INFORMAL LETTER
WHAT IS AN INFORMAL LETTER?
An informal letter is the type of letter you
would write to someone you know, for
example a friend or family member.
They’re written in a style that is more friendly
and familiar in comparison to a formal
letter which follows strict rules about layout
and style.
Informal letters are more flexible when it
comes to following these rules and can take
on many different forms.
Informal letters are written for a whole
range of reasons; you might write a letter
to your friend/relative to:
•Share news
•Say thank you
•Wish them a happy birthday
•Invite them to an event
•Congratulate them on something
•Apologise
•Tell them about a
holiday/incident/experience
Features of an informal
letter
The way you structure your letter will
depend on the type you are writing. But
there are a few common features that are
noticed when writing informally. These are:
• Address of the sender
• A date
• A friendly opening and close
• Informal and chatty language
• Written in first person
• Paragraphs
Informal Letter
Format
Address
The first thing to write is your address, i.e.
the address of the writer (basically, the
sender’s address). We usually write the
address on the left-hand side of the page at
the very top. The address should be
accurate and complete.
Even when writing to close friends or
relatives the address must be written, so
they can reply back to the letter with ease.
If the recipient of the letter is in another
country, do not forget to write your country
as well in the address.
Date
Next, just below the address we write
the date. This allows the reader to have
a reference as to when the informal
letter was written. He can then relate
better to the contents of the letter.
The date, preferably, should be in
expanded form.
Greeting
Now since you know the person you are writing
to, the greeting can be informal as well. If it is a
friend or someone close to your age you can
greet them by their first name, like “Dear Alex”.
If you are writing to your relatives like your
mother/father/aunt/uncle etc, you may greet
them as such, for example, “Dear Mom”.
And if you are writing to an elder person,
someone you respect greatly you can address
them as Mr or Mrs. Like say for example you
were writing a congratulatory letter to your
teacher, it can be addressed as “Dear Mrs.
Alex”.
Introductory Paragraph
And now we begin writing the actual
letter.
The introductory paragraph sets the tone
for the whole letter.
You might begin by asking the recipient
about their well being. Or you may say that
you hope the letter finds them in good
health and great spirits.
The opening of informal letters should be
casual and comforting. It must not be
formal and direct as in business letters.
Body of the Letter
The letter overall should maintain a friendly
tone. But you have to adjust the language
and the wordings according to who you are
writing to.
With a friend, you can afford to be very
casual and flippant even. But if you are
writing to an elder relative, you must be
extremely respectful and considerate.
One way to determine the tonality of your
letter is to remember how you talk to the
person in a conversation. And then apply
the same syntax and sentiments to the
letter.
Conclusion
In the conclusive paragraph, sum up the
reason for writing the letter, i.e.
summarize the letter.
Say a meaningful and affectionate
goodbye to the reader. And do not
forget to invite the reader to write back
or reply to your letter. It shows an
intention to keep the conversation
going.
Signature
There is no one way to sign off informal
letters. Since they do not follow a strict
format, you may sign off as you please.
Some commonly used phrases are
1.Lots of Love
2.Best,
3.Best Wishes,
4.Kind Regards,
5.Kindly,
Pick the one that best suits the occasion
and then simply write your name below
the greeting.
[Year] School Year
Below is a list of a few important topics-
1.Inviting a friend
2.Advising a friend
3.Apologizing to a friend
4.Thanking a friend for spending the
holiday together
5.Reminding a friend
6.Congratulating a friend
7.Requesting for help
8.Admitting a mistake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07fGkluF5-s
Write a letter to your friend inviting him to
your elder sister’s marriage ceremony.
(120 to 150 words)
