Correspondence is one of the most important ways of communication between people all over the world. With her help we meet new people, exchange necessary information, we cooperate with foreign partners, invite to visit, express our feelings and emotions, etc. The role of letters in our life is truly great. And even despite the fact that the epistolary genre is gradually disappearing into oblivion, we still continue to write letters. These are already unwritten leaves, sealed in an envelope, which will have to spend many days on the road to reach the addressee. Nowadays, letters are represented by their electronic version (e-mail), which we send on the Internet to any city in the world.
I am convinced that writing letters on English language should be taken out in a separate section in the learning process and given enough time. After all, this "science" has its own rules, nuances, etiquette, which must be followed to make your letters look worthy. Letters are different: letters of gratitude and request for information, letters of congratulations and invitations to visit, letters of sympathy and apology, which generally require certain knowledge and skills. In this article we will talk about the unofficial version of the letter, the so-called "letter to a friend in English".
How to write a letter to a friend in English
So that I don't talk about how to write now a letter to a friend in English, it will not have the desired effect if you do not clearly see at least one sample of such a letter. Therefore, if you are studying how to write this or that letter, first of all, keep before your eyes examples of these letters. Your visual memory will do its job, and you will often say “thank you” to it when you need a template for writing a letter. By changing it, removing or adding something, you can create your own unique letter to a friend in English, which will comply with all the necessary rules and regulations. Quite a lot of samples of letters to a friend in English are presented on the site. All sample letters are provided with translations, so it will not be difficult for you to understand the essence of the letter itself.
When composing any letter, and a letter to a friend in English as well, study such sections of this language as and. Still, no one has canceled the correct spelling, albeit of a business letter, and the correct placement of punctuation marks.
In English, there are certain appeals to the person you are writing to, and, accordingly, the phrases that end the letter. The choice of both depends on the degree of acquaintance and your relationship with the friend to whom you are sending a letter in English. These can be the following options:
- (My) dear+ name
- Dearest, (my) darling+ name
- Just a name
All words used will have the meaning "(my / my) dear (s)".
Any phrase from the list below should be used as the phrase "goodbye" to end your letter to a friend in English:
- Sincerely (yours) - sincerely yours. Alternatively, in reverse order: (Yours) sincerely
- Cordially yours / yours cordially- warmly yours
- Faithfully yours / yours faithfully / yours truly- always devoted to you
- Yours ever / Ever yours / As ever / yours as always- always yours
- Yours affectionately / lovingly yours- loving you
- Your very sincere friend- your sincere friend
- Lots of love (kisses) - kiss
In addition, you will need the following knowledge: common English names and surnames; names of countries, cities and capitals; widely used abbreviations in the epistolary genre. All this information is additional (reference), but it is the key to your successful correspondence.
In my opinion, a very valuable publication concerning writing letters in English is the book by L.P. Stupin. “Letters in English for All Occasions”, published in St. Petersburg in 1997. This edition is a kind of handbook for a person who often writes letters. You can purchase this book or download it for free on the world wide web. It is on the site and on the resource. In this valuable publication, you will find general guidelines for writing letters to a friend in English (and all other types of letters too), sample letters on any topic, and all the background information that I have already mentioned.
If you write letters to a friend in English often enough, over time you will remember all the recommendations that accompany this action. Yours will also expand, and over time, writing any letter in English will be a trifle for you.
As a sample, I give a letter to a friend in English, drawn up directly for this article:
How are the things going on? Did something new happen in your life? Having received your letter, I wanted to answer it immediately but I was working a lot during the last two weeks. So I was pressed for time and did not manage to carry out my intentions.
In my country spring has already set. It is quite warm and really sunny all days long. Being at work I always imagine myself strolling down some parks. I wish you could join me! It would be funny! Some days ago my friend advised me to read a very interesting book. I did it and I would like you to know this author. Are you ready to read good literature?
Tell me more about your work and free time. Are you satisfied with all this? What are your plans for this summer? Maybe we will be able to meet one day?
