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

Step 4: Check and edit your writing

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

When you have finished check your writing for mistakes