Today we\u2019re going to look at how to write an informal email\/letter. Cambridge may also offer you a formal email\/letter. But we\u2019ll save that for another time!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Three steps to write an excellent informal email\/letter<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n <\/p>\n
First thing\u2019s first. What\u2019s the difference between writing an email and writing a letter? Although there are some slight differences, essentially the tone, structure and language stay the same.<\/p>\n
These days, an informal email question is much more likely to crop up<\/strong><\/em><\/span> in the B2 First exam than a letter. So let\u2019s see what that question might look like:<\/p>\nYou have received this email from your English-speaking friend David.<\/p>\n
![\"Email](\"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Email-example.png\")
<\/p>\n
Write your email<\/strong>. (You should write between 140 and 190 words)<\/p>\nQuestion taken from Cambridge Assessment English sample paper 1 for B2 First<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Step One: Make a plan<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nOnce you\u2019ve turned over the B2 First Writing paper, and read the email question, ask yourself these questions first. Addressing them will help you spark<\/strong><\/em><\/span> some initial ideas.<\/p>\n\n- <\/i>Who are you writing to?<\/strong> Is it a friend, a family member or a classmate?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>What is the purpose?<\/strong> Maybe they\u2019re asking for suggestions, advice or a favour<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>What is the topic or theme?<\/strong> A holiday, party, cinema trip or city recommendation?<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Next, it\u2019s important to consider the content of your informal email\/letter. Make sure you spend the first fifteen minutes of your time thinking about these things and make some notes:<\/p>\n
Tone<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThe tone depends on who you\u2019re writing to and the purpose. In this case of David, we know he\u2019s an English-speaking friend. So you want to keep the tone relaxed, chatty and informal.<\/p>\n
Vocabulary<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nBrainstorm some good, B2 level, topic-based vocabulary related to holidays, your town, history and travel, e.g. cable car, football stadium, monuments, sightseeing, views<\/em>.<\/p>\nThink about any engaging, descriptive adjectives that could make your informal email or letter more interesting, e.g. unmissable, bustling, the oldest, the best, the most spectacular, the fastest, the cheapest<\/em>.<\/p>\nPhrasal verbs e.g. get away, set off, get back<\/em> and colloquial expressions e.g. Guess what!<\/em> will also help your B2 First informal email or letter sound natural and fluent. And if you can use some idioms, then you\u2019ve really hit the jackpot!<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\nGrammar<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nGood grammar is key when doing your B2 First writing exam. And there are a few grammar tricks to writing an informal email in English. Contractions are common for example. We\u2019re much more likely to say I\u2019m<\/em> than I am<\/em> or We\u2019d<\/em> than we would<\/em>. <\/p>\nYou could also try using the second conditional to give advice such as If I were you<\/em>\u2026 This is sure to score you top marks in your Writing paper. <\/p>\nPunctuation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nIn a B2 First informal email\/letter you can also be a bit more experimental with punctuation. Try using exclamation marks, dashes (-) or ellipsis (…). If you\u2019re making a list for friends, why not use bullet points? <\/p>\n
Structure<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThe best thing about writing informal emails and letters is that the layout<\/strong><\/em><\/span> more or less stays the same every time. Your work should be clearly organised into paragraphs. And emails in particular work well with short simple sentences. An ideal structure for any email or letter is Opening, Main body<\/em> and Closing<\/em>, which we\u2019ll look at in more detail now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Step Two: Write it<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nNow you\u2019ve made your plan, you should be ready and raring<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to go! Here\u2019s how to put it all together and write the perfect B2 First informal email\/letter.<\/p>\nOpening<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThere are a few different ways to start an informal email\/letter in English: <\/p>\n
\n- <\/i>Hi David,<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Hello David,<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Dear David,<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\nHi<\/em> is much more common in an informal email. Whereas Dear<\/em> is more appropriate in an informal letter. After you\u2019ve written the person\u2019s name, always remember to write a comma then start a new line.<\/p>\nIntroductory sentence <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThe opening is normally followed by an introductory sentence. This sets the tone of the email, shows your interest in the reader or refers back to a previous correspondence.<\/p>\n
\n- <\/i>How have you been?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>How are things?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Thanks so much for your last email\/letter.<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Sorry I haven\u2019t been in touch for such a long time.<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nMain body<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThis is where you introduce the topic of your B2 First email\/letter. Remember to look back at the question and answer any questions from the sender. In the case of David, he\u2019s writing to ask for recommendations for his friends. So you want to include lots of language for making suggestions. Here are some phrases you could use:<\/p>\n
\n- <\/i>It\u2019s great to hear that\u2026<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>You must tell them to visit\u2026 <\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Why don\u2019t they visit\u2026?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>They should definitely go to\u2026<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>I\u2019d really recommend (+ verb ing or subject + base infinitive)<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nConnecting ideas<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nTo keep your informal email flowing<\/strong><\/em><\/span> and natural sounding, use some informal connectors to link your ideas. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n- <\/i>And<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>But<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Well,\u2026 (to introduce a new topic)<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Anyway,…(to go back to a previous topic)<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Oh, by the way\u2026(to add additional information)<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>As for…<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nFinal paragraph<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThe closing paragraph of your B2 First informal email\/letter should be one or two sentences before you sign off<\/strong><\/em><\/span> and say goodbye. It could be to make an excuse to finish the letter\/email, or leave the reader with some kind of action they need to take.<\/p>\n\n- <\/i>I hope they have a nice time on their trip!<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Let me know if they need any more information.<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>I look forward to hearing from you again soon.<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Have a good one, and let\u2019s catch up soon.<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nClosing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThis is where you end your informal email\/letter and write your name. Remember, never end with the word Bye<\/em>. Instead use one of the informal and neutral phrases below. And don\u2019t forget to write your name underneath. <\/p>\n\n- <\/i>Take care!<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>See you soon!<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>All the best,<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Best,<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Lots of love,<\/li> <\/p>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nStep Three: Check it <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nAlways take five minutes to check your informal email\/letter at the end. Ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n
