You Still Write Familiar Letter

We writers even though we do not have much concerned about the elegant of form when we are writing to intimate friends or to acquaintances, there is a need that we would observe the conventions of form and etiquette especially in letters addressed to people that we do not know well enough to call by their first name.

Image via Wikimedia Commons 1 of 2

In letters to acquaintances - we should keep in mind that even the most intimate acquaintance is exalted if we, authors of the letter observe certain manners of form. Letter-writing is one type of writing that most of us engage in after we leave school. We almost certainly write letters to parents, friends and acquaintances and we may have to write letters in connection with our jobs. 

Sometimes, we may write formal letters to institutions or officials for such purposes for applying for a job, requesting information or services, or seeking redress of some grievance. This article will discuss about familiar letter or letter written to acquaintances.

Below is a list of the assembly for the familiar letter.

• Familiar letters may be written on lined or unlined paper of any size but usually they are written on note-size stationary of some pastel color.
• Familiar letters may be handwritten and may be written on both sides of the sheet of paper.
• The author of the letter usually puts his or her address and the date at the right-hand side of the heading but does not, as in a business letter, put at the left-hand side of the heading the name and address of the person to whom the letter is addressed.
• Depending on the degree of intimacy with the addressee, the writer may use salutations like, Dear Mom, Dear Paul, Dear Jean, Dear Ms. Julie. The salutation is often followed by comma rather than the more formal colon.
• The body of the letter may be written in indented paragraphs, single or doubled-spaced.
• Again depending on the degree of intimacy with the addressee, the writer may use complimentary closes like – Sincerely, Cordially, Affectionately, Yours, Much love, Fondly and As ever.
• And depending on the degree of intimacy with the addressee, the writer may sign his or her full name or just a first name or a nickname.

Image via Wikimedia Commons 2 of 2

Read also my previously published columns:

• Happy Indeed. I Hit My Goal
• Pacquiao and Marquez are Professional Models That Other Boxers Should Regard

For those who are not yet writing for ExpertsColumn - this site is open for all your awesome and original columns. Join ExpertsColumn Community – write, publish and earn. 

Aside ExpertsColumn, I also write for Allvoices, Bukisa, Squidoo, Triond, HubPages and Wikinut. I also maintain couple of blog sites. I have no specific areas where my writing will focus on. I write any subject that interests me under the merciless sun. My favorite saying: "Dream big and don't stop without giving it a chance to come true."