Writing Practice

I. A Brief Introduction

i. How to Write Personal Letters?

Personal letters, such as letters to your family and friends, are often written more like conversations.

You can write a letter to thank someone, share family and school news, pass on interesting information, describe what has been happening, or communicate humorous stories.

If you have friends or family who live a distance from you, why not write them a letter to keep in touch? Even if they live close by, a letter is a special way of showing you are thinking about them.

You can format a personal letter any way you like, but there are a few important elements that you need to include, such as:

-        Date — the date you are writing the letter 

-        Greeting — say hello to the person you are writing to

-        Content — why you are writing, news and information

-        Closing — the way you end your letter

-        Signature — sign your name to make it personal and   friendly

-        P.S. — postscript. You can use a P.S. to add something at the end of the letter that you forgot to say earlier. A P.S. always comes at the bottom of the letter, below your signature.

ii. Ideas for Writing Your Personal Letter

-        Are you stuck for ideas about what to talk about in a letter? Here are some tips for you.

-        Talk about family birthdays, special events, trips you’ve been on.

-        Share funny stories about your pets.

-        Talk about your new computer game, CD or DVD.

-        Wish someone a Happy Birthday.

-        Write some news about school — your teacher, your friend, special visitors and activities.

-        Write about what’s happening in your city.

-        Talk about a great book you’ve read, or an exciting film you’ve seen.

-        Ask questions to find out what they’ve been doing and what interests them.

II. Sample Letters

April 14, 2009

Dear Mike,

Thanks so much for the great birthday present. I really love it! I’ve wanted that CD for ages. How did you know? You are really cool!

I’ve been working really hard at school. We’ve got some exams coming up, so I’ve got heaps of study to do. Hopefully I’ll remember everything! I hate exams!

Last weekend I stayed at Jacquie’s place. We studied together (yes, I actually did do some homework as well) and I went to a party that really rocked.

See you in the holidays. Thanks again for the CD.

Yours truly,

Mary

P.S. Mum says hello