I have read your letter today. I am glad that you are fine! I am very happy that you successfully passed your Chinese exam. My congratulations! I know you had been studying hard to pass it.
Now, let me tell you my news.
As usual, I study deeply English and maths. My mathematics teacher moved to Germany for a year. That is why I have another teacher at the moment. But I like him as well.
I am doing well at English. I have been watching films in English every day for two months already. At the moment I am watching films with subtitles, but hopefully, soon I will be able to understand everything without them. I think, this is a very good way to enlarge one’s vocabulary.
I have recently been playing volleyball in the park. You know, I like this kind of sports. I have met a really nice girl there. Her name is Lena. Next time I am going to invite her to the cinema. It looks like I go to the park to see her rather than play volleyball)))
My brother has started to work in an interior design studio. He enjoys it a lot more than his previous job. My parents are planning to buy a new flat. This one is too small now.
Valera, Andrey and I often think about you. It is a pity that you had to go. It was so much fun when you were here. It is Andrey’s birthday soon. It is sad that we will have to celebrate it without you. I hope you will be able to come and visit us when it is my birthday.
Yesterday we met Sveta and Natasha. They gave their regards to you. They asked if you liked your new place. We told them that you did. By the way, Natasha dyed her hair black. She is a brunette now! It suits her, though.
Please give my regards to your mom, dad and sister! Come to visit us as soon as you have an opportunity! Do not forget to write! We miss you so much!
Wishing you best of luck!
Dear Sergey!
Today I read your letter. I'm glad you're doing well! I am very happy that you passed the Chinese language exam! Congratulations! I know you studied very hard to pass it.
Now I’ll tell you what’s new in my life.
As usual, I am studying English and mathematics in depth. My math teacher moved to Germany for a year, so now I’m studying with someone else. But I like him too.
Everything is fine with English. For two months now I have been watching movies every day. English. I currently watch films with subtitles, but I hope to soon be able to understand everything without them. In my opinion this is very good way replenishment of vocabulary.
IN lately I go to the park to play volleyball. You know I love this sport. There I met a very pretty girl. Her name is Lena. Next time I'll invite her to the cinema. In my opinion, I go to the park because of her, and not because of volleyball)))
My brother started working in an interior design studio. He likes this job much more than his previous one. My parents want to buy a new apartment, since this one is already cramped for us.
Valera, Andrey and I often remember you. It's a shame you left. It was so much fun having you here. Andrey's birthday is coming soon. Unfortunately, we will celebrate without you. I hope you can come for my birthday.
Yesterday we saw Sveta and Natasha. They said hi to you. They asked how you like your new place? We said yes. By the way, Natasha dyed her hair black! Now she's a brunette! But it suits her.
Say hi to your mom, dad and sister for me! Come as soon as possible! Don't forget to write! We miss you very much!
I wish you all the best!
When was the last time you received paper letter? To remember, you need to think carefully. I can’t remember either. True, every New Year I continue to send paper cards to all relatives and friends. The whole problem is that no one sends me anything in response...
It seems to everyone that writing letters, sending postcards is outdated a long time ago, because there is a telephone, e-mail, social networks - they help you get to a person faster... Especially the sentimental ones will say that we have lost romance in the pursuit of time and convenience. But there is something in the modern world that remains unchanged - this is a letter in English, which is still written according to the rules - these rules also apply to emails.
I propose to get down to business and figure out exactly how to write an informal letter or a letter to a friend in English.
- Put the date if you are writing the letter by hand.
In the upper right corner, indicate exactly when you wrote the letter.
The date can be written in two ways: 26 March , 2017 orMarch 26, 2017 .
It must be admitted that with the advent of electronic messages, the practice of setting a date itself disappeared. The email client itself displays the date and time the letter was sent, accurate to the second. But, if you are writing a letter on paper, take care of this important detail.
Another note concerns the address if you are sending a paper letter. Sometimes the structure of the letter will include the address in the upper right corner, right before the date. This is not necessary because it is written on the envelope. But knowing the order of where the street is and where the index is is very important, because it is different from the Russian-language model.
