What to write in a letter to a friend. Letter in English to a friend

This article examines a letter to a friend - the basic rules of writing, the outline of the letter, the correct spelling of the address, samples of opening and closing sentences, addressing the addressee, as well as a large number of examples of different letters, including a letter about how I spent my holidays. Guided by these data, you can easily compose any letter to your friends.

There are several types of letters according to the purpose of their writing: communication support, requests, applying for a job, complaints, news transfer, support of business transactions and others. All these types of letters can be divided into personal or informal (letters to friends, for example) and official - formal. Informal letters in English, which include a letter to a friend, are written simply, but with respect to structure. This letter is divided structurally into 5 sections.

A letter to a friend is written according to the scheme

The diagram and examples of opening and closing sentences will help you compose any letter to your friends.

1. Heading.

The header contains the address from where the letter was sent and the date it was written. IN English speaking countries It is customary to write the address in the following order:

House, street
City district, district
City
State, county
Postal code
A country

It is usually placed in the upper right corner of the letter. If you and your friend live in the same country, then you don’t have to indicate the country in the address. Under the address it is written, usually in one of two formats:

2. Salutation or Greetings

It is written My Dear or Dear before the name of a relative, Dear before the friend's name, followed by a comma:

My Dear Igor,
Dear Phil,

3. Body of the letter

Consists of 3 parts: opening sentence ( Opening sentence ), main message and final sentence ( Closing Lines ). Example expressions for Opening Sentence in a letter to a friend:

The main message should consist of short sentences written in a conversational manner. It may contain abbreviations, idioms, phrasal verbs, slang and other colloquial expressions, including exclamations with a “!”

The final sentence expresses the respect and hope you have for your friend (or relative):

4. Complementary closing - Subscription

The signing depends on the relationship between you and your friend:

All the best
Best wishes,
See you soon,
Take care,
Yours,
Lots of love,
Love,
Yours affectionately/lovingly,
Your affectionate daughter/brother/mother, - for relatives
Yours sincerely / Sincerely yours, - for friends

Typically this signature is placed on the left side of the letter, but some cultures prefer the right side.

5. Signature ( Signature)

The sender's signature and name are placed under Complementary closing.

6. Postscript - after the letter

Also, a letter to a friend may contain the following abbreviation:

P.S. (post script) - used when you want to add more information after the letter has already been signed.
P.S.V.P. - means in French “please reply” if the letter contained an invitation to somewhere.

Letter to a friend - examples

Letter to Jane

65 Allendale Road
London - GI5 8SG
February 20, 2014

How are you doing? I’m just writing to let you know that everything is all right now. This is a nice quiet place. The people are friendly, and the weather is warm. We’ve been staying here for ten days now, and we are already used to it.
I walk a lot, but Phil just spends his time reading newspapers and writing business letters. Sometimes we are going for a walk together.
Last week I went to the nearest park. This is a wonderful very beautiful place. I saw a lot of squirrels, they were so noisy and begged for food all the time. I gave them all the peanuts that I had. There is also a small pond at the park with ducks and beautiful water lilies.
Next week I’m going to start writing my new book, and it’s going to be very hard work. That is all for now.
Give my regards to Paul and the family. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your loving sister,
Ann

Translation of the letter:

Dear Jane,
How are you? I'm just writing to let you know everything is okay. It's a nice quiet place. The people are friendly and the weather is warm. We have been here for ten days and we are already used to it.
I walk a lot, but Phil just spends his time reading newspapers and writing business letters. Sometimes we go for a walk together.
Last week I went to a nearby park. This is a wonderful, very beautiful place. I saw a lot of squirrels, they were so noisy and kept asking for food. I gave them all the nuts I had. Here in the park there is also a small pond with ducks and beautiful water lilies.
I'm going to start writing my new book next week, and it's going to be a lot of hard work. This is all.
Shout out to Paul and family. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Your loving sister,
Anna

Letter to Elizabeth

Translation of this letter:

Dear Elizabeth,
How are you? I'm feeling refreshed after a delightful holiday last week when my family and I went on holiday to Blue Lake.
Every morning we walked to the lake, sat in comfortable chairs and cast fishing lines. I caught a rainbow trout that weighed two pounds. After our fishing adventures, we jumped into the cool lake and cooled off. Sometimes we splashed on each other and played games. In the evening we prepared a delicious trout barbecue. We wish you were there too!
Your friend
Sammy

Letter to a friend about the holidays

All sample letters are provided in English with translation into Russian in pdf format.

