How to write letters in English?

Writing a letter in a foreign language is a simple task that must be completed as quickly as possible in order to leave time for other tasks. So, let's consider the uniform rules for writing a personal letter.

In the upper right corner enter the address in the following order:house number, street name
town
the country
It is allowed to indicate the address in short form, for example:Moscow
Russia

Under the address, skipping the line , you must write the date of the letter:June 4th, 2015
4 June 2015
or less formally:04/06/12

The letter begins with an informal address. If the name of your interlocutor is not indicated in the task, you should come up with it: Dear Tim,
Dear Rebecca,
A comma must be put after the address!

Divide the body of the letter into several logical paragraphs, each of which begins with a red line.
1. In the first paragraph, you should thank your friend for his letter:Thanks (a lot) for your (last) letter.
Your last letter was a real surprise.
I was glad to get your letter.
It was great to hear from you! / It was great to hear that ... / I was happy to hear ... You can also apologize for not writing before:Sorry I haven’t written for so long but… / Sorry I haven’t been in touch for so long.
I "m sorry I haven" t answered earlier but I was really busy with my school. and / or mention any fact from the letter received:I'm glad you passed your History test!
Sounds like you had a great time in London!
Great news about your…!

2. The main part of the letter (2-3 paragraphs). In it, you must reveal all the aspects indicated in the assignment. Be sure to ask the necessary questions.
The letter is supposed to be written in an informal style, so you can use informal linking words such aswell , by the way , anyway , so , colloquial expressions likeGuess what? OrWish me luck! as well as exclamation marks.

3. The last paragraph should explain why you are ending the letter: Well, I'd better go now as I have to do my homework.
Anyway, I have to go now because my Mum asked me to help her with the washing up.
I’ve got to go now! It's time for my favorite TV show. and mention O further contacts: Write (back) soon!
Take care and keep in touch!
Drop me a letter when you can.
Hope to hear from you soon.
I can’t wait to hear from you!

At the end of the letter on a separate line the final cliché phrase is indicated, which depends on the proximity of the author and the addressee. There is always a comma after it! Below are the options from the least formal (1) to the more formal (7):1) Love,
2) Lots of love,
3) All my love,
4) All the best,
5) Best wishes,
6) With best wishes,
7) Yours,
On the next line, under the final phrase, the author's name is indicated (without the surname!). For instance:Andy orKate

Template for writing a letter in English

13 Ostozhenka street

Moscow

Russia

04/06/12

Dear ...,

I was so happy to get your letter! I can’t wait to meet you in July! I’m sorry I haven’t answered earlier but I was really busy with my school.

You asked me to tell you about ... Well, ...

By the way, ...? ...? ...?

Unfortunately, I’d better go now as I’ve got loads of homework to do (as always). T

ake care and keep in touch!

All the best,

Alex

Example personal letters

You have received a letter from your English- speaking pen-friend who writes

All in all, my birthday party was great! However, one of my friends came to the party in casual clothes. Just jeans and a T-shirt! Of course I didn’t say anything but she felt a bit left out. I was really sorry for her! And what do you usually wear when you go to a birthday party? Is it important in Russia to wear smart clothes at parties? What would you do if you were me? I’ve got to go now as I have loads of homework to do.

Drop me a line when you can.

Lots of love,

Patricia

Write a letter to Patricia.

In your letter answer her questions ask 3 questions about her birthday presents

13 Gagarina Street

Kazan

Russia

20/09/11

Dear Patricia,

Thanks for your letter. I'm glad your birthday party was a great success!

Well, in Russia we don’t pay much attention to clothes but of course everybody wants to look great! Actually, any clothes will do if a person feels comfortable. As for me, I usually wear a skirt and a smart blouse. You were quite right not to take any notice of your friend’s clothes. If I were you, I would have done the same. It's not the clothes that count, after all. By the way, what birthday presents did you get? Did your parents give you what you wanted? What presents did you like most of all? As for me, I prefer books. I'd better go now. Mum wants me to help with the housework.

