Introduction to Informal Letter Writing

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. 

Examples Informal Letters

Examples 1 Letter of Invitation

Amit Kumar

B-2, Kamal Kunj

Khar (W)

Mumbai 400 006 

24th February 2015

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 2015 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 2015

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


Examples 2 Letter of Information

Raghav Pavar

Parimal Flats

Ambawadi

Anand 380001

24th February 2015

Dearest Madhav,

            I hope you are in good health and are enjoying your stay at your grandfather’s place. It is with great pleasure that I write today to share a surprise with you. 

 The annual prize distribution ceremony of my school was held this week. As it was a yearly event, a lot of planning and preparations preceded the day. A stage was built on the school ground and the place was decorated by students. Mrs Varma, a retired Hindi teacher, was the chief guest of the ceremony. The event began with a speech recited by the head boy and a welcome song sung by the children of the primary section. This was followed by the distribution of various prizes alternated with performances where children portrayed their talents before their fellow students, teachers and parents. You will be pleased to know that I too won a prize. I was awarded the R.K. Menon Award for educational assistance to fellow students. It was a heart warming experience to see the pride in the teacher’s eyes while she presented me with the award. The evening ended with the reading of the annual report and the vote of thanks give by the Vice-Principal of our school. 

 It was a memorable day and the only thing short of making it perfect was your absence. Convey my regards to your family and assure your grandfather of my prayers for his speedy recovery. 

Yours sincerely,

Raghav Pavar

Reply to letter of information

Madhav Kulkarni

24/B Maya Mansion

D’monte Road

Panaji, Goa 400 029

03rd March 2015

Dearest Raghav,

 Thanks for writing to me. This visit to my grandparent’s house has been a peaceful one so far and I am glad to inform you that Grandpa is recovering steadily. I loved your description of the annual day celebration. It almost made me feel as if I was present at the ceremony in person. 

Annual day celebrations are very special. I really regret not being present for it. I always looked forward to the display of talents held during the annual day. Nevertheless, the award you won is a pleasant compensation for the same. Whatever you believe, the award did not come as a surprise to me. I do not consider any one else more worthy of this recognition. You have always been a good friend and a helpful classmate. I have always seen you eager to help anyone who is weak in studies. The teachers too have always praised you for your efforts. It was about time that you were recognised for your efforts. 

My parents and all at home send you their love and wish to congratulate you for your achievement. My mother insisted that I mention that she and dad are extremely proud of you and are glad that we two are friends. As you know, our stay will last for another fifteen days. I will come to meet you as soon as I am back. 

Until then I remain,

Your loving friend,

Madhav Kulkarni


Examples 3 Letter seeking advice 

Prashant Tambe

11, Gokul Nivas

R.V. Singh Road

Parel, Mumbai 400 027

22nd March 2015

Dearest Grandpa,

 Hope you and all at home are in good health. My exams went well and I hope to pass with flying colours. As suggested by you, I practised yoga during my exams and am glad to say that it really helped in calming my nerves. Your academic advice has always been beneficial to all of us.  

 The next step now is to choose the subjects for my junior college years. Our school teachers stressed upon selecting the subjects wisely with adequate guidance as they will play an instrumental role in the profession we wish to enter. 

I have been thinking about this for awhile and decided to take your advice upon the matter. As you know I wish to become a psychiatrist and have been researching about it. According to what I gather, I will have to complete my graduation majoring in Psychology and follow it with a Master’s degree in the same. Thus, it is confirmed that my first subject is will be Psychology.  

I need your guidance in selecting the other five subjects. I spoke to my class teacher about it and she believes that I should select subjects which give me a better understanding of people and society in general. She suggested subjects like Sociology, History and Economics. In her opinion, these subjects which tackle issues that impact human life or influence their behaviour will help me understand people better. I believe that literature too is a reflection of human behaviour over the ages. 

Kindly write back to me with your opinion on this matter. As you are a retired college principal, I trust your judgement and hope for your assistance. Please give my love and regards to all at home, especially grandma.

Thanking you,

Yours affectionately, 

Prashant Tambe

Letter of Advice

Mahesh Tambe

Vaishali Bhavan

Kherwada

Jalgaon, Nagpur 300 004

26th March 2015

Dearest Prashant,

 Everyone here is in good health and sends their love to you. I received your letter yesterday and decided to devote this morning to reply to it. I am glad that you hold me and my advice in such high regards. I am also glad that you approached me in this moment of indecision. You and your siblings have made me extremely proud with your academic excellence over the years. I dearly hope that you all continue the good work and excel in whichever field you choose.  