In the era of social networks, it is extremely easy to find friends who speak English. You can transfer with them in short phrases, or you can improve your communication skills in English and write meaningful letters.

Structure of a letter to a friend

As for the structure of a personal letter in English, its form is practically no different from business letter, just some points can be neglected at your discretion.

Like any other type of letter, an informal letter contains a greeting and a farewell. In a letter to a friend, start with the word Dear + the name of the person you are writing to. You can also start with the word Hi + the person's name. For example: Dear Bob, or Hi Bob.

Beginning of the letter:

How are you? - How are you?
How is your family? - How is your family?
Thank you/Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter/postcard. – Thank you/I am very grateful for your (recent/latest) letter/card.
I hope you are well. - I hope you are well.
I was so surprised to hear that... - I was surprised to hear that...
It was good / nice / great to hear from you again. – It was good/pleasant/wonderful to hear from you again.
It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you're well/you and your family are well. “I haven’t heard anything from you for a hundred years.” Hope you are ok/you and your family are ok.
I’m sorry I haven’t written/haven’t been in touch for such a long time. – Sorry for not writing/keeping in touch for so long.

If a friend wrote about the news:

Glad to hear that... - Glad to hear that...
Great news about... - Great news about...
Sorry to hear about... - Sorry to hear about...

I thought you might be interested to hear about/know that... - I thought you might be interested to hear about/know that...
Listen, did I tell you about …? You’ll never believe what... - Listen, did I tell you about...? You will never believe that...
By the way, have you heard about / did you know that…? - By the way, have you heard about / did you know that...?
Oh, and another thing... This is just to let you know that... - Oh, and one more thing... Just so you know that...

We apologize:

I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job. - Sorry, I'm really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card, but I was busy with new work.
I’m writing to apologize for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu. “I’m writing to apologize for missing your party, but I’m afraid I had the flu.”

We invite:

Could you let me know if you can come / you’d like to join us? – Could you let me know if you can come/would you like to join us?
I was wondering if you’d like to come on holiday with us. – I was wondering if you would like to go on holiday with us.
I’m / We’re having a party on Saturday 13th and I / we hope you’ll be able to come. – I / We are throwing a party on Saturday the 13th and we hope you can come.

We respond to the invitation:

Thank you very much for your invitation. I'd love to come. - Thanks a lot for the invitation. I'd love to come.
Thank you for inviting me to... but I»m afraid I won’t be able to... - Thank you for inviting me to... but I’m afraid I won’t be able to...

We ask:

I’m writing to ask for your help/you (if you could do me) a favour. – I am writing to you to ask for help / (could you do me) a favor.
I wonder if you could help me/do me a favor. – I was wondering if you could help me / do me a favor.
I’d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could... – I would be very / really / terribly grateful if you could.

Thank you:

I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality/the wonderful present. – I am writing to you to thank you for your hospitality/wonderful gift.
It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you. “It was so nice of you to invite me to stay with you.”
I really appreciated all your help/advice. – I really appreciate your help/advice.

Congratulations/good luck:

Congratulations on passing your exams/your excellent exam results! - My congratulations on successful completion exams/your excellent results!
I wish you good luck/Good luck in/with your exams/your interview. – I wish you good luck/good luck in/at your exams/interviews.
Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well/pass. – Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll succeed/pass everything.

Why don't you...? - Why do not you…?
Maybe you could...? – Perhaps you could...?
How about…? - What about…?
You can’t leave Moscow without... (doing sth) - You cannot leave Moscow without... (having done something)
I’m sure you will enjoy… (doing sth). If you like, we can... - I'm sure you'll like... (do something). If you want, we can...

Of course, after we have talked about everything and answered all the questions, we need to logically end the letter. There are also traditional phrases for this.

Tell me why you are ending the letter:

Unfortunately, I need to / have to go. - Unfortunately, I have to/I have to go.
It's time to finish. - It's time to finish.
Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! “Anyway, I need to go and get work done.”