Take care and stay in touch!

Lots of love,

Ilona

Activity C1: Basic Personal Letter

The exam offers an excerpt from a letter from your possible pen pal. The letter contains some news and several questions, where you are asked for opinions, advice, etc.

Required Write a response letter, starting with your short return address in the upper right corner, the date below the address, greetings, and ending with a goodbye phrase and name.

It is imperative:

1.Thank you for the letter you received;

2. comment on the news contained in the letter;

3. ask questions regarding the subject of the newsletter;

4. answer all the questions asked in the received letter, give advice, express your opinion, etc.

Tips from the International Language Center Language Link

Important! Requirements for the volume of the letter - 100-140 words (all words are counted, including prepositions and articles). The volume requirements must be met without fail. The permissible deviation from the set volume is 10%. If the work contains less than 90 words, then the task is not subject to verification and is estimated at 0 points. It is not worth describing unnecessary details, since if you write more than 154 words, then 140 words will be counted from the beginning and only this part of the letter will be evaluated.

Remember that the required repeated elements of the letter - address, appeal (Dear Alice), thanks for the letter you received (Thanks for your letter. It was great to hear from you), closing phrases (like Write soon. Best wishes) and your name at the end of the letter are already about 20 words. Memorize these phrases and visually memorize the layout of the parts of the letter.

VERY IMPORTANT! Since in this part of the exam, not only the content is important, but also the form (layout), it is imperative to visually remember the location of the component parts of the letter on the page - see example below.

Note:

1. The appeal begins with Dear to which the name is appended.

2. The appeal is written not in the middle of the sheet, but on its left side, without indentation on the red line.

3. Do not forget to put a comma (not an exclamation mark) after the address.

4. Thank you for the letter you received.

5. Explain why you are writing this letter and what it will be about.

6. Answer the questions that the author of the letter asked you in his message.

7. At the end of the letter in a new paragraph, ask the addressee questions according to the assignment (in the example below, these are questions about a new home).

8. At the end of the letter, do not forget to write the final phrase. Best wishes(Best wishes) or Love(Kisses) on a separate line.

9. Don't forget to put a comma after Best wishes or Love.

10. On a separate line after the final phrase, sign the letter - write your name.

11. In the upper right corner write your address (sender's address):

1st line - House number, Street name
2nd line - Town

You can get by with a short address - the street and the city.

12. Under the address, write the date of writing the letter in the format day month Year

Dear (1) Alice, (2) (3) Thanks for your letter. It was great to hear from you.(4) In your letter you asked me about my summer holidays. Well, I had a very good time! (5) In June I stayed at home because I had exams at school. Luckily the weather was nice and warm and at the weekend my parents and I went to our country house. We went sunbathing and swimming in the lake near there. In July I went to a summer camp. It was fantastic. I made a lot of new friends. Every day we went swimming in the river, and we played different games. There was a disco every night. Once we went hiking in the forest for two days. We cooked our meals on the fire and at night we sat around the fire, sang songs and told stories. (6) Are you happy with your new house? Is it bigger than your old house? Have you got a room of your own? Please tell me more about it. (7)
Write soon. Love, (8) (9) Tanya (10)

1. Before taking this part of the exam, carefully read the letter and assignment from your prospective friend. The assignment will help you understand what is required of you.
2. Underline the questions in the passage that you should answer in the first half of your letter.
3. Decide on the subject of the questions you should ask in the second part of your letter.

For instance:

You have 20 minutes to do this task.

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Tom who writes:

Write a letter to Tom.

- answer his questions

- ask 3 questions about his trip to Scotland

Write 100 - 140 words.

Remember the rules of letter writing.

