Which of the following statements about the body of a formal letter are correct?
(A) The body is written in short paragraphs, each dealing with one main point.
(B) The writer should first tell the whole story in detail and state the reason for writing only at the end.
(C) The details of the matter, such as dates and places, come after the reason for writing has been stated.
(D) Short forms like ‘pls’ and slang words like ‘super’ should not be used.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (C) and (D) only
(A) The body is written in short paragraphs, each dealing with one main point. — Correct.
- Short paragraphs make a formal letter easy to read.
- Each paragraph keeps to one point, such as the purpose, the details or the request.
(B) The writer should first tell the whole story in detail and state the reason for writing only at the end. — Incorrect.
- The reader of a formal letter should know at once why it has been written.
- So the reason for writing is stated in the first paragraph.
(C) The details of the matter, such as dates and places, come after the reason for writing has been stated. — Correct.
- The first paragraph gives the reason for writing.
- The next one gives the details, such as dates, places or amounts.
(D) Short forms like ‘pls’ and slang words like ‘super’ should not be used. — Correct.
- A formal letter uses polite, standard English.
- Short forms and slang make it sound careless.