Unit 32 · Writing and Skills · 19 min read
Functional Writing: Letters to the Editor, Emails, CVs and Applications
What the syllabus asks for 7
- What Question 5 asks, and how the eight marks fall
- Choosing the register
- The letter to the editor
- The formal email
- The application and the CV
- The letter of complaint or request
- Marking checklist for Question 5
Question 5 is worth eight marks, and it is the most predictable question on the paper. The examiner is not asking you to think of something interesting to say. He is asking whether you know the shape of a document that real people send to real offices: where the date goes, how a stranger is addressed, what a subject line is for, and how a letter ends when you do not know the reader's name. Those conventions are fixed, they can be learnt in an evening, and they carry half the marks.
A brilliant argument in the wrong layout loses the format marks and cannot get them back. Before you write a word, decide which of the four forms is being asked for — letter to the editor, email, application with CV, or letter of complaint or request — and lay the page out for that form.
32.1 What Question 5 asks, and how the eight marks fall
The question names the form and the reader:
- Write a letter to the editor of a national daily about the condition of …
- Write an email to your head teacher requesting …
- Write an application for the post of … advertised in … Attach your CV.
- Write a letter to the manager of … complaining about …
| What is credited | Marks | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 2 | Addresses, date, salutation, subject, close, signature — each in its place |
| Content | 3 | Every point the question names, plus what the reader needs in order to act |
| Organisation | 1 | One idea to a paragraph, in a sensible order |
| Language | 2 | Formal register held throughout; accurate sentences |
Length 150–200 words of body. Time about eighteen minutes, of which two go on laying out the page before you begin.
32.2 Choosing the register
Register is the level of formality. Question 5 is almost always formal, and the commonest Grade 12 fault is a body that slides from formal into friendly halfway through.
| Friendly | Neutral | Formal — use this |
|---|---|---|
| I'm writing about | I am writing about | I am writing to draw your attention to |
| sorry about | apologies for | I regret any inconvenience caused |
| Can you fix it? | Please fix it. | I should be grateful if the matter could be looked into |
| get in touch | contact me | I may be contacted on the number given above |
| Thanks a lot | Thank you | Thank you for your time and consideration |
| a big problem | a serious problem | a matter of considerable concern to residents |
| ASAP | soon | at your earliest convenience |
- Myself Ramesh Thapa. Write I am Ramesh Thapa or, better, say who you are at the end and open with the issue.
- Kindly do the needful. Say what the needful is.
- Your's faithfully / Yours' sincerely. There is no apostrophe: Yours.
- Respected Sir. Use Dear Sir or Dear Sir/Madam.
- I beg to state that… A hundred years out of date.
- Please reply back. Reply already means back.
- I have no words to express… in an official letter. You are asking for a street light, not writing a poem.
32.3 The letter to the editor
This is the form the NEB paper asks for most often, and the one candidates lay out least well. Remember what it actually is: a letter addressed to one person, the editor, but written to be read by thousands. So it must be short, it must be about a matter of public concern, and it must ask for something.
Four rules that separate a printed letter from a rejected one:
- One issue only. A letter that complains about roads, load-shedding and the examination system at once will be cut by the sub-editor.
- Say when and where. The lights on the Milanchowk stretch have been dark since Baisakh is evidence; there are many problems is not.
- Name the person who can act — the ward office, the municipality, the department — and say exactly what they should do.
- Sign with your full name and place. Newspapers do not print anonymous letters, and NEB examiners do not give format marks for an unsigned one.
Model answer 32.1 — a letter to the editor
Question. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily drawing attention to the danger caused by unlit streets in your ward. [8]
Model answer.
Ward No. 7, Milanchowk Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City 12 Asar 2082
The Editor The Himalayan Times Kathmandu
Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject: Unlit streets in Ward No. 7, Butwal
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the state of street lighting in Ward No. 7 of Butwal.
The four hundred metres of road between Milanchowk and the health post have been in darkness since the middle of Baisakh, when a transformer was replaced. Of the fourteen poles on that stretch, only three are now lit. The road is used every evening by students returning from tuition and by patients walking to the health post, and two motorcycle accidents have already been reported at the unlit bend near the pipal tree. Residents have complained twice at the ward office and have received no reply.