The translation of this letter reads as follows:
Dear Helen,
How are you? Anything new? I wanted to answer your letter right away, but in the last two weeks I have had a lot of work to do. There was not enough time to carry out their plans.
Spring has already arrived. It's warm and sunny outside all day long. During work, I constantly imagine myself walking in various parks. I would like you to keep me company. It would be fun! A few days ago, a friend advised me to read an interesting book. I read it and would like to introduce you to this author. Are you ready to read good literature?
Tell me more about work and play. Are you happy with everything? Have any plans for the summer? Maybe we can meet sometime?
Always yours,
Jessica
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Formal letters / emails are written in a formal (formal style) to people who hold formal, leadership positions, such as managers, directors.
Official letters can be of different types:
- Business letter;
- Letter of request for information;
- Complaint letter;
- Letter of application for employment;
- Complaint letter;
- Letter of apology.
Business letter structure
Sender's name and address
The sender's details and is located in the upper left corner.
The sequence of requisites is as follows:
- the name of the manager;
- his position;
- the name of the sender's company;
- house number, street;
- city, postal code;
- the country.
Example:
Mr Viktor Moskvin
154 Sadovaya St
The absence of punctuation marks in a business letter is called "Open punctuation".
date
The date is located under the requisites, the indent is three lines. There are several options for writing the date:
- July 28, 2017;
- July 28th, 2017;
- July 28, 2017;
- 28th July, 2017.
Address of the recipient
The recipient's address is written after the date as follows:
- full name recipient;
- position;
- Company name;
- house number, street;
- city, postal code;
- the country.
Before the name must be indicated abbreviated circulation:
- Mr. (mister, mister)
- Dr. (doctor),
- Ms. (miss, for an unmarried woman)
- Mrs. (Mrs - for a married woman or if you are not sure about the status).
Example:
Mrs Jennifer Gray
editor publishing company “GoodBook”
The location of the address is similar to the spelling of the sender's address.
Addressing the addressee of the letter
- The address to the addressee begins with the word " Dear… ”(Dear): If the full name of the recipient is specified, then the greeting begins exactly like this, with a personal greeting: Dear Mrs Jennifer Gray.
- If the name is unknown, then the letter is addressed indefinitely: Dear Sir or Madam.
- In the case of addressing to the name of a company, the address is general: Dear Sirs.
- If the letter is addressed American company, at the end of the phrase, a colon is put: Dear Mrs Jennifer Gray:
Sender job title
If the letter is written by a man, then the word Mr is not used. If the letter was written by a woman, then (Mrs) appears in parentheses after the name. The period is not put at the end of the sentence. For example: Yours sincerely,
School of foreign laguages “Lingva”, or
Yours sincerely, Nikole Noble (Mrs)
School of foreign laguages “Lingva”
Application mark
The business letter may be accompanied by other documents. To indicate this in business correspondence after the signature, an abbreviation is written Enc or Encs (« Enclosures"-" Applications "). After this inscription, a comma is put and all documents attached to the main letter are listed. For instance:
Yours sincerely,
School of foreign laguages “Lingva”
Enc, a copy of the license.
Business and formal letters. Business writing structure and speech patterns for use in it
|
Structure of the letter |
Speech models |
| 1. Address the recipient in a formal manner |
Dear Sir or Madam - Dear Sir (address to a man) or Madam (to a woman) |
|
2. In the first paragraph, state the purpose of the letter. (Don't use abbreviated verbs!) |
I am writing in connection with / to ask about… - I am writing in connection with / in order to find out / ask…. I have read / found your advertisement in… and would like to… - I have read / found your advertisement in… and would like to… I am interested in ... - I am interested in ... I would like to know more details about ... - I would like to know more details about ... I would like to ask further information about / concerning ... - I would like to inquire / ask for further information about / concerning ... I would like to ask if / when / why / where ... - I would like to ask if it is possible if / when / why / where ... I look forward to your answer / to hearing from you. - Looking forward to your response… |
|
3. End of the letter in the appropriate form: |
|
| If the letter begins with Dear Sir or Madam, then the letter must be ended with the phrase |
Yours faithfully, ... - sincerely yours, yours faithfully ... |
|
If the letter begins with Dear Mr / Mrs Wilson then the letter ends |
Yours sincerely, ... - sincerely yours, with respect ... |
Samples of business / formal letters
Examples of business formal letters
Letter of inquiry
1.Dear Sir / Madam,
2.I am writing in connection with an advertisement for your English course. I am 19 years-old student from Russia. I am interested in English and have been looking for a course in English at higher level.
