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Openings
When writing an informal letter, you are usually replying to another letter. You would normally start with a greeting, then acknowledge the letter to which you are replying. It is often a good idea to acknowledge some key information given in the original letter too. You can also make a comment on your own reply.
Useful phrases for the opening
- How are you? / How have the family been? / I hope you are well.
- Thank you / Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter / postcard.
- It was good / nice / great to hear from you again.
- I was so surprised to hear that...
- I’m sorry I haven’t written / haven't been in touch for such a long time.
- It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you're well / you and your family are well.
- How are things? / How are you? / How’s it going?
Other useful phrases
Referring to news
- Great news about … Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about …
Giving news
- Listen, did I tell you about …? You’ll never believe what …
- Oh, and another thing … This is just to let you know that …
- I thought you might be interested to hear about / know that … By the way, have you heard about / did you know that …?
Apologies
- I’m writing to apologise for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu.
- I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job. Invitations
- I’m / We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I / we hope you’ll be able to come.
- Would you like to come / go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me at the weekend?
- I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre / come on holiday with us.
- Could you let me / us know if you can come / you’d like to join us?
- Thank you very much for your invitation. I’d love to come.
- Thank you for asking / inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to … Requests
- I’m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favour.
- I wonder if / I was wondering if you could help me / do me a favour.
- I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …?
- I’d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could …
Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck
- I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality / the wonderful present.
- It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you.
- I really appreciated all your help / advice.
- Congratulations on passing your exams / your excellent exam results!
- I wish you good luck / Good luck in / with your exams / your driving test / your interview.
- Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well / pass.
- Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to …
Making suggestions and recommendations
- Why don’t you …? / Maybe you could …? / How about …?
- You can’t leave New York without (...doing sth)
- I’m sure you will enjoy (...doing sth). If you like, we can … Do visit ... / Don’t forget to ...
Closing
The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email.
Give a reason why you're ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I guess it's time I got on with that studying I've been avoiding.
Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact: Give my love / regards to... / Say hello to... / Anyway, don't forget to let me know the dates of the party. / I'll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times. / We must try and meet up soon. / I can't wait to hear from you / Look forward to seeing you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See you soon / Write soon
Closing statement such as Love, Lots of love, All the best, Take care, Best wishes, should be written on a new line. If you used a comma after the opening greeting, use a comma here too.
Signing off: Your first name then follows on another new line.
Sample
You have received this email from an English-speaking boy called Simon.
Hello,
I would like to get to know someone from your country and a friend has told me that you would like to practise your English. Perhaps we could email each other. Could you tell me a bit about yourself and your family? Could you suggest how we might meet sometime in the future?
Thanks, Simon
Write your email in 120-150 words in an appropriate style.
Informal email/letter 1 - Model answer
Hello Simon,
I'm glad you're interested in my country. As your friend said, I'd like us to email each other to help me improve your English.
Let me start by telling you a bit about myself and my family. My name's Ivo and I live in Kutna Hora, which is about 45 minutes from Prague by car. I used to work for a medical company but now I'm learning to be a salesperson. In the future I want a job where I can travel for my work. I've already been to a few places in Europe but I've never been to an English-speaking country.
I live at home with my parents, which is convenient, as I don't have to do much housework and my meals are cooked for me. My younger brother is studying at university. Although he is four years younger than me, we get on quite well. We both enjoy snowboarding and music.
What about you? Have you ever been to the Czech Republic? It would be great if you could come over one day and we could fix up a meeting. Why don't you let me know your plans?
Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best wishes,
Ivo
TASK 1 TEST 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You received an email from your friend, Tuan. He asked you for some information about one of your old friends, Thanh. Read part of his email below.
I’ve just got an email from one of your high school friends, Thanh. He says he’s going to take a course in Ho Chi Minh city. He asked if he could share the apartment with me until he could find one for his own. Can you tell me a bit about him (his personality, his hobbies, his current work or study if possible)? I want to have specific information about him before coming to a decision.
Please write back soon.
Write an email responding to Tuan. You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include your name.
Hi Tuan,
How are things? I’ve just received your email in which you asked me to tell you about my old friend in high school.
