LEARN HOW TO WRITE A GOOD LETTER TO THE EDITOR

(Find An Audiovisual Lecture on How To Write A Letter The Editor In WASSCE, NECO/SSCE Here: https://youtu.be/mCuWFC3AVng)

WHAT IS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

A letter to the editor is a letter formally written to the editor of a newspaper or magazine discussing or commenting on an issue of public interest. Newspapers and magazines usually have letters-to-the-editor pages where members of the public are given the opportunity to express their views, make comments on a recent article and react to various issues of public Interest. Generally, a letter to the editor gives you an opportunity to express your personal opinion on any issue or subject that you consider crucial to the wellbeing of people in your locality, state, country or region. In fact, writing a letter to the editor one of the most effective ways to convey your message to a very large audience.

PREWRITING THE LETTER To write a good letter to the editor, you need to take some prewiting steps, First, identify the purpose of your letter. Think about the social problem or issue you want to write about and what exactly you’re going to say about the topic. Jot down the ideas as they come into your mind, and then create an outline. An outline is a writing plan in which you organize the major ideas or points you will discuss in your writing. a

A letter to the editor must have all the features of a formal letter: your address and date, designation and full address of the editor, etc. Some people are confused about the difference between a letter to the editor and an article suitable for publication in a newspaper or magazine. An article for publication is an article and not a letter, so the address of the writer or that of the editor should not be included. In a letter to the editor, you need to include all the features of a formal letter, such as the following:

1. The writer’s address and date.
2. The receiver’s designation and full address.
3. The opening salutation.
4. Title or heading of the letter.
5. The Content of the letter, which has to contain three main parts: the introduction, the body of the letter, and the conclusion).
6. The Subscription or closing greeting.
7. The writer’s signature.
8. The writer’s full name (surname first, and then the first name).

WRITING THE LETTER When writing the letter, ensure that you follow the features as outlined above. Start with your address and date, and then the editor’s designation and full address. Write the opening salutation: Dear Sir, or simply Sir, followed with a comma. After the salutation, write the title or heading of the letter.

Next, you have to start the content of your letter with the introduction, which is the first paragraph. This is where you introduce your purpose of writing the letter. If you are responding to a particular news story, a current trend or recent development, you need to make a brief reference to it. In this case, you need to point out the argument you want to oppose or react to, and then you state your own stand on the issue.

The important thing to do with your introductory paragraph is to grab the reader’s attention, state what the letter is about, why the issue is important, and what exactly is your opinion about what ought to be done.

In some cases, you can start a letter to the editor by simply stating the purpose in a straightforward manner. Consider the following examples:

• I am writing to highlight the hardships experienced by the residents of this community owing to the unstable electric power supply in spite of outrageous electricity bills that ironically keep increasing steadily.
• The insensitive use of multiple roadblocks by both security officials and touts to extort money from motorists and commuters has become a great nuisance in our cities.
• The proposed removal of subsidy at a time when the rate of inflation has already robbed most citizens of their purchasing power has serious economic and security implications for this country.
• Would you kindly permit me to air my views on the tendency of the government to keep borrowing money from external and internal lenders without any plan of action for repaying the loans.
• I am Balogun M, a resident of Badagry in Lagos State. I am writing to you in order to highlight the deplorable and deteriorating condition of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and the effects this has on the lives of residents of my area.

In the body of the letter, you ned to discuss the details of the matter. This is where you pick the main ideas from your outline, and discuss them one by one in several paragraphs, such as paragraphs 2, 3, and 4.

You can conclude your letter by making a clear call to action on the part of the authorities concerned, or stating what you expect the editor to do.

For your subscription or closing greeting, you can simply write “Sincerely,” or “Yours faithfully,” followed by your signature, your full name, and city. You need to include your state if it is a national daily

The following eBooks will give you further insight into other areas of language proficiency, such as grammatical structures, essay writing – letter writing, article writing, speech writing, report writing, story writing – comprehension, summary writing, vowel and consonant sounds, and so forth:

1. Good Success in English: A Study Package or Good Success in English: A Study Package for Effective English Learning
2. Good Success English Handbook

About the Author

Benjamin Abugu

Benjamin Abugu is a university graduate with a flair for content writing. He is an English teacher with over twelve years of experience, a published author of many books (both paperback and eBook editions), a blogger, and a Youtuber.

outside your state. If you are writing to an international magazine, you have to state your country as well.

For a more detailed audio-visual explanation with practical illustration, watch the following video lecture: https://youtu.be/mCuWFC3AVng

EBOOKS FOR FURTHER STUDIES:

1. Good Success in English: A Study Package or Good Success in English: A Study Package for Effective English Learning
2. Good Success English Handbook

About the Author

Benjamin Abugu

Benjamin Abugu is a university graduate with a flair for content writing. He is an English teacher with over twelve years of experience, a published author of many books (both paperback and eBook editions), a blogger, and a Youtuber.