1. On a draft, write an outline for the first half of your letter. For example, in the demo version of the USE for 2009, you need to answer the question of how much you rely on your parents' help. Be sure to substantiate your answer. There are always hints in the letter. In this case, the answer to the question "can you provide yourself with housing" will tell you how ready you are to start an independent life.
2. Remember that you are not required to write the truth about yourself and nothing but the truth. Feel free to fantasize. Most importantly, you must provide a sufficient portion of your written speech in English, on the basis of which you can draw a conclusion about the degree of your personal writing skills.
3. Outline the second part of your letter. For example, when completing the 2009 demo assignment, remember what you know about Scotland ( Loch Ness Monster, the Edinburgh arts festival, the Scottish accent, etc.). You can ask questions on these topics, as well as any standard questions about any trip in general: Did you have a good time? What was the weather like? Did you do a lot of sightseeing? etc.
4. Visually recall the layout of the letter. Start writing by following the rules for writing a personal letter (see above).
5. After finishing your letter, be sure to check it for spelling or grammatical errors. If you are not sure about the spelling of a word, replace it with another one that you are sure of spelling.

Consider the basic rules for writing a personal letter in English:

The address

The letter should begin by writing your address (sender), which is written in the upper right corner of the page in the following order:

1st line - house number, street name
2nd line - city, postal code
3rd line - country

The date of writing the letter is written under the address: date, month, year. Example address:

Be careful with dates! So, Americans would translate 1.09 as January 9, because in American English and British English dates are read differently, so it is better to write the date in full, for example, September 1, 2016. You do not need to write the -th endings. -st, -nd, or -rd after digits.

Appeal

A personal letter usually begins with an informal greeting Hi, Hello, or simply Dear followed by a name followed by a comma.

Hi, Dick,
Hello Mary,
Dear Dad,

The entire appeal is written on the left side without indentation on the red line.

Thanks for your letter. It was great to hear from you. How are you? I hope all is going well. How is your sister? Has she already learned Spanish?

The main body of the letter

In the main body of the letter, you tell the news, facts and events of your life, express your judgments and feelings, describe plans for the future, and ask your friend about his affairs. Letters may contain congratulations, thanks, requests, condolences, complaints or reproaches.

Nege is some news about our class. David decided to go to a military school and he is training hard.

I think you are studying hard now. Have you already chosen the university where you are going to apply? Will it be difficult to study there?

Do not forget about words connecting separate parts of sentences, and introductory words.

Addition: first, also, finally
Contrast: but, however
Purpose: so that
Example: such as, for example
Reason: as, because
Time: when, while
Beginning of a sentence: Anyway, Well, Right

Final courtesy formula

The final courtesy formula on a separate line might include words such as:

Love,
Best regards,
Best wishes,
Looking forward to seeing you,
Warmly,
Fondly,
Missing you,

A comma is placed after the final courtesy formula. On a separate line after the final courtesy formula, you must sign - write your name.

It is imperative to remember the requirements for the volume of the letter - 100-140 words. Don't write unnecessary details. Remember that the required repeatable elements of the letter - address, appeal, gratitude for the letter received, the final phrases and your name at the end of the letter already make up about 20 words. Memorize these phrases and visually memorize the layout of the parts of the letter. Remember your address in the correct sequence.

Check for spelling or grammatical errors. If you are not sure of the correct spelling of any words, replace them with others that you spell.
sure.

SAMPLE personal letter writing

You have received a letter from your English-speaking pen-friend Ann who writes:

… At school we are studying the culture of Russia. Could you tell me something about your national art gallery?
As for my news, I decided to go to a medical school ...

Write a letter to Ann. In your letter:
tell her about the Russian national art gallery
ask 3 questions about the medical school she is going to Write 100-140 words.
Remember the rules of letter writing.

A sample of a complete letter.

Thanks for your letter. How are you? I hope all is going well.

As for me, I'm working hard. I want to be an economist and I’m studying a lot of mathematics. So unfortunately there is no much time for going anywhere.

But your letter made me go to the Tretyakov Picture Gallery. It was founded in the 19th century and a lot of pictures by famous Russian artists are exhibited there. It is our national gallery.

You see, your decision to go to a medical school was quite a surprise for me. What made you choose this field? Is this your father who advised you to go there? How long is the course of studies in a medical school?

