You’ve probably written plenty of informal letters to friends and family over the years without even thinking twice about it. But have you ever stopped to consider what makes these casual correspondences different from more formal types of writing? When penning a letter to your bestie or your grandma, you can relax, be yourself, and say whatever’s on your mind without worrying about rules or conventions.
In this article, we’ll explore the key features of informal letter. From using a conversational tone to covering random topics, you’ll learn what sets these letters apart and makes them a comfortable way to connect with your loved ones. So, get ready to take a fresh look at this classic form of friendly communication.
What Is an Informal Letter?
An informal letter, sometimes referred to as a friendly letter, is a personal correspondence between people who share a casual relationship. Unlike formal letters, informal letters tend to be more casual in tone and content. They are usually handwritten or typed for personal communication between friends, family, or acquaintances.
Informal letters provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships through personal connection. Since they are written to people you know well, you can share details about your life, your experiences, your thoughts, and your feelings. There is an implicit understanding that informal letters will be more conversational and colloquial.
Compared to formal letters, informal letters:
- Have a casual, conversational tone. You can use contractions, everyday phrases, and a friendly, warm style.
- Address the recipient informally, often just using their first name.
- Open with a casual greeting like “Hi” or “Hello” instead of “Dear”.
- Discuss personal topics and share details of everyday life. The content and language will be more casual and relaxed.
- Close with an informal sign-off like “Love” or “See you soon,” followed by just your first name.
- Often, omit the sender’s full name, address, and the recipient’s address.
- Have a less rigid structure and format. Paragraphs and sentences can be looser and more rambling.
- Use an overall friendly, chatty style as you would in a casual conversation.
The differences between formal and informal letters come down to tone, language, content and format. Informal letters reflect the closeness of your relationship, allowing you to be more relaxed and personal. So when writing to friends and loved ones, keep it casual and let your personality shine through.
Features of Informal Letters
An informal letter does not have a strict template to follow, like a business letter. You have flexibility in how you organize your thoughts and the overall flow of information. Feel free to jump between topics or circle back to something you mentioned earlier. There’s no need to follow a linear progression. The structure and sequence are up to you.
Some of the key features of an informal letter are:
Sender’s Address
The sender’s address, also known as the return address, is one of the key features found at the top right corner of the page of the informal letter. It allows the recipient to know who sent the letter and where to return it if needed.
Your current residential address, including street number and name, city, and state, should be included in the sender’s address. For example:
5, Ajibulu Street,
Mafoluku Oshodi,
Lagos State.
Make sure all information is accurate and clearly written to avoid any confusion. Double-check to ensure the address is accurate. The main purpose of including your sender’s address in an informal letter is to allow the recipient to locate you if needed. It establishes your identity as the sender and provides them with the necessary contact details. Not including this information could delay or prevent your letter from reaching its intended recipient.
Date
The date is one of the most crucial parts of any informal letter. It helps the reader understand when exactly you wrote the letter. There are no guidelines for correctly writing a date in a friendly, informal letter. You can write your date in numerical format, such as “01-31-2024,” or in abbreviated form, such as “10 March.” Choose whatever format you prefer.
Either format is fine for an informal letter. The most important thing is that the date is clear and easy to read. The date is usually mentioned below your sender’s address.
The date lets the reader know when your letter was written. This can be important for many reasons. Maybe you’re apologizing for missing an event or deadline, updating someone on your life events, or just keeping in touch. The date provides context for your reader about what’s going on in your life at that particular moment in time.
Greeting/Salutation
When writing an informal letter to a friend or family member, the greeting you choose sets the tone for your entire message. It’s a chance to be lighthearted and convey your familiarity, warmth, and affection for the recipient.
For close friends or family, a simple “Hi [Name]!” or “Hey [Name]!” is perfect. It’s friendly yet casual, striking the right note of informality. You might also use an inside joke or nickname to show the personal nature of your relationship, e.g., “Yo buddy!” or “Hello trouble!”. Another example is you might use “Dear Mom and Dad” or “Hi Tope!”. Using first names helps set the casual and personal tone you want for an informal letter.
For slightly less intimate acquaintances, a friendly “Dear [Name]” or “Hello [Name]” are good options. They express warmth and openness while maintaining an appropriate level of casualness. Avoid more formal greetings like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Esteemed [Name],” which would feel out of place.
The greeting is also an opportunity to match the overall tone and subject matter of your letter. If writing to share good news or discuss a humorous topic, an upbeat “Hi [Name]!” is fitting. For a more serious subject, “Dear [Name]” may be better suited. But in either case, keep things light and casual overall since this is an informal, personal letter.
Introduction
The introduction sets the tone for your informal letter. You want to start in a friendly, upbeat manner that conveys warmth to the reader. Keep things lighthearted and casual.
