Informal letters

Hello friends,

Although in recent times, communication has become much easier with the help of phones, computers and faster travel options, it is important to learn the art of letter-writing.

What is a letter?

A letter is a written or typed message addressed to a single person or a group of people.

In earlier days letters used to be one of the primary means of communication between people who lived far away from each other.

As you see, writing letters is the old thing especially the informal or personal letters.

A personal or informal letter is usually addressed to family members, relatives, friends, or people we know personally.

It is usually written in an easy and friendly manner.

We don't write informal letters because we have phone to text messages and internet to email but they are still in use.

It was Charlie’s birthday not so long ago. And he got lots of presents. Here is thank you letter to Charlie’s cousin, who studies at the university in London.

What two birthday presents did Charlie get? Choose from the items in the pictures:

12 Westfield Drive

Bromley BR13 6TF

13^th June 2019

Dear Harry,

I hope you are well. Thanks so much for the presents you sent me for my birthday. I love them – they’re brilliant! When I was opening them I thought they were bowling balls. I’m glad that they weren’t! I use them every day before school and reckon I’m stronger. My dad said that using weights is a good way to get fit too. Maybe you should by some for him!

I really enjoyed my birthday. We had a barbeque in the garden and loads of friends came round. It was a laugh! My best mate gave me a baseball bat. We don’t play baseball at school but there are teams at the local gym.

See you soon, I hope. And thanks again for the weights.

Lots of love,

Charlie

PS Mum and Dad send their love too.

Top tips for writing informal letters

1. When writing letters in English to a friend, you need to use informal style.

Use contractions and colloquial expressions.

Find informal words and phrases in the letter that mean:

Rewrite the sentences in a more informal style.

1. I think my best friend is fun. – I reckon my best mate is a laugh!

2. Thank you for the book. It’s very good. – Thanks for the book. It’s brilliant!

3. I got lots of very good presents for my birthday. – I got loads of brilliant presents for my birthday.

4. I think there are lots of very good places to visit near here. – I reckon there are loads of brilliant places to visit near here.

5. Thank you for inviting me to your party. It was fun! – Thanks for inviting me to the party. It was a laugh!

Which four different contractions did Charlie use?

They’re

I’m

weren’t!      and don’t

2. Group similar ideas in the same paragraph.

Put what Charlie says in the correct paragraph in the chart below, and in the correct order.

Check.

Paragraph 1

c. He thanks his cousin for the present.

f. He gives his opinion of his cousin’s present.

g. He says when he uses his cousin’s present.

Paragraph 2

a. He says he enjoyed his birthday.

b. he says what one of his friend gave him.

d. He says what he did on his birthday.

Paragraph 3

e. He thanks his cousin again for the present.

3. Begin and end the letter appropriately.

Start you letter with Salutation and Beginning comments. Ask how the person you are writing to is or express your hope that he/she is well.

Here are some examples of ways to start your letters to an English friend:

Salutation                              Beginning comments

Dear John                               How are you?

Hello John                              I hope you are well

Hi John                                   How’s it going?

Happy Birthday John!             It was great to see you last week

Greetings John!                       Sorry for not writing sooner, I’ve been really busy

Hiya John (very informal)        It was good to catch up last weekend

Use the following phrases to close the letter or email. Then sing it with your name.

Closing comments                                              Signing off

Hope to hear from you soon                                 From

Hope to catch up again soon                                Love

I’ll look forward to seeing you next week              Love from

See you soon!                                                      Best wishes

Write soon!                                                          Bye for now

Have a good week!                                               Bye!

Can’t wait to see you!                                          Cheers (British English)

4. If, after having finished the letter, you need to add something, do it in Post Scriptum. Start a new paragraph with PS.

Read the informal letter from his cousin Harry to Charlie and fill each gap with one word.

48 Hampstead Street

London LD1 2FB

20^th June 2019

Dear Charlie,

How are you? Thanks so much for your last letter. It was great to hear from you and to catch up on your news. I’m happy that you liked my present.

Things are busy here! On Thursday last week I took my final English exam. It was really tough! I reckon I passed it, but we have to wait until next month to get the results. After the exam, I went out to celebrate with some mates. We went for a pizza and then to a new nightclub in town. We danced for hours – It was a good laugh! Last weekend my brother and I went to see an ice-hockey match at the local park. It was brilliant! There were loads of people there and the match was really exciting. After the game, I even managed to get my favourite player’s autograph!

I really hope we can get together soon. Why don’t you come up to visit me in London one weekend?

Best wishes,

Harry

PS Say hi to your parents and sister for me.

Look at the letter again. Match 1 – 8 to headings a) – h).

1.                 the address

2.                 the date

3.                 salutation

4.                 beginning comments

5.                 the body of the letter

6.                 the closing comments

7.                 signing off

8.                 adding extra information (PS)