Well, I must finish now - my lessons begin in half an hour.

Formal letters / emails are written in a formal (formal style) to people who hold formal, leadership positions, such as managers, directors.

Official letters can be of different types:

• Business letter;
• Letter of request for information;
• Complaint letter;
• Letter of application for employment;
• Complaint letter;
• Letter of apology.

Business letter structure

Sender's name and address

The sender's details and is located in the upper left corner.

The sequence of requisites is as follows:

• the name of the manager;
• his position;
• the name of the sender's company;
• house number, street;
• city, postal code;
• the country.

Example:

Mr Viktor Moskvin

154 Sadovaya St

The absence of punctuation marks in a business letter is called "Open punctuation".

date

The date is located under the requisites, the indent is three lines. There are several options for writing the date:

• July 28, 2017;
• July 28th, 2017;
• July 28, 2017;
• 28th July, 2017.

Address of the recipient

The recipient's address is written after the date as follows:

• full name of the recipient;
• position;
• Company name;
• house number, street;
• city, postal code;
• the country.

Before the name must be indicated abbreviated circulation:

• Mr. (mister, mister)
• Dr. (doctor),
• Ms. (miss, for an unmarried woman)
• Mrs. (Mrs - for a married woman or if you are not sure about the status).

Example:

Mrs Jennifer Gray

editor publishing company “GoodBook”

The location of the address is similar to the spelling of the sender's address.

Addressing the addressee of the letter

• The address to the addressee begins with the word " Dear… ”(Dear): If the full name of the recipient is specified, then the greeting begins exactly like this, with a personal greeting: Dear Mrs Jennifer Gray.
• If the name is unknown, then the letter is addressed indefinitely: Dear Sir or Madam.
• In the case of addressing to the name of a company, the address is general: Dear Sirs.
• If the letter is addressed to an American company, a colon is put at the end of the message: Dear Mrs Jennifer Gray:

Sender job title

If the letter is written by a man, then the word Mr is not used. If the letter was written by a woman, then (Mrs) appears in parentheses after the name. The period is not put at the end of the sentence. For example: Yours sincerely,

School of foreign laguages ​​“Lingva”, or

Yours sincerely, Nikole Noble (Mrs)

School of foreign laguages ​​“Lingva”

Application mark

The business letter may be accompanied by other documents. To indicate this in business correspondence, after the signature, an abbreviation is written Enc or Encs (« Enclosures"-" Applications "). After this inscription, a comma is put and all documents attached to the main letter are listed. For instance:

Yours sincerely,

School of foreign laguages ​​“Lingva”

Enc, a copy of the license.

Business and formal letters. Business writing structure and speech patterns for use in it

Structure of the letter	Speech models
1. Address the recipient in a formal manner	Dear Sir or Madam - Dear Sir (address to a man) or Madam (to a woman)
2. In the first paragraph, state the purpose of the letter. (Don't use abbreviated verbs!)	I am writing in connection with / to ask about… - I am writing in connection with / in order to find out / ask…. I have read / found your advertisement in… and would like to… - I have read / found your advertisement in… and would like to… I am interested in ... - I am interested in ... I would like to know more details about ... - I would like to know more details about ... I would like to ask further information about / concerning ... - I would like to inquire / ask for further information about / concerning ... I would like to ask if / when / why / where ... - I would like to ask if it is possible if / when / why / where ... I look forward to your answer / to hearing from you. - Looking forward to your response…
3. End of the letter in the appropriate form:
If the letter begins with Dear Sir or Madam, then the letter must be ended with the phrase	Yours faithfully, ... - sincerely yours, yours faithfully ...
If the letter begins with Dear Mr / Mrs Wilson then the letter ends	Yours sincerely, ... - sincerely yours, with respect ...

Samples of business / formal letters

Examples of business formal letters

Letter of inquiry

1.Dear Sir / Madam,

2.I am writing in connection with an advertisement for your English course. I am 19 years-old student from Russia. I am interested in English and have been looking for a course in English at higher level.

