What is an Informal Letter?

Every person needs to write a letter at some point of time in his life. Letters not only carry formal discourses but are also means of friendly conversations. How language is used in a letter reflects the skills and finesse of the writer as well. Therefore, it is essential to master the skill of writing a good letter from an early age.

Informal letters or friendly letters help us communicate with our distant friends and relatives which in turn helps us stay in touch with them. It gives us an insight into their lives and experiences while we share a part of us at the same time. For this mutual exchange to occur satisfactorily, we need to study the basic rules and polish our skills through practice.

Format of an Informal Letter:

Sender’s Address

XYZ Society,

Room No., Street Name,

Land mark,

Locality, City/Village Pin code)

Date: (DD/MM/YYYY)

Salutation, (E.g.: Dear …,)

Introduction: (Greet the person to whom the letter is addressed and reassure of your own well-being. Introduce the purpose behind writing your letter.)

Body Paragraph: (Elaborate on the purpose of writing the letter by giving detailed information regarding the same.)

Conclusion: (Summarise all the points mentioned in the letter without further elaborating upon them.)

Subscription:

(E.g.: Yours sincerely/affectionately)

Sender’s Signature

Sender’s Name

Points to remember:

• The address of the person writing the letter is noted at the top left-hand side of the sheet.
• The address is followed by the date the letter is written.
• The salutation in an informal letter carries the name of the receiver preceded by an endearment (E.g.: Dearest XYZ.)
• The salutation is preceded and followed by a blank line.
• The letter should be written (preferably) in three paragraphs.
• Restating your reason for writing the letter in the concluding paragraph is essential.

Types of Informal Letters:

Informal letters can be classified into various types based on their content. They include

• Letter of permission
• Letter of condolence
• Letter of invitation
• Letter of information
• Letter of apology
• Letter of appreciation

Tips to Writing an Informal Letter:

• Collect all your thoughts before beginning to write the letter.
• Make a rough list of all the important things that you wish to share.
• Take time to write the letter in a neat hand with readable letters.
• Maintain a free flow of ideas. Avoid skipping from one point to the other.
• Avoid scribbling or cancelling what has already been written.

Sample Informal Letters:

Sample 1

Letter of Invitation

Amit Kumar

B-2, Kamal Kunj Khar (W) Mumbai 400 006

24th February 2024

Dearest Rajesh,

I am pleased to inform you that my father has finally bought a home here in Mumbai. It is right in the middle of the city and just the one we were looking for.

The house is on the second floor of a twelve story building. It has three bedrooms, a sitting room and a kitchen. My little sister Pinkey is very happy to have a room to herself. The original paint is of a very good quality; therefore, we have decided to let it stay. Pinkey loves the bright colours of the house. The beautiful society garden visible from all the three bedrooms adds to the charm of the house. We are in the process of transporting our belongings to this house and are hoping to get it done by 5th March. I take this opportunity to invite you and your family to the house opening celebration to be held on 15th March 2024 at 12:48 am.

It will be better still if you come to stay for a few days. You could come during the summer vacations and we could explore the vicinity together. I am also planning to invite all my school friends to a party at our new house during the summer vacations.

Please write back to me about your plans and my dad will be more than happy to come to receive

you.

In anticipation of your reply, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

Amit Kumar

Reply to the invitation

Rajesh Gupta 15/B Sumit Sadan

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Marg Shivneri, Pune 320 008

1st March 2024

Dearest Amit,

I am extremely glad that you shared this happy moment with me. It was with great pleasure that I read your letter to my mother. However, I am afraid I am about to diminish your joy. Due to the approaching exams, my brother and I will not be able to make it to the house warming ceremony.

I spoke to my parents and we have agreed that our father will be attending the ceremony on behalf of us. Our parents have permitted us to visit you as soon as our exams are over. This means that you can expect us somewhere by mid-April. I am as excited as you are about your new home and can’t wait for the exams to get over. The same goes for my brother Aman. I even looked up your address on the net and made a list of all the interesting places we can visit during our stay.

I have to end my letter now since I have to get back to studies. I will let you know as soon as the date of our visit is fixed. Until then, extend my good wishes and love to all at home, especially your little sister.

Yours sincerely,

Rajesh Gupta

Sample 2

Letter of apology

5, Karol Bagh Society Messrs Street Ambala 608 075

28th February 2024

Dearest Ravi,

I am extremely sorry that I could not accept your invitation for the picnic. As you know I am currently preparing for my upcoming board exams. I aim to excel in these exams so that I can go on to achieve a master’s degree in history following this.

I am therefore very busy these days. This does not mean that I have forgotten my family and friends and do not care about them. On the contrary, I want to achieve my goals so that I can make you all proud of me. As you already know the responsibility of my parents and younger siblings is on my shoulders. This is another reason which pushes me to work harder. The scholarships which have allowed me to continue my studies are boons in disguise and I do not want to waste them at any cost. I am therefore concentrating on my studies as of now. I also have to go to college every day since two of my teachers have agreed to assist me in my studies. Their aid is another blessing which I will never be able to repay. I am really blessed to have people like you who have gone out of their way to help me.

Do extend my love and gratitude to all at home, especially your mother. Tell her that I miss the delicious food she cooks and will be visiting soon to have some of it. Give my love to your sister too. I will visit you once my exams are over. Until then I remain,

Tours truly,

Shashank

*Students can download more samples from our PDF Notes