I would like to ask for more details about this English course. I would be very grateful if you could inform me about payment forms and enrolment requirements.
I look forward to your answer.
3.yours faithfully,
Dear Sir / Madam
I am writing to you in connection with an announcement for your English course. I am a 19 year old student from Russia. I am interested in English and therefore am looking for English courses to improve my level.
I would like to know more details about this English course. I would be very grateful if you could provide me with information on the forms of payment and requirements for enrollment.
Looking forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Anna Rudova
Dear Mr. Stevens,
Mrs. M.K. Collins has applied for work as saleswoman in my drugstore. She has referred me to you as one for whom she has done similar work. Please give me some general information as to her fitness for this work. I shall be grateful to you for this help.
Sincerely yours,
Dear Mr. Stevens,
Mrs. M.C. Collins applied for a job as a salesperson at our pharmacy. She listed you as a person to contact for additional information because she did the job for you. Please provide me with general information on her qualifications for this position. I would be grateful for your help.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Warner
Letter of complaint
I am writing to complain about ineffective work of your book service center. On February the third I ordered from you one copy of "Dandelion wine" by Ray Bradbury. The book arrived by mail and I found that some of the pages were transposed so that the book was not usable.
As a result I was left without a needed book. I would like the privilege of returning the defective book to you in exchange for a perfect copy. I hope it would be possible for you to replace it as soon as possible. I look forward to your answer.
Yours sincerely,
Dear Mr. Olsen,
I am writing to complain about the ineffectiveness of your book center. On February 3rd I ordered one copy of the book Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury from you. The book arrived by mail and I found that some of the pages of the book were in the wrong order, so the book was "unreadable".
As a result, I was left without the book I needed. I would like to replace the defective copy of the book with a normal one. Hope you can replace the book as quickly as possible. Looking forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Bill Barry
Additional speech patterns for complaint writing:
- I must express my dissatisfaction with ... - I must express my dissatisfaction ...
- In fact I have already talked / written about it but nothing has changed / happened to ... - In fact, I already said / wrote about it, but nothing has changed ...
- There has been no replay to my previous letter. - There was no answer to my last letter.
- The item has not been replaced. - The product has not been replaced.
- It suddenly stopped working. - The item suddenly stopped working.
- The keyboard was missing. - The keyboard was lost.
- Contrary to the description in the menu / brochure / time-table ... The description in the menu / brochure / timetable does not match ...
- The food was not cooked properly. - The food was not prepared properly.
- The price was expensive enough. - The price was overpriced.
- It was a very unfortunate event because ... - This event ended in failure because ...
- In this way it ruined all my plans as ... - So all my plans were ruined because of ...
- I hope I can expect ... - Hope that I can expect (expect) ...
Letter of application
(Letter of application)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing in response to your job offer concerning the post of computer operator which I found in the latest issue of "Daily News".
I believe this position fits my expectations of a perfect job for a young person. As far as my qualifications are concerned I have been working for about two years as a computer operator in Gray Service Company, where I have had the chance to get "hands-on" experience with computers in a real working office and coming into contact with the public for the first time. There I have gained a lot of valuable professional experience. In addition to this, I consider myself to be hard-working and a very sociable person.
