Ekta Kapoor - Queen of Indian Television and Film Producer

Before the advent of technology, letters used to be the earliest means of communication with family and friends. While it may not seem very important in the modern-day, letter writing is still essential. Be it an invitation to friends and family, or a cover letter, a resignation letter or even a letter of recommendation - knowing how to write them is crucial for communication. Everyone should know how to write a Letter.

For the above reasons, writing a letter is one of the most valuable things you can learn. There are various types of letters with their own form and style. However, letter writing is mainly divided into two types -

1. **Informal Letters:**These letters are written to friends and family as an update. These are written conversationally. They are personal and are basically just your thoughts written down. Since the letter will be received by friends or family, there is no problem if you use slang, abbreviations, or familiar terms. However, the letter's content must be penned down well enough to make sense. It shouldn't be all over the place. Additionally, incorrect grammar and spelling are not allowed.

1. Formal Letters: These letters are written for formal or official occasions/reasons. These are written to colleagues, bosses, potential employers/employees, newspapers, schools, etc. Formal letters aim to convey important information in a clear and precise manner. Unlike informal letters, formal letters use professional and respectful language.

   Writing a letter is not difficult once you learn the format. In addition, using a readable font, good formatting, and spacing are very important. Read on to know the format and parts of a letter, so you can improve your skills in letter writing:

   An informal letter has six main parts. These are

1. **Sender's address:**The sender's address and contact details of the sender are written here. You can also include an email address.

1. Date: The date comes below the sender's address and can be written in any format.

1. **Greeting or Salutation:**Sir / Respected Sir / Madam/ Dear

1. **Body of the Letter:**The content of the letter comes here. Whatever message you want to communicate.

1. Conclusion: End the letter by stating how you enjoyed writing to them/ how you hope to hear from them soon.

1. Subscription/ Signature: This is the last part of the letter. It goes like this - Yours truly/ Yours lovingly/Yours sincerely/Kind regards and is followed by your name.

   A formal letter has all the above parts and also includes the following:

1. Receiver's Address: The address of the receiver of the letter is written here. This could be the office address/editor's address/school address, etc.

SSC stands for Staff Selection Commission. The SSC Exams are competitive exams held for various Group B and Group C positions within the ministries and departments of the Government of India. The SSC exams are conducted in 4 phases. They are called Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, and Tier IV, respectively. Tier I and Tier II are taken in an online mode. Tier III is a pen and paper exam. The Tier IV exam aims to test you on certain skills like data entry and computer proficiency.

Tier I is the preliminary exams. Here, the questions appear in multiple-choice format covering 4 subjects: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension.

The Tier-II exam or the Mains consist of 4 sections: Quantitative Aptitude, English Language and Comprehension, Statistics, General Studies, which includes Finance & Accounting along with Economics & Governance.

Tier III exams are descriptive. You will be tested here on your "essay" and "letter" writing skills. Tier IV is a skill test. Candidates are expected to enter data at the speed of 2000 key presses in 15 minutes.

Eligibility criterion includes a graduation degree from a recognized university. The age requirements vary from post to post. Generally, they fall within the age bracket of 20 to 30 years. Each year more than 30 lakh candidates take the exam. However, if you aspire to work for the Government of India, you must not the fear of competition stop you. It is better to craft an effective preparation strategy and focus all your energies on doing well in the entrance exam.