42 Chaykovskogo str.,
Leningrad region,
Saint Petersburg,
- Greetings.
At this point there is no longer any difference - a paper letter or an electronic one. It always starts with the same. Usually the greeting is placed from the initial line, that is, on the left. You contact the recipient in any of the following ways:
Don't forget! Be sure to add a comma after the greeting (e.g. Dear Tom, … My darling, …).
- Main message.
It is also called the body of the letter, and it consists of three parts.
— Introductory part;
— Main part;
- Conclusion.
- What is the introductory part?
This small paragraph, which sets the overall tone of the letter, is an indicator of politeness. In this part, you should say that you are glad to receive a letter from your friend, then you should repeat the information that he wrote to you - thereby you will show that his words have reached you.
Let's see what we can use to get things done the right way:
- Main part.
Here you can give free rein to your imagination. Write about why you actually took up the letter. Everything will depend on the degree of intimacy - if there is trust and revelation between you, then going into detail is possible; if you are just friends, then you shouldn’t talk too much about yourself and your personal life. There are no established phrases or clichés in this part - this is completely your domain, where you can use the phrases that you like. It is better to break the main part into several paragraphs, rather than write everything in a continuous “sheet” - this way the information is easier to perceive and assimilate for the reader. Keep in mind that in emails it is common to leave a blank line between paragraphs for visual convenience.
- Conclusion. No, no, it’s too early to say goodbye here.
At the end of the main part of the letter, be sure to ask how things are going with the latest project, at what stage the renovation is, and how the scientific conference in Paris went - ask a question! This will show your interest in the recipient and encourage him to continue the correspondence.
You can also end with the following phrases:
- Signature.
An obligatory part of a letter that logically completes it. The signature reflects the entire tone of what was written - whether it was neutral or emphatically friendly - this is the signature you need to choose.
- P. S.
A letter often ends not with a farewell, but with a postscript - it will always come in handy at the end if you forgot to say something or... specially saved it for later. What sometimes happens is that a humorous postscript or remark sometimes negates the entire impression of what was written - I think that you would not want to offend your interlocutor, especially if he is English - they are so sensitive in the epistolary genre.
Some general rules when writing an informal letter in English:
- Be polite, even if you are writing to a fellow member of your rock band - abnormality does not negate politeness.
- After the greeting, always express your joy at receiving the letter and make a reference to what was written to you, react to the content of the letter you received.
- Start a new thought on a new line (and a new paragraph, skipping a line)
- Don't forget to use linking words and introductory words:
So,… - So
Well,… - Well, …
Anyway,... - in short, in any case ...
Besides…besides …
Firstly,…- Firstly
Finally,...and finally
By the way,…By the way
- Do not overuse exclamation marks and emoticons, even if you are writing to a friend or close relative.
Don't forget that writing in English still has a clear structure and generally accepted norms. Seems like a good idea. This template can be used to write any letter, in any language, and will always be in place. Now let's see what we got:
This article discusses a letter to a friend - the basic rules of writing, the outline of the letter, correct spelling addresses, samples of opening and closing sentences, addresses to the addressee, as well as a large number of examples of different letters, including letters about how I spent my holidays. Guided by these data, you can easily compose any letter to your friends.
There are several types of letters according to the purpose of their writing: communication support, requests, applying for a job, complaints, news transfer, support of business transactions and others. All these types of letters can be divided into personal or informal (letters to friends, for example) and official - formal. Informal letters in English, which include a letter to a friend, are written simply, but with structure. This letter is divided structurally into 5 sections.
A letter to a friend is written according to the scheme
The diagram and examples of opening and closing sentences will help you compose any letter to your friends.
