Posted by Remember the time when we used to write letters to our loved ones? That’s where we used to communicate our feelings and emotions informally. Personal letters are usually written to family, friends, or relatives. The purpose could be anything, such as an invitation, an apology, an expression of gratitude, congratulating someone, etc. An informal or personal letter has to be engaging enough to clearly convey the message. But, writing a personal letter requires a proper understanding of the personal letter format. Besides, you obviously need to have a flair for writing. The idea is to keep the tone friendly and casual.
In this post, we will be discussing the right way to approach a personal letter.
About Informal Letter Format
It is crucial to adhere to a pre-defined personal letter structure. The format and structure keep the information organized and help achieve an attractive output. So, what exactly do you need to do to achieve perfection in your personal letters?
Let us introduce you to the elements of a personal letter writing format.
The Elements Of A Formal Letter
- Sender’s full name and address.
- Recipient’s full name and address.
- Salutation (with an endearing essence)
- Subject line
- An introduction
- Main body paragraphs
- A conclusion
- A signing-off note
- Sender’s first name or full name
This Is How To Align Personal Letter Format!
There are a few things that you need to be mindful of while drafting a personal letter. It’s time to discuss the personal letter format in detail.
- Address: As you start writing the letter, mention the sender’s complete address right at the beginning. Make sure to place it at the left end of the paper. That is also where your letter starts. Do not forget to write down the pin code along with the address. In case you are writing someone who lives in a different country than yours, specify the country’s name too.
- Date: Right where the address ends comes the date. Mention the date when the letter was written. It lets the recipient know the exact date when you wrote the letter. Make sure to write the date in standard form, i.e., 02 February 2022.
- Salutation: The salutation or greetings should be kept informal in the personal letter writing format. For instance, you can use “Dear” as an endearment such as “Dear Shawn”, “Dear Brother”. You can consider the relationship you share with the person and decide to address them with their first or last name. Do not forget to put a comma or exclamatory sign at the end in case it is very personal.
- Introductory Body: This is where your letter actually starts. In the introduction keep the communication friendly in terms of tone and language. You can start with enquiring about the recipient’s health or mention the reason for writing the letter. The opening of the letter should be clear, direct, and warm.
- Body Paragraphs: The body is the key element of a personal letter structure. Hence, you should keep the tone friendly. However, you can adjust the tone as per the requirement. Your core message should be included within the body. If you desire to mention more information, use multiple paragraphs.
- It’s okay to be casual while writing to your friends. However, if you are writing to elders or a respectable person you should refrain from using disrespectful terms. There’s no restriction on the word limit. Yet, it’s best to keep the information brief, crisp and clear. The ideal length should be approximately two to three paragraphs.
- Concluding Paragraph: As the letter comes to an end, wrap it up with warmth. A polite and respectful call to action would be great. You can ask the recipient to reply to the letters, line up a phone call, or set up a meeting. Doing this will convey an explicit message to the recipient. Do not forget to request them to revert to your letter.
- Complimentary Close: Right below the conclusion, leave some empty space. This is where you can specify a complimentary closer such as “faithfully”, “thankfully”, “sincerely” etc. As per the personal letter format, a complimentary closer is used for delivering the regards. It is a way to appreciate their attention and time.
- Signature Line: Once you are done with the complimentary close, follow it up with a signature. It should come right in the next line. Some of the ways to sign off are; Lots of love, Best wishes, Kind regards, etc. The signature should be relevant to the purpose and occasion of writing the letter.
Personal Letter Example: Perfect Your Personal Letter Structure Skills
Here is an informal letter congratulating a friend on the graduation results as per the above-mentioned personal letter structure techniques.
23, Baker Street, New York,
February 03, 2022
Dear Sophie
I am very excited to know that you have topped your university. It’s been so long since we met. I wish I could congratulate you in person with a warm hug!
The hard work, dedication, and efforts that you’ve put in throughout the year are clearly visible in the results. You’ve always been a sincere learner, ever since we were 4 years old. I have seen you outgrow yourself. You are a sharp-minded, smart girl with big dreams. I remember you were nervous about your graduation journey but I was sure that you will pass out with flying colors. My only regret is that I am not there with you to celebrate your achievements since I have my final exams lined up.
Hope to see you as soon as possible. My parents and siblings have congratulated you on this grand success!
With lots of love,
Yours lovingly,
Anna
How To Write An Impressive Informal Letter?
Now that you are well aware of the personal letter writing format, we have some wonderful tips to make your letters way better! It will help you communicate your message confidently to the readers.
Assess The Purpose
It’s best to evaluate who you are writing to and what do you wish to achieve with your letter. Why do you want to write to the person and what is something that you wish to convey?
Language
Choose the language according to the common understanding of both, the sender and the recipient. You are free to use bilingual terms, modify the spellings, and include short forms. In case the letter is not a part of your academic assignments, you can forget about the technicalities. Emotion is the primary factor in an informal letter, not the language.
Emotions
As we mentioned in the beginning, an informal letter is primarily based on emotions. So, make it a point to touch the emotional aspect even while mentioning some facts or recalling past events. You can do that by getting into the intricacies of a specific event and describing how it made you feel.
Editing
After you are done writing your informal letter, do make the necessary changes. It is the best way to keep a check on the tone of the letter. Further, it lets you ascertain whether or not the personal letter structure is correct. However, make sure to maintain the element of engagement and interest alive.
You can use anecdotes, phrasal verbs, and real-life incidents to keep things interesting.
Secret Tips For Letter Writing: Draft Excellent Letters
Let us share some useful tips that will come in handy for you while drafting any type of letter.
Understand Your Reader
You must be careful of the language and terms that you use in your letter. It should resonate with your reader.
Appropriate Format
A letter could either be handwritten or typed. Regardless, you need to follow an appropriate format while drafting the letter. We have mentioned all the essentials of a personal letter format within this post.
Be Concise
The best way to approach your letter is by clearly focusing on the core objective. Make sure the information you are including is necessary and relevant to your goal. As you start writing the letter, think to yourself “what do I wish to achieve with this letter?”. It will help you stay focused.
Keep It Brief
You must try to limit the content and keep the letter as short as possible. Hence, all the information should be mentioned crisply within a few paragraphs.
Address The Reader
While writing an informal letter use terms such as “our”, “we”, or “you”. This helps in giving a more personal touch to your letter.
Proofread Everything
Proofreading your write-ups may require some extra effort, but it is highly important. It helps in giving a final touch to the letter. You can identify the mistakes and rectify them quickly. This way you will be able to achieve a professional-looking, perfect outcome.
Wrapping Up
As tricky as writing an informal letter may seem, you can easily conquer it with the right approach. The idea is to adhere to the key points and follow the right informal letter format. This is the ideal way to come up with informative, meaningful, and attractive-looking personal letters. Emotions are the essence of a personal letter, so keep the tone casual. Now impress your loved ones with heart-warming, well-structured personal letters. We hope you found this post helpful!
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