Informal Letters

Introduction

Informal letter is a type of letter written to a close friend, relative or an acquaintance. They are written to express one’s feelings or to describe an important incident.
There are several points that need to be kept in mind while writing a letter. Here they are-
Points To Remember:
1. Informal letters do not require the address of the recipient or subject.
2. Marks will be awarded on the use of appropriate style, language, content and expression.
3. Coherence should be maintained.
4. Concluding note (subscription) could be of many types in informal letters like Yours, Yours loving, With love, Best wishes, Yours affectionately, etc.
5. Although marks will not be deducted for exceeding the word limit, it is advisable to follow the given word limit.
Difference between formal and informal letters:
The basic difference between informal and formal letters is that of the receiver. Informal letters are written to friends, family, relatives, and other near and dear ones while the formal letters are written for official purposes or to write to the editor of a magazine, the commissioner, the principal of a school, etc. It is compulsory to include a subject in a formal letter, which is not the case in an informal letter. The address of the receiver and sender, both are necessary to be mentioned in a formal letter. On the other hand, in an informal letter, only the sender’s address has to be mentioned. The language of a formal letter is very formal and precise while one is allowed to use colloquial and descriptive language in an informal letter.

Enquiry About the Health of a Friend

Q. You are Mona, a resident of 10, DDA Flats, Jhilmil Colony, New Delhi-95. Write a letter to your friend, Shivanshi, showing your concern for her as she was hospitalised for fifteen days due to high fever.
Answer:
10, DDA Flats
Jhilmil Colony
New Delhi-95

Nov 19, 20xx

Dear Shivanshi,
I met your sister last evening and she told me that you have been in the hospital for the last fifteen days because of high fever. I felt bad that all this while I had no idea about your illness.
Although I am happy to know that you are now recovering, I am sure you must have had a tough time being in the hospital for such a long duration. Also, I know you must be worried about your studies. Dear, don’t lose heart. I am sure that once you are fully-fit you would be able to cover all that you have missed in the last fortnight.
Take good care of yourself. I will visit you as soon as I can. Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

Your friend,
Mona

Poor Performance in the School Terminal Tests

Q. You are Arun. Write a letter to your father telling him about your poor performance in the school terminal tests. Also, assure him of your improvement in the half-yearly examinations.
Answer:
Examination Hall
New Delhi – 110072

15 May 20xx

Dear father,
I am fine here and hope that all of you are doing well too.
I am extremely sorry to inform you that I have performed poorly in my first terminal test. I could not score good marks in any subject. However, I am sure that when I tell you the reason for my poor performance, you would empathize with me. Being the captain of my school hockey team, I constantly went with my team to play matches against other schools. Although we won few of them, while returning from the previous tournament, I fell ill and could not attend school for over a week. It is for this reason that I could not prepare well for the terminal test.
I assure you that the above reason is not an excuse. I will try to do fairly well in my half-yearly examinations and will not let you down, again.
Pay my regards to mother.

Your son,
Arun

Experiences of Living in the Village

Q. Write a letter to your grandmother whom you visited a few days back. Share with her the experiences of living in the village.
Answer:
12-A
Saket
Delhi- 110017

17 June 20xx

Dear grandmother,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. Ever since I returned home after visiting you, I have been thinking of writing to you. I have already started missing the days I spent with you in the village.
I shared all the details of my vacation with my friends, at school. I told them about your beautiful house that is located close to the lake; how you used to cook delicious meals for all of us and how we used to go for long walks in the morning. They were thrilled to know that we used to take the cows to the fields for grazing. I also told them about the stories, you narrated to me every night.
I am already waiting for the next vacation so that I can be with you again. Take good care of yourself and send a reply as soon as you get this letter.

Your granddaughter,
PQR

Description of Your New School and Hostel Life

Q. You are Sparsh, a resident student of Class IX in the XYZ Public school, Bangalore. Write a letter to your mother describing your new school and hostel life.
Answer:
Room No. 14
Boys Hostel
XYZ Public School
Bangalore

25 February 20xx

Dear mother,
I am fine here and hope that this letter finds you in good health. This letter will surely dispel all your worries about my staying in a hostel.
I believe this school is one of the best that I could have gone to. Our principal is a strict disciplinarian but at the same time a very caring man. The teachers are very affectionate and efficient. They are always willing to sort any kind of problem we are in. We have the best facilities at our disposal, be it the playground, the gymnasium, the swimming pool or the lush green lawns. My classmates as well as roommates are helpful and fun to be with.
In a nutshell, all I want to say is that the kind of life I have here is not much different from the kind of life I had at home. However, I miss all of you and am waiting for the vacations to begin.

Your loving son,
Sparsh