I would like to ask for more details about this English course. I would be very grateful if you could inform me about payment forms and enrolment requirements.

I look forward to your answer.

3.yours faithfully,

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing to you in connection with an announcement for your English course. I am a 19 year old student from Russia. I am interested in English and therefore am looking for English courses to improve my level.

I would like to know more details about this English course. I would be very grateful if you could provide me with information on the forms of payment and requirements for enrollment.

Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Anna Rudova

Dear Mr. Stevens,

Mrs. M.K. Collins has applied for work as saleswoman in my drugstore. She has referred me to you as one for whom she has done similar work. Please give me some general information as to her fitness for this work. I shall be grateful to you for this help.

Sincerely yours,

Dear Mr. Stevens,

Mrs. M.C. Collins applied for a job as a salesperson at our pharmacy. She listed you as a person to contact for more information, as she did the job for you. Please provide me with general information on her qualifications for this position. I would be grateful for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Warner

Letter of complaint

I am writing to complain about ineffective work of your book service center. On February the third I ordered from you one copy of "Dandelion wine" by Ray Bradbury. The book arrived by mail and I found that some of the pages were transposed so that the book was not usable.

As a result I was left without a needed book. I would like the privilege of returning the defective book to you in exchange for a perfect copy. I hope it would be possible for you to replace it as soon as possible. I look forward to your answer.

Yours sincerely,

Dear Mr. Olsen,

I am writing to complain about the ineffectiveness of your book center. On February 3rd I ordered one copy of the book Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury from you. The book arrived by mail and I found that some of the pages of the book were in the wrong order, so the book was "unreadable".

As a result, I was left without the book I needed. I would like to replace the defective copy of the book with a normal one. Hope you can replace the book as quickly as possible. Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Bill Barry

Additional speech patterns for complaint writing:

• I must express my dissatisfaction with ... - I must express my dissatisfaction ...
• In fact I have already talked / written about it but nothing has changed / happened to ... - In fact, I already said / wrote about it, but nothing has changed ...
• There has been no replay to my previous letter. - There was no answer to my last letter.
• The item has not been replaced. - The product has not been replaced.
• It suddenly stopped working. - The item suddenly stopped working.
• The keyboard was missing. - The keyboard was lost.
• Contrary to the description in the menu / brochure / time-table ... The description in the menu / brochure / timetable does not match ...
• The food was not cooked properly. - The food was not prepared properly.
• The price was expensive enough. - The price was overpriced.
• It was a very unfortunate event because ... - This event ended in failure because ...
• In this way it ruined all my plans as ... - So all my plans were ruined because of ...
• I hope I can expect ... - Hope that I can expect (expect) ...

Letter of application

(Letter of application)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to your job offer concerning the post of computer operator which I found in the latest issue of "Daily News".

I believe this position fits my expectations of a perfect job for a young person. As far as my qualifications are concerned I have been working for about two years as a computer operator in Gray Service Company, where I have had the chance to get "hands-on" experience with computers in a real working office and coming into contact with the public for the first time. There I have gained a lot of valuable professional experience. In addition to this, I consider myself to be hard-working and a very sociable person.

I would be happy to attend the interview at any time that is convenient to you. I am enclosing the names of two referees from Gray Service Company, whom you can contact for more details. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to respond to your advertisement for the position of computer operator, which I found in the latest issue of the Daily News.

I believe this position meets my expectations of an ideal job for a young person. As for my qualifications, I worked as a computer operator for 2 years at Gray Sevis, where I had the chance to gain practical experience with a computer in a work office and the first experience of communicating with people within the profession. In the workplace, I have gained valuable professional experience. In addition, I consider myself a hardworking and highly communicative person.

