Friendly Letter Writing, by parts

Format:

• 1" margin on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right)

• Paragraphs indented 1/2"

• Written in ink

 Heading:

All information in the heading goes at the top, just under the margin, on the right hand side of the page; the end of the longest line should touch the edge of the margin, the rest of the lines should begin at the same place the longest line begins.

• Street address
• City, state, ZIP code
• Write out the date (letter was written)
• DO NOT include sender's name!

 Salutation:

The salutation starts at the left margin.  Skip at least one line after the heading.

• “Dear”
• Name
• Comma

 Body:

• Skip one line after salutation
• Indent 1/2"
• Write paragraph - only one main topic/idea per paragraph.  This usually works out to between 1-8 sentences per paragraph.
• Don’t skip lines between paragraphs (unless you're double-spacing the entire letter)
• Indent 1/2" & start new paragraph
• Repeat as necessary

 Closing:

The closing should align with the end of the salutation, or should be just to the left of center, after the body of the letter.

• Skip one line after the body
• Line up beginning of closing with the end of “Dear”
• Write your word/phrase, capitalizing each word (Sincerely, Yours Truly, Your Friend, etc.)
• Write a comma

 Signature

Your signature should be centered on your closing.

• Sign your name in cursive; your first name should be enough, because this is an informal writing, and thus should only go to someone who knows you well.
• Use two or three lines - be large, like John Hancock
• Make it legible, not a scribble

 Post-Script (P.S.):

• Skip one line after your signature
• Write “P.S. - ” using capital letters and proper punctuation
• Write your post script
• [Note: “post” means “after,” “script” means “writing”; a post-script is something added after writing the rest of the letter.  If you wished to add a second annotation, it would be a post-post-script (after the writing you did after writing your letter), so it would be “P.P.S.”]

When Finished: You should fold your finished friendly letter into three even sections, then place it in a proper envelope.  If your friendly letter does not fit into your envelope, you can fold it so that it will fit. 

Click here to see a PowerPoint presentation on the friendly letter format