The informal email/letter: An informal email or letter (correo o carta informal) is a personal message to someone you know well — a friend, a relative, a pen-pal. In Paper 1 you choose it when the task tells you to write to a friend or family member. It's part of Unit 2: Text Types, so the marks come from getting its conventions and register right (Criterion C), not just the message.
- el correo (electrónico) / la carta
- the email / the letter
- el destinatario
- the recipient (who you write to)
- el saludo
- the greeting
- la despedida
- the sign-off / closing
- el registro informal
- informal register (with a friend you use tú)
- el tono cercano
- a friendly, close tone
Spot it in the task: The task names your reader. "Escribe a tu amigo/a…", "Escríbele a tu primo/a…" → a friend or relative → informal. If it said "Escribe al director" you'd switch to a formal letter (a different text type). Always read who the reader is first.
Keep it informal: Use tú (or vosotros for more than one friend), a warm, personal tone, and everyday language. Show closeness: ask how they are, use exclamations, even a friendly question. Consistency matters — slipping into formal «usted» or stiff phrasing breaks the register and costs you Criterion C.
Informal — do this
- ¡Hola, Marta! ¿Qué tal?
- Te escribo para contarte…
- Un abrazo, / Besos,
Formal — avoid here
- Estimada señora:
- Le escribo para informarle…
- Atentamente,
Stay consistent: Pick tú and keep it from the greeting to the sign-off. Verbs, pronouns (te, tu, contigo) and the closing all have to agree with that choice.
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The five parts: Every informal email/letter follows the same shape. Hit all five parts and you've covered the conventions the examiner is looking for.
Informal email — 5 parts
1
Greeting
A friendly greeting + the reader's name. «¡Hola, Marta!»
2
Opening
Ask how they are and say why you're writing. «¿Qué tal? Te escribo porque…»
3
Body
Your news/message, in a warm, personal tone — the longest part. «¿Te acuerdas de…? ¡Pues…!»
4
Wrap-up
Round off, often with an invitation or a question back. «¿Te apetece que quedemos?»
5
Sign-off
An informal closing + your name. «Un abrazo, / Besos, [tu nombre]»
Greeting → Opening → Body → Wrap-up → Sign-off
Don't skip the frame: Students lose easy Criterion C marks by forgetting the greeting or sign-off. They take seconds and show you know the text type — never leave them out.
A model, part by part: Here's a complete informal email built from the five parts above. Read it once for the message, then tap Ver traducción to check the English or 🔊 to hear it.
Modelo: las 5 partes en acción
El correo escrito, parte por parte
- ¡Hola, Marta!
- ¿Qué tal todo? Te escribo porque por fin tengo una noticia que contarte.
- ¿Te acuerdas del concurso de fotografía del que te hablé? ¡Pues he ganado el primer premio! Todavía no me lo creo.
- Me encantaría celebrarlo contigo. ¿Te apetece que quedemos el sábado para tomar algo?
- Bueno, te dejo. ¡Escríbeme pronto y cuéntame cómo estás! Un abrazo muy fuerte, Lucía
Por qué puntúa — why it scores: This short email earns marks on all three Paper 1 criteria — here's how:
A — Language /12
- Friendly, accurate language; tú throughout
- Connectors & variety: «por fin», «todavía»
- Correct verbs (he ganado, quedemos)
B — Message /12
- Clear purpose: shares news AND invites
- Ideas developed (the contest, the plan)
C — Conceptual /6
- Email conventions: greeting + sign-off
- Consistent informal register (tú)
- Warm, personal tone
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A toolkit you can reuse: Learn a few ready-made phrases for each part. They make your email sound natural and save time in the exam. Tap 🔊 to hear them.
Para empezar (openings)
- ¡Hola, [nombre]! ¿Qué tal? — Hi, [name]! How are you?
- ¿Cómo estás? ¡Cuánto tiempo! — How are you? Long time no see!
- Te escribo para contarte que… — I'm writing to tell you that…
Para el cuerpo (linking your news)
- ¿Te acuerdas de…? — Do you remember…?
- Por cierto… / Además… — By the way… / Also…
- ¡No te lo vas a creer! — You won't believe it!
Para terminar (closings)
- Bueno, te dejo. ¡Escríbeme pronto! — Anyway, I'll leave it there. Write soon!
- Cuéntame cómo te va. — Tell me how things are going.
- Un abrazo (muy fuerte), / Besos, — A (big) hug, / Kisses,
Use one from each: One opener, one or two linkers in the body, and one closer is plenty — and instantly makes the email feel like the real text type.