Course Content All Lessons
A1
Beginner
39 lessons
Common Greetings Present Simple Tense Listening Skills: Tips and Strategies Telephone and Video Call English Articles: A, An and The Numbers, Dates and Time Asking Simple Questions The Verb To Be Classroom and School Vocabulary Personal Pronouns: I, You, He, She Plurals: Regular and Irregular Nouns Possessives: My, Your, His, Her Family Members and Relationships Food and Drink Basics Days, Months and Seasons Reading: A Short Email to a Friend Colours, Shapes and Sizes Reading: Short Personal Profiles Reading: Signs and Notices Reading: Product Labels Using Capital Letters and Full Stops Reading: A Simple Menu Reading: A Basic Timetable Writing Your First Email in English Writing About Yourself Writing a Simple Message Writing a Shopping List Writing Numbers and Dates Correctly Listening: Numbers and Prices Listening: Greetings and Introductions Listening: Simple Instructions Listening: Spelling Names and Words Greeting People and Saying Goodbye Listening: Days and Times Listening: Short Conversations at a Shop Asking for Directions Introducing Yourself in English Ordering Food and Drinks Talking About Your Daily Routine
A2
Elementary
41 lessons
Past Simple Tense Reading: A Day in London Writing Paragraphs Food and Drink Vocabulary The Present Continuous Tense Describing People: Appearance and Personality At the Airport Reading: A Famous City Writing Simple Sentences Comparatives and Superlatives Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs Can and Can't: Ability and Permission How Much and How Many Work and Jobs Vocabulary Transport and Travel Vocabulary Sports and Hobbies Health and Body Parts Shopping and Money Vocabulary Reading: A Short News Story Reading: A Holiday Postcard Reading: A Job Advertisement Reading: A Simple Recipe Reading: A Hotel Review Writing About Your Weekend Writing a Postcard Writing a Short Biography Using Connectors: And, But, Because Writing a To-Do List and Notes Listening: At the Airport Listening: A Phone Conversation Listening: Weather Forecasts Listening: Announcements Listening: Describing a Picture At the Airport: Conversations Describing Where You Live Listening: A Short Interview Making and Refusing Invitations Shopping Conversations in English Talking About Past Events Talking About Your Family
B1
Intermediate
38 lessons
Reading: The Future of Work Understanding Accents and Dialects Countable and Uncountable Nouns The Present Perfect Tense Phrasal Verbs: Top 30 Health and Medicine Vocabulary Listening Strategies for Podcasts Job Interview English Writing a Formal Letter First and Second Conditional Modal Verbs: Should, Must, Might Environment and Nature Vocabulary Passive Voice in Present and Past Gerunds and Infinitives Reading: Understanding Charts and Graphs Business and Work Vocabulary Technology and the Internet Feelings and Emotions Vocabulary Reading: A Newspaper Article Reading: A Book Review Reading: An Informal Blog Post Reading: A Travel Guide Extract Reading: A Science Article Writing a Complaint Email Listening: A Job Interview Writing a Book or Film Review Writing an Informal Email to a Friend Paragraph Writing: Structure and Cohesion Describing Graphs and Charts in Writing Listening: A Radio Programme Expressing Opinions and Agreeing Giving a Short Presentation Listening: A Lecture Extract Listening: Discussions and Opinions Listening: Following Complex Instructions Making Plans and Arrangements Talking About Health and Lifestyle Telling a Story in English
B2
Upper Intermediate
38 lessons
Business Email Writing Reading: The Art of Listening Passive Voice Discourse Markers and Linking Words Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Essays Debate and Discussion Language Reading: Understanding Opinion Pieces Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining Third Conditional and Mixed Conditionals Academic Vocabulary: Word Families Inversion for Emphasis Cleft Sentences for Emphasis Reading: Academic Journal Extracts Environment and Climate Change Vocabulary Idioms and Fixed Expressions Politics and Society Vocabulary Collocations: Common Verb-Noun Pairs Prefixes and Suffixes for Word Building Reading: A Research Summary Reading: A Financial News Article Reading: Identifying Bias in Media Reading: Literary Prose Extracts Summarising and Paraphrasing Writing an Argumentative Essay Writing a Report Writing a Cover Letter Listening: News Broadcasts Expressing Complex Opinions Writing a Formal Proposal Listening: Debates and Panel Discussions Listening: Interviews with Experts Listening: TED-style Talks Listening: Academic Lectures Listening: Documentaries Dealing with Difficult Questions Giving a Formal Presentation Language for Meetings and Conferences Negotiating in English
C1
Advanced
37 lessons
Nominalisation in Academic English Advanced English Idioms Hedging Language in Formal Writing Advanced Collocations and Word Partnerships Reported Speech Critical Listening: Analysing Arguments Persuasive Speaking and Rhetoric Reading: Literary and Cultural Texts Advanced Passive Structures Subjunctive Mood in Formal English Advanced Conditionals and Wishes Concession and Contrast Structures Formal and Informal Register False Friends and Confusing Words Idioms in Professional Contexts Reading: Philosophical Arguments Nuance: Near Synonyms and Subtle Differences Reading: Scientific Research Papers Reading: Historical Texts Reading: Legal and Official Documents Reading: Satire and Irony Writing a Dissertation Abstract Advanced Punctuation and Style Critical Writing and Analysis Writing for Publication Synthesising Sources in Academic Writing Listening: Accents and Dialects Advanced Presentation Techniques Writing Concisely: Avoiding Wordiness Listening: Comedy and Irony Listening: Complex Academic Lectures Listening: Implicit Meaning and Inference Listening: Political Speeches Diplomatic Language in Conflict Humour and Storytelling in English Speaking in Academic Contexts Impromptu Speaking and Quick Thinking
Lessons Writing
✉️

Writing an Informal Email to a Friend

Writing Intermediate ~2 min

Write friendly, natural emails to friends using informal language, contractions, and the right tone for casual communication.

