Informal Letter Writing: Informal letters include the letters written to family members, relatives, friends and acquaintances. There are no formal rules as such on how to write these types of letters. Since they are intended to express feelings and share some life events, they may be written in friendly manner as if talking to the receiver. The style of writing may depend upon an individual’s nature and mood. If you are writing to an elderly person, you should use the language which is respectful and courteous. While on the other hand, when writing to best friends, you can use casual, zingy language.
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Informal Letter Writing for Class 9 ICSE Format, Examples, Topics, Samples, Exercises
Purpose of Writing Informal Letters
- To express feelings and emotions.
- To stay connected with relatives and friends.
- To send invitations and to give thanks.
- To ask their whereabouts and howabouts.
- To describe an event or incident.
Steps to Write an Informal Letter
Informal letters consist of following parts
1. Sender’s Address and Date
Sender’s address and date of writing the letter (sender’s name is never written in the heading part).
2. Greeting Salutation
This consists of greeting and name of the recipient or the sender’s relation with the recipient e.g. Dear Ashi.
(a) For Parents
Dear/My dear father/mother etc.
(b) For Relatives
Dear uncle/aunty etc.
(c) For Brother/Sister/Cousin etc.
Dear/My dear (name) etc.
(d) For Acquaintances
Dear Mr (last name)/Ms (name)
3. Body of the Letter/Message
(a) Introduction/Opening
• This may begin with enquiring howabouts, e.g. ‘How are you?’, ‘How are you (Akshay/Rahul)?’ or ‘I hope you are hale and hearty’, ‘I hope you are doing well’, or ‘It’s been long time to have heard from you.’
• The letter may begin with acknowledging/thanking for the previous letter/gift received, e.g. ‘Thank you for such a precious gift of yours’ or by apologising if you are writing/replying after too long. e.g. “Hi Preeti. I received your letter, but I was so busy with my new project that I could not reply earlier.”
(b) Main Body of the Letter
- Here you write about the actual purpose of your letter, sharing the current events happening in your life, school, college etc.
- Try to write your message according to the theme of the question asked.
- Divide your message into paragraphs.
- While you share your experiences, your feelings, ask questions in between to arouse interest of the reader of the letter. This will give your letter a touch of live conversation.
- Also, give replies to the questions of the recipient if he/she has written to you earlier.
4. Closure/Concluding Sentence
Even if you are writing an informal, friendly letter, you cannot end it abruptly. So, give your letter a proper closure with the consent of the reader, e.g. ‘Hope to see/hear from you soon’ or ‘You take good care of yourself Or ‘I will have to stop myself now as …..Also, you may convey love to family members and good wishes to friends and acquaintances, e.g. ‘Convey my regards to aunty and uncle’, ‘Love to little Chinu’ etc.
5. Subscription or Leave-Taking
As informal letters, in case of informal letters too, it needs to be courteous and also with due respect to the relationship with the person you are writing to. Below the subscription, comes the signature or name of the writer as Example:
- Family Members and Relatives Your affectionate/loving son/daughter/ brother/sister/nephew etc.
- Close Friends Yours lovingly/loving friend.
- Acquaintances Yours faithfully/sincerely.
Format of Informal Letter
You have recently travelled to Korea for your Master’s course in culinary (cooking) arts. Write to your mother sharing your feelings of jet lag, homesickness and both good and bad experiences in college and hostel.
Marking Scheme
Format : 2 ½ marks
Body : 2 ½ marks
- Jet lag and homesickness 1/2 mark
- Reasons for bad experience 1/2 + 1/2 mark (2 reasons)
- Reasons for good experience 1/2+ 1/2 mark (2 reasons)
Expression : 5 marks
Sample 1
You were a part of an organising committee for an inter-school event which was very successful. You and the other committee members were congratulated and praised at the school assembly by the Principal. Write a letter to your grandmother telling her about the event and your feelings at being recognised and praised in front of the school.