Say hello or tell us about your next meeting/letter:

Give my love / regards to... / Say hello to... - Say hello...
Anyway, don’t forget to let me know the dates of the party. “Anyway, don’t forget to let me know about the party dates.”
We must try and meet up soon. – We should try to meet soon.
I can't wait to hear from you. “I can’t wait to hear from you.”
Look forward to seeing you again. – I look forward to meeting you again.
Hope to hear from you soon. - I hope we'll hear from you soon.
See you soon. - See you soon

And in conclusion, do not forget about the traditional wish from new line

Love,/Lots of love, – With love,
All the best, - All the best,
Take care, - Take care of yourself,
Best wishes, - Best wishes.

Sample letters to a friend with translation

The task to write a letter in English is found both in the State Academy of Sciences and in. IN school curriculum students try to write their first letters starting in 5th grade.

Below you will find sample letters to a friend in English for different levels of training and with translation into Russian.

Example 1 (How I spent my summer)

Thank you for your recent letter. It is so wonderful to hear from you! I am very glad that you had a good vacation.

As for me, I also spent a wonderful vacation. First, I lived with my parents in the garden. The weather was hot and I swam a lot with my friends. We played soccer and rode bicycles.

And in August we went to Cyprus with my parents. It is a large island in the Mediterranean with a wonderful climate. We swam in the sea and were lying in the shade of huge eucalyptus trees. We walked along the mountain paths and played tennis. Anyway, it was a memorable summer.

How did your academic year begin? Are there newcomers in your class? Any new subjects?

I’m sorry, I have to go to the sports section.

All the best!
Ivan

Translation

Dear Michael,

Thank you for your last letter. So wonderful to hear from you! I'm very glad you had a good holiday.

As for me, I also had a wonderful holiday. At first I lived with my parents in the garden. stood hot weather and I swam a lot with my friends. We played football and rode bicycles.

And in August, my parents and I went on vacation to Cyprus. It is a large island in the Mediterranean Sea with a wonderful climate. We swam in the sea and lay in the shade of huge eucalyptus trees. We traveled along mountain trails and played tennis. Anyway, it was a memorable summer.

How did you start your studies? Are there any new kids in the class? What about new academic subjects?

Sorry, I have to go to the sports section.

All the best!
Ivan

Example 2 (About your favorite book)

Thank you for your letter. I'm happy to get it.

I agree with you that it’s a pleasure to turn over the pages of a book in a bookshop when choosing it. Besides you can read the fragments and look at the pictures.

As for my favorite novel, it is “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It’s about the Buendia family who lives in South America. The novel is full of mysterious events and the characters have magical abilities. I think that the most important thing in a novel is its plot because it helps us to follow the characters and analyze their behavior.

Well, are you going to take part in the quiz show? What tasks will there be in the show? Where will it take place?

Best wishes,
Tanya

Translation

Dear Tom!

Thank you for your letter. I'm happy I received it.

I agree with you that it is pleasant to turn the pages of a book in a bookstore when you choose it. In addition, you can read fragments of the book and look at photographs in it.

As for my favorite novel, it is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. We are talking about the Buendia family who live in South America. The novel is full of mysterious events and characters who have magical abilities. I think the most important thing in a novel is the plot because it helps us follow the characters and analyze their behavior.

So, are you going to take part in a quiz show? What challenges will there be in this show? Where will it take place?

Take care of yourself!

Best wishes,
Tanya

Example 3 (Invitation to a picnic)

Two of my friends from Germany arrived in the morning today. We are going for a picnic to Sergiev Posad July 10. We shall go there by a taxi.

We will start our journey at 7 am and return till 9 pm. Sergiev Posad has many beautiful places and is of historical significance. I insist upon you to try your best to accompany us. It shall be a great pleasure to have you in our company.

My regards to your parents.

Yours sincerely,
Alex

Translation

Dear Brian,

Two of my friends from Germany arrived this morning. We are going for a picnic in Sergiev Posad on July 10th. We will go there by taxi. We will start our journey at 7 am and return before 9 pm.

There are many beautiful places in Sergiev Posad and it has historical meaning. I insist that you do your best to accompany us. It will be very nice to see you in our company.

Hello to your parents.

Sincerely yours,
Alex

Example 4

Thank you for your letter! I’m glad to hear that you’ve passed your driving test! Congratulations!

