This lesson focuses on the practical writing tasks that many adult learners need in real life. You look at model emails, online forms, short reports and complaint letters and notice how layout, tone and structure change with each type. You learn standard openings and closings for informal and formal messages and practise choosing the right level of politeness for friends, colleagues or institutions. You also work on writing short summaries and simple reports that present information in a clear, organised way with basic headings and paragraphs. A guided task takes you through planning, drafting and improving a real world message such as a complaint or request for information. By the end, you can complete common forms, write understandable emails and produce short, functional texts for work or study.
1. Comparing informal and formal emails.
You are going to follow one real situation through this whole lesson. Imagine your company is sending you to an English course in London. You need to contact the language school, and of course you also want to tell a friend about your plans. In this first block, I would like you to notice how the style of an email changes when you write to a friend compared with when you write to an institution. Listen, read carefully and try not to think about grammar rules first. Just notice what feels friendly and relaxed, and what feels more polite and professional. Pay attention to the greeting, the first sentence, the way the writer asks for information, and the final line before the name. After you read the two example emails on the screen, you will answer a few questions. This will help you see the differences clearly before we start building your own messages in the next blocks.
Your situation.
Your manager has offered to pay for you to do a two-week English course at London International Language School. You want to:
Tell your friend Anna about the news.
Email the school to ask for more information.
On the screen you can see two short emails about the same topic.
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Email 1: To a friend (informal).
> Subject: London!
>
> Hi Anna,
>
> Guess what? My company is sending me to London next month for a two-week English course. I am so excited! I will be near the city centre, so maybe we can meet at the weekend.
>
> I will send you the details when I know the dates.
>
> See you,
>
> Maria
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Email 2: To a language school (formal / semi-formal).
> Subject: Enquiry about two-week English course in July
>
> Dear Sir or Madam,
>
> I am writing to ask about your two-week English course for adults in July. I would like to know the exact dates, the total price and whether accommodation is included.
>
> Could you please send me more information about the timetable and the level test?
>
> I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> Yours faithfully,
>
> Maria Santos
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What is different?.
Look again and notice these points:
Greeting: “Hi Anna,” is friendly and informal. “Dear Sir or Madam,” is more formal and polite when you do not know the name.
First sentence: To Anna, Maria writes “Guess what?” to sound excited. To the school, she writes “I am writing to ask about...” which is clear and professional.
Questions and requests: To a friend, she does not need to be very polite. To the school, she uses phrases like “I would like to know...” and “Could you please...?”.
Closing: “See you,” is informal. “Yours faithfully,” is a standard formal closing when you do not know the person’s name.
In the next blocks we will build a bank of useful phrases for different levels of formality. For now, focus on understanding who Maria is writing to, why, and how the style changes.
Practice & Feedback
Read the two emails carefully one more time. Then answer the questions below in full sentences. This is not a test of difficult grammar; it is a way for you to show that you understand the situation and the difference between informal and formal style.
Write your answers in clear, simple English. You can copy useful phrases from the emails, but do not just repeat whole sentences. Try to explain in your own words.
Aim for 3–6 sentences in total. You can number your answers if you like. Do not worry about making everything perfect; focus on being clear and complete.
Answer these questions based on the two emails above:
Who is Maria writing to in Email 1 and why is she writing?
Who is Maria writing to in Email 2 and what information does she want?
Write two phrases from Email 2 that show a formal or polite style.
2. Practising openings and closings in emails.
Now that you have seen the difference between an informal email to a friend and a formal enquiry to a school, let us zoom in on the most visible parts of any message: the greeting at the top, the first line, and the closing at the end. These are like your clothes in writing; people notice them immediately and they create a strong first impression. In this block you will see a small bank of useful openings and endings for different situations. Some are friendly and relaxed, others are polite and professional. I will also show you two or three key phrases for making a request in an email. After you read and think, you will write short beginnings and endings yourself, as if you were emailing the London school. Do not worry about writing a full email yet. We are only building the top and the bottom of the message, so you can reuse them again and again in future.
Openings and closings: getting the tone right.
When you write an email, the greeting, the first line and the sign-off tell the reader a lot about your relationship and your attitude.
