Year 3 English Writing

Letter Writing

Letters are a way of communicating in writing. They can be formal (professional) or informal (friendly). Both types have a specific structure.

Informal Letters

Informal letters are written to people you know well — friends, family, pen pals. They use:

✓ Friendly greetings: Dear Sam,
✓ Casual language and contractions
✓ Personal news and questions
✓ Sign-off: Your friend, / Love,

Formal Letters

Formal letters are written to someone you don't know well — a principal, a council, a business. They use:

✓ Formal greeting: Dear Mrs Jones,
✓ Formal language (no contractions)
✓ Clear purpose and polite tone
✓ Sign-off: Yours sincerely,

Structure of a Letter

Sender's address (top right)
Date
Recipient's address (left — formal only)
Greeting (e.g. Dear ...)
Body paragraphs (main message)
Sign-off + name

Opening and Closing

Informal openings:

How are you? / I hope you are well. / Guess what!

Formal openings:

I am writing to ... / I would like to ...

Sample Informal Letter

12 Oak Street
Brisbane, QLD 4000
2 March 2026

Dear Anika,

How are you? I'm so excited to tell you about my school holidays!

Last week, my family drove up to the Sunshine Coast. We swam at Noosa beach, ate fish and chips and saw a koala at the wildlife sanctuary. It was amazing!

I can't wait to hear what you did. Did you visit your grandparents?

Write back soon!

Your friend,
Maya

Address + Date
top right

Friendly greeting
Dear Anika,

Sign-off
Your friend,

Key Vocabulary

greeting — the opening line of a letter (e.g. Dear ...)

sign-off — the closing words before your name (e.g. Yours sincerely)

formal — written in a professional style for official or unknown recipients

informal — written in a friendly, casual style for people you know well

Lesson Summary

✓Informal letters are for people you know well. They use friendly language and sign-off with “Love,” or “Your friend,”
✓Formal letters are for professionals or people you don't know. They use formal language and sign-off with “Yours sincerely,”
✓All letters need: address, date, greeting, body paragraphs, and sign-off.
✓Match your language to your audience — casual for friends and family, professional for officials.