I’m sorry I haven’t written for such a long time. I’ve been really busy with my new project. By the way, thank you for your brilliant idea. I really had the best presentation last time. I really appreciated your advice.

As for your question, I think all you have to do is just regular exercises. Don’t be lazy and try to find at least 20-30 minutes for your health every day. There is a rule of 30 minutes a day: if you do something at least 30 minutes a day you will have a result at the end of the week. For example, if you read 50 pages during this time, at the end of the week you’ll have total of about 350 pages. If we say that we don’t have enough time for it (as we usually do) we have 0 result at the end of the week. Besides, they say that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So all you have to do is to take the bull by the horns and try it for just 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, I need to come back to my project. I hope my advice was helpful.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
Victor

Translation

Dear Paul,
Thank you for your letter!

I'm glad to know that you passed your license! Congratulations!

Sorry I haven't written to you for a long time. I've been very busy with my new project. By the way, thanks for great idea. I really had a great presentation last time. I really appreciated your advice.

Regarding your question, I think all you need to do is just regular exercise. Don't be lazy and try to find at least 20-30 minutes a day for your health. There is a 30 minutes a day rule: if you do something for at least 30 minutes a day, at the end of the week you will have results. For example, if you read 50 pages during this time, by the end of the week you will have 350 pages. If we say we don't have time for it (as we usually do), we will have zero results at the end of the week. Plus, they say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So all you have to do is take the bull by the horns and try for 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, I need to get back to my project. I hope my advice was helpful.
I hope for a quick response.

Good luck,
Victor

In contact with

Corresponding with foreign friends has always been considered an effective method of increasing your knowledge and improving your English language skills. But not every person easily decides to take such a step - many are tormented by lack of confidence in their abilities. Today we will correct this shortcoming and learn to write a letter to a friend in English. Believe me, this is not at all difficult, especially since the article contains standard phrases and sample letters on various topics, with the help of which you can create a full-fledged template and easily write your own personal letter. So, let's learn to write in English and make pen pals!

Writing a personal letter in English - style, structure and standard phrases

Beginning of the letter: address and personal message

According to generally accepted rules, an English letter always begins with a standard header: indicating the address of the writer and the date. It is usually located in the upper right corner and has the following format*:

1 line – house number and street name;
2 line – indication of the city and postal code;
3 line - the name of the country;
4 line – date of writing.

*A detailed example of the correct format for starting a letter can be found in the material “How to start a letter in English” and in the sample letters.

If you are writing a personal letter to a friend or friend and it is not the first in your correspondence, then, of course, you can omit the address. But keep in mind that while writing letters for exams, you need to strictly adhere to the official standard i.e. in this case, the address cannot be neglected.

After designing the header, we move to the left side of the sheet and address the interlocutor from a new line. Informal greetings have many variations, but the most popular expressions are combinations Dear+name or Hello Hi + name . As a rule, a comma is placed after these words, and the main part of the letter is written on a new line.

Phrases for the introduction and body of the letter

The main text of the letter begins with an introductory part. If you are writing a reply letter to a friend in English, be sure to thank him for the letter he received or express your attitude towards the news conveyed in it. If you decide to write a letter to a foreign friend first, then instead of an introductory part, briefly tell about what prompted you to do this. For example, you want to tell about something, or apologize, or wish good luck, or congratulate on the upcoming holiday, etc. Typical English introductory phrases for writing a letter, which are presented in the following table, will help you briefly express your thoughts.

Gratitude and apology (for a response letter)
Phrase	Translation
Thank you for your letter!	Thank you for your letter!
Lovely to hear from you!	Nice to hear from you!
Many thanks for your letter!	Thank you very much for your recent letter!
It was nice to hear from you again!	Nice to hear from you again!
I’ve just received a letter from you! I am so glad to hear…	I just received your letter. I'm so glad to hear that...
I am sorry to hear…	I'm so sorry to hear that...
It was good to hear from you that…	It was so nice to hear from you that...
I was surprised to hear that…	I was surprised to hear that...
I must apologize for not writing earlier…	I must apologize for not writing earlier...
I’m sorry I haven’t written for so long but…	Sorry that I haven't written for so long, but...
I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for such a long time.	I apologize for not getting in touch for so long.
I’ve been meaning to write to you for ages but…	I've been meaning to write to you for a long time, but...
I’m writing to apologize for…	I am writing to apologize for...
I’m sorry I’ve taken such a long time to reply to your last letter.	I'm sorry it took me so long to respond to your last letter.
A story about news or congratulations on something (for independent writing)
I’m writing to ask…	I am writing to you to ask (ask) about...
I thought you might be interested to hear about…	I thought you might be interested in learning about...
Here is some news about…	I have some news about...
It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you're well.	I haven’t heard from you for 100 years, 100 winters. I hope you're all right.
I’m writing to tell you…	I am writing to tell you about...
I’m writing this letter to congratulate you…	I am writing this letter to congratulate you on...

