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GENERAL ENGLISH · B2 FIRST PREPARATION · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING
EMAILS PART
1 (INFORMAL)
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1 Warm-up

Look at the picture below and answer the questions.

1. What kind of holiday are these people having?

2. Where could these people be?
3. What time of year do you think it is?
4. Does this road look easy or difficult?
5. Where do you think they are going to sleep tonight?
6. Have you ever been on this type of holiday? Did/Would you enjoy it? Why/not?

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

2 Reading and writing

Now read the writing task and the notes.

You are planning to spend a week of your summer holiday cycling through England and now
you are writing an email to an English friend of yours to ask for some answers to specific
questions (140-190 words). Use these notes to help:
• Pretty place?
• No hills!
• Best month?
• Accommodation?

Read the model answer on the next page and answer the questions below.

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your last email! Sorry I haven’t been in touch with you for a while, but I’ve had a
really crazy time at work recently! In fact, I need a holiday now, and I’m writing to ask you
some questions about cycling in the UK.
I’m really getting into cycling around town here, but I’m not very fit, so I’m looking for a
beautiful area of England which doesn’t have many hills! Can you recommend somewhere
that’s flat and pretty?
I can take my holiday in July or August – when is the weather usually better? I want to avoid
the rain, but it’s best if the sun isn’t too hot. Maybe that’s never a big problem in England!
How about meeting up while I am in the UK? I’m looking forward to planning this holiday, so
write soon with your ideas! Please give your family my love.
Love,
Anna

1. Did the writer cover all four points from the task?
2. Where should the missing point go in the text? Mark the place with an arrow.
3. The missing point could be introduced like this: Another reason to plan for good weather is that I
want to have a go at camping. Is this a terrible idea?
Complete this point by putting these words in order, to make a question:
accommodation / any / Can / cheap / for me / of / other / recommend / types / you?

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

3 Language focus - verb phrases

Match the phrasal verbs/verb phrases on the left to the definitions on the right.

1. be in touch (with a. arrange to see a friend, e.g. for a coffee

someone)
2. get into something b. contact someone using phone, email, letter, etc

3. look for something c. search for something you need

4. have a go at something d. start and enjoy a new activity or hobby

5. meet up with someone e. try a new activity or hobby for the first time

6. look forward to something f. wait for a specific event in the future with a positive feeling

Talk about these topics using full sentences and the verb phrases in bold:
• Someone you have been in touch with recently
• Someone you are going to meet up with at the weekend
• An activity you are getting into at the moment
• The next activity you’d like to have a go at
• Where you would look for your keys if you couldn’t find them
• Something you are looking forward to doing when you have a holiday or vacation

4 Style

Why has the writer used an informal style? What other examples of informal language are in this
text?

Choose the best option in each pair for informal style and give or underline examples from the model
answer.

a. Use first names only in the greeting and closing/ Use surnames/last names
b. Use contractions and other short forms./Avoid contractions and use long forms.
c. Use indirect questions/Use direct questions
d. Use phrasal verbs./Avoid phrasal verbs.
e. Use plenty of passives./Avoid passive forms.
f. Make jokes and lighthearted comments./Use more serious language.
g. Refer to personal relationships./Avoid referring to personal relationships.
h. Use emotional language./Use neutral language.

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

5 Writing

Now plan and write this informal email task.

A friend of yours from abroad is planning to spend a week of their holiday with you walking
in your country and now you are writing an email to them to suggest some options (140-190
words). Use these notes to help:
• beautiful scenery and interesting history
• medium level of difficulty
• best weather in early autumn
• B&B/hostel accommodation

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)
6 After writing
Use this form to check your work – tick each point that you achieve.
C Content
O Organization and layout
A Accuracy and range
S Style
T effect on the target reader
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- you wrote about a walking holiday in your country with your
friend
- you made some suggestions and gave reasons about:
- a place with beautiful scenery and interesting history
- walks with medium level of difficulty
- the month with the best weather
- B&B/hostel accommodation
- you wrote 140-190 words
- you used a letter format with opening and closing
- paragraph 1 explains why you are writing
- information is organized into separate and indented
paragraphs
- the last paragraph contains a closing phrase which refers to
the next step in your contact
- you used 3-5 of the verb phrases from the lesson correctly
- your language was generally accurate for B2 level
you successfully achieved an informal style by using:
- appropriate informal greeting and closing - first names only
- contractions and short forms
- direct questions
you have used one or more of these:
- jokes
- references to personal relationships
- emotional language
- your friend feels informed about the options you are
suggesting
- your friend feels excited about the holiday
5/5
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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

