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How to Write Informal Letters in English (With Examples)
In this article, you will learn how to write informal letters in English with the help of sample opening and closing sentences and a sample letter. By the time you’re finished, you will know how to properly format the address, date, and signature of an informal letter, as well as what to write in between your greeting and signature.
What Is the Difference Between Informal and Formal Letters?
Informal Letter
An informal letter is a letter that is written in a personal fashion. You can write them to relatives or friends, but also to anyone with whom you have a non-professional relationship, although this doesn’t exclude business partners or workers with whom you’re friendly. There are different ways to carry out this type of letter depending on which country you’re in. This article will address the English/American way.
We’ll discuss the following elements:
- Address
- Date
- Opening
- Body
- Closing
- Signature
Formal Letter
The formal letter , on the other hand, is written in a professional tone using carefully chosen and polite language for an official purpose. Unlike the informal letter, there is nothing friendly or quirky about this type of letter, which must adhere to a strict format.
Format of an Informal Letter
How Do You Start an Informal Letter?
Address
Your personal address should be the first thing you write on your letter. It should be located at the top right corner of the page, since you do not always know if someone has your address if they want to reply. Remember also to fill in your country of residence if you are sending the letter abroad.
Format
- Number and street name
- City, state and postal code
- Country
Example
1000 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90015
United States
Date
The date is usually located below your own address. The most common way to write the date includes the month, day and year. Sometimes, only the month and day are sufficient. In English, the names of months are always capitalized, but there are some differences in formatting between American English and British English. See the table below for examples of each.
Format | British English | American English |
---|---|---|
A | 22nd November 2011 | November 22nd, 2011 |
B | 22 November 2011 | November 22, 2011 |
C | 22/11/2011 | 11/22/2011 |
How Do You Write an Informal Letter?
A informal letter can be written in nearly any way you choose, but there are a few organizational guidelines you can follow if you are unsure of what to write or how to format your letter. The perfect informal letter consists of three sections:
- Opening
- Body text
- Closing
There is one final part of an informal letter that doesn’t need listed here: the signature, which consists of no more than a farewell remark and your name. Learn about each of the three main parts of an informal letter below.
Opening
The first step is addressing your reader. But how do you address someone in English?
This is fairly straightforward and is usually not as important as it would be with a business or formal letter. There are still a few things that you should know in terms of addressing someone properly in an informal latter.
First, British English does not employ the use of a period after abbreviated titles, but American English does.
- Mr Johnson (British English)
- Mr. Johnson (American English)
Secondly, if you are sending a letter to a married woman, the correct abbreviation is “Mrs,” and if you are sending an letter to a non-married woman, the correct abbreviation is “Ms.”
- Mrs. Johnson is the wife of Mr. Johnson
- Ms. Johnson and her fiancé will be married this summer
Choosing whether or not to use a title depends on how well you know the person to which the letter is addressed. If you are on very friendly terms, simply use their first name. The way in which you greet your reader is up to you. The examples below showcase some common greetings.
- Dear Richard,
- Richard,
- Hi Richard,
Be sure to never forget the comma after the name.
Examples of Opening Sentences
Finally, you’ve reached the part of the letter where you begin to write. Here, let your imagination run free. If you need some ideas to get started, some sample opening sentences are included below. Your opening should be casual and not as stiff as it would be if you were writing a professional or formal letter.
- How are you?
- How have you been?
- How is life treating you?
- How are the kids?
- I hope you are doing well.
- I hope you, Mike, and the kids are having a great time in (location).
Body
The contents of your letter should be written in a personal and friendly tone. However, it’s important to adjust your use of language to the person you are writing to. A good way of assessing how you should write is to think about how you would interact with the person you are writing to in real life. Also, keep in mind that the people of England and America are fond of exchanging social niceties.
For example, they like asking a few polite questions “How are you?” or “How was your holiday?” In general, they are not as direct as most Europeans.
Subjects to Include in the Body
- State your reason for writing
- Expand on what you mentioned in the first paragraph
- Ask about the person you are writing to
- Make some concluding remarks
- Invite the person to write back
Closing
The closing is where you summarize your letter and say goodbye to the reader. The examples below offer some ideas of what to write in the closing section of your informal letter.
Examples of Closing Sentences
- I am looking forward to seeing you.
- I can’t wait to see you soon.
- I can’t wait to hear from you.
- I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
- I hope to hear from you soon.
- See you soon.
- Send my love to…
- I hope you are doing well.
- Give my regards to…
Signature
In terms of signing off, the choice is yours and you have a lot of freedom here. Below are some commonly used sign-offs that maintain a friendly, informal tone. After you’ve chosen one that fits the overall tone of your letter, simply sign your name.
Examples of Signatures
- Best wishes,
- Best,
- Kindly,
- Kind regards,
- Best regards,
- Lots of love,
- Love,
Example of an Informal Letter
© 2012 markinternational
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Comments
Lexology Search
42 hours ago
Evidon
mosses
2 days ago
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Jyoti
4 days ago
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your dad
7 days ago
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7 days ago
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8 days ago
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8 days ago
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8 days ago
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3 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
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5 weeks ago
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Fortnite
5 weeks ago
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5 weeks ago
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Omi
5 weeks ago
English
Abdulrahman
5 weeks ago
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Lmao
5 weeks ago
Is there anything to take note of about the language of an informal letter?