1. Heading.
The header contains the address from where the letter was sent and the date it was written. In English-speaking countries, it is customary to write an address in the following order:
House, street
City district, district
City
State, county
Postal code
Country
It is usually placed in the upper right corner of the letter. If you and your friend live in the same country, then you don’t have to indicate the country in the address. Under the address it is written, usually in one of two formats:
2. Salutation or Greetings
It is written My Dear or Dear before the name of a relative, Dear before the friend's name, followed by a comma:
My Dear Igor,
Dear Phil,
3. Body of the letter
Consists of 3 parts: opening sentence ( Opening sentence
), main message and closing sentence ( Closing Lines
). Example expressions for Opening Sentence
in a letter to a friend: 
The main message should consist of short sentences written in a conversational manner. It may contain abbreviations, idioms, phrasal verbs, slang and other colloquial expressions, including exclamations with a “!”
The final sentence expresses the respect and hope you have for your friend (or relative): 
4. Complementary closing - Subscription
The signing depends on the relationship between you and your friend:
All the best
Best wishes,
See you soon,
Take care,
Yours,
Lots of love,
Love,
Yours affectionately/lovingly,
Your affectionate daughter/ brother/ mother, - for relatives
Yours sincerely / Sincerely yours, - for friends
Typically this signature is placed on the left side of the letter, but some cultures prefer the right side.
5. Signature ( Signature)
The sender's signature and name are placed under Complementary closing.
6. Postscript - after the letter
Also, a letter to a friend may contain the following abbreviation:
P.S. (post script) - used when you want to add more information after the letter has already been signed.
P.S.V.P. - means in French “please reply” if the letter contained an invitation to somewhere.
Letter to a friend - examples
Letter to Jane
65 Allendale Road
London - GI5 8SG
February 20, 2014
How are you doing? I’m just writing to let you know that everything is all right now. This is a nice quiet place. The people are friendly, and the weather is warm. We’ve been staying here for ten days now, and we are already used to it.
I walk a lot, but Phil just spends his time reading newspapers and writing business letters. Sometimes we are going for a walk together.
Last week I went to the nearest park. This is a wonderful very beautiful place. I saw a lot of squirrels, they were so noisy and begged for food all the time. I gave them all the peanuts that I had. There is also a small pond at the park with ducks and beautiful water lilies.
Next week I’m going to start writing my new book, and it’s going to be very hard work. That is all for now.
Give my regards to Paul and the family. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Your loving sister,
Ann
Translation of the letter:
Dear Jane,
How are you? I'm just writing to let you know everything is okay. It's a nice quiet place. The people are friendly and the weather is warm. We have been here for ten days and we are already used to it.
I walk a lot, but Phil just spends his time reading newspapers and writing business letters. Sometimes we go for a walk together.
Last week I went to a nearby park. This is a wonderful, very beautiful place. I saw a lot of squirrels, they were so noisy and kept asking for food. I gave them all the nuts I had. Here in the park there is also a small pond with ducks and beautiful water lilies.
I'm going to start writing my new book next week, and it's going to be a lot of hard work. This is all.
Shout out to Paul and family. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Your loving sister,
Anna
Letter to Elizabeth
Translation of this letter:
Dear Elizabeth,
How are you? I'm feeling refreshed after a delightful holiday last week when my family and I went on holiday to Blue Lake.
Every morning we walked to the lake, sat in comfortable chairs and cast fishing lines. I caught a rainbow trout that weighed two pounds. After our fishing adventures, we jumped into the cool lake and cooled off. Sometimes we splashed on each other and played games. In the evening we prepared a delicious trout barbecue. We wish you were there too!
Your friend
Sammy
Letter to a friend about the holidays
All sample letters are provided in English with translation into Russian in pdf format.
Correspondence is one of the most important ways of communication between people all over the world. With its help, we meet new people, exchange necessary information, cooperate with foreign partners, invite guests, express our feelings and emotions, etc. The role of letters in our lives is truly great. And even though the epistolary genre is gradually fading into oblivion, we still continue to write letters. These are no longer written pieces of paper, sealed in an envelope, which will have to spend many days on the road to reach the addressee. Nowadays letters are represented by them electronic version(e-mail), which we send on the Internet to any city in the world.