I should therefore be grateful if the municipality would restore the lights on this stretch before the monsoon, when the road becomes more dangerous still. A single day's work by the electricity office would remove a risk that the whole ward now lives with.
Yours sincerely,
Sabin Gurung Milanchowk, Butwal
Why it scores. Both addresses and the date are in place; the subject line is one line; there is one issue and no other; the middle paragraph carries dates, distances and numbers instead of adjectives; the request names who must act and by when; and esteemed daily, I should be grateful, the concerned authorities hold the register from first line to last.
32.4 The formal email
An email is a letter with the envelope printed at the top. The header does the work the addresses used to do, so you do not repeat them — but everything below the header stays as formal as a letter.
| Header field | Rule |
|---|---|
| To | one reader; the person who can actually decide |
| Cc | people who need to know but need not act — a class teacher, a supervisor |
| Subject | six to ten words naming the action: Request for two days' leave, not Leave and not Hello sir |
| Attachment | mention it in the body: I have attached my CV and transcript. |
Model answer 32.2 — a formal email
Question. You are the secretary of your school's social service club. Write an email to your principal asking permission to hold a blood donation camp in the school hall. [8]
Model answer.
To: principal@janajyoti.edu.np Cc: socialservice@janajyoti.edu.np Subject: Request for permission to hold a blood donation camp on 5 Shrawan
Dear Sir,
I am writing on behalf of the Social Service Club to seek your permission to hold a one-day blood donation camp in the school hall on Friday, 5 Shrawan 2082, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Nepal Red Cross Society, Butwal branch, has agreed to send two technicians and all the necessary equipment at no cost to the school. Twenty-six students of Grades 11 and 12 have already registered as donors, and the club will arrange the tables, the registration desk and the refreshments. We should need the hall from 8 a.m. for setting up, and the permission of the class teachers for the six volunteers who will be on duty during the fifth and sixth periods.
I have attached the Red Cross letter of consent and a copy of the programme schedule for your kind approval. I should be grateful for a reply by Sunday so that the society can confirm its team.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Anisha Karki Secretary, Social Service Club Class 12 'A', Roll No. 14
Why it scores. The subject line contains the request and the date; the first sentence states purpose and date together; the second paragraph answers the four questions a principal will ask (who is coming, what it costs, who is involved, what is needed from the school); the attachment is named; and a deadline for the reply is given politely.
32.5 The application and the CV
An application is a covering letter. It does not repeat the CV; it tells the reader which two facts in the CV matter for this post and where you saw the advertisement.
The covering letter, in four paragraphs:
- Post applied for, and where and when you saw it advertised.
- Your qualification — the single most relevant one, with the year and the board.
- What you have actually done: the internship, the tuition you taught, the shop you helped run, the software you can use.
- A closing offering yourself for interview, and naming the enclosures.
The CV, in seven headings. Never in paragraphs — a CV is read in thirty seconds.
| Heading | What goes under it |
|---|---|
| Personal details | full name, address, telephone, email (a plain one: sabin.gurung@gmail.com) |
| Career objective | one sentence, aimed at this post |
| Academic qualifications | a small table: examination, board, year, division — newest first |
| Work experience | post, organisation, dates, one line on what you did |
| Skills | languages, computer packages, licences — only what you can prove |
| Extra-curricular activities | posts held, prizes, volunteering |
| References | two people, with designation and telephone, who have agreed |
Model answer 32.3 — an application with a CV
Question. Write an application for the post of receptionist advertised in The Kathmandu Post of 2 Shrawan 2082, and attach your CV. [8]
Model answer.
Milanchowk, Butwal-7 5 Shrawan 2082
The Manager Hotel Siddhartha Palace Siddharthanagar, Rupandehi
Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject: Application for the post of receptionist
With reference to your advertisement in The Kathmandu Post of 2 Shrawan 2082, I wish to apply for the post of receptionist at your hotel.
