Informal Email
Writing · W5. Stavba, užitečné fráze, dva vzorové e-maily a tipy k maturitě.
W5 Informal Email
Neformální e-mail
Writing W5 · Stages 1–4 · A2 → B1 · Maturita text type
English lesson
Informal Email
What is it?
An informal email is a message to someone you know well: a friend, a classmate, a cousin, a pen pal. You write it to share news, invite, thank, give advice or answer their message.
- Reader: a friend or a family member, someone your age or someone you are close to.
- Style: friendly and natural, like polite spoken English. Contractions (I’m, don’t, can’t) are normal.
- Length: stages 1–2 about 50–80 words; stages 3–4 and the maturita usually 120–150 words (always check the task).
Structure
| Part | What you write | Example |
| Subject (optional) | a few words about the topic | Subject: Your trip in July |
| Greeting | Hi / Hey / Dear + first name + comma | Hi Emily, |
| Opening | react to their message or say why you are writing | Thanks for your email. It’s great news that … |
| Main part | 1–3 paragraphs, one topic per paragraph; cover every point of the task | I have lots of plans for us. … |
| Closing line | a question, the next step or a friendly wish | Let me know when your flight lands. |
| Sign-off + name | on separate lines; your first name only | Take care, / Klára |
Language focus
- Tenses by meaning: present simple and continuous for news about now (I’m training for a race), past simple for what happened (We went to the mountains), going to / present continuous for plans (We’re visiting Prague on Saturday), present perfect for fresh news (I’ve just passed my driving test!).
- Suggestions: Why don’t we …? · We could … · How about + -ing? · Let’s …
- Questions keep the conversation going: What about you? How was your trip? Have you decided yet?
- Linking words: and, but, so, because, also; at B1 also although, anyway, by the way, actually.
- Informal words: get (= receive, become), a lot of, pretty (= quite): The test was pretty easy.
Useful phrases
| Function | Phrases |
| Opening | Thanks for your email. Díky za e-mail. It was great to hear from you. Moc mě potěšilo, že ses ozval/a. Sorry I haven’t written for so long. Promiň, že jsem tak dlouho nenapsal/a. |
| News | Guess what? A víš, co se stalo? I have some great news! Mám skvělou novinku! You won’t believe what happened. Nebudeš věřit, co se stalo. |
| Inviting, suggesting | Would you like to come …? Nechtěl/a bys přijet …? Why don’t we …? / How about going …? Co kdybychom …? / Co takhle jít …? |
| Answering | I’d love to! Moc rád/a! Sorry, I can’t make it because … Promiň, nemůžu, protože … |
| Closing line | Write back soon. Napiš brzy. Let me know if … Dej mi vědět, jestli … I can’t wait to see you! Už se na tebe moc těším! Say hi to your family. Pozdravuj rodinu. |
| Sign-off | Take care, · Best, · See you soon, · Love, (family, close friends) Měj se, · Zdravím, · Brzy na viděnou, · S láskou, |
Model texts
Model 1 · Stages 1–2 · A2 · 56 words Task: Write to your American friend Jake. Tell him about your weekend and ask about his. Hi Jake, Thanks for your email. I’m fine, but I’m really busy at school this month! Last weekend, I went to the mountains with my family. We stayed in a small cabin and went hiking every day. On Saturday, we saw a deer near the river. It was amazing! What did you do last weekend? Write back soon. Bye for now, Petr The word count does not include the greeting, the sign-off or the name. |
Model 2 · Stages 3–4 · B1 · maturita level · 134 words Task: Your friend Emily from Ohio is coming to the Czech Republic in July. Invite her to stay with you, suggest two activities, tell her what to bring and ask about her arrival. Subject: Your trip in July Hi Emily, Thanks for your email. It’s great news that you’re coming to the Czech Republic in July! Of course you can stay with us. My parents have already said yes, and you can have my sister’s room because she’ll be at summer camp. I have lots of plans for us. On the first weekend, we could visit Kutná Hora. It’s an old silver-mining town with a famous chapel decorated with human bones. If the weather is nice, we can also go kayaking on the river near our house. Don’t worry, it’s easy! Please bring comfortable shoes and a swimsuit. It can get cold at night, so pack a sweater too. Let me know when your flight lands, and my dad and I will pick you up at the airport. I can’t wait to see you! Take care, Klára |
Why Model 2 works
- Every point of the task has its place: invitation (paragraph 1), two activities (2), what to bring (3), arrival (4).