I am convinced that writing letters in English should be a separate section in the learning process and that sufficient time should be devoted to it. After all, this “science” has its own rules, nuances, and etiquette that must be followed in order for your letters to look decent. Letters can be different: letters of gratitude and requests for information, letters of congratulations and invitations to visit, letters of sympathy and apologies, which generally require certain knowledge and skills. In this article we will talk about an informal version of the letter, the so-called “letter to a friend in English.”
How to write a letter to a friend in English
So that I don’t talk about how to write now letter to a friend in English, this will not have the desired effect if you do not clearly see at least one example of such a letter. Therefore, if you study how to write a particular letter, first of all, keep examples of these letters before your eyes. The visual memory will do its job, and you will later say “thank you” to it more than once when you need a template for writing a letter. By changing it, removing or adding something, you can create your own unique letter to a friend in English, which will comply with all the necessary norms and rules. Quite a lot of sample letters to a friend in English are presented on the website. All sample letters are provided with translations, so it will not be difficult for you to understand the essence of the letter itself.
When composing any letter, including a letter to a friend, in English, study such sections of this language as. Still correct spelling even if it’s not a business letter, no one has yet canceled the correct placement of punctuation marks.
In the English language, there are certain addresses to the person to whom you are writing, and accordingly, phrases that complete the letter. The choice of both depends on the degree of acquaintance and your relationship with the friend to whom you are addressing a letter in English. These may be the following options:
- (My) dear+ name
- dearest, (my) darling+name
- Just a name
All words used will have the meaning "(my/my) dear(s)".
As a “farewell” phrase to end your letter to a friend in English, you should use any phrase from the list below:
- Sincerely (yours) - sincerely yours. Alternatively, in reverse order: (Yours) sincerely
- Cordially yours / yours cordially- yours sincerely
- Faithfully yours / yours faithfully / yours truly- always devoted to you
- Yours ever / Ever yours / As ever / yours as always– always yours
- Yours affectionately / lovingly yours- loving you
- Your very sincere friend- your sincere friend
- Lots of love (kisses) - kiss
In addition, you will need the following knowledge: common English first and last names; names of countries, cities and capitals; widely used abbreviations in the epistolary genre. All this information is additional (reference), but it is the key to your successful correspondence.
In my opinion, a very valuable publication regarding writing letters in English is the book by L.P. Stupin. “Letters in English for all occasions”, published in St. Petersburg in 1997. This publication is a kind of reference book for a person who often writes letters. You can purchase this book or download it for free on the World Wide Web. It is available on the website and resource. In this valuable publication you will find general recommendations regarding writing letters to a friend in English (and all other types of letters too), sample letters on any topic and all the background information that I have already mentioned.
If you write letters to a friend in English often enough, over time you will remember all the recommendations that accompany this action. Yours will also expand, and over time, writing any letter in English will be a trifle for you.
As a sample, here is a letter to a friend in English, written directly for this article:
How are the things going on? Did something new happen in your life? Having received your letter, I wanted to answer it immediately but I was working a lot during the last two weeks. So I was pressed for time and did not manage to carry out my intentions.
In my country spring has already set. It is quite warm and really sunny all days long. Being at work I always imagine myself strolling down some parks. I wish you could join me! It would be funny! Some days ago my friend advised me to read a very interesting book. I did it and I would like you to know this author. Are you ready to read good literature?
Tell me more about your work and free time. Are you satisfied with all this? What are your plans for this summer? Maybe we will be able to meet one day?
The translation of this letter is as follows:
Dear Helen,
How are you doing? Anything new? I wanted to answer your letter right away, but I have had a lot of work to do in the last two weeks. There was not enough time to carry out their plans.
Spring has already arrived. It's warm and sunny outside all day. While working, I constantly imagine myself walking through various parks. I'd like you to join me. That would be fun! A few days ago, a friend advised me to read an interesting book. I read it and would like to introduce you to this author. Are you ready to read good literature?