I passed the Grade 12 examination of the National Examination Board in 2081 in the Management stream, securing 3.4 GPA, with English and Hotel Management among my subjects. During the two seasons I worked part-time at the front desk of Hotel Lumbini Garden, I handled telephone bookings, kept the arrival register and dealt with guests from India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. I speak Nepali, English and Hindi, and I am comfortable with MS Office and with the Fidelio booking system.
I am available to begin work immediately and can attend an interview at any time convenient to you. My curriculum vitae is enclosed.
Yours faithfully,
Sabin Gurung
CURRICULUM VITAE
Sabin Gurung Milanchowk, Butwal-7, Rupandehi · 98######## · sabin.gurung@gmail.com
Career objective. To serve as a receptionist in a hotel where my language skills and front-desk experience can be used, and to train further in hospitality management.
Academic qualifications
Examination Board Year Result Grade 12 (Management) NEB 2081 3.4 GPA SEE NEB 2079 3.6 GPA Work experience. Front desk assistant (part-time), Hotel Lumbini Garden, Siddharthanagar, 2080–2081: telephone reservations, guest registration, daily occupancy report.
Skills. Nepali, English and Hindi (spoken and written); MS Word and Excel; Fidelio booking system; typing 35 w.p.m.
Extra-curricular activities. Secretary, School Social Service Club, 2080; second prize, inter-college English debate, Rupandehi, 2081.
References. Mr Krishna Bahadur Thapa, Manager, Hotel Lumbini Garden, 071-######. Mrs Sarita Poudel, Principal, Janajyoti Higher Secondary School, 071-######.
Why it scores. Yours faithfully is used because the letter opened Dear Sir/Madam; the advertisement is identified by paper and date; the experience paragraph gives duties rather than adjectives; the CV is in headings and reverse date order; and nothing in the CV is repeated word for word in the letter.
Dear Mr Sharma → Yours sincerely. Dear Sir / Dear Sir or Madam (you do not know the name) → Yours faithfully. A letter to the editor may use either, because the editor is a named office; Yours sincerely is the safer choice. Capital Y, small s or f, and never an apostrophe.
32.6 The letter of complaint or request
A complaint that sounds angry gets a polite reply and no action. A complaint that sounds like a file note gets acted on, because the reader can see exactly what has to be put right.
The five facts a complaint must contain: what you bought or used, when, where, proof (bill number, ticket number, receipt date), what went wrong, and what you want — repair, replacement, refund or apology. Name one of those four; do not leave the remedy to the reader's imagination.
Model answer 32.4 — a letter of complaint
Question. Write a letter to the manager of an online store complaining about a damaged article and asking for a replacement. [8]
Model answer.
Milanchowk, Butwal-7 20 Shrawan 2082
The Customer Service Manager Daraj Nepal Pvt. Ltd. Naxal, Kathmandu
Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject: Damaged goods delivered against Order No. DN-4471902
I am writing about a scientific calculator delivered to me on 18 Shrawan 2082 against Order No. DN-4471902, placed on your website on 14 Shrawan.
The parcel arrived in a torn carton with no inner packing. The calculator inside has a cracked display, and six of the keys do not respond at all, so the article is of no use to me. I photographed the parcel before opening it, and the photographs and the delivery slip are attached to this letter. The invoice amount was Rs 1,850, paid in advance by mobile banking.
As the item is within the seven-day replacement period stated on your website, I request you to replace it with a new piece of the same model, or to refund the amount in full if the model is out of stock. I should be grateful if the matter could be settled within a week, as I need the calculator for my examination on 3 Bhadra.
Yours faithfully,
Sabin Gurung 98########
Why it scores. The order number is in the subject line, where a clerk will look for it; dates, amount and payment method are all given; the evidence is named and attached; the remedy offers the company a choice; and the deadline is justified by a reason rather than by irritation.
