Official & demi-official (D.O.) letter writing — format & conventions MCQ — 15 Practice Questions with Answers

Explanation

A demi-official letter is official in subject but personal in manner. It is commonly used when one officer writes directly to another to secure attention or action. The stem says the Principal Secretary is personally requesting comments from the District Collector; that calls for a named salutation such as 'Dear Shri Sharma' and the close 'Yours sincerely'. 'Sir' and 'Yours faithfully' suit formal official letters, not the semi-personal D.O. convention.

Explanation

A demi-official letter is used when an officer seeks personal attention or cooperation from another officer while still discussing official business. Its tone is semi-personal: it normally addresses the recipient by name, often with a form such as "Dear Shri...", and closes with "Yours sincerely". The cue is that the Collector wants the Director's personal attention, not merely routine processing. "Sir" and "Yours faithfully" belong to a formal official letter; excessively deferential or generic forms are inappropriate.

Explanation

An official letter is institution-centred, not person-centred. Its heading normally includes the office address, date, and file or letter number so that the communication can be registered, traced, and replied to formally. The signatory's personal residential address is irrelevant and would blur the official capacity in which the letter is issued. The cue is 'heading block of an official government letter'; therefore the private address of the officer is the odd item.

Explanation

In official correspondence, each notation has a specific administrative function. 'D.O. No.' identifies a demi-official letter by number, while 'Encl.' tells the reader that documents are attached. 'Copy to' records additional circulation of the communication. The subject line gives the matter of the letter briefly and precisely. The only matching that preserves all four functions is 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d.

Explanation

The stem asks for the incorrect statement. A D.O. letter is semi-personal in tone, but it still concerns official business and remains a recordable communication. It may carry a D.O. number and a subject or clear reference to the matter. A subject heading does not automatically convert it into an office memorandum; the form, tone, salutation, and purpose decide the category. Statements A, B, and D correctly capture personal attention, semi-official tone, and signature practice. Statement C invents an absolute prohibition and is therefore incorrect.