In a formal letter, 'Salutation' is a form of _________

The correct answer is Option (4) → greeting

The salutation is the greeting with which a letter begins, written just above the body: "Sir", "Madam", "Dear Sir/Madam".
Example: The letter began with the salutation "Respected Sir".

Why the Other Options are Incorrect?

Option 1: subject — Incorrect. The subject is a separate line, written just before the salutation, stating in a few words what the letter is about.

Option 2: body — Incorrect. The body is the main part of the letter that carries the message. It comes after the salutation.

Option 3: leave taking — Incorrect. Leave taking is the closing ("Yours faithfully") at the end of the letter, the opposite of the greeting.

Note: In the original NTA paper, Option 1 read "opening". NTA accepted this option as a correct answer as well. To leave only one correct answer and avoid confusion for students, it has been changed here to "subject".

Advice for the exam: In the real exam, mark the answer that is grammatically or factually correct. If NTA’s provisional answer key marks a different option, challenge it during the answer-key challenge window and give the reason in one or two lines.