The main reason is because they don't plan before they start writing the email. A funny thing happened to me and Julia when we were in trekking in Wales about 2 months ago. Don’t use abbreviations and slang such as ‘u’ and ‘OMG’! Use these phrases to make recommendations:... is worth doing / seeing / going to.... . Writing skills practice: An email to a new friend – exercises 1. In the following email, Bill is writing to a friend of his (John) who he hasn't had any contact with in a long time. 3 0 obj A good way to introduce the topic is by asking them a question if they remember the situation. 'I don't know if you've heard, but I've started my own business. <> ', Have you heard anything from:(phrase) In an email to a friend you haven't spoken to in a long time, you can also ask them questions about a mutual friend (somebody you both know) who you've lost contact with. So remember, there are always 2-3 topic points in email/letter writing tasks, but the register is usually informal in emails and formal in letters. We really should meet up some time. To learn more about what type of things you should and shouldn't write in an email to a friend, read my article on 'how to write emails to friends'. Because you haven't been in contact in a long time, you should have a lot of interesting things to say or questions to ask them. You would then follow this by giving more details about the news. I love laughter and pranks. ���TMh5��hoxn��Q0�0�,� ��'T��Y��[;�C-(jk�! Although not necessary, you can ask them to confirm if they are interested in doing it by writing 'let me know if you'd like to' at the end. Tips It's common to start with a reason for writing and refer to how long it's been since you saw or wrote to each other. And this is what the phrase 'a funny thing happened to' is used to introduce. This shows that you are interested in finding out things about them. Below is a definition/description of each of the words/phrases in bold from the above text. Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing. You had to take him back to the hotel in a taxi and put him to bed. What have you been up to lately? It is used when you want to ask the person a question about something they told you they were planning to do the last time you had contact. I decided to leave my job and set up a...'. An informal email can be like a conversation, so you can start with How are you? In summer (so fortunately no snow!) I lived in Yemen 18 Years ago. 3ff��j F����y�0���K�x�Ɣ��z�� She was an adorable friend. Click on it to find extra information about the word/phrase (e.g. Writing a good email to a friend you haven't spoken to in a long time should be easy. For example: Preparation task Match the definitions (a–h) with the Unfortunately, when we eventually got back to the car, we couldn't move it because of the snow. Writing skills practice: A letter to a friend – exercises 1. Let me know if you fancy it. How to Write an Informal Email for FCE Writing An email is an example of an interactive writing, which means that we are writing to someone rather than just for someone to read. I hope you find the website useful. Feb 3, 2014 - Look at the exam question and letter and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. The language is at the level required to be successful in the Cambridge Assessment English B1 Preliminary and other tests set at a similar level. <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 1. Who is Chris? I have never had any penfriend until now but I would like a penfriend so much. Email is a quick, easy way to communicate with friends. illness, a death etc...), an email to a friend shouldn't just be about giving them news about yourself (although that is important). Normally, you would only use 'I don't know if you've heard' to introduce some important news (e.g. 1. etc...). Only use one word/phrase once. This is an informal email to a friend who is telling them about a film they have recently watched and their favourite film of all time. These are ways that in which you can do both at the same time. and computers and dog, Cookie go roller-skating with Jo and 2. a job), is, A phrase that is used to apologise for not having contacted/spoken to your friend earlier, is, A word that is used in emails to inform the person reading it that the email is about to end, is, A phrase which is used to introduce some important news you want to tell to your friend about, is, A phrase used when you want to ask your friend about something they were planning to do, is, An abbreviation which is used at the very end of the email that you can use to introduce a greeting from somebody to the person you are writing to, is, A phrase that means 'it's been a long time since we had contact', is, A phrase used to introduce an experience or situation from the past, is, A phrase used when you want to tell your friend what things are the same since the last time you spoke, is, A phrase used when you want to ask your friend about another person, is, Click to see more email/letter exercises & examples. This has been designed to both explain how and what to write in this type of email and to make sure that you remember what to do. You can then ask questions about what they are doing (e.g. Writing a letter to a friend. A collection of downloadable worksheets, exercises and activities to teach Emails, shared by English language teachers. ', 'do you fancy going to the pub?'). 