Well, Thanh is one of my good friends. He’s very kind and helpful. He always helps other people when they need. I think he is an honest person. He never tells lies. In his free time, he likes to play soccer with us. He plays soccer very well. He also likes to listen to music. His favorite singer is My Tam. He downloads all My Tam’s MVs. He’s attending a course of Master of Arts in Ho Chi Minh city next month. He wants to improve his knowledge and skills to become a good teacher. He’s a neat person, he won’t bother you.
Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! Please tell me your decision.
Best wishes,
An
TEST 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have received an email from your old friend, Hoang, who is coming to visit your hometown with some friends. Read part of Hoang’s email below.
…..we want to stay at a homestay in your town for a week. Could you recommend us a good one?
I’ve read there are many great places to explore in your area, such as floating markets, islets and orchards. Which do you think is the best? Should we use public transport or hire bikes to get there?
We’d like to learn a bit more about local people and their lifestyle. Are there any interesting things we should know? It would be great if you could join us!
Write an email responding to Hoang. You should write at least 120 words. You do not need to include your name or addresses.
Hi Hoang,
It’s nice to hear that you are coming to visit my hometown. (It must be very exciting) Here’s my advice for the trip.
About your accommodation, I recommend you a pleasant homestay near my house where you can meet interesting people from different places. Moreover, you can enjoy a lot of local food here. Can Tho city is famous for (tropical- fruit) orchards, green fields, nice rivers and especially floating markets. We can get there by bike to exercise and enjoy the beautiful sights along the roads. However, we have to get up early and take a boat if you want to visit floating markets where you can see people selling and buying goods on the river. If you want to learn something about local people’s life and work, I can take you to visit some of my neighbors’ houses.
I am looking forward to seeing you soon.
Best wishes,
An
TEST 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have received a letter from a foreign friend who visited Vietnam for business and have been stuck during the covid19 lockdown. Read part of the letter from him below.
I feel stressed and anxious when living with the virus. I don’t know how to stay safe in this situation, especially when I need to go out. Could you share some advice on how to safely spend time outdoors? Also, I would like to know some websites and restaurants where I can order food and buy necessary things online.
Furthermore, I am not sure how long I will have been stuck in this city, so please tell me who I can contact or where I can go if I need help.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Write a letter responding to your foreign friend. You should write at least 120 words.
You do not need to include your name or addresses. Your response will be evaluated in terms of Task Fulfillment, Organization, Vocabulary and Grammar. Dear John,
I’m sorry to hear that you have been in a difficult situation. Well, it’s quite serious but you don’t need to worry too much.
I have some advice on this issue. When you go out, you should always wear a mask and keep a safe distance with other people. Remember to wash your hands regularly. (I don’t think you should go out of your house very often). Just get out when you really need. You can buy necessary things on Shopee or Lazada to save time and avoid contacting people. You can order some food at some restaurants enclosed with my email. When you need help, you can contact the local medical center at 0928…..
I know that you feel uncomfortable in this time, but you should try to overcome it. (Find something to do like listening to music, watching films or chatting with your friends and your families). Everything will get better soon!
Take care,
TEST 4
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You received an email from your friend, Tuan. He asked you for some information about summer job. Read part of his email below.
What summer jobs might be available in your area?
I would not expect to earn a lot of money, of course, but do you think I’d earn enough to pay for my expense?
Finally, if I get a job, would it be possible to stay in your house?
Write me soon.
Write an email responding to Tuan. You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include your name. Hi Tuan,
How are things? Is your studying OK? It’s nice to hear that you want to spend your summer in my country. It would be a great chance for you to improve your Vietnamese.
If you want to have a job, you can work at a mini mart near my house. There are a lot of Vietnamese people and foreigners coming there to buy things, and you can talk to these customers (to know more about their lifestyle). They are very friendly. This job can bring you new relationships and chances to learn about people in Vietnam, and of course some income for your expenses. About accommodation, I think you can stay in my house and share the room with me. (I’m busy studying and working all day, so I just come back to my room at night. Oh, you should keep it tidy, or my mom won’t be happy.)
Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! Write to me soon.
Best wishes,
An