I would be happy to attend the interview at any time that is convenient to you. I am enclosing the names of two referees from Gray Service Company, whom you can contact for more details. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Dear Sir / Madam,
I am writing to respond to your ad for the position of a computer operator that I found in latest release Daily News.
I believe this position meets my expectations of an ideal job for a young person. As for my qualifications, I worked as a computer operator for 2 years at Gray Sevis, where I had a chance to get practical experience working with a computer in a work office and the first experience of communicating with people within the profession. In the workplace, I have gained valuable professional experience. In addition, I consider myself a hardworking and highly communicative person.
I will be happy to attend an interview at any time convenient for you. I am providing the names of two former colleagues you can contact for more information about me. Looking forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Jane Morrison
Additional speech patterns for a job application letter:
- I am writing in reply to / with regard to ... - I am writing to reply / in connection ...
- I am writing in connection with ... - I am writing in connection with ...
- I would like to express my interest in ... - I would like to express my interest in ...
- I found the position / job / post offer extremely interesting because… - I find the position / job / post extremely interesting because…
- I would like to apply for this job because ... - I would like to get this position because ...
- My reason for applying for this job is that… (I am very sociable, hard-working, talented in…) –The reason I want this job…
- As for my experience it includes ... - As for my work experience ...
- I worked for ... as ... - I worked for ... for ...
- I am ready to come to an interview at any time. - I am ready to come for an interview at any time.
- I enclose my CV / references from my previous employers. - I am attaching CVs / references from previous employers.
- I met him ... in ..., when he joined ... I met him ... in ... when he joined ...
- … Has asked me to write a letter of recommendation to accompany his application for… I am very pleased to do so…. asked me to write a letter of recommendation for filing at the place of demand…. I'm glad to do it.
- ... distinguished himself / herself ... showed himself as ...
- His / her greatest talent is ... His / her greatest talent is ...
- He / she is a creative person ... He / she is a creative person ...
- His / her excellent capacity to… was invaluable… His / her excellent capacity to… was invaluable…
- While he / she was with us he / she… His responsibilities included… While he / she was with us… His / her responsibilities included…
- His / her main responsibilities were ... His / her daily tasks included ... His / her daily tasks included ...
- The only weak spot that I ever noted in his / her performance was ... The only flaw that I noted in his / her personality ...
- I am confident that… will continue to be very effectively. He / she deserves my best recommendations. I am confident that ... will continue to work very efficiently. He / she deserves my best recommendation.
- I would happily recommend… as a hopeful candidate. I would gladly recommend ... as a budding employee.
Business greeting letter
The purpose of a business congratulatory letter is to formally congratulate a company executive or a colleague. This letter may be shorter than the official one business letter but have a more emotional flavor.
Additional speech patterns for greeting letters:
- Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year from…! Accept best wishes happiness and prosperity in the New Year from ...!
- In appreciation of our association during the past year, everyone at… extends our very best wishes for a wonderful holiday season! - Appreciating our cooperation over the past year, each employee ... expresses our best wishes in connection with the holidays!
- Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year! - With the warmest wishes for happy holidays and a wonderful coming year!
Job letter (cover letter to resume)
In the introduction to your cover letter, it is recommended that you mention the source of the information and the desired position.
The main part of the letter talks about the professional knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, contains information about the resume accompanying the letter. Express a desire to come for an interview, if possible, at a time convenient for the employer or his representative, as well as hope for a positive decision in the direction of the applicant. Finally, thank you for reading the letter.
Additional speech patterns for job letters:
- I was interested to read your advertisement for… I was interested when I read your advertisement in…
- Please accept this letter as application for the… position currently advertised in the… Please accept this letter as an application for the vacant position of… that was advertised in…
- I have exceptional verbal and written communication skills. I have exceptional oral and written communication skills.
- I can supply references from… if required. I can provide advice from ... if required ...
- Thank you for your attention. Thank you for your attention.
Business invitation letter
In the business world, meetings with partners are a partial guarantee of success, therefore, the correct design of invitations is very important. When drawing up the invitation, please note that the partner's name is indicated in full. Keep the invitation short, use humor appropriately, and of course, the time to send the invitation!
