How to Write an Email to a Friend in English: Steps and Examples

Writing an email to a friend in English generally means communicating informally , but we've learned that despite this, there are still some rules of structure that can help you create a clear and friendly message.

The structure of an email is very similar to that of a letter, and has some fundamental steps to follow. This structure is characterized by:

1. Subject line: The line of text visible outside the email, without even opening it, that introduces the main topic. It's a way to understand what the body of the email will be about, or-very often-a phrase written to grab attention.
2. Greeting : An email always begins with a greeting. In this case, it will be a friendly opening, often with a simple "Hi" or "Hey."
3. Introduction : Immediately after the greeting, the email will continue with a short sentence to break the ice, asking how your friend is doing or referring to the last time you spoke. This helps get the conversation moving before addressing the actual topics that prompted you to write.
4. Body : At this point, it's time to talk about the reason you're writing, which can include updates, news, or questions about your recipient's life.
5. Conclusion : After having said everything that needed to be said, you move on to the final goodbyes, perhaps expressing the hope of seeing or speaking to each other soon. There are some common phrases and catch-up phrases that are often used at this point, such as "Looking forward to hearing from you."
6. Closing : Every self-respecting letter, email, and conversation always ends with a definitive closing, which is usually a wish or a recommendation, such as "Take care" or "Best."
7. Signature : Although it's not necessary in emails because the sender's name is immediately visible, it's common practice to sign your name at the end. In this case, since it's an informal communication with a friend, it's sufficient to sign with your name or the nickname-if any-that you and the recipient use.

To make this clearer, let's look at an entire email example. In this case, it's Emily writing to her dear friend John, whom she hasn't heard from in a while and for whom she has an interesting proposition.

Subject : Catching up!

Hi John,

I hope you're doing well! It's been a while since we last talked, and I thought it would be nice to catch up.

How have you been? I've been quite busy with work lately, but I finally got some free time this weekend and thought of you. Do you remember the trip we talked about last summer? I'm thinking of finally going next month. Would you still be interested in joining?

Also, I wanted to know how things are going with your new job. Have you settled in well? I'd love to hear more about it when we catch up.

Let's plan something soon! Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime next week? Let me know when you're free.

Take care,
Emily

Did you recognize all the parts of the structure we saw before?

• Subject : "Catching up! " Which we can translate as "Updates": Emily immediately lets John know why she's writing to him: there's something new he absolutely must know.
• Greeting : " Hi John ," very simply.
• Introduction : "How have you been? I've been quite busy, but..." In this section, Emily wants to break the ice by explaining why she hasn't been able to get in touch lately, and asking her friend how life has been going since they've been apart. It's a formality, sure, but she's obviously genuinely interested in knowing.
• Body text: "Do you remember the trip we talked about last summer? I'm thinking of finally going next month. Would you still be interested in joining?" This is finally the first part of the body of the email, where Emily explains the reason for her message: she wants to invite her friend John to take part in the trip they had already discussed in the past.
• Conclusion : " Let's plan something soon! Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime next week?" The email ends with an invitation, in this case, to arrange to meet up and have coffee sometime in the following days.
• Closing : " Take care ", which we can translate as "Take care of yourself", or "Take care",
• Signature : As you can see, the last word of the email is " Emily "

This is the general structure for writing an email to a friend in English correctly. But remember to personalize it and make it truly your own: you're still talking to a loved one, not a stranger!

So, don't forget to:

• Choose a friendly and informal tone:
  When writing to a friend, you can use relaxed, less formal language than in professional communication. Use simple, colloquial sentences.
  You can also use contractions like "I'm," "you're," and "can't," which make the tone more natural.
• Use a clear and concise subject line:
  Even if the email is informal, it's still important to write a subject line that previews the content.
  It can also be a way to break the ice and encourage your friend to open the email immediately, drawn by the notification they'll receive. Here are some ideas:
  • "Catching up after a long time!"
  • "Exciting news to share!"
  • "Weekend plans?"
• Don't hesitate to include colloquial expressions or idioms to keep the tone light, such as:
  • "I can't wait to catch up!"
  • "It was such a blast last time we hung out."

These, in general, are the guidelines you need to be able to write an email to a friend in English that is informal, convincing, entertaining, and comprehensive, but without losing either your tone of voice or the type of confidential relationship you have with that person.

Try to plan out what you want to tell him before you start writing, and then prepare your email: you'll see that, even though we now have instant messaging on our cell phones, it will be a nice surprise for him to receive it!