Tell me more about work and leisure. Are you satisfied with everything? What are your plans for the summer? Maybe we can meet sometime?
Always yours
Jessica
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
People have been writing letters to each other since time immemorial. From letters one can judge a person’s character, his education, hobbies, and most importantly, how well he speaks the language in which he writes. Those who study the language will sooner or later be faced with the need to learn how to write letters in English correctly.
The letter may be needed when entering a higher education institution abroad, when passing a language exam, or when applying for a job. But not only in the world business communication It is important to know how to write a letter in English. Informal correspondence can also have an impact on your life, communication with friends and acquaintances. Your letters will be used to judge you by those who read them. Do you want to leave a good impression? We will introduce you to the basic rules of correspondence in English. It's also worth repeating. Before you start writing a letter, you need to determine for what purpose you are doing this, and therefore determine the type of letter.
Types of letters in English
All letters can be divided into personal (Personal letter) and business (Business letter). We talked about correspondence with business partners and the main taboos of business correspondence earlier, today we will discuss the rules of personal correspondence in more detail. Are there general strict rules for writing letters in English? If we are talking about personal correspondence, the answer is obvious - no. In business documentation and communication with business partners, letter templates in English are often used. Personal correspondence is your own business, forgive the tautology. And yet, there are a few tips that will help make correspondence more enjoyable for you and the person with whom you are having an epistolary conversation. In addition, if you are new to the world of English, it is still better to try writing your first letters using templates.
Of course, stream of consciousness is a good thing, but only in the works of Joyce. If you want your letter to be read to the end, respect the addressee. Try to make the text easy to read. The structure of writing in English is the same important element, as well as the meaning you put into written words.
As a rule, a letter contains the following structural elements:
- request – separate line
- a short introduction (in which you can refer to previous contacts, previously written letters, etc.) - a separate paragraph
- main part – several paragraphs
- conclusion – separate line
- the final phrase is a separate line
- signature (name only) – separate line
- in the upper right corner you should indicate the author’s address and the date under the address
We offer a sample letter in English, with the following structure:
The form of address always depends on the degree of familiarity with the person you are addressing in the letter. Let's give a few examples.
- Dear John! – appeal to a friend, relative
- Dear Sir– an appeal if this John is your boss. Official appeal.
- My dear Sir – an address that can be used ironically in personal correspondence
- Dear Mr. Smith- an official address to a stranger (you don’t know who John is)
Tip 3. A few important points to pay attention to
1. If you do not know the gender of the recipient, write his full last name: Dear T.K. Spinazola
2. If you don’t know which abbreviation is better to use: Miss or Mrs, since you don't know if the woman is married, use a neutral Ms.
3. If you are writing a letter to two people, include both names in the address.
4. These messages cannot be shortened: Professor, Dean, Governor, Captain, Admiral, JudgeSister, Senator
5. These addresses should never be used in full Mr., Ms., Mrs. and Dr.
In order to write a letter correctly the first time, it is a good idea to have a sample letter in English at hand.
Template phrases for writing letters
5 introductory phrase templates:
- It was great to get your letter….
- Thanks for your letter. It was great/lovely to hear from you.
- Thanks for your long letter. It was really great to hear all your news, after not hearing from you for ages….
- Sorry I haven’t written for so long but….
- I was really pleased to hear that…
These phrases are neutral; you can start a letter with them to any addressee. Sometimes it can be difficult to find words, especially if you are not writing in your native language. Template phrases will help you structure the text of your letter and correctly formulate your thoughts.
5 Closing Phrases Templates:
- I would really like you to visit me this summer. Write to me and tell me your plans.
- Please give/send my regards (love) to your….
- And write and tell me your plans for….
- Write back soon!
- If you want to know anything else, just drop me a line.
Template for a letter asking for advice (5 options):
- I am writing to ask for your advice
- Can you give me your advice?
- I've got a problem and I need your advice.
- What do you think I should do?
- Do you think I should...?
Phrases for different letters:
We wish you only good and warm letters!
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