I will be happy to attend an interview at any time convenient for you. I am providing the names of two former colleagues you can contact for more information about me. Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Jane Morrison

Additional speech patterns for a job application letter:

• I am writing in reply to / with regard to ... - I am writing to reply / in connection ...
• I am writing in connection with ... - I am writing in connection with ...
• I would like to express my interest in ... - I would like to express my interest in ...
• I found the position / job / post offer extremely interesting because… - I find the position / job / post extremely interesting because…
• I would like to apply for this job because ... - I would like to get this position because ...
• My reason for applying for this job is that… (I am very sociable, hard-working, talented in…) –The reason I want this job…
• As for my experience it includes ... - As for my work experience ...
• I worked for ... as ... - I worked for ... for ...
• I am ready to come to an interview at any time. - I am ready to come for an interview at any time.
• I enclose my CV / references from my previous employers. - I am attaching CVs / references from previous employers.

• I met him ... in ..., when he joined ... I met him ... in ... when he joined ...
• … Has asked me to write a letter of recommendation to accompany his application for… I am very pleased to do so…. asked me to write a letter of recommendation for filing at the place of demand…. I'm glad to do it.
• ... distinguished himself / herself ... showed himself as ...
• His / her greatest talent is ... His / her greatest talent is ...
• He / she is a creative person ... He / she is a creative person ...
• His / her excellent capacity to… was invaluable… His / her excellent capacity to… was invaluable…
• While he / she was with us he / she… His responsibilities included… While he / she was with us… His / her responsibilities included…
• His / her main responsibilities were ... His / her daily tasks included ... His / her daily tasks included ...
• The only weak spot that I ever noted in his / her performance was ... The only flaw that I noted in his / her personality ...
• I am confident that… will continue to be very effectively. He / she deserves my best recommendations. I am confident that ... will continue to work very efficiently. He / she deserves my best recommendation.
• I would happily recommend… as a hopeful candidate. I would gladly recommend ... as a budding employee.

Business greeting letter

The purpose of a business congratulatory letter is to formally congratulate a company executive or a colleague. This letter may be shorter than a formal business letter, but more emotional.

Additional speech patterns for greeting letters:

• Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year from…! Please accept the best wishes for happiness and prosperity in the New Year from ...!
• In appreciation of our association during the past year, everyone at… extends our very best wishes for a wonderful holiday season! - Appreciating our cooperation over the past year, each employee ... expresses our best wishes in connection with the holidays!
• Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year! - With the warmest wishes for happy holidays and a wonderful coming year!

Job letter (cover letter to resume)

In the introduction to your cover letter, it is recommended that you mention the source of the information and the desired position.

The main part of the letter talks about the professional knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, contains information about the resume accompanying the letter. Express a desire to come for an interview, if possible, at a time convenient for the employer or his representative, as well as hope for a positive decision in the direction of the applicant. Finally, thank you for reading the letter.

Additional speech patterns for job letters:

• I was interested to read your advertisement for… I was interested when I read your advertisement in…
• Please accept this letter as application for the… position currently advertised in the… Please accept this letter as an application for the vacant position of… that was advertised in…
• I have exceptional verbal and written communication skills. I have exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• I can supply references from… if required. I can provide advice from ... if required ...
• Thank you for your attention. Thank you for your attention.

Business invitation letter

In the business world, meetings with partners are a partial guarantee of success, therefore, the correct design of invitations is very important. When drawing up the invitation, please note that the partner's name is indicated in full. Keep the invitation short, use humor appropriately, and of course, the time to send the invitation!

Phrases for the invitation:

• You are cordially invited to be the guest of… We cordially invite you to be a guest of…
• Allow me the pleasure of inviting you to ... Do not deny the pleasure of inviting you ...

Reply to a business letter in English

Some emails received by the company suggest a response. The structure of such a letter does not differ from a business letter.

Additional speech patterns for answering a letter:

• Thank you for your letter. Thanks for your letter.
• We much appreciate your offer. We highly appreciate your suggestion ...
• We shall be pleased to supply you with ... We shall be very pleased to supply you with ...
• Regarding your question about ... Regarding your question about ...

Conclusion

An official letter consists of the following parts:

Official greeting: Dear Sir / Madam - when you do not know the person's surname; Dear Mr / Mrs Wilson - when you don't know the recipient's name.