Below you can see some very common options. Notice which ones are informal, which ones are semi-formal, and which ones are formal.
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Greetings.
Informal (friends, people you know well):
Hi Anna,
Hello Tom,
Semi-formal (colleagues, a person in a company you know a little):
Dear Anna,
Dear Tom,
Formal (institutions, when you do not know the name):
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Admissions Team,
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First line – why are you writing?.
Requests / enquiries:
I am writing to ask about your English courses in July.
I am writing to ask about ...
Could you please send me more information about the timetable?
Replies:
Thank you for your email about the English course.
Informal news:
Guess what? I am coming to London next month!
Just a quick email to tell you about my course.
---
Closings and sign-offs.
Formal / semi-formal:
I look forward to hearing from you.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
Yours faithfully, (when you do not know the name)
Best regards, / Kind regards, (when you know the name)
Informal:
See you,
Take care,
Best,
In this lesson we focus mainly on formal and semi-formal writing because you need this for emails to schools, companies and institutions. However, it is also important that you can switch to a more relaxed style with friends.
In the activity below, you will practise writing a suitable greeting, first line and closing for an email to the London school about your course.
Practice & Feedback
Imagine you are Maria and you want to email London International Language School to ask for more information about the two-week English course in July. You do not know the name of the person who will read your message.
Write only three parts of the email:
A greeting
A clear first line that explains why you are writing
A polite closing sentence and a sign-off
You do not need to write the whole body of the email yet. Focus on using phrases from the examples above, but adapt them to your situation. Aim for 3–5 sentences in total. Make your style formal or semi-formal, not informal.
Context reminder:
You are Maria Santos.
Your company will pay for a two-week English course in July.
You need information about dates, price and accommodation.
You are writing to a general email address at the school, not to a specific person.
3. Listening for details to complete a form.
After your email, the language school replies and sends you a link to an online registration form. Forms are very common in English: for courses, accommodation, banking, medical appointments and much more. You often need to listen carefully to information on the phone, or read it in an email, and then put the correct details into the correct boxes. In this block, you will practise listening for key details such as names, addresses, postcodes, dates and reasons for study. On the screen I will show you a simple example form, so you can see typical field names like "Surname", "Postcode" or "Course dates". Then you will listen to Maria calling the school receptionist. As you listen, imagine you are the receptionist and you need to fill in the form on your computer. After the audio you will write the information for several fields. Do not worry if you cannot catch every word; focus on the important facts.
A typical online registration form.
When you register for a course, you often see a form like this:
> Student Registration Form
> Surname (family name):
> First name:
> Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY):
> Nationality:
> Email address:
> Home address:
> Postcode:
> Telephone number:
> Course dates:
> Level of English:
> Reason for study:
Some forms ask you to "Please complete the form in block capitals". That means you should write all letters in CAPITALS, for example MARIA SANTOS instead of Maria Santos. This helps people read your handwriting.
Tips for understanding forms.
Do not panic if you do not know every word. Focus on the type of information the box wants: a number, a date, a place, a name.
Often the same information is repeated: for example, the receptionist might say your postcode twice.
Numbers, dates and email addresses are often the most important details to check.
In a moment you will hear a short phone call between Maria and a receptionist at London International Language School. The receptionist opens this registration form on the screen and asks Maria questions.
As you listen, imagine you are typing the answers into the form. Then, in the activity, you will write the information for some of the fields. This is exactly what you often have to do in real life when someone gives you details on the phone.
Practice & Feedback
Listen carefully to the phone call. You will hear Maria give her personal details and information about the course she wants to take. You can listen more than once if you need.
After listening, write the information for at least five fields from the registration form shown above. For example, you might write:
Surname: ...
First name: ...
Postcode: ...
Try to spell names and email addresses exactly as you hear them. If you are not sure, make your best guess. Aim for 5–10 short lines. This exercise is about understanding and recording key details accurately.
