BIBLIOGRAPHY EUGENE S. LUMASOK. OCTOBER 2006. Competence of Degree...
BIBLIOGRAPHY
EUGENE S. LUMASOK. OCTOBER 2006. Competence of Degree Holders of
Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet in Writing Application Letters. Benguet State
University, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Adviser: Rodolfo T. Abastilla, Ed. D.
ABSTRACT
The study determined the common business formats used by the degree holders in
writing their application letters; determined their level of competence as to spelling,
punctuation, coherence and structure; found out their strengths and weaknesses in writing
application letters; and determined the degree of seriousness of the errors committed in
their written application letters.
The findings show that the common business formats used, in descending order of
frequency, are full block form, semiblock form, nondescript form, and block form.
The level of competence of the degree holders in writing application letters is
very good. They are excellent in spelling and salutation; very good in signature, inside
address, complimentary close, and punctuation; and good in writing the heading and in
coherence.
The strengths of the degree holders lie on spelling and salutation whereas, their
weaknesses center on heading and coherence.
The degree holders do not significantly differ in the serious of errors committed.
Their errors range from 9 to 11.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Objectives of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Importance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Scope and delimitation of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Theories of Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Writing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Punctuation .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Coherence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Business Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Business Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Heading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Inside Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Salutation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ii
Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Complimentary Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Application Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Hypotheses of the Study .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Locale and Time of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Respondents of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Statistical Treatment of the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Common Business Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Level of Competence of the Degree Holders
in Writing Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Degree Holders
in Writing Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Degree of Seriousness of the Errors Committed among
the Degree Holders in Writing Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . 76
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
iii
LITERATURE CITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
A. Format of Business Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
B. Raw Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
C. Sample Computation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
D. Samples of Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
iv
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Communication is necessary to establish social ties, to knit people
together in reciprocal relationships and to ensure human cooperation. It begins
when one is born and continues throughout his entire life. Without it no thought is
ever expressed, no word is ever written, no problem is ever solved. It is a central
fact of the social process. It is all the ways by which a person influences another
and is influenced in return. The ways may be direct and personal as when an
instructor talks to a student, or indirect and impersonal, as when a radio or
television station conveys the message. Communication is thus the carrier of
social process; it makes interaction within humankind possible and enables men
to be social beings (Fernando et al., 1977). Further, communication is a two-way
affair. All persons are receivers as well as senders, consumers as well as
producers of words.
The English language can be a vehicle for effective communication. The
educated person must have a functional command of language so that he can
express himself and can understand others.
Communication includes speaking, listening, reading and writing; almost
all fields of human endeavor involve at least one of these activities. Proficiency in
the four basic skills is undoubtedly an asset. But fluency even in one, particularly
in the single field of writing, is a great advantage.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The rewards of competence in writing are both academic and economic.
The ability to write enables one to excel in his studies and continues to be useful
to him even after college. It is essential in a number of occupations. Thus, the
quality of a letter of application may decide whether one is granted an interview,
or even a job. A business report or sales brochure may determine one’s life career
as a writer.
As posited by Janis et al. (1970), writing has a vocational value. Many
jobs require some ability to put ideas and experiences on paper. Letters, reports,
notices and memoranda are all common in many jobs.
Similarly the ability to write letter effectively is a valuable asset. One
reason is that a great deal of business is transacted in letter writing. Every
employee finds it necessary to put ideas on a paper. Another reason is that the
effective letter writer can use his skill in applying for a job because proficiency in
writing gives personal advantage, and contributes substantially to self-
confidence, which is a necessary quality for success.
Moreover, Stewart et al. (1967) stated that effective training in
communication must be based on solid educational foundation in English usage
particularly in vocabulary, punctuation, proper capitalization and writing
craftsmanship.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
As supplemented, Romero (1984) stated that being able to speak a
language does not necessarily mean being able to write it. Of the four language
skills, which are listening, speaking, reading and writing, writing is considered by
communication specialists as the most difficult skill to develop. Writing is simply
the application of rules or principles of English composition.
To be able to write correctly, clearly, and effectively may take a long time,
or even a lifetime, but one can always improve his writing ability if he tries hard
enough and spend enough time on writing (Fernando et al., 1977).
Statement of the Problem
The study sought to find the answers to the following questions:
1. What are the common business formats used in the application letters
of the degree holders?
2. What is the level of competence of the degree holders in writing
application letters?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letters?
4. What is the degree of seriousness of the errors committed by the
degree holders in writing their application letters?
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Objectives of the Study
The study had the following objectives:
1.
To determine the common business formats used in the application
letters of the degree holders.
2.
To determine the level of competence of the degree holders in
writing application letters as to:
a.
Spelling
b.
Punctuation
c.
Coherence
d.
Structure
3.
To find out the strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in
writing application letters.
4.
To determine the degree of seriousness of the errors that they
commit in writing application letters.
Importance of the Study
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) cited that writing contributes to personal
development. As one writes he becomes a more potent thinker and active
learner, and he comes eventually to a better understanding of himself by
recording, exploring, and telling about personal experience and his innermost
thoughts.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Writing is an extremely complex cognitive activity in which the writer
is required to demonstrate a control of number of variables simultaneously.
Thus, good writers usually developed consciousness about their writing when
there is a need to be. Good writing is planned in such a way as to exploit all the
resources of language, the sentence structure, the word choice, and the
paragraph structure (White, 1991).
The findings of this study will give the personnel officer/manager or
head of the agency/ department an idea in choosing the right personnel to be
hired. To the administrators and teachers, this study will give them some basic
information on what to consider in planning their curriculums and will also
serve as a basis in planning writing activities relevant and responsive to the
needs of the learners.
To the college graduate, knowledge on how to write an effective letter
of application serves a very useful purpose. Everybody needs a job, but
employment is seldom given on a silver platter (Alcantara and Espina, 1995).
Finally, to the readers, this study will enhance and develop their skills in
writing especially business letters.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study is limited to the analysis of errors committed in written
application letters among the degree holders; their degree of seriousness; the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
common business formats; and the strengths and weaknesses of the
respondents. Hence, the resumé of the degree holders were not included on the
analysis of this study.
The sources of the application letters for analysis came from the line
agencies of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.
The application letters covered in the analysis are based on the year
submitted. The dates ranged from 2002 to 2004.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Theories of Writing
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) stated that writing makes a special
contribution to the way people think. When somebody writes, he composes
meanings. He puts together facts and ideas and makes something new, whether
in a letter home, in a college essay, or in a report at work. When one writes, he
creates intricate web of meaning in which sentences have special relationship
with each other. Some sentences are general and some specific; some expand a
point and others qualify it; some define and others illustrate. These sentences,
moreover, are more concerned in a still larger set of relationships, with every
sentence related in some way to every other. By controlling these complex
relationships, writers can forge new meanings.
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) added that writing contributes uniquely to
the way one learns. When one takes notes in class or as he reads, writing
enables him to sort out information and to highlight what is important. Taking
notes helps one to remember what he is learning and yields a written record
which he can review later for tests or essays. And because writers are always
composing new meanings, writing helps them to find and establish their own
information and ideas. It allows them to bring together and connect new and
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
old ideas. By enabling them to qualify and deepen their understanding of new
concepts, writing helps by relating ideas to other ideas.
Graham (undated) advised writers to write simply and clearly, to use
few adjectives; never to be involved, and never to indulge in purple patches.
Therefore, writers must be concise, shun wordiness, and endeavor always to be
clear.
Flaubert (undated) reiterated that writer must think well in order to
write well. It is impossible to divorce good writing from right thinking. Logic
and clear habits of thought can not therefore be overemphasized. Thorpe and
Wellis (1949) posited that one who does not think clearly will never learn to
write clearly.
According to Zall (1980) a writer has to think as he is writing and also
after he has written, not only to make sure that he will be understood but also to
guard against being misunderstood.
The art of writing is in truth inextricably bound up in the art of living.
Writing is undeniably an instrument of delight. Through it poets, novelists,
dramatists have created beauty, and beauty is in some respect the best part of
life (Thorpe and Wellis, 1949).
A competent writer is someone who has achieved a given level of
ability and is able to communicate effectively and convincingly (Scott, 1996).
Accordingly, there are general descriptions of good writing in which most
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
writers agree. These descriptions include features such as clarity, explicitness,
conciseness, clear paragraph structure, and over-all organization. Ultimately,
however, the quality of a text is based on the judgment of the reader, and the
reader’s own criteria become the essential measure of the quality (Hadley,
2000).
Alcantara and Cabanilla (1988) added that good writers are not born but
are made; most of the time, they are self-made. Their interest in writing is
stimulated and nurtured by good literature and good reading habits. Their
craftsmanship is developed by adequate and serious study, diligent practice,
persevering experimentation, and indefatigable revision of their work.
As cited by Rivers (1975) good writing in any language involves
knowledge of the conventions of written discourse in that culture as well as the
abilities to choose from near synonyms, the precise word that conveys one’s
meaning, select from a variety of syntactic structures that transmit one’s
message most precisely, and adopt a style that has the most positive rhetorical
effect. Obviously, such expertise will not develop merely from practice
exercises in grammar and vocabulary at the sentence level. For many years,
instruction in rhetoric has emphasized writing at paragraph level and beyond,
and instruction in composition typically provided students with exercises in the
development of outlines and plans, the creation of paragraphs with topic
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
sentences, the inclusion of supporting detail, techniques in comparison and
contrast, and strategies for smooth transitions (Hadley, 2000).
Writing means taking trouble ordering one’s thoughts in the most
methodical and logical sequence and wording them in the most lucid language.
Christ (1998) continued that thought units, whether single words, a sentence or
a paragraph or longer sentences, must be orderly. Paragraphing is not just a
matter of mechanically breaking up writing into groups of half- a- dozen
sentences each. Readers will understand the thought of the paragraph if there is
continuity in words, concepts, and thematic development from the opening
statement to the conclusion. Readers will be confused if there are misplaced
words or phrases in the sentence, abandoned familiar syntax, and shifted
criterion for items or cluttered sequence of ideas with wordiness or
irrelevances.
Writing Problems
Barra (1986) identified writing problems that worry the teacher. These
are: spelling mistakes, repetition of lexical and structural items, interference of
the mother tongue, lack of stylistic features, little knowledge about the topic,
unimaginative content, poor paragraph organization, incoherence, slack
cohesiveness, unawareness of basic rhetorical categories, difficulty in
separating facts from opinion, and difficulty in expressing meaning.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
A study on the development and construction of supplementary writing
materials for fourth year high school students of Bontoc was conducted by
Wallang (1999) to investigate the writing needs of the fourth year students and
to develop writing tasks suited to their needs. The respondents were 90 students
and 38 specialists. The fourth year students are both from the public and private
schools of the said province and the specialists are the different subject
teachers. The findings of the study on the students’ greatest difficulty in writing
were the lack of organization of ideas, lack of vocabulary, and incorrect
grammar. On the basis of the identified need, organizing ideas and information,
developing paragraphs by exemplification, classification, cause and effect
relationship and comparison and contrast were developed for rhetorical writing.
On the study of Rana and Algabis (1997) the writing ability of the pupils
depended on their ability to spell, punctuate, syllabicate and construct sentences.
Cruz et al. (1976) supplemented that emphasis on trainings in the
mechanics of sentence, mastery of written technicalities, which relate to spelling,
indention, punctuation, capitalization, margin and neatness must be done to
develop writing competence.
Spelling. Bad spelling lessens the appeal and convincingness of a piece of work
because it suggests either ignorance or carelessness on the part of the writer
(Tiempo and Tiempo, 1980).
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
A misspelled word is an obvious error that detracts from the letter as a
whole. If a letter or article contains many misspelled words, then the readers may
assume that the writer is inaccurate in other more important words as well.
According to Moore (1971) an educated writer is expected to spell
compared to one who is not educated.
A technical writer must be careful to spell accurately, as added by
Syphered (1975).
Punctuation. Random House Webster’s School and Office Dictionary (1993)
defined punctuation as the use of certain conventional marks in writing or printing
in order to separate elements and make the meaning clear. Also on the World
Book Encyclopedia (2004), punctuation is using certain marks in writing and
printing to make the writer’s meaning clear. Shaw (1993) added that punctuation
originally developed because without it, written language was unable to indicate
or reproduce certain definite and clear qualities of speech; hence it required to
suggest the grouping of words and phrases in a sentence that conveys the
meaning. Punctuation is not arbitrary and mechanical; it is integral part of writing.
Punctuation marks do not indicate sound patterning; instead they indicate
grammatical structure, meaning and rhetorical relationships.
Furthermore, Olsen and Huckin (1991) cited that punctuation clarifies
meaning by indicating the boundaries of sentences and the relationships
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
between words within sentence. Punctuations are road signs that help a reader
navigate a passage of writing according to the writer’s instructions.
Coherence. Expert writing is characterized by the use of cohesiveness and
coherence features. Cohesion according to Halliday and Hasan (1976), refers to
the features that bind the text together. Through cohesion, the reader can follow
the meaning through the text and clearly comprehend the rhetorical and logical
relationships. Coherence only partially depends on such ties as it also relies on
the arrangement of information throughout the text. The responsibility of the
writer is to be understood, and to make sure that the reader can understand what
is being said.
But even well planned papers may seem bumpy and confusing to the
reader unless the writer carefully signal turns his thought, bridges gaps between
ideas, and prepares reader in advance for what is to come. Even though the
writer knows exactly what relations exist between the ideas of his paper, the
reader is wholly dependent on the words that are set before him. The writer
should as a general rule be twice as clear as he thinks he needs to be; then he
may hope to be clear enough for the reader he is trying to reach. There are
many kinds of signals and bridges available to the writer, many ways to prepare
the reader for what is to come and announce its arrival when it appears
(Nathan, 1969). Careful writers use transitional words and phrases to show
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
connection in thought. These coherence devices link words within sentences,
sentences within a paragraph, and sentences between paragraphs
(http://leave.www.army.mil).
Coherence (or order) means that all sentences in the paragraph should
follow one upon another in such a way that the subject is developed logically
and clearly. The word “coherence” comes from the word cohaerere, which
means “to stick together.” This means that the sentences which make up the
paragraph are held together as a solid, logical, well-organized block of
information with good continuity so the reader can easily follow the writer’s
line of reasoning and this meets no problem in progressing from one text to the
next.
A text makes sense because there is a continuity of sense among the
knowledge activated by the expressions of the text. A “non-sensical” text is one
in which the text receivers can discover no continuity of sense, usually because
there is a serious mismatch between the configuration of concepts and relations
expressed in the text and the receivers’ prior knowledge of the world. The
continuity of sense or senses is the foundation of coherence (de Beaugrande
and Dressler, 1981).
Coherence (Moore, 1969) within the text or paragraph is usually
secured by the use of one or more of five devices: connective words,
transitional phrases, repetition of key terms, pronouns looking back to
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
antecedent nouns, and repetition of sentence patterns. At its simplest level,
coherence within the paragraph may be secured by the use of connected words
alone. The conjunctions like and, but, or, nor, for, because, if, unless, until; the
conjunctive adverbs like however, therefore, consequently, moreover,
nevertheless, then , so, yet; transitional adverbs like similarly, contrarily,
likewise, first, second, third, finally and all such connectives words show
relations between sentences or parts of sentences within the paragraph and help
together the ideas that the paragraph presents.
Coherence calls for a proper arrangement of sentences within the
paragraph, following a definite pattern that will assist the reader in
understanding what is being said (Vicente et al., 1982).
When a paragraph has coherence, it hangs together, the material in it is
relevant, and it helps the writer make the point. A good paragraph has built-in
signals that help the reader follow, that steer the reader’s attention in the right
direction (Guth, 1989).
As supplemented by Portillo et al. (2003) coherence refers to the logical
agreement of sentences, paragraphs and group of paragraphs. Transition from
one thought to the next is done smoothly and consistently throughout the
written work.
Coherence in a paragraph refers to the way the sentences are arranged
and to their relationships to one another. When a paragraph is coherent, the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
ideas are easy to follow and flow smoothly and gracefully from one sentence to
the next.
Three devices that will help to achieve coherence in writing are as
follows: (1) transitional words and phrases that show relationships; (2)
transitional devices that look back or point forward; and (3) repetition of or
reference to key terms (Villanueva et al., 1993).
A paragraph is coherent when its ideas flow smoothly from sentence to
sentence and when the reader is able to follow the train of thought without
disruption. The following are three major strategies of coherence for linking
sentences to one another and for introducing new paragraphs: (1) the use of
connective words and phrases; (2) reference to earlier words and phrases (by
word repetition, through synonyms and through pronouns); and (3) the
arrangement of sentences into structural patterns, including the proper ordering
of old and new information (Zall, 1980).
Onaka (1984) stated that a paragraph is coherent when it maintains
relevance among the sentence units. In longer discourse, every paragraph
carries one idea and relates to the others in forming a coherent sequence of
ideas. Like links in a chain, the paragraphs create a tightly connected whole.
Regardless of how it is developed, every paragraph must have
coherence. Coherence is easy for writers on Science and Technology to achieve
because their work is likely to be well organized (Tichy, 1988).
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Business Format. Portillo et al. (2003) discussed that there are varied ways of
packaging a business letter. The format depends on the intention of the letter
sender to whom it is addressed. In addition, the presentation of format reflects
the personality of the writer. The following forms are the commonly used
formats of a business letter: (1) full block form. This style is efficient for the
writer is not bothered to indent. All lines are flushed to the left hand margin of
the page (Farol, 1963); (2) block form. All lines of the heading and inside
address are blocked. All paragraphs begin flushed to the left of the page. The
complimentary close usually aligns with the date lines. The signature is blocked
with the complimentary close (Farol, 1963); (3) semiblock form. This type is
different from the block form only in one aspect, the indention of the
paragraphs opening. Lines which begin new paragraphs should be uniformly
indented either five to ten spaces (Portilo et al., 2003); (4) indented or
traditional form. Uniformity is observed in the indented form where each line
of the heading and the inside address is uniformly indented by either three or
five spaces more than the line it precedes. The complimentary close is aligned
with the date line, while the signature is written two or three spaces to the right
of the point at which the complimentary close begins (Farol, 1963); and (5)
hanging style. It has the following parts: (a) the heading, the inside address and
the signature conform with the block style. Paragraph beginnings align with the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
left hand margin of the page; (b) all the rest of the lines are indented five spaces
from the left hand margin (Farol, 1963).
Tressler and Christ (1960) agreed that using correct business letter form
also helps to create a favorable impression. The three styles are semiblock,
block and indented. In typed letters, either the semiblock or the block style is
ordinarily used. There is only one difference between the two. In semiblock
letter the paragraphs are indented. In the block letter the paragraphs begin at the
left margin. For pen-written letters most people prefer the indented form. In this
form not only is each paragraph indented, but also each line of the heading and
of the inside address begins farther to the right than the line above it. Whatever
the writer chooses, he must use his choice consistently throughout the letter.
Business Letter
The World Book Encyclopedia (2004) defined letter as a way of
communicating message in written words. People write letters for both business
and personal reasons. Business letters include those used to apply for jobs,
complaints, sales letters, and collection letters.
The language of a business letter is highly specialized. Business letters
are terms specifically designed to cater to a definite reader because
communication is important. Well-written, it can be an instrument that “can
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
iron out business deals or negotiations at once” (The World Book of Word
Power 2, 1997).
Portillo et al. (2003) further stated that a business letter must be well-
planned, attractive, impressive neat and direct to the point.
Successful business letters must possess the following characteristics
(Macabuhay, 1989): (1) it must elicit response from readers; (2) it must give the
impression of goodwill; (3) it must exude courtesy and sincerity; and (4) it
must reflect careful organization and attention to every detail.
Portillo et al. (2003) added that a good business letter is one that is able
to achieve its purpose. It has the following basic elements: (1) clarity: the
business letter must be clear, straightforward or direct to the point; (2)
conciseness: ideas must be completely expressed by using the least number of
words; (3) consideration: the use of the “you” point of view; (4) courtesy: the
constant use polite expression to show respect; (5) concreteness: choose words
that give vivid, specific descriptions that may appeal to the senses; (6)
cheerfulness: positive expressions always signal lively disposition in life; (7)
correctness: facts must be accurate, figures, spelling, grammar, format, etc.; and
(8) character: it must show the writer’s own style of uniqueness in writing as
reflected in his/her own personality.
Furthermore, Winston et al. (1980) stated that attractive form is necessary
for the letter to be effective. Good appearance requires that the materials used for
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
the letter to be of quality, that margins and overall layout of the letter on the page
is pleasing to the eye, and that the spacing and arrangement of the elements be in
accord with accepted conventions of good taste.
The Grolier Encyclopedia (1991) mentioned six standard parts of a letter.
They are heading, which includes the writer’s address and the date; the inside
address, which shows the name and address of the recipient; the salutation, also
called the greetings; the body, which contains the writer’s actual message; the
complimentary close; and the signature.
Heading. The position of the heading is at the upper right-hand corner of the first
page. The heading ordinarily consists of the sender’s address and the date of the
letter. In case stationery paper with a business letter head is used, the heading
should consist of only the date, omitting the sender’s address, which is already
contained in the letter head (Tiempo and Tiempo, 1980).
In addition, if one style is used in the heading, that same style should be
followed in the inside address and in the superscription. In other words, it is
wrong to use two styles at once in the addresses involved in the letter.
It is also wrong to abbreviate the words used in the heading and in the
inside and outside addresses. The words should be spelled out.
Tressler and Christ (1960) discussed that on paper with a letter head, only
the date is added. The date is written in the center of the page or to the right two
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
or three spaces bellow the letter head. Whereas for paper without a letter head, a
three- or-two line heading is written. In doing so, they suggested the following
guidelines: (1) the heading must begin about halfway across the page 1 ½ inches
from the top for a long letter, 2 inches for a letter of medium length, and 2 ½
inches for a short letter. It should be far enough to the left to avoid a crowded
appearance; (2) headings with street or box numbers must be written in three lines
as the street address or box number will be the first line, the city, zone number,
and state will be in the second line and the date will be in the third line; (3)
abbreviations must be avoided; and (4) Use two commas- one after the city, the
town, or the zone and the other after the day of the month must be used and a
comma after a zone number must never be used.
