APIEIELTS Speaking: Pen friends and short emails
Pen friends and short emails
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
📧 Pen Friends & Short Emails
Master essential email vocabulary, key sentence structures, and practice 8 real Part 1 speaking questions.
💡 How to use this lesson
For Teachers
1. Use Module 1 to review key vocabulary and sentence patterns in 10 minutes.
2. In Module 2, let students record their answers and check AI scores for instant feedback.
For Learners
1. First, finish the vocabulary and sentence pattern exercises in Module 1.
2. Next, record your audio for all 8 questions in Module 2 and open model answers to learn useful phrases.
Build-up (10 minutes)
Learn and practice essential words, collocations, and simple sentence starters before you speak.
1. Unit Vocabulary Review
Choose the best word from our 10 unit words to complete each sentence.
1. I always write a clear ___ line so the receiver knows what my email is about.
2. Please ___ on the blue text to open the website page.
3. My ___ lives in Canada, and we send messages to each other every week.
4. Don't forget to check your ___ for new incoming emails every morning.
5. I will ___ this note to my team so everyone can read the news.
2. Match Common Collocations
Match each expression on the left to its correct meaning on the right.
3. Useful Sentence Patterns
Use these 3 simple pattern structures to build clear spoken answers.
"Most of the time, I ..."
Example: "Most of the time, I check my inbox on my phone."
"It is easy for me to ..., but it is hard for me to ..."
Example: "It is easy for me to send short messages, but it is hard for me to write long emails."
"I like to start with ..."
Example: "Thanks for your email, and write soon."
Complete the Pattern Practice
Rewrite/Complete sentence: "___ of the time, I read my messages in the evening."
Rewrite/Complete sentence: "It is easy for me to type quickly, ___ it is hard for me to choose the right words."
Rewrite/Complete sentence: "When writing to a classmate, I like to ___ with 'Hi there'."
IELTS Speaking Part 1 (15 minutes)
Record your spoken response for each question. AI will score your response across all 4 criteria. Afterwards, expand the model answer to check useful phrases.
1. Do you write emails often?
Part 1 Question • Express your habit naturally
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Well, most of the time, I write emails for work or school. It is pretty easy for me to send short ones, but I don't drop a line every day. I prefer chatting."
• most of the time - usually or almost always
• pretty easy for me - simple to do without trouble
• drop a line - write a short note or email
2. Who gets most of your emails?
Part 1 Question • Talk about main recipients
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Um, the vast majority of my emails go to my teachers and classmates. I usually send a quick update about my projects, so they stay in the loop."
• the vast majority - most of them
• send a quick update - share new information quickly
• stay in the loop - remain informed about what is happening
3. Do you prefer to send a short message or a long email?
Part 1 Question • Compare message preferences
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"I definitely prefer short messages. They are straight to the point, so I don't need to type a subject line. Long emails take too much time for me."
• short messages - brief texts or notes
• straight to the point - direct and clear without extra words
• type a subject - write an email title
• too much time - longer than needed
4. Have you ever written to a pen friend?
Part 1 Question • Talk about past experience
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Yes, I have! I used to keep in touch with an overseas penfriend from Japan. We would swap news about our schools once a month. It was great fun."
• keep in touch - stay connected by writing
• overseas penfriend - a letter friend living in another country
• swap news - share personal stories back and forth
• great fun - very enjoyable
5. What would you like to ask a new friend from another country?
Part 1 Question • Express curiosity & questions
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Well, I'd like to ask about their daily routine and local foods. I am really curious about their school life, so I'd love to get the lowdown on that."
• daily routine - everyday activities
• really curious - very interested in knowing
• get the lowdown - learn the full details or facts
6. How do you start an email to a friend?
Part 1 Question • Explain friendly greetings
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"I usually start off with a simple 'Hi' or 'Hey there'. After that, I like to add a warm greeting, like 'Hope you are doing well!', before writing my note."
• start off with - begin by using
• a warm greeting - a friendly opening hello
• doing well - feeling good and happy
7. Would you like to get a long letter in the post?
Part 1 Question • Traditional mail preferences
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Oh, absolutely! Getting a real paper letter feels really special nowadays. It is a nice change from digital messages, and I would treasure it as a small gift."
• really special - very meaningful and unusual
• a nice change - a pleasant difference
• treasure it - keep and care about something highly
8. What do you do when you get a lot of emails?
Part 1 Question • Managing email overload
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Um, when my inbox is full, I try not to panic. I read through the urgent ones first, and then I clear out all the junk mail right away."
• inbox is full - lots of unread emails sitting in your mail box
• read through - look at and read carefully
• clear out - delete or remove unwanted messages
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