Writing: Genre-Specific Writing (Simple Forms) (A2) - Lesson 1: Writing a Simple Postcard or Short Personal Note

A2 Lesson 1: Writing a Simple Postcard or Short Personal Note

You have learned to write sentences, paragraphs, and short stories. Today, we will use all those skills to practice a specific genre¹ of writing: a postcard².

Writing a postcard is a friendly, informal way to share your travel experiences with family and friends.

The 5 Parts of a Postcard

A postcard message has a special format with five main parts. Let's look at an example from someone visiting Siem Reap.

June 13, 2025

Dear Dara,

Greetings from Siem Reap! I am having a wonderful time here. Yesterday, I visited Angkor Wat at sunrise. The temples were ancient and so beautiful! The weather is very hot, but I am enjoying the delicious food.

Best wishes,

Sokha

Stamp

Dara Chan

House 15, Street 123

Kampot City

Kampot Province

CAMBODIA

Useful Phrases for Your Postcard

• Greetings: Dear [Name], Hi [Name], Hello [Name],
• Opening Lines: Greetings from [Place]! I'm having a great time in [Place].
• Body Sentences: The weather is... The food is... Yesterday, I went to... I saw...
• Closing³ Lines: Best wishes, See you soon, Your friend, Love,

✍️ Postcard Checklist

• ✔️ Did I include all 5 parts: Date, Greeting⁴, Body⁵, Closing, and Signature⁶?
• ✔️ Did I put a comma after my greeting (Dear Dara,) and closing (Best wishes,)?
• ✔️ Did I use past tense verbs for past events?
• ✔️ Did I check my spelling, capitalization, and punctuation?

🧠 Practice Quiz: Label the Parts

Look at the example postcard again. Can you answer these questions?

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1. What is the Greeting?

Answer: Dear Dara,

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2. What is the Closing?

Answer: Best wishes,

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3. Who wrote the postcard (the Signature)?

Answer: Sokha

📝 Homework: Write Your Own Postcard

Get your notebook and pen. Imagine you are on holiday in a place you love (like Kep, Mondulkiri, or even another country).

Write a postcard to a real friend or family member.

1. Follow the 5-part format.
2. Write 3-4 sentences for the body of the message.
3. Use the checklist to check your work.

You can use the template below to help you organize it.

(Your Date Here)

(Your Greeting Here),

(Your 3-4 sentence message about your trip here.)

(Your Closing Here),

(Your Name)

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Genre: (Noun) - ប្រភេទ - A particular style or type of writing. ↩
2. Postcard: (Noun) - ប័ណ្ណប្រៃសណីយ៍ - A card for sending a message by mail without an envelope. ↩
3. Closing: (Noun) - ពាក្យបញ្ចប់ - The friendly phrase you write at the end of a note before your name, like "Best wishes,". ↩
4. Greeting: (Noun) - ការសួរសុខទុក្ខ - The friendly phrase at the beginning of a note, like "Dear Dara,". ↩
5. Body: (Noun) - តួសំបុត្រ - The main part of a letter or message. ↩
6. Signature: (Noun) - ហត្ថលេខា - Your name, written by yourself. ↩