For a number of years you have been writing letters both at home and at school. You have talked about business and friendly letters and you have learned proper forms for heading, address, salutation, and complimentary ending. You know that a business letter should make entirely clear every fact that the person addressed needs to know in order that he may do his part of the business promptly and correctly, and that it should be courteous and correct. You know also what sort of letter you like to receive from a friend. You want such a letter to show that the writer is truly sincere and friendly, that he is thinking of the real you and your tastes and interests as he writes, and that he is giving you a piece of himself. And you feel complimented if he takes pains to tell in an interesting way the little everyday affairs that you want to know about and to make his letter correct in form as well as entertaining.

But perhaps you have forgotten some of the facts you have learned or have become lazy and careless about your writing. At any rate, now is a good time to see just how good letters you can write. It is better to write real letters than mere exercises. Perhaps the following suggestions will help you to think of letters that you ought to write.

Remember that conversation, interesting details, and vivid words help to make friendly letters pleasing.

Topics For Letters

1. A letter to a friend of your own age, to an older sister or brother, or to one of your grandparents, telling about your school, the county fair or fall festival, a recent football game, a visit to some place of interest in the neighborhood, your plans for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or what you did on a recent holiday. Think what will interest the special person to whom you write.

2. A note inviting some person to talk to your class about some topic you have been studying in geography, agriculture, history, nature study, or physiology.

3. A note to the proper person asking permission for your class to visit some factory, nursery, farm, mine, or mill.

4. A note to the superintendent of your school asking for new books for the library, apparatus for some course you are taking, or for new curtains or some other convenience for the schoolroom.

5. A note to the superintendent, telling just why you think some of his tests were not quite fair, or a note inviting him to visit one of your classes.

6. An order for some material for a Christmas gift.

7. An order for a year's subscription to a magazine or for a book.