Informal Letter: Definition, Format, & Examples

4 min read

Updated On Dec 04, 2023

Informal Letter: Definition, Format, & Examples

Effective IELTS Essay Connectors for Writing Task 2 & Task 1

An informal letter is a personal letter that is written to friends, family, or other close acquaintances. It is typically written in a casual and friendly tone and does not follow any specific format. However, there are some basic parts that all informal letters should include.

And those parts are listed in the next section of the blog.

Parts of an Informal Letter

The following are the basic parts of an informal letter:

Sender’s address: This is the address of the person who is writing the letter. It is usually written in the top left corner of the page.
Date: The date of the letter is written below the sender’s address.
Recipient’s address: This is the address of the person who is receiving the letter. It is usually written in the top right corner of the page.
Salutation: The salutation is the greeting that you use to address the recipient of the letter. It is usually followed by the recipient’s name.
Body: The body of the letter is where you write the main content of your letter. This is where you can share news, ask questions, or just chat with the recipient.
Closing: The closing is the farewell that you use to end your letter. It is usually followed by your signature.

How to Write an Informal Letter?

Here are some tips on how to write an informal letter:

Use a casual and friendly tone. This is not a formal letter, so there is no need to use formal language or grammar.
Start by introducing yourself and saying hello.
Share some news or updates about your life.
Ask the recipient about their life.
End the letter with a friendly closing and your signature.

Samples of Informal letter questions asked in the IELTS General exam are:

Write a letter to your friend in another country where you would like to visit for the holidays.

In your letter, you should:

explain your travel plans
describe the interesting places you plan to visit
ask for suggestions for sightseeing options

You live in a block of flats, your neighbor makes a lot of noise which has caused problems for you. Write a letter to your landlord.

In your letter, you should:

explain the situation
tell him/her how you are affected by this
suggest what you want the landlord to do.

Structural Breakdown of an Informal Letter

The proper format for writing an informal letter is given below:

Informal Letter Format

Salutation

The letter’s opening salutation should begin with ‘dear, Hi, Hey, etc’ and use the first name of the receiver.

For example:

Dear Jasmeet

Hi Jasmeet

Body Paragraph 1

This is also known as the opening paragraph. It includes the purpose of the letter and what you are going to discuss in the letter. You can paraphrase the question and begin the letter with expressions like ‘How are you?’, ‘I hope you are in good health,’ etc.

Body Paragraph 2

This paragraph includes the supporting details covering all the bullet points mentioned below the question. Close the paragraph with 1 or 2 concluding lines.

The complementary closure

This closure is not mandatory, but you can include a few words or a single line. It can help you enhance your test scores. For example: Looking forward to hearing from you

Closing Salutation

The closing salutation of the informal letter includes your best wishes and your name along with it. For example: Warm Regards

A Brief Explanation of the Structure of the Informal Letter

Dear Kanika, (OPENING SALUTATION)

It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. ________________ (BODY PARAGRAPH 1)

____________________________ (BODY PARAGRAPH 2)

Hope to hear from you soon. (COMPLIMENTARY CLOSURE)

Best Wishes

Deeksha (CLOSING SALUTATION)

The tone of the letter

The tone of the informal letter should be friendly. But it does not mean you can use abbreviations and acronyms like ‘bcz,’ ‘LOL,’ ‘IDK,’ ‘luv,’ ‘ASAP,’ etc. But in order to show the examiner that you are aware of writing informal letters, you can use contractions like ‘I’m,” I’d,” she’s/he’s’ etc.

Check more samples: IELTS Informal Letters

Write a letter to your friend in another country where you like to visit for the holidays.

In your letter, you should:

explain your travel plans
describe the interesting places you plan to visit
ask for suggestions for sightseeing options.

Answer

Dear Rubina

It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. I hope this letter finds you in good health. As summer approaches, I am thinking of spending my summer break with you in your country.

I want to come to Australia to meet you and your family. It’s been almost 2 years since we haven’t met. Besides, I would like you to give me a mini tour of your country. I want to get familiar with Melbourne culture, see the old churches of Melbourne, and explore the job possibilities. I have heard that the weather in Australia is very pleasant during those days.

I am excited even at the thought of spending time together after so long. I need your advice on some popular tourist places I can see on my visit. I have to tell you lots of things and expect the same from you. Please give my regards to Uncle and Aunty!

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards

Shilpi

Context and the types of letters or essays and so forth and so on are very important to know and to practice all such formats and patterns. Here we have our IELTS online classes just for you.

Also, check :

Here are the 10 examples for the IELTS General Writing Task 1 Sample Informal Letters:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the things to remember while attempting an informal letter?

Informal letters are usually non-official letters. Some of the things that should be borne in mind when attempting an informal letter are that phrasal verbs, slang, idioms, colloquial expressions, contractions, and reductions can be used.

What is the format of the informal letter?

The format of an informal letter should include the address of the sender, date, address of the receiver, salutation/ greeting, body of the letter, conclusion, and signature of the sender.

What is the difference between informal and formal letters?

A formal letter is a business letter written in a professional manner with a specific format where the letter's intent is directly mentioned, whereas an informal letter is a personal letter written to close acquaintances or friends. The language used in an informal letter is casual and personal

Mention the types of informal letters

Some of the types of informal letters are inviting a buddy to a birthday/wedding party, apologizing to someone for a mistake, congratulating a friend/ colleague on their success, writing to seek about a family member's well-being, and requesting assistance from family members/ relatives/ close acquaintances

Is vocabulary important in an informal letter?

Of course! If the test-taker aims to get a high band score in the Writing Task 1, the requirements for 'Lexical Resource' are that they use a wide range of vocabulary to convey precise meanings and skillfully use uncommon lexical items, which means that they should avoid using very simple words and repeating the same words in their letter.