Letter Writing: How to Write a Friendly Letter
Grade 2 · English · Study Guide
Learn the five parts of a friendly letter and how to write one correctly.
Writing a letter is one of the most personal things you can do with words. Whether you are thanking your grandma for a birthday gift, writing to a friend who moved away, or penning a note to your teacher, knowing how to write a proper letter is a skill that will serve you your entire life.
Every friendly letter has five important parts. The HEADING goes at the top right and includes your address and the date. The GREETING (or salutation) is how you say hello — like 'Dear Grandma,' or 'Dear Mrs. Jones,' followed by a comma. The BODY is the main message of your letter — this is where you write what you actually want to say.
The CLOSING is how you say goodbye — words like 'Sincerely,' 'Your friend,' or 'Love,' followed by a comma. Then finally, your SIGNATURE is your name written below the closing.
Remember: friendly letters use commas in the greeting AND after the closing. Also, the first word of each new sentence in the body is capitalized. When you are done, read your letter out loud — if it sounds like YOU talking, you have done a great job!
| Part | Where It Goes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | Top right | 123 Oak St. / June 8, 2025 |
| Greeting | Left side, below heading | Dear Grandma, |
| Body | Middle of the letter | Thank you so much for the book! |
| Closing | Below body, right side | With love, |
| Signature | Below closing | Emma |
Key terms
- heading
- The top section of a letter with the writer's address and date
- greeting/salutation
- The opening of a letter — 'Dear ___,' (followed by a comma)
- body
- The main message of the letter
- closing
- A farewell phrase like 'Sincerely,' or 'Your friend,' (followed by a comma)
- signature
- The writer's name signed below the closing
Flashcards
- heading
- The writer's address and date — goes at the top of the letter
- greeting/salutation
- 'Dear ___,' — followed by a comma — opens the letter
- body
- The main paragraphs of your message
- closing
- 'Your friend,' or 'Sincerely,' — followed by a comma — ends the message
- signature
- Your name, written below the closing
- five parts of a letter
- Heading, Greeting, Body, Closing, Signature
Practice questions
Which part of a letter contains the main message?
- heading
- greeting
- body
- closing
Show answer
Answer: body
The body is the main part of the letter — it contains everything you want to say to the person.
The greeting of a friendly letter starts with the word ___.
Show answer
Answer: Dear
Friendly letters begin with 'Dear [name],' — it is the standard way to start a greeting.
A comma follows the greeting in a friendly letter.
Show answer
Answer: True
After 'Dear Grandma' (or any name), you place a comma — not a period or exclamation point.
Which is a correct letter closing?
- Hello,
- Your friend,
- Dear Emma,
- June 8, 2025
Show answer
Answer: Your friend,
'Your friend,' is a typical friendly letter closing — it comes before your signature and has a comma after it.
A friendly letter has exactly five parts.
Show answer
Answer: True
A standard friendly letter has exactly five parts: heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature.
Fun facts
- Before phones and email, letters were the ONLY way to communicate over long distances — people would wait weeks for a reply!
- The longest letter ever written was 1,402 pages long — sent by a woman to her husband during World War II over a period of years!
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