4 0 obj But to plan well, there are two things you need to know before doing it: It is important that you know what type of things you should write about. I was waiting for the bus when I suddenly realised I had...', We really should meet up some time:(phrase) In an email sent to a friend where there has been no contact in a long time, you should (if you live near them) make a suggestion to meet with them at the end of the email. With the advent of the digital age, e-mail plays an important part in everybody’s life. If you want to ask them a question about something they were planning to do, you would write 'I remember you telling me that' instead. I don't know if you've heard, but since the last time we spoke I left my job. 'Apart from that, nothing much has changed. How we tried to impress people by saying we were French.' Due to studying, I could not contact her. I would recommend that you write this apology after you have asked them how they are. Exercise & Example: In the following email, Bill is writing to a friend of his (John) who he hasn't had any contact with in a long time. For example, 'I was thinking the other about when we went with Tim to the beach in 2010'. So now that you know what structure you should use, see it used in the below example email. Sorry for my laziness.' Peter says hi.' 'P.S. 'We really should meet up some time. It’s a writing task after all. She blamed me for everything and refused to talk to me for most of the journey. 'I remember you telling me that you were planning to leave your job. Do you remember how drunk he was on the Saturday? But it did and it got a lot worse. For example: After 'anyway' you place a comma and then give a reason why you are stopping. A phrase you use in the email to introduce an amusing/funny story, is, A phrase used to ask your friend if they are continuing doing something (e.g. A funny thing happened to:(phrase) Unless an email is giving some type of bad news (e.g. Writing an Email in English to Your Friend These days we usually speak to our friends using texts, on a chat program or just in person. Normally, the reason you give is that you have to go somewhere else (e.g. There are some things that you should include in this type of email (e.g. The e-mail is to explain why their long-awaited trip to Europe is cancelled. I have a love of history and the web. Click on the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers. How are you? Writing: B2 An informal email to a friend Learn how to write an informal email to a friend. 'we're moving to Australia in June' etc...). Click here to see more of our free online exercises on writing emails/letters Example & Exercise: Read the below informal business email of response about a project in an airport from an external project manager to a client. This is an international exam, not an actual email to your friend! For example: This email contains annotations which 1 0 obj is 'by the way'. Did you end up doing it?' I was thinking the other day when we all went to see Blur in concert...'. Say what you learned there. 'A funny thing happened to me last week. we're planning to go to the Pyrenees in Spain for a week. Check your understanding: multiple choice Circle the best answer for these questions. We have worked together at the Bosch Company. Then you would ask them if they did it. P.S. Email Writing Exercises Email Packets & Discussions Before students are able to write emails, they should be exposed to a wide variety of what emails in English look like. How about going for a drink? A friend … Educational Trip - Letter Writing - An Email to a Friend about the Trip. But that's nothing new! Sorry, I haven't been in contact recently:(phrase) In an email to a friend where there has been no contact in a long time, it is polite to apologise for not contacting sooner at the beginning. So, let’s have a look at our questions from earlier. Check your understanding: gap fill Complete the sentences using the sentence ends in the box. when, where and how to use etc...). It's a similar job to what I had before, but I have more responsibility (and more hours unfortunately) and the pay is better (which is nice). 