- The opening reacts to Emily’s message; it does not start with a long How are you? I am fine.
- The tenses follow the meaning: have already said (fresh news), could visit (suggestion), will pick you up (promise).
- The tone is friendly (Don’t worry, it’s easy!), but there are no emojis, abbreviations or slang.
Pozor! ✗ Dear friend Tom, → ✓ Hi Tom, / Dear Tom, English doesn’t put friend in the greeting. ✗ I write you because … → ✓ I’m writing because … An action happening now: present continuous. ✗ I look forward to see you. → ✓ I’m looking forward to seeing you. look forward to + -ing. In a friendly email, I can’t wait to see you! sounds more natural. ✗ How about to go to the movies? → ✓ How about going to the movies? How about + -ing. ✗ We could to visit the zoo. → ✓ We could visit the zoo. No to after could, can, should. ✗ Let me know, it would be great. → ✓ Let me know. It would be great. Two sentences need a period (or because, so, and), not just a comma. ✗ Wanna come? / u / pls → ✓ Do you want to come? / you / please Chat spelling and wanna, gonna don’t belong in a school or maturita email. |
American English Spelling: favorite, color, center, theater, practice (also the verb), traveling. Dates: July 4 or July 4th; in numbers 7/4 means July 4, month first. Words: vacation (BrE holiday), Mom (BrE Mum), fall (BrE autumn), movie theater (BrE cinema), cell phone (BrE mobile). Write me soon is correct in American English (BrE Write to me soon). |
Maturita tip Underline every point in the task and tick it off when you have written it. A missing point costs more than a small grammar mistake. Use paragraphs, even in a short email. Put the greeting and the sign-off on separate lines. Contractions are fine; emojis, chat abbreviations (LOL, u, pls) and wanna / gonna are not. Your school sets the exact length and the time limit; the official minimum for the whole written exam is 200 words. |
Checklist
☐ Do I have a greeting, an opening, a closing line, a sign-off and my name?
☐ Did I answer every point of the task, each in a clear paragraph?
☐ Is the tone friendly all the way through (no Dear Sir … See ya! mix)?
☐ Did I check the tenses, -ing after How about and look forward to, and the word count?
Summary reader: someone you know well · style: friendly, contractions OK greeting → opening → main paragraphs → closing line → sign-off + first name react to their message, cover every point, ask a question no emojis, chat abbreviations or wanna / gonna in a school email |
See also
Grammar 1.9b Questions · 1.10a Going to · 2.5 Present perfect · 2.7a Future forms · Writing W4 Invitation · W12 Formal email · Workbook W5
Česká lekce
Neformální e-mail
Co to je?
Neformální e-mail je zpráva někomu, koho dobře znáte: kamarádovi, spolužákovi, sestřenici nebo kamarádovi na dopisování. Píšete ho, abyste sdělili novinky, někoho pozvali, poděkovali, poradili nebo odpověděli na jeho zprávu.
- Čtenář: kamarád nebo člen rodiny, vrstevník nebo někdo blízký.
- Styl: přátelský a přirozený, jako zdvořilá mluvená angličtina. Stažené tvary (I’m, don’t, can’t) jsou běžné.
- Rozsah: 1.–2. stupeň asi 50–80 slov; 3.–4. stupeň a maturita obvykle 120–150 slov (vždy se řiďte zadáním).