Sometimes you can start your letter with the most standard questions about work, family, affairs, etc.

The main thing to remember is that the introduction of an English letter is usually short: only 2-3 sentences.

By the way, if in the received letter your interlocutor asked you questions, then you can also use the following phrases for a response message.

If you are writing your first letter, then after the introductory words, start immediately on a new line to present its main topic. The range of topics is unpredictable: it could be a story about yourself and your family, a story about how your summer holidays went, a description of a trip to another country, and much more. Or vice versa - not stories and stories, but a set of questions about how your English friend and his family members are doing, or what is the way of life among the people of Great Britain.

You can also chat with a friend about foreign music and cinema: discuss film premieres, new music albums, concerts of your favorite bands. The subject of the letter depends only on your imagination. Therefore, it is impossible to select standard phrases for this part. But don’t be alarmed, writing a personal letter in English is not difficult even for beginners, because it uses short sentences and popular colloquial expressions. To compose an example letter to free topic, you can take any text and transform it into a short story, adding the introductory elements necessary for writing.

Final part

When you have already told your foreign girlfriend or friend all your stories, news and impressions, you need to end the letter with a short concluding paragraph.

The format of this final part is exactly the same as the introductory one. In other words, you need to briefly (in 1-2 sentences) summarize the topic and politely say goodbye. The following expressions will help you create the correct ending.

Well, got to go now.	I guess that's all.
I must finish my letter because…	I must conclude my letter because...
Give my best regards to your family!	Give my warm regards to your family!
Looking forward to hearing from you!	Can not wait for your reply!
Don't forget to write!	Don't forget to answer!
I can’t wait to hear from you!	I can't wait to hear from you!
Drop me a line when you are free.	Drop me a line when you're free.
Hope to hear from you soon.	Hope to hear from you again soon.
Write back to me soon.	Write me an answer soon.

And the final touch is a short farewell. You can finish a letter in English with standard phrases, of which there are many in English, just like in Russian:

Your friend – is yoursFriend;
Yours – is yours;
Warm regards - warmest regards;
Best wishes - best wishes;
Love - with love;
All the best – Totalthe best;
Take care - Take care;

A comma is placed after these words, and then the sender's name is added on a new line.

That's all, the standard English writing scheme is ready. Using this template, you can easily create both paper and email. If you are still not confident, we suggest looking at examples of letters in English on various topics, and understand that they are actually very easy to compose.

Letter to a friend in English - sample letters

In this section we will give a couple of examples of letters to a friend in English with translation into Russian.

A story about vacations and travel

46, Komsomolskaya Street,

Thank you for your letter! It was nice to hear from you again!

You want to know how I spent the summer. Well, I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

I spent my summer vacation very well. In June I went to my grandparents’ house. They live in Smolensk. I have a lot of friends in this city, so I had a good time with them. We went to a forest camp, which is located not far from Smolensk. We were there for three weeks, and it was very fun. We lived near a large lake. Every time, when the weather was fine, we walked to the shore and swam in the lake. Also we fished, went hiking, picked mushrooms and berries. We had English lessons too.

Then we returned to Smolensk and every day played basketball, went to the cinema and danced in the evening. Sometimes we visited museums and zoos too. In August I had to go home. Next summer I’ll definitely go to Smolensk again because I very miss my friends.

When I returned home I found out that my father bought tickets to London for all our family! It was a surprise for me! I was in seventh heaven at that moment! So, in a few days we went to England. I have got many impressions from this trip. England is such a beautiful and bright country! And there are so many green meadows and fields here. As for London, I am very impressed by the beauty of this city. We have visited many famous places: the Trafalgar Square, the Tower Bridge, the Westminster Abbey, the museum of Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, the Piccadilly Circus and many others.

