2.  Easy to recognize
 Have a predictable format
› Date of writing
› Salutation
› A message
› Closing
› Signature
 Personal letters, thank-you notes, email,
text messages, business letters, letters to
the editor, and letters of appeal

3.  Address the reader and establishes a
relationship between the writer and the
reader
 The genre that comes closest to
conversation between people
 Engages the reader in an ongoing
interaction, often calling for a response

4.  Allows the writer to “speak” directly to
someone without being interrupted
 Once you’ve sent the letter, you can’t
take your words back.
 The most personal and intimate form of
writing