Phrases for the invitation:
- You are cordially invited to be the guest of… We cordially invite you to be a guest of…
- Allow me the pleasure of inviting you to ... Do not deny the pleasure of inviting you ...
Reply to a business letter in English
Some emails received by the company suggest a response. The structure of such a letter does not differ from a business letter.
Additional speech patterns for answering a letter:
- Thank you for your letter. Thanks for your letter.
- We much appreciate your offer. We highly appreciate your suggestion ...
- We shall be pleased to supply you with ... We shall be very pleased to supply you with ...
- Regarding your question about ... Regarding your question about ...
Conclusion
An official letter consists of the following parts:
Official greeting: Dear Sir / Madam - when you do not know the person's surname; Dear Mr / Mrs Wilson - when you don't know the recipient's name.
The first paragraph contains the greeting and introductory words, the purpose of the letter.
In the main part of the letter, its content is revealed - arguments are provided, information of interest is requested (usually 1-3 paragraphs).
The last paragraph is the summary of the entire letter, namely, the expected actions from the recipient, final comments.
The formal ending of the letter is: Yours faithfully,… - when you do not know the person's surname; Yours sincerely, ... when you don't know the recipient's name.
Formal letters can also be a response containing the requested information. The reply letter has the same structure.
Make sure that no part is missing when you write your letter.
A well-thought-out and neatly written business letter is an effective tool in business that can not only help in concluding various kinds of transactions, when hiring, etc., but also spoil the impression of the sender, which does not guarantee him success in achieving his goal.
Nowadays, many people choose to communicate email and instant messaging. Surely, many of you already feel nostalgia for paper letters. For those feelings that accompanied us when we thoughtfully and diligently wrote interesting and witty letters.
Of course, emails are effective because sending and receiving them is instant. In business, words have become abbreviations, in everyday communication we often use abbreviations, paper and pen are gradually disappearing from our everyday life.
Fortunately, letters are still an integral part of language exams. In light of this, we should consider two types of writing - formal and informal. When writing a letter, it is important to remember who will be reading it (friend, family member, or potential employer), the main topics you want to describe, and any other information you think the reader needs to know. We will analyze the writing of informal letters.
Unofficial letter
We first need to look at the format and style of the informal letter. When designing it, we use abbreviated forms of verbs (I "m, I" ll etc.). Keep sentences and questions short and simple, and use simple connections between them.
Some simple schemes:
- "But"
- "Because"
- "Also"
- "Then"
- "However", etc.
Yours should be written on the top right of the page with the date right below it. After skipping a line, the greeting begins on the left side of the page.
As a rule, it starts with "Dear ..." or "Hi ..." not followed by a comma.
The next paragraph - the beginning of the letter itself - should be written with a slight indent to the right. Here you need to contact the person you are writing to - "It was great to hear from you" or "Thank you for your letter, it was lovely to hear from you", you can also comment on the reason why they wrote to you. For example, if the person who wrote to you reported that he received a promotion or passed a very important test, you should congratulate him on this: "Well done on passing your test / getting that promotion ...".
In the second paragraph, you can write answers to those questions that you may have been asked in the letter - for example, to a request for an opinion or advice.
- Expressions used to substantiate your opinion: "In my opinion ...", "It" s my belief that ... ", "I definitely think that ..."
- Expressions used when providing advice or suggestions: "If I were you I would ....", "Why not try ...", "I suggest that ...", "You should perhaps ..."
After that, you, in turn, can ask several questions - for example, find out about something in more detail, or write about what is happening in your life.
Having stated everything you wanted, let the reader know that your letter is coming to an end. You can use phrases like:
- "I look forward to hearing back from you soon"
- "Hope to hear from you soon"
- "Keep in touch"
When finishing the letter, you can sign in different ways, of course, taking into account the personality of the person to whom you are addressing:
- "Best Wishes"
- "Sincerely (yours)"
- "(Lots of) Love"
- "(Best) Regards" etc.
