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ELA 5: Letter Writing 158 Views


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Description:

No, this isn't a history lesson. Someday, whether it's for official government documents, a job application, or maybe even if you're just an old soul who likes writing things out, you'll need to know how to write a letter.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

[Coop and Dino singing]

00:14

Letter writing is perhaps one of the oldest forms of communication. [Person writes a letter]

00:17

After… grunting.

00:18

Yes, before the telephone…

00:20

…texting…

00:20

…email…

00:21

…social media…

00:22

…and every other way we have to bug other people

00:24

…there was the letter.

00:26

The basic form of a letter is pretty simple to master and is comprised of five parts: [Dino and Coop with five parts of a letter]

00:30

The heading, the greeting, the body, the closing, and the signature.

00:34

Let’s start with the heading. Since it’s uh…first.

00:37

In formal letters, it’s important to use a heading. [Coop discussing letter heading]

00:39

This is usually the sender’s – that is, your – address. It’s placed here, in the

00:44

top-right corner of the letter.

00:45

You might also choose to put the address of the person you’re writing to. [Address of person writing to on a letter]

00:49

Next comes the greeting, or, if you want to get fancy about it, the “salutation.”

00:54

The greeting will be either formal or informal, depending on who you’re writing to, and

00:57

the occasion. Usually, the greeting will begin with “Dear”.

01:00

Next would come the name of the intended recipient of your letter.

01:03

But, if the person you’re writing to isn’t someone you know well, it’s appropriate

01:06

to use titles such as Mr., Mrs. or Ms.

01:08

And, if you really aren’t sure exactly who you’re writing to, there’s always the

01:12

old stand-by: “To Whom It May Concern”.

01:15

Totally inappropriate writing home to your parents two months after leaving for [Woman reading a letter]

01:18

college…

01:19

Next comes the body of the letter.

01:20

This is the fun part, because it’s where you write what you have to say. [Coop explaining body of a letter]

01:24

In other words: the whole reason you’re writing this person in the first place.

01:27

Once the body’s written, we get to the closing.

01:29

This is just how you sign-off your letter. Examples include: “Sincerely,” “Your

01:32

Friend”, “Love”, “Very Truly”, “Your Sworn Enemy,” and so on.

01:35

As with the greeting, the closing you use depends on who you’re writing to. [Dino discussing the closing of a letter]

01:40

It’d be strange, for example, to send a letter to the guy who sold you printer ink

01:43

with the closing, “Love.” [Man holding letter]

01:45

Uh…can we say awkward.

01:46

Finally, there’s the signature. Located under the closing, this is where you sign

01:51

your name. So go ahead and jot down your John Hancock. [Signature of author of letter]

01:53

And just remember: letters don’t have “send” buttons.

01:55

So please make sure to actually put it in the mail… [Person puts letter in mailbox]

01:58

There you go.

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