'Sorry, I haven't been in contact recently. Now that you understand the topics to write about, vocabulary to use and structure; practise them by writing your own email to a friend you haven't spoken to in long time. drop you a line, same old, same old) to give it a friendly, informal tone. Have you got any suggestions of places which we should visit when we are over there? An informal letter should be informal. So you need to sit down (or walk the dog) and just think of things to ask and tell them. Email Writing: E-mail stands for electronic mail. After you use this phrase, suggest where you could meet or an activity (e.g. So it is your choice if you choose to write it or not. This shows that you are interested in finding out things about them. Blame yourself for being lazy. Use phrasal verbs (e.g. An e-mail is a message distributed by electronic means from one computer user to one or more recipients via a network. Instructions for Writing B1 Preliminary Part 1: Email In this part of the test, you are given an email from an English friend or relative, and you are asked to respond to it in about 100 words. You can also say that you had the intention or writing before, but you didn't. Sarah: Have a go at writing to your friends in English. I remember you telling me that you were thinking about moving house. Normally, you would say this in the first sentence, just after asking them how they are. So we decided to turn back and return to the car. %PDF-1.5 Sorry, I haven't been in contact recently. Now choose the word/phrase from the question's selection box which you believe answers each question. Another phrase that you can use to do the same thing is 'I was thinking the other about'. For the funny story, I would recommend that you choose one about something that went wrong (but not seriously wrong). stream It is always used at the end of emails (after you write your name). A teacher b. Obviously, you would follow this phrase with the name of the person (e.g. We decided to walk to the village. moving to Australia, going to university etc...). Have you heard anything from Jeff? For example: You can write an email to a friend any way you like, but some basic guidelines may be helpful. 'I have to go to the supermarket') or you have to do something else (e.g. I've been meaning to write to you for the last couple of months, but I just haven't got round to doing it. You can use 'are you still' when you want to ask them if they are continuing doing any type of activity (e.g. Apart from that, nothing much has changed:(phrase) Although when telling your friend news about yourself you want to focus more on things which have changed, you also want to tell them about things which are still the same. • Email English, Creative Writing Prompts The students are required to write an e-mail to a penpal in 50 words. I was thinking the other day about when we all went to London for the weekend. Exercise 5 Informal Email Advice gives you practice for the IGCSE ESL Exam where you write approximately 100–150 words in response to a short stimulus (which may take the form of pictures) … So let's now look at the structure you should use when writing an email to a friend you haven't had contact with in a long time. After an hour of trying to dig it out, it still wouldn't move. I've also bought a new car (a Honda Civic). By doing this, it shows that the person is important to you (which if they are a friend they should be). Welcome to ESL Printables , the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans, activities, etc. Choose the correct words or phrases to write an informal email to a friend. From the context, try to guess what the meaning and the use in the email of the words/phrases in bold are. endobj By doing this, it shows that the person is important to you (which if they are a friend they should be). ��;�f;����\Ƒ|z����zR�:c�rL��C9��a���!ou�XO��RQt�1��,�N�]���+9���Y�d��M@����l]�Y����G�q"u�>�+*�X�L'�0=�t}�''5�. Look at the email and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. 'I have to finish a report for tomorrow'). Are you still working at Tyson or have you changed too? It is used to introduce a new topic in the email that you've not written about in the rest of the email. I speak Arabic and a little English. It is the most popular and fastest way of sending messages anywhere […] Go out for a few drinks at the pub? After this, you would tell them what the news is (e.g. True False 2. … There are ways that in which you can do both at the same time. Check your understanding: true or false Circle True or False for these sentences. Follow us on or on Twitter or on Google +. I don't know if you've heard:(phrase) This phrase is used to introduce some news about yourself (or somebody else) to the person reading the email. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises. If you're replying, you can start with Lovely to hear from you. playing golf, seeing Sue, working at, living in etc...). Reading this will show you not only the structure you should use, but also give you examples of types of things to write about and English vocabulary and phrases you can use in your own emails. My mom had 2 pen friends while she was in high school. IGCSE ESL Exercise 5 Informal Email Advice Core is a good example of an informal email giving advice which has the appropriate content and language to gain a good mark in this part of the exam. To use 'I remember you telling me that' to ask a question, you would follow it by 'you were planning/thinking about', then by what they were planning to do (e.g. I'm still living in the same house in Sheffield and still going trekking in the mountains every other weekend. An example of this is the with phrase/question 'are you still'. For this reason, emails and letters are a very particular type of writing for FCE in comparison with essays, articles, reviews or reports.