 As you mentioned, selecting the subjects which best suits your professional pursuit will be beneficial in the long run. I read your letter closely and deduced that your teacher’s advice is quite apt.  If you wish to become a psychiatrist, the subjects within the stream of Humanities will be better able to equip you with the necessary skills. 

Humanitarian subjects, as the name goes, are chiefly concerned with the study of human life and society. You have chosen a profession wherein you will be working to bring repose to the minds of distressed people. This cannot be achieved without understanding the kinds of stress people undergo in their day-to-day lives. Therefore, you need to understand society and the lifestyle of people. The study of Sociology will give you this knowledge. The society we live in is in turn influenced by its cultural, historical and economic past. The basis for this field will be provided to you by History and Economics. Finally, you will receive the training you will need to form unbiased opinions in your profession through the study of English Literature. The subject will acquaint you with different aspects of human life and discipline you to treat people objectively without judging their actions or way of thinking. Finally, as far as my knowledge goes, you will be asked to opt for either Hindi or French. As all the subjects you will be learning are new to you, I suggest you should select Hindi. Since you have already studied Hindi, the subject will not tax you much. Studying an entirely new language like French is difficult and demands a lot of attention and effort.

Keep in mind that everything you learn from these subjects will be beneficial to you at some point or the other. Therefore, give each subject equal importance and devote yourself entirely to your studies. Your efforts will pay back in the long run. Do write back to me once your results are out.

Yours truly,

Grandpa


Examples 4 Friendly Letter 

E/34 Ekta Society

Vinayak Gupte Marg

Malad, Mumbai

20th February 2015

Dear Lavina,

I was thrilled to know that little Bruno is now a strapping young pup of one and half years. He looks majestic in his pictures. I too have attached something for you with this letter; it is a picture of my new pet, a sugar glider. 

A sugar glider is a tiny squirrel-like animal which belongs to the family of possums. It lives on trees and has a fondness for sweet fruits. It can glide from tree to tree. The one we have only glides between furniture. Mom has named him Chip because he reminds her of his Disney namesake and because he is fond of potato chips. Life has changed ever since this little creature became the fourth member of our family. He keeps us entertained with his antics and gives us a respite from our stressful lives. My father, who had earlier objected to keeping pets in the house, is his biggest fan now.  Though he knocks utensils over and breaks things with his gliding habit, he always finds support in my father who bails him out of every situation, saving him from my mother’s wrath. Though we occasionally indulge him with delicious treats, we mainly feed him a balanced diet of canned insects and fruits. 

We are now in the process of procuring a female honey glider to keep him company since he gets lonely at times. Do let me know if you want one for yourself. These marsupials are very adorable and are easy to maintain. They will also get along well with pets like dogs and birds. Do write to me soon and send some more pictures of Bruno. 

Yours truly,

Shreya


Examples 5 Letter of Advice

3, Sunita Building

1st Floor, Gokhle Road

Khar (W), Mumbai 400 008

8th August 2015

Dearest Kumar,

I was recently informed that you were not able to clear your Engineering Entrance Exam and I know how disheartened you must be with your results. I therefore took this time out to urge you not to take this failure to heart. 

Unlike others, you are a very sincere student. We all know how hard you worked to crack this exam and we are very proud of you. You should not take this failure as a judgement of your knowledge. Although you did not leave anything to luck while studying, examinations are just that. There are many factors that impact the results of a student. Your preparation is just a part of it. Moreover, your illness during the exams is also a factor which must have had an impact on your results. It is true that this result was not expected by anyone, but none of us blame you for it and we hope you stop blaming yourself too. You are a very smart boy. Wasting your time in self-pity is something no one expects from you. Do remember that failure is a stepping stone to success. 

Look at it as a chance for you to learn from your mistakes and polish your skills. Try harder this time and we know that you will succeed. Your family and friends will always be by your side while you struggle to achieve your goal.

I hope to hear from you soon. 

Your loving uncle,

Ravi


Examples 6 Letter of gratitude

Room No. 5, B. R. Chawl

Kaushik Nagar

Sion (E), Mumbai 40 077

18th June 2015

Dearest Jaya,

 I take this opportunity to thank you for lending me your past year’s notes. You have been of great assistance to me over these years and I will never be able to thank you enough for the same. 