So, it was the best summer in my life! And what about you? Tell me how you spent your summer!

st. Komsomolskaya 46,

Orel 345040

Dear John,

Thank you for your letter! I'm very pleased to hear from you again!

You want to know how I spent my summer. Well, I will try to answer your questions in detail.

I spent my summer holidays very well. In June I went to my grandparents. They live in Smolensk. I have a lot of friends in this city, so I had a great time with them. We went to a forest camp, which is located near Smolensk. We spent three weeks there and had a lot of fun. We lived next to big lake. Every time the weather was good, we went to the coast and swam in the lake. We also fished, went hiking, and picked mushrooms and berries. We also had English lessons.

Then we returned to Smolensk and played basketball every day, went to the movies and discos. Sometimes we also visited museums and zoos. I had to return home in August. Next summer I will definitely come to Smolensk again, because I really miss my friends.

When I returned home, I found out that my father had bought tickets to London for our whole family! It was a surprise for me! At that moment I was simply in seventh heaven! So, a few days later we went to England. This journey left me with many impressions. England– a beautiful and vibrant country. And there are so many green meadows and fields. As for London, I am impressed by the beauty of this city! We visited a lot famous places: Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Madame Tussauds, London Ferris Wheel, Piccadilly Circus and much more.

So it was the best summer of my life! What do you have? Tell me how you spent your summer.

With love,

A letter to a friendabout your family in English

Hello Andrew,

How are you? I’m writing to tell you some news about my family.

Do you remember my elder sister Olga? She has recently married! Her husband is a Swiss national, so they will live in Switzerland. Next week they will go to Switzerland and I will move to my sister’s room. Now it is mine! I am very glad that I’ll have my own room, finally.

My mother is very happy, but she is a little sad too. Switzerland is so far from our home, so we won’t be able to visit our sister often. But we hope that she will often call us and write letters.

Oh, and another thing! My brother Alex will finish school next year. And my sister’s husband says that Alex can live with them, if he wants to study in Switzerland. Alex is very surprised by this offer and dreams about life in Switzerland for days on end.

Well, got to go now. Drop me a line when you are free.

Hello Andrew!

How are you? I am writing to tell you some news about my family.

Do you remember mine older sister Olga? She recently got married! Her husband is Swiss and they will live in Switzerland. They're leaving for Switzerland next week and I'm moving into my sister's room. Now she's mine! I'm very happy that I will finally have my own room.

My mother is very happy, but also a little sad. Switzerland is very far from our home, so we will not be able to visit our sister often. But we hope that she will call us and write letters often.

Oh, and one more news! My brother Alex will graduate from school next year. And my sister's husband says Alex can live with them if he wants to go to university in Switzerland. Alex is very surprised by this offer and spends his days dreaming about life in Switzerland.

Well, it's time to finish. Write me a few lines when you are free.

Your friend,

We hope now that all your self-doubts have disappeared and you have a clear understanding of how to write a letter to a friend in English. Good luck and see you again!

Constant correspondence and emails have become everyday means of communicating with friends today, but writing a letter is a more traditional, effective way that can bring a smile to your friend's face. If you're writing an email the old-fashioned way, the form of writing still remains the same: the letter to a friend should include a greeting, questions for the friend, an update from your life, and an appropriate ending.

Steps

Beginning of the letter

Main part

Start with pleasant things. The first part of a friendly letter is usually warm and cheerful. This can set the tone for the entire letter, letting the recipient know what's coming next and making the letter sound more serious or businesslike. Write a greeting in a few lines, tell a joke or write about the weather.

"How are you?" or “How are you?” - the most common ways to start a letter. Ask a question to make the letter feel like part of a longer conversation. If you want an answer to your letter, fill it with questions.
You can use the first paragraph of the letter to ask the recipient more about their life. For example: “I hope that little Yulenka likes it in kindergarten. I can’t believe she’s grown so much!”
Letters often begin with reference to the time of year. Think about how to start small conversations that grow into deep conversations. For example: “I hope autumn doesn’t dampen your mood. The trees in the area have become so beautiful. I still think the winter will be cold.”

