Greetings and closings of letters

Key Notes:

Understanding Letters

• Letters are a way of communicating with others, either by hand or through email.
• Letters have two important parts: greetings and closings.

Greeting in a Letter

The greeting is the opening part of the letter, where you say hello to the person you’re writing to.

It typically starts with “Dear”, followed by the person’s name and a comma (e.g., “Dear Grandma,”).

For informal letters (to friends or family), you might use “Hi” or “Hello.”

Examples:

• “Dear John,”
• “Hi Mom,”
• “Hello Mr. Smith,”

Closings in a Letter

The closing is where you end your letter with a polite goodbye.

Common closings include:

• “Sincerely,”
• “Best regards,”
• “Love,” (for close family and friends)
• “Your friend,”

Closings are always followed by a comma, and the next line is for your name (e.g., “Sincerely, Jane”).

Capitalization

• Both the greeting and closing should always start with a capital letter.
• The person’s name after “Dear” also starts with a capital letter.

Punctuation

• Greeting: Ends with a comma (e.g., “Dear Emily,”).
• Closing: Ends with a comma, and your name follows on the next line.

Formal vs. Informal Letters

• Formal Letters: Used for writing to teachers or people you don’t know well. Use polite language, like “Dear” and “Sincerely.”
• Informal Letters: Used for friends or family, where you can be more casual with words like “Hi” and “Love.”

Example of a Simple Letter

Greeting:
“Dear Uncle Sam,”

Body:
“Thank you for the birthday gift. I loved it!”

Closing:
“Love,
Sarah”

Let’s practice!🖊️