Letters

							Name: ___________________________________________
Beach Park
Letters

                                                Objective:
     In this lesson, you will recognize and use the proper format for writing letters and addressing
                                                envelopes.

Before You Begin
People write letters every day to friends and family. You can express congratulations, sympathy or good
news through letters. With the new technological advances such as e-mail, letter writing is being used
less as a communication tool. However, it is very important that you learn the proper format for writing
a letter. Sometimes it is more important for you to write a letter than to send an e-mail because a letter
in your handwriting is much more personal or more appropriate.

Types of Letters
The two most common types of letters are the friendly letter and the business letter. The friendly letter
is informal. As its name indicates, this is a letter you would write to your friends or maybe to your family
when you are away at summer camp.

Business Letters
A business letter is much more formal than a friendly letter. A business letter is used to write to a
company or to address an unfamiliar person. The business letter may be written for several reasons. For
example, you may want to ask a recycling company to send you information about home recycling, or
you may want to make a complaint about a defective product you purchased. These cases would require
a business letter since you do not personally know the owners of the companies you are addressing. The
business letter is a respectful way of communicating your requests.

Friendly Letters
The friendly letter, although it is casual, does have a few rules to be followed. You can use any kind or
color of paper or stationery for a friendly letter. It is important to put your name, address, and date at
the top of the letter. This helps the person receiving the letter to keep track of your address in case the
envelope is lost or damaged.

Salutation
Address the person you are writing in the salutation such as "Dear Jane," or just "Jane." In a friendly
letter, you can use any salutation you like. Some people simply address the person receiving the letter
by saying, "Hello, Jane," and others may just say, "Hi."

Body
The next part of a friendly letter is the body. This is everything you want to say to the reader. The body
includes every line of text in your letter. This can range from one sentence to several pages. The length
is entirely up to you.

Closing
The last part of the letter is the complimentary closing and the signature. Some commonly used closings
include:

Yours truly,
Love,
Name: ___________________________________________
Beach Park
Letters

Notice that the closing is followed by a comma. Again, since a friendly letter is casual, you can choose
any closing you like. After the closing, sign your name.



Here is an example of a friendly letter.
                                                                                   Clara Johnson
                                                                                   2236 Blake Street
                                                                                   Tulsa, OK 70700
                                                                                   February 16, 1999

Dear Maggie,

   How are you? I received your letter last week and was so happy to hear from you! It seems like years
since I have seen you. How is school? I like all my teachers and have made several new friends this year.
I had three basketball games this past week, and we won all of them. I can't wait to see you this summer
at camp. Everyone says I have grown a foot! I think this summer will be the best yet. I am sending you
my school picture, so write me back and send yours. Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon!

                                                                                   Yours truly,
                                                                                   Clara

Letter writing can be a lot of fun when you keep in touch with friends or pen pals.



Business Letters
A business letter consists of five parts:

1. heading: writer's address and the date
2. the inside address: name and address of the company or person you are writing
3. the salutation: greeting, usually "Dear Sir:" or "Dear Madam:" In a business letter the salutation is
followed by a colon.
4. the body: your message
5. the complimentary closing and signature: the closing, followed by a comma, and your signature
below. You should also print or type your name below your signature.

It is best to use standard white paper for a business letter. However, it is also acceptable to use beige or
gray paper for this type of letter.
Name: ___________________________________________
Beach Park
Letters

Here is an example of a business letter.
403 South Garnett
Tulsa, OK 70700
February 18, 1999

Tree Happy Recycling Plant
3000 Birch Road
Kansas City, KS 80098

Dear Sir:
I am a seventh grade student who is very aware of the problems facing our environment. I am interested
in learning more about recycling and about your company. I would like to request some materials and
information packets that could help me start recycling at home. Please send any information you have
that would be helpful to me. I am enclosing $1.00 to cover the postage.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

James Smith

Envelopes
After you have written your letter, place it in an envelope to be mailed. For a friendly letter, you can use
any style or color of envelope you wish. But for a business letter, use a business envelope (4 1/8 by 9 1/2
inches). The type of envelope is about the only difference between the two types of letters. The format
is basically the same. You will have two addresses on the envelope:

1. Place your address in the upper left corner of the envelope. This is referred to as the return address
and is used by the post office to return the letter to you if it cannot be delivered.
2. The address of the person or company you are writing is placed in the middle of the envelope. Write
the person's name or the name of the company on the first line and the street address directly under
the name, followed by the city, state and zip code on the third line.


Place a stamp in the top right corner.
                                                                                                   STAMP
James Smith
403 South Garnett
Tulsa, OK 70700

                                                 Tree Happy Recycling Plant
                                                 3000 Birch Road
                                                 Kansas City, KS 80098
Name: ___________________________________________
Beach Park
Letters

Assignments for Your Student Writing Portfolio:

Assignment # 1
In the space below, write a friendly letter to one of your friends or family members. Be creative! (You
could pretend that you are at summer camp and describe the scenery and your activities.) Make sure to
include the components of a friendly letter. Remember that even though it is informal, there are still
guidelines to follow!

Begin writing here:
Name: ___________________________________________
Beach Park
Letters

Assignment # 2
In the space below, write a business letter to a company requesting information about a subject of
interest to you. You can make up a company name and address. Make sure to use the correct format.
Once again, be creative!

Begin typing here:
Name: ___________________________________________
Beach Park
Letters

Assignment # 3
After you have finished your business letter, address an envelope correctly.

Begin writing here: