Informal letter format | All you need to know about it

The tone of a letter shows the writer’s relationship with the receiver. We usually write informal letters to friends and family. These letters use colloquial language, almost as if they were spoken. Writing such letters has its own set of rules that you must adhere to. The language is quite casual and conversational. Check out the blog to know more about how an informal letter format should be.

What comes under an informal letter?

You may write about whatever you wish, think, feel, and express. We may send informal letters to notify our loved ones of our accomplishments in a competition, a recent movie we saw, a trip we’ll be taking, and many such instances in your life. 

It might also be to inquire about their well-being, offer them to join you on a trip, congratulate them on their new job, or send your best wishes.

Informal letter writing format

1. Address

Your address is the first thing you should write. You need to write this in the left top corner of the page. It serves as the letter’s starting point. It is required that you provide your entire address and your pin code.

Even if it is an informal letter that you are writing to friends and family, it is necessary to provide the whole address so that the receiver can respond to the address. If you’re writing to someone who lives outside the nation, don’t forget to provide the country’s name.

2. Date

The date, and the day you are writing the letter, must be written beneath the address. 

3. Greeting

‘Dear Mom’ or ‘Dear Alan’ are examples of casual greetings. You can mention the person’s name after ‘Dear’ if you’re sending a letter to someone your age. If it’s for your mother, uncle, aunt, or anyone older than you, you should address it to ‘Dear Uncle,’ or ‘Dear Dad,’.

For someone older than you, you can write ‘Mr. or Mrs.’ For example you can write ‘Dear Mrs. Margaret,’ if you’re writing a letter inquiring about her health.

4. Introduction

Now it’s time to compose the body of the letter. The tone of the letter is established in the first paragraph. You may start by inquiring about the recipient’s health. You might also state that you hope they get the letter in good health and spirits. The first line of an informal letter should be lighthearted and welcoming. 

5. Body of letter

The tone of the letter should be welcoming throughout. However, depending on who you’re writing to, you’ll need to change the terminology and phrase. You may be casual when addressing the letter to a friend. When writing to an elderly relative, though, you must be courteous and considerate.

6. Conclusion

Sum up the purpose of writing the letter in the last paragraph, i.e. summarize the letter. Give the reader a heartfelt and thoughtful farewell. Also, don’t forget to ask the reader to respond to your letter by writing back. It demonstrates a desire to continue the dialogue.

7. Signature

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to signing off informal correspondence. You may sign off as you choose because it depends on who you are writing to. The following are some regularly used phrases:

• Lots of love
• Best
• Best wishes
• Warm Regards

Types of informal letter

For several reasons, a person may want to reach out to a friend, relative, or family member via an informal letter. Thus, an informal letter can be of several types, depending on the message’s intent. You may want to write an informal letter to someone you already know well for any of the following reasons —

1. Invitation

You may want to send out an informal letter to invite your friends to a ceremony or celebration at your place, say, your birthday party. A handy informal letter format can serve as a template for every special occasion, of course, with a dash of personalization.

2. Apology letter

You wronged your friend but feel embarrassed or awkward about seeking an apology on call or in person. An informal letter can save your relationship with your friend, brother or sister, cousins, or parents. All you need to do is muster all your courage and pen your sincerest apology in a letter. 

3. Wishing Well

Even when you cannot make it to their special occasion, you want your loved ones to know that you are thinking of them and sending them the warmest wishes on their special occasion. 

4. Thank you note

Your dear one went out of their way to help you with something which made a huge difference in your life. You would want to pour out your gratitude for that friend. An informal letter will give you that space to fill in with words that reflect how truly thankful you are to that person.

What we have to say

• Writing letters is a vital skill to master. The importance of written communication, both formal and personal, necessitates the development of a letter-writing talent. 
• Informal letters are usually longer and more thorough and may cover a wide range of topics and have a flexible framework. 
• They provide the writer the freedom to be creative, to use whatever informal letter format suits them best, and to include photos, charts, tables, and anything else that is pertinent to the written word.

Hope the informal letter format given in this blog will help you draft and communicate better with your dear ones. 

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Liked this blog? Read next: Letter Writing | Some tips to ace writing letters like a pro!

FAQs

Q1. What are the 3 types of letters?

Answer – The 3 types of letters include – 

• Formal letter
• Informal letter
• Semi-formal letter

Q2. How is an informal letter different from a formal one?

Answer – A pleasant and conversational tone characterizes an informal letter, whereas a professional tone characterizes a formal letter. A formal letter message is meant to convey only the necessary information and to request that the recipient take action on a certain topic.

Q3. Do you have to sign an informal letter?

Answer – It is not mandatory to sign an informal letter. However, it depends on you if you wish to sign the letter.