Question

The following is an example of ________.
Dear Soniya,
I am distressed to learn about the sudden passing away of your dear husband Samir during my absence from India. I find it very hard to believe it and still feel he will suddenly show up in the office and shake my hand vigorously as he always did. I know that your loss is much greater and that it will be very difficult for you to forget him.
I pray to the Almighty to give you and your children the courage to bear his loss.
May his soul rest in peace!
                                                                                                                  Yours sincerely,
                                                                                                                Naksh Pavan Zad
a) congratulatory letter
b) letters of sympathy
c) condolence letter
d) thank you letter

Answer 1

Hint: The content of the letter is something that is sad and not very upbeat. This letter’s content outlines the death of a friend. There is only one option that fits.

Complete answer:
The given letter is an informal letter. We can infer that safely as the letter starts with the greeting ‘Dear’. This means that the letter is written between two people who know each other.
Upon further reading, we can find that the writer knew the person who has passed away and is writing to the grieving widow. He seems to be a colleague of the deceased. This means that the letter is written as a way of saying that he is sorry for her loss.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options-
a) congratulatory letter - This is usually a formal/informal letter written in order to congratulate another person for a victory or an achievement. It is a kind gesture. This is not the given letter. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) letters of sympathy - This type of letter is usually informal and it is used to express support to people who are in trouble/are downtrodden. However, this is not the official name of this letter. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) condolence letter - This type of letter is usually used to write to a family member of a recently deceased person and it offers support in sad times. This describes the given letter. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d) thank you letter - This type of letter is usually written to authorities/people to thank them for their help/their contribution. This could be an informal or formal letter. This is not the given letter. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Read the letter carefully, as there are a lot of pointers as to what the letter entails. This letter is written from the point of view of a friend to a recent widow. Choose the required option accordingly.