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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
🟦 Introduction
Ever written a letter to a friend, cousin, or sibling? That’s an informal letter — casual, friendly, and full of personality. But even though it’s relaxed, it still has structure, grammar rules, and expected features.
WASSCE tests your ability to:
Use correct informal letter structure and paragraphing
Show tone and relationship through word choice
Use personal but clear language, without being sloppy
Spell and punctuate properly, even when writing casually
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to write engaging, well-organized informal letters that feel natural but still meet exam standards.
🟩 Key Concepts and Explanations
An informal letter is a personal message written to someone you know well — a friend, parent, sibling, or relative. The tone is friendly, conversational, and expressive, but you must still write in full sentences and correct grammar.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Sender’s Address | Top-right corner. Always included. |
| Date | Just below the address. Use: 4th April, 2025 |
| Salutation | “Dear [Name]” — first name only or with relation, e.g., “Dear Auntie Ama” |
| Introduction | Greet, ask about their well-being, and state your reason for writing |
| Body | Develop your message in 2–3 paragraphs |
| Conclusion | Wrap up with warm closing thoughts or future hopes |
| Closing | Use “Yours sincerely,” “Best wishes,” “Your friend,” etc. |
| Signature | First name only (e.g., Ama) |
P.O. Box 23,
Takoradi
4th April, 2025.
Dear Kojo,
It’s been a while since I last heard from you! I hope everything is going well on your side. I’m writing to tell you all about our school’s cultural day celebration…
[Main body: Describe the event, your role, and funny moments]
Anyway, I can’t wait to hear from you soon. Send my regards to your parents.
Your friend,
Ama
Informal doesn’t mean careless. Here’s a guide:
| Use | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Friendly tone (e.g., “How have you been?”) | Overly serious or robotic expressions |
| Everyday expressions (e.g., “By the way…”) | Text language or abbreviations (e.g., “u”, “lol”) |
| Emotions, jokes, personal stories | Slang or vulgar language |
| Short questions to engage the reader | One big paragraph — break it up! |
🟨 Practice Exercises
✏️ Exercise 1: Identify the Informal Features
Which of the features below belong in an informal letter? Tick the correct ones.
A. Yours faithfully
B. Dear Nana
C. I’m writing to share my exciting news
D. Kind regards
E. Your loving sister
✏️ Exercise 2: Rewrite Formally
Turn the following sentence into informal language:
“I wish to inform you that I have received the package and appreciate your kind gesture.”
✏️ Exercise 3: Write It Yourself
Write an informal letter to a friend who recently moved to another school. Tell them about your new class teacher and something interesting that happened in class.
(Length: 150–200 words)
✅ Answers and Explanations
Exercise 1: Informal Features
✅ B. “Dear Nana” – uses first name
✅ C. Casual opening line
✅ E. “Your loving sister” – emotional and familiar sign-off
❌ A. “Yours faithfully” – formal letter ending
❌ D. “Kind regards” – more formal tone
Exercise 2: Informal Rewrite
“Hey! Thanks a lot for the package — I got it, and I really appreciate it!”
Exercise 3: (Students’ answers may vary. Key: correct format, friendly tone, proper structure.)
🔁 Recap
In this lesson, you learned:
What informal letters are and when to use them
The structure of an informal letter — from greeting to signature
How to write in a natural, friendly tone while still being clear and organized
Common expressions to use (and avoid) in informal writing
🪞 Reflection Prompt
Think of someone you haven’t seen in a while — a cousin, best friend, or old classmate.
Write a short paragraph you might include in a letter to them, describing something exciting that happened to you recently.
GattPrep is built to inspire students, challenge curious minds, and unlock their full academic potential through engaging, focused learning.
