HOW TO WRITE AN

EMAIL
For MBO 2-4

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
What you need to know

A2 A2 / B1
■ What does an email look like ■ Invitations
■ Formal & Informal English ■ Asking for information
■ Email vocabulary ■ Giving information
■ How to start an email ■ Making an appointment
■ How to end an email ■ Cancelling an appointment
■ Useful phrases to start and end an ■ Complaints
email
■ Contractions
■ Polite English
■ Capital letters

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
What an email looks like
Important:

Subject: do not forget to fill this in!

Also important:

Emails for work are formal, just

like a letter.

Use correct English:

be polite + formal if you need to

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
Formal and informal situations
FORMAL

• Work
• School
• Companies
• Government (gemeente en
overheid)

INFORMAL

• Friends and family

• School
• Work among colleagues
• Holidays
• Clubs like football clubs etc.

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
Email vocabulary
At Contacts
Dot Inbox
Attachment Folder
Delete Draft Do you know what they
Save Reply
Cc Reply to all mean?
Open Forward
Link Send
To Receive
From Junk mail
Read Deleted items
Write

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
HOW TO START AN EMAIL
FORMAL INFORMAL

Dear Mr. Jones, Hi there!

Dear Mrs. Jones, Hello!

Dear Sir/Madam, Hi

Dear John,

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
HOW TO END AND EMAIL : FORMAL

FORMAL

Dear Mr. Jones Yours sincerely,

Dear Mrs. Jones Sincerely, ALWAYS CORRECT:
Dear John/Jane
Kind Regards

Dear Sir/Madam Yours faithfully,

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
HOW TO END AN EMAIL : INFORMAL

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
 TERRIBLE ENDINGS

■ GREATS: this word does not exist

■ GREETZ:

Greetz is an internet company

that sells cards and flowers !
And it is not an ending to an
email!

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
 USEFUL PHRASES TO START AND END
AND EMAIL
■ TO OPEN AN EMAIL ■ TO END AN EMAIL
■ I am writing to inform you ■ I look forward to hearing from you
soon.
■ I would like to inform you that
■ I hope to hear form you soon.
■ I am writing to ask you
■ If you have any questions, please do
■ Thank you for writing to us
not hesitate to ask.
■ Thank you for your email / letter
■ I hope I have informed you
■ I would like to ask you about sufficiently
■ I would like to ask you if

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
Contractions: Use contractions in informal
situations, when you talk and
a short cut to create ”catchy” slogans!

A contraction is made by
connecting 2 words to make
one word.
It is best not to use it in a
formal email.
You can use it in informal
emails!

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
 DO NOT TRY USING THESE IN A
FORMAL EMAIL

IT IS NOT ALLOWED!
USE GOING TO
NOT GONNA!

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
SO WHAT IS A CONTRACTION?
a closer look

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
MARIJKE LAMPAERT
 Try to make
contractions!!!

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
Polite English Rude English

■ Could you please… ■ I want a….

■ Would you please…. ■ I want to….
■ Would you like to… ■ Do you want to…
■ I would like to… ■ Do you want a….
■ May I…. ■ What do you want?

■ DO NOT USE WANT

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
ABBREVITIONS - AFKORTINGEN

■ Ref.: reference ■ Referentie /betreft

■ Our ref.: our reference ■ Onze referentie
■ Your ref.: your reference ■ Uw referentie
■ Encl.: enclosed ■ Bijgesloten/in de bilage
■ ASAP as soon as possible ■ Zo spoedig mogelijk
■ BTW by the way ■ Trouwens, tussen haakjes
■ FAQ frequently asked question ■ Veel voorkomede vragen
■ FYI for your information ■ Ter informatie

MARIJKE LAMPAERT
CAPITAL LETTERS

■ Months January February etc.

■ Days Monday Tuesday Wednesday etc.
■ Names Jane Smith
■ Cities, villages Amsterdam
■ Countries The Netherlands, France
■ Languages Dutch, English
■ I I = ik

MARIJKE LAMPAERT