How to write a Personal Letter

This presentation is from my Englidh teacher Ms Kwan from TKGS

2. What is a personal letter?
A letter that we write to someone we know or
someone we want to get to know.
A personal letter is usually written to a friend or
relative, to express love and concern.

3. Common reasons for Writing
Letters
To keep in touch
To relate some personal or family news
To show love and concern for a person
To thank a person for a gift or something he or she
has done
To ask for information for help
To invite a person to a function
To offer condolences or congratulations
To respond to a letter or email you have received

4. Features of a Personal Letter
Informal and friendly tone (you are writing to
someone whom you know and with whom you are on
good/familiar terms)
The closer our relationship to the recipient, the
more personal and informal the tone

5. Tone
The way we use words to show how we feel about
something, through the words we choose and the way
we put our sentences together.

6. Features of a Personal Letter
Contents of a personal letter will depend largely on
why we are writing the letter. (purpose)
Tip: when writing a personal letter, remember
1.Not to include the information that the recipient
already knows
2.The reason for writing, i.e. the aim
of the letter
3.To use to right tone and language in
the letter

7. IMPORTANT!
Always know the Purpose, Audience, and Context
of writing
 this will help you to craft your letter accordingly
and structure/streamline your letter-writing
 it will also help you avoid writing a very long and
confusing letter

8. IMPORTANT!
Purpose: WHY you are writing the letter
Audience: WHO you are writing the letter to
Context: WHAT circumstances are you writing the
letter under?

9. Format of Personal Letter
Address
Address
Address
Date
Dear __________
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Love
Signature (Your Name)
Keep to the left margin, NO NEED
FOR 2 FINGER SPACING for each
new paragraph. Simply LEAVE A
LINE between each paragraph
Address must be kept
within 3 lines

10. Format of Personal Letter
Blk 24A #12-345
Cascade Crescent
Singapore 987654
18 February 2015
Dear Annabelle
How’ve you been? It’s been months since I last heard from you! Are you still in the same accounting firm in London, or do you
have plans to move elsewhere?
I’m still working at the National Library, and am currently in the midst of preparing for the annual book stock-taking. Things are
rather busy right now! Come to think of it, it’s amazing how time flies, isn’t it? We have both been working for about a year now,
yet it still seems like yesterday when we were studying at King’s College together! Have you been keeping in touch with Rebecca
and Lizzie? I wonder how they are doing as well. I’m sad to say that I haven’t been keeping in touch with them after my return to
Singapore, which is really a pity, as the four of us were really close at King’s College.
Recently, King’s College was featured in the newspapers in Singapore, and I caught a glimpse of the familiar path that we used to
take from Butler Court to Princess Street in one of the pictures. It made me miss London so much, especially the morning walks
that we used to take after breakfast which always led to the feeding of pigeons along the streets. That activity is something we
don’t usually participate in over here in Singapore.
I do have plans to go over after the annual book stock-taking, though. That would probably be around 15-28 December, just in
time for Christmas! I’m hoping to meet the three of you again, and perhaps spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day together! It
would be wonderful to meet up after months of not seeing each other! Let me know what you think of this plan, and if you are
agreeable to it, I will write to Rebecca and Lizzie and ask them about it too!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Love
Su Wen

11. Format of Personal Email
To: Recipient’s Email Address
Subject: Subject of email
Dear _________
Content
Content
Content
Love
Su Wen (Your Name, typed out)
Keep to the left margin, NO NEED
FOR 2 FINGER SPACING for each
new paragraph. Simply LEAVE A
LINE between each paragraph

12. Format of Personal Email
To: [email protected]
Subject: Keeping in Touch
Dear Annabelle
How’ve you been? It’s been months since I last heard from you! Are you still in the same accounting firm in London, or do you
have plans to move elsewhere?
I’m still working at the National Library, and am currently in the midst of preparing for the annual book stock-taking. Things
are rather busy right now! Come to think of it, it’s amazing how time flies, isn’t it? We have both been working for about a year
now, yet it still seems like yesterday when we were studying at King’s College together! Have you been keeping in touch with
Rebecca and Lizzie? I wonder how they are doing as well. I’m sad to say that I haven’t been keeping in touch with them after my
return to Singapore, which is really a pity, as the four of us were really close at King’s College.
Recently, King’s College was featured in the newspapers in Singapore, and I caught a glimpse of the familiar path that we used
to take from Butler Court to Princess Street in one of the pictures. It made me miss London so much, especially the morning
walks that we used to take after breakfast which always led to the feeding of pigeons along the streets. That activity is something
we don’t usually participate in over here in Singapore.
I do have plans to go over after the annual book stock-taking, though. That would probably be around 15-28 December, just in
time for Christmas! I’m hoping to meet the three of you again, and perhaps spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day together! It
would be wonderful to meet up after months of not seeing each other! Let me know what you think of this plan, and if you are
agreeable to it, I will write to Rebecca and Lizzie and ask them about it too!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Love
Su Wen

13. Are the formats of personal letter
and personal email the same?

14. What are the differences?

15. Tips for writing a personal
letter/email
Show your love/concern for the person you are
writing to
Try to interest the reader (and not bore the reader to
sleep!) – don’t launch into a whole descriptive
essay/paragraph! Try to think of it as writing to a real
person and hoping to prompt him/her to reply!

16. Tips for writing a personal
letter/email
Tone:
Use a friendly, sincere, and conversational tone
Show your care and concern – remember to ask how
your recipient is doing and not just start talking about
yourself!
Be PERSUASIVE and CONVINCING !

17. Tips for writing a personal
letter/email
Emotions:
Share your feelings, as they are what make a letter
personal
e.g. your likes/dislikes, something that made you
happy/sad

18. Tips for writing a personal
letter/email
Format and style:
Write personal letters neatly and clearly (handwriting!!)
Organise your writing into paragraphs

19. Tips for writing a personal
letter/email
Connection:
Connect with your recipient by responding to his/her
questions or concerns from a previous letter/email, or
by inviting a response from him/her