Select the suitable option from the given alternatives to write the salutation for a formal letter.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Dear Sir
The salutation is the greeting at the start of a letter. In a formal letter to an official or an unknown person, the standard salutation is "Dear Sir" (or "Dear Madam", "Sir"). "Dear" here is only a polite form of address, not a sign of affection.
Example: She began her letter to the bank manager with "Dear Sir".
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Respectful Sir — Incorrect. "Respectful" describes the writer's own attitude (full of respect). It is not used to address the reader, and it is not a salutation.
Option 3: Dearest Sir — Incorrect. "Dearest" expresses deep affection and belongs to informal letters to family and close friends.
Option 4: Faithful Sir — Incorrect. "Faithfully" belongs to the closing of a formal letter ("Yours faithfully"). "Faithful Sir" is not a salutation.
Note: In the original NTA paper, Option 2 read "Respected Sir". 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 "Respectful Sir".
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.