Portillo et al. (2003) have similar discussions wherein heading consists of
the address (includes the city and zip code) and the date. The date is placed two to
three spaces below and abbreviations are not used in the heading. On the other
hand, Mills and Walter (1980) stated that the heading of a letter includes the
sender’s address and the date. In addition, Romero (1984) cited that the heading
parts contain the information that the reader needs to answer the letter.
Inside Address. Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) said that the position of the inside
address is one or more spaces below the last line of the heading-to the left-hand
side of the first page.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Tressler and Christ (1960) suggested the guidelines in writing the inside
address, as follows: (1) in writing to a firm, write the name exactly as it appears
on the company’s letter head; (2) the proper title should be used in addressing a
person. The name of the state or the words street, avenue and boulevard should
not also be abbreviated; (3) after each abbreviation a period should be placed, a
comma after the name of the city or town or after the zone number, and a comma
after the person’s name if followed by his business title. Similarly Portillo et al.
(2003) added that the inside address includes the recipient’s name and title, the
name of the office or department, if any, the name of the company or the
institution, and the street address, city and zip code. The proper title before a
recipient’s name, such as Mr. and Ms. should be included but if a title was used
after a person’s name, such as M.D. or Ph.D., a title before a name should not be
done.
Salutation. Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) stated that the position of the salutation is
below the inside address, deriving its margin from the margin set by the inside
address; the first word and all the nouns used in the salutation should be
capitalized; no abbreviations for the title of names are allowed, except Mr., Mrs.,
and Dr.; and the friendly salutation is usually punctuated at the end by a comma,
the salutation for a business letter, by colon.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The salutation serves as the greeting of the letter. As cited by Portillo et al.
(2003) the salutation is placed two lines below the inside address. The salutation
ended with a colon, and the recipient is addressed with an appropriate title.
As Parkhurst (1963) cited, a comma may be used after the salutation
instead of a colon when a person is addressed by his first name: Dear Eugene.
However, a comma is satisfactory for personal letters but not for business letters.
Parkhurst (1963) further stated that a colon is correct to use. However, a semi-
colon or a dash should not be used after a salutation.
Tressler and Christ (1960) enumerated the correct salutations as follows:
(1) Very formal are Sir:, Madam:, My dear Sir:, and My dear Madam:
(2) Formal are Dear Sir:, Dear Madam:, Gentlemen:, and Mesdames: or
Ladies:
(3) Less formal and more personal are Dear Mrs. Morareng: and Dear Mr.
Tabek:
Tressler and Christ (1960) added that the first letter of the first word and all
the first letters of proper nouns should be capitalized.
As suggested by Lewis (1997), a writer must not start a letter with “Dear Sir”
or “Dear Madame.” The reason is that these are nineteenth-century techniques.
They suggest stiff-necked pomposity. Warming up the reader and establishing
rapport with him or her is one of the great hurdles the writer faces. The greetings
such as Dear Sir or Dear Madame add sandbags to the obstacle when one should
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
be shoveling sand away. Depending on the list, the writer can move in closer with
“Dear Executive,” “Dear President,” “Dear Collector,” and the like.
Body. According to Portillo et al. (2003) the body of the letter is the meat of the
letter. It contains the message. They (2003) elaborated that the body must be
written two lines below the salutation and in using the block style indenting the
paragraphs must not be done but two spaces between paragraphs is always kept.
The body states the subject matter of the letter. The writer must write
simple and direct and must begin the body two spaces below the salutation
(Serrano, 1966).
According to Tiempo and Tiempo (1980), indented style may be used in
the body of the letter even when the heading and the inside address are in the
block style. It is unusual, however, to use the block style in the body of the letter
when the heading and the inside address are in the indented style. Usually, the
body of the letter is also in the indented style in such a case.
In a business letter, there are two faults often committed: (1) omission of
certain articles, pronouns, and prepositions; and (2) the use of clichés.
Complimentary Close. The complimentary close ends the letter.
Portillo et al. (2003) enumerated the following complimentary closes
appropriate for business letters: Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Respectfully yours,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Yours truly, Cordially yours, and Very truly yours. Further, Portillo et al. (2003)
mentioned that the complimentary close must be placed two lines below the body
of the letter and it must be aligned with the heading.
Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) assumed that the correct punctuation after the
complimentary close is always the comma and other words should not be
capitalized except the first letter of the first word.
Tressler and Christ (1960) classified the appropriate closings into: (1) very
formal: Respectfully yours, Yours respectfully, (2) formal: Yours truly, Very truly
yours, (3) less formal: Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely, and (4) personal:
Cordially yours, cordially. Tressler and Christ (1960) added that the first letter of
the first word must be capitalized and a comma must be placed after the last word.
Signature. Portillo et al. (2003) said that the signature is placed four lines below
the complimentary close and the name of the applicant should be written in
capital letters; above the name is the signature. Serrano (1966) added that the
name of the writer is typed below the complimentary close and the writer must
sign his/her name above the typed name.
As cited by Tiempo and Tiempo (1980), the signature is always written by
hand and it is written over its typewritten form.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Application Letter
The letter of application is a type of letter that practically everyone who
earns a living called upon to write at one time or another. It has been called the
“personal sales letter” because it sells the writer - his training, skill, knowledge,
service and ability.
According to Treshler and Lewis (1916), a person’s whole future may
depend upon the success of his letter. Thus, the letter must be done effectively.
As there are generally several people competing for a position, the applicant’s
chief hope of selection is to make his letter stand out among others. He must
influence the reader to think favorably of him and of his abilities to grant an
interview in which the applicant tries to complete the sale of his services.
The single most important letter of one’s life may be the letter of
application for a job. As the first form of contact between the writer and the
prospective employer, the letter of application must stand as the representative
for one’s business skills and personal integrity. The letter of application should
be the ultimate in neatness, correct mechanics, and thoughtful construction
(Farber, 1983).
Igoy et al. (2004) cited that an application letter is an individual’s
personal emissary. It is a means by which an applicant can sell himself to a
prospective employer. An application letter must therefore be clean (white
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
paper of gold quality), neat (typewritten) and free from errors in spelling,
punctuation, capitalization and grammar.
There are two types of application letters. The first type is an answer to
an advertisement for a position available for which the applicant believes
himself to be qualified. The second type is a letter the applicant writes to a
particular firm where he thinks there may be an opening available which fits his
skills and interest. In both cases, the strategy best used in writing a letter of
application is the same.
The strategy for writing a successful letter of application has three
separate components: a clear statement of the purpose of the letter, concise and
accurate background of information on the applicant, and a request for an
interview with the company (Farber, 1983).
According to Portillo et al. (2003) an application letter is a typical
example of a sales letter since the writer is selling his services or qualifications
to the employer. It is a letter written seeking for a job.
Usually, the first paragraph of the application letter contains the source
of the information for the job. It also includes the desire of the applicant to fill
in a specific or any desired position in a private company or an agency, either
in a government or non- government office. The second paragraph usually tells
about the educational qualifications, work experiences, seminars attended and
other related qualifications. The third paragraph names people used as
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
references incase the employer is interested in the applicant’s services, and
would like to conduct an investigation of his background. Finally, the last
paragraph is where the applicant expresses his desire and willingness to be
invited and scheduled for an interview. He also prays that his application be
given attention and favorable response.
The letter of application has three parts, namely: (1) purpose of the
letter; (2) background information; (3) request for an interview.
In the first paragraph, an applicant should state the special job or
position he is applying for. He should mention how he finds about a job
vacancy. Is it through advertisements in the newspapers, radio or television or
learning it from other people? An application letter which is in response to an
advertisement is called a solicited letter. That submitted to an office without
knowing whether there is a job vacancy or not is called an unsolicited letter.
An applicant should also explain in the first paragraph the reason for
wanting the job or position. He should point out that he possesses the qualities
and qualifications that the employer is looking for like capability, talent,
positive attitude, aggressiveness and interest for the job.
The second paragraph should contain the applicant’s educational
background (degree and school where he obtained his degree, the examinations
that he passed and the seminars/trainings he attended and references). In his
letter, the applicant should mention the persons (their names, exact positions
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
and address) who would vouch for his integrity, honesty and capability. Before
writing their names, however, the applicant should inform them that he
included their names as references in his application.
In the third paragraph, the applicant should request for an interview and
how, where and when he can be reached.
The above statements about the letter of application corroborated the
idea of Gil (1963) whereas, an applicant may write a letter in answer to a help-
wanted advertisement or he may write to a firm with which he desires to
establish connection. The purpose of the application letter is to sell the
applicant’s services to whoever has a position to offer. Care should be taken in
the approach. The applicant should neither beg for the position nor brag about
himself. He should express a desire to serve the department or office he is
applying for by giving pertinent background information and qualifications that
makes him eligible for the position.
Gil (1963) continued that the letter of application consists of the
following parts:
1. Introduction. The source of information of the opening and the
statement of the applicant’s desire to apply are found in the introduction;
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
2. Personal data. This refers to facts about the applicant such as
nationality, civil status, age, and stage of health;
3. Qualifications. These refer to the education and experience that the
applicant feels will fit him for the position;
4. References. This is a list of names, with the official addresses of the
people whom the applicant is permitted to give as references regarding his
character and ability; and,
5. Conclusion. The concluding paragraph expresses the applicant’s interest
in being accepted and requests an interview.
Nem Singh and Calixihan (1994) suggested the following principles as a
guide in writing an application letter:
1. The writer should not include all the details of his life as if he is writing
an autobiography.
2. “I” and “me” should not be overused.
3. Being too humble and presumptuous, begging or asking sympathy,
sounding too familiar, advancing self evaluation, emphasizing graduation, and
lecturing should be avoided.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
4. The writer should not write in vague or general terms. He must use
examples and evidences.
5. Trite, outworn expressions and the present employer’s stationary should
not be used.
6. The writer also needs to interpret his data-sheet information.
7. Finally, any dissatisfaction with the present employer and statements
suggesting certainty about the future should not be mentioned.
Procter (2003) suggested specific points about the application letter, as
follows:
1. An applicant should write an application for specific situation. Even if
the ad calls only for a resumé, a letter must be sent. The letter makes a first
impression, and it can direct the reader a notice key points of the resumé;
2. Standard letter format must be used, with internal addresses (names are
spelled correctly) and salutations. Specific names or at least position titles
whenever possible (the company is called or its Website is checked) should
also be used. The dated “Dear Sir or Madam” and “To whom it may concern”
are weak and hence must be avoided. An “Attention” line or a “Subject”
instead of a salutation could be better.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
3. Most application letters for entry-level jobs are one page in length-a
substantial page rather than a skimpy one. Therefore, the applicant must start
strong and clear. For an advertised position, he must name the job and should
say where he saw the ad. For a speculative letter, he must name a specific
function can offer and relate it to something he knows about the organization.
4. The applicant should use paragraph structure to lead the reader from
one interpretive point to another. He must refer to specific information in terms
of examples for the points he is making, and must mention that his resumé
gives further evidence.
5. Lastly, the applicant must end his letter strongly by requesting an
interview.
Before the application letter is mailed, proofreading must be done.
Special attention should be placed to ensure the letter: it is not too long, there
are no grammars or spelling errors, job requirements are answered, and the
application letter flows and is easy to read (http:///careerperfect.com).
Conceptual Framework
Before writing a letter, the applicant should analyze the reader by
considering his/her requirements and needs. His letter must be planned
accordingly by placing the most important first, supported by facts, putting
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
oneself in the reader’s situation. Thus, the needs are better understood. After
this analysis one can write a letter demonstrating how his background, training,
work experience, and abilities can meet those needs. Such an approach helps
the writer persuade the reader that he is a good match for the position and that
the reader should give an interview. Being a writer, he is responsible for
explicitly communicating his value to the employer. The writer must not expect
an employer who typically receive hundreds of letters for each job opening to
wade through a great deal of text or a poorly written, mundane, or disorganized
letter to figure out what he can do for them (http://icarus.Icc.gatech.edu).
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) said that good writing makes a special
contribution to success in college and on the job. Students who write
confidently and well learn more and earn better grades, for student’s writing is
often the only basis an instructor has for an evaluation. The first job may not
require writing, but later advancement often depends on skill in writing letters,
memoranda, reports, and proposals. Writing may seem difficult, even
threatening. Knowing how it works, however, can make writing less an
obstacle, more an opportunity.
“Learning to write well takes time and much effort, but it can be done,”
as said by Margaret Mead.
The paradigm presents the relationship between the classified
independent variables, and the dependent variables. The independent variables
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
include the written application letters of the degree holders submitted for
analysis, their strengths and weaknesses, and the degree of errors they commit.
The dependent variables, on the other hand, include the levels of competence of
the writer in writing application letters; competence is either excellent, very
good, good, fair, or poor; and the degree of seriousness of their errors
committed in the written application letters may be very serious, serious,
slightly serious or not serious.
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables
A. Written application letter
Level of Competence
A.1. Mechanics of the Letters:
5 - Excellent
4 – Very Good
Spelling
3 - Good
Punctuation
2 - Fair
Coherence
1 – Poor
Structure
Degree of Seriousness of Errors
B. The strengths and weaknesses
Committed
of the respondents
Very Serious
C. The degree of seriousness of the
Serious
errors committed
Moderately Serious
Slightly Serious
Not Serious
Figure I. Paradigm of the study
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Operational Definition of Terms
The following are terms used in the study, which are operationally defined
for common understanding:
Degree
holders are those who have finished a four-year course in any
college or university.
Business
format refers to the style of the business letter (full block form,
block form, semi block form, indented form/ traditional form, other forms/wrong
form). Full block form, refers to the style of the business letter where all lines
begin flushed with the left hand margin of the page; block form, a business letter
where all lines of the heading and inside address are blocked and all paragraph
beginnings are begun flushed with the left hand margin of the page; semiblock
form, a style of the business letter where lines begin with new paragraphs which
should be uniformly indented either five or ten spaces; indented form/traditional
form, a style of the business letter where uniformity is observed. Each line of the
heading and the inside address is uniformly indented by either three of five spaces
more than the line it precedes. Hanging style, another style of the business letter,
entails having paragraph beginnings aligned with the left hand margin of the page
and whose heading, inside address and signature conform with the block style.
Nondescript form, refers to any combination of the style of the business letters
which does not follow any of the business formats enumerated in the study.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Written
application
letters are the respondents’ composition taken
from the line agencies of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet for analysis.
Structure refers to the standard parts of the business letter (heading, inside
address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature). Heading contains
the street number, city, zip code and date of the sender. The heading is measured
as follows: 5 points, when the heading is placed either at the center, upper
right/left hand corner of the letter, it consists of the address and the date, the date
is placed two or three spaces below, and it has appropriate punctuations; 4 points,
when the heading is with address and date but some parts are not properly
punctuated or the date comes first before the address; 3 points, when it has a
complete address but has no space after the address, and properly punctuated; 2
points, when it has a complete address but without date or complete date but
without address, and with abbreviated date (example 01/02/06); and 1 point, when
it has no heading.
Inside address includes the recipient’s name, title, the name of the office or
department, if any the name of the company or institution, and the street address,
city and zip code. The Inside address is measured as follows: 5 points, when the
inside address includes the recipient’s name and title, the name of the office,
department, company or institution, and the street address, city and zip code, and
it has appropriate punctuations; 4 points, when it has complete inside address but
some parts are not properly punctuated; 3 points, when it has complete inside
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
address but some parts are missing and not properly punctuated, or some words
are misspelled or other words are added (example with date in the inside address);
2 points, when it has incomplete inside address and not properly punctuated; and
1 point, when there is no inside address.
Salutation serves as the greeting of the letter. This is placed two lines below the
inside address and it is followed by a colon. The salutation is measured as
follows: 5 points, when the salutation is placed at the upper left side margin of
the paper and it ends with a colon and appropriate salutation; 4 points, when it has
appropriate greetings but inappropriate punctuation; 3 points, when the salutation
is not capitalized but it has appropriate punctuations, or when all greetings are
capitalized; 2 points, when the greetings and the punctuation are inappropriate or
it has appropriate punctuations, or the salutation is misspelled; and 1 point, when
there is no salutation.
Body (of a letter) is the meat of the letter. It contains the message and is written
two lines below the salutation. Coherence refers to the over-all connectedness and
the smooth flow of ideas in the respondents written application letter. The
coherence of the body of the letter is measured as follows: 5 points, when the
ideas are expressed in a clear, logical manner and the process of unfolding ideas is
done smoothly without sudden shifts or gaps of thought; 4 points, when the ideas
are expressed in a clear, logical but there is a sudden shifts or gaps of thought; 3
points, when the ideas are understood but some parts are not well arranged; 2
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
points, when the ideas are not clear; and 1 point, when the ideas are constructed
without relationships to other ideas.
Complimentary close is a word or phrase written to end a letter. It is placed two
lines below the body of the letter, aligning with the heading. The complimentary
close is measured as follows: 5 points, when the first word of the complimentary
close is capitalized, ended with a comma, and it is aligned with the heading; 4
points, when the first word of the complimentary close is capitalized, ended with
a comma, but it is not aligned with the heading; 3 points, when the first word of
the complimentary close is capitalized, no comma, and is not aligned with the
heading, or incomplete complimentary close or the 2nd/3rd words were capitalized;
2 points, when the complimentary close used is wrong or the first word is not
capitalized, no comma, not aligned/aligned with the heading, or the
complimentary close is misspelled; and 1 point, when there is no complimentary
close.
Signature. It is the name of the sender written in cursive manner which is found
below the complimentary close. The signature is measured as follows: 5 points,
when the signature is written cursively and it is aligned with the complimentary
close. Then the name of the applicant is written in capital letters; 4 points, when
the signature is written cursively and aligned below the complimentary close but
the name of the applicant is written in small letters; 3 points, when the signature is
written cursively and aligned with the complimentary close, but it has no name of
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
the applicant, or the signature is written cursively but not aligned with the
complimentary close though the name of the applicant is written in capital letters;
2 points, when the signature is not written cursively, or it is not aligned below the
complimentary close, and it has no name of the applicant; and 1 point, when there
is no signature.
Spelling refers to the correct/appropriate placement of the letter of a word
in proper order. The spelling is measured as follows: 5 points, when the whole
letter is perfectly spelled; 4 points, when there is one misspelled word; 3 points,
when there are two to three misspelled words; 2 points, when there are four to five
misspelled words; and 1 point, when there are more than five misspelled words.
Punctuation refers to the use of marks or points in written manner to
indicate separation of words into sentences, clauses, and phrases for better
comprehension of the meaning and grammatical relation of words. The
punctuation is measured as follows: 5 points, when the whole letter is correctly
punctuated; 4 points, when there is an (one) inappropriate punctuation; 3 points,
when there are two to three inappropriate punctuations; 2 points, when there are
four to five inappropriate punctuations; and 1 point, when there are more than five
inappropriate punctuations.
Degree of seriousness of the errors committed refers to the number of
errors committed in application letter. The degree of seriousness are measured as
follows: Very Serious,(12 and above errors) when the written application has 12
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
or more grammatical errors; Serious, (9 - 11 errors) when the written application
has 9 – 11 grammatical errors; Moderately Serious, (6 – 8 errors) when the
written application letter has 6 – 8 grammatical errors, Slightly Serious, (3 – 5
errors) when the written application letter has 3 - 5 grammatical errors; and Not
Serious, (0 – 2 errors) when the application letter has 0 - 2 grammatical errors.
Strengths refer to the upper four ranks based on the total weighted mean of
the mechanics of the letter.
Weaknesses refer to the lower four ranks based on the total weighted mean
of the mechanics of letters.
Hypotheses of the Study
The following hypotheses were put forward for testing:
1. The common business formats used in the application letters differ
significantly.
2. The level of competence of the degree holders in writing application
letters differ significantly.
3. The strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letters differ significantly.
4. The degree of seriousness of the errors committed in writing
application letters differ significantly.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
METHODOLOGY
This section contains the methodology and procedures used in the conduct
of the study. It includes the research design and methodology, locations of the
study, instrumentation, and statistical treatment of the data.
Locale and Time of the Study
The study focused on the common business formats used in the written
application letters of the degree holders in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet,
their competence in writing application letters; the degree of seriousness of the
errors they commit, and their strengths and weaknesses in writing application
letters.
The study covered some selected line agencies found in Baguio City and
La Trinidad, Benguet. The selected line agencies fall in two types: the
government agencies, and non-government agencies. The selected line agencies in
the government included Department of Agrarian Reform, Baguio City;
Department of Science and Technology, Baguio City; and Department of
Education, La Trinidad, Benguet. On the other hand, the selected line agencies in
the non-government included Cordillera Career Development College, Buyagan,
La Trinidad, Benguet and Benguet Central College, Pico Road, La Trinidad,
Benguet.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The study was conducted from June to October of the school year 2004–
2005 in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.
Respondents of the Study
The respondents of the study were the applicants who submitted their
application letters dated from the 2002 to 2004 to the line agencies of Baguio City
and La Trinidad, Benguet.
The government line agencies like Department of Agrarian Reform,
Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Education were
represented by 20 male-respondents and 20 female-respondents each. Conversely,
the non-government line agencies like Cordillera Career Development College
and Benguet Central College were represented by 17 male-respondents and 17
female respondents. All in all, there were 94 males and 94 females who submitted
their application letters. The total number of respondents was 188.
Table 1 shows the list of agency respondents of this study.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 1. List of agency respondents
AGENCY NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS TOTAL
MALE FEMALE
A. Government Line Agencies:
1. Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) 20 20 40
2. Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) 20 20 40
3. Department of Education
(DepEd) 20 20 40
B. Non-government Line Agencies
4. Cordillera Career Development College
(CCDC) 17 17 34
5. Benguet Central College
(BCC) 17 17 34
Total 94 94 188
Instrumentation
This study made use of the descriptive method of research with
documentary analysis. This is the most appropriate technique adopted since the
study aims to determine the common business formats used by the degree holders,
their level of competence, their strengths and weaknesses, and their degree of
seriousness of the errors committed in writing their application letters.
The researcher used the letters submitted in the selected line agencies of
Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet as the basis of the data. The mechanics
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
used in analyzing the letters are the following: spelling, punctuation, coherence,
and structure. From the mechanics given, the letter was rated as excellent if the
level of competence was 5; very good, 4; good, 3; fair, 2; and poor, 1.