St. Thomas Boy’s Hostel Dearest Grandmother Next day during morning assembly, the principal congratulated all the members of this organising committee. The principal praised our efforts in front of the whole staff and students. It was a proud moment for all of us. As I was also a part of it. I was very happy as everyone appreciated our work. It was a great feeling to be recognised and praised in front of the whole school and staff members. I wanted to share this proud moment with you. I know you would also feel very proud of me and bless me for future. With loving regards. |
Sample 2
Imagine yourself as Gaurav Mallya. Your room-mate Tejas’ right hand is plastered as it got fractured while playing badminton in the school. Write a letter to his father informing him about the accident and also asking him not to worry.
Shri Ram Boy’s Hostel, Dear Uncle I am writing this to inform you that last evening, while playing badminton in the school, Tejas fractured his right hand which has been plastered. He himself is not able to write because of the plaster on his right hand. I know you and aunty will get worried, but it is only a hairline fracture. Let me assure you that there is nothing to Worry about and I am here to look after him. There is no need for you to rush here to see him. I will keep you informed about Tejas periodically. Regards |
SELF ASSESSMENT
1. You are very much fond of adventure. You were on a tour to Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago. Write your thrilling experience of ice-skiing there to your best friend.
2. Write a letter to your high-school English teacher, thanking him/her for teaching you English so well that you are very confident in speaking as well as writing in English on any topic easily. You are Anuj/Anuja of class X.
3. Your younger brother/sister has recently won a district level football championship match on district level wherein a great number of schools participated. Write a letter to congratulate him/her and also motivate him/her for further practice to pursue it as a profession.
4. You are Abhishek/Abhilasha, a final year MCA student. You had lost/misplaced your important documents including your marksheets of previous years. An unknown person has posted you the documents. He was of a great help to you. Write a letter expressing your gratitude to him/her.
5. As a member of the School Environment Society you developed a park in your school compound with a team of 10 volunteers. Write a letter to your friend Nitin telling him about your experience.
6. There was a fancy dress competition in one of your niece’s school. Write a letter to your best friend telling her/him how you prepared your niece for this event. Also, tell her/him what all efforts you had to take for the selection of the theme and buying her dress and accessories.
7. One of your relatives is going to shift with his/her family to a city where you had spent a few years. He/She seeks your advice on which schools in the city are good for his/her children. Write a letter in reply giving the desired information.
8. Rahul/Radha is a good friend of yours and you are very well aware of his/her likes and dislikes. Also, you know what subjects he/she has a knack for. He/She seeks your help in choosing a right career option for himself/herself. Write a letter suggesting some good options and your views for those options.
9. Write a letter to your cousin who stays abroad asking him/her about the country, its culture, people etc and also, what his/her personal experiences in the country are.
10. You are studying in class X and you stay in a hostel. Your Mathematics teacher suggests some good books for the better preparation for board exams. Write a letter to your father asking him for the money to buy the ‘ books.
Informal Letter Writing Worksheets
Question 1.
Your uncle has offered to get you a pet for your birthday. Write a letter to him telling him what you like, give reasons for your choice and tell him how you take care of your pet.
Answer:
House 365 – E Dear Uncle Uncle, I am eagerly waiting for this gift from your side. I am quite excited about it. From a long time I have been interested in looking after a puppy and you are fulfilling my wish. As you very well know, dogs are very faithful pets and are also useful for guarding the home against intruders. I can train up the puppy to be a good guard dog. I understand that keeping pets in the house is not easy. We have to take good care of them. But you can be sure that I will take good care of it. I will keep writing to you regularly about its training and progress. I am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I am making preparations for its stay in my room at home. Please convey my respects to Aunty and regards to Sunny. Yours affectionately |
Question 2.
Write a letter to your landlord asking him to undertake repair work in your rented house.
Answer:
311, Kohat Enclave Dear Mr Singh The rainy season is going to set in soon. I am afraid, if the necessary repairs are not carried out, it will cause much inconvenience to us. I request you, therefore, to take immediate steps to carry out these repairs at the earliest. The roof is leaking and the wall plaster has come out at almost all the places. Window panes are broken and need to be replaced. The floor of the roof has potholes. The switches at many places have got loose. The entire house needs whitewashing and its doors and windows need painting. I am quite willing to share the cost of repairs to be carried out in the house. The costs may be adjusted towards the rent of the house. If you so desire and permit, I can carty out the necessary repairs on your behalf. The costs, of course, will be deducted from the rent. I request you to give priority to this. Yours sincerely |
Question 3.
