A2 Lesson 2: Writing Very Short, Simple Emails to a Friend
In the last lesson, we learned to write a postcard. Today, we will learn how to write a more modern type of personal message: a simple email1.
Emails are a fast and easy way to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues. We will focus on writing a short, informal2 email to a friend to make plans.
The Parts of a Simple Email
An email has a few special parts that are different from a postcard. The most important new parts are the To and Subject lines.
To: dara.chan@email.com
Subject: Coffee this weekend?
Hi Dara,
How are you? I hope you are having a good week.
I am free on Saturday afternoon. Would you like to meet for coffee at our usual cafe? Let me know if you are free.
Talk soon,
Sokha
The Subject line is very important. It should be a short, clear title for your email so the recipient3 knows what it is about.
Useful Phrases for Friendly Emails
- Good Subject Lines: Hello!, Catching up, Question, Coffee this weekend?
- Opening Lines: How are you?, How have you been?, I hope you are well.
- Making Plans: Are you free on [day]?, Would you like to...?, Let's meet at...
- Closings: Best, Cheers, Talk soon, Best regards,
✍️ Informal Email Checklist
- ✔️ Did I fill in the To and Subject lines?
- ✔️ Is my Subject line short and clear?
- ✔️ Did I include a friendly greeting, body, and closing?
- ✔️ Is my message clear and easy to understand?
- ✔️ Did I check my spelling and punctuation?
🧠 Practice Quiz: What's the Best Subject?
Read the body of the email below. Which of the subject lines is the best one to use?
Email Body: "Hi Srey, I just wanted to say thank you so much for the beautiful gift. It was very kind of you! I hope to see you soon."
- My Life Story
- Thank you for the gift!
- URGENT URGENT
Answer: B. It is short, clear, and accurately tells the recipient what the email is about.
📝 Homework: Write Your Own Email
Get your notebook and pen. Imagine you want to invite a friend to the cinema this weekend. Write a short email to them.
Remember to include all the parts of an email: To, Subject, Greeting, Body, Closing, and your name. Make up an email address for your friend. Use the checklist to help you.
You can use the template below to plan your email:
To: ____________________
Subject: ____________________
(Greeting),
(A sentence to ask how your friend is.)
(A sentence to invite them to the cinema.)
(A friendly closing line.)
(Your Closing),
(Your Name)
Vocabulary Glossary
- Email: (Noun) - អ៊ីមែល - An electronic message sent between computers or phones. ↩
- Informal: (Adjective) - មិនផ្លូវការ - Relaxed and friendly; not official or serious. Opposite of formal4. ↩
- Recipient: (Noun) - អ្នកទទួល - The person who receives something. ↩
- Formal: (Adjective) - ផ្លូវការ - Done in an official or serious way, following rules. Opposite of informal. ↩
- Subject Line: (Noun Phrase) - បន្ទាត់ប្រធានបទ - The title of an email message.