Reading maketh a full man . . . . . Speaking maketh a ready man . . . . . Writing maketh an exact man.

~~Sir Francis Bacon

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Friendly or Personal Letters




Personal letters, also known as friendly letters, and social notes normally have five parts.

1. The Heading. This is where you write the date. It can also include the return address.
Skip a line after the heading. 

2. The Greeting. The greeting always ends with a comma. 
Dear Uncle David,
3. The body. Also known as the main text. This includes the message you want to write. 
Normally in a friendly letter, the beginning of paragraphs is indented. 
If it is not indented, be sure to skip a space between paragraphs. 
Skip a line after the greeting. AND Skip a line before the close.

4. The complimentary close. This short expression is always a few words on a single line. It ends in a comma.  Skip one to three spaces (two is usual) for the signature line.

5. The signature line. Type or print your name. 


Postscript. Although there is no postscript in our example above, it is quite common.
If your letter contains a postscript, begin it with P.S.
Skip a line after the signature line to begin the postscript.