Letter Writing for SBI PO Descriptive Paper - Introduction

The key to the success in the era of globalization is communication. And correspondence (letters) is perhaps the most important component of communication. Even in the age of modern technological innovations like e-mail, internet and long distance connectivity, letters still carry the maximum load of personal and business communication. 



Whatever be the medium of carrying the message, the message has to be properly written to convey the required meaning and complete sense. One has liberty to write personal letters  as one wants, but business or formal letters have to follow some norms in order to make appropriate impact. 



It is said that letter writing is nothing but an art. Even though letters have transformed into e-mails and SMSs, the art still remains, only the medium has changed. Letters can be broadly classified into formal letters and informal letters. 

Formal Letters : As the name suggests, formal letters include business letters, official letters, applications, complaints, letter to editors, letters written to people whom we want to convey certain important information. 

Informal Letters : Informal letters include personal letters, letters that are written to our friends and family.



While formal letters follow certain format, one can be flexible while writing informal letters. nonetheless, letter writing is a skill that needs to be honed over time with practice. It is a pleasurable task once you know the basic rules. Letter writing almost embarks you on a journey of words, be it hand-written or typed, this is one activity that helps you communicate so beautifully. 



There are several types of letters that are being asked for SBI PO Exam. 

Those are :

• Application and Appreciation

• Enquirers and Requests

• Complaint and Recommendation

• Sales and Promotion

• Welcome or Invitation Letters

• Some times they will ask you to write a letter to your brother / friend by describing something

There are two elements to a letter. Format and Body. The format refers to the style in which the letter is written, and the body refers to the content of the letter.