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Friendly letter worksheets

A friendly letter is usually one which is written to a relative, friend, or someone you know quite well. Some business letters may be written in a friendly format, where your relationship with another person or organisation is one of close friendship, and not just business.

The structure of a friendly letter is quite simple. The senders address and date are at the top right. The address can be shortened as it is to a friend, however there is a benefit in including your full address with zip code or post code, as they may wish to write to you in reply and it is good to have a proper address.The name of the person you are sending to is below that, on the left.

Following the heading informat is the main body of the letter. The main body should start with general greetings, end with a friendly parting, and in between contain the message you want to send. Below the message is the final greeting and signature. When writing to someone you know, it is customary to sign with 'Yours faithfully'. Other options for signing off include 'Best wishes', 'Your friend' etc. In a friendly letter you can usu your initiative and include any greeting that reflects your relationship.

These suggestions provide an outline for a friendly letter, but in practice you can use a structure you feel comfortable with. A sample friendly letter is included below, and following that are some suggestions for exercises as friendly letter worksheets.

Friendly letter sample

26 High Street
New Town
Myland
ABC123D

25th April 2009

Dear John

I hope you are all well at Old Town, and the recent cold weather hasn't stopped your gardening. Jane and I hope to get started on our new planting soon.

We were wonderng if you would like to visit the Gardening Show at Main Town again this year. We really enjoyed our visit last year, and being able to stay at the hotel for the weekend made it a mini holiday for us. The show starts on June 15th, but we would need to book the hotel soon while there are rooms available. If you could let us know as soon as possible, we will book the rooms.

Yours sincerely

Jim and Jane

Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully?

People are sometimes confused as to which ending to use when writing a letter:

If you are writing to someone you know, usually in a friendly letter, use their name at the top and sincerely at the bottom with your first name
eg Dear John - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yours sincerely, Jim

If you are writing a more formal letter to someone you don't know, use Dear Sir or Madam at the top and faithfully at the bottom with your full name
eg Dear Sir - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yours faithfully, Jim Smith

Exercises for friendly letter worksheets

A friendly letter is usually one which is written to a friend or relative. Using the information given above, practice writing letters in the following circumstances:

	Write a letter to a friend thanking them for their Christmas present.
	Ask a relative if they will act as 'best man' or 'bridesmaid' at you wedding.
	Describe your recent beach holiday to a friend.
	Invite a friend for an evening meal with other friends at your house.
	Ask a friend if they would be prepared to give you a reference for a job.

Complete these exercises as friendly letter worksheets and you will be able to successfully write letters to friends and relatives.