4. Writing a short report about your first day.
You have now successfully registered for your English course in London. Imagine you arrive, attend your first day, and in the evening your manager sends you a message. They want to know if everything is all right and if the course seems useful. Instead of just writing a quick text, you decide to write a short, simple report. This is excellent practice for work and study, because many jobs require short reports or summaries after meetings, training sessions or visits. In this block we will look at a model report about a first day on a course. I would like you to notice how it is organised, with a clear purpose at the beginning, some key information in the middle, and a short summary at the end. Then you will write your own mini report about your imagined first day, using some of the useful report phrases you see on the screen.
A simple first-day report.
Here is a short report Maria might send to her manager after her first day at the language school.
> First Day Report – London International Language School
>
> Introduction
> The purpose of this report is to describe my first day on the two-week English course in London.
>
> Course details
> The course started today, 10 July. There are 12 students in my class from 8 different countries. Our teacher, James, speaks clearly and uses a lot of practical examples from work situations. The lessons focus on email writing, telephone calls and short reports.
>
> First impressions
> My first impression is very positive. The school is well organised and the staff are friendly. The level of the class is appropriate for me. I feel comfortable speaking in English and I am already learning useful phrases for formal emails.
>
> Summary
> In summary, the course seems very suitable for my needs and I believe it will help me communicate more effectively with international clients.
Noticing structure and useful phrases.
Notice how Maria uses:
A clear title at the top.
Short headings like Introduction, Course details, First impressions, Summary.
Set phrases:
The purpose of this report is to ...
My first impression is ...
In summary, ...
She uses full sentences and a neutral, professional tone – not too informal, not too academic.
When you write a report, ask yourself:
Why am I writing this? (purpose)
What are the most important facts? (details)
How do I feel about it? (evaluation)
What is my overall conclusion? (summary)
In the activity you will write a short report about your own first day on an English course. It can be real or imaginary.
Practice & Feedback
Imagine it is the end of your first day on the English course in London (or another course you know). Your manager or teacher has asked you to send a short report.
Write one short report of 90–130 words. You do not need to use headings if you prefer not to, but try to include:
A clear sentence with the purpose of the report.
2–3 sentences with key details about the course (people, content, organisation).
2–3 sentences with your first impressions and a short summary.
Use some of the useful phrases from the model, such as The purpose of this report is to ..., My first impression is ..., In summary, .... Focus on clear, complete sentences and a neutral, professional tone.
Useful phrases you may want to use:
The purpose of this report is to ...
This report describes ...
The course started on ...
There are ... students in my class.
My first impression is ...
The school is well organised.
In summary, ...
Overall, I believe ...
You can adapt these to your own situation.
5. Using live chat to make a polite complaint.
Sometimes you do not write a full email when there is a problem. Many companies and schools now use live chat on their website. The style is usually a little more informal than a formal letter, but it should still be polite and clear. In our story, imagine that after a few nights in your student residence in London, you have a problem: your room is directly above a bar, and the noise is very loud until late at night. You are tired in class and you cannot concentrate. In this block, you will see a short example chat between a student and an accommodation officer. I would like you to notice how the student explains the problem, describes the effect, and asks for a solution, all in polite but direct language. Then you will take the role of the student and have a short chat conversation to make your own complaint and ask for help.
The problem.
You are staying in a room organised by the language school. Unfortunately, there is a bar under your window. Every night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. there is loud music and people talking. You are very tired in the morning.
Example live chat.
> Student: Hi, I am staying in Room 12 in the student residence and I have a problem with noise.
> Officer: Hello, I am sorry to hear that. Can you tell me a bit more about the problem?
> Student: Yes, there is a bar under my window and the music is very loud every night until about 1 a.m. I cannot sleep and I am very tired in class.
> Officer: I understand. That sounds difficult. How long has this been a problem?
> Student: Since I arrived three days ago. I would like to complain about the noise and ask if it is possible to change my room.
> Officer: Thank you for telling us. I will check which rooms are free and I will email you in the next hour with a solution.
> Student: Thank you very much for your help.
> Officer: You are welcome.
Useful complaint language.
Notice how the student:
Starts politely: Hi, I am staying in Room 12...
Explains the problem: I have a problem with noise.
Gives details: there is a bar under my window, the music is very loud every night until about 1 a.m.
Describes the effect: I cannot sleep and I am very tired in class.