Share news and details from your life. Now is the time for the main part of the letter and the purpose of writing it. Why did you start this correspondence? Do you want to reconnect with an old friend, express how much you miss him, or thank him for his help? Be honest, open, and try to convey your thoughts clearly on paper.
- Write about what is happening in your life. Regardless of the nature of the letter, your letter will be appreciated, but stories about your life will bring your recipient and you closer. This way the letter will be more effective and open. Tell us what happened, what emotions you experienced, and what your plans are for the future.
- Don't describe your life in too much detail, otherwise the purpose of the friendly letter will be lost. Avoid the newspaper holiday template - your friend will immediately start reading the letter from the end if you list all your merits. There is no need to plunge into the maelstrom of your own problems, but be realistic when talking about yourself.
Choose topics that directly relate to your friend. What was your friend doing the last time you met him? Maybe he broke up with his soulmate? Perhaps he was going through a tough time on the football team? Adapt by referencing familiar topics and ask questions to show your interest in your friend's business.
- You can discuss topics that interest you both. State your views on art, politics, recent events, or other areas of life that you would like to discuss with your friend.
- You can suggest watching movies or reading books that you think your friend might like. Exchange of valuable information is always welcome in letters.

Completing the letter

Close the discussion. Write the last paragraph, passing it on to a friend or loved one best regards. The last paragraph is usually lighter in emotional load, but it should correspond to the overall atmosphere of the letter. End your letter on a positive note to make your friend feel better about you.
- Repeat the purpose of the letter again. For example, if you invited a friend to a party, write the following: “I hope you come!” If you just want to wish your friend a good time, write something like: “Happy New Year!”
- Inspire your friend to write back. If you want an answer, write: “I hope for a quick answer,” or: “Please write an answer!”
Write the ending. It should convey the mood of your letter depending on its tone: formal or informal. Like the greeting, the ending is determined by the nature of your relationship with the recipient. End the letter with your name.
- If you want to formally end the letter, write: “Sincerely,” “Sincerely,” or “Best wishes.”
- If the letter is written in an informal tone, use phrases such as “Your...”, “Take care of yourself,” or “Bye.”
- If the letter is personal, write “Love,” “Love you very much,” or “Miss you.”
Consider the postscript. A postscript (lat. post scriptum (P.S.) - “after what is written”) is usually used at the end of a friendly letter as a method of additional information that is not worth devoting a separate paragraph to in the body. You can also add an interesting joke, or simply omit the postscript. In any case, make sure that the postscript matches the tone of the letter and makes your recipient feel like you want to see them.

The article offers you clichés and phrase patterns that will help you write a letter in English.

IN modern world Few people do not know English, because it is international and compulsory to study in schools, technical schools and universities. English is useful for everyone when traveling, professional activity and in cases of communication with foreigners.

IMPORTANT: Social networks have swallowed up the whole world and no one is surprised by a letter coming from the “other end of the world.” The tips offered in this article will help you start a conversation with a person and write a letter correctly. Here you will find examples of introductory and general phrases, greetings and farewells.

Starting a letter can be very difficult. It is important to choose beautiful words to interest your interlocutor and win him over. It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to, a friend, a boyfriend, a guy or girl you like, a distant relative, the main thing is to know common appeals which are like universal cliché, suitable for any letter.

Like any letter, a letter in English must have three main parts:

Greetings and introduction
Main (main) part
Final part, farewell

Phrases for writing to a friend or girlfriend in English: list with translation

It doesn’t matter what the essence of your letter will be, whether it is a letter of recognition, greeting, farewell or invitation. You should fill it with general phrases that will allow you to clearly express all your thoughts and words. Use the established clichés proposed in this article.

How to finish a letter in English to a friend: rules

You should also end the letter beautifully, using farewell phrases. You should thank your interlocutor for sending the letter or write that you are looking forward to an answer from him.

How to correctly format a letter to a friend in English: a ready-made letter template

Ready-made examples will help you write a letter correctly and beautifully, where you can trace the use of all introductory phrases and use your own based on this example.

Examples of ready-made letters:

How to say “Sincerely” in English in a letter to a friend?

Your signature at the end of the letter is a characteristic feature that will not only indicate your good manners, but also that you have mastered all the rules of writing a correct letter.

An example of a letter to a friend in English with translation

Use examples of letters in English, which are presented only with translations. This way you can focus on introductory clichés and know exactly their meanings.