The data gathered were computed, tabulated and analyzed.
Statistical Treatment of Data
Frequency, rank and percentage were employed in finding out the
common business formats used in the application letters.
The Likert scale was used in determining the degree of seriousness of the
errors committed in the written application letters. On the other hand, to test the
hypotheses, the chi-square test was used in the common business formats used in
the written application letters. For the level of competence of the degree holders
in writing application letters; their strengths and weaknesses and the degree of
seriousness of the errors committed in the written application letters made use of
the Friedman Rank test. Significance of differences was tested at 0.05 levels.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This section presents, analyzes and interprets the data gathered based on
the objectives of the study. The topics included relate to common business
formats of the degree holders used in the written application letters; the level of
competence of the degree holders in writing application letters as to spelling,
punctuation, coherence and structure; the strengths and weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters; and the degree of seriousness of the errors
committed by the degree holders in writing application letters.
Common Business Format
Table 2 presents the business formats used by the degree holders in their
written application letters. Almost all of the degree holders prefer to use the full-
block form. Following in descending order of percentages are semiblock form,
nondescript form, and block from. None of the degree holders use either the
indented/ traditional or the hanging style.
The computed value is greater than the tabular value. Therefore, the
common business formats used in the application letters differ significantly.
The finding jibes with the statement of Farol (1963) that full block form is
efficient for the writer is not bothered with indentions. All lines are flushed to the
left hand margin of the page. Semiblock, on the other hand, occurs 63 times.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2. Common business formats used in the application letters of the degree
holders
FORMAT FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE RANK
Full-block 88 46.81 1
Semiblock 63 35.1 2
Nondescript 32 17.02 3
Block 5 2.66 4
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 5.5
Hanging style 0 0 5.5
TOTAL 188 100
X2 0.05 = 7.81 X2 c = 83.54* * - Significant
Semiblock is different from the block form because of the indention of
the paragraph opening. Lines which begin new paragraphs should be uniformly
indented either five to ten spaces (Portillo et al. , 2003).
Tressler and Christ (1960) added that in typed letters, either the semiblock
or the block style is ordinarily used. Tressler and Christ (1960) statements
conform with the findings of the study, only that the full block form is the most
frequently used instead of the block form.
The degree holders do not use either the indented/ traditional form or the
hanging style. The reason perhaps is that the degree holders are using the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
typewriter or the computer in writing their application letters. As cited by Tressler
and Christ (1960) for pen written letters most people prefer the
indented/traditional form. In this form not only is each of the paragraph indented,
but also each line of the heading and of the inside address begins farther to the
right than the line above it.
Despite being degree holders, out of the 188 degree holders 32 of them
make use of a nondescript form. The respondents combine different business
formats to come up with their own. The degree holders must follow the business
formats in order to avoid committing errors in forms. As cited by Tressler and
Christ (1960), whatever style one chooses, he must use it consistently throughout
the letter.
The finding contradicts the observation of Winston et al. (1980) that
attractive form is necessary for the letter to be effective. Good appearance
requires the materials used for the letter to be of quality, that margin and overall
lay-out of the letter on a page be pleasing to the eye, and that the spacing and
arrangements of the elements be in accord with the accepted conventions of good
taste. Moreover, Portillo et al. (2003) added that one of the qualities of a good
business letter is the correctness of format. Also the writer must show his own
uniqueness in writing.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Level of Competence of the Degree Holders
in Writing Application Letters
The level of competence of the degree holders in writing application
letters were analyzed according to: (I) spelling; (II)) punctuation; (III) coherence
(body of a letter); and (IV) structure, which includes the heading, the inside
address, the salutation, the complimentary close and the signature.
Table 3 presents the letter writing competence of the degree holders. As
shown in the tabulated data, the letter writing competence of the degree holders
ranges from good to excellent. The mechanics rated as excellent are spelling, with
a weighted mean of 4.74 and the salutation, 4.51. The finding implies that the
degree holders do not find difficulty in spelling. It jibes with the statement of
Moore (1971) that an educated writer is expected to spell as others do and that of
Sypherd (1975) that a technical writer must be careful to spell accurately. On the
salutation rated as excellent, the finding shows that almost all of the degree
holders place the proper salutation at the upper left side margin of the paper and
with proper punctuations. Some degree holders use correct greetings but
inappropriate punctuations or commit errors by not capitalizing the salutation. As
Portillo et al. (2003) discussed, the salutation is placed two lines below the inside
address; it ends with a colon and the recipient is addressed with appropriate title.
The degree holders so far know the proper way of writing the salutation as well as
the proper salutations to be used.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 3. Overall degree holders’ application letter writing competence
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Spelling 149 30 9 0 0 4.74
II. Punctuation 96 45 40 7 0 4.22
III. Coherence
(D. Body of a Letter) 10 52 100 25 1 3.24
IV. Structure
A. Heading 24 5 74 67 18 2.73
B. Inside Address 117 32 30 6 3 4.35
C. Salutation 133 26 20 9 0 4.51
E. Complimentary close 110 26 43 9 0 4.26
F. Signature 103 73 9 1 2 4.46
___________________________________________________________________
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
X2 0.05, 28 = 41.3371 Fr = 19.325 ns ns - Not Significant
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The mechanics rated very good in descending order of weighted mean are
signature, inside address, complimentary close, and punctuation. The finding
along signature implies that most of the degree holders are familiar with the
signature, although some commit errors in writing it. The errors usually fall in the
writing of names in small letters instead of full capitalization and the un-
alignment with the complimentary close. The finding corroborates the observation
of Portillo et al. (2003) that the signature is placed four lines below the
complimentary close and above it is the applicant’s fully capitalized signature. On
the other hand, most of the degree holders know the proper placement of the
inside address. Many commit errors only on the punctuation and some on having
incomplete inside address. The finding is in line with the guideline set by Portillo
et al. (2003) that the inside address includes the recipient’s name and title, the
name of the office or department, if any, the name of the institution, and the street
address, city and zip code. The finding in the complimentary close indicates that
most degree holders are aware of the use of complimentary close. Nevertheless,
some do not align the complimentary close with the heading. Many have
incomplete complimentary close or have fully capitalized the words in the
complimentary close. The finding coincides with the suggestion of Tiempo and
Tiempo (1980) that the correct punctuation after the complimentary close is
always the comma and only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. On
punctuation, on the other hand, the degree holders have few errors. The finding
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
affirms the idea of Olsen and Huckin (1991) that punctuation clarifies meaning by
indicating the boundaries of sentences and the relationships between words within
sentences. As further stated, punctuations are road signs that help a reader
navigate a passage of writing according to the writer’s instructions.
The mechanics rated good based on the performance of the degree holders
are coherence and heading. The finding along coherence reveals that most of the
degree holders have brilliant ideas but they do not know how to arrange them
logically. Some degree holders express their ideas in a clear and logical manner
but a few do not. The finding is in contrast with the meaning of coherence that all
sentences in the paragraph should stick to one meaning in such a way that the
subject is developed logically and clearly. Moreover, coherence derived from the
word co, meaning “together”, and haerere meaning “to stick.” This means that
the sentences which make up the paragraph are held together as a solid, logical,
and well organized block of information with good continuity so the reader can
easily follow the writer’s line of reasoning and this meets no problem in
progressing from one text to the next (Portillo et al., 2003). Vicente et al. (1982)
said that coherence calls for a proper arrangement of sentences within a
paragraph, following a definite pattern that will assist the reader in understanding
what is being said.
The finding along the heading tells that almost all of the degree holders
commit errors in writing the heading especially in leaving a space after the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
address, and having a complete address but without date or having date but
without address. The finding contradicts the observation of Portillo et al. (2003)
that the heading consists of the sender’s address (includes the city and zip code)
and the date. The date is placed two to three spaces below and abbreviations are
not used.
That the computed value is lower than the tabulated value that leads to the
rejection of the hypothesis, that the level of competence of the degree holders
differ significantly. The finding means that there is no significant difference on
the level of letter writing competence of the degree holders along spelling,
punctuation, and structure.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Degree Holders
in Application Letter Writing
Table 4 shows the ranking of the mechanics of the letter based on the
performance of the degree holders. The degree holders’ strengths center on
spelling, salutation, signature, and inside address. Conversely, as shown in Table
5 their weaknesses zero in on heading, body (Coherence), punctuation, and the
complimentary close.
Spelling
That spelling ranks first among the strengths signifies that the degree
holders are excellent in it. The finding coincides with the idea of Moore (1971)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
that an educated writer is expected to spell as to one that is uneducated. The
respondents are degree holders; therefore, spelling is not a problem for them.
Further, degree holders are technical writers who must be careful to spell
accurately (Sypherd, 1975).
The finding contradicts one of the observations of Barra (1986) about the
problems that worry the teacher. This is the spelling mistakes. According to
Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) bad spelling lessens the appeal and convincingness of
a piece of work because it suggests either ignorance or carelessness on the part of
the writer. Almost all of the degree holders have the ability to spell words. Hence,
bad spelling is avoided.
The following misspelled words are few of the errors committed by the
188 degree holders: effiency for efficiency, commenturate for commensurate,
trainnings for trainings, prestigeos for prestigious, inclosed for enclosed, gud day
for good day, distinguished for distinguished, submiting for submitting, cetizen
for citizen.
The finding of the study further suggests that the degree holders should
need further trainings on spelling. As cited by Cruz et al. (1976) spelling is one of
the problems in writing that needs special training. Hence, degree holders need
special training in spelling to develop writing competence. Portillo et al. (2003)
added that for a good business letter to achieve its purpose it must follow the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
element like correctness in spelling. Correctness of spelling is essential for
intelligent communication in writing (Shaw, 1973).
Salutation
The finding indicates that the degree holders also are excellent in writing
salutation. Almost all the degree holders make use of a colon. The finding
corroborates the statement of Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) that the position of the
salutation is below the inside address, the first letter of the first word and that of a
proper noun in the salutation are capitalized, abbreviations are avoided and the
punctuation used is colon.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 4. Strengths of the degree holders in writing application letters
_________________________________________________________________
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 GWM R
A. Spelling 149 30 9 0 0 4.74 1
B. Salutation 133 26 20 9 0 4.51 2
C. Signature 103 73 9 1 2 4.46 3
D. Inside Address 117 32 30 6 3 4.35 4
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.51
Almost all the degree holders made use of any of the following salutations such
as: Sir:, Madam:, Dear Sir:, or Dear Madam:. The finding jibes with the
enumerated salutations of Tressler and Christ (1960) such as: (1) very formal are
Sir:, Madam:, My dear Sir:, and My dear Madam:, (2) formal are Dear Sir:, Dear
Madam:, Gentlemen:, and Mesdames: or Ladies:, (3) less formal and more
personal are Dear Mrs. Tudias: and Dear Mr. Pakipak.
The following are few examples of errors committed by the degree holders
in writing their salutation. Ma’am/sir: ; SIR/MA’AM: ; Sir/Ma’am: ; SIR: ;
Sir, Sir; Dear sir, Dear Sir, and Dear Sir/Madam.
As shown by the examples, most errors lie on the improper capitalization
of the salutations and the wrong use of punctuations. The proper salutations of the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
above examples should be Sir/ Madam: ; Sir: ; Madam: ; Dear Sir: ; or
Dear Madam: .
Signature
The finding indicates that most degree holders know the guidelines in
signature. The finding goes with the suggestion of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
signature is placed four lines below the complimentary close and the name of the
applicants are written in capital letters and above the name is the signature.
Serrano (1966) said that the name of the writer is typed below the complimentary
close and the writer must sign his/her name above the typed name.
The only error noted is on the non-capitalization of the name of the
applicant and the addition of some unnecessary words like the example below.
Eleanor B. Tudlong instead of ELEANOR B. TUDLONG
J-D 89 Bayabas, Pico
La Trinidad, Benguet 26001
Inside Address
The finding reveals that most degree holders have knowledge of writing
inside address. The finding conforms with the suggestions of Tressler and Christ
(1960) that inside address must be written exactly as it appears in the company’s
letter head; the recipient of the letter has the proper title; that the state or the
words street, avenue and boulevard are not abbreviated; that each abbreviation is
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
ended with a period; and that after the zone number, and the person’s name if
followed by a title are separated by a comma.
The finding further follows the suggestion of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
inside address includes the recipient’s name and the title; that the name of the
office or department, if any, the name of the company or institution, and the street
address, city and zip code are included; and that the recipient’s name has a proper
title.
The examples below are errors committed taken from the application
letters of the degree holders.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM TO THE PRESIDENT
Nagulian Road, Baguio City Benguet Central College
Pico Rd. La Trinidad, Benguet
The School Head CLARO Q. ESOEN
Cordillera Career Development College President
Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet Benguet Central College
Central Pico, La Trinidad,
Benguet
Mr. Carlos M. Alacdis, DPA Mr. Carlos M. Alacdis
President President
Benguet Central College Benguet Central College
Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet
29 July 2002
MR. CARLOS M. ALACDIS, ED.D
President
Benguet Central College
Pico road, La Trinidad, Benguet
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
As shown, few of the degree holders have no recipient’s name or have
capitalized the recipient’s name, have added the date and the inclusion of the
word Mr. despite the title DPA, ED.D and the like.
Table 5 presents the weaknesses of the degree holders in ascending order
of weighted means are the heading, body (coherence), punctuation, and
complimentary close.
Heading
The heading is ranked as the lowest among the weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters. The finding implies that the degree holders
are not well oriented in writing the heading. The finding further implies that the
degree holders do not contain the information about the address and the date of
writing the application letter and the heading has incomplete information or not
properly punctuated at all.
The examples below are excerpted from the headings of the application
letters of the degree holders:
Hermon I. Biado August 12, 2003
12 Interior Outlook Drive OB 140 Tomay, La Trinidad
Baguio City Benguet
Contact Nos. 444 – 2063/444 - 5966
TO: The President May 16, 2003
Cordillera Career Development College
Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Upper Shamolog, Pico Central FD 199 Km 4 Pines Park
La Trinidad Benguet 2601 La Trinidad Benguet
Nov. 20, 2003
No. 12 Upper Brookside Betag La Trinidad
Rimando Road Extn. Benguet
Baguio City
May 28, 2003
July 13, 2002
The finding is in contrast with the idea of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
heading consists of the address (includes the city and the zip code) and date. The
date is placed two to three spaces below and abbreviations are not used in the
heading. The heading of a letter includes the sender’s address and the date (Mills
and Walter, 1980). As cited by Romero (1984) the heading parts contain the
information that the reader needs to answer the letter.
Body (Coherence)
Coherence is ranked as the second weakness of the degree holders in
writing application letters. The finding implies that the degree holders have
difficulty in expressing their ideas in a clear and logical manner.
The following are some of the examples taken from the application letters
of the degree holders coupled with analyses of the incoherence.
1. Respectfully applying for any anticipated vacancies to which your good
office needs.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 5. Weaknesses of the degree holders in writing application letters
_________________________________________________________________
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 GWM R
A. Heading 24 5 74 67 18 2.73 1
B. Coherence 10 52 100 25 1 3.24 2
C. Punctuation 96 45 40 7 5 4.22 3
D. Complimentary close 110 26 43 9 0 4.26 4
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.51
2. Attached is my resume and other supporting documents for your ready
reference.
3. Your attention on this matter will be appreciated, I remain,
4. Please consider me as one applicant for the position.
5. So that I will decide to apply and work at your department office and I
assure that I am such level of responsibility.
6. Hoping for your kind consideration to this application.
7. Attached is a copy of my bio-data, training certificates for your ready
reference.
8. Expecting soon a message any day should you wish to arrange an
interview on your good office to discuss job opportunities.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
9. A degree holder majored on Electronics Hard Technology and with a
number of skills would be useful to your school are some of my specializations.
10. Thank you very much. I am,
11. May respectfully apply for any job that I could be possibly qualified in
your good office.
12. Anticipating your further understanding. I remain.
13. Hoping for your favorable consideration.
The incoherence on the ideas of some degree holders on example number
one is the omission of the subject and the linking verb. Incorporating the subject
and the linking verb, the sentence is better understood as: I am respectfully
applying for any anticipated vacancies to which your good office needs.
Attached is my resume and other supporting documents for your ready
reference. The error on this example is the subject-verb agreement on the use of is
instead of are because the complements are plural such as resume and other
documents. It can be revised this way: Attached are my resume and other
supporting documents for your ready references.
Your attention on this matter will be appreciated, I remain,
The idea on the above statement is not clear. Whereas it can be coherent if
transitional words and proper tenses are used to show the relationships between
the two ideas. Your attention on this matter is highly appreciated. Therefore, I
still remain as an applicant if vacancies occur.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Please consider me as one applicant for the position. The correction on
this sentence is the absence of the preposition and the correct number, and a
mention on the position applying for should also be done like: Please consider me
as one of the applicants for the position of a secretary.
So that I will decide to apply and work at your department office and I
assure that I am such level of responsibility. There are many ideas playing on the
above statement that is not clear. I decided to apply in your office because I know
the responsibilities of what you need. I want to have a work so I decided to apply
in your department/office and I’m sure that I know the responsibilities of what
you need. Being a writer, he/she must state clearly what he/she means.
Hoping for your kind consideration to this application. This statement can
be changed into: I hope for your kind consideration.
Attached is a copy of my bio-data, training certificates for your ready
reference. This sentence can be corrected by using the correct verb and
connecting words: Attached are copies of my bio-data and training certificates for
your ready references.
Expecting soon a message any day should you wish to arrange an
interview on your good office to discuss job opportunities. This sentence also
lacks coherence due to the absence of the subject, linking verb, proper
punctuations and other ideas. The revision could be: I am expecting soon a
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
message any day. Should you wish to arrange an interview, I am willing to come
to your office at your own convenience.
The following sentence also is incoherent. The sentence can be revised by
adding substantial information and by separating different ideas from another.
A degree holder majored on Electronics Hard Technology and with a
number of skills would be useful to your school are some of my specializations.
The revision can be: I am a degree holder major in Electronics Hard
Technology. I possess skills that can be useful to your school.
Thank you very much. I am,
The above statement can be better by omitting unnecessary clause or by
separating the two ideas using proper transitional devices like: (1) Thank you very
much. (2)Thank you very much and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
May respectfully apply for any job that I could be possibly qualified in
your good office. This sentence is also incoherent since no subject is indicated,
wrong punctuation is committed, and a wrong tense is hoed. The sentence can be:
May I respectfully apply for any vacancy that I am qualified?
Anticipating your further understanding. I remain. These sentences can be
edited by: I have anticipated your further understanding on this matter and I
remain as an applicant as soon as vacancy arises.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Hoping for your favorable consideration. To become a coherent sentence,
the subject must be added like: I am hope for your favorable consideration on this
matter.
The finding contradicts the definition of Scott (1996) that a competent
writer is “someone who has achieved a given level of ability and is able to
communicate convincingly.” According to Scott (1996), there are general
descriptions of good writing in which most writers agree. These descriptions
include features such as clarity, explicitness, conciseness, clear paragraph
structure, and over-all organization.
The finding is in contrast with the suggestion of Christ (1978) that writing
means taking trouble ordering one’s thoughts in the most methodical and logical
sequence and wording them in the most lucid language. Thought units, whether
single words, a sentence or a paragraph or longer sentences, must be orderly.
Paragraphing is not just a matter of mechanically breaking up writing into groups
of half-a-dozen sentences each. Readers will understand the thought of the
paragraph if there is continuity in words, concepts and thematic development
from the opening statement to the conclusion. Readers will be confused if there
are misplaced words or phrases in the sentence, abandoned familiar syntax,
shifted criterion, for items is a series or cluttered sequence of ideas with
wordiness or irrelevances. The finding further contradicts the idea of Halliday and
Hasan (1976) that coherence refers to the features that bind the text together.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Through cohesion, the reader can follow the meaning through the text and clearly
comprehend the rhetorical and logical relationships. Coherence only partially
depends on such ties as it also relies on the arrangement of information
throughout the text. It is the responsibility of the writer to be understood, to make
sure that the reader can understand what is being said.
When a paragraph has coherence, “it hangs together”; the material in it is
relevant, it helps the writer make the point. A good paragraph has built-in signals
that help the reader follow, that steer the reader’s attention in the right direction
(Guth, 1989).
On the other hand, Wallang (1999) conducted a study on the development
and construction of supplementary writing materials for fourth year high school
students of Bontoc. The two findings of the study on the greatest difficulty in
writing is the lack of organization of ideas and lack of vocabulary and incorrect
grammar. The observation of Wallang (1999) jibes with the finding of this study.
According to Nathan (1969) even well planned papers may seem bumpy
and confusing to the reader unless the writer carefully signal-turn his thought,
bridges gaps between ideas and prepares reader in advance for what is to come.
Even though the writer knows exactly what relations exist between the ideas of
his paper, the reader is wholly dependent on the words that are set before him.
The writer should be twice as clear as he thinks he needs to be; then he may hope
to be clear enough for the reader he is trying to reach. Careful writers use
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
transitional words and phrases to show connection in thought. These coherence
devices link words as in sentences, sentences within a paragraph, and sentences
between paragraphs (http:///leave.www.army.mil).
Punctuation
This is ranked as the third weakness among the degree holders in writing
application letters. The reason is that not all degree holders properly punctuate
their application letters. The number of errors usually committed ranges from one
to five inappropriate punctuations. The finding in punctuation reveals that almost
half of the degree holders do not know how to punctuate their letters properly.
The finding agrees on the definition of the Random House Webster’s school and
Office Dictionary (1993) and World Book Encyclopedia (2004) that punctuation
is using certain conventional marks in writing or printing in order to separate
elements and make the meaning clear. In addition, Olsen and Huckin (1991) cited
that punctuation clarifies meaning by indicating the boundaries of sentences and
the relationships between words within a sentence. As further discussed,
punctuations are road signs that help a reader navigate a passage of writing
according to writer’s instructions.
The examples below illustrate the wrong punctuation committed by some
degree holders:
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
1. Would you consider my application, I can be contacted with my mobile
phone # at 09198470815.
