3.4 – Digital Literacy Practice

How do we write formal emails?

First read the text below:

What is the difference between “informal” and “formal”?

Four friends sit around a dinner table smiling. The environment is relaxed and casual.

An informal dinner (ChatGPT image)

 

Formal table setting. Table features traditional place settings, a bouquet of flowers, and candelabras.

A formal dinner (Photo by Mounish Raja on Unsplash)

When we communicate with someone by email, we have to think about who will read that email and decide what kind of words and tone we want to use. Is it an informal email or a formal email?

Informal emails are sent to friends, family, and people we know really well. They do not have to be very serious or structured. They are still polite and follow basic grammar rules.

Formal emails are sent to people such as a boss, a teacher, a government official, or your child’s principal. Formal emails need to be well-written and should not contain any grammar/spelling mistakes. Formal messages should be professional with more formal word choice.

 

Now look at the Formal/Informal Email Activity handout and complete the exercises.

NEXT: Let’s study word parts and connectors!

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CILIA-T: Civics, U.S. History, Academic English and Digital Skills Copyright © by Aydin Durgunoglu; Erin Cary; and John Trerotola is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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