Proper Friendly Letter Format

Whenever I sit down to answer my dally mail, my grandmother always turns extremely nostalgic and comments that how the Internet has replaced the conventional mail and letters that are received through mails. Indeed, day by day, throughout the world, the number of people writing letters to one another has started decreasing and every day the postman finds lesser letters in the mailbox and he discovers lesser letters in the delivery bag. The friendly letters which are also known as informal letters have indeed lost their significance, so much that it has compelled me to write about the proper friendly letter format.

Purpose of Writing a Friendly Letter

The purpose of writing a friendly letter is simple, to keep in touch with other people, like friends and relatives. Before the invention of modern communication modes and methods, people depended mainly on letters to keep in touch. Old people always comment that there is a certain feeling of satisfaction that they experience on receiving a hand written letter of a near relative or friend. I experienced a similar feeling, when my father, who was in Spain at that time, wrote me a letter describing the features of a very old chapel. Even though we have the most up-to-date technology to facilitate communication, I always feel that we should indeed be connected to our near and dear ones, by the way of emotions poured out in ink on that simple piece of paper.

How to Write a Friendly Letter

Friendly letter writing is an informal way of communication, and hence has no stringent rules regarding its format. While writing a friendly letter, you can be informal and pour out your heart to your near and dear ones. However, many of us write letters using certain conventions, then letter tends to look very good and the reader definitely understands what you want to say.

Here are a few pointers:

• Writing the date of the day on the right corner of the paper is one of the oldest convention that is followed while writing a friendly letter. The significance is that the contents of the letter are in context to the date of the letter. For example, if you say 'I had a chocolate cake today' in the letter, then the reader, who has received the letter a couple of days letter understands that you had chocolate cake a couple of days back.
• Though there is no need to have a very formal salutation, make the salutation extremely warm and welcoming. For example, 'My dear Sara' or 'Dearest Sara'.
• The introduction or the first paragraph, contains an inquiry of the person. You may word it as; 'I hope that my letter finds you in good health'. This paragraph indicates that you care for the person to whom you are writing the letter.
• In the next paragraph, you can write all you want to tell the person. The key to write a good middle paragraph is to place all the facts chronologically or according to importance.
• The last paragraph is the most critical paragraph, as you need to say goodbye in the best possible words. Make sure that you wish the person luck and good health, before you sign off and stop writing.

If you stay away from your family then instead of using the Internet as a tool of communication, you can write letter and stay emotionally connected with your family.

They say that the human heart is seen through the writing of the person. So now, what are you waiting for. Take a pen and paper, and pour your heart out to your loved ones.