2. Should I be granted the chance to join your office I will do my best to
fulfill the expectation of the office then I shall be very glad to come for an
interview at your most convenient time and day.
3. Should there be a need for an interview, I will be willing to report in
your most convenient time.
4. May I apply as a secretary in your institution
5. Should you desire more information, may I refer you to the following:
6. Should you desire to consider me for the position please contact me at
cell phone number 09167109018.
7. May I have a personal interview at your most convenient time.
8. During my college years I devoted time to the development of my
personal skills as an active member of the Samahang Filipiñana, I serve as a
treasurer.
9. 2601 La Trinidad Benguet
10. Greetings:
11. Greetings in the name of Almighty God!!!
The errors on the following sentences lie on the inappropriateness of
punctuations. The punctuations often use are comma, period, exclamation point,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
colon, and other punctuations. The degree holders also forget to use punctuations
at all.
The sentences below are revisions of the examples given on the use of a
comma in order to separate the clause instead of using a question mark:
1. Would you consider my application? I can be contacted through my
mobile phone at 09198470815;
2. Should I be granted the chance to join your office? I do my best to fulfill
the expectation of your office. I will be very glad to come for an interview at your
most convenient time.
3. Should there be a need for an interview? I will be willing to report at
your most convenient time.
4. May I apply as a secretary in your institution?
5. Should you desire more information? I may refer you to the following:
6. Should you desire to consider me for the position? Please contact me at
cell phone number 09167109018.
7. May I have a personal interview at your most convenient time?
On the succeeding sentences/phrases, the revisions centered on the proper
use of a comma as:
8. During my college years, I devoted my time to develop my skills as an
active member of the Samahang Filipiñana. I also serve as a treasurer.
9. 2601 La trinida, Benguet
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The following are deadwood expressions commonly used among the
degree holders:
10. Greetings:, and
11. Greetings in the name of Almighty God!!!
The aforementioned deadwood expressions must be dropped/ omitted or
avoided.
Complimentary close
This is the last ranked weakness of the degree holders in writing their
application letters. The degree holders do not find so much difficulty on this.
Some of the degree holders’ common errors on the complimentary close are the
capitalization of the succeeding words instead of the first word only and the non-
alignment of the complimentary close with the heading.
The examples below are few of the committed errors on the
complimentary close taken from the application letters of the degree holders with
their proper revisions beside them:
1. Yours very truly, into: Yours truly,
2. Yours very respectfully, into: Yours respectfully,
3. Your applicant, is a wrong complimentary close. Please use the
conventional complimentary close.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 6. Overall strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letter
MECHANICS OF WMT RANK
THE LETTER
I. Structure
A. Heading 2.73 8
B. Inside Address 4.35 4
C. Salutation 4.51 2
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 3.24 7
E. Complimentary close 4.26 5
F. Signature 4.46 3
II. Spelling 4.74 1
III. Punctuation 4.22 6
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
X2 0.05, 28 = 41.337 Fr = 19.325 ns ns = Not Significant
4. Very respectfully yours, or Very Respectfully Yours, into: Respectfully
yours,
5. Very respectfully, into: Respectfully yours, or Yours respectfully,
6. Very sincerely yours, or Very Sincerely Yours, into: Sincerely yours, or
Yours sincerely,
7. Very Truly Yours, or Very Truly yours, or Very truly your, into: Very
truly yours,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
8. Respectfully Yours; or respectfully yours, or Respectfully your,
Respectfully, and Respectively yours, into: Respectfully yours,
9. Sincerely, into: sincerely yours,
10. Truly Yours, or Truly, into: Yours truly, or Very truly yours,
The finding that some degree holders committed errors in the
complimentary close contradicts the statement of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
complimentary close must be placed two lines below the body of the letter and it
must be aligned with the heading. Further contradicted is the suggestion of
Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) that the correct punctuation after the complimentary
close is always a comma and other words should not be capitalized except the first
word.
That the computed value is lower than the tabulated value leads to the
rejection of the hypothesis, that the strengths and weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters differ significantly. The finding means that
there is no significant difference on the strengths and weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Degree of Seriousness of the Errors Committed
among the Degree Holders in Writing
Their Application Letters
Table 7 presents the degree of seriousness of the errors committed in
application letter writing among the degree holders. The table presents that there
are six business formats used in the writing of the application letters among the
degree holders. The finding reveals that most of the degree holders prefer to use
the full block form. A great majority of them prefer to use the semiblock form.
Some of them combine different business formats to come up with their own. Few
among the degree holders prefer to use the block form and none among them use
either the indented/traditional form or the hanging style.
In descending order of weighted means the degree of seriousness are as
follows: block form, 3.6; nondescript form, 3.38; semiblock form, 3.17; and full
block form, 2.93.
The business formats with descriptive equivalent of moderately serious are
the nondescript form, semiblock form, and full block form. The business format
with a descriptive equivalent of serious is the block form.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table7. Degree of seriousness of the errors committed in the application letter
writing competence of the degree holders
FORMAT DEGREE OF SERIOUSNESS WM
5 4 3 2 1
Full-block 5 19 35 23 6 2.93
Block 1 1 3 0 0 3.6
Semiblock 10 13 20 18 2 3.17
Nondescript 6 10 7 8 1 3.38
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 0 0 0
Hanging style 0 0 0 0 0
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.27
X2 0.05, 12 = 21.0260 Fr = 9.9ns ns = Not Significant
Legend:
Weighted Mean (WM) Descriptive Equivalent (DE)
4.51 – 5 = Very Serious (VS)
3.51 – 4.50 = Serious (S)
2.51 – 3.50 = Moderately Serious (MS)
1.51 – 2.50 = Slightly Serious (SS)
1 - 1.50 = Not Serious (NS)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The finding along nondescript form reveals that some degree holders are
not yet familiar with the business formats they are using. Further, the committed
errors of the degree holders range from 6 to 8 grammatical errors. The same range
of 6 to 8 grammatical errors are committed by the degree holders who use
semiblock form, and full block form. On the other hand, block form is described
as serious. It reveals that among the degree holders who use this format their
grammatical errors range from 9 to 11.
The finding contradicts the discussion of Igoy et al. (2004) that an
application letter must be clean (white paper of gold in quality), neat (typewritten)
and free from errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar.
An application letter is an individual’s personal emissary. It is a means by
which an applicant can sell himself to a prospective employer.
The finding is also in contrasts with the statement of Farber (1983) that the
first form of contact between the writer and the employer is the application letter.
The application letter should be the ultimate in neatness, correct mechanisms, and
thoughtful construction. Also contradicted is the discussion of Procter (2003) on
the specific points about the application letters that an applicant must use standard
letter format, with internal addresses (names are spelled correctly) and salutation.
Whenever possible, of specific names or at least position titles are used.
According to Tressler and Lewis (1916) a person’s whole future may
depend upon the success of his letter. Therefore, his letter must be written
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
effectively. As there are generally several people competing for a position. The
applicant’s chief hope of selection is to make his letter stand out among the other
letters. He must influence the reader to think favorably of him and of his abilities
to be granted an interview in which the applicant tries to complete the sale of his
services.
The computed value is lower than the tabulated value that leads to the
rejection of the hypothesis, that the degree of seriousness of the errors committed
in writing application letters differ significantly. The finding means that there is
no significant difference on the degree of seriousness of the errors committed by
the degree holders in writing application letters.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The study aimed to determine the common business formats used in the
written applications of the degree holders; their level of competence in writing
application letters as to structure, coherence, spelling, and punctuation; their
strengths and weaknesses in writing application letter; and the degree of
seriousness of the errors committed in their written application letters.
The research was highly descriptive. A structured basis was used to collect
the relevant data from the application letters of the degree holders who submitted
their letters in the year 2002-2004. Data were treated statistically using frequency
counts, weighted mean, rank, chi-square, and Friedman’s Analysis of Variance.
The 0.05 level of significance was used to determine whether the hypotheses were
rejected or not.
The salient findings of the study are the following:
1. The degree holders use various kinds of business formats in writing
their application letters. The business formats used in descending order of ranks
are full block form, semiblock form, nondescript form, block form,
indented/traditional form and hanging style.
2. In application letter writing, the degree holders are excellent in
spelling and salutation. They are very good in signature, inside address,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
complimentary close and punctuation. They are good only in coherence and in
writing the heading.
3. The degree holders’ strengths center on spelling, salutation, signature,
and inside address. On the other hand, their weaknesses zero in on the heading,
coherence, punctuation, and complimentary close.
4. The errors committed in the written application letters are moderately
serious. The number of errors range from 6 to 8 grammatical errors. The errors in
full block form, semiblock form, and nondescript form are moderately serious.
Those in block form are serious, with a range of 9 to 11 grammatical errors.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. The common business formats used by the degree holders in writing
their application letters are the full block form and the semiblock form.
2. The degree holders do not significantly differ in their competence
along structure, coherence, spelling, and punctuation. They are excellent in
spelling and salutation; very good in writing signature, inside address,
complimentary close, and in punctuation; and good only in writing the heading
and in coherence.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
3. The strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letters do not differ significantly. Their strengths are spelling and
salutation, and their weaknesses are heading and coherence.
4. The degree of seriousness of the errors committed in the written
application letters do not differ significantly. As a whole, they commit from 9 to
11 grammatical errors.
Recommendations
Based on the following findings and conclusions, the following are
recommended:
1. Since applicants are mostly degree holders, they should make use of
conventional business formats in writing their application letters in order that the
recipient of their letters will do the reading. Usually, the recipient of the letters
expects a lot from the educated applicants.
2. The applicant should construct an effective application letter so that
the recipient of the letter will give prior attention to it. An application letter
constructed effectively can get the attention of the reader.
3. Teachers should give more written activities in their class for the students
to develop their potentials or skills in writing. Thru this, misspelling,
inappropriate punctuations, wrong abbreviations, incoherence, and other problems
related to writing will be avoided. At the same time, the teachers should attend
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
trainings, seminars and workshops related to application letter writing in order for
them to teach application letter writing effectively.
4. The personnel officers/administrators in-charge in hiring employees
must be knowledgeable of an effective application letter. Their knowledge can
give them an idea on the possible performance of employees to be hired.
5. Further study on the effect of the social factors like age, gender, civil
status, degree obtained, and type of school graduated from on the construction of
application letters is highly recommended.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
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Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix A
FORMAT OF A BUSINESS LETTER
1. FULL BLOCK FORM
2. BLOCK FORM
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
A
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________ B
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________: C
_______________:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________.
D
_______________.
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________.
_______________.
_______________, E
_______________,
_______________ F
_______________
Legend:
A = Heading or Letterhead D = Body of the Letter
B = Inside Address E = Complimentary Close
C = Salutation F = Signature
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
3. SEMIBLOCK FORM
4. INDENTED/TRADITIONAL FORM
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
____________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________:
_______________:
_________________________
_________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
________________.
_____________________.
_________________________
_________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_____________________.
_____________________.
_______________,
_______________,
_______________
_____________
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
5. HANGING STYLE
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________:
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_______________,
_______________
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix B
RAW TABLES
Table1. Common business formats used in the application letters of the degree
holders
FORMAT FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE RANK
Full-block 88 46.81 1
Block 5 2.66 4
Semi block 63 35.1 2
Nondescript 32 17.02 3
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 5.5
Hanging style 0 0 5.5
TOTAL 188 100
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2. Overall degree holders’ application letter writing competence
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 24 5 74 67 18 2.73
B. Inside Address 117 32 30 6 3 4.35
C. Salutation 133 26 20 9 0 4.51
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 10 52 100 25 1 3.24
E. Complimentary close 110 26 43 9 0 4.26
F. Signature 103 73 9 1 2 4.46
II. Spelling 149 30 9 0 0 4.74
III. Punctuation 96 45 40 7 0 4.22
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.1. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the full-
block form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 17 3 28 35 5 2.91
B. Inside Address 58 15 11 3 1 4.43
C. Salutation 66 7 8 7 0 4.5
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 7 30 43 8 0 2.18
E. Complimentary close 62 0 22 4 0 4.36
F. Signature 52 34 1 0 1 4.53
II. Spelling 67 19 2 0 0 4.74
III. Punctuation 47 20 17 4 0 4.25
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.99
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor (P)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.2. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the block
form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 0 0 4 1 0 2.8
B. Inside Address 3 1 1 0 0 4.4
C. Salutation 3 1 1 0 0 4.4
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 0 1 3 1 0 3
E. Complimentary close 3 1 1 0 0 4.4
F. Signature 1 4 0 0 0 4.2
II. Spelling 3 2 0 0 0 4.6
III. Punctuation 0 3 2 0 0 3.6
____________________________________________________________________
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.93
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.3. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the
Semiblock form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 4 1 31 18 9 2.57
B. Inside Address 40 9 10 2 2 4.32
C. Salutation 45 10 6 2 0 4.56
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 3 14 36 9 1 3.14
E. Complimentary close 30 18 12 3 0 4.19
F. Signature 33 21 8 0 1 4.35
II. Spelling 51 8 4 0 0 4.75
III. Punctuation 37 15 10 1 0 4.40
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.0
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.5. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the
nondescript form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 3 1 11 13 4 2.56
B. Inside Address 16 7 8 1 0 4.19
C. Salutation 19 8 5 0 0 4.4
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 0 7 18 7 0 3
E. Complimentary close 15 7 8 2 0 3.97
F. Signature 17 14 0 1 0 4.47
II. Spelling 28 1 3 0 0 4.78
III. Punctuation 12 7 11 2 0 3.91
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.92
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 3. Strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing application
letter
MECHANICS OF WMT RANK
THE LETTER
I. Structure
A. Heading 2.73 8
B. Inside Address 4.35 4
C. Salutation 4.51 2
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 3.24 7
E. Complimentary close 4.26 5
F. Signature 4.46 3
II. Spelling 4.74 1
III. Punctuation 4.22 6
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 4. Degree of seriousness of the errors committed in the application letter
writing competence of the degree holders
FORMAT DEGREE OF SERIOUSNESS WM
5 4 3 2 1
Full-block 5 19 35 23 6 2.93
Block 1 1 3 0 0 3.6
Semiblock 10 13 20 18 2 3.17
Nondescript 6 10 7 8 1 3.38
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 0 0 0
Hanging style 0 0 0 0 0
____________________________________________________________________
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.27
Legend:
Weighted Mean (WM) Descriptive Equivalent (DE)
4.51 – 5 = Very Serious (VS)
3.51 – 4.50 = Serious (S)
2.51 – 3.50 = Moderately Serious (MS)
1.51 – 2.50 = Slightly Serious (SS)
1 - 1.50 = Not Serious (NS)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix C
SAMPLE COMPUTATION USING THE FRIEDMAN TEST
Fr = 12 ( Rj)2 – 3N (C + 1)
NR (C + 1)
Where: Fr = Friedman Test
N = No. of Rows
C = No. of Columns
= Summation
Rj = Ranks
Table 2. Overall letter degree holders’ application letter writing competence
MECHANICS OF RANKS
THE LETTER
I. Structure
A. Heading 3 5 1 2 4
B. Inside Address 1 2 3 4 5
C. Salutation 1 2 3 4 5
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 4 2 1 3 5
E. Complimentary close 1 3 2 4 5
F. Signature 1 2 3 5 4
II. Spelling 1 2 3 4. 5 4. 5
III. Punctuation 1 2 3 4 5
Rj = 13 20 19 30.5 37.5
Rj 2 = 169 400 361 930.25 1406.25
( Rj) 2 = 3266.5
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Solution:
Fr = 12 ( Rj)2 – 3N (C + 1) df = (C – 1) (R – 1)
NR (C + 1) = (5-1) (8-1)
= (4) (7)
Fr = 12 (3266.5) – 3 (8) (5 + 1) df = 28
(5)(8)(5 + 1)
Fr = 12 (3266.5) - 144 X2 0.05, 28 = 41.3371
240
Fr = 163.325 – 144
Fr = 19.325 ns
The computed value is less than the tabular value, Ho is accepted.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix D
SAMPLES OF APPLICATION LETTERS
October 13, 2003
To: THE PRESIDENT
BENGUET CENTRAL COLLEGE
Dear sir;
Greetings! Sir I have the honor to apply as a Political Science Instructor at
your school. I am a graduate of Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science at
Saint Louis University and currently taking up Bachelor of Laws at the same
school. I hope that as a Political Science graduate, I have the capacity to impart
my knowledge about the course to Political Science students.
Attached herewith is my resume and Transcript of Records for your
reference.
Very truly yours,
Mr. Atanacio D. Addog
Applicant
Sample 1. This is an example of an application letter using the nondescript
form.This application letter is described to be serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
191 Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet
May 28, 2002
The School Head
Benguet Central College
Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet
Sir/Madam:
I am very interested to apply for teaching position in your school if there is
or there will be vacancy.
With regards to my personality and experiences please turn to the attached
resume and other supporting documents.
Very truly yours,
ARNOLD L. MANIO
Applicant
Sample 2. This is an example of an application letter using the semiblock form.
This application letter is described to be moderately serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Dr. Carlos Alacdis, President
Benguet Central College
SO Bldg. Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet
Sir:
May I have the honor to apply for a teaching position in your institution, Benguet
Central College located at Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet. I am particularly interested
in teaching Filipino subject.
Enclosed herewith is my resume and other supporting documents for further
information. I shall be glad to have an interview at your most convenient time. I
can be reach thru this number: 074-421-8408.
Your favorable consideration on this application is highly appreciated. Thank you
and God bless.
Respectfully,
TILMA M. LESTINO
Sample 3. This is an example of an application letter using the full block form.
This application letter is described to be moderately serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Carlos S. Alacdis
President
Benguet Central College
Central Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet
May 14, 2003
Sir,
A pleasant greetings to you and the whole staff of Benguet Central College.
In relation to the school propose course expansion, I Laguyo, Francis Atumpa, of
legal age and a resident of Km. 4 Asin Road, Baguio City, do hereby express my
intention to work in your institution. Any vacant entry level jobs can do as long as
it is suitable to my course and capabilities. I am also interested and willing to be a
college instructor for commerce department.
For further inquiry and interview, I can be easily contacted through my mother’s
office with telephone number 444-4997 or through your son Brian Alacdis.
Thank you very much and I hope that you will consider me among the applicants.
Respectfully yours,
Francis Laguyo
Sample 4. This is an example of an application letter using the block form.
This application letter is described to be serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
78 Purok
4, Pinsao Pilot
Baguio
City
June 13,
2002
Mr. Carlos M. Alacdis
President
Benguet Central College
Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet
Dear Mr. Alacdis:
I heard from a reliable source that you are in need of a personnel officer.
Please consider me as one of the applicants.
I have obtained the degree Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
English from the Baguio Colleges Foundation last March 2000. As you will see in
the enclosed transcript of my university work, I have taken several courses in
English. Those courses and the one-semester practice teaching I have had
enhanced my ability to socialize with other people. I also have a personal
disposition coupled with my ability to deal with varied groups of people that are
needed for the position that I am applying for. In addition, I passed the licensure
Examination for Teachers conducted August 26, 2001. While waiting for my
license, I enrolled at Benguet State University to do my Master of Arts in English
as a Second Language. Already I have taken fifteen units for my Master’s, twelve
of which are from my major field.
My experiences include working at the graduate school office as an encoder
and tutoring Korean student for a month. At present, during my free time, I learn
technical writing and editing at the Graduate School of Benguet State University,
under the supervision of Dr. Rodolfo T. Abastilla. My responsibilities are limited
of course, but I did have some opportunities to exercise my skills at encoding,
editing and rewriting rough copies of technical papers.
Please refer to the enclosed resumé for details of my education and
experience and the names of persons who can vouch for my ability and character.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
I would welcome an opportunity of showing you some of the work I have
done and of telling you about myself. Would it be possible to arrange for an
interview? I will be free to come to your office any time. I look forward to
hearing from you.
Yours
respectfully,
EUGENE
S. LUMASOK
Sample 4: This is an example of an effective application letter using semiblock
form.
Competence of Degree Holde
rs of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
The researcher, Eugene S. Lumasok of Purok 4, Pinsao Pilot, Baguio City,
was born on February 08, 1979. His parents, natives of Maligcong, Bontoc, Mt.
Province, are Abraham Lumasok, deceased, and Alice Sinadcop, housewife.
In December 2000, the researcher obtained the degree Bachelor of
Secondary Education Major in English and Minor in Mathematics at University of
the Cordilleras (Baguio Colleges Foundation), Baguio City.
After passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers in August 2001, he
decided to practice his chosen profession; he started conducting tutorial services
with some Korean Nationals from December 2001 to January 2002. At the same
time, he began enhancing his skills, talent, and abilities in teaching by working for
a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language student at Benguet State
University, La Trinidad, Benguet.
From June 2002 to May 2004, he assumed the position of a Personnel
Officer at Benguet Central College, Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet. While
enjoying his position, he also taught English and Basic Computer Operation to the
college students as well as technical-vocational students. Moreover, he was
employed in Saint Vincent’s School, Bontoc, Mt. Province from June 01, 2004 to
March 31, 2006.
Competence of Degree Holde
rs of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
From April 24 to May 19, 2006, he tutored Technical Writing and English
grammar to some students of Regional Science High School in the Center for
Learning Enhancement, Session Road, Baguio City.
At present, he works as a private English Tutor to a Thailand National at
Km. 5, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Competence of Degree Holde
rs of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
EUGENE S. LUMASOK. OCTOBER 2006. Competence of Degree Holders of
Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet in Writing Application Letters. Benguet State
University, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Adviser: Rodolfo T. Abastilla, Ed. D.
ABSTRACT
The study determined the common business formats used by the degree holders in
writing their application letters; determined their level of competence as to spelling,
punctuation, coherence and structure; found out their strengths and weaknesses in writing
application letters; and determined the degree of seriousness of the errors committed in
their written application letters.
The findings show that the common business formats used, in descending order of
frequency, are full block form, semiblock form, nondescript form, and block form.
The level of competence of the degree holders in writing application letters is
very good. They are excellent in spelling and salutation; very good in signature, inside
address, complimentary close, and punctuation; and good in writing the heading and in
coherence.
The strengths of the degree holders lie on spelling and salutation whereas, their
weaknesses center on heading and coherence.
