Email: Structure
1. Open an email
Hi Tom / Dear Ms.Brown
2. Opening paragraph (say hello!)
Start with a greeting and say something friendly related to the situation.
3. Main content (answer the questions)
Paragraph 1: Answer the first important point
Paragraph 2: Talk about a second important point
Paragraph 3: Talk about a third important point
4. Closing paragraph (say goodbye!)
Finish by saying something friendly related to the situation.
5. Close an email
Love /Lots of love / All the best / Take care / Bestwishes
[Signature]
Let’s analyse this question:
Read this email from your English friend Teri and the notes you have made.
From: Teri (recipient)
Subject: Learning a language (topic of your email )
Hi
I’m excited because next month I’m starting my beginners’ classes to leam
your language! I’ve never
studied a foreign language before — thanks for meeting me to give me some
ideas. (No problem) (content point 1)
Are you free next Thursday afternoon after school? (Sorry, but…) (content
point 2)
My parents say they’ll buy me a dictionary to help me learn new vocabulary,
and perhaps some videos. Do you think that’s a good
idea? (Advise Teri) (content point 3)
You said that you would help me sometimes after I start my classes. Can you
still do that? (Offer…) (content point 4)
Bye,
Teri
Step 2: Open an email
Every email starts with an opening formula, depending on who is the recipient of our
letter we will start the letter in a slightly different way:
If it’s a teacher – we should be a little bit more respectful and formal so a good
option to do would be to say something like:
Dear Mrs. Jones, – to a teacher
If it’s a friend or realtive– we can choose something informal for example we could
say
Hi Tom, – to a friend or relative
Hello Tom,
Since in our case the recipient of the letter is our friend Teri we will use “Hello
Teri,” form.
Hello Teri,
Step 3: Opening paragraph (say hello!)
Start your email by saying something friendly related to the situation (or ask them
how they feel ). For example, if your recipient is a friend the first paragraph might
look like this.
Thanks for your email, it was really great ( fantastic /lovely) to hear from you. I’m so
excited to …
[to a friend or relative]
if you are writing to a teacher you need to be a bit more formal and polite
Thank you for your email. I just got it and I admit it’s really great idea to…
[to a teacher]
as in the previous case, our recipient is our friend Teri, so we will write our opening
parahgraph in this way:
Hello Teri, – opening
Thanks for your email, it was really great to hear from you. I’m so excited you’re
going to start learning my language. – opening paragraph
Step 4 : Main content (answer the questions/notes)
The main paragraphs are the most important parts of your email because they must
contain different content points/notes from the task.
Each paragraph can be only one or two sentences longbecause remember you only
write between 100 – 120 words in total which means that you don’t have a lot of
words available.
You need to be careful that you use the right functional language in each of these
paragraphs to show the examiner that you understand exactly what you have to
do(explain, advise, suggest, offer etc.)
Content points/notes (see step 1):
1. (No problem) – Say Teri you’re glad you could help
2. (Sorry, but…) – Say Teri you can’t meet next Thursday and why
3. (AdviseTeri) – Advise Teri about the dictionary and videos
4. (Offer…) – Offer your help once she started her classes
See the example answer below, with additional annotations you may find useful:
I’m really happy I can help, (point 1) if you want, we can carry on meeting even once
you’ve started your classes (point 4) and I can help you with vocabulary. Also,
Tuesdays are great for me, what do you think?
You talked about meeting (<= refer to the letter) next Thursday but I have football
practice after school so could we meet some other time? (point 2)
About the dictionary and the videos,(<= refer to the letter) I don’t think you need
videos because you can watch YouTube. However, the dictionary is a great
idea .(point 3)
Step 5: Closing par agr aph (say goodbye!)
We want to end our email with a nice closing formula so we can write one short final
sentence where we end the email in a nice way.
All we need to do is to be careful with the language and make sure that we show the
per son the r ight level of r espect.
Thank you again and see you in class. –to a teacher
Drop me a line when you get my email! – to a friend or relative
Step 6: Close an email
As with any letter, also an email should always end with a signatur e and closur e.
Love /Lots of love / All the best / Take care – to a friend or relative
Best wishes / Sincerely – to a teacher
[Your Name / Sur mane]
Below you can see an example ending and closing of our letter
Good luck with your studies Teri! – closing paragraph
Love, – closure
Tommy
Sample:
Hello Teri,
Thanks for your email, it was really great to hear from you. I’m so excited you’re
going to start learning my language.
I’m really happy I can help, if you want, we can carry on meeting even once you’ve
started your classes and I can help you with vocabulary. Also, Tuesdays are great for
me, what do you think?
You talked about meeting next Thursday but I have football practice after
school so could we meet some other time?
About the dictionary and the videos, I don’t think you need videos because you can
watch
YouTube. However, the dictionary is a great idea.
Good luck with your studies Teri!
Love,
Tommy