The first paragraph contains the greeting and introductory words, the purpose of the letter.

In the main part of the letter, its content is revealed - arguments are provided, information of interest is requested (usually 1-3 paragraphs).

The last paragraph is the summary of the entire letter, namely, the expected actions from the recipient, final comments.

The formal ending of the letter is: Yours faithfully,… - when you do not know the person's surname; Yours sincerely, ... when you don't know the recipient's name.

Formal letters can also be a response containing the requested information. The reply letter has the same structure.

Make sure that no part is missing when you write your letter.

A well-thought-out and neatly written business letter is an effective tool in business that can not only help in concluding various kinds of transactions, when hiring, etc., but also spoil the impression of the sender, which does not guarantee him success in achieving his goal.

Hardly anyone writes paper letters, but email is a great way to communicate. Imagine that your friend is in a place where the Internet is only a few hours a day, and it will not work to communicate in instant messengers. Do you understand what needs to be written a letter to a friend in English... How to do this, where to start and what phrases can be useful, I will tell you below in the article.

From the article you will learn:

How to write a letter in English to a friend

First of all, in order to write a letter to a friend in English, you need to draw up a plan in Russian. Think about what you want to tell your friend? There is no need to try to tell about everything at once, highlight one topic.

For example, talk about your vacation plans or your new pet. You can write a letter of review about the book you read or the movie you watched, tell about your favorite anime or your new hobby.

Of course, knowing the spelling and punctuation rules of the English language and trying to follow them is a good form. The person to whom you addressed the letter will be pleased to read a well-written letter.

Structure of a letter to a friend and useful phrases

Like any letter, a letter to a friend should contain:

1. Greetings.
2. The main part.
3. The final part (goodbye and wishes).

Let's take a look at each point.

In the first part of the letter people greet a friend or acquaintance. Here are the common English greetings:

"My dear + name" - which in translation means - "My (my) dear (s) + name".

For example,

Hello, my dear Olya. - Hello, my dear Olya.

It is also possible to use a simple name:

Hello, Olga. - Hello Olga.

The main body of the letter consists of several paragraphs, which reveal the topic on which you are writing a letter.

A letter to a friend in English is not an official document, so you can use different ones, for example:

• As far as I know - as far as I know
• By the way - by the way
• In a nutshell - shortly speaking

In the final part, according to the norms of etiquette, it is necessary to say goodbye to a friend. The following phrases can be used:

• Many happy returns of the day - all the best on this day.
• Sincerely yours - sincerely yours.
• Yours truly - always devoted to you.
• Best wishes - best regards.
• Yours Ever - always yours.
• Good luck - good luck.

Example 1. Letter to a friend in English with translation about plans for the future

The first example of a letter to a friend in English would be about plans for a future vacation.

I am writing to tell you about my next winter holidays.

I want to spend them in mountains. Skiing is a very popular sport in my country. It is very interesting. Even our prime minister likes skiing, it is his hobby. I began to ski with my father and sister in my childhood. We often go the forest and spend our time there. I think that the fresh air, clear nature and sport are very healthy for me. That's why my hobby is skiing.

The mountain-skiing camp site is situated in Karpaty. It is about 200 kilometers from my city. This camp site is very popular and many people visit it every year. There are 4 skiing tracks. Three of them are for skiing and one is for snowboards. In addition, there is the elevator, a cafe and the house, where you can have a rest. The length of the track is about 3 kilometers. The speed that you can gather there is very fast. Later, after this camp site I want to visit my grandfather who lives in another city. I miss him.

So, that is all about my holidays. Write to me more often. Good luck.

Truly Yours,
Maksim

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Dear Anton,

I am writing to you to tell you about my next winter vacation.

I want to spend them in the mountains. Skiing is a very popular sport in my country. It is very interesting. Even our prime minister loves skiing - this is his hobby. I started skiing when I was little with my dad and sister. We often visit the forest and spend our time there. I think that fresh air, clean nature and sports are very good for me. This is why my favorite hobby is skiing.