In light of the requirements of the GIA for ninth-graders and the USE of school graduates, teaching and mastering the skills of writing has become very relevant. Teachers and senior students pay special attention to working on developing the skills of writing personal letters and essays in English, for it is these types of written work that are laid down in the KIMs of the GIA and the Unified State Exam. This page is designed to help you successfully complete these types of assignments.
So, how to correctly draw up and write a letter in English in order to get the highest number of points when passing the State Examination and Exam?
1. You need to know the rules for the design and structure of letters of a personal nature.
2. It is necessary to know the criteria and schemes for assessing the letter, prescribed in the materials for the exam.
3. You must have a basic vocabulary. You don't need to know English perfectly to write a letter; moreover, you can write a letter even if you have a limited vocabulary.
1. Rules for the design and structure of a letter of a personal nature
1. In the upper right corner of the letter, write your address and date.
house number / apartment number, street name
city, zip code
For instance:
145/4 Esenin Street
Cheboksary 428000
There is an abbreviated spelling of the address and date, which is also correct. The address can include only the name of the city and country, and the date can consist of only numbers:
2. Welcome introduction.
This part usually consists of 3.4 sentences. First, you write an appeal to the person to whom you should address the letter based on the assignment. For example: Dear Mike ,. Please note that a comma is placed after the address and the next sentence (that is, in fact, the first sentence of the letter) is written with a red line. And what should you write in your greeting? In the greeting, you can thank for the letter, write that you are very happy to receive news from your friend, explain why you did not write for a long time, etc. It should look something like this:
Thanks for your letter, it was nice to hear from you. Sorry I didn "t answer for a long time. I was very busy with my schoolwork.
3. The main part.
This part usually consists of two paragraphs. The first one contains answers to a friend's questions. In the second paragraph, it is your turn to ask questions to the interlocutor, this is stated in the assignment. It usually stipulates how many questions should be asked.
4. The final part. Parting.
Here you can logically complete your letter, wish you luck and say goodbye. It is usually said that you have to go somewhere. It looks like this: Oh, I have to go now. Mum wants me to do some shopping for her.
On the next line, don't forget to say goodbye to your imaginary friend. The final phrase of the letter should look something like this:
Hope to hear from you soon,
Please note that there is no period after the name!
Personal letter structure diagram:
Criteria and grading schemes for writing
To begin with, before performing any task from the exam, you need to carefully read the task for it.
The task looks like this:
Task C1. You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Tom who writes:
Write a letter to Tom.
In your letter
answer his questions
ask 3 questions about his trip to Scotland
Write 100 - 140 words.
Remember the rules of letter writing.
a) we read the task itself (in bold), it contains important things: 1. the number of words that we must comply with, 100-140 words, as we can see. 2. what we must do: read an excerpt from the letter and write a response, in which we must answer the questions asked to us and ask 3 of our own.
c) taking into account the requirements for the structure and content of the letter, we write the answer
Evaluation criteria for assignment C1 (maximum 6 points)
Additional grading scheme for task C1 "Personal letter"
How do I write a letter if my vocabulary is limited?
The answer is simple - use ready-made template! It can and should be memorized. The template usually already contains 60-70 words, that is, it remains only to add it, based on the task and using only 40-50 words. Not such a difficult task, is it?
Example template:
145/4 Esenin Street
Cheboksary 428200
Dear(name),
Thanks for your letter, it was nice to hear from you. I "m sorry I couldn" t reply straightaway. I was busy with my schoolwork.
You asked me about(we are writing about the topic that the person who wrote us the letter is interested in). Well, (we answer his questions).
By the way,(we ask our three questions in separate sentences)
Oh, I have to go now. I promised my Mum to clean the bathroom. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
That's the whole secret. Please note that the resulting template contains 67 words, and we only have to add 40-60 words.