32.7 Marking checklist for Question 5
| Check | Mark at risk | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is it the form the question asked for — letter, email, application? | Format |
| 2 | Sender's address top right; receiver's address left, below the date? | Format |
| 3 | Is the date written out (12 Asar 2082), not 12/3/82? | Format |
| 4 | Is there a one-line subject? | Format |
| 5 | Does the close match the salutation — Sir → faithfully, name → sincerely? | Format |
| 6 | Is the full name written below the signature? | Format |
| 7 | Has every point named in the question been answered? | Content |
| 8 | Are there dates, numbers or reference numbers, not just adjectives? | Content |
| 9 | Is the remedy or request stated in one clear sentence? | Content |
| 10 | One idea to a paragraph; three or four paragraphs in all? | Organisation |
| 11 | Any myself, do the needful, respected sir, reply back? Delete. | Language |
| 12 | Same level of formality in the last line as in the first? | Language |
Chapter summary
- Question 5 is 8 marks: format 2, content 3, organisation 1, language 2. Write 150–200 words in about eighteen minutes.
- Decide the form before you write; lay the page out first.
- Letter to the editor: your address and date top right, the editor's address left, Dear Sir/Madam, a subject line, one issue, evidence with dates and numbers, a named remedy, full name and place.
- Email: the header replaces the addresses. The subject line names the action; Cc is for people who need to know but not to act; attachments are mentioned in the body.
- Application: four paragraphs — the post and where it was advertised, the qualification, what you have done, availability and enclosures. The CV goes under seven headings in reverse date order.
- Complaint: what, when, proof, what went wrong, what you want. Choose one of repair, replacement, refund, apology.
- Dear Sir → Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Sharma → Yours sincerely. No apostrophe in Yours.
- Formal register all the way down: I should be grateful if…, at your earliest convenience, Thank you for your time and consideration.
Practice questions
Functional writing (8 marks each)
- Write a letter to the editor of a national daily about the heaps of uncollected waste at the vegetable market in your town. [8]
- Write an email to the principal of your college requesting three days' leave to attend a national-level science exhibition in Pokhara. [8]
- Write an application for the post of a primary-level English teacher advertised in Gorkhapatra, and attach your CV. [8]
- Write a letter to the chief of your municipality requesting that a footbridge be built over the highway near your school. [8]
Model answer to question 2
To: principal@bhanucollege.edu.np Cc: classteacher12sci@bhanucollege.edu.np Subject: Application for three days' leave, 12–14 Bhadra, for the National Science Exhibition
Dear Sir,
I am writing to request three days' leave, from 12 to 14 Bhadra 2082, in order to represent our college at the National Science Exhibition being held at Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara.
My project on a low-cost water-level alarm for community tanks was placed first at the district exhibition last month, and the district education office has selected it for the national round. The organisers require the participants to report on the morning of 12 Bhadra and to remain until the prize-giving on the afternoon of 14 Bhadra. My physics teacher, Mr Dahal, has agreed to travel with me as supervisor.
I have completed the assignments due in that week and have arranged with my classmates to copy the notes of the four periods I shall miss. The selection letter from the district education office and my father's consent letter are attached.
I should be grateful for your approval so that I may confirm my participation by Sunday.
Yours sincerely,
Aayush Bhattarai Class 12 Science, Roll No. 7
Short functional-writing skills (1 mark each)
- Correct: Respected Sir, Myself Bina Rai of class 12. [1]
- Correct: Your's faithfully [1]
- Which close follows Dear Mrs Shrestha,? [1]
- Improve this subject line: Subject: Regarding a matter. [1]
- Rewrite formally: Please do the needful as soon as possible. [1]
- Where on the page does the sender's address go in a letter to the editor? [1]
- Name the three items that should follow your signature in a formal email. [1]
- Rewrite in a CV style: I worked in a shop for some time and learnt many things. [1]
Answers
5. Dear Sir, I am Bina Rai of Class 12. — Respected Sir and Myself are both out.
6. Yours faithfully — no apostrophe, capital Y.
7. Yours sincerely — the reader's name is known.
8. Subject: Request for repair of the college library roof — a subject line names the action.
9. I should be grateful if the necessary arrangements could be made at your earliest convenience.
10. Top right, with the date immediately below it.
11. Your full name, your class or designation, and a contact number.
12. Sales assistant (part-time), Namaste Stores, Butwal, 2080–2081: billing, stock records, customer handling.
Practise more: English question bank