Your school recently held a silver jubilee celebration. Write a letter to your friend who was unable to attend, giving details of the function and your role in it.
Answer:
WZ-1263 Dear Rashi A special function was organised to celebrate the Silver Jubilee. We gathered in the auditorium for the function. The principal gave a small speech before the function started. He told us about the history and the founders of our school. The next programme was a fashion show. I also participated in that show and represented our class. Everyone cheered for me when I came on the stage. I was adjudged the best dressed female by the judges. The party was followed by a small snacks where we also got a chance to meet the honourable Chief Minister of Delhi, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion. We enjoyed the celebrations a lot. It would have been a more fun if you also had been present on that day. I wish that you get well soon and join school. Yours loving friend |
Question 4.
You are to be awarded a special prize at the Annual Prize Day Ceremony of your school. Write a letter to a lady
relative giving her the news. Be sure to include details of the prize that you are to receive and tell her why you have been chosen for this honour.
Answer:
120 ‘Girish Sadan’ Dear Anu Aunty Today, I wish to share with you an exciting experience that may come my way. Next week is going to be the week for annual celebration in our school. And I have been nominated for the Award For Extra Ordinary Work for Humanity. In fact, I have been finalised for this award. How exciting no? Our school had started a campaign for educating the girls and the boys of poor and destitute families on Sundays. It was open for everybody that liked to voluntarily render the service to the socio-economically backward fellowmen of ours. I always had a desire to do some or the other social work of my capacity. And this was a golden opportunity for me. So, There were other classmates and colleagues of mine who volunteered for this programme but I would be honoured with this prize. This is because I spent the maximum hours in teaching them. I am very happy to have contributed to this noble work. I hope you, too, must be very happy to hear this. With my warmest regards |
Question 5.
Your uncle has promised to give you a gift of ₹ 1000. Write a letter thanking him for the offer and tell him
how you plan to spend the money and why you wish to spend it in this way.
Answer:
25/247, Bagla Kunj Dear Uncle There is a book ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho which I have been wanting to buy for a long time. Everybody is praising this book. One of my friends has read it and she found it truly inspiring. It costs about ₹ 450 and I would buy it once I get your gift. So, I will still be left with ₹ 550 to spend on other things. The other day when I went shopping with my mom, I found a beautiful set of painting colours. You know how fond I am of painting. My art teacher has always praised my sense of colour and wants me to join her workshop for five days in the winter vacation. Although, the workshop is free of cost but I need painting material. So, I will use the rest of the money for this. Once again thanks for your kind gesture and the thoughtfulness behind it. I hope you will be happy to hear the way plan to spend the money. I am looking forward to your visit. Yours lovingly |
Question 6.
You will soon have to make a decision about the subjects that you wish to study in classes XI and XII. Write a letter to your grandfather telling him about the subjects that you plan to take up. Be sure to explain the reason for your choice and how you think these subjects would help you in the future.
Answer:
808, Galleria Apartments Dear Grandpa I did not know which stream would suit me the best. So, I decided to opt for one week trial classes. After attending them, I thought I should go for Commerce with Maths stream. Although, the subjects are new but they are quite interesting and offer a practical approach. It is quite fun to solve accountancy questions, draw balance sheet etc. There is so much to explore in Business Studies and Economics as well. I feel that I have taken the correct decision because it will enhance my interest and aptitude towards becoming an entrepreneur in the future. Moreover, you and dad are always there to guide and assist me in my future endeavours. I am sure with a lot of diligence and motivation from both of you, I will do very well and will realise my ambition soon. This stream would greatly benefit me in the future. Hope to see you soon. Yours affectionately |
Question 7.
You were taken by your school to visit a place of historical interest. Write a letter to your classmate who was
unable to go on the trip telling him/her about the trip, why it was important and what you gained from the experience.
