CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
B. Personal Letter
1. Definition of Personal Letter
In order to communicate to each other in a distance, people send personal letter and become pen pals. Sudarwati and Grace (2017) summarize that personal letter is a type of letter that usually concerns personal matters and is sent to someone you know. For example, you might write to a friend, family member, classmate or pen pal. Personal letters have been popular forms of personal communication since 18th century. However, various innovations over the past several decades have contributed to a decline in the practice of personal letter writing.
Corresponding with a peer hundreds or even thousands of miles away is a rich educational experience for most young people. They learn something about different schools, towns, and countries; they learn something about the commonalties and differences among people; and they also learn something about writing. Personal letter writing will enrich people‟s knowledge about writing and life experience.
2. Parts of Personal Letter
Personal letters, also known as friendly letters and social notes normally have five parts. Kurniawan summarizes the part of letter as the following.28
1) The Heading. This includes the address, line by line, with the last line being the date. Skip a line after the heading.
2) The Greeting. The greeting always ends with comma. The greeting may be formal, beginning with the word “dear” and using the person‟s given name or relationship, or it may be informal if appropriate.
Formal: Dear Uncle Jim, Dear Mr. Wilkins Informal: hi Joe, Greetings,
3) The Body. It is also known as the main text. This includes the message you want to write. Normally in a friendly letter, the beginning of paragraphs is indented. If not indented, be sure to skip a space between paragraphs. Skip a line after the greeting and before the close.
4) The Complementary close. This short expression is always a few words on a single line. It ends in a comma. It should be indented to the same column as the heading. Skip one or three spaces (two is usual) for the signature.
5) The Signature line. Type or print your name. The handwritten signature goes above this line and below the close. The signature line and the handwritten signature are indented to the same column as the close. The signature should be written in blue or black ink. If the letter is quite informal, you may omit the signature line as long as you sign the letter.
28 Lany Kurniawan, Talk Active 2, (Jakarta: Yudhistira, 2014), p. 72
3. Types of Personal Letter
Personal letter is one of means of communication that people share to someone. People share their happiness, they show their gratitude, share their holiday experience, etc. here are some types of personal letter which are summarized by Sudarwati and Grace.
a. Love
We can write a love letter to someone whom we love or care about.
In this letter, we express feelings of affection and romance.
b. Farewell
In a farewell letter, we say goodbye and good luck to someone who is moving interstate or overseas, or changing schools.
c. Congratulation
We would send this type of letter to congratulate someone on a birth, wedding, achievement, or award.
d. Condolence
In a condolence letter, we show sympathy, usually for the loss of someone close to the recipient. We might wish them strength through their grief, say we are sorry for their loss, or share memories of the person they have lost.
e. Celebration
A holiday letter could celebrate a birthday, Eidul Fitr, Christmast, New Year, or any other special event or holiday.
f. Thank you
When we write a thank you letter, we are showing our appreciation to someone. Perhaps they invited us to their birthday party, gave us a thoughtful gift, or did us a favor. This is less formal than an appreciation letter, and would be sent to a friend or family member.
Every types of personal letter might use different expression to start the conversation. Here are some phrase that can be used in the writing of personal letter according to Bashir (2014: 97-98)
Kind of expression Expression
1. Gratitude I‟m just writing to thank you for …
It was very kind of you to …
Thanks very much for …
2. Giving advice Well, I thought about it and if I were you, I would …
Have you thought about …
I think you should … 3. Delivering good
news
I‟m sure you will be happy to hear that …
I‟m sure you will be interested to know that
OMG! You‟ll never guess what happened!
4. Delivering bad news
I‟m sorry but I have to tell you that …
I‟m extremely sorry to hear that …
It was heart wrenching to read about … 5. Asking for help I wonder if you could help me.
I hope it‟s not too much to ask but …
I wonder if I could ask you a favor. Could you …?
6. Apologizing I would like to apologize for …
I‟m sorry that …
Words are not enough to erase the pain I have given you but I want to say how sorry I am.
4. Examples of Personal Letter Here are examples of personal letter.
Example 1
Rachel Thomas
234, Hill View Apartments California
10th March 2010
Dear Rachel,
In today’s world it is very difficult to get true friends who stay with us when we are in need of them and who we can completely count on. Even when we find such friends, it is very hard to keep them close to us. But you are the special angel sent by God as my friend and I will keep you safe with me forever.
However, today I would like to express thanks for being my true friend and creating that unique distinction in my life.
With best wishes, Warmly,
Sofia
The Heading
The Greeting
The complimentary
close
The Signature The Body
Example 2 (taken from Sugeng, 2014: 105) D/194
Block 4 Sector 7 Vashi
29th October 2012
Dear Mr. Gupta
I am aware that some of my neighbors have complained to you about the loud party I held at my rented apartment a few days ago. I am most embarrassed about this incident and sincerely regret the disturbance it may have caused to my neighbors. Please accept my apologies.
The reason for the excessive noise was that it was my birthday celebration and I had invited around 20 friends.
My girlfriend had also hired a local music band to perform at the party. Trust me! We weren’t expecting that things would get this loud. We did turn the music down after 11 o’clock, but I guess it was already late.
I have since personally apologized to the neighbors and they seem to have understood the situation. Rest assured that this incident will not be repeated.
Yours sincerely,
Gautam
The Heading
The Greeting
The Body
The complimentary
close
The Signature
Example 3
Puri Anjasmoro B7/25
Semarang, Central Java 50144 Indonesia
August 21st
Dear Evan,
How are you? I hope you and your family are fine. My family and I are fine too.
Thank you for the bag you sent me. I like it very much.
However, my sister says I shouldn’t wear it to school because it is very big. My sister is the best but I feel that she talks too much.
Do you have any plans to visit me? I hope to hear from you soon.
Your loyal friend,
Raka