Formal and Informal Letters
ICSE Class 7 · English · Chapter 10
What this chapter covers
- Why letters still matter
- The format of an informal letter
- Letters to family and friends
- Invitations
- Greetings
- Simple applications
- Tone and register
Key points
- A letter is a written message to a particular person or group, set out in a fixed order of parts.
- An informal letter goes to family, friends, relatives or friendly neighbours; it is warm and personal.
- A formal letter or application has a practical purpose and goes to a person in charge; it is short and polite.
- The informal format is sender's address, date, salutation, body, complimentary close and name.
- The body of a personal letter opens warmly, shares news with real details, and closes with regards and a request to write back.
- An invitation must state what, when, where, who and how to reply; a card gives the same details in a few short lines.
- A greeting names the occasion, adds one personal line and ends with a good wish.
- An application adds the receiver's address and a subject line, and its body states the purpose, the details and the request.
- "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" pairs with "Yours faithfully"; a name pairs with "Yours sincerely".
- Tone is the feeling your words carry; register is how formal or casual they are; both must match the reader and the purpose.
- Plan, draft, revise and edit every letter, and read it aloud to catch any line that sounds out of place.
Questions answered
Name the six parts of an informal letter in the correct order.
Sender's address, date, salutation, body, complimentary close and name.
Why does an informal letter not need a subject line or the receiver's address?
The reader already knows who they are and the letter is personal, so a subject line is not needed. The receiver's address goes on the envelope.
Suggest a suitable complimentary close for a letter to (a) your father, (b) a classmate, (c) your aunt.
(a) "Your loving son" or "Your loving daughter"; (b) "Your friend" or "With best wishes"; (c) "Your affectionate nephew" or "Your affectionate niece". Other warm closes are also correct.
What five questions must every invitation answer?
What the event is, when it is, where it is, who is inviting, and how the reader should reply.
What does RSVP on an invitation card ask the guest to do?
It asks the guest to reply and say whether they will attend.
Write a three-line greeting to a friend who has won a painting competition.
One possible answer: "Dear Leela, Congratulations on winning first prize in the painting competition! Your picture of the monsoon clouds over the fields was beautiful. Love, Aarav." Any greeting that names the occasion, adds a personal line and ends with a good wish is correct.
In an application, which close follows "Dear Sir", and which follows "Dear Mr Bhatt"?
"Yours faithfully" follows "Dear Sir"; "Yours sincerely" follows "Dear Mr Bhatt".
Write a suitable subject line for an application to your class teacher asking for leave on 12 March to attend your cousin's wedding.
"Subject: Request for leave on 12 March". A line that is short, specific and has no full stop is correct.