Ask how they’ve been and mention that you’ve been thinking of them lately. Tell them in a few sentences what’s new with you to break the ice. For example, you might write:
How’s it going? I hope this letter finds you well. I’ve been thinking about you a lot recently and wanted to drop you a line to catch up.
Things here have been pretty good. I started a new job last month, and that’s keeping me busy, but I’m enjoying the work so far. In my free time, I’ve been doing some gardening in my backyard. The flowers are really starting to bloom!
After the initial greetings and updating them on your life, transition into the main purpose or topic of your letter. Let them know specifically why you’re writing to avoid seeming aimless.
An informal letter introduction sets a friendly, personal tone and provides context for why you’re reaching out. Keep things light and casual, share some details about your life, and transition clearly into the main subject of your message. With a warm, genuine intro like this, the reader will be happy to continue onto the body of your letter.
Body of the Letter
The body of an informal letter contains several paragraphs to convey your message. Since this is an informal letter to a friend or family member, keep the tone lighthearted and casual.
The letter should have a friendly tone. However, you must tailor the language and wording according to who you are writing to. With a friend, you can be extremely casual, even flippant. However, if you are writing to an elderly relative, you must be very respectful and considerate. One technique to decide the tone of your letter is to recall how you spoke to the individual in a conversation. Then, use the same grammar and sentiments in the letter. For example, you may say: I’m writing to see if we can meet for a date or dinner soon. It seems like ages since we last met, and I’d love to see you.
In the first paragraph, start by thanking the recipient for their last letter or mentioning something you have in common to transition into what you want to discuss. For example, you might say something like: “Thanks for the birthday card! I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the year. How has work been going?” or “I hope the kids are enjoying their summer vacation. Have you taken any fun trips yet?”
In the following paragraphs, update the recipient on events or activities in your own life, share a few stories or anecdotes, ask some questions about their life, and discuss any other topics of mutual interest. For example, you might mention:
- How your job or studies are progressing
- Recent accomplishments or milestones
- Challenges you are facing and your plans to overcome them
- Vacations or trips you have taken or are planning to take
- Common interests you both share like hobbies, sports teams, books, movies, etc.
- Questions you have about the recipient’s activities, work, family, etc.
Use a friendly and casual tone throughout, with occasional humor or witty remarks. Wrap up your letter in the conclusion paragraph by reaffirming your care and affection for the recipient.
In summary, the body of an informal letter should contain friendly small talk, updates on your life, questions about the recipient’s life, discussions of common interests, and an affectionate closing. Keep the overall tone casual and conversational to match the informal nature of the letter.
Conclusion
When concluding an informal letter, you want to wrap things up in a friendly, casual way. You’ve shared what you wanted to share, life events, personal thoughts, jokes or stories now reiterate your care and affection for the recipient.
Begin your concluding paragraph by briefly summing up the main points or events you discussed in the body of your letter. For example, you might say something like: “Well, that covers the latest news with my job and the kids. I hope all is well with you!” This recap reminds the reader of what you’ve written about and provides context for your concluding sentiments.
Next, express your fondness for the recipient in an informal, personal way. You could say something like: “I miss chatting with you! We’ll have to get together soon.” Or, “Wishing we were closer, but know that you’re always in my thoughts.” Share how you feel in your own words.
In summary, keep the conclusion lighthearted, reiterate the main discussion points, share a personal message of affection and caring, and close with an informal sign-off and your first name. Writing letters to loved ones should be an enjoyable experience for both you and the recipient, so have fun with it! Focus on strengthening your connection through open communication and the simple act of putting your thoughts and feelings into writing.
Closing
The closing of an informal letter is the final part, where you wrap things up and say goodbye. For an informal letter to a friend or family member, you’ll want to keep the closing casual and friendly.
A simple ‘Love’ or ‘Best wishes’ is a classic choice for an informal closing. If you want to be a bit more personal, you could say something like:
- Lots of love,
- Yours truly,
- Missing you,
For a casual friend, a simple ‘See you soon!’ or ‘Talk to you later!’ would also work nicely.
Whatever closing you choose, keep it lighthearted and sincere. There’s no need to be overly formal in a personal letter. Focus on conveying your care, support, and goodwill to the recipient. If you do want to be a bit more proper, ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Warmly’ are solid options. But in general, the more casual and familiar you are with the recipient, the more relaxed your closing can be. Think about your typical way of saying goodbye to them in person or over the phone, and try to match that same friendly and familial tone.
Keep your closing concise while also warm and genuine. Focus on the friendship or relationship, not formalities. Your closing sentiment and signature are the last impressions you’ll make, so end your informal letter in a way that leaves the recipient feeling appreciated and cared for.
