← Back to the activity

Year 5 English — A letter to a friend

Lay out a short friendly letter and choose the greeting, the news and the closing that belong in it.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Pair each part of a letter with the job it does.

    • the date
    • the greeting
    • the body
    • the closing
    • carries your news
    • signs off just before your name
    • names the person you are writing to
    • says when you wrote it

  2. 2.Sort each line by the kind of letter it belongs in.

    Groups: A letter to a friend · A letter to someone you do not know

    • I am writing to request a copy of the form.
    • Your friend,
    • Guess what happened at the ground yesterday!
    • Dear Ravi,
    • Dear Sir,
    • Yours sincerely,

  3. 3.Which sentence belongs in the body of a letter to a friend?

    • a) We went to the river on Sunday and caught two fish.
    • b) Kindly acknowledge receipt of this letter.
    • c) Please find the details listed below.
    • d) I enclose the completed application form.

  4. 4.Where does your own name go in a friendly letter?

    • a) under the closing, at the end
    • b) straight after the greeting
    • c) in the middle of the news
    • d) at the very top

  5. 5.This is the shape of a letter to a friend. Tap the part where the greeting goes.

    Write the number of the part.

    12345

  6. 6.Which question would you ask a friend near the end of a letter?

    • a) Will you write back and tell me about your new school?
    • b) May I request an early reply to this matter?
    • c) Would you kindly confirm the above details?
    • d) Is the said document enclosed herewith?

  7. 7.Put the parts of a friendly letter in the order they appear on the page, from top to bottom.

    • Your friend,
    • Dear Anya,
    • Sameer
    • The date
    • Your news and your questions

  8. 8.Sort each line by where it belongs in a friendly letter.

    Groups: The greeting · The closing

    • Dear Nani,
    • Dear Ravi,
    • Your friend,
    • With love,
    • Dear Sameer,
    • Yours affectionately,

Answer key — Year 5 English — A letter to a friend

  1. 1. the date → says when you wrote it; the greeting → names the person you are writing to; the body → carries your news; the closing → signs off just before your name
  2. 2. Dear Ravi, → A letter to a friend; Dear Sir, → A letter to someone you do not know; Guess what happened at the ground yesterday! → A letter to a friend; I am writing to request a copy of the form. → A letter to someone you do not know; Your friend, → A letter to a friend; Yours sincerely, → A letter to someone you do not know
  3. 3. a) We went to the river on Sunday and caught two fish.
  4. 4. a) under the closing, at the end
  5. 5. 2 — The greeting
  6. 6. a) Will you write back and tell me about your new school?
  7. 7. 1. The date 2. Dear Anya, 3. Your news and your questions 4. Your friend, 5. Sameer
  8. 8. Dear Ravi, → The greeting; Your friend, → The closing; Dear Nani, → The greeting; With love, → The closing; Dear Sameer, → The greeting; Yours affectionately, → The closing