Topic 14: Writing A Personal Letter | English Form 1

Friendly or personal letters are means of communication through letter. We normally write letters to loved ones, including mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, lovers, wives, husbands, teachers, friends, etc.

We normally use statements such as ‘Dear mother’, ‘Dear father’, ‘Dear sister’, ‘Dear friend’, ‘hi daddy’,’ hi mummy’, ‘hi aunt’. in the greeting (introduction part). We use expressions such as ‘your loving daughter’, ‘your loving son’, ‘your loving………’, ‘missing you……..’in the closing remarks.

Components of a friendly letter

Writer’s address -written on top right hand corner.

Date – below the sender address.

Salutation – comes after the address.

Main body-states the aim or purpose of the letter.

Closing statement-ending the letter.

Signature and name of the writer/sender- extreme end of the letter.

WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER

Example 1

SAMPLE LATTER

Kongani Secondary School,

P. O. Box 340,

Pemba

05 December, 2014

Dearest Mother,

It is my hope that you are doing well. It’s been a long time since I last wrote to you. I am generally fine and continue with my studies. By the way, we will close school for a short holiday this Saturday till early April.

I ask that you send me some money for a bus fare from school.. Please send me the money very soon so that I may pay the transport officers. Greetings to brothers Jorum and Maven and sisters Jacky and Joan, as well as all my friends.

I hope to see you during holiday and pray for you with best wishes.

Your loving daughter,

N.S

Nasra Shomari Mohamed.

WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER

Activity 1

Pretend that you are Nasra’s mother and reply to the letter, informing her that you will send her some money before school closes.

INFORMAL/FRIENDLY LETTERS.

The informal letters are normally written to our friends. These ones don’t follow any rule. They can be written the way how someone wants.

FRIENDLY/PRIVATE/PERSONAL LETTERS: These are those letters which are written to friends, relatives or acquaintances. They are therefore written in a free – and – easy manner.

 FORMAT OF WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER

1. ADDRESS.

Mazinyungu Secondary School, P.o. Box 23416, Morogoro.

2. DATE.

11^th August 2015.

3. SALUTATION,

Dearest Brother,

4. BODY OF THE LETTER.

The aim of writing this letter is to ask you send me some money for bus fare as we expect to close school very soon. Many kisses and hugs and a heap of love for my young brothers and sisters there at home.

5. COMPLEMENTARY CLOSE.

Your loving sister/brother,

6. SIGNATURE

           A.B

EXAMPLES OF WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER

1. Write a letter to your best friend Aboliga the Frog living in Zanzibar telling him/her about your plans of studying very hard if you succeed to join Form Two in the next academic year 2017. If possible ask him/ her to send you some stationery like pens, books, ruler and other properties like school bags and mathematical set.

KICHANGACHUI SEC SCHOOL,

P.O.BOX 524,

KIGOMA.

15^th MARCH, 2016.

My dearest friend Aboliga the Frog,

I feel more than delighted to have this brilliant opportunity once and again of writing you this letter. First of all, let me please know how you and your family are. What about the little kids Junior, Muga and Maki? Are they all fine?

Back to me, I’m good and I continue well with my family only that Aunt Mwana was a little sick two weeks ago but thanks God she is all Ok right now and back to work as usual. As for my twin sisters Hafsa and Mwanaisha, they have just come from attending their Form Four graduation ceremony the moment I’m writing down this letter.

Dear Aboliga, I’m very sorry for having taken so long in replying your letter you wrote me about a month ago, you know I’m a bit busy getting prepared for my terminal exams at our school.

The aim of writing this letter is just to tell you about my plans of studying very hard if I succeed to join Form Two in the next academic year 2017. You know here at our school, we have something what we call screening in which students are required to attain the school required average to join the next class. For those students who fail to meet the required average will have only two alternatives, whether to repeat a year or quit the school, please pray for me to do well in my exams.

Apart from that, I have a special request to you my dear special one; I’m kindly asking you to send me stationery like pens, books, rulers, mathematical set and school bags when I let you know of my positive results.

Love you more and miss you much,

Your one and only best friend,

Joe Kimani.

Ps: I’ll send you some of my pictures of school trips at Ngorongoro National Park in Arusha caves, hope you’ll enjoy much. Take care, see you then and bye!

WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER

Exercise 1.

Write a letter to your former friend who got transferred to another school last term. Tell him about the progress you have made in your studies, the part you have been taking in sports and other activities that have taken place at your school since he/she transferred.

Exercise 2.

Write a letter to your friend telling him/her what activities you will engage in at home during your holiday. Sign your name as Juneid Ally/Alwiya Issa and your friend’s name is Omary Siraji/ Shukuru Muhsin.

Exercise 3.

Write a friendly letter to your brother Mr. Kinga who stays at Singida. Ask him to send you a bus fare as you are expecting to close the school for the holiday. Use the following guidelines.

Exercise 06.

Your younger brother, Desa Kipanga, has been offered a place to form V at Changanyikeni Secondary School and has decided to take a job straight. Write him a letter to persuade him to change his mind, lest he regrets his decisions in future. Sign your name as Shukuru Kipanga.

 EXERCISE 08.

Write a letter to your pen pal Sawak describing to him/her about mountain Kilimanjaro in Africa. Talk about its peaks, beauty and its attraction to people from outside Tanzania. The aim of your letter should be to attract your pen pal to come and see the mountain. Use the following name and address; Dotto Masanja, P.O Box 15, Mwanza.