The degree holders do not significantly differ in the serious of errors committed.
Their errors range from 9 to 11.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Objectives of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Importance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Scope and delimitation of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Theories of Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Writing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Punctuation .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Coherence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Business Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Business Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Heading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Inside Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Salutation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ii
Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Complimentary Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Application Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Hypotheses of the Study .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Locale and Time of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Respondents of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Statistical Treatment of the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Common Business Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Level of Competence of the Degree Holders
in Writing Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Degree Holders
in Writing Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Degree of Seriousness of the Errors Committed among
the Degree Holders in Writing Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . 76
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
iii
LITERATURE CITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
A. Format of Business Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
B. Raw Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
C. Sample Computation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
D. Samples of Application Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
iv
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Communication is necessary to establish social ties, to knit people
together in reciprocal relationships and to ensure human cooperation. It begins
when one is born and continues throughout his entire life. Without it no thought is
ever expressed, no word is ever written, no problem is ever solved. It is a central
fact of the social process. It is all the ways by which a person influences another
and is influenced in return. The ways may be direct and personal as when an
instructor talks to a student, or indirect and impersonal, as when a radio or
television station conveys the message. Communication is thus the carrier of
social process; it makes interaction within humankind possible and enables men
to be social beings (Fernando et al., 1977). Further, communication is a two-way
affair. All persons are receivers as well as senders, consumers as well as
producers of words.
The English language can be a vehicle for effective communication. The
educated person must have a functional command of language so that he can
express himself and can understand others.
Communication includes speaking, listening, reading and writing; almost
all fields of human endeavor involve at least one of these activities. Proficiency in
the four basic skills is undoubtedly an asset. But fluency even in one, particularly
in the single field of writing, is a great advantage.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The rewards of competence in writing are both academic and economic.
The ability to write enables one to excel in his studies and continues to be useful
to him even after college. It is essential in a number of occupations. Thus, the
quality of a letter of application may decide whether one is granted an interview,
or even a job. A business report or sales brochure may determine one’s life career
as a writer.
As posited by Janis et al. (1970), writing has a vocational value. Many
jobs require some ability to put ideas and experiences on paper. Letters, reports,
notices and memoranda are all common in many jobs.
Similarly the ability to write letter effectively is a valuable asset. One
reason is that a great deal of business is transacted in letter writing. Every
employee finds it necessary to put ideas on a paper. Another reason is that the
effective letter writer can use his skill in applying for a job because proficiency in
writing gives personal advantage, and contributes substantially to self-
confidence, which is a necessary quality for success.
Moreover, Stewart et al. (1967) stated that effective training in
communication must be based on solid educational foundation in English usage
particularly in vocabulary, punctuation, proper capitalization and writing
craftsmanship.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
As supplemented, Romero (1984) stated that being able to speak a
language does not necessarily mean being able to write it. Of the four language
skills, which are listening, speaking, reading and writing, writing is considered by
communication specialists as the most difficult skill to develop. Writing is simply
the application of rules or principles of English composition.
To be able to write correctly, clearly, and effectively may take a long time,
or even a lifetime, but one can always improve his writing ability if he tries hard
enough and spend enough time on writing (Fernando et al., 1977).
Statement of the Problem
The study sought to find the answers to the following questions:
1. What are the common business formats used in the application letters
of the degree holders?
2. What is the level of competence of the degree holders in writing
application letters?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letters?
4. What is the degree of seriousness of the errors committed by the
degree holders in writing their application letters?
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Objectives of the Study
The study had the following objectives:
1.
To determine the common business formats used in the application
letters of the degree holders.
2.
To determine the level of competence of the degree holders in
writing application letters as to:
a.
Spelling
b.
Punctuation
c.
Coherence
d.
Structure
3.
To find out the strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in
writing application letters.
4.
To determine the degree of seriousness of the errors that they
commit in writing application letters.
Importance of the Study
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) cited that writing contributes to personal
development. As one writes he becomes a more potent thinker and active
learner, and he comes eventually to a better understanding of himself by
recording, exploring, and telling about personal experience and his innermost
thoughts.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Writing is an extremely complex cognitive activity in which the writer
is required to demonstrate a control of number of variables simultaneously.
Thus, good writers usually developed consciousness about their writing when
there is a need to be. Good writing is planned in such a way as to exploit all the
resources of language, the sentence structure, the word choice, and the
paragraph structure (White, 1991).
The findings of this study will give the personnel officer/manager or
head of the agency/ department an idea in choosing the right personnel to be
hired. To the administrators and teachers, this study will give them some basic
information on what to consider in planning their curriculums and will also
serve as a basis in planning writing activities relevant and responsive to the
needs of the learners.
To the college graduate, knowledge on how to write an effective letter
of application serves a very useful purpose. Everybody needs a job, but
employment is seldom given on a silver platter (Alcantara and Espina, 1995).
Finally, to the readers, this study will enhance and develop their skills in
writing especially business letters.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study is limited to the analysis of errors committed in written
application letters among the degree holders; their degree of seriousness; the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
common business formats; and the strengths and weaknesses of the
respondents. Hence, the resumé of the degree holders were not included on the
analysis of this study.
The sources of the application letters for analysis came from the line
agencies of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.
The application letters covered in the analysis are based on the year
submitted. The dates ranged from 2002 to 2004.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Theories of Writing
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) stated that writing makes a special
contribution to the way people think. When somebody writes, he composes
meanings. He puts together facts and ideas and makes something new, whether
in a letter home, in a college essay, or in a report at work. When one writes, he
creates intricate web of meaning in which sentences have special relationship
with each other. Some sentences are general and some specific; some expand a
point and others qualify it; some define and others illustrate. These sentences,
moreover, are more concerned in a still larger set of relationships, with every
sentence related in some way to every other. By controlling these complex
relationships, writers can forge new meanings.
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) added that writing contributes uniquely to
the way one learns. When one takes notes in class or as he reads, writing
enables him to sort out information and to highlight what is important. Taking
notes helps one to remember what he is learning and yields a written record
which he can review later for tests or essays. And because writers are always
composing new meanings, writing helps them to find and establish their own
information and ideas. It allows them to bring together and connect new and
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
old ideas. By enabling them to qualify and deepen their understanding of new
concepts, writing helps by relating ideas to other ideas.
Graham (undated) advised writers to write simply and clearly, to use
few adjectives; never to be involved, and never to indulge in purple patches.
Therefore, writers must be concise, shun wordiness, and endeavor always to be
clear.
Flaubert (undated) reiterated that writer must think well in order to
write well. It is impossible to divorce good writing from right thinking. Logic
and clear habits of thought can not therefore be overemphasized. Thorpe and
Wellis (1949) posited that one who does not think clearly will never learn to
write clearly.
According to Zall (1980) a writer has to think as he is writing and also
after he has written, not only to make sure that he will be understood but also to
guard against being misunderstood.
The art of writing is in truth inextricably bound up in the art of living.
Writing is undeniably an instrument of delight. Through it poets, novelists,
dramatists have created beauty, and beauty is in some respect the best part of
life (Thorpe and Wellis, 1949).
A competent writer is someone who has achieved a given level of
ability and is able to communicate effectively and convincingly (Scott, 1996).
Accordingly, there are general descriptions of good writing in which most
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
writers agree. These descriptions include features such as clarity, explicitness,
conciseness, clear paragraph structure, and over-all organization. Ultimately,
however, the quality of a text is based on the judgment of the reader, and the
reader’s own criteria become the essential measure of the quality (Hadley,
2000).
Alcantara and Cabanilla (1988) added that good writers are not born but
are made; most of the time, they are self-made. Their interest in writing is
stimulated and nurtured by good literature and good reading habits. Their
craftsmanship is developed by adequate and serious study, diligent practice,
persevering experimentation, and indefatigable revision of their work.
As cited by Rivers (1975) good writing in any language involves
knowledge of the conventions of written discourse in that culture as well as the
abilities to choose from near synonyms, the precise word that conveys one’s
meaning, select from a variety of syntactic structures that transmit one’s
message most precisely, and adopt a style that has the most positive rhetorical
effect. Obviously, such expertise will not develop merely from practice
exercises in grammar and vocabulary at the sentence level. For many years,
instruction in rhetoric has emphasized writing at paragraph level and beyond,
and instruction in composition typically provided students with exercises in the
development of outlines and plans, the creation of paragraphs with topic
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
sentences, the inclusion of supporting detail, techniques in comparison and
contrast, and strategies for smooth transitions (Hadley, 2000).
Writing means taking trouble ordering one’s thoughts in the most
methodical and logical sequence and wording them in the most lucid language.
Christ (1998) continued that thought units, whether single words, a sentence or
a paragraph or longer sentences, must be orderly. Paragraphing is not just a
matter of mechanically breaking up writing into groups of half- a- dozen
sentences each. Readers will understand the thought of the paragraph if there is
continuity in words, concepts, and thematic development from the opening
statement to the conclusion. Readers will be confused if there are misplaced
words or phrases in the sentence, abandoned familiar syntax, and shifted
criterion for items or cluttered sequence of ideas with wordiness or
irrelevances.
Writing Problems
Barra (1986) identified writing problems that worry the teacher. These
are: spelling mistakes, repetition of lexical and structural items, interference of
the mother tongue, lack of stylistic features, little knowledge about the topic,
unimaginative content, poor paragraph organization, incoherence, slack
cohesiveness, unawareness of basic rhetorical categories, difficulty in
separating facts from opinion, and difficulty in expressing meaning.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
A study on the development and construction of supplementary writing
materials for fourth year high school students of Bontoc was conducted by
Wallang (1999) to investigate the writing needs of the fourth year students and
to develop writing tasks suited to their needs. The respondents were 90 students
and 38 specialists. The fourth year students are both from the public and private
schools of the said province and the specialists are the different subject
teachers. The findings of the study on the students’ greatest difficulty in writing
were the lack of organization of ideas, lack of vocabulary, and incorrect
grammar. On the basis of the identified need, organizing ideas and information,
developing paragraphs by exemplification, classification, cause and effect
relationship and comparison and contrast were developed for rhetorical writing.
On the study of Rana and Algabis (1997) the writing ability of the pupils
depended on their ability to spell, punctuate, syllabicate and construct sentences.
Cruz et al. (1976) supplemented that emphasis on trainings in the
mechanics of sentence, mastery of written technicalities, which relate to spelling,
indention, punctuation, capitalization, margin and neatness must be done to
develop writing competence.
Spelling. Bad spelling lessens the appeal and convincingness of a piece of work
because it suggests either ignorance or carelessness on the part of the writer
(Tiempo and Tiempo, 1980).
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
A misspelled word is an obvious error that detracts from the letter as a
whole. If a letter or article contains many misspelled words, then the readers may
assume that the writer is inaccurate in other more important words as well.
According to Moore (1971) an educated writer is expected to spell
compared to one who is not educated.
A technical writer must be careful to spell accurately, as added by
Syphered (1975).
Punctuation. Random House Webster’s School and Office Dictionary (1993)
defined punctuation as the use of certain conventional marks in writing or printing
in order to separate elements and make the meaning clear. Also on the World
Book Encyclopedia (2004), punctuation is using certain marks in writing and
printing to make the writer’s meaning clear. Shaw (1993) added that punctuation
originally developed because without it, written language was unable to indicate
or reproduce certain definite and clear qualities of speech; hence it required to
suggest the grouping of words and phrases in a sentence that conveys the
meaning. Punctuation is not arbitrary and mechanical; it is integral part of writing.
Punctuation marks do not indicate sound patterning; instead they indicate
grammatical structure, meaning and rhetorical relationships.
Furthermore, Olsen and Huckin (1991) cited that punctuation clarifies
meaning by indicating the boundaries of sentences and the relationships
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
between words within sentence. Punctuations are road signs that help a reader
navigate a passage of writing according to the writer’s instructions.
Coherence. Expert writing is characterized by the use of cohesiveness and
coherence features. Cohesion according to Halliday and Hasan (1976), refers to
the features that bind the text together. Through cohesion, the reader can follow
the meaning through the text and clearly comprehend the rhetorical and logical
relationships. Coherence only partially depends on such ties as it also relies on
the arrangement of information throughout the text. The responsibility of the
writer is to be understood, and to make sure that the reader can understand what
is being said.
But even well planned papers may seem bumpy and confusing to the
reader unless the writer carefully signal turns his thought, bridges gaps between
ideas, and prepares reader in advance for what is to come. Even though the
writer knows exactly what relations exist between the ideas of his paper, the
reader is wholly dependent on the words that are set before him. The writer
should as a general rule be twice as clear as he thinks he needs to be; then he
may hope to be clear enough for the reader he is trying to reach. There are
many kinds of signals and bridges available to the writer, many ways to prepare
the reader for what is to come and announce its arrival when it appears
(Nathan, 1969). Careful writers use transitional words and phrases to show
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
connection in thought. These coherence devices link words within sentences,
sentences within a paragraph, and sentences between paragraphs
(http://leave.www.army.mil).
Coherence (or order) means that all sentences in the paragraph should
follow one upon another in such a way that the subject is developed logically
and clearly. The word “coherence” comes from the word cohaerere, which
means “to stick together.” This means that the sentences which make up the
paragraph are held together as a solid, logical, well-organized block of
information with good continuity so the reader can easily follow the writer’s
line of reasoning and this meets no problem in progressing from one text to the
next.
A text makes sense because there is a continuity of sense among the
knowledge activated by the expressions of the text. A “non-sensical” text is one
in which the text receivers can discover no continuity of sense, usually because
there is a serious mismatch between the configuration of concepts and relations
expressed in the text and the receivers’ prior knowledge of the world. The
continuity of sense or senses is the foundation of coherence (de Beaugrande
and Dressler, 1981).
Coherence (Moore, 1969) within the text or paragraph is usually
secured by the use of one or more of five devices: connective words,
transitional phrases, repetition of key terms, pronouns looking back to
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
antecedent nouns, and repetition of sentence patterns. At its simplest level,
coherence within the paragraph may be secured by the use of connected words
alone. The conjunctions like and, but, or, nor, for, because, if, unless, until; the
conjunctive adverbs like however, therefore, consequently, moreover,
nevertheless, then , so, yet; transitional adverbs like similarly, contrarily,
likewise, first, second, third, finally and all such connectives words show
relations between sentences or parts of sentences within the paragraph and help
together the ideas that the paragraph presents.
Coherence calls for a proper arrangement of sentences within the
paragraph, following a definite pattern that will assist the reader in
understanding what is being said (Vicente et al., 1982).
When a paragraph has coherence, it hangs together, the material in it is
relevant, and it helps the writer make the point. A good paragraph has built-in
signals that help the reader follow, that steer the reader’s attention in the right
direction (Guth, 1989).
As supplemented by Portillo et al. (2003) coherence refers to the logical
agreement of sentences, paragraphs and group of paragraphs. Transition from
one thought to the next is done smoothly and consistently throughout the
written work.
Coherence in a paragraph refers to the way the sentences are arranged
and to their relationships to one another. When a paragraph is coherent, the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
ideas are easy to follow and flow smoothly and gracefully from one sentence to
the next.
Three devices that will help to achieve coherence in writing are as
follows: (1) transitional words and phrases that show relationships; (2)
transitional devices that look back or point forward; and (3) repetition of or
reference to key terms (Villanueva et al., 1993).
A paragraph is coherent when its ideas flow smoothly from sentence to
sentence and when the reader is able to follow the train of thought without
disruption. The following are three major strategies of coherence for linking
sentences to one another and for introducing new paragraphs: (1) the use of
connective words and phrases; (2) reference to earlier words and phrases (by
word repetition, through synonyms and through pronouns); and (3) the
arrangement of sentences into structural patterns, including the proper ordering
of old and new information (Zall, 1980).
Onaka (1984) stated that a paragraph is coherent when it maintains
relevance among the sentence units. In longer discourse, every paragraph
carries one idea and relates to the others in forming a coherent sequence of
ideas. Like links in a chain, the paragraphs create a tightly connected whole.
Regardless of how it is developed, every paragraph must have
coherence. Coherence is easy for writers on Science and Technology to achieve
because their work is likely to be well organized (Tichy, 1988).
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Business Format. Portillo et al. (2003) discussed that there are varied ways of
packaging a business letter. The format depends on the intention of the letter
sender to whom it is addressed. In addition, the presentation of format reflects
the personality of the writer. The following forms are the commonly used
formats of a business letter: (1) full block form. This style is efficient for the
writer is not bothered to indent. All lines are flushed to the left hand margin of
the page (Farol, 1963); (2) block form. All lines of the heading and inside
address are blocked. All paragraphs begin flushed to the left of the page. The
complimentary close usually aligns with the date lines. The signature is blocked
with the complimentary close (Farol, 1963); (3) semiblock form. This type is
different from the block form only in one aspect, the indention of the
paragraphs opening. Lines which begin new paragraphs should be uniformly
indented either five to ten spaces (Portilo et al., 2003); (4) indented or
traditional form. Uniformity is observed in the indented form where each line
of the heading and the inside address is uniformly indented by either three or
five spaces more than the line it precedes. The complimentary close is aligned
with the date line, while the signature is written two or three spaces to the right
of the point at which the complimentary close begins (Farol, 1963); and (5)
hanging style. It has the following parts: (a) the heading, the inside address and
the signature conform with the block style. Paragraph beginnings align with the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
left hand margin of the page; (b) all the rest of the lines are indented five spaces
from the left hand margin (Farol, 1963).
Tressler and Christ (1960) agreed that using correct business letter form
also helps to create a favorable impression. The three styles are semiblock,
block and indented. In typed letters, either the semiblock or the block style is
ordinarily used. There is only one difference between the two. In semiblock
letter the paragraphs are indented. In the block letter the paragraphs begin at the
left margin. For pen-written letters most people prefer the indented form. In this
form not only is each paragraph indented, but also each line of the heading and
of the inside address begins farther to the right than the line above it. Whatever
the writer chooses, he must use his choice consistently throughout the letter.
Business Letter
The World Book Encyclopedia (2004) defined letter as a way of
communicating message in written words. People write letters for both business
and personal reasons. Business letters include those used to apply for jobs,
complaints, sales letters, and collection letters.
The language of a business letter is highly specialized. Business letters
are terms specifically designed to cater to a definite reader because
communication is important. Well-written, it can be an instrument that “can
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
iron out business deals or negotiations at once” (The World Book of Word
Power 2, 1997).
Portillo et al. (2003) further stated that a business letter must be well-
planned, attractive, impressive neat and direct to the point.
Successful business letters must possess the following characteristics
(Macabuhay, 1989): (1) it must elicit response from readers; (2) it must give the
impression of goodwill; (3) it must exude courtesy and sincerity; and (4) it
must reflect careful organization and attention to every detail.
Portillo et al. (2003) added that a good business letter is one that is able
to achieve its purpose. It has the following basic elements: (1) clarity: the
business letter must be clear, straightforward or direct to the point; (2)
conciseness: ideas must be completely expressed by using the least number of
words; (3) consideration: the use of the “you” point of view; (4) courtesy: the
constant use polite expression to show respect; (5) concreteness: choose words
that give vivid, specific descriptions that may appeal to the senses; (6)
cheerfulness: positive expressions always signal lively disposition in life; (7)
correctness: facts must be accurate, figures, spelling, grammar, format, etc.; and
(8) character: it must show the writer’s own style of uniqueness in writing as
reflected in his/her own personality.
Furthermore, Winston et al. (1980) stated that attractive form is necessary
for the letter to be effective. Good appearance requires that the materials used for
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
the letter to be of quality, that margins and overall layout of the letter on the page
is pleasing to the eye, and that the spacing and arrangement of the elements be in
accord with accepted conventions of good taste.
The Grolier Encyclopedia (1991) mentioned six standard parts of a letter.
They are heading, which includes the writer’s address and the date; the inside
address, which shows the name and address of the recipient; the salutation, also
called the greetings; the body, which contains the writer’s actual message; the
complimentary close; and the signature.
Heading. The position of the heading is at the upper right-hand corner of the first
page. The heading ordinarily consists of the sender’s address and the date of the
letter. In case stationery paper with a business letter head is used, the heading
should consist of only the date, omitting the sender’s address, which is already
contained in the letter head (Tiempo and Tiempo, 1980).
In addition, if one style is used in the heading, that same style should be
followed in the inside address and in the superscription. In other words, it is
wrong to use two styles at once in the addresses involved in the letter.
It is also wrong to abbreviate the words used in the heading and in the
inside and outside addresses. The words should be spelled out.
Tressler and Christ (1960) discussed that on paper with a letter head, only
the date is added. The date is written in the center of the page or to the right two
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
or three spaces bellow the letter head. Whereas for paper without a letter head, a
three- or-two line heading is written. In doing so, they suggested the following
guidelines: (1) the heading must begin about halfway across the page 1 ½ inches
from the top for a long letter, 2 inches for a letter of medium length, and 2 ½
inches for a short letter. It should be far enough to the left to avoid a crowded
appearance; (2) headings with street or box numbers must be written in three lines
as the street address or box number will be the first line, the city, zone number,
and state will be in the second line and the date will be in the third line; (3)
abbreviations must be avoided; and (4) Use two commas- one after the city, the
town, or the zone and the other after the day of the month must be used and a
comma after a zone number must never be used.
Portillo et al. (2003) have similar discussions wherein heading consists of
the address (includes the city and zip code) and the date. The date is placed two to
three spaces below and abbreviations are not used in the heading. On the other
hand, Mills and Walter (1980) stated that the heading of a letter includes the
sender’s address and the date. In addition, Romero (1984) cited that the heading
parts contain the information that the reader needs to answer the letter.
Inside Address. Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) said that the position of the inside
address is one or more spaces below the last line of the heading-to the left-hand
side of the first page.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Tressler and Christ (1960) suggested the guidelines in writing the inside
address, as follows: (1) in writing to a firm, write the name exactly as it appears
on the company’s letter head; (2) the proper title should be used in addressing a
person. The name of the state or the words street, avenue and boulevard should
not also be abbreviated; (3) after each abbreviation a period should be placed, a
comma after the name of the city or town or after the zone number, and a comma
after the person’s name if followed by his business title. Similarly Portillo et al.
