Generally speaking, social letters should still be handwritten. This is because a personal letter should convey personal thoughts and the more impersonal the format in which it is written, the less impact your letter will have.

Always bear in mind the need to write as clearly and neatly as possible-there’s no one can read what you have written. This is particularly important with sensitive, social communication, since if you are reading news of a long-lost relative or a declaration of love, you do not want to have to decipher it.

You want to be able to relish the information itself rather than requiring three days merely to decode it. It is, naturally, unforgivable to word- process such personal correspondence as letter of condolence. It would totally defeat the purpose of writing the letter.

Remember to add the date and the address from which you are writing. The recipient may wish to reply and even if your current whereabouts are obvious to you, they may not be so to your reader.

When writing to old people or to children, remember to use particularly clear handwriting and, if at all possible, slightly larger letters than normal. People with feeding eyesight will appreciate this and children will simply find it easier to read. Children also like the written word to be broken up with pictures so, even if you think you can’t drew, any illustrations, cartoons or photos will add to the enjoyment. Here are some guidelines and samples of the most common forms of personal letters.