WRITING 1: AN INFORMAL

LETTER/EMAIL

1. SALUTATION
DEAR… (BETTER IN AN INFORMAL LETTER), HI …, HELLO ….,
START WITH DEAR FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST NAME OF THE PERSON TO WHOM YOU
ARE WRITING. IN EMAILS, YOU CAN ALSO START WITH HI (AND THE PERSON’S NAME).
DEAR BEN, OR HI BEN, (DON’T FORGET TO USE ONLY THE FIRST NAME OF THE PERSON
YOU ARE WRITING TO AND NOT DEAR MR JOHN, WHICH IS NEVER USED, OR DEAR MR
JOHN BROWN, WHICH SOUNDS TOO FORMAL.)

2. OPENING
BEGIN BY ASKING SOME PERSONAL QUESTIONS OR MAKING SOME PERSONAL COMMENTS.
• HOW ARE YOU? HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
• SORRY I HAVEN’T WRITTEN FOR SO LONG.
• THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER OR EMAIL. IT WAS GREAT / LOVELY TO HEAR FROM YOU.
• THAT´S GOOD NEWS ABOUT … PLEASE TO HEAR ABOUT …
• IT’S A SHAME ABOUT/ SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT…
• … SOUNDS TERRIBLE/ HORRIBLE

3. BODY
SAY WHY YOU ARE WRITING. IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE AGREEMENTS OR TURN
SOMEONE DOWN, GIVE REASONS. GIVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD
TO GIVE. ADD SOME MORE DETAILS OF YOUR OWN IF YOU LIKE.

5. CLOSING&
4. ENDING YOUR EMAIL
1. GIVE A REASON WHY YOU’RE ENDING THE LETTER.
SIGNING OFF
- THAT`S ALL FOR NOW. 1. - ALL THE BEST,
- MUST GO NOW! - BYE FOR NOW,
- BEST WISHES,
2. I HOPE THAT’S USEFUL
- LET ME KNOW (WHAT HAPPENS) - ALL MY LOVE,
- GIVE MY LOVE/REGARDS TO…. - REGARDS,
- LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. 2. SIGN OFF WITH YOUR NAME (NO
- HOPE TO SEE YOU/ HEARING FROM YOU SOON. SURNAME- IT’S TOO FORMAL)
- PLEASE WRITE SOON.