Personal letters and job applications

A personal letter can begin with just the city and the date, and ends warmly: 'With love', 'Take care'.

This simpler, flexible format can also be used to write to authorities for information, as in the book's example of a letter to Himachal Tourism asking about holiday options.

The close should match the salutation:

• If you addressed the person by name ('Dear Mr Sharma'), end with 'Yours sincerely'.
• If you began with 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam', end with 'Yours faithfully'.

When applying for a job, you send a résumé, also called a curriculum vitae (CV) or biodata. It sums up your personal details, education, work experience, skills, languages, interests, achievements, and references (people who can speak for you).

With it goes a covering letter. It should name the post you are applying for and where you saw it advertised, describe yourself briefly, and say that you are enclosing your résumé.