4) The closing (or the complimentary close).
Here are some examples according to their degree of informality (with 1 the most and 5 the least informal):
1. I love you so much, 2. Lots of love, 3. Much love, 4. Love, |
5. Best wishes, 6. All the best, 7. Yours,
|
Notice that a comma is used after all these phrases.
5) Signiture. Informal letters are usually signed by your first name (do not use a full stop at the end: e.g. Margery).
Exercise 25. Punctuate the following letter. The slashes indicate the end of each sentence:
isle of skye
scotland
5th august
hi tania
how are you/ i hope the summer job is going well/ have you decided where to go on holiday/ that skiing break sounds the best doesnt it/
anyway we are camping here on the isle of skye/ we are staying on a campsite in the middle of nowhere/ we’ve been here for five days but it feels longer/ its rained every single day can you believe it/ everything is wet our shoes our sleeping bags all our clothes/
luckily we didn’t come here for the night life/ actually there isn’t any/ but then we re too tired at the end of the day anyway/ we go walking every day and yesterday saw some seals/ we ve all tried sailing and windsurfing but we re not very good/ this afternoon i fell into the sea five times/
well i must finish its my turn to cook tonight/ write back soon i ll be home
on monday 15th / you can tell me all your news/
all the best
janet
Exercise 26. Write a letter to your English friend explaining how your life has changed since you started university in Barnaul.
Formal letter
Formal letters vary in length and formality. Some are actually brief notes, whereas others extend over several pages. There can be different types of formal letters, i.e., a letter of complaint, a letter of application etc.
Letters might be written to strangers or to friends who happen to be business associates. They might be general or specific, argumentative or informative, friendly or impersonal. Since they allow writers to present themselves and their organizations to outsiders with whom they wish to do business, letters serve an important public relations role. A letter’s businesslike format is as important as its clear prose style and coherent organization.
Read the layout of a formal letter and a guide to formal letter writing.
Layout
415 Oakhurst Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90024.
November 12, 1984.
Sales Department
Banana Republic Travel and Safari Co.
Department 430
224 Grand Avenue
San Fransisco, CA 94108
Attention: Sales Department
Please send me a Hooded Bush Vest, size M, and your catalogue
as advertised in The New Republic.
I am enclosing a check for $46.11:
vest $39.00
catalogue 1.00
shipping 3.50
$43.50
sales tax 2.61
$46.11
Please ship this merchandise to the address shown above.
Sincerely yours,
Helene Thompson
Helene Thompson