Private Letters

For most people talking is much easier than writing. However, they write friendly letters for many reasons. They may be as follows: to offer congratulations on a wedding; to say happy birthday: to keep in touch with a friend; to plan a party or a journey; to invite someone to a party or a journey; to thank someone.

If you have to write a personal letter or E-mail to your English friend — say, Thomas Brown, how must you begin? First of all, notice the greeting or salutation: "Dear Tom," "Dear Susie," and the closing " Yours sincerely". They usually begin letters to a friend "Dear so and so, or if they are feeling very affectionate, or are writing to near relatives, they might begin like this: — "My dear Tom", "My dear so and so". The ending " Yours sincerely" is the usual one from one friend to another. You may also use: "Sincerely", "With а11 ту sympathy", "Best wishes", " Bye-bye".

The following phrases are characteristic for the body — opening:

Thank you for fascinating letter.

Sorry I haven't written so long.

As I write this, I am sitting in a small cafeteria.

The abbreviated forms: I'm, I've, don't, won't, etc. are perfectly correct in personal letters, though not in business or official ones. The best letters to a friend are those which sound just like oneself speaking. But it is not customary to use these short forms in a letter to anyone we do not know well, or in business letter or formal letter of any kind.

Here are some polite forms and phrases which you may learn and use in suitable situations:

/ congratulate you on passing the examinations.

Please accept our heartiest congratulations. . .

Wishing you a speedy recovery again . . .

Could you let me know when …

/ hope you '11 excuse me this time,…

I'm looking forward to seeing you again….

Please reply at your earliest convenience.

204

While writing informal letters, people often use in letters time-order words and phrases Wke: first, second, third, finally, next, after that, until, eventually, before, just before, after, just after, on Monday, in the afternoon, at 10 о clock, in the meantime.

To sum it up, there is some "recipe" for a letter to keep in touch.

Ingredients:

1_______ Mood and feelings of where you are writing;

2______ Sights and sounds around you;

__ 3_____ A recent, interesting experience;

___ 4____ People, places, and actions;

____ 5___ Time-order words and phrases;

6 Your plans and some good wishes.

Writing Steps: Describe where you are. Tell about your plans. Think of an interesting experience. Tell the story of your experience. Remember details of the experience.

Recall the details: events/ actions; people; places; surprises/ problems; objects/ things, etc.

Compare the two formal and informal letters:

205

II. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What, in your opinion, is more difficult, talking or writing?

2. What are the usual reasons for writing informal letters?

3. Have you ever written private letters? Whom to?

4. Have you ever received the answer to your private letter?

5. How do we usually begin our letters to a friend or a near relative?

6. How do we usually end these letters?

7. What are some Riles of writing informal letters?