Key
1. Warm-up

Time: 5 minutes
The key word to elicit is "cycling holiday". Students can answer the questions in pairs, with a brief class feedback
at the end. This task also gives practice for the B2 First Speaking Exam Part 2. These questions are meant to
encourage speculation – it’s not possible or important to know the exact answers.

2. Reading and writing

Time: 10 minutes.
Go through the questions one by one, checking answers after each. It is helpful to display the full text of the
model answer on the board to make sure everyone can see how to improve it. Underline or highlight the words
or phrases which relate to each point. You could check if students recognise the word reordering exercise as an
indirect question.
1. The writer has NOT included a question about accommodation (this will result in a loss of points on the exam,
as it is a necessary point for planning a holiday).
2. The missing point could go directly after ‘Maybe that’s never a big problem in England!’
3. Can you recommend any other types of cheap accommodation for me?

3. Language focus - verb phrases

Time: 15 minutes.
Get students working in pairs to match the verb phrase with the meaning and then check answers with the class.
If they’re not sure about the meaning, they should use the text to help them guess. Students could do the speaking
in pairs or small groups. It’s important that they use the verb phrase in order to activate the vocabulary and speak
in full sentences, giving reasons and examples. It’s helpful to demonstrate one of the points first.
1. b 2. d 3. c 4. e 5. a 6. f

4. Style

Time 15 minutes.
Go through the questions one by one, checking answers after each. Students should try to identify more informal
language in the text after doing Exercise 1 and before they do Exercise 2. This is to see what they already know
- you don’t need to confirm or deny their answers at this stage because Exercises 2 and 3 will address this. It’s
helpful to project the full text of the model answer so that the class can see where the examples are. Students
should highlight the answers on their own papers for reference later as this will help them with their own writing.
The writer is using informal style because she is writing to a friend. Students try to identify more informal language
in the text before doing the next exercise.
b. Use contractions and other short forms (Thanks, I haven’t, I’ve, etc.
c. Use direct questions (Can you recommend somewhere that’s flat and pretty?)
d. Use phrasal verbs (get into/look for/look forward to/meet up with)
e. Avoid passive forms.
f. Make jokes and lighthearted comments (...it’s best if the sun isn’t too hot. Maybe that’s never a big problem in
England!)

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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

g. Refer to personal relationships. (Please give your family my love.)

h. Use emotional language. (I’ve had a really crazy time at work recently! / Love, Anna)

5. Writing

Time 15 minutes.
Go through the task instructions with the students - it can be helpful to ask them to cover their paper and to
dictate the task to them to make sure they pay attention. It is also helpful to ask them to cover their paper and
remember the instructions after reading/dictation, using these questions:
- Who are you writing to? What greeting and closing will you use?
- Why are you writing?
- What style will you use?
- How many points do you have to include and what are they?
- Can you think of any examples to write about for each topic?
- How many words do you have to write?
You can show the students the marking criteria before they write, or you can wait till later. If you want to explain
the marking criteria to students before the assignment, you can elicit how writing is marked by examiners, and
then compare their ideas with the mark scheme.
It’s also a good idea to ask students to double space their writing to make corrections easier.

6. After writing

Students can start the writing in class, if time, and finish for homework. Use the feedback form to show what A
student has or hasn’t achieved by ticking the points. You can also ask student to mark their own or a classmate’s
writing using this form. However, the teacher should be responsible for finding and correcting mistakes. You
can include notes about frequent or systemic mistakes in the section Accuracy and Range, as well as making
corrections in the text. You can also add and complete these sections to provide additional feedback and advice.
Well done for ...
The next time you write an informal email, the most important thing to remember is ...

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