Signature
The signature is not a mandatory part of any informal letter. Your signature, often just your first name or nickname, shows the recipient that you personally wrote and sent the letter.
When signing off an informal letter to a friend or family member, keep your signature casual and relaxed. There’s no need for an elaborate, cursive signature; just scribble your first name or the name you usually use. Your signature in an informal letter should match the overall friendly and conversational tone.
For example, if your name is Elizabeth but friends call you Beth, sign the letter “Beth.” Or if your nickname is Buddy, then, by all means, sign it “Buddy”! The key is to sign in a way that feels natural to you and fits your relationship with the recipient.
An informal closing and signature in a letter to your grandma might look something like:
Love, Your granddaughter
While for a friend, it may be:
See ya soon, Femi
In either case, your signature and closing help to personalize the letter and reinforce the warmth of your relationship. The signature is a small detail, allowing you to connect on a personal level with your reader.
So keep your signature in an informal letter casual, friendly, and true to your unique relationship. Follow your heart and sign in a way that shows you put thought into personalizing your message for the special person receiving your letter. A heartfelt, handwritten signature can speak volumes.
Informal Letter Writing Tips
When writing an informal letter, follow these tips to make your correspondence personal, engaging, and effective:
- Be friendly and relaxed: Use a conversational tone as you would when speaking casually with a friend. Refer to the reader by name and share some details about your life to personalize the letter.
- Share your purpose upfront: State clearly in the first paragraph why you’re writing. Are you updating them on life events? Asking a favor? Sharing good news? Let them know right away.
- Organize your thoughts: Group related ideas and events together in separate paragraphs. Use chronological order or categorize by subject matter. Leave double spacing in between paragraphs for easy reading.
- Be specific with examples: Don’t just say that a lot has happened; give vivid examples and short anecdotes to bring your letter to life. Describe experiences, share memories, and reference inside jokes or past conversations you’ve had.
- Use a casual closing: End your letter in a friendly, informal way. Say “Talk to you soon!” or “Hope to see you over the holidays!” rather than a formal “Sincerely” or “Best wishes.” Sign off simply with your first name.
- Proofread carefully: While the tone is casual, double-check for any typos or grammar errors before sending. Have a friend or family member review as well, if possible.
- Keep it concise: Aim for no more than one page for an informal letter. Share highlights rather than every detail. Your reader will appreciate a quick, enjoyable letter rather than an overly lengthy one.
- Consider handwriting: For an added personal touch, consider writing your informal letter by hand. Your handwriting can give the letter a nostalgic feel and make it feel even more friendly and approachable. If handwriting the entire letter isn’t possible, at least sign off in your own handwriting.
Frequently Asked Questions about Informal Letter
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about informal letters:
Are informal letters and personal letters the same?
Personal letters and informal letters are often used interchangeably. They refer to letters written to friends, family, or acquaintances in a casual, friendly style. These letters don’t follow any strict rules and are more relaxed in tone compared to formal business letters.
What are the characteristics of an informal letter?
Some key characteristics of informal letters include:
- A casual and conversational tone. Informal letters sound natural and friendly.
- Simple and easy-to-understand language. Avoid complicated words and phrases.
- May contain colloquial expressions and idioms. But don’t overdo it.
- Usually handwritten or typed without strict rules on font, margins, etc.
- Opening salutations like “Dear John,” “Hey there!’ or “Hello!” Closings such as “Best wishes,” “Love,” or “Yours truly.”
- Share personal experiences, stories, thoughts, and feelings. Discuss everyday events and activities.
- No fixed format or structure. Paragraphs can be short, and sentences can be of varying length.
What should I write in an informal letter?
Some possible content for an informal letter:
- Updates on your life events, activities, experiences, hobbies, etc. For example, how you spent your vacation or latest adventures.
- Your opinions, views, and thoughts on various topics that would interest the recipient. But avoid anything too sensitive or controversial.
- Questions you have for the recipient about their life, work, experiences, etc. Show interest in learning more about them.
- Plans or ideas you want to share for getting together, collaborating on a project, meeting up while traveling, etc.
- Simple expressions of affection or friendship. Share how much you appreciate them.
- Lighthearted observations about daily happenings, amusing experiences or interactions, etc. Keep the tone positive and avoid complaining.
In summary, informal letters should share casual details about your life to keep friends and family up to date in a warm, personal way. Focus on positivity and strengthening your connections with the recipients.
Conclusion
Informal letters allow you to connect on a more personal level with people in your life. Their casual and intimate nature provides an opportunity to strengthen bonds and share details that bring you closer together despite any distance between you. By following these key features and tips, you’ll be writing friendly, engaging, informal letters in no time! Let your personality shine through, and have fun with it.