📖 Lesson

What You Will Learn

You'll master writing informal emails that sound like a real friend talking, not a robot. You'll learn when to be casual, how to organize your thoughts naturally, and what tone works best for different situations with friends.

Explanation (with real-life context)

Informal emails are different from work emails. When you write to a friend, you can relax the rules. Think of it like texting, but slightly more structured. You're not trying to impress your boss — you're just connecting with someone you know.

The key differences:
- Use contractions: "I've" instead of "I have", "don't" instead of "do not"
- Natural opening: "Hey!" or "Hi there!" instead of "Dear Sir or Madam"
- Conversational tone: Write like you speak
- Shorter paragraphs: Make it easy to read
- Casual closing: "Catch you later" or "Let me know!" instead of "Sincerely"

Examples (natural sentences from daily life)

Email to a friend about weekend plans:

Hey Sarah,

*So I'm thinking about hitting up that new pizza place on Friday night. You in? I know you've been wanting to try it. Maybe around 7?

Let me know ASAP because I need to book a table!

Cheers,
Maria*

Email to a friend about helping with something:

Hi Jake,

*Are you free this weekend? I'm moving into my new flat and could use an extra pair of hands. Nothing crazy — just boxes and furniture. I'll order pizza and beers as payment! 😄

Lmk!
Alex*

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ "I would like to inform you that I am unable to attend" (too formal!)

  • ✅ "Hey, I can't make it Friday, sorry!"

  • ❌ Starting every sentence with "Furthermore" or "However"

  • ✅ Using "anyway", "so", "like", "basically"

  • ❌ Writing in one massive paragraph

  • ✅ Breaking it into 2-3 short paragraphs

Quick Tips

• Read it aloud — does it sound like you talking?
• Use emojis sparingly — one or two max, they're not always needed
• Keep paragraphs short — usually 2-3 sentences each
• Answer their questions — if they asked something, respond to it
• Add personality — use words and phrases that feel natural to YOU

Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting. Hover underlined words for quick definitions.

🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip

10 words
by the way
/baɪ ðə weɪ/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Used to introduce something you just thought of; adds a conversational feel
"The party was amazing! By the way, did you ever finish that book I recommended?"
Tap to flip back
fancy
/ˈfænsi/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
(British) To want to do something; to be interested in doing something.
"Do you fancy going out tonight, or would you rather stay in?"
Tap to flip back
shattered
/ˈʃætərd/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
(British) Extremely tired; exhausted.
"After the 12-hour flight, I was absolutely shattered and went straight to bed."
Tap to flip back
gossip
/ˈɡɒsɪp/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Informal talk or news about other people's personal affairs.
"Sarah and I spent hours gossiping about what happened at the party."
Tap to flip back
run into someone
/rʌn ˈɪntə ˈsʌmwʌn/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To meet someone by chance; to encounter someone unexpectedly.
"I ran into my old teacher at the grocery store yesterday!"
Tap to flip back
hanging out
/ˈhæŋɪŋ aʊt/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Spending time together in a relaxed, informal way.
"We're just hanging out at home watching a movie this weekend."
Tap to flip back
to wrap up
/ræp ʌp/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To finish or conclude something
"I should wrap up this email now — I have to get back to work!"
Tap to flip back
hit me up
/hɪt mi ʌp/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Informal: contact me or call me
"If you're free this weekend, hit me up and we can grab coffee."
Tap to flip back
paragraph
/ˈpærəɡræf/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A group of sentences about one idea, separated from other groups
"Keep each paragraph short in informal emails so it's easier to read on a phone."
Tap to flip back
sign off
/saɪn ɔːf/
Intermediate
Tap to see definition →
Definition
The way you end a message, like 'Cheers' or 'See you later'
"A good sign off for a friend might be 'Let me know!' or 'Talk soon!' instead of 'Respectfully'."
Tap to flip back

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Type the missing word to complete each sentence.

The party was amazing! ___, did you ever finish that book I recommended?
Do you ___ going out tonight, or would you rather stay in?
After the 12-hour flight, I was absolutely ___ and went straight to bed.
We're just ___ at home watching a movie this weekend.
If you're free this weekend, ___ and we can grab coffee.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Quick Check
3 questions · no login needed

1. Which opening is most appropriate for an informal email to a friend?

2. What should you do to make an informal email easier to read?

3. Which closing is most appropriate for an informal email to a friend?

🧠 Practice Quizzes

Test Your Knowledge: Writing an Informal Email to a Friend
5 questions · 10 min
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Kamal — English Language Specialist & Developer
Founder of Englomo. Background in English language education and web development. All lessons and articles are written to align with CEFR standards (A1–C1) and reviewed for accuracy before publishing. About Englomo →