·The first of the two emails
Aptis General, Writing, part four: the informal email. In Part 4 you write two emails, first the informal one, to a friend, of forty to fifty words, and then the formal one, of one hundred twenty to one hundred fifty. This video is about the first. An important detail: the descriptors ask for the two registers to be clearly different, so the informal one has to really sound informal. We will see the register, how to open and close, how to express feelings and how to adjust the words.
1/4Informal register
An informal email sounds like you talking to a friend. That means short, direct sentences. With contractions: I'm, don't, it's, can't. With everyday vocabulary. And with expressions of closeness, such as how are things, you know or by the way. You do not need advanced linkers or long sentences. And what you avoid: formal formulas, such as I am writing to inform you, or I would be grateful if. In this email, those phrases sound odd. The examiner checks that the two emails have a clearly different register, and the informal one is where it shows most.
2/4Opening and closing
How to open and how to close an informal email. To open, a friendly greeting with the name: Hi Sara, or Hello Tom. And a sentence that connects with your friend: how are things, or hope you're well. To close, a sentence that invites a reply: let me know what you think, or write back soon. And a short sign-off: take care, speak soon, or best wishes. Do not use Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely, which belong to the formal one. With forty to fifty words, the opening and the closing take up about fifteen, so do not go on too long.
3/4Expressing feelings
The informal email usually asks for a reaction: a piece of news, an invitation, a problem. To express feelings you have simple phrases. Surprise: I was completely shocked, I couldn't believe it. Joy: I'm so happy for you, that's great news. Worry: I'm a bit worried about it. Disagreement: to be honest, I don't think it's a good idea. And to give an opinion, a sincere, brief sentence. Look at this example of about forty-five words: Hi Sara, how are things? Did you hear the news about the club? I was completely shocked. To be honest, I think it's a bad idea. What do you think? Let me know. Take care.
4/4Adjusting the words
Between forty and fifty words there is little margin, so count them. If you stop at twenty-five, content is missing: add a question or a reason. If you go over sixty, cut, starting with the sentences that repeat. A practical split, which is our reading: greeting, eight words. Reaction, ten. Opinion, twelve. Question, eight. Closing, seven. Total, forty-five. And remember that the recommended time for the whole of Part 4 is the rest of the exam, about thirty minutes for the two emails: do not spend more than five on the informal one.
·To practise
To practise, write an informal email of forty to fifty words to a friend. Have it tell a piece of news and ask for their opinion. With a friendly greeting, your reaction, your opinion, a question and a closing. Count the words, and then reread: does it sound like you talking to a friend? If anything sounds like a formal letter, change it. You can get feedback in the AptisBot bot.