Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Teacher’s Notes

Description
This activity presents and practises a number of functional and fixed phrases that are useful for writing emails
at Entry 3. Students also look at two example tasks and assess the ‘good’ and ‘not-so-good’ features of a
sample answer. They then plan and write another email of the type they might be given in an exam.
(N.B. The language presented and practised in this activity can also be used in ‘notes’ and ‘messages’.)

Teacher’s Notes

Aims of the lesson
• to present and practise fixed and functional phrases for
emails
• to familiarise students with different types of email tasks and
what is expected of them
• to practise writing an email

Time needed 1 hour

Materials required • an authentic example of an email – to be projected on to a

screen OR a paper copy for each student
• Student’s Worksheet 1 – one for each student
• Student’s Worksheet 2 – one for each student
• Student’s Worksheet 3 – one for each student, or can be
projected on to a screen
• Student’s Worksheet 4 – one for each student, or can be
projected on to a screen
• Sample Task 1 – one for each student

Procedure
1. If you have students who lack experience with emails, it may be helpful to show them an example of one
and talk about certain key features: e.g. To/From/Subject/features of toolbar/etc. This would probably be
most effective on a screen but printing out an email would be a useful alternative.
2. Ask the whole class the following questions:
• Do you ever receive emails?
• Who do you receive them from?
• Do you ever send emails?

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 • Who do you send them to?
• What is good about emails?
• Is there anything bad about emails?
Accept any plausible answers to these questions.
3. Explain that students are often asked to write an email in the Entry 3 Writing exam, but that they
handwrite the email (unless they are taking the computer-based version). Explain that email tasks are
usually similar to note- and message-writing tasks in terms of task content and the type of language they
need. Hand out Student’s Worksheets 1 and 2. Check that students understand the functional labels in
Student’s Worksheet 2. Ask students to put the sentences from Student’s Worksheet 1 into the correct
places in the table on Student’s Worksheet 2. There are two sentences for each section. Also ask
students to underline or highlight the words in each sentence that can be used again in another email (or
note/message). Monitor students working individually/in pairs. Check answers with the whole class. (See
Key to Student’s Worksheet 2.)
4. Hand out Student’s Worksheet 3 (or, to save paper, project on to a screen, if available). Ask students to
read the task. then ask questions to check understanding, e.g.:
• Who are you going to write to?
• Why do you want to write to him/her?
• What do you need to say in the email?
Ask students which phrases from Student’s Worksheet 1 would be good for this email. Accept any
appropriate suggestions for this. (See Key to Procedure step 4.)]
5. Hand out Student’s Worksheet 4. Ask students to read the email and decide if the task has been done
well. Check with the whole class by asking questions such as:
• Does it say who the email is to?
• Does it say who the email is from?
• Does the writer apologise?
• Does the writer explain why he/she can’t go to the appointment?
• Does the writer say why he/she wants the teacher’s help?
• Does the writer suggest another time for the appointment?
• Does the writer use any phrases from Student’s Worksheet 1?
(See Key to Procedure step 5.) Ask students to rewrite the email to their own teacher. They should give
different reasons for being unable to attend the appointment on Monday and for wanting the teacher’s
help. Monitor students as they write. Perhaps ask two or three students to read their answers aloud, and
ask the class to check that they have said all that they need to say (apologising, explaining why, saying
what, and suggesting another time).
6. Hand out Sample Task 1 (and project on to a screen, if available). Point out to the students that they are
sometimes given an email and asked to reply to it. Ask students to read the task, then ask questions to
check understanding. e.g.:
• Who are you going to write to?
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 • Why do you need to write to her?
Ask students which phrases from Student’s Worksheet 1 would be good for this email. Accept any
appropriate suggestions for this. (See Key to Procedure step 6.)
7. Ask students to write the email in Sample Task 1. Monitor students as they write. Perhaps ask two or
three students to read their answers aloud, and ask the class to check that they have said all that they
need to say (giving advice about how her children could meet others, and about how she could practise
her English).

Additional information
In the revised Skills for Life Writing exams, emails are assessed in terms of Planning (evidence of this
through coherence and detail), Text and Sentence features. Therefore, students preparing for email tasks in
the Entry 3 Writing exam may need help with Planning, Text features (content points, audience awareness
and organisation), Sentence features (sentence grammar, verb tenses, word order, conjunctions and linking,
and punctuation), and also Word features (selection of appropriate vocabulary, legible handwriting and
spelling).

Suggested follow-up activities/questions (and answers)

1. Encourage students to continue to add functional and fixed phrases to Student’s Worksheet 2 as
they come across them in their lessons.
2. If your students have access to computers, encourage them to write emails to each other and to you.
For those who don’t already use email, colleges now usually provide all students with their own email
accounts and it is easy to set up a private account online (Google, hotmail, etc.).