Sample completed task C1:
You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Tom who writes:
In Great Britain most young people want to become independent from their parents as soon as possible. Could you tell me what you and your friends think about not relying on your parents? Are you ready to leave your family immediately after you finish school? Is it easy to rent a house or an apartment for students in Russia?
As for the latest news, I have just returned from a trip to Scotland ...
Write a letter to Tom.
answer his questions
ask 3 questions about his trip to Scotland
Write 100 - 140 words.
Remember the rules of letter writing.
145/4 Esenin Street
Cheboksary 428000
I "m sorry I couldn" t reply straightaway. I was busy with my schoolwork.
I "m only 16 and I can" t help relying on my parents now, but most of my friends and I dream to be independent. As soon as I leave school, I "ll go to university. If I find a part-time job, I" m ready to leave my family and start living on my own. Of course, it "s hard financially to rent a house or an apartment in Russia, especially if you are a student and don" t have much money, but I "m prepared for this.
Well, I "m happy to hear you" ve finally fulfilled your dream - a trip to Scotland! How long were you there? What places did you visit? Did you try on a kilt?
Oh, I have to go now. Mum wants me to do some shopping for her.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Educational videos. Unified State Exam in English. Personal letter. Rules of the game.
Now in the world, the study is gaining more and more popularity foreign languages... And it's not just about a broad outlook and communication. It's about getting a profession and choosing high-paying job... Informal letter is an essential part of the English language. So let's get to know her better.
Informal letter
In translation, it means "informal letter", in other words, a letter that you wrote in simple words, without bothering too much about the design and culture of expression. In this article we will try to consider in detail what an informal letter to friend is, an example of such a letter, as well as several stable phrases and expressions that you can freely use. Go!
Some general information
Speaking about the example of informal letter, we should note that it is usually written to a friend or acquaintance, one way or another, to a person whom you know well and with whom you freely communicate on you. In fact, the most common area where you need to write a structured informal letter is a variety of examinations in English writing: from the OGE, which students take in grade 9, to international exams for admission to foreign universities or to confirm their level of a foreign language.
Structure
The structure of such a letter is as follows:
1. In the upper right corner, the address is written separated by commas, starting with small (home) and ending with large (country);
2. The date is written on the line below
3. Then, very importantly, one line is skipped! After that, the letter itself begins with the red line of the next line.
4. Address in the format "Dear, (addressee's name)".
6.Write the main part on a new line.
7.On a new line, the conclusion, which according to the rules should contain several questions to your interlocutor, but if you want, you can skip and write the conclusion without questions (although, this is a personal letter, so, most likely, you still have questions) ...
8. On a new line, we apologize that it’s time for us to go.
9.On a new line, a special phrase, about which the conversation will go later.
10. And the last new line is the signature (your name).
It is from these ten points that any informal letter to friend consists. We will consider an example of an informal letter with a translation a little later, but for now we will find out what stable phrases and phrases are usually used when writing an informal letter.
Linking words & phrases
There are a lot of important and useful words and phrases for writing an informal letter in English, so we divide them into several groups:
- expressions for introduction;
- introductory words and phrases for the main part;
- phraseological units for the conclusion.
Introduction
- Thank you for your letter.
- Your last letter was a real surprise.
- I was glad to get your letter.
- It was great to hear from you! / I was happy to hear ...
Optionally, as mentioned earlier, you can apologize for waiting so long for your response and do so using the following expressions:
- Sorry I haven’t written for so long but ... / Sorry I haven’t been in touch for so long.
- I’m sorry I haven’t answered earlier but I was really busy with ...
Main part
Here is a flight of your imagination, ideally divided into 2-3 paragraphs. Dilute it with introductory words and stable phrases:
- Well, ...
- From my point of view, ... / To my mind, ... (from my point of view).
- As I know ... (as I know).
- Do you know that ...? (do you know that...?).
- You know, ... (you know ...).
- Look, ...
- By the way, ... (by the way).
- anyway (anyway).
- so / therefore (so / therefore).
