204 English Communication

RSVP stands for 'Respondez, s'il vous plait', which is French for
Please reply'. It is extremely rude not to do so, and it should be
in the same third-person format.

Ms Jane Thomas thanks Mrand Mrs Jeremy Smythe for their

kind invitation to the wedding of their daughter Sarah Katherine
to Mr Michael John Williams on Saturday 11 September, at The
Savoy Hotel. She will be delighted to attend. Ms Thomas will be
accompanied by Mr James White.
On the other hand, a regret letter could read:

Ms Jane Thomas regrets that she will be unable to attend as she

has a prior engagement'.

Thank You Letters

Whether you want to thank someone for a gift or for their
hospitality, a thank you note goes a long way and makes the
recipient feel valued and appreciated. It is almost always
preferable to write a thank you letter by hand in order to give it
the personal touch.

Informal Letters
How do you keep in touch with your friends and relatives? In
today's day and age, it is likely that you would communicate
over SMS, WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime. However, at times, you
may feel that these forms do not adequately convey your feelings
or the entire depth of what you would like to communicate, and
then you may write an email or a letter, although to be honest,
informal postal letters are actually becoming passé as every day
goes by.
As compared to formal and business letters, an informal
letter is a letter that is written in a personal manner. They can
be written to relatives, pen pals or friends, but also really to
anyone with whom there is a non-professional relationship.
 Letter Writing 205

Structure of an Informal Letter

The structureof an informal letter can be explained through the
following diagram:

STRUCTURE
nformmal letters
rwedng

lrtrdetes

H parr
ehebeg

(Source:http://www.slideshare.net/cristinaramir12/informal-
letters-11317774)
1. Date: Like any letter, an informal letter should have the
date at the top.
2. Salutation/Greeting: It should be on first-name terms,
such as Dear Raj, Dearest Radhika or Dear Mummy, etc.
3. Introduction: The opening should be simple and casual
and not as stiff as in business letters. The introduction
should not repeat obvious things that the recipient may
already know about you unless it is related to the context
of the letter. Some sample opening sentences could be as
follows:
How are you? been?
How have you
How isarelife treating you?
How the kids?
206 English Communication

I hope you are doing well.

I hope you, Mike, and the kids are having a great time
in...
4. Body:Write in detail about why you are writing the letter-
your experiences while on vacation, describing an event,
asking the other person for some help, or persuading
them to do something. For example:

I
I must tell you about the fantastic experience that am
having in this new country..
You know, I attended the Wimbledon tennis
championships, and got the chance to watch Roger
Federer play! I even got his autograph.
Mom, I think I left my college exercise book inside my
wardrobe. Can you please send it across?

I
Shyam, this course am attending is really great. It is
giving me lots of useful information and perspective.
You should sign up for it the next time.
5. Ending: End the letter with what you want/wish. Closing
sentence examples may include these:
I look forward to seeing you.
I can't wait to see you soon.
I can't wait to hear from you.
Ilook forward to hearing from you; I hope to be hearing
from you soon.
See yousoon.
Send my love to..
Ihope you are doing well.
Give my regards to..
6. Signature
In terms of signing off, the choice is yours and you have a
lot of freedom here. Here are some examples:
Bestwishes,
Best regards,
Lots oflove,
.Love,
Always remember to sign your name personally at the end.
 Letter Writing 207

Things to remember:
Put your address, but not your name, in the top-right
hand corner
The date should come below the address
.The greeting should be on the left-hand side
Can use informal, colloquial language and contractions
such as Im, She's, They're, etc. However, language
should not be overtly simple, and grammar rules should
followed.
be
Use synonyms in your vocabulary to avoid repetition,
and also use phrasal verbs, idioms and set phrases to
make the letter interesting
Leave a linebetween paragraphs
Short closing
Personalised, signed ending
Informal letter sample:

20, Hudson Lane

Delhi-34
15 November, 2016
Dear Ronak,
How is everyone at home? I am doing well here. My exams just

Delhi seems much

Ivibrant after one
finished last week. hopeI have done much better in these ones.
is done with exams. I am
discovering more places around the city. There are so many
historical sites all around the city. The city seems to be entirely
clothed in archaic hues. It is a perfect blend of modern and age-
old. The Safdarjung Tomb, Red Fort and Tughlaqabad Fort are my
preferred spots to relax and read. I am planning to come home

I
next week. have to put in an assignment and will do so in another
week. I can't wait to return home. miss everyone at home.
I

How are grandparents doing? Do let them know of my expected

arrival.
Yours lovingly
Rohan