(2003) added that the inside address includes the recipient’s name and title, the
name of the office or department, if any, the name of the company or the
institution, and the street address, city and zip code. The proper title before a
recipient’s name, such as Mr. and Ms. should be included but if a title was used
after a person’s name, such as M.D. or Ph.D., a title before a name should not be
done.
Salutation. Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) stated that the position of the salutation is
below the inside address, deriving its margin from the margin set by the inside
address; the first word and all the nouns used in the salutation should be
capitalized; no abbreviations for the title of names are allowed, except Mr., Mrs.,
and Dr.; and the friendly salutation is usually punctuated at the end by a comma,
the salutation for a business letter, by colon.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The salutation serves as the greeting of the letter. As cited by Portillo et al.
(2003) the salutation is placed two lines below the inside address. The salutation
ended with a colon, and the recipient is addressed with an appropriate title.
As Parkhurst (1963) cited, a comma may be used after the salutation
instead of a colon when a person is addressed by his first name: Dear Eugene.
However, a comma is satisfactory for personal letters but not for business letters.
Parkhurst (1963) further stated that a colon is correct to use. However, a semi-
colon or a dash should not be used after a salutation.
Tressler and Christ (1960) enumerated the correct salutations as follows:
(1) Very formal are Sir:, Madam:, My dear Sir:, and My dear Madam:
(2) Formal are Dear Sir:, Dear Madam:, Gentlemen:, and Mesdames: or
Ladies:
(3) Less formal and more personal are Dear Mrs. Morareng: and Dear Mr.
Tabek:
Tressler and Christ (1960) added that the first letter of the first word and all
the first letters of proper nouns should be capitalized.
As suggested by Lewis (1997), a writer must not start a letter with “Dear Sir”
or “Dear Madame.” The reason is that these are nineteenth-century techniques.
They suggest stiff-necked pomposity. Warming up the reader and establishing
rapport with him or her is one of the great hurdles the writer faces. The greetings
such as Dear Sir or Dear Madame add sandbags to the obstacle when one should
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
be shoveling sand away. Depending on the list, the writer can move in closer with
“Dear Executive,” “Dear President,” “Dear Collector,” and the like.
Body. According to Portillo et al. (2003) the body of the letter is the meat of the
letter. It contains the message. They (2003) elaborated that the body must be
written two lines below the salutation and in using the block style indenting the
paragraphs must not be done but two spaces between paragraphs is always kept.
The body states the subject matter of the letter. The writer must write
simple and direct and must begin the body two spaces below the salutation
(Serrano, 1966).
According to Tiempo and Tiempo (1980), indented style may be used in
the body of the letter even when the heading and the inside address are in the
block style. It is unusual, however, to use the block style in the body of the letter
when the heading and the inside address are in the indented style. Usually, the
body of the letter is also in the indented style in such a case.
In a business letter, there are two faults often committed: (1) omission of
certain articles, pronouns, and prepositions; and (2) the use of clichés.
Complimentary Close. The complimentary close ends the letter.
Portillo et al. (2003) enumerated the following complimentary closes
appropriate for business letters: Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Respectfully yours,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Yours truly, Cordially yours, and Very truly yours. Further, Portillo et al. (2003)
mentioned that the complimentary close must be placed two lines below the body
of the letter and it must be aligned with the heading.
Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) assumed that the correct punctuation after the
complimentary close is always the comma and other words should not be
capitalized except the first letter of the first word.
Tressler and Christ (1960) classified the appropriate closings into: (1) very
formal: Respectfully yours, Yours respectfully, (2) formal: Yours truly, Very truly
yours, (3) less formal: Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely, and (4) personal:
Cordially yours, cordially. Tressler and Christ (1960) added that the first letter of
the first word must be capitalized and a comma must be placed after the last word.
Signature. Portillo et al. (2003) said that the signature is placed four lines below
the complimentary close and the name of the applicant should be written in
capital letters; above the name is the signature. Serrano (1966) added that the
name of the writer is typed below the complimentary close and the writer must
sign his/her name above the typed name.
As cited by Tiempo and Tiempo (1980), the signature is always written by
hand and it is written over its typewritten form.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Application Letter
The letter of application is a type of letter that practically everyone who
earns a living called upon to write at one time or another. It has been called the
“personal sales letter” because it sells the writer - his training, skill, knowledge,
service and ability.
According to Treshler and Lewis (1916), a person’s whole future may
depend upon the success of his letter. Thus, the letter must be done effectively.
As there are generally several people competing for a position, the applicant’s
chief hope of selection is to make his letter stand out among others. He must
influence the reader to think favorably of him and of his abilities to grant an
interview in which the applicant tries to complete the sale of his services.
The single most important letter of one’s life may be the letter of
application for a job. As the first form of contact between the writer and the
prospective employer, the letter of application must stand as the representative
for one’s business skills and personal integrity. The letter of application should
be the ultimate in neatness, correct mechanics, and thoughtful construction
(Farber, 1983).
Igoy et al. (2004) cited that an application letter is an individual’s
personal emissary. It is a means by which an applicant can sell himself to a
prospective employer. An application letter must therefore be clean (white
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
paper of gold quality), neat (typewritten) and free from errors in spelling,
punctuation, capitalization and grammar.
There are two types of application letters. The first type is an answer to
an advertisement for a position available for which the applicant believes
himself to be qualified. The second type is a letter the applicant writes to a
particular firm where he thinks there may be an opening available which fits his
skills and interest. In both cases, the strategy best used in writing a letter of
application is the same.
The strategy for writing a successful letter of application has three
separate components: a clear statement of the purpose of the letter, concise and
accurate background of information on the applicant, and a request for an
interview with the company (Farber, 1983).
According to Portillo et al. (2003) an application letter is a typical
example of a sales letter since the writer is selling his services or qualifications
to the employer. It is a letter written seeking for a job.
Usually, the first paragraph of the application letter contains the source
of the information for the job. It also includes the desire of the applicant to fill
in a specific or any desired position in a private company or an agency, either
in a government or non- government office. The second paragraph usually tells
about the educational qualifications, work experiences, seminars attended and
other related qualifications. The third paragraph names people used as
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
references incase the employer is interested in the applicant’s services, and
would like to conduct an investigation of his background. Finally, the last
paragraph is where the applicant expresses his desire and willingness to be
invited and scheduled for an interview. He also prays that his application be
given attention and favorable response.
The letter of application has three parts, namely: (1) purpose of the
letter; (2) background information; (3) request for an interview.
In the first paragraph, an applicant should state the special job or
position he is applying for. He should mention how he finds about a job
vacancy. Is it through advertisements in the newspapers, radio or television or
learning it from other people? An application letter which is in response to an
advertisement is called a solicited letter. That submitted to an office without
knowing whether there is a job vacancy or not is called an unsolicited letter.
An applicant should also explain in the first paragraph the reason for
wanting the job or position. He should point out that he possesses the qualities
and qualifications that the employer is looking for like capability, talent,
positive attitude, aggressiveness and interest for the job.
The second paragraph should contain the applicant’s educational
background (degree and school where he obtained his degree, the examinations
that he passed and the seminars/trainings he attended and references). In his
letter, the applicant should mention the persons (their names, exact positions
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
and address) who would vouch for his integrity, honesty and capability. Before
writing their names, however, the applicant should inform them that he
included their names as references in his application.
In the third paragraph, the applicant should request for an interview and
how, where and when he can be reached.
The above statements about the letter of application corroborated the
idea of Gil (1963) whereas, an applicant may write a letter in answer to a help-
wanted advertisement or he may write to a firm with which he desires to
establish connection. The purpose of the application letter is to sell the
applicant’s services to whoever has a position to offer. Care should be taken in
the approach. The applicant should neither beg for the position nor brag about
himself. He should express a desire to serve the department or office he is
applying for by giving pertinent background information and qualifications that
makes him eligible for the position.
Gil (1963) continued that the letter of application consists of the
following parts:
1. Introduction. The source of information of the opening and the
statement of the applicant’s desire to apply are found in the introduction;
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
2. Personal data. This refers to facts about the applicant such as
nationality, civil status, age, and stage of health;
3. Qualifications. These refer to the education and experience that the
applicant feels will fit him for the position;
4. References. This is a list of names, with the official addresses of the
people whom the applicant is permitted to give as references regarding his
character and ability; and,
5. Conclusion. The concluding paragraph expresses the applicant’s interest
in being accepted and requests an interview.
Nem Singh and Calixihan (1994) suggested the following principles as a
guide in writing an application letter:
1. The writer should not include all the details of his life as if he is writing
an autobiography.
2. “I” and “me” should not be overused.
3. Being too humble and presumptuous, begging or asking sympathy,
sounding too familiar, advancing self evaluation, emphasizing graduation, and
lecturing should be avoided.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
4. The writer should not write in vague or general terms. He must use
examples and evidences.
5. Trite, outworn expressions and the present employer’s stationary should
not be used.
6. The writer also needs to interpret his data-sheet information.
7. Finally, any dissatisfaction with the present employer and statements
suggesting certainty about the future should not be mentioned.
Procter (2003) suggested specific points about the application letter, as
follows:
1. An applicant should write an application for specific situation. Even if
the ad calls only for a resumé, a letter must be sent. The letter makes a first
impression, and it can direct the reader a notice key points of the resumé;
2. Standard letter format must be used, with internal addresses (names are
spelled correctly) and salutations. Specific names or at least position titles
whenever possible (the company is called or its Website is checked) should
also be used. The dated “Dear Sir or Madam” and “To whom it may concern”
are weak and hence must be avoided. An “Attention” line or a “Subject”
instead of a salutation could be better.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
3. Most application letters for entry-level jobs are one page in length-a
substantial page rather than a skimpy one. Therefore, the applicant must start
strong and clear. For an advertised position, he must name the job and should
say where he saw the ad. For a speculative letter, he must name a specific
function can offer and relate it to something he knows about the organization.
4. The applicant should use paragraph structure to lead the reader from
one interpretive point to another. He must refer to specific information in terms
of examples for the points he is making, and must mention that his resumé
gives further evidence.
5. Lastly, the applicant must end his letter strongly by requesting an
interview.
Before the application letter is mailed, proofreading must be done.
Special attention should be placed to ensure the letter: it is not too long, there
are no grammars or spelling errors, job requirements are answered, and the
application letter flows and is easy to read (http:///careerperfect.com).
Conceptual Framework
Before writing a letter, the applicant should analyze the reader by
considering his/her requirements and needs. His letter must be planned
accordingly by placing the most important first, supported by facts, putting
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
oneself in the reader’s situation. Thus, the needs are better understood. After
this analysis one can write a letter demonstrating how his background, training,
work experience, and abilities can meet those needs. Such an approach helps
the writer persuade the reader that he is a good match for the position and that
the reader should give an interview. Being a writer, he is responsible for
explicitly communicating his value to the employer. The writer must not expect
an employer who typically receive hundreds of letters for each job opening to
wade through a great deal of text or a poorly written, mundane, or disorganized
letter to figure out what he can do for them (http://icarus.Icc.gatech.edu).
Axelrod and Cooper (1991) said that good writing makes a special
contribution to success in college and on the job. Students who write
confidently and well learn more and earn better grades, for student’s writing is
often the only basis an instructor has for an evaluation. The first job may not
require writing, but later advancement often depends on skill in writing letters,
memoranda, reports, and proposals. Writing may seem difficult, even
threatening. Knowing how it works, however, can make writing less an
obstacle, more an opportunity.
“Learning to write well takes time and much effort, but it can be done,”
as said by Margaret Mead.
The paradigm presents the relationship between the classified
independent variables, and the dependent variables. The independent variables
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
include the written application letters of the degree holders submitted for
analysis, their strengths and weaknesses, and the degree of errors they commit.
The dependent variables, on the other hand, include the levels of competence of
the writer in writing application letters; competence is either excellent, very
good, good, fair, or poor; and the degree of seriousness of their errors
committed in the written application letters may be very serious, serious,
slightly serious or not serious.
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables
A. Written application letter
Level of Competence
A.1. Mechanics of the Letters:
5 - Excellent
4 – Very Good
Spelling
3 - Good
Punctuation
2 - Fair
Coherence
1 – Poor
Structure
Degree of Seriousness of Errors
B. The strengths and weaknesses
Committed
of the respondents
Very Serious
C. The degree of seriousness of the
Serious
errors committed
Moderately Serious
Slightly Serious
Not Serious
Figure I. Paradigm of the study
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Operational Definition of Terms
The following are terms used in the study, which are operationally defined
for common understanding:
Degree
holders are those who have finished a four-year course in any
college or university.
Business
format refers to the style of the business letter (full block form,
block form, semi block form, indented form/ traditional form, other forms/wrong
form). Full block form, refers to the style of the business letter where all lines
begin flushed with the left hand margin of the page; block form, a business letter
where all lines of the heading and inside address are blocked and all paragraph
beginnings are begun flushed with the left hand margin of the page; semiblock
form, a style of the business letter where lines begin with new paragraphs which
should be uniformly indented either five or ten spaces; indented form/traditional
form, a style of the business letter where uniformity is observed. Each line of the
heading and the inside address is uniformly indented by either three of five spaces
more than the line it precedes. Hanging style, another style of the business letter,
entails having paragraph beginnings aligned with the left hand margin of the page
and whose heading, inside address and signature conform with the block style.
Nondescript form, refers to any combination of the style of the business letters
which does not follow any of the business formats enumerated in the study.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Written
application
letters are the respondents’ composition taken
from the line agencies of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet for analysis.
Structure refers to the standard parts of the business letter (heading, inside
address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature). Heading contains
the street number, city, zip code and date of the sender. The heading is measured
as follows: 5 points, when the heading is placed either at the center, upper
right/left hand corner of the letter, it consists of the address and the date, the date
is placed two or three spaces below, and it has appropriate punctuations; 4 points,
when the heading is with address and date but some parts are not properly
punctuated or the date comes first before the address; 3 points, when it has a
complete address but has no space after the address, and properly punctuated; 2
points, when it has a complete address but without date or complete date but
without address, and with abbreviated date (example 01/02/06); and 1 point, when
it has no heading.
Inside address includes the recipient’s name, title, the name of the office or
department, if any the name of the company or institution, and the street address,
city and zip code. The Inside address is measured as follows: 5 points, when the
inside address includes the recipient’s name and title, the name of the office,
department, company or institution, and the street address, city and zip code, and
it has appropriate punctuations; 4 points, when it has complete inside address but
some parts are not properly punctuated; 3 points, when it has complete inside
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
address but some parts are missing and not properly punctuated, or some words
are misspelled or other words are added (example with date in the inside address);
2 points, when it has incomplete inside address and not properly punctuated; and
1 point, when there is no inside address.
Salutation serves as the greeting of the letter. This is placed two lines below the
inside address and it is followed by a colon. The salutation is measured as
follows: 5 points, when the salutation is placed at the upper left side margin of
the paper and it ends with a colon and appropriate salutation; 4 points, when it has
appropriate greetings but inappropriate punctuation; 3 points, when the salutation
is not capitalized but it has appropriate punctuations, or when all greetings are
capitalized; 2 points, when the greetings and the punctuation are inappropriate or
it has appropriate punctuations, or the salutation is misspelled; and 1 point, when
there is no salutation.
Body (of a letter) is the meat of the letter. It contains the message and is written
two lines below the salutation. Coherence refers to the over-all connectedness and
the smooth flow of ideas in the respondents written application letter. The
coherence of the body of the letter is measured as follows: 5 points, when the
ideas are expressed in a clear, logical manner and the process of unfolding ideas is
done smoothly without sudden shifts or gaps of thought; 4 points, when the ideas
are expressed in a clear, logical but there is a sudden shifts or gaps of thought; 3
points, when the ideas are understood but some parts are not well arranged; 2
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
points, when the ideas are not clear; and 1 point, when the ideas are constructed
without relationships to other ideas.
Complimentary close is a word or phrase written to end a letter. It is placed two
lines below the body of the letter, aligning with the heading. The complimentary
close is measured as follows: 5 points, when the first word of the complimentary
close is capitalized, ended with a comma, and it is aligned with the heading; 4
points, when the first word of the complimentary close is capitalized, ended with
a comma, but it is not aligned with the heading; 3 points, when the first word of
the complimentary close is capitalized, no comma, and is not aligned with the
heading, or incomplete complimentary close or the 2nd/3rd words were capitalized;
2 points, when the complimentary close used is wrong or the first word is not
capitalized, no comma, not aligned/aligned with the heading, or the
complimentary close is misspelled; and 1 point, when there is no complimentary
close.
Signature. It is the name of the sender written in cursive manner which is found
below the complimentary close. The signature is measured as follows: 5 points,
when the signature is written cursively and it is aligned with the complimentary
close. Then the name of the applicant is written in capital letters; 4 points, when
the signature is written cursively and aligned below the complimentary close but
the name of the applicant is written in small letters; 3 points, when the signature is
written cursively and aligned with the complimentary close, but it has no name of
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
the applicant, or the signature is written cursively but not aligned with the
complimentary close though the name of the applicant is written in capital letters;
2 points, when the signature is not written cursively, or it is not aligned below the
complimentary close, and it has no name of the applicant; and 1 point, when there
is no signature.
Spelling refers to the correct/appropriate placement of the letter of a word
in proper order. The spelling is measured as follows: 5 points, when the whole
letter is perfectly spelled; 4 points, when there is one misspelled word; 3 points,
when there are two to three misspelled words; 2 points, when there are four to five
misspelled words; and 1 point, when there are more than five misspelled words.
Punctuation refers to the use of marks or points in written manner to
indicate separation of words into sentences, clauses, and phrases for better
comprehension of the meaning and grammatical relation of words. The
punctuation is measured as follows: 5 points, when the whole letter is correctly
punctuated; 4 points, when there is an (one) inappropriate punctuation; 3 points,
when there are two to three inappropriate punctuations; 2 points, when there are
four to five inappropriate punctuations; and 1 point, when there are more than five
inappropriate punctuations.
Degree of seriousness of the errors committed refers to the number of
errors committed in application letter. The degree of seriousness are measured as
follows: Very Serious,(12 and above errors) when the written application has 12
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
or more grammatical errors; Serious, (9 - 11 errors) when the written application
has 9 – 11 grammatical errors; Moderately Serious, (6 – 8 errors) when the
written application letter has 6 – 8 grammatical errors, Slightly Serious, (3 – 5
errors) when the written application letter has 3 - 5 grammatical errors; and Not
Serious, (0 – 2 errors) when the application letter has 0 - 2 grammatical errors.
Strengths refer to the upper four ranks based on the total weighted mean of
the mechanics of the letter.
Weaknesses refer to the lower four ranks based on the total weighted mean
of the mechanics of letters.
Hypotheses of the Study
The following hypotheses were put forward for testing:
1. The common business formats used in the application letters differ
significantly.
2. The level of competence of the degree holders in writing application
letters differ significantly.
3. The strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letters differ significantly.
4. The degree of seriousness of the errors committed in writing
application letters differ significantly.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
METHODOLOGY
This section contains the methodology and procedures used in the conduct
of the study. It includes the research design and methodology, locations of the
study, instrumentation, and statistical treatment of the data.
Locale and Time of the Study
The study focused on the common business formats used in the written
application letters of the degree holders in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet,
their competence in writing application letters; the degree of seriousness of the
errors they commit, and their strengths and weaknesses in writing application
letters.
The study covered some selected line agencies found in Baguio City and
La Trinidad, Benguet. The selected line agencies fall in two types: the
government agencies, and non-government agencies. The selected line agencies in
the government included Department of Agrarian Reform, Baguio City;
Department of Science and Technology, Baguio City; and Department of
Education, La Trinidad, Benguet. On the other hand, the selected line agencies in
the non-government included Cordillera Career Development College, Buyagan,
La Trinidad, Benguet and Benguet Central College, Pico Road, La Trinidad,
Benguet.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The study was conducted from June to October of the school year 2004–
2005 in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.
Respondents of the Study
The respondents of the study were the applicants who submitted their
application letters dated from the 2002 to 2004 to the line agencies of Baguio City
and La Trinidad, Benguet.
The government line agencies like Department of Agrarian Reform,
Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Education were
represented by 20 male-respondents and 20 female-respondents each. Conversely,
the non-government line agencies like Cordillera Career Development College
and Benguet Central College were represented by 17 male-respondents and 17
female respondents. All in all, there were 94 males and 94 females who submitted
their application letters. The total number of respondents was 188.
Table 1 shows the list of agency respondents of this study.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 1. List of agency respondents
AGENCY NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS TOTAL
MALE FEMALE
A. Government Line Agencies:
1. Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) 20 20 40
2. Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) 20 20 40
3. Department of Education
(DepEd) 20 20 40
B. Non-government Line Agencies
4. Cordillera Career Development College
(CCDC) 17 17 34
5. Benguet Central College
(BCC) 17 17 34
Total 94 94 188
Instrumentation
This study made use of the descriptive method of research with
documentary analysis. This is the most appropriate technique adopted since the
study aims to determine the common business formats used by the degree holders,
their level of competence, their strengths and weaknesses, and their degree of
seriousness of the errors committed in writing their application letters.
The researcher used the letters submitted in the selected line agencies of
Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet as the basis of the data. The mechanics
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
used in analyzing the letters are the following: spelling, punctuation, coherence,
and structure. From the mechanics given, the letter was rated as excellent if the
level of competence was 5; very good, 4; good, 3; fair, 2; and poor, 1.
The data gathered were computed, tabulated and analyzed.
Statistical Treatment of Data
Frequency, rank and percentage were employed in finding out the
common business formats used in the application letters.
The Likert scale was used in determining the degree of seriousness of the
errors committed in the written application letters. On the other hand, to test the
hypotheses, the chi-square test was used in the common business formats used in
the written application letters. For the level of competence of the degree holders
in writing application letters; their strengths and weaknesses and the degree of
seriousness of the errors committed in the written application letters made use of
the Friedman Rank test. Significance of differences was tested at 0.05 levels.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This section presents, analyzes and interprets the data gathered based on
the objectives of the study. The topics included relate to common business
formats of the degree holders used in the written application letters; the level of
competence of the degree holders in writing application letters as to spelling,
punctuation, coherence and structure; the strengths and weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters; and the degree of seriousness of the errors
committed by the degree holders in writing application letters.
