How to write PERSONAL LETTER

It is important to know how to write a letter of a personal nature. Personal

letters are not as formal as business letters and can be handwritten or
typed. Informal letters can also indulge inslang or colloquialisms.
It is optional to include the date in the upper left-hand corner of your
letter. You can just jump straight to an informal salutation, ending with a
comma in lieu of a colon.
In the body, the first paragraph is usually an introduction
setting out the reason you are writing. The next paragraphs
go into more detail. The closing paragraph summarizes what
you've had to say. You may want to thank the recipient or ask
questions.
The closing comes after two skipped lines and can also be
informal. If you want to add a P.S. or P.P.S. to your personal
letter, skip another line and start the P.S. on the left-hand
side of the paper.
To write a personal letter, there are
3 methods:
A. Beginning the letter
1. Date the letter
2. Write a salutation
B. Drafting the body of the letter
1. Begin with some pleasantries
2. Share news and personal details
3. Reference topics that are relevant to your friend
C. Closing the letter
1. Wrap it up
2. Write a closing
3. Consider including a postscript
A. Beginning the Letter
1. Date the letter. If you're
taking the trouble to write a
letter by hand, it's nice to
add a date on the top left
corner of the paper. Many
people save letters for years
to come, and they like to be
able to see what day and
year it was written to
reminisce about earlier
times. Write out the date -
for example, "May 18, 2020"
- or abbreviate it using only
numbers indicating the
month, day and year.
2. Write a salutation. The beginning of
a letter, whether it's handwritten or in
the form of an email, is called a
salutation. That's where you address the
person to whom you're writing by name
- for example, "Dear Emily" or "Hello,
Skylar." Think about the nature of your
relationship with the letter recipient, as
well as your own preferences and style,
and choose your greeting accordingly.
For formal style, you can use “dear
[name]” and for casual style, you can
use “hi [name]” or “hello [name]”. And
for your intimate, you can use “dearest
[name]”, “sweet [name]”, “my [name].
Don’t forget to end your greeting with a
comma (,).
B. Drafting The Letter
1. Begin with some
pleasantries. The first paragraph of
a friendly letter is usually warm and
lighthearted. It's a way to set the
tone of the letter, letting the
recipient know that what's to follow
will be more friendly than
businesslike or serious. Use the first
few lines to say an extended hello,
tell a joke, or reference the season.
"How are you doing?" or "How have
you been?" are common ways to start
a letter. Asking a question helps
make the letter feel like part of a
longer conversation. If you'd like a
reply to your letter, feel free to
pepper it with questions throughout.
2. Share news and
personal details. Now
it's time to get to the
meat of the letter, your
purpose for writing it.
Why are you opening this
correspondence? Do you
want to get back in touch
with a long lost friend,
express to someone that
you are missing them, or
thank them for helping
you out in some way? Be
forthright, open, and
articulate to
communicate your
message effectively.
3. Reference topics that are
relevant to your friend. What
was your friend up to last time
you talked? Was she on the
verge of breaking up with her
boyfriend? Was he in the middle
of a difficult season on the
soccer team? Follow up by
making references and asking
questions to show you're
interested in your friend's life.
Closing the letter
1. Wrap it up.
Write a final paragraph sending your
friend or loved one best wishes. The
last paragraph is usually lighter in
tone than the body, but it should
match the general feel of the entire
letter. Try to end the letter on a
note that will leave your friend with
positive feelings.
Reiterate the purpose of the letter.
For example, "I hope you can come!“
Encourage your friend to write back.
If you'd like a response, write,
"Hope to hear from you soon," or,
"Please write back!"
2. Write a closing. The closing
you choose should be in keeping
with the feel of your letter,
whether it is traditional or more
casual in tone. Like the
salutation, it should be
determined by your relationship
with the recipient. Follow the
closing by signing your name.
• If you want to write a formal
closing, consider "Sincerely,"
"Warmly," or "Best wishes."
• If your letter is more casual in
tone, try "Yours," "Take care,"
or "Cheers."
• For a more intimate closing,
choose "Love," "Much love," or
"Thinking of you."
3. Consider including a
postscript. A postscript, or
PS, is often included at the
end of friendly letters as a
way to add information that
isn't important enough to
merit its own paragraph in
the body of the letter. You
could also write a playful
joke, or leave it out
altogether. In any case, make
sure it matches your letter's
tone and leaves your
recipient with the feeling you
want him or her to have.