You saw my eagerness to learn and helped me when I did not have the means to take it up. It is needless to say that I would have been forced to give up studies a long while ago if you had not supported me both financially and emotionally. I still remember how you struggled to convince your parents to pay for my school fees in Class 6. The first class which I procured this year in the board exams is because of you and I will never forget it. Moreover, your generosity taught me to be helpful to others. It is through your example that I realised what a major difference a small act of kindness can make. I have taken this lesson very seriously and even out of my limited resources I try to reach out to those who are in need. You were right when you said that by helping others we pave the path to happiness for ourselves too. Truly, the satisfaction of seeing others in need relieved of their problems because of me is a unique feeling in itself.  

Though we are close in age, you have taught me many things, thus becoming my mentor during these years. You are like a sister to me and I will always cherish you. I thank you once again and pray that every person is blessed with a friend like you.

Yours lovingly,

Anita Pathak 


Examples 7 Letter of information

12, Soham Society

L.J. Road

Karjat 400 009

28th June 2015

Dear Uncle Ravi,

 In your last letter you asked me why I chose the Arts stream when I could easily enter the Science or the Commerce fields. Well, first, I would like to ensure you that this stream was neither selected in haste nor chosen because I was weary of serious studies. 

  I had given much thought to the profession I wish to take up before my results were declared. I wish to become an archaeologist. I have done some research and I realised that I did not need to take up science or commerce for that. Besides, if I took up Arts, then I could study History, Geography, Literature and Sociology. I am sure that these subjects will help me build a base for my career ahead. I have spoken to my parents and we have agreed that it would be a good idea to complete my graduation majoring in History first, and then going on to achieve a Master’s degree in Archaeology. I am still researching on colleges which offer a Masters degree in Archaeology. Though time is on my side for now, it would not hurt to plan in advance which college would give me the best education. 

 I thank you for your constant support and concern. Do write to me with your opinions and advice. I do hold your advice in high esteem.

Yours sincerely,

Kavita 


Examples 8 Letter of apology

5, Karol Bagh Society

Messrs Street

Ambala 608 075

28th February 2015 

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


Examples 9 Letter of information

12, M. N. Nagar

Thakur Road

Juhu, Mumbai 850 012

7th July 2015

Dearest Grandma,

I am so glad to hear from you at last. Everyone at home was concerned about your ill health since we last heard from you. I hope you are taking your medicines on time now. It would be nice to come to meet you some day, but unfortunately that may not happen soon since I have to go Bangkok with my colleagues this Saturday.

You will be pleased to know that I was among the 20 employees shortlisted out of 250 to visit Bangkok for a fortnight by our company. We will be leaving this Saturday. The flight is scheduled for 7.00 pm. The flight will take four hours to reach. The company is paying for our trip including the food and stay. It is an excellent opportunity and I cannot wait to go on the trip. We will basically be attending a management training programme there. It is organised by our sister company based in Bangkok. The training will last for ten days. We will spend the four days that remain sightseeing. This too is being organised by the company. I have also done a little research on the place and the people living there. I am sure that I will have a great time. 

We will be returning on 26th July and should be here by 12.30 pm that day. I promise I’ll come to meet you then. I will write to you again soon. Until then, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

Rohan


Examples 10 Letter of complaint 

12, Sunshine C.H.S.

Gopinath Road

Mulund 700 006

28th January 2015

Dear Mr Khanna,

            I am writing this letter to bring to your notice the trouble caused by the loud noise coming from your house day after day due to the music. 

I have observed that your children switch on the music system in your house as soon as they return from school in the afternoon. They play the music very loudly and this continues till evening. This has been going on for a few days now and is causing a lot of problem to many people including us. There are many senior citizens living in this building who need a few hours of peaceful sleep. Such disturbance not only annoys them but also affects their health. You may also be aware that my eldest daughter is preparing for her medical entrance exams and the younger one will be appearing for her Class XII board exams. At such times, a quiet and peaceful environment is what they need the most. Our families have known each other since a very long time, and I know that you will understand my concern.

I tried to contact you personally, but as you know, our work timings are such that it becomes difficult to coordinate. I am therefore writing this letter to you. I hope you take this matter seriously and advise your children accordingly.  

Yours sincerely,

Poonam Chaudhary