Simple Letter 簡單書信
BasicCapital letters and full stops.
- Letter kit: greeting → opening → news → wishes → name.
- Dear + name + comma: Dear Grandma,
- One topic per paragraph; do not cram everything into one.
文體小知識：Write a short letter.
§Text Passage
1Dear Grandma, How are you? I miss you very much. My school life is busy and happy. The weather in Hong Kong is getting hotter now. I am writing this letter at my desk after dinner, and the whole family says hello to you.
2My best subject is English, and my teacher says I write good sentences. Last month, our class visited the Science Museum. We saw many interesting robots there, and I asked the guide lots of questions. I got full marks in my spelling test too. My grammar is getting better because I check my homework every night.
3After school, I help my mother water the plants on our balcony. On Sundays, I play table tennis with my father in the park. Please take care of your health, and remember to wear a warm coat. Mum says we will take the train and stay for a week. I hope to visit you in Guangzhou this summer. Love, Wing-yan.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Dear Grandma, How are you?
親愛的外婆，你好嗎？
I miss you very much.
我很掛念你。
My school life is busy and happy.
我的校園生活又忙又開心。
The weather in Hong Kong is getting hotter now.
香港的天氣現在越來越熱。
I am writing this letter at my desk after dinner, and the whole family says hello to you.
我晚飯後在書桌前寫這封信，全家人都同你問好。
My best subject is English, and my teacher says I write good sentences.
我最好的科目是英文，老師說我寫的句子很好。
Last month, our class visited the Science Museum.
上個月，我們班去了參觀科學館。
We saw many interesting robots there, and I asked the guide lots of questions.
我們見到好多有趣的機械人，我還問了導賞員好多問題。
I got full marks in my spelling test too.
我串字測驗還拿了滿分呢。
My grammar is getting better because I check my homework every night.
因為我每晚都會檢查功課，所以文法越來越好。
After school, I help my mother water the plants on our balcony.
放學之後，我會幫媽媽在露台澆花。
On Sundays, I play table tennis with my father in the park.
星期日，我會同爸爸在公園打乒乓球。
Please take care of your health, and remember to wear a warm coat.
你要好好保重身體，記得多穿一件衣服呀。
Mum says we will take the train and stay for a week.
媽媽說我們會搭火車去，住一個星期。
I hope to visit you in Guangzhou this summer.
我好希望今年夏天可以去廣州探你。
Love, Wing-yan.
愛你的，詠欣。
1Summary 重點摘要
Capital letters and full stops.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Write.
Sentence.
Paragraph.
Capital.
Full stop.
Spelling.
Grammar.
Check.
3Step by step Steps
- Format 1: the greetingThe first line, at the left edge, is Dear Grandma, — Dear plus the reader, ending with a comma. The greeting sets the tone of the whole letter: Dear Miss Lee for elders and teachers, Dear Mary for a close friend. The missing comma is the most common format mistake, so check this line before anything else.
- Format 2: open with a greetingHow are you? I miss you very much. Open with one or two greeting sentences before your news — that is letter politeness. You can thank the reader for their letter first: Thank you for your letter., then ask about them. Jumping straight into your own news sounds abrupt. Two short, warm sentences are enough.
- Format 3: news in the middleMy best subject is English. Last month, our class visited the Science Museum. The middle is the body: one topic per paragraph, with the most important news first. School life, family outings or a funny incident all work, and things that already happened take the past tense. Details support the main point; they do not replace it.
- Format 4: close with good wishesPlease take care of your health. I hope to visit you this summer. Close the body with good wishes or a hope, so the letter ends warm instead of abrupt. Match the wish to the reader: health for grandparents, fun for a friend, see you soon for anyone. One or two lines go after the news and before your name.
- Format 5: sign your nameLove, or Yours, sits on the right, with your name on the next line: Wing-yan. Use Love or Best wishes for family and friends, and Yours for a teacher or someone more formal — a steadier tone. The closing word takes a comma too, and the name goes underneath. Without a signature, the reader will not know who wrote.
- Check after writingCheck the five positions one by one: greeting, opening, news, wishes, name — none may be missing. Then read the whole letter for capitals and punctuation, especially the commas after the greeting and the closing word. If time allows, reread after fifteen minutes and you will catch one more slip. Format marks are free marks — complete them all.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we write a simple five-sentence letter to a friend with every part in place?
- Step 1: Write the greeting at the left edge: Dear Mary, — warm, correct, comma included.
- Step 2: Thank the reader for their letter: Thank you for your letter. — a polite opening.
- Step 3: Give your news: I am fine. I like my new school. — two sentences about you.
- Step 4: Add a wish: Please write soon. — hoping for a reply keeps letters flowing both ways.
- Step 5: Sign off: Yours, on one line and Sue on the next — closing word and name, one line each.
- Answer: Sample answer: Dear Mary,
Thank you for your letter. I am fine. I like my new school. Please write soon.
Yours,
Sue
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Need?
Q2Paragraph?
Q3After?
Q4How does a letter start?
Q5How does a letter end?
8Recap Recap
- Letter kit: greeting → opening → news → wishes → name.
- Dear + name + comma: Dear Grandma,
- One topic per paragraph; do not cram everything into one.
- Closing wishes: Please write soon. / Take care.
- Sign with Love, / Yours, and your name — never skip it.