\n- <\/i>Have I answered all parts of the email question? <\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Is the tone friendly and informal?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Do I use enough topic based vocabulary?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Is my spelling, grammar and punctuation correct? <\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Does it look like a letter\/email?<\/li> <\/p>\n
- <\/i>Have I opened and signed off appropriately?<\/li>\n
<\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div>
<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span>
\n <\/p>\nIf you\u2019d like more help in preparing for your B2 First Writing exam, why not sign up to one of our B2 First Cambridge preparation courses<\/a>? We\u2019ll give you all the training you need, plus free mock exams to get you ready for the big day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nGlossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h1>\n <\/p>\n
Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
Crop up (pv):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to appear unexpectedly.<\/p>\nSpark (v):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to cause an idea or an event.<\/p>\nHit the jackpot (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to have great or unexpected success.<\/p>\nLayout (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> the way in which text or images are arranged on a page.<\/p>\n
You have received this email from your English-speaking friend David.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Write your email<\/strong>. (You should write between 140 and 190 words)<\/p>\n Question taken from Cambridge Assessment English sample paper 1 for B2 First<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve turned over the B2 First Writing paper, and read the email question, ask yourself these questions first. Addressing them will help you spark<\/strong><\/em><\/span> some initial ideas.<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Next, it\u2019s important to consider the content of your informal email\/letter. Make sure you spend the first fifteen minutes of your time thinking about these things and make some notes:<\/p>\n The tone depends on who you\u2019re writing to and the purpose. In this case of David, we know he\u2019s an English-speaking friend. So you want to keep the tone relaxed, chatty and informal.<\/p>\n Brainstorm some good, B2 level, topic-based vocabulary related to holidays, your town, history and travel, e.g. cable car, football stadium, monuments, sightseeing, views<\/em>.<\/p>\n Think about any engaging, descriptive adjectives that could make your informal email or letter more interesting, e.g. unmissable, bustling, the oldest, the best, the most spectacular, the fastest, the cheapest<\/em>.<\/p>\n Phrasal verbs e.g. get away, set off, get back<\/em> and colloquial expressions e.g. Guess what!<\/em> will also help your B2 First informal email or letter sound natural and fluent. And if you can use some idioms, then you\u2019ve really hit the jackpot!<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Good grammar is key when doing your B2 First writing exam. And there are a few grammar tricks to writing an informal email in English. Contractions are common for example. We\u2019re much more likely to say I\u2019m<\/em> than I am<\/em> or We\u2019d<\/em> than we would<\/em>. <\/p>\n You could also try using the second conditional to give advice such as If I were you<\/em>\u2026 This is sure to score you top marks in your Writing paper. <\/p>\n In a B2 First informal email\/letter you can also be a bit more experimental with punctuation. Try using exclamation marks, dashes (-) or ellipsis (…). If you\u2019re making a list for friends, why not use bullet points? <\/p>\n The best thing about writing informal emails and letters is that the layout<\/strong><\/em><\/span> more or less stays the same every time. Your work should be clearly organised into paragraphs. And emails in particular work well with short simple sentences. An ideal structure for any email or letter is Opening, Main body<\/em> and Closing<\/em>, which we\u2019ll look at in more detail now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now you\u2019ve made your plan, you should be ready and raring<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to go! Here\u2019s how to put it all together and write the perfect B2 First informal email\/letter.<\/p>\n There are a few different ways to start an informal email\/letter in English: <\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> Hi<\/em> is much more common in an informal email. Whereas Dear<\/em> is more appropriate in an informal letter. After you\u2019ve written the person\u2019s name, always remember to write a comma then start a new line.<\/p>\n The opening is normally followed by an introductory sentence. This sets the tone of the email, shows your interest in the reader or refers back to a previous correspondence.<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> This is where you introduce the topic of your B2 First email\/letter. Remember to look back at the question and answer any questions from the sender. In the case of David, he\u2019s writing to ask for recommendations for his friends. So you want to include lots of language for making suggestions. Here are some phrases you could use:<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> To keep your informal email flowing<\/strong><\/em><\/span> and natural sounding, use some informal connectors to link your ideas. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> The closing paragraph of your B2 First informal email\/letter should be one or two sentences before you sign off<\/strong><\/em><\/span> and say goodbye. It could be to make an excuse to finish the letter\/email, or leave the reader with some kind of action they need to take.<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> This is where you end your informal email\/letter and write your name. Remember, never end with the word Bye<\/em>. Instead use one of the informal and neutral phrases below. And don\u2019t forget to write your name underneath. <\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> Always take five minutes to check your informal email\/letter at the end. Ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n <\/span>\n<\/ul><\/div> If you\u2019d like more help in preparing for your B2 First Writing exam, why not sign up to one of our B2 First Cambridge preparation courses<\/a>? We\u2019ll give you all the training you need, plus free mock exams to get you ready for the big day.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n Crop up (pv):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to appear unexpectedly.<\/p>\n Spark (v):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to cause an idea or an event.<\/p>\n Hit the jackpot (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> to have great or unexpected success.<\/p>\n Layout (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> the way in which text or images are arranged on a page.<\/p>\nStep One: Make a plan<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
Tone<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Vocabulary<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Grammar<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Punctuation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Structure<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Step Two: Write it<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Opening<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Introductory sentence <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Main body<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Connecting ideas<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Final paragraph<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Closing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Step Three: Check it <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
\n <\/p>\nGlossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h1>\n