PB1A

There are many things people write these days from novels, to letters, even tweets. However, when people write they usually do not think about what they are writing, they simply just write. Just as there are many forms of writing there many types of genre’s. Everything that someone writes can be placed into a genre and we may not even know which one it is but the genre exists. The genre that written very commonly is the letter, more specifically the personal letter. The personal letter is written by may people but most do not even know that it is own genre. The personal letter contains many different aspects and conventions that make its own genre such as its tone, its audience, and its context. I will analyze and discuss these very important aspects of the personal letter as well as some other pieces that make a personal letter a personal letter.

The conventions of a personal letter are not what most writers would expect in writing. A personal letter is typically informal as well as informative. It is usually written for a family member, a close friend or a lover. It is also usually written to someone that the author has not seen in a quite a bit of time. The length varies from either very short to extremely long depending on the content of the letter. A personal letter is also typically where the author will confide in the intended reader. It also typically contains emotionally charged words in order to get feelings across if needed. A personal letter is also something where the author may reveal their inner self that they usually keep hidden away.

The tone of a personal letter is both informal and informative. It is also typically more friendly. The tone is informal because the person that the letter is meant for is most likely someone close to the writer so they do not feel the need to be formal. The tone is also informative because the personal letter is usually used as a way for the writer to tell the reader how they have been doing or what has happened in their life. The friendly aspect of the tone coincides with the informal aspect since they are both the type of tone one would use when talking too or writing too a friend or loved one.

A personal letter’s audience can actually be anyone. While typically it is someone close to the writer a personal letter can be addressed to anyone not just one specific group of people. However, the audience for a specific personal letter is usually restricted to only a small group of people or a single person. A personal letter is exactly what is a personal letter so the writer can leave out some things you would usually expect in a personal letter since conventions are not rules.

The context of a personal letter varies from writer to writer. Usually it will contain something about an important event that occurred but not always. It can also contain a simple “how are you doing?” or other things along that line. The context of a personal letter is not set in stone it is all up to the writer what they put into it. The context of a personal letter usually contains many events however, because it is usually written to someone who is either far away or someone that the writer that has not seen in a while. So the writer will try to inform the reader as much as they can in a personal letter since they may not be able to contact the reader that often.

The conventions of a personal letter are things we expect to see in it. They are not rules by any means but not having some of the conventions of a personal letter may disqualify it from being considered a personal letter. One does not need to use and informal tone but it is expected since it is not a professional piece of writing. One does not need to be informative but leaving out any type of events may lead the letter to be less personal. A short personal letter is fine but the reader may not be content as it may seem that the writer does not care enough about them to write a longer letter. Conventions are a guide to writing in a specific genre. One does not need to use all of the conventions of a personal letter but must use at least a few to be considered a personal letter.