Greetings and closings of letters

Learning Objectives Identify the greeting and closing in any letter. Differentiate between formal and informal greetings and closings. Select an appropriate greeting and closing based on the letter's audience. Correctly punctuate greetings and closings with a comma. Explain how greetings and closings affect the tone of a letter. Create a list of at least three formal and three informal greetings and closings. Write a short letter using a proper greeting and closing for a specific purpose. Do you say 'What's up?' to your best friend but 'Good morning' to your teacher? 🤔 The way you start and end a letter is just as important for showing who you're talking to! In this lesson, we will explore the special words used to start a letter, calle...

TermDefinitionExample Greeting (or Salutation)The 'hello' part of a letter that comes at the very beginning. It always includes the name of the person you are writing to.Dear Grandma, Closing (or Valediction)The 'goodbye' part of a letter that comes right before you sign your name.Your friend, AudienceThe person or group of people who will be reading your letter.If you write to your cousin, your cousin is the audience. FormalA serious and respectful style of writing used for people you don't know well or people in positions of authority, like a teacher or a community leader.Greeting: 'Dear Mayor Smith,' Closing: 'Sincerely,' InformalA casual and friendly style of writing used for friends, family, and people you know well.Greeting: 'Hi Sam,...

The Comma Rule Place a comma (,) after the greeting and after the closing. This is a key punctuation rule for all letters. The comma separates the greeting and closing from the rest of the letter and your name. The Capitalization Rule Capitalize the first word of the greeting and the first word of the closing. Just like the start of a sentence, the first word in your greeting (like 'Dear') and your closing (like 'Sincerely') must begin with a capital letter. The Audience Match Rule Choose a greeting and closing that match your audience and the purpose of your letter. Use informal language (like 'Your pal,') for friends and family. Use formal language (like 'Respectfully,') for teachers, principals, or people you don't know...