Stavba
| Část | Co napíšete | Příklad |
| Předmět (nepovinný) | pár slov o tématu | Subject: Your trip in July |
| Oslovení | Hi / Hey / Dear + křestní jméno + čárka | Hi Emily, |
| Úvod | reagujte na zprávu, nebo napište, proč píšete | Thanks for your email. It’s great news that … |
| Hlavní část | 1–3 odstavce, v každém jedno téma; pokryjte všechny body zadání | I have lots of plans for us. … |
| Závěrečná věta | otázka, další krok nebo přání | Let me know when your flight lands. |
| Rozloučení + jméno | na samostatných řádcích; jen křestní jméno | Take care, / Klára |
Jazyk
- Časy podle významu: přítomný prostý a průběhový pro současné novinky (I’m training for a race), minulý prostý pro to, co se stalo (We went to the mountains), going to / přítomný průběhový pro plány (We’re visiting Prague on Saturday), předpřítomný pro čerstvé novinky (I’ve just passed my driving test!).
- Návrhy: Why don’t we …? · We could … · How about + -ing? · Let’s …
- Otázky udržují rozhovor: What about you? How was your trip? Have you decided yet?
- Spojovací výrazy: and, but, so, because, also; na úrovni B1 i although, anyway, by the way, actually.
- Hovorová slova: get (= dostat, stát se), a lot of, pretty (= docela): The test was pretty easy.
Užitečné fráze s českým překladem najdete v anglické části lekce.
Vzorové texty
Oba vzorové texty najdete v anglické části lekce: Model 1 (1.–2. stupeň, A2, 56 slov) a Model 2 (3.–4. stupeň, B1, maturitní úroveň, 134 slov). Do počtu slov se nezapočítává oslovení, rozloučení ani jméno.
Proč Model 2 funguje
- Každý bod zadání má své místo: pozvání (1. odstavec), dvě aktivity (2.), co si vzít s sebou (3.), příjezd (4.).
- Úvod reaguje na Emilyinu zprávu; nezačíná dlouhým How are you? I am fine.
- Časy odpovídají významu: have already said (čerstvá novinka), could visit (návrh), will pick you up (slib).
- Tón je přátelský (Don’t worry, it’s easy!), ale bez emoji, zkratek a slangu.
Pozor! ✗ Dear friend Tom, → ✓ Hi Tom, / Dear Tom, Angličtina slovo friend do oslovení nedává. ✗ I write you because … → ✓ I’m writing because … Děj probíhající teď: přítomný průběhový čas. ✗ I look forward to see you. → ✓ I’m looking forward to seeing you. look forward to + -ing. V přátelském e-mailu zní přirozeněji I can’t wait to see you! ✗ How about to go to the movies? → ✓ How about going to the movies? How about + -ing. ✗ We could to visit the zoo. → ✓ We could visit the zoo. Po could, can, should se to nepíše. ✗ Let me know, it would be great. → ✓ Let me know. It would be great. Dvě věty oddělte tečkou (nebo spojte because, so, and), ne jen čárkou. ✗ Wanna come? / u / pls → ✓ Do you want to come? / you / please Chatový pravopis a wanna, gonna do školního ani maturitního e-mailu nepatří. |
Tip k maturitě Podtrhněte si každý bod zadání a odškrtněte ho, až ho napíšete. Chybějící bod stojí víc body než drobná gramatická chyba. Pište v odstavcích i v krátkém e-mailu. Oslovení a rozloučení dejte na samostatné řádky. Stažené tvary jsou v pořádku; emoji, chatové zkratky (LOL, u, pls) a wanna / gonna ne. Přesný rozsah a čas určuje vaše škola; oficiální minimum pro celou písemnou práci je 200 slov. |
Kontrolní seznam
☐ Mám oslovení, úvod, závěrečnou větu, rozloučení a své jméno?
☐ Odpověděl/a jsem na všechny body zadání, každý v jasném odstavci?
☐ Je tón přátelský od začátku do konce (žádné Dear Sir … See ya!)?
☐ Zkontroloval/a jsem časy, -ing po How about a look forward to a počet slov?
Viz také
Gramatika 1.9b Questions · 1.10a Going to · 2.5 Present perfect · 2.7a Future forms · Writing W4 Invitation · W12 Formal email · Workbook W5