STRUCTURE - INFORMAL LETTER AND INFORMAL EMAIL

The structure of an informal letter and an informal email is very similar to that of
a formal letter, but there are some differences we need to be aware of.

Informal letters and emails are written to people we know, like friends and
family, so the situation where we don't know the name of the reader doesn't
exist.

The language we use in such documents is exactly the same as if we were

talking to the reader in an informal setting like the park, so we can use relaxed
vocabulary like mate and kids and chat, and contractions are very acceptable.

Finally, there is very little difference between the structure of an informal letter
and an informal email.

➤ OPENING AND CLOSING GREETINGS

The opening greeting should begin with 'Dear' and the person's first name:
Dear Mick,

And the most versatile closing greeting would be:

Best wishes,

➤ OPENING PARAGRAPH
Once the opening and closing greetings have been decided upon, the first and
last paragraphs need to be correctly constructed.

The opening paragraph needs to start with a pleasant social comment, just as in
real life. Something like:
How are you? I hope you are well. I was really happy to get your letter.
It then needs to explain your reason for writing, and this opening paragraph
serves as the introduction for this document.

The letter is likely to contain several paragraphs, so they should be separated

by a line to clearly identify them.

➤ FINAL PARAGRAPH
The final paragraph, which is the conclusion of the document, again needs to
have a closing social greeting, to show courtesy. A good example for this could
be:
Write back soon. I will be looking forward to your letter.

➤ PARAGRAPHS IN THE MAIN BODY

The paragraphs after the first and before the last are used to discuss all the
ideas the writer wishes to cover. These paragraphs form the main body of the
document, and they should be used to organize all relevant information in a
logical way with effective use of linking sentence adverbs and expressions at
the beginning of each paragraph, such as:
Firstly, to start with, Additionally, Furthermore, Following on, Finally,

Avoid using the passive in these kinds of letters, and it is a good idea to write a
separate paragraph for each idea, separating each paragraph by one line.

➤ USEFUL PHRASES
Here are some useful phrases that can be used for informal letters:
• Social comment - first paragraph:
How are you?
Thanks for writing to me. It was good to hear from you again.
I'm sorry I haven't written for such a long time.

• Saying why you are writing:

You asked me to recommend some ...
I've managed to find the information you needed about ...
I had some thoughts about your visit.
• Closing the letter:
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Give my regards to your family.
Write back soon.

• Final sentence:
All the best.
Take care.
Best wishes.