Thank you.
Junayd
5 weeks ago
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5 weeks ago
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6 weeks ago
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6 weeks ago
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6 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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7 weeks ago
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Name
8 weeks ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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Agatha ANYANWU
2 months ago
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Mahi singh
2 months ago
Don’t you know informal letter doesn’t contain subject
Ayush
2 months ago
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Riya
2 months ago
Don’t u know informal letter doesn’t contain subject
***
2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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Nishant
2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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Babu mani
2 months ago
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faith
2 months ago
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2 months ago
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Iftiaz
2 months ago
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Silva uruakpa
2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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Cosmos C.A
2 months ago
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
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Imaan
3 months ago
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Keerthana. S
3 months ago
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pranav
3 months ago
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Celine Chadda
3 months ago
thnks for showing us this because it helped me by my first homework of an informal letter and now it will give me the full marks in my exams.
Thanks
Ananya
3 months ago
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And now I could write a letter without any help of my parents, teachers, or my friends..☺
Champion
3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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ISHIMWE APHIA
3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
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4 months ago
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Informal Letter Format
Last Updated: May 31, 2018

Address of the sender
Date of writing the letter
Greetings and Name of the recipient; example – My Dear Kathy, or Dearest Mom,
Example 1 – Hello. How have you been? It’s been so long since I’ve heard from you. I was chatting with Ruth the other day, and heard from her that you had moved to New York. How’s it going there?
Example 2 – How are you Andrew? I received your letter on Tuesday, but was busy with the soccer-practice as we had a match with the Avon Old Farms yesterday, so couldn’t reply earlier.
Example – Our school has just started with the drama classes and this year we are producing, ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’. It is a fun, hilarious story and I’m hoping to bag the part of Brom Bones. I’m so excited, and working hard. I read the lines at least twice daily, to perfect my diction. But need help with the expressions and would like some help from you. Can you make it on Saturday at my place?
Listen, did I tell you about my new neighbor?….
Example – I have to stop writing now. Aunt Alice is coming to pick me up in half an hour. Do write soon and give my best wishes to your parents.
Lots of love,
Signature or name of the sender
- If you are writing the letter instead of typing, make sure the handwriting is neat and clear.
- Remember to indent the paragraphs.
- Use active voice as it makes the letter sound a lot more interesting.
- You can write in a casual manner, but the language has to be clear and simple.
- Ask questions as it keeps the conversation going and remember to respond to the recipient’s queries.
- Use commas, semicolons and periods wherever necessary.
- A paper has no spell-check, so watch out for those extra ‘a’s and ‘e’s.
32-A, Charlton Dr,
North Birmingham,
NSW 2065
3rdSeptember, 2012
Hello Chris,
How are you and the girls? Thanks again for giving me Brian’s number. It was so easy designing the site with Brian, as he was a great help with the technical stuff. It is online now, have a look when you get the time and do tell if any changes are to be made.
As per your suggestion, I booked a stall in ‘The Rocks market’ on Saturday, and got a terrific response. All the stuff was gone by 4, and there were a couple of women who wanted me to design for their boutique! But, I declined their offer, as they want at least 30 dresses in a month. The max I can do is 10, as the kids keep me busy and Shawn has a very hectic schedule. Besides, running after a dead-line is just not my thing.
The weather is driving us crazy – the rain just won’t stop and the kids are stuck at home getting bored. We tried to engage them by playing Monopoly the other day, and was immediately reminded of our childhood and the snow-fights we had. Can you believe that I miss snow?
You know what? The other day I bumped into Greg. The tall guy who used to live in Martha’s neighborhood? He too has moved to Sydney and lives just a few blocks from here. He has made it pretty big, and owns several restaurants, and just bought Aria on Macquarie Street. We went for dinner there on your last day in the city, remember?
I have to go to the market, so will stop writing now. Looking forward to meeting you all during the Christmas break. Give my love to Nat and the kids.
Warm regards,
Anne
North Birmingham,
NSW 2065
6thMarch, 2013
Dear James,
Hi,
I am Sally. I study in the fifth grade. In school, I love science and math. I enjoy music. This year, I will be taking part in the debate and elocution competitions being held next month. Students from different schools in the city will be participating. I hope to do my best and make my school proud. Wish me luck.
How are you doing? It feels nice to have you as my pen-friend. I would like to know more about you. What are your favorite subjects in school? What are your hobbies? How do you spend your weekends? Hoping to hear from you soon.
Love,
Sally
Some say, stating the recipient’s and sender’s address is a must; while for some, it becomes too formal and they prefer mentioning only the names. So, consult your parents or better still, the recipient’s letter, if you are very specific about the conventions.































