Four Steps Informal Letters

WRITING AN INFORMAL LETTER IN 4 STEPS

Step 1: Read & understand the question  What's your role?  What? What are you asked to write?  Who to? Who are you asked to write to?  So, how formal should you be?

 What to include?  Look at the question and decide what information you must include.

Step 2: Planning paragraphs

 How many paragraphs?  Informal letters should always have

 an opening paragraph in which you

say ‘hello’ in a friendly way, mentioning the last time you contacted each other

 a short, closing paragraph in which you make reference to future contact

Step 2: Organise the main body of your letter

 organise your paragraphs

 with all the different pieces of

information from the exam question

 how many main body paragraphs?

 It is your choice how you will group the information, but you must be logical: a good paragraph should have a theme.

Step 2: Guiding the reader

 Each paragraph should include a topic sentence

 which tells the reader exactly what that paragraph is about.

 For example, a paragraph about the

organisation of a college could start like this

"Let me tell you something about how the college is organised and what you’ve got to do when you get here. …"

Step 3: Write

 You have your plan and you know what to say in each paragraph. Now you are ready to write.

Step 4: Check and edit your writing

 When you have finished check your writing for mistakes