Common Business Format
Table 2 presents the business formats used by the degree holders in their
written application letters. Almost all of the degree holders prefer to use the full-
block form. Following in descending order of percentages are semiblock form,
nondescript form, and block from. None of the degree holders use either the
indented/ traditional or the hanging style.
The computed value is greater than the tabular value. Therefore, the
common business formats used in the application letters differ significantly.
The finding jibes with the statement of Farol (1963) that full block form is
efficient for the writer is not bothered with indentions. All lines are flushed to the
left hand margin of the page. Semiblock, on the other hand, occurs 63 times.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2. Common business formats used in the application letters of the degree
holders
FORMAT FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE RANK
Full-block 88 46.81 1
Semiblock 63 35.1 2
Nondescript 32 17.02 3
Block 5 2.66 4
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 5.5
Hanging style 0 0 5.5
TOTAL 188 100
X2 0.05 = 7.81 X2 c = 83.54* * - Significant
Semiblock is different from the block form because of the indention of
the paragraph opening. Lines which begin new paragraphs should be uniformly
indented either five to ten spaces (Portillo et al. , 2003).
Tressler and Christ (1960) added that in typed letters, either the semiblock
or the block style is ordinarily used. Tressler and Christ (1960) statements
conform with the findings of the study, only that the full block form is the most
frequently used instead of the block form.
The degree holders do not use either the indented/ traditional form or the
hanging style. The reason perhaps is that the degree holders are using the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
typewriter or the computer in writing their application letters. As cited by Tressler
and Christ (1960) for pen written letters most people prefer the
indented/traditional form. In this form not only is each of the paragraph indented,
but also each line of the heading and of the inside address begins farther to the
right than the line above it.
Despite being degree holders, out of the 188 degree holders 32 of them
make use of a nondescript form. The respondents combine different business
formats to come up with their own. The degree holders must follow the business
formats in order to avoid committing errors in forms. As cited by Tressler and
Christ (1960), whatever style one chooses, he must use it consistently throughout
the letter.
The finding contradicts the observation of Winston et al. (1980) that
attractive form is necessary for the letter to be effective. Good appearance
requires the materials used for the letter to be of quality, that margin and overall
lay-out of the letter on a page be pleasing to the eye, and that the spacing and
arrangements of the elements be in accord with the accepted conventions of good
taste. Moreover, Portillo et al. (2003) added that one of the qualities of a good
business letter is the correctness of format. Also the writer must show his own
uniqueness in writing.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Level of Competence of the Degree Holders
in Writing Application Letters
The level of competence of the degree holders in writing application
letters were analyzed according to: (I) spelling; (II)) punctuation; (III) coherence
(body of a letter); and (IV) structure, which includes the heading, the inside
address, the salutation, the complimentary close and the signature.
Table 3 presents the letter writing competence of the degree holders. As
shown in the tabulated data, the letter writing competence of the degree holders
ranges from good to excellent. The mechanics rated as excellent are spelling, with
a weighted mean of 4.74 and the salutation, 4.51. The finding implies that the
degree holders do not find difficulty in spelling. It jibes with the statement of
Moore (1971) that an educated writer is expected to spell as others do and that of
Sypherd (1975) that a technical writer must be careful to spell accurately. On the
salutation rated as excellent, the finding shows that almost all of the degree
holders place the proper salutation at the upper left side margin of the paper and
with proper punctuations. Some degree holders use correct greetings but
inappropriate punctuations or commit errors by not capitalizing the salutation. As
Portillo et al. (2003) discussed, the salutation is placed two lines below the inside
address; it ends with a colon and the recipient is addressed with appropriate title.
The degree holders so far know the proper way of writing the salutation as well as
the proper salutations to be used.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 3. Overall degree holders’ application letter writing competence
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Spelling 149 30 9 0 0 4.74
II. Punctuation 96 45 40 7 0 4.22
III. Coherence
(D. Body of a Letter) 10 52 100 25 1 3.24
IV. Structure
A. Heading 24 5 74 67 18 2.73
B. Inside Address 117 32 30 6 3 4.35
C. Salutation 133 26 20 9 0 4.51
E. Complimentary close 110 26 43 9 0 4.26
F. Signature 103 73 9 1 2 4.46
___________________________________________________________________
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
X2 0.05, 28 = 41.3371 Fr = 19.325 ns ns - Not Significant
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The mechanics rated very good in descending order of weighted mean are
signature, inside address, complimentary close, and punctuation. The finding
along signature implies that most of the degree holders are familiar with the
signature, although some commit errors in writing it. The errors usually fall in the
writing of names in small letters instead of full capitalization and the un-
alignment with the complimentary close. The finding corroborates the observation
of Portillo et al. (2003) that the signature is placed four lines below the
complimentary close and above it is the applicant’s fully capitalized signature. On
the other hand, most of the degree holders know the proper placement of the
inside address. Many commit errors only on the punctuation and some on having
incomplete inside address. The finding is in line with the guideline set by Portillo
et al. (2003) that the inside address includes the recipient’s name and title, the
name of the office or department, if any, the name of the institution, and the street
address, city and zip code. The finding in the complimentary close indicates that
most degree holders are aware of the use of complimentary close. Nevertheless,
some do not align the complimentary close with the heading. Many have
incomplete complimentary close or have fully capitalized the words in the
complimentary close. The finding coincides with the suggestion of Tiempo and
Tiempo (1980) that the correct punctuation after the complimentary close is
always the comma and only the first letter of the first word is capitalized. On
punctuation, on the other hand, the degree holders have few errors. The finding
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
affirms the idea of Olsen and Huckin (1991) that punctuation clarifies meaning by
indicating the boundaries of sentences and the relationships between words within
sentences. As further stated, punctuations are road signs that help a reader
navigate a passage of writing according to the writer’s instructions.
The mechanics rated good based on the performance of the degree holders
are coherence and heading. The finding along coherence reveals that most of the
degree holders have brilliant ideas but they do not know how to arrange them
logically. Some degree holders express their ideas in a clear and logical manner
but a few do not. The finding is in contrast with the meaning of coherence that all
sentences in the paragraph should stick to one meaning in such a way that the
subject is developed logically and clearly. Moreover, coherence derived from the
word co, meaning “together”, and haerere meaning “to stick.” This means that
the sentences which make up the paragraph are held together as a solid, logical,
and well organized block of information with good continuity so the reader can
easily follow the writer’s line of reasoning and this meets no problem in
progressing from one text to the next (Portillo et al., 2003). Vicente et al. (1982)
said that coherence calls for a proper arrangement of sentences within a
paragraph, following a definite pattern that will assist the reader in understanding
what is being said.
The finding along the heading tells that almost all of the degree holders
commit errors in writing the heading especially in leaving a space after the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
address, and having a complete address but without date or having date but
without address. The finding contradicts the observation of Portillo et al. (2003)
that the heading consists of the sender’s address (includes the city and zip code)
and the date. The date is placed two to three spaces below and abbreviations are
not used.
That the computed value is lower than the tabulated value that leads to the
rejection of the hypothesis, that the level of competence of the degree holders
differ significantly. The finding means that there is no significant difference on
the level of letter writing competence of the degree holders along spelling,
punctuation, and structure.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Degree Holders
in Application Letter Writing
Table 4 shows the ranking of the mechanics of the letter based on the
performance of the degree holders. The degree holders’ strengths center on
spelling, salutation, signature, and inside address. Conversely, as shown in Table
5 their weaknesses zero in on heading, body (Coherence), punctuation, and the
complimentary close.
Spelling
That spelling ranks first among the strengths signifies that the degree
holders are excellent in it. The finding coincides with the idea of Moore (1971)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
that an educated writer is expected to spell as to one that is uneducated. The
respondents are degree holders; therefore, spelling is not a problem for them.
Further, degree holders are technical writers who must be careful to spell
accurately (Sypherd, 1975).
The finding contradicts one of the observations of Barra (1986) about the
problems that worry the teacher. This is the spelling mistakes. According to
Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) bad spelling lessens the appeal and convincingness of
a piece of work because it suggests either ignorance or carelessness on the part of
the writer. Almost all of the degree holders have the ability to spell words. Hence,
bad spelling is avoided.
The following misspelled words are few of the errors committed by the
188 degree holders: effiency for efficiency, commenturate for commensurate,
trainnings for trainings, prestigeos for prestigious, inclosed for enclosed, gud day
for good day, distinguished for distinguished, submiting for submitting, cetizen
for citizen.
The finding of the study further suggests that the degree holders should
need further trainings on spelling. As cited by Cruz et al. (1976) spelling is one of
the problems in writing that needs special training. Hence, degree holders need
special training in spelling to develop writing competence. Portillo et al. (2003)
added that for a good business letter to achieve its purpose it must follow the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
element like correctness in spelling. Correctness of spelling is essential for
intelligent communication in writing (Shaw, 1973).
Salutation
The finding indicates that the degree holders also are excellent in writing
salutation. Almost all the degree holders make use of a colon. The finding
corroborates the statement of Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) that the position of the
salutation is below the inside address, the first letter of the first word and that of a
proper noun in the salutation are capitalized, abbreviations are avoided and the
punctuation used is colon.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 4. Strengths of the degree holders in writing application letters
_________________________________________________________________
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 GWM R
A. Spelling 149 30 9 0 0 4.74 1
B. Salutation 133 26 20 9 0 4.51 2
C. Signature 103 73 9 1 2 4.46 3
D. Inside Address 117 32 30 6 3 4.35 4
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.51
Almost all the degree holders made use of any of the following salutations such
as: Sir:, Madam:, Dear Sir:, or Dear Madam:. The finding jibes with the
enumerated salutations of Tressler and Christ (1960) such as: (1) very formal are
Sir:, Madam:, My dear Sir:, and My dear Madam:, (2) formal are Dear Sir:, Dear
Madam:, Gentlemen:, and Mesdames: or Ladies:, (3) less formal and more
personal are Dear Mrs. Tudias: and Dear Mr. Pakipak.
The following are few examples of errors committed by the degree holders
in writing their salutation. Ma’am/sir: ; SIR/MA’AM: ; Sir/Ma’am: ; SIR: ;
Sir, Sir; Dear sir, Dear Sir, and Dear Sir/Madam.
As shown by the examples, most errors lie on the improper capitalization
of the salutations and the wrong use of punctuations. The proper salutations of the
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
above examples should be Sir/ Madam: ; Sir: ; Madam: ; Dear Sir: ; or
Dear Madam: .
Signature
The finding indicates that most degree holders know the guidelines in
signature. The finding goes with the suggestion of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
signature is placed four lines below the complimentary close and the name of the
applicants are written in capital letters and above the name is the signature.
Serrano (1966) said that the name of the writer is typed below the complimentary
close and the writer must sign his/her name above the typed name.
The only error noted is on the non-capitalization of the name of the
applicant and the addition of some unnecessary words like the example below.
Eleanor B. Tudlong instead of ELEANOR B. TUDLONG
J-D 89 Bayabas, Pico
La Trinidad, Benguet 26001
Inside Address
The finding reveals that most degree holders have knowledge of writing
inside address. The finding conforms with the suggestions of Tressler and Christ
(1960) that inside address must be written exactly as it appears in the company’s
letter head; the recipient of the letter has the proper title; that the state or the
words street, avenue and boulevard are not abbreviated; that each abbreviation is
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
ended with a period; and that after the zone number, and the person’s name if
followed by a title are separated by a comma.
The finding further follows the suggestion of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
inside address includes the recipient’s name and the title; that the name of the
office or department, if any, the name of the company or institution, and the street
address, city and zip code are included; and that the recipient’s name has a proper
title.
The examples below are errors committed taken from the application
letters of the degree holders.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM TO THE PRESIDENT
Nagulian Road, Baguio City Benguet Central College
Pico Rd. La Trinidad, Benguet
The School Head CLARO Q. ESOEN
Cordillera Career Development College President
Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet Benguet Central College
Central Pico, La Trinidad,
Benguet
Mr. Carlos M. Alacdis, DPA Mr. Carlos M. Alacdis
President President
Benguet Central College Benguet Central College
Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet
29 July 2002
MR. CARLOS M. ALACDIS, ED.D
President
Benguet Central College
Pico road, La Trinidad, Benguet
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
As shown, few of the degree holders have no recipient’s name or have
capitalized the recipient’s name, have added the date and the inclusion of the
word Mr. despite the title DPA, ED.D and the like.
Table 5 presents the weaknesses of the degree holders in ascending order
of weighted means are the heading, body (coherence), punctuation, and
complimentary close.
Heading
The heading is ranked as the lowest among the weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters. The finding implies that the degree holders
are not well oriented in writing the heading. The finding further implies that the
degree holders do not contain the information about the address and the date of
writing the application letter and the heading has incomplete information or not
properly punctuated at all.
The examples below are excerpted from the headings of the application
letters of the degree holders:
Hermon I. Biado August 12, 2003
12 Interior Outlook Drive OB 140 Tomay, La Trinidad
Baguio City Benguet
Contact Nos. 444 – 2063/444 - 5966
TO: The President May 16, 2003
Cordillera Career Development College
Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Upper Shamolog, Pico Central FD 199 Km 4 Pines Park
La Trinidad Benguet 2601 La Trinidad Benguet
Nov. 20, 2003
No. 12 Upper Brookside Betag La Trinidad
Rimando Road Extn. Benguet
Baguio City
May 28, 2003
July 13, 2002
The finding is in contrast with the idea of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
heading consists of the address (includes the city and the zip code) and date. The
date is placed two to three spaces below and abbreviations are not used in the
heading. The heading of a letter includes the sender’s address and the date (Mills
and Walter, 1980). As cited by Romero (1984) the heading parts contain the
information that the reader needs to answer the letter.
Body (Coherence)
Coherence is ranked as the second weakness of the degree holders in
writing application letters. The finding implies that the degree holders have
difficulty in expressing their ideas in a clear and logical manner.
The following are some of the examples taken from the application letters
of the degree holders coupled with analyses of the incoherence.
1. Respectfully applying for any anticipated vacancies to which your good
office needs.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 5. Weaknesses of the degree holders in writing application letters
_________________________________________________________________
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 GWM R
A. Heading 24 5 74 67 18 2.73 1
B. Coherence 10 52 100 25 1 3.24 2
C. Punctuation 96 45 40 7 5 4.22 3
D. Complimentary close 110 26 43 9 0 4.26 4
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.51
2. Attached is my resume and other supporting documents for your ready
reference.
3. Your attention on this matter will be appreciated, I remain,
4. Please consider me as one applicant for the position.
5. So that I will decide to apply and work at your department office and I
assure that I am such level of responsibility.
6. Hoping for your kind consideration to this application.
7. Attached is a copy of my bio-data, training certificates for your ready
reference.
8. Expecting soon a message any day should you wish to arrange an
interview on your good office to discuss job opportunities.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
9. A degree holder majored on Electronics Hard Technology and with a
number of skills would be useful to your school are some of my specializations.
10. Thank you very much. I am,
11. May respectfully apply for any job that I could be possibly qualified in
your good office.
12. Anticipating your further understanding. I remain.
13. Hoping for your favorable consideration.
The incoherence on the ideas of some degree holders on example number
one is the omission of the subject and the linking verb. Incorporating the subject
and the linking verb, the sentence is better understood as: I am respectfully
applying for any anticipated vacancies to which your good office needs.
Attached is my resume and other supporting documents for your ready
reference. The error on this example is the subject-verb agreement on the use of is
instead of are because the complements are plural such as resume and other
documents. It can be revised this way: Attached are my resume and other
supporting documents for your ready references.
Your attention on this matter will be appreciated, I remain,
The idea on the above statement is not clear. Whereas it can be coherent if
transitional words and proper tenses are used to show the relationships between
the two ideas. Your attention on this matter is highly appreciated. Therefore, I
still remain as an applicant if vacancies occur.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Please consider me as one applicant for the position. The correction on
this sentence is the absence of the preposition and the correct number, and a
mention on the position applying for should also be done like: Please consider me
as one of the applicants for the position of a secretary.
So that I will decide to apply and work at your department office and I
assure that I am such level of responsibility. There are many ideas playing on the
above statement that is not clear. I decided to apply in your office because I know
the responsibilities of what you need. I want to have a work so I decided to apply
in your department/office and I’m sure that I know the responsibilities of what
you need. Being a writer, he/she must state clearly what he/she means.
Hoping for your kind consideration to this application. This statement can
be changed into: I hope for your kind consideration.
Attached is a copy of my bio-data, training certificates for your ready
reference. This sentence can be corrected by using the correct verb and
connecting words: Attached are copies of my bio-data and training certificates for
your ready references.
Expecting soon a message any day should you wish to arrange an
interview on your good office to discuss job opportunities. This sentence also
lacks coherence due to the absence of the subject, linking verb, proper
punctuations and other ideas. The revision could be: I am expecting soon a
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
message any day. Should you wish to arrange an interview, I am willing to come
to your office at your own convenience.
The following sentence also is incoherent. The sentence can be revised by
adding substantial information and by separating different ideas from another.
A degree holder majored on Electronics Hard Technology and with a
number of skills would be useful to your school are some of my specializations.
The revision can be: I am a degree holder major in Electronics Hard
Technology. I possess skills that can be useful to your school.
Thank you very much. I am,
The above statement can be better by omitting unnecessary clause or by
separating the two ideas using proper transitional devices like: (1) Thank you very
much. (2)Thank you very much and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
May respectfully apply for any job that I could be possibly qualified in
your good office. This sentence is also incoherent since no subject is indicated,
wrong punctuation is committed, and a wrong tense is hoed. The sentence can be:
May I respectfully apply for any vacancy that I am qualified?
Anticipating your further understanding. I remain. These sentences can be
edited by: I have anticipated your further understanding on this matter and I
remain as an applicant as soon as vacancy arises.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Hoping for your favorable consideration. To become a coherent sentence,
the subject must be added like: I am hope for your favorable consideration on this
matter.
The finding contradicts the definition of Scott (1996) that a competent
writer is “someone who has achieved a given level of ability and is able to
communicate convincingly.” According to Scott (1996), there are general
descriptions of good writing in which most writers agree. These descriptions
include features such as clarity, explicitness, conciseness, clear paragraph
structure, and over-all organization.
The finding is in contrast with the suggestion of Christ (1978) that writing
means taking trouble ordering one’s thoughts in the most methodical and logical
sequence and wording them in the most lucid language. Thought units, whether
single words, a sentence or a paragraph or longer sentences, must be orderly.
Paragraphing is not just a matter of mechanically breaking up writing into groups
of half-a-dozen sentences each. Readers will understand the thought of the
paragraph if there is continuity in words, concepts and thematic development
from the opening statement to the conclusion. Readers will be confused if there
are misplaced words or phrases in the sentence, abandoned familiar syntax,
shifted criterion, for items is a series or cluttered sequence of ideas with
wordiness or irrelevances. The finding further contradicts the idea of Halliday and
Hasan (1976) that coherence refers to the features that bind the text together.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Through cohesion, the reader can follow the meaning through the text and clearly
comprehend the rhetorical and logical relationships. Coherence only partially
depends on such ties as it also relies on the arrangement of information
throughout the text. It is the responsibility of the writer to be understood, to make
sure that the reader can understand what is being said.
When a paragraph has coherence, “it hangs together”; the material in it is
relevant, it helps the writer make the point. A good paragraph has built-in signals
that help the reader follow, that steer the reader’s attention in the right direction
(Guth, 1989).
On the other hand, Wallang (1999) conducted a study on the development
and construction of supplementary writing materials for fourth year high school
students of Bontoc. The two findings of the study on the greatest difficulty in
writing is the lack of organization of ideas and lack of vocabulary and incorrect
grammar. The observation of Wallang (1999) jibes with the finding of this study.
According to Nathan (1969) even well planned papers may seem bumpy
and confusing to the reader unless the writer carefully signal-turn his thought,
bridges gaps between ideas and prepares reader in advance for what is to come.
Even though the writer knows exactly what relations exist between the ideas of
his paper, the reader is wholly dependent on the words that are set before him.
The writer should be twice as clear as he thinks he needs to be; then he may hope
to be clear enough for the reader he is trying to reach. Careful writers use
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
transitional words and phrases to show connection in thought. These coherence
devices link words as in sentences, sentences within a paragraph, and sentences
between paragraphs (http:///leave.www.army.mil).
Punctuation
This is ranked as the third weakness among the degree holders in writing
application letters. The reason is that not all degree holders properly punctuate
their application letters. The number of errors usually committed ranges from one
to five inappropriate punctuations. The finding in punctuation reveals that almost
half of the degree holders do not know how to punctuate their letters properly.
The finding agrees on the definition of the Random House Webster’s school and
Office Dictionary (1993) and World Book Encyclopedia (2004) that punctuation
is using certain conventional marks in writing or printing in order to separate
elements and make the meaning clear. In addition, Olsen and Huckin (1991) cited
that punctuation clarifies meaning by indicating the boundaries of sentences and
the relationships between words within a sentence. As further discussed,
punctuations are road signs that help a reader navigate a passage of writing
according to writer’s instructions.
The examples below illustrate the wrong punctuation committed by some
degree holders:
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
1. Would you consider my application, I can be contacted with my mobile
phone # at 09198470815.
2. Should I be granted the chance to join your office I will do my best to
fulfill the expectation of the office then I shall be very glad to come for an
interview at your most convenient time and day.
3. Should there be a need for an interview, I will be willing to report in
your most convenient time.
4. May I apply as a secretary in your institution
5. Should you desire more information, may I refer you to the following:
6. Should you desire to consider me for the position please contact me at
cell phone number 09167109018.
7. May I have a personal interview at your most convenient time.
8. During my college years I devoted time to the development of my
personal skills as an active member of the Samahang Filipiñana, I serve as a
treasurer.
9. 2601 La Trinidad Benguet
10. Greetings:
11. Greetings in the name of Almighty God!!!
The errors on the following sentences lie on the inappropriateness of
punctuations. The punctuations often use are comma, period, exclamation point,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
colon, and other punctuations. The degree holders also forget to use punctuations
at all.
