Writing an informal email or letter

1. Writing an informal email or letter
TIPS FOR WRITING AN INFORMAL
LETTER/EMAIL

2. • Divide your letter into at least three
paragraphs:
1. The introduction
2. The body
3. The conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
How to start an email / letter

4. here
• DATE Put your address and the date in the top
right-hand corner (but NOT your name). If it’s
an email, don’t put your address or the date.
• GREETING Begin Dear Jane NOT Hello. Use a
comma (,) NOT a colon(:). If it’s an email, you
can begin Hi + name, or simply Hi/Hello.

5. Opening Expressions
• How are you?
• How have you been?
• How’s everything going?
• I was glad to hear from you

6. Reason one is writing
• I am writing because …
• The reason I am writing is because …
• I wanted to …
• I would like to …

7. Opening Expressions when we
answer an email / letter
• Thanks for you email / letter
• It was great to hear from you
• It was so nice to hear from you
• Sorry for not writing earlier

8. Responding to news
• Sorry to hear about…
• Glad to hear that you’re all well
• Good luck with …
• Hope you feel better soon

9. BODY
Talk about the main subject and expand with details about the reason of
writing the email

10. Asking for something
• Can you please…?
• Is it ok if you …?
• I want to …
• Would you mind …?
• I was wondering if…

11. CONCLUSION
Final paragraph Show that you are going to end the letter by using a
finishing sentence.

12. Closing expressions
• Anyway, / Well that’s all for now
• Hope to hear from you soon / Looking forward
to hearing from you soon
• Send my regards (love) to…
• Take care
• Stay in touch / Keep in touch

13. • CLOSING At the very end, just before the
SIGNATURE, put:
– Best wishes
– Regards
• If it’s a close friend:
– Love
– (Lots of) love from…

14. • If you have forgotten something, add it at the
end with PS.
PS Please send me the photos of our last trip

15. Remember!
1. Date
2. Greeting
3. Introduction
4. Body
5. Final paragraph
6. Closing
7. Signature

16. Use informal language (usually writing
to family and friends)
• Contractions
• Colloquial Expressions
• Abbreviations
• Simple, short sentences
• Simple linkers, e.g. then, later
• Slang
• Exclamation marks (!)