CBSE Class 7 English Personal Letters Worksheet

A personal letter is an informal letter to a person that you know well. Personal letters have a tone similar to friendly conversation. They describe recent events in your life and your reactions to them. They also ask the recipient of the letter for news. In a personal letter, the heading and the closing are usually indented, as is each paragraph in the body of the letter.

Exercise 1 Read the following personal letter. Answer each question.

                                                                                                          2496 Harrison Avenue

                                                                                                          Worthington, Ohio 43085

                                                                                                           March 3, 1996

Dear Yvonne,

I was really happy to get your last letter. What a funny family you have.
I laughed out loud when I read about how you and your dad had to carry a
ladder on the subway to your new apartment.

Things have been pretty quiet here, but I do have one piece of news.
Our jump rope team entered the all-school jump rope competition, and we came in
second! Boy, were we nervous. But we kept our cool and just kept jumping.

The next time you visit I’ll show you our routine.
When you come, be sure to bring your swimsuit. The new community pool
is finally finished. By the way, how did you ever get that ladder up seven flights of stairs?

                                                                                                                Your good friend,

                                                                                                                                Angie

1. Who is Yvonne?
a friend of Angie’s

2. What lines show that Angie is interested in what is happening in Yvonne’s life?
first paragraph and the question in the last paragraph

3. Which paragraph gives Yvonne some news about what Angie has been doing?
second

4. What do you notice about the placement of the heading and the closing? They are
positioned to the far right and indented the same amount.

5. Would you describe the tone of the letter as formal or informal? Explain.
The letter is informal and friendly. The writer eagerly anticipates her friend’s next visit. The language is generally casual, using slang as well as sentence fragments.
 

 Exercise 2 Write a letter to a friend about your summer activities.

Students’ letters should be informal in tone and written in indented form. The letter should include
information about recent events in the writer’s life and ask questions about events in the recipient’s life.

Personal Letters

Personal letters can also take the form of invitations and thank-you notes. For example, you might write a thank-you note to a naturalist who gave a talk to your class. You might write a letter inviting your grandmother to visit you at your home. These two kinds of personal letters are usually semiformal, avoiding the slang and sentence fragments that you might use in a postcard to a friend. The heading and the closing are usually indented, as is each paragraph in the body of the letter.
 

Exercise 1 Write a thank-you note to an adult relative. In your letter express your appreciation for something nice that he or she did for you.

Letters should be semiformal, probably avoiding slang, and should comment in some positive way on what the relative did. Letters should use indented elements and have an appropriate closing.
 

Exercise 2 Write a letter inviting the parents of students in your class to attend a poetry reading by members of the class.

Letters should use the salutation “Dear Parents” and a closing such as “Sincerely.” The body of the letter should explain the event. The style should be informal and the tone enthusiastic. Paragraphs should be indented, and the heading and closing should align.

Personal Letters

If you want to write to an author or a performer that you admire, you should write a personal letter. When you write to a celebrity, use a respectful tone and a semiformal writing style. Be sure to state clearly how the author’s work has affected you. Celebrities cannot respond to each and every letter. However, if your letter catches the author’s interest, you might receive a letter in return.
 

Exercise 1 Read the following letter. Then answer each question.

Dear Jean,

       Mrs. Fritz, I have read all your books. The book I like best is the one about
growing up in China. The things you wrote about China made me want to visit
it some day. I understood how homesick you felt because once I had to spend
the entire summer in Arizona, far away from my family in New Jersey.

       I’ve learned a lot about United States history from your biographies. I feel as
if I have met each of your subjects in person. Could you please send me an
autographed copy of one of your books? It doesn’t matter which one.

                                                                                                               Your friend,
                                                                                                      Janine Janiewicz
 

1. Did the writer use an appropriate salutation? Why or why not? No.
A respectful salutation for an adult who is not a close friend would be “Dear Mrs. Fritz” or “Dear Jean Fritz.” A correct salutation would make “Mrs. Fritz” in the first line unnecessary.

2. Was the writer clear about which book she admires the most? Explain.
Stating the title of the book would make it clearer.

3. Explain whether the style and tone of the first paragraph is appropriate.
Generally, the style and tone is semiformal and appropriate.

4. In the second paragraph, what unrealistic request does the writer make?
She asks the author to sign and mail a book back to her.

5. In what lines does the writer of the letter explain how the author’s work has affected her?
in the last sentence of paragraph 1 and the first two sentences of paragraph 2

6. Is the closing appropriate? Explain.
A more appropriate closing would be “Sincerely” or “Yours truly” since the writer and recipient do not have a close personal relationship.

Exercise 2 Write a personal letter to an author or performer you admire.

Letters should be semiformal, use indented style, and make specific comments about the author or performer’s effect on the writer.