Literacy: creating texts
A letter to a friend
Lay out a short friendly letter and choose the greeting, the news and the closing that belong in it.
A letter to a friend has a shape. Once you know the five parts and the order they come in, the only thing left to think about is the news itself.
The five parts, top to bottom
The date, the greeting, the body, the closing, and your name — in that order. Bigger letters grow more parts later on: a full letter also carries your own address at the top, which you will meet in a later class.
The greeting
Dear, then the person's name, then a comma. Dear Ravi, — and the next line starts underneath, not beside it.
The body
This is the letter. Ask how your friend is, tell them your news, and ask them a question so they have something to write back about.
The closing
A short friendly sign-off with a comma after it — Your friend, With love, Yours affectionately — and then your own name on the line below.
Have a play
Here is the shape of a friendly letter with nothing written in it yet. Each block is one of the five parts, and finding out which is which is the point.
Tap any part of the picture.
Worked example
Sameer is writing to his friend Anya about a cricket match.
He puts the date at the top right, then writes Dear Anya, on the left.
The greeting always starts against the left edge, however the date is laid out.
Try it together
Let us set out the top and the bottom of a letter to a friend called Kabir.
Each answer is one word, and the letter is a friendly one, not a formal one.
1.Write the word that goes in front of the name in the greeting: ____ Kabir,
Have a go
Which line would you write to close a letter to your best friend?
Ready to practise?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.