The ski base is located in the Carpathians. It is two hundred kilometers from my city. This base is very popular and many people visit it every year. There are 4 ski slopes. Three of them are for skis, one is for snowboarding. There is also a ski lift, a cafe and a house where you can relax. The length of the track is about 3 kilometers. The speed that can be developed there is very high. Then, after this base, I want to go to my grandfather, who lives in another city. I miss him.

So that's all my vacation time. Write to me more often. Good luck.

Sincerely yours,
Maksim

Below you will find more two examples of letters to a friend in English with translation into Russian. One letter about sports, the second letter about a pet.

Example 2. Letter to a friend about sports in English with translation into Russian

The second letter to a friend will talk about sports in English.

Thank you for your letter! Sorry for haven’t written to you for so long but I was busy all this time.

Well, I am very glad that you have passed all the exams! Congratulations! (I am very happy for you!) I guess, you should relax your body and mind after exams. And the best way to do it is to go for a walk!

You know, my favorite sports are baseball and swimming, but your mum gave you a good piece of advice! Basketball is a good choice for you!

As well, all teens in Russia prefer hockey and football. But everybody can choose something else ...

Wow! Your brother has just come from Australia! That must be great! So, how was his trip? Was it successful? Did he enjoy the weather there?

Sorry, I must finish now, because I have to revise for my tomorrow exam. Hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,
Sergey

Translation of a letter into Russian:

Dear Sasha,

Thank you for your letter! I'm sorry I didn't write to you, but I've been very busy.

So, I am very glad that you passed all the exams! Congratulations! (I am very happy for you!). I think you should relax both body and soul after the exams. The best way to do this is to go for a walk!

You know my favorite sports are baseball and swimming, but your mom gave you some good advice! Basketball is a good choice for you!

So, all teenagers in Russia prefer hockey and football. But everyone can choose something of their own ...

Blimey! Your brother just flew in from Australia! This must be cool! So how was his journey? What are the successes? Did he like the weather there?

Sorry, I have to finish because I'm preparing for tomorrow's exam. Catch you later.

Best wishes,
Sergei

Example 3. A letter to a friend in English with a translation about a pet

In your last letter you asked me to tell you about my pets. OK, I can talk for hours on this topic. I have a dog; his name is La boule. That’s a French word which means a ball. He is a pug and he is very funny. I also have a hamster. His name is Albert. Not a usual name for a hamster, you say, but he is very curious and smart enough. I would also like to have a cat, but perhaps not now.

I'm fine, no changes since the last time. I'm passing my exams next week. After that, I’m looking forward to going abroad. I like traveling a lot. I’ve visited just a few European countries but I fell in love with the Old world. My dream is to go to Paris. This is the city of love, croissants and haut-couture. I think every person should see it and not necessarily die after it!

You told me that you had been to many countries. Tell me about your greatest trip! Have you been to Paris, did you like it? What are you going to do this summer? Where would you like to go?

I’m so happy that your sister married! Wish her and her husband a very good luck! Hope the wedding was as gorgeous as the bride was!

Could you send me some photos?

Sorry, I have to go, my parents are leaving on holidays, I need to see them off.

Waiting for your letter,

Yours truly,
Alex

Translation of a letter into Russian:

Dear Vlad,

In your last letter, you asked me to tell you about your pets. Well, I can talk about this for hours. I have a dog, his name is La Boule. It is a French word that translates to ball. This is a pug and he is very funny. I also have a hamster. His name is Albert. An unusual name for a hamster, you say, but he is very inquisitive and smart enough. I would also like a cat, but maybe not now.

I'm fine, no change since last time. I'm taking my exams next week. After that I am really looking forward to a trip abroad. I like traveling very much. I've only been to a few European countries, but I fell in love with the Old World. My dream is to go to Paris. It is a city of love, croissants and haute couture. I think everyone should see it, and you don't have to die after that!