GUIDELINE FOR TEACHING AND WRITING ESSAYS ... - Thutong

Friendly/ Informal letter
Friendly/ Informal letters are usually written to people who are close to the writer, e.g. friends,
family, etc. They mainly written to express an emotion, e.g. congratulate, sympathise, advise,
etc. the recipient. Due to the nature of the relationship between the writer and the recipient,
the language register and style, among others, differ from those of the formal letter.
• Style
Like the formal letters, informal letters must also be written in simple English.
However, the writer may elaborate a little on a point, for example, reminding the
recipient about a shared moment that might have partially led to the letter being
written. While there is a restriction on the number of words, the writer is allowed a
little flamboyance. Informal letters are, as a result, livelier than formal letters.
The letters should, nonetheless, be logical and pursue the intended point to the end.
• Structure
‣ All letters should have an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
‣ There must be only one address, the writer’s, with a date in which it was
written below it;
‣ An informal/semi-formal salutation – Dear Jerry, Dear Aunt Juliet, Dear
Father and Mother, etc. - follows the writer’s address;
‣ The language register is mainly informal, but could be semiformal to formal,
depending on who the recipient is. For example, the writer will use a different
register when writing to parents compared to that used when writing to a
friend;
‣ The conclusion ranges from informal to semi-formal – Yours sincerely; Your
loving son; etc – followed by the writer’s first name.
• Issues to avoid
While the language register is more relaxed than in the informal letter, the following still
have to be avoided:
‣ Slang and colloquial language;
‣ Contractions, abbreviations and acronyms;
‣ Innovations as used in sms and mxit texts; and,
‣ Foul language.
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