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Email making plans for visit
Example task
Read the example below of an email writing task. This type of task is very common in the Cambridge B1 Preliminary exam.
Read the email from your friend and the notes you have made. Write an email using all your notes.
Include all the points in the notes
When writing your email, make sure you include all the points mentioned in the notes. This is important to get a better mark. Each point helps guide your response, so don’t skip any!
A good way to structure your email is to follow the order of the points in the task. This will help keep your writing clear, logical, and easy to follow.
For example, in this task, you need to:
✔ Show enthusiasm about the visit.
✔ Say whether you prefer the festival or a quiet dinner and why.
✔ Say ‘no’ to the cycling suggestion, explain why you can’t, and suggest a different activity.
✔ Ask a question about your trip.By following this order, your email will cover all the required points naturally while staying well-organized.
Use paragraphs to structure your email
Start an informal email with a friendly greeting and end it with a friendly closing and your name. A well-organised email usually has a few short paragraphs in the middle. In this case, you could use four:
1. Greeting and opening
- Show enthusiasm about the visit.
2. Responding to the food festival invitation
- Clearly say whether you prefer the festival or a quiet dinner.
- You can give a reason for your choice.
- Add a suggestion if appropriate.
3. Saying no to cycling and suggesting a different activity
- Politely decline the suggestion.
- Give a reason.
- Suggest an alternative.
- Ask for their opinion.
4. Asking a question and closing the email
- Ask a relevant question.
Example email reply
Below is an example of how you could respond to your friend’s email.
Use connectors to organise your email
To make your email clear and well-structured, use connectors to refer to ideas in the previous email and to introduce new topics.
Referring to something from their email
When responding to a specific point in your friend’s email, use these phrases:
- About [the food festival/cycling/etc.], I…
- As for [the food festival/cycling/etc.], I…
- Regarding [the food festival/cycling/etc.], I…
Changing the subject
When you want to introduce a new point or topic, you can use these expressions:
- By the way, what’s the weather like?
- Oh, before I forget, I wanted to ask…
- Just wondering, should I pack for warm or cold weather?
Useful expressions
Here are some expressions you can use for each part of your email.
Greeting
- Hi [name],
- Hey [name], (More informal)
Opening line: showing excitement
- I’m so excited about [+noun or + -ing verb]…
- I can’t wait to [+ infinitive]…
- It’s going to be amazing to [+infinitive]…
Expressing preference
- I’d prefer to [eat/go to/etc.]…
- I think I’d rather [eat/go to/etc.]…
Giving a reason for your preference
- After travelling, I’ll probably be too tired to…
- I think it would be more relaxing to…
- I love trying new food, so…
Declining a suggestion
- That sounds great, but unfortunately…
- I’d love to, but (I’m afraid) I…
- I don’t think I’ll be able to…
Giving a reason
- I have a foot injury, so I can’t…
- I’m not really into…
- I find it a bit difficult to…
Suggesting an alternative
- Maybe we could… instead?
- Why don’t we…?
- How about we… instead?
Asking for their opinion
- What do you think?
- Would that be okay for you?
- Do you like that idea?
Asking for more information
- By the way, what’s the weather like?
- Should I bring…?
- Do I need to pack…?
Closing the email
- See you soon!
- Can’t wait to catch up!
- Looking forward to [seeing you/the trip/etc.]!
Signing off
- Best,
- Take care,
- All the best,
- See you soon,
- Cheers, (Very informal)
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