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Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Answer Keys
Key to Procedure steps
Step 4:
• Who are you going to write to? (your teacher)
• Why do you want to write to him/her? (to change an appointment)
• What do you need to say in the email? (apologise; explain why you can’t go to the appointment; say
why you want your teacher’s help; suggest another time for the appointment)
Possible useful phrases:
Start an email: Dear/Hi
Apologise: I’m afraid I can’t …/I’m very sorry but I can’t …
Suggest: What about …ing …?/We could …
Finish an email: See you soon/Best wishes

Step 5:
• Does it say who the email is to? (yes)
• Does it say who the email is from? (no)
• Does the writer apologise? (yes)
• Does the writer explain why he/she can’t go to the appointment? (yes)
• Does the writer say why he/she wants the teacher’s help? (yes)
• Does the writer suggest another time for the appointment? (no)
• Does the writer use any phrases from Student’s Worksheet 1? (yes)

Step 6:
• Who are you going to write to? (Sara)
• Why do you need to write to her? (she wants advice about how to help her children meet others
their age and how she can practise her English)
Possible useful phrases:
Start an email: Dear/Hi
Give advice: Maybe you/they should/I think the best thing for you/them to do …
Suggest: What about …ing …?/You/They could …
Finish an email: See you soon/Best wishes

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Key to Student’s Worksheet 2

start an email Dear Ann

Hi Mohamed

invite someone Would you like to come to a party next Saturday?

Do you want to come to dinner at my house on Friday?

reply to an invitation Thanks for your invitation.

Yes, I’d love to come to your house for dinner.

ask for help Could you help me fill in my application form please?

Can you help me with my homework please?

offer to help Can I give you a lift to the hospital?

Would you like me to do your shopping?

give advice Maybe you should go to the doctor’s.

I think the best thing for you to do is to change your

course.

apologise I’m afraid I can’t go swimming with you next week.

I’m very sorry but I can’t come to your class on

Monday.

suggest What about meeting at 7.00 p.m. outside the station?

We could go for a walk in the park.

finish an email See you soon.

Best wishes

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Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Student’s Worksheet 1

Put two of these sentences into each part of the table on Worksheet 2.

1. Would you like to come to a party next Saturday?

2. Dear Ann

3. I’m afraid I can’t go swimming with you next week.

4. Could you help me fill in my application form please?

5. What about meeting at 7.00 p.m. outside the station?

6. See you soon.

7. Can I give you a lift to the hospital?

8. Best wishes

9. Thanks for your invitation.

10. Maybe you should go to the doctor’s.

11. We could go for a walk in the park.

12. Would you like me to do your shopping?

13. Hi Mohamed

14. Do you want to come to dinner at my house on Friday?

15. I’m very sorry but I can’t come to your class on Monday.

16. Can you help me with my homework please?

17. Yes, I’d love to come to your house for dinner.

18. I think the best thing for you to do is to change your course.

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Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Student’s Worksheet 2

start an email

invite someone Would you like to come to a party next Saturday?

reply to an invitation

ask for help

offer to help

give advice

apologise

suggest

finish an email

Underline or highlight the words in each sentence that you can use in different emails.

Example: Would you like to come to a party next Saturday?

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Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Student’s Worksheet 3

Task 1

You want your teacher to help you with something. Your teacher gave you an appointment for next Monday
but you can’t go to the appointment.
Write an email to the teacher. In your email:
• apologise
• explain why you can’t go to the appointment
• say what you want your teacher to help you with
• suggest another time for an appointment.
Write about 80 words.

Subject: our appointment

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Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Student’s Worksheet 4

Read the task and the student’s answer. Does the student answer the question well?

You want your teacher to help you with something. Your teacher gave you an appointment for next Monday
but you can’t go to the appointment.
Write an email to the teacher. In your email:
• apologise
• explain why you can’t go to the appointment
• say what you want your teacher to help you with
• suggest another time for an appointment.
Write about 60 words.

Subject: our appointment

Hi Tony

I’m very sorry but I can’t come to my appointment with you

next Monday. My son’s teacher wants to speak to me about
his schoolwork because he has some problems with maths and
English. My son’s teacher says she can’t see me at any other
time.
But I still want to see you if possible because I need you to
help me write a very important letter to the council.

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Skills for Life Entry 3 Writing: Emails Sample Task 1

You receive this email from your friend Sara who has recently moved to a new area.

From: sarap@mlc.ac.uk

Subject: any advice?

Hi
As you know, I have my two small children to look after and I’m not
working at the moment. I’d like my daughter and son to meet other
children their age. And also, I’d like to practise my English. Do you have
any advice for me?
Best wishes
Sara

Write an email to Sara, giving her some advice. Write about 60 words.

To: sarap@mlc.ac.uk

Subject: Re: any advice?

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