The sentences below are revisions of the examples given on the use of a
comma in order to separate the clause instead of using a question mark:
1. Would you consider my application? I can be contacted through my
mobile phone at 09198470815;
2. Should I be granted the chance to join your office? I do my best to fulfill
the expectation of your office. I will be very glad to come for an interview at your
most convenient time.
3. Should there be a need for an interview? I will be willing to report at
your most convenient time.
4. May I apply as a secretary in your institution?
5. Should you desire more information? I may refer you to the following:
6. Should you desire to consider me for the position? Please contact me at
cell phone number 09167109018.
7. May I have a personal interview at your most convenient time?
On the succeeding sentences/phrases, the revisions centered on the proper
use of a comma as:
8. During my college years, I devoted my time to develop my skills as an
active member of the Samahang Filipiñana. I also serve as a treasurer.
9. 2601 La trinida, Benguet
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The following are deadwood expressions commonly used among the
degree holders:
10. Greetings:, and
11. Greetings in the name of Almighty God!!!
The aforementioned deadwood expressions must be dropped/ omitted or
avoided.
Complimentary close
This is the last ranked weakness of the degree holders in writing their
application letters. The degree holders do not find so much difficulty on this.
Some of the degree holders’ common errors on the complimentary close are the
capitalization of the succeeding words instead of the first word only and the non-
alignment of the complimentary close with the heading.
The examples below are few of the committed errors on the
complimentary close taken from the application letters of the degree holders with
their proper revisions beside them:
1. Yours very truly, into: Yours truly,
2. Yours very respectfully, into: Yours respectfully,
3. Your applicant, is a wrong complimentary close. Please use the
conventional complimentary close.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 6. Overall strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letter
MECHANICS OF WMT RANK
THE LETTER
I. Structure
A. Heading 2.73 8
B. Inside Address 4.35 4
C. Salutation 4.51 2
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 3.24 7
E. Complimentary close 4.26 5
F. Signature 4.46 3
II. Spelling 4.74 1
III. Punctuation 4.22 6
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
X2 0.05, 28 = 41.337 Fr = 19.325 ns ns = Not Significant
4. Very respectfully yours, or Very Respectfully Yours, into: Respectfully
yours,
5. Very respectfully, into: Respectfully yours, or Yours respectfully,
6. Very sincerely yours, or Very Sincerely Yours, into: Sincerely yours, or
Yours sincerely,
7. Very Truly Yours, or Very Truly yours, or Very truly your, into: Very
truly yours,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
8. Respectfully Yours; or respectfully yours, or Respectfully your,
Respectfully, and Respectively yours, into: Respectfully yours,
9. Sincerely, into: sincerely yours,
10. Truly Yours, or Truly, into: Yours truly, or Very truly yours,
The finding that some degree holders committed errors in the
complimentary close contradicts the statement of Portillo et al. (2003) that the
complimentary close must be placed two lines below the body of the letter and it
must be aligned with the heading. Further contradicted is the suggestion of
Tiempo and Tiempo (1980) that the correct punctuation after the complimentary
close is always a comma and other words should not be capitalized except the first
word.
That the computed value is lower than the tabulated value leads to the
rejection of the hypothesis, that the strengths and weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters differ significantly. The finding means that
there is no significant difference on the strengths and weaknesses of the degree
holders in writing application letters.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Degree of Seriousness of the Errors Committed
among the Degree Holders in Writing
Their Application Letters
Table 7 presents the degree of seriousness of the errors committed in
application letter writing among the degree holders. The table presents that there
are six business formats used in the writing of the application letters among the
degree holders. The finding reveals that most of the degree holders prefer to use
the full block form. A great majority of them prefer to use the semiblock form.
Some of them combine different business formats to come up with their own. Few
among the degree holders prefer to use the block form and none among them use
either the indented/traditional form or the hanging style.
In descending order of weighted means the degree of seriousness are as
follows: block form, 3.6; nondescript form, 3.38; semiblock form, 3.17; and full
block form, 2.93.
The business formats with descriptive equivalent of moderately serious are
the nondescript form, semiblock form, and full block form. The business format
with a descriptive equivalent of serious is the block form.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table7. Degree of seriousness of the errors committed in the application letter
writing competence of the degree holders
FORMAT DEGREE OF SERIOUSNESS WM
5 4 3 2 1
Full-block 5 19 35 23 6 2.93
Block 1 1 3 0 0 3.6
Semiblock 10 13 20 18 2 3.17
Nondescript 6 10 7 8 1 3.38
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 0 0 0
Hanging style 0 0 0 0 0
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.27
X2 0.05, 12 = 21.0260 Fr = 9.9ns ns = Not Significant
Legend:
Weighted Mean (WM) Descriptive Equivalent (DE)
4.51 – 5 = Very Serious (VS)
3.51 – 4.50 = Serious (S)
2.51 – 3.50 = Moderately Serious (MS)
1.51 – 2.50 = Slightly Serious (SS)
1 - 1.50 = Not Serious (NS)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
The finding along nondescript form reveals that some degree holders are
not yet familiar with the business formats they are using. Further, the committed
errors of the degree holders range from 6 to 8 grammatical errors. The same range
of 6 to 8 grammatical errors are committed by the degree holders who use
semiblock form, and full block form. On the other hand, block form is described
as serious. It reveals that among the degree holders who use this format their
grammatical errors range from 9 to 11.
The finding contradicts the discussion of Igoy et al. (2004) that an
application letter must be clean (white paper of gold in quality), neat (typewritten)
and free from errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar.
An application letter is an individual’s personal emissary. It is a means by
which an applicant can sell himself to a prospective employer.
The finding is also in contrasts with the statement of Farber (1983) that the
first form of contact between the writer and the employer is the application letter.
The application letter should be the ultimate in neatness, correct mechanisms, and
thoughtful construction. Also contradicted is the discussion of Procter (2003) on
the specific points about the application letters that an applicant must use standard
letter format, with internal addresses (names are spelled correctly) and salutation.
Whenever possible, of specific names or at least position titles are used.
According to Tressler and Lewis (1916) a person’s whole future may
depend upon the success of his letter. Therefore, his letter must be written
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
effectively. As there are generally several people competing for a position. The
applicant’s chief hope of selection is to make his letter stand out among the other
letters. He must influence the reader to think favorably of him and of his abilities
to be granted an interview in which the applicant tries to complete the sale of his
services.
The computed value is lower than the tabulated value that leads to the
rejection of the hypothesis, that the degree of seriousness of the errors committed
in writing application letters differ significantly. The finding means that there is
no significant difference on the degree of seriousness of the errors committed by
the degree holders in writing application letters.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The study aimed to determine the common business formats used in the
written applications of the degree holders; their level of competence in writing
application letters as to structure, coherence, spelling, and punctuation; their
strengths and weaknesses in writing application letter; and the degree of
seriousness of the errors committed in their written application letters.
The research was highly descriptive. A structured basis was used to collect
the relevant data from the application letters of the degree holders who submitted
their letters in the year 2002-2004. Data were treated statistically using frequency
counts, weighted mean, rank, chi-square, and Friedman’s Analysis of Variance.
The 0.05 level of significance was used to determine whether the hypotheses were
rejected or not.
The salient findings of the study are the following:
1. The degree holders use various kinds of business formats in writing
their application letters. The business formats used in descending order of ranks
are full block form, semiblock form, nondescript form, block form,
indented/traditional form and hanging style.
2. In application letter writing, the degree holders are excellent in
spelling and salutation. They are very good in signature, inside address,
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
complimentary close and punctuation. They are good only in coherence and in
writing the heading.
3. The degree holders’ strengths center on spelling, salutation, signature,
and inside address. On the other hand, their weaknesses zero in on the heading,
coherence, punctuation, and complimentary close.
4. The errors committed in the written application letters are moderately
serious. The number of errors range from 6 to 8 grammatical errors. The errors in
full block form, semiblock form, and nondescript form are moderately serious.
Those in block form are serious, with a range of 9 to 11 grammatical errors.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. The common business formats used by the degree holders in writing
their application letters are the full block form and the semiblock form.
2. The degree holders do not significantly differ in their competence
along structure, coherence, spelling, and punctuation. They are excellent in
spelling and salutation; very good in writing signature, inside address,
complimentary close, and in punctuation; and good only in writing the heading
and in coherence.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
3. The strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing
application letters do not differ significantly. Their strengths are spelling and
salutation, and their weaknesses are heading and coherence.
4. The degree of seriousness of the errors committed in the written
application letters do not differ significantly. As a whole, they commit from 9 to
11 grammatical errors.
Recommendations
Based on the following findings and conclusions, the following are
recommended:
1. Since applicants are mostly degree holders, they should make use of
conventional business formats in writing their application letters in order that the
recipient of their letters will do the reading. Usually, the recipient of the letters
expects a lot from the educated applicants.
2. The applicant should construct an effective application letter so that
the recipient of the letter will give prior attention to it. An application letter
constructed effectively can get the attention of the reader.
3. Teachers should give more written activities in their class for the students
to develop their potentials or skills in writing. Thru this, misspelling,
inappropriate punctuations, wrong abbreviations, incoherence, and other problems
related to writing will be avoided. At the same time, the teachers should attend
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
trainings, seminars and workshops related to application letter writing in order for
them to teach application letter writing effectively.
4. The personnel officers/administrators in-charge in hiring employees
must be knowledgeable of an effective application letter. Their knowledge can
give them an idea on the possible performance of employees to be hired.
5. Further study on the effect of the social factors like age, gender, civil
status, degree obtained, and type of school graduated from on the construction of
application letters is highly recommended.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
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Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix A
FORMAT OF A BUSINESS LETTER
1. FULL BLOCK FORM
2. BLOCK FORM
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
A
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________ B
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________: C
_______________:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________.
D
_______________.
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________.
_______________.
_______________, E
_______________,
_______________ F
_______________
Legend:
A = Heading or Letterhead D = Body of the Letter
B = Inside Address E = Complimentary Close
C = Salutation F = Signature
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
3. SEMIBLOCK FORM
4. INDENTED/TRADITIONAL FORM
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
____________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________:
_______________:
_________________________
_________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
________________.
_____________________.
_________________________
_________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_____________________.
_____________________.
_______________,
_______________,
_______________
_____________
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
5. HANGING STYLE
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________:
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_______________,
_______________
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix B
RAW TABLES
Table1. Common business formats used in the application letters of the degree
holders
FORMAT FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE RANK
Full-block 88 46.81 1
Block 5 2.66 4
Semi block 63 35.1 2
Nondescript 32 17.02 3
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 5.5
Hanging style 0 0 5.5
TOTAL 188 100
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2. Overall degree holders’ application letter writing competence
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 24 5 74 67 18 2.73
B. Inside Address 117 32 30 6 3 4.35
C. Salutation 133 26 20 9 0 4.51
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 10 52 100 25 1 3.24
E. Complimentary close 110 26 43 9 0 4.26
F. Signature 103 73 9 1 2 4.46
II. Spelling 149 30 9 0 0 4.74
III. Punctuation 96 45 40 7 0 4.22
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.1. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the full-
block form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 17 3 28 35 5 2.91
B. Inside Address 58 15 11 3 1 4.43
C. Salutation 66 7 8 7 0 4.5
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 7 30 43 8 0 2.18
E. Complimentary close 62 0 22 4 0 4.36
F. Signature 52 34 1 0 1 4.53
II. Spelling 67 19 2 0 0 4.74
III. Punctuation 47 20 17 4 0 4.25
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.99
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor (P)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.2. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the block
form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 0 0 4 1 0 2.8
B. Inside Address 3 1 1 0 0 4.4
C. Salutation 3 1 1 0 0 4.4
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 0 1 3 1 0 3
E. Complimentary close 3 1 1 0 0 4.4
F. Signature 1 4 0 0 0 4.2
II. Spelling 3 2 0 0 0 4.6
III. Punctuation 0 3 2 0 0 3.6
____________________________________________________________________
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.93
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.3. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the
Semiblock form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 4 1 31 18 9 2.57
B. Inside Address 40 9 10 2 2 4.32
C. Salutation 45 10 6 2 0 4.56
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 3 14 36 9 1 3.14
E. Complimentary close 30 18 12 3 0 4.19
F. Signature 33 21 8 0 1 4.35
II. Spelling 51 8 4 0 0 4.75
III. Punctuation 37 15 10 1 0 4.40
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.0
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 2.5. Degree holders’ application letter writing competence using the
nondescript form
MECHANICS OF LEVEL OF COMPETENCE
THE LETTER 5 4 3 2 1 WM
I. Structure
A. Heading 3 1 11 13 4 2.56
B. Inside Address 16 7 8 1 0 4.19
C. Salutation 19 8 5 0 0 4.4
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 0 7 18 7 0 3
E. Complimentary close 15 7 8 2 0 3.97
F. Signature 17 14 0 1 0 4.47
II. Spelling 28 1 3 0 0 4.78
III. Punctuation 12 7 11 2 0 3.91
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.92
Legend:
Values Statistical Limits Descriptive Equivalent
5 4.51 – 5 = Excellent (E)
4 3.51 – 4.50 = Very Good (VG)
3 2.51 – 3.50 = Good (G)
2 1.51 – 2.50 = Fair (F)
1 1 - 1.50 = Poor
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 3. Strengths and weaknesses of the degree holders in writing application
letter
MECHANICS OF WMT RANK
THE LETTER
I. Structure
A. Heading 2.73 8
B. Inside Address 4.35 4
C. Salutation 4.51 2
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 3.24 7
E. Complimentary close 4.26 5
F. Signature 4.46 3
II. Spelling 4.74 1
III. Punctuation 4.22 6
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 4.06
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Table 4. Degree of seriousness of the errors committed in the application letter
writing competence of the degree holders
FORMAT DEGREE OF SERIOUSNESS WM
5 4 3 2 1
Full-block 5 19 35 23 6 2.93
Block 1 1 3 0 0 3.6
Semiblock 10 13 20 18 2 3.17
Nondescript 6 10 7 8 1 3.38
Indented/
Traditional 0 0 0 0 0
Hanging style 0 0 0 0 0
____________________________________________________________________
AVERAGE WEIGHTED MEAN = 3.27
Legend:
Weighted Mean (WM) Descriptive Equivalent (DE)
4.51 – 5 = Very Serious (VS)
3.51 – 4.50 = Serious (S)
2.51 – 3.50 = Moderately Serious (MS)
1.51 – 2.50 = Slightly Serious (SS)
1 - 1.50 = Not Serious (NS)
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix C
SAMPLE COMPUTATION USING THE FRIEDMAN TEST
Fr = 12 ( Rj)2 – 3N (C + 1)
NR (C + 1)
Where: Fr = Friedman Test
N = No. of Rows
C = No. of Columns
= Summation
Rj = Ranks
Table 2. Overall letter degree holders’ application letter writing competence
MECHANICS OF RANKS
THE LETTER
I. Structure
A. Heading 3 5 1 2 4
B. Inside Address 1 2 3 4 5
C. Salutation 1 2 3 4 5
D. Body
D.1. Coherence 4 2 1 3 5
E. Complimentary close 1 3 2 4 5
F. Signature 1 2 3 5 4
II. Spelling 1 2 3 4. 5 4. 5
III. Punctuation 1 2 3 4 5
Rj = 13 20 19 30.5 37.5
Rj 2 = 169 400 361 930.25 1406.25
( Rj) 2 = 3266.5
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Solution:
Fr = 12 ( Rj)2 – 3N (C + 1) df = (C – 1) (R – 1)
NR (C + 1) = (5-1) (8-1)
= (4) (7)
Fr = 12 (3266.5) – 3 (8) (5 + 1) df = 28
(5)(8)(5 + 1)
Fr = 12 (3266.5) - 144 X2 0.05, 28 = 41.3371
240
Fr = 163.325 – 144
Fr = 19.325 ns
The computed value is less than the tabular value, Ho is accepted.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Appendix D
SAMPLES OF APPLICATION LETTERS
October 13, 2003
To: THE PRESIDENT
BENGUET CENTRAL COLLEGE
Dear sir;
Greetings! Sir I have the honor to apply as a Political Science Instructor at
your school. I am a graduate of Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science at
Saint Louis University and currently taking up Bachelor of Laws at the same
school. I hope that as a Political Science graduate, I have the capacity to impart
my knowledge about the course to Political Science students.
Attached herewith is my resume and Transcript of Records for your
reference.
Very truly yours,
Mr. Atanacio D. Addog
Applicant
Sample 1. This is an example of an application letter using the nondescript
form.This application letter is described to be serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
191 Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet
May 28, 2002
The School Head
Benguet Central College
Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet
Sir/Madam:
I am very interested to apply for teaching position in your school if there is
or there will be vacancy.
With regards to my personality and experiences please turn to the attached
resume and other supporting documents.
Very truly yours,
ARNOLD L. MANIO
Applicant
Sample 2. This is an example of an application letter using the semiblock form.
This application letter is described to be moderately serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Dr. Carlos Alacdis, President
Benguet Central College
SO Bldg. Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet
Sir:
May I have the honor to apply for a teaching position in your institution, Benguet
Central College located at Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet. I am particularly interested
in teaching Filipino subject.
Enclosed herewith is my resume and other supporting documents for further
information. I shall be glad to have an interview at your most convenient time. I
can be reach thru this number: 074-421-8408.
Your favorable consideration on this application is highly appreciated. Thank you
and God bless.
Respectfully,
TILMA M. LESTINO
Sample 3. This is an example of an application letter using the full block form.
This application letter is described to be moderately serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Carlos S. Alacdis
President
Benguet Central College
Central Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet
May 14, 2003
Sir,
A pleasant greetings to you and the whole staff of Benguet Central College.
In relation to the school propose course expansion, I Laguyo, Francis Atumpa, of
legal age and a resident of Km. 4 Asin Road, Baguio City, do hereby express my
intention to work in your institution. Any vacant entry level jobs can do as long as
it is suitable to my course and capabilities. I am also interested and willing to be a
college instructor for commerce department.
For further inquiry and interview, I can be easily contacted through my mother’s
office with telephone number 444-4997 or through your son Brian Alacdis.
Thank you very much and I hope that you will consider me among the applicants.
Respectfully yours,
Francis Laguyo
Sample 4. This is an example of an application letter using the block form.
This application letter is described to be serious.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
78 Purok
4, Pinsao Pilot
Baguio
City
June 13,
2002
Mr. Carlos M. Alacdis
President
Benguet Central College
Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet
Dear Mr. Alacdis:
I heard from a reliable source that you are in need of a personnel officer.
Please consider me as one of the applicants.
I have obtained the degree Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
English from the Baguio Colleges Foundation last March 2000. As you will see in
the enclosed transcript of my university work, I have taken several courses in
English. Those courses and the one-semester practice teaching I have had
enhanced my ability to socialize with other people. I also have a personal
disposition coupled with my ability to deal with varied groups of people that are
needed for the position that I am applying for. In addition, I passed the licensure
Examination for Teachers conducted August 26, 2001. While waiting for my
license, I enrolled at Benguet State University to do my Master of Arts in English
as a Second Language. Already I have taken fifteen units for my Master’s, twelve
of which are from my major field.
My experiences include working at the graduate school office as an encoder
and tutoring Korean student for a month. At present, during my free time, I learn
technical writing and editing at the Graduate School of Benguet State University,
under the supervision of Dr. Rodolfo T. Abastilla. My responsibilities are limited
of course, but I did have some opportunities to exercise my skills at encoding,
editing and rewriting rough copies of technical papers.
Please refer to the enclosed resumé for details of my education and
experience and the names of persons who can vouch for my ability and character.
Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
I would welcome an opportunity of showing you some of the work I have
done and of telling you about myself. Would it be possible to arrange for an
interview? I will be free to come to your office any time. I look forward to
hearing from you.
Yours
respectfully,
EUGENE
S. LUMASOK
Sample 4: This is an example of an effective application letter using semiblock
form.
Competence of Degree Holde
rs of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
The researcher, Eugene S. Lumasok of Purok 4, Pinsao Pilot, Baguio City,
was born on February 08, 1979. His parents, natives of Maligcong, Bontoc, Mt.
Province, are Abraham Lumasok, deceased, and Alice Sinadcop, housewife.
In December 2000, the researcher obtained the degree Bachelor of
Secondary Education Major in English and Minor in Mathematics at University of
the Cordilleras (Baguio Colleges Foundation), Baguio City.
After passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers in August 2001, he
decided to practice his chosen profession; he started conducting tutorial services
with some Korean Nationals from December 2001 to January 2002. At the same
time, he began enhancing his skills, talent, and abilities in teaching by working for
a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language student at Benguet State
University, La Trinidad, Benguet.
From June 2002 to May 2004, he assumed the position of a Personnel
Officer at Benguet Central College, Pico Road, La Trinidad, Benguet. While
enjoying his position, he also taught English and Basic Computer Operation to the
college students as well as technical-vocational students. Moreover, he was
employed in Saint Vincent’s School, Bontoc, Mt. Province from June 01, 2004 to
March 31, 2006.
Competence of Degree Holde
rs of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
From April 24 to May 19, 2006, he tutored Technical Writing and English
grammar to some students of Regional Science High School in the Center for
Learning Enhancement, Session Road, Baguio City.
At present, he works as a private English Tutor to a Thailand National at
Km. 5, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Competence of Degree Holde
rs of Baguio City and La Trinidad,
Benguet in Writing Application Letters / Eugene S. Lumasok. 2006
Document Outline
- Competence of Degree Holders of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet in Writing Application Letters
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- ABSTRACT
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- Background of the Study
- Statement of the Problem
- Objectives of the Study
- Importance of the Study
- Scope and Delimitation of the Study
- REVIEW OF LITERATURE
- Theories of Writing
- Writing Problems
- Conceptual Framework
- Paradigm of the study
- Operational Definition of Terms
- Hypotheses of the Study
- METHODOLOGY
- Locale and Time of the Study
- Respondents of the Study
- Instrumentation
- Statistical Treatment of Data
- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
- Common Business Format
- Level of Competence of the Degree Holdersin Writing Application Letters
- Strengths and Weaknesses of the Degree Holdersin Application Letter Writing
- Degree of Seriousness of the Errors Committedamong the Degree Holders in WritingTheir Application Letters
- SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Summary
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- LITERATURE CITED
- APPENDICES
- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH