr./Ms. Secretary or Chairperson (etc.) is used. You can put a comma (,) or a colon (:) after a salutation, e.g.

Dear Sir,/Dear Sir:

Dear Mr. Khan,/Dear Mr. Khan: Dear Ms./Mr. Coordinator: Or you can just use a salutation without any punctuation mark as shown in the model letter.

Subject

You can just write the name of the post (e.g. Field Officer, Assistant Manager, etc.), Or you can add some words to make the subject more specific (e.g. Field officer- Pirganj thana or Assistant Manager for the Marketing Division).

Body

The body of a job application should be short and precise, telling mainly about how you the applicant came to know about the post you are applying for, what papers/documents you are enclosing with the application, who will become your referee/referees and whether you are willing to come for an interview.

CV (= Curriculum Vitae) is a written account of the applicant’s education, experience and past employment. It is also called resume (rezum) in American English.

 

 

Referee: When you apply for a job your would-be employer might ask for a letter from your referee in which he/she describes your character and abilities.

Ending

The ending of a letter is related to its salutation.

 

Today is our topic of discussion Writing description 2

Writing description 2

Look at the picture and then read the points about how  amaranth is grown

 

Fig : Amaranth

Points

planting time : all the year round

soil condition : any soil with some compost or cowdung

spacing : 3″-4″ between plants

depth to plant seed : 1/4″

days to germination : 4-6

planting instructions: soil well-prepared broadcast seeds–cover beds with soil water beds

care : soil moist until germination-begin thinning when the plants are 2-3 inches tall-weed the beds put manure into the soils

harvesting : pick leaves frequently collect the plants when needed

usefulness : source of vitamins and minerals

 

 

Read the model description to answer the following questions.

Amaranth

Amaranth known as ‘lal Shak’ and ‘data shak’ are popular vegetables in Bangladesh. It grows well everywhere and any time of the year. It grows in any soil that contains some compost or cowdung. The seeds are broadcast in well-prepared soil at a depth of ¼”. After the seeds are broadcast, proper care is necessary for germination.

That is, the soil should be watered and kept moist until the seeds germinate in 4-6 days. Thinning should begin when the plants become 2-3 inches tall. This is the time when weeding should begin. To help leaf-growth liquid manure can be used in the soil.

Thinning should continue during the early days of the plants until there is spacing of 3″-4″ between the plants. Leaves should be picked frequently so that garden-fresh amaranth could be eaten for quite a long time. Both leaves and plants of amaranth are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

Questions:

1. Which parts of Bangladesh grow amaranth well?

2. What kind of soil is suitable for the growth of amaranth?

3. How long does the germination of amaranth seeds take?

 

 

4. Why is thinning necessary for the young plants?

5. What food value does amaranth have?

 

Today is our topic of discussion Writing description 1

Writing description 1

Here is a calendar month which was used by Majeda as her diary. She wrote on it the things she did during the month. Now describe chronologically (in the order in which they happened) what she did.

 

Fig : A calendar month

Example: Majeda went to Grameen Bank for a new loan on Wednesday, 1st July at 10 am.

Here is a list of things the AEO had to do yesterday. The ticks show what he did and crosses show what he could not do. Write what he did and what he could not do. Also write one sentence for each item on the list describing what you think about it (ie whether you too did it recently or will do it soon or later or just whether you like it or not).

Things to do

 

 

Example: The AEO took out some money from the bank. I draw money from the bank at least twice a month.

Write about what you did last Friday?

These questions will help you to write the answer.

1. What did you do in the morning?

2. Did you do it by yourself or did anybody help you to do it?

3. Did you go out any time during the day? If you did, where did you go and for how long? If on the other hand, you did not go out, write why you did not go out.

4. What did you have for lunch?

5. What did you do in the afternoon?

6. What did you have for dinner? 7. What did you do after dinner?

Example: I woke up late in the morning and had a heavy breakfast.

Suppose you have won 600,000 taka in a Prize Bond draw. With half of the money you have decided to take a trip to a foreign country.

These questions will help you to write about your trip.

1. Where would you like to go? (name of the country, location)

2. Who would you like to travel with?

3. What would you like to take with you? (money, clothes, running shoes, equipment, etc.).

4. When would you like to go (season, month, week) and why?

5. How long would you stay?

6. How would you like to go (by plane, by car, by bus, by steamer, by boat, etc.) and why?

7. Why have you chosen this place? (its attractions, facilities, food, history, people, etc.)

 

 

Example: I would like to go to Nepal.

Activity:

Write, like diary entries, on the days in a calendar month what you will do during the month. (See A above) Now write in complete sentences what you will do.