5.8 Positive Persuasive Letter Format

Learning Targets

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to say YES to the following questions.

• Can I understand how persuasive writing can be helpful to people in their daily lives?
• Can I identify how letter writing can make a difference in a society?
• Can I use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create letters for a variety of purposes and audiences?

Parts of an Informal Letter

The following pages will help you to understand the parts of an informal letter:

• Salutation
• Introductory Sentence
• Body
• Concluding Sentence
• Complimentary Close
• Signature

Salutation

When you address a letter to someone, it's called the salutation. Kindness letters are informal, and you don't know the person's name. So how can you start it off?

Here are some sample salutations:

• To a Friend,
• To Whoever Finds This Letter,
• Dear You,
• Dear Reader,

Notice that all the major words above have the first letter capitalized. Also, notice the commas at the end.

If you are not sure if a word should be capitalized or not in a salutation or title, you can click here to use this Title Capitalization Checker. (You may want to bookmark this handy tool.)

In your Learning Guide, record two salutations you like in Salutation Samples.

Introductory Sentence

Your first sentence will introduce why you are writing this letter. It states your position.

E.g. I am writing this letter to encourage you to have a fabulous day.

In your Learning Guide, brainstorm three possible Inspiring Introductions.

Body of the Letter

For the body of the letter, you will be using your persuasive skills to convince the reader that he or she is wonderful and deserves to have a good day. Or you could persuade the reader to be positive and happy. The goal of your letter is to make the other person feel good.

How will you do this?

This is where you will showcase your convincing reasons.

• You can start by brainstorming encouraging words.
• Think about what kind words people have said to you to make you feel better.
• Are there any stories, poems, or quotes you could share?

Research ideas about celebrating our uniqueness, positive thinking, etc. online (with home facilitator approval). You can also visit the library and take out related books and magazines.

Find some interesting statistics, studies, or quotes that show the benefits of being positive.

In your Learning Guide, complete Body of the Letter Brainstorm.

Concluding Sentence

Your last sentence is your concluding sentence. It should restate your first sentence. Do not repeat the sentence exactly. Rephrase the sentence and use synonyms.

E.g. As I end this letter, I would like to remind you that you are a unique and lovely person who deserves a wonderful day.

In your Learning Guide, brainstorm three possible Clever Conclusions.

Complimentary Close

The Complimentary Close is the part of the letter just before the signature.

Examples are:

• Yours sincerely,
• Best wishes,
• Best regards,
• Kind regards,
• Yours truly,

Notice how the examples have the first letter capitalized and a comma as well.

In your Learning Guide, record two Complimentary Closes that you like.

Signature

The signature is the end of the letter where you sign your name. Ms. Brencher says letter writers do a variety of things. Some just put their first name, others write " A Friend," and still others choose to be anonymous. You will be anonymous. This means that you won't sign your actually name. What will you use as your name? Here are a few ideas:

• Anonymous
• A Friend
• A Ray of Sunshine
• Someone Who Cares

Choose an anonymous "name" you like. It can be from the above suggestions or one of your own. Practise signing this name in your best handwriting in your Learning Guide.

Most importantly, remember you will NOT be including your personal contact information in the letter.

(If you want to, you could also consider writing moreloveletters.com somewhere on the letter so that the reader can find out more about how your card came to be.)

Letter Framework

Here is a review of your letter framework. In the next lesson, you will be putting together all the pieces and drafting your letter.

An Example

Here is an example. After you have read this, you will be ready to start on your own letter.