Clearly requests a solution: I would like to complain about the noise and ask if it is possible to change my room.
Ends politely: Thank you very much for your help.
In a live chat you can be a little shorter than in an email, but try to keep a calm, polite tone. Avoid writing in all capitals or using very strong language. Focus on being clear about what is wrong and what you would like the school to do.
Practice & Feedback
Now it is your turn to be the student in the live chat. Imagine you are staying in a room organised by the school and you have a problem (for example: noise, no hot water, broken window, dirty bathroom, Wi-Fi not working).
You will write your messages as if you are chatting with the accommodation officer. I will reply as the officer.
Start with a short polite message explaining who you are and that you have a problem.
In your next message, explain the problem with clear details and describe how it affects you.
Then write at least one message where you ask for a solution, using phrases like I would like to complain about... or Could you please....
Finish by thanking the officer for their help.
Try to write 4–6 short chat messages in total. Keep the style polite but not too formal, like in the example.
Your situation:
You are staying in Room 27 in the student residence.
There is a serious problem (you decide what it is).
The problem is affecting your sleep, your studies or your comfort.
You want the school to fix the problem or move you to another room.
6. Writing a full formal complaint email.
You have practised short emails, completed a form, written a simple report and tried a live chat. For our final step in this lesson, you will bring everything together in one important, real-world task: writing a full formal complaint email. Imagine that after your live chat, the noise problem in your room still has not improved. You decide to write directly to the accommodation manager to explain the situation and ask for a clear solution. In this block I will give you a simple structure to follow and a checklist to help you control tone and layout. You will need a clear subject line, a suitable greeting, short, organised paragraphs, polite complaint and request phrases, and an effective closing. This is your chance to use many of the chunks from this lesson: email openings, request phrases, complaint language and formal sign-offs. Take your time and focus on being clear, complete and polite, even while you are complaining.
Your final task: a formal complaint email.
Your problem with the noisy room continues, even after your live chat. Now you write a formal complaint email to the Accommodation Manager at the language school.
Simple structure to follow.
You can organise your email like this:
Subject line
Example: Complaint about room 27 – noise problem
Greeting
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Accommodation Manager, (if you prefer)
Opening and purpose
Say who you are and why you are writing.
Example: I am writing to complain about the noise in my room in the student residence.
Explain the problem with details
What exactly is wrong?
Since when? How often?
Example: There is a bar under my window and the music is very loud every night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. This has been a problem since I arrived three days ago.
Describe the effect on you
Example: Because of the noise I cannot sleep, and I am very tired in class. It is difficult to concentrate on the course.
Request a solution
Be clear and polite.
Examples:
I would like to ask if it is possible to change my room.
Could you please move me to a quieter room as soon as possible?
Closing
Thank them and show you expect an answer.
Examples:
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sign-off: Yours faithfully, or Best regards, + your full name.
Mini checklist.
Before you finish, check:
Do I have a clear subject line?
Is the tone formal and polite, not emotional or aggressive?
Have I clearly explained the problem, the effect, and the solution I want?
Have I used at least two formal phrases, such as I am writing to complain about ..., Could you please ..., I look forward to hearing from you.?
Is my spelling of names, dates and room numbers correct?
Now you are ready to write your own full email.
Practice & Feedback
Write a complete formal complaint email to the Accommodation Manager at London International Language School.
Use the structure and phrases from the screen as a guide. Your email should include:
A subject line
A formal greeting
2–3 short paragraphs explaining who you are, what the problem is, how it affects you and what you want
A polite closing sentence and sign-off
Aim for 150–200 words. Imagine that this is a real email you will send, so be clear, calm and polite, even if you are unhappy. Try to reuse useful phrases from earlier in the lesson, such as I am writing to complain about..., Could you please..., Thank you for your attention to this matter., I look forward to hearing from you.
Your situation in detail:
You are staying in Room 27 in the student residence.
There is very loud noise from a bar under your window every night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
You already spoke to the accommodation office on live chat two days ago, but nothing has changed.
You are very tired and it is difficult to concentrate in class.
You want the school to move you to a quieter room as soon as possible.