Answer:
H.No. 01 Dear Kapil It was an amazing trip. We started from our school at 6 am and got there at around 8:30 am. We enjoyed a lot during our travel, eating chips, cakes etc and singing songs and mimicking. Our teachers were also very sportive and shared jokes. The real euphoria of the exploration began when we reached Fatehpur Sikri. A guide accompanied us there. As and when he told us the history associated with each place, we would feel like having entered into the Mughal period. The Buland Darwaza which is a huge massive gate to the Jama Masjid proved to be a ‘Time Machine’ for me. I found myself transported to the Mughal Empire and could visualise ‘Akbar, the great with his Beghums and courtiers’. Every building is an example of grandeur and marvellous art. The buildings are constructed using red sandstones which give them a unique lustre. The Panch Mahal, Jama Masjid, Diwaan-e-Aam (the hall of public audience) and Diwaan-e-Khas (the hall of private audience) capture one’s wit. We had our lunch in the garden. Amidst jokes and songs, all became fully satiated. Then we played ‘Dumb-Charades’ which was a very nice experience. A few of us danced too. There were bursts of laughter in between. All enjoyed themselves greatly. Had you been there, it would have been more exciting. Yours lovingly |
Question 8.
You have just acquired an unusual pet. Write a letter to your friend telling him/her about it. Give details about the care you have to take in looking after and feeding the pet.
Answer:
22, Bhawara Vihar Dear Parul He was just a month old baby when I got it. He was too young to have his normal diet of fruits and breads. He, thus, survived on milk. We had to feed him through a feeding botde. Sometimes we also gave him cerelac. My sister found him quite funny and named him ‘Bunny’. After a few days with us, Bunny took a special liking towards me and we soon became best of pals. Bunny is more like a family member now. But he is still only six months old. So we don’t allow him to eat anything from outside. My mother cooks for him. He eats boiled rice and vegetables mashed into a paste. Everyday after his meals, he needs a banana. He is more pleased if it’s provided by me. I have also cut a portion of a discarded mattress and made a soft bed for him too. Come soon to my place and visit Bunny. You will find him very lovable and he is quite friendly too. Yours lovingly |
Question 9.
Your class was taken to visit an old age home where you spent half a day with the residents. Write a letter to your friend telling him/her what you saw, how you felt and in what way you have changed since the visit.
Answer:
160 Nayantara Apartment Dear Mohit Aashiana Old Age Home, as it is named, is a big house in which many old men and women live. As we reached, we were welcomed heartily by the residents. They conversed with us like our own old grandparents. We offered them the gifts of magazines, books and snacks that we carried with us. They not only made us all burst out in laughter many times by telling a number of jokes but also enlightened us with their anecdotes. Their happiness was a mask on their sad lives. The senior caretaker, Sharat, told us how the parents who nurture the family with years of love and care are denounced by their own children in a heartless way. Really, parents give their blood, sweat, tears and toil to a house to convert it to a ‘home’ and to ‘a family’ and at the end, are deprived of that ‘house’. It’s a bad pill to swallow but it’s the truth of life. After visiting the Old Age Home, I have learnt two things. One, that one has to move on in life whatever bad the circumstances are. And the second thing is that we must never leave our parents alone. We must give our grandparents the love and the security of our home that we owe them. I hope, you too, agree with me. Do write to me soon. With my warmest regards |
Question 10.
Your pen-friend from Japan plans to visit your school and attend classes and activities for the duration of a month. Write a letter briefing him/her on your school routine. Give any other information that you think your friend may need.
Answer:
H.No. 72/4-B Dear Akira Like yours, our school begins at 8 am and we finish classes at 2 pm. In this duration, we have 8 periods comprising 40 minutes each devoted to subject teaching. Recess is only for 40 minutes after the fourth period. We have two terms in a year, and you’ll actually be joining us in the latter part of our first term. Saturdays are usually most exciting days and we look forward to them as it is a half day and most of the activities take place on this day. I must tell you that on 15th August, we celebrate our Independence day. So, much of the first half of the month goes into preparing for it and other co-curricular activities are pushed to the background. But I think the preparations themselves will be quite an experience for you. As for studies, I know Japan has a very high standard, and it will be interesting to see how you feel about the standard of academics here. Well, Akira, I can’t wait to meet you! Yours faithfully |