- Nevertheless (nevertheless).
- Besides ... (besides).
- Unfortunately / Fortunately, ... (Unfortunately / Fortunately ...).
Conclusion
Almost the last paragraph of our letter should contain questions and a reason why we need to go. Of course, with an apology.
- Well, I'd better go, because unfortunately, I have to do my homework.
- Anyway, I have to go now because my mom has already called me.
- Sorry, I will leave you for a while. My favorite TV show is about to begin.
As we recall, the next line should contain the traditional ending phrase. It can be:
- Drop me a line as soon as you can!
- Write me!
- Hope to listen from you soon.
- Love, (name).
- Sincerely yours, (name).
- Let "s keep in touch!
- Can "t wait to see you!
- Best wishes, (name).
- Hope to see you soon!
So we have analyzed the structure of a traditional informal letter for, relatively speaking, a friend. Now it's up to little - to show ready example informal letter to friend.
An example
Nizhny Novgorod,
7/12/2017
Dear Ben,
Thank you for your letter! Sorry for not writing for so long, I was really busy with my exams. You asked me about my school projects.
Well, for sure I have some quite interesting projects at school. Usually, a teacher askes me to make reports once a two or three weeks, so this is a normal practice. Of course, it is an enjoyable process from time to time, and I truly appreciate this experience. As you know, I participate in the school theater meetings and rehearsals, so making oral presentations is not such a complicated issue for me. But, you can easily guess that writing reports is much easier. You are allowed not to hurry and think about the topic. Moreover, you have not to learn your report by heart - just give it to a teacher and forget for some time about it! You know this is really cool. But anyway this is quite a controversial issue as so as you remember how I appreciate memorizing new information. In fact, this is much more useful for the further studying. But anyway I prefer writing my projects.
It "s really amazing to hear your brother" s news! Tell me more about it. How does he do? Is he going to visit you in the nearest future? And you?
Oh, sorry, I should go. My mom asked me to wash dishes. Write me as soon as you can!
Best wishes,
Translation
Nizhny Novgorod,
Russia
7/12/2017
Dear Ben,
Thank you for your letter! Forgive me for not writing for so long. I was very busy with my exams. You asked me about my school projects.
Well, I probably had some pretty interesting projects at school. Usually the teacher asks me to give talks every two to three weeks, so this is normal practice. Of course, it is a really enjoyable process from time to time, and I really appreciate the experience. As you know, I participate in rehearsals and meetings of our school theater, so speaking presentations is not such a problem for me. But it won't be difficult for you to guess that making written reports is much easier. You can take your time and think about the topic. Moreover, you do not need to learn your report by heart - just give it to the teacher and forget about it for a while! You know it's really cool. But in any case, this is a rather controversial issue, because you remember how much I value memorizing new information. In fact, this is much more useful for further learning. But be that as it may, I prefer written work.
It's so cool to hear the news about your brother! Tell me more about this. How is he? Going to visit you soon? Are you his?
Oh, I'm sorry, it's time for me to run. Mom asked me to wash the dishes. Email me as soon as you can!
All the best,
Daria.
Actually, this is what an informal person looks like or a person with whom you have free communication. Please note that if you write such a letter as part of an assignment, then you should adhere to the established rules for the number of words, otherwise your work will not be credited.
In fact, there is a wide variety of written works in the English language. Essay, letter, note, email - each of them has its own requirements and limitations, so be careful! But, it is worth noting that, for example, informal letters, emails have practically the same spelling. We will not give examples of informal electronic messages, we will only say that their structure and the structure of unofficial letters are practically the same.
Conclusion
So we examined with you the structure of writing an informal letter and an example of an informal letter in English. In conclusion, we will only say that composing such letters, in fact, as well as for other written and oral works in the English language, requires a wide vocabulary and the ability to easily and freely appeal not only with introductory words, but also with a wide range of grammatical constructions, which he loves so much this language. Learn English and remember the famous "TED talks" motto: "Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Stay tuned."
