Informal Letter Writing to a Friend

Introduction

In our last lesson, we focused on writing a formal letter of complaint. You learned how to maintain a polite but firm tone, use specific formal phrases, and follow a strict structure: Dear Sir/Madam, a clear purpose statement, distinct body paragraphs, and a Yours faithfully sign-off.

Today, we're switching gears completely. The learning outcome for this lesson is to write an informal letter to a friend with appropriate tone and structure. This is a common task in the IELTS General Training test, and mastering it requires a different set of skills. We will move away from the impersonal and rigid style of formal writing and learn how to communicate in a warm, friendly, and natural way, as if you were genuinely writing to someone you know well.

1. Tone and Structure: The Big Picture

The single most important difference between a formal and an informal letter is the tone. While a formal letter is distant and professional, an informal letter should be relaxed, friendly, and conversational. The structure is also more flexible, but there are still clear guidelines to follow to ensure you answer the question fully.

Let's start with a video that introduces the key characteristics of an informal letter.

As Adam explained, you should begin with a friendly greeting and can include a brief opening line before getting to the main point.

The overall structure is similar to what you've learned, but with a more relaxed feel:

1. Greeting: Dear [Friend's First Name], or Hi [Friend's First Name],
2. Opening: A friendly line like Hope you're doing well. or It was great to hear from you.
3. Body Paragraphs: Address each of the bullet points from the prompt. It's best to use a separate paragraph for each point to keep your letter clear and well-organized.
4. Closing: A friendly closing remark like Hope to hear from you soon. or I can't wait to see you.
5. Sign-off: Best wishes,, All the best,, or See you soon, followed by your first name.

2. Language and Vocabulary: The Details of an Informal Style

Now let's dive into the specific language that creates an informal tone. This is where you'll see the biggest contrast with the formal letters we've been practicing.

The following video from E2 IELTS breaks down a high-scoring informal letter, highlighting the exact type of language you should use.

To summarize the key language features of an informal letter:

• Use Contractions: I'm, you're, it's, don't, can't are expected. Not using them can make your letter sound unnaturally stiff.
• Use Informal Vocabulary: Employ everyday words, phrasal verbs (catch up, look forward to), and friendly expressions.
• Ask Questions: Directly asking your friend questions (Do you remember...?) makes the letter more conversational.
• Use Exclamation Marks: One or two exclamation marks can add enthusiasm (I can't wait to see you!).
• Use Informal Linkers: Use simple conjunctions like so, but, and because instead of formal ones like consequently or furthermore.

For a quick reference, the article below has useful lists of informal phrases.

3. The 'Personal Touch': Sounding Authentic

A common mistake is to write a letter that follows all the rules but still sounds like a list of information rather than a genuine message to a friend. To get a high score, you need to add a "personal touch." This means including small comments that refer to your shared history, inside jokes, or knowledge of your friend's personality.

Adding comments like "I know you love..." or "Remember that time we...?" shows the examiner that you understand the task is to write to a friend, not just to provide information. This simple technique can significantly improve your score for Task Achievement.

4. Practice Exercise

Now it's your turn to write an informal letter. Plan your ideas for each bullet point, and remember to include the language features and personal touches we've discussed. Aim for at least 150 words and try to complete the task in about 20 minutes.

Prompt:

A friend who lives in another country has invited you to come and stay with him/her on your next holiday. You are too busy to accept the invitation.

Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

• thank him/her for the invitation
• explain why you cannot come
• suggest another time to visit

(Please write your full letter here)

After you submit your letter, I'll provide feedback on its tone, structure, task achievement, and use of informal language.

Conclusion

Today you've learned the essential skills for writing a high-scoring informal letter. The key is to shift your mindset from the formal, rule-based writing of a complaint letter to a more natural, conversational style appropriate for a friend.

Key Takeaways:

• Tone is everything: Your letter should be warm, friendly, and relaxed.
• Embrace informal language: Use contractions, phrasal verbs, direct questions, and simple conjunctions.
• Follow the structure: Use a friendly greeting, an opening line, separate paragraphs for each bullet point, and a warm closing.
• Add a personal touch: Include comments that refer to your friendship to make the letter sound authentic.

Next Lesson Preview:

In our next lesson, we will focus on a crucial skill that applies to all writing tasks: Review and edit a practice letter for grammatical accuracy, focusing on article usage. We will use the letter you've written today as a starting point to help you identify and correct common errors, which you've mentioned is an area you'd like to improve.