F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Emails That Get Results
WRITING · LESSON 2 OF 10
F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Emails That Get Results
WRITING · LESSON 2 OF 10
Functional Skills English Level 1 · Writing · Lesson 2 of 10 (about 60 minutes)
Covers: subject content 22 (communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly) and 24 (format, structure and language for audience and purpose). Statements 19 and 21 run through the weak-email fix and the proofreading.
Before the lesson: print the handout (model email, weak email, task, planning frame and writing lines), one per learner.
Device-free fallback: every activity works with the printed handout, mini whiteboards and hands up.
Description: Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing, lesson 2 of 10. Learners study a shop supervisor's reply to a customer complaint, improve a weak version, and learn the sorry–explain–action pattern. They then plan and write an email to a manager asking to change a shift, giving reasons.
Tags: writing emails, work email, subject line, greeting and sign-off, reply to a complaint, customer service, retail, asking for a shift change, level 1 writing, exam practice, functional skills english, further education, adult learners Image credit: Unzer / Unsplash
😄 Great – ready to go
🙂 Good
😐 Okay
😕 Not great this week
😴 Tired
Wellbeing check: how are you feeling about this week?
Phase 0 · Wellbeing check (first 2 mins)
A quick, low-stakes check-in. Only totals show, so nobody is singled out. Say: "There's no right answer. It just helps me plan today."
Act on it: if several learners choose the last two options, ease the pace and build in a pair task early. Check in privately with anyone you are concerned about, and follow your college's wellbeing and safeguarding route.
Editor note: if any emoji have not come through, re-add them in the editor.
Device-free fallback: learners show 1–5 fingers, or write a number on a sticky note face down.
I know the person
The subject line looks important
It's short
I'm waiting for an answer
Honestly, I rarely read emails
An email lands. What makes you actually read it?
Phase 1 · Hook (2–5 mins)
No wrong answer. Ask two or three learners about an email that annoyed them, or one that sorted a problem quickly.
Probe: "If your reader only reads the subject line and the first sentence, what must be there?" (What it is about, and what you want.) This sets up today.
Device-free fallback: hands up for each option.
What we're doing today
W R I T I N G
Today you will
Why it matters
set out an email clearly
reply to a complaint: sorry, explain, action
ask your manager for something, with reasons
A clear email gets a quick answer, and keeps customers happy.
The Level 1 writing exam often asks you to write an email.
Phase 2 · Goals (5–7 mins)
Frame it as a work skill: in retail and customer service, a clear email can keep a customer, or get you the shift you need.
The Level 1 writing assessment often includes an email. Marks go to format (subject line, greeting, paragraphs, sign-off) and to how clearly you get your message across, as well as spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Device-free fallback: read the slide aloud; learners copy the three goals into their book.
What makes an email annoying to get?
Phase 2 · Activation (7–10 mins)
Free association. Every answer counts: no subject line, too long, all capitals, rude, no greeting, text speak, you can't tell what they want, spelling mistakes, sent to the wrong person, no name at the end.
Then flip it: "So what makes a good email?" Learners turn three answers into rules, e.g. "Say what you want in the first line."
Device-free fallback: pairs list as many as they can in 60 seconds; collect on the board. Image credit: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash
Sorry, explain, action
A good reply to a complaint does three things:
Sorry: apologise and show you understand.
Explain: say briefly what went wrong.
Action: say what you will do, and when.
The customer knows what happens next.
Phase 3 · Teaching (10–13 mins)
Say: "A customer who complains wants three things: to know you are sorry, to know why it happened, and to know what you will do."
Model it: "I'm sorry your order was late (sorry). The van broke down (explain). I've refunded your delivery fee and it will arrive tomorrow (action)."
Misconception: explaining is not making excuses. Keep it short and never blame the customer or a colleague.
Vocabulary: a complaint = telling a business something went wrong; action = what you will do about it.
Device-free fallback: write Sorry → Explain → Action on the board. Image credit: Unzer / Unsplash
Inbox · Ashworth Homewares customer service
MODEL EMAIL · 1 of 2
From: Kwame Asante, Ashworth Homewares
To: Helen Price
Subject: Your broken kettle – full refund on its way
Dear Mrs Price,
Thank you for your email of 2 November. I am very sorry that the kettle you bought from our Market Street shop stopped working after one week, and that our staff did not help you when you brought it back.
I have looked into what happened. The kettle should have been refunded at the till, and I have spoken to the team about our returns policy.
**Subject line.** Says what it is about **and** the result. The reader knows the news before opening it.
**Greeting.** Dear + title + surname, then a comma. Polite for a customer he has never met.
**Sorry.** He thanks her, then apologises for **both** problems: the kettle and the staff.
**Explain.** Short and honest. A new paragraph for a new idea. No excuses, no blame.
Phase 3 · Model email, part 1 (13–17 mins)
Learners follow on the handout. Mrs Price bought a kettle that broke after a week, and shop staff would not refund it. This is the supervisor's reply. Read it aloud, then open hotspots 1–4.
Probe: "Before you read the email, what does the subject line tell you?" (What it is about, and the good news.)
Vocabulary: a supervisor is in charge of a team; a returns policy = the shop's rules for bringing things back.
Misconception: "Dear Helen" would be too familiar here. He has never met her, so it is Dear Mrs Price.
Device-free fallback: printed email; learners label the subject line, greeting, apology and explanation.
Inbox · Ashworth Homewares customer service
MODEL EMAIL · 2 of 2
I have now refunded the full £34.99 to your card. It should reach your account within three to five working days. To thank you for your patience, I have also attached a £10 voucher.
If you have any other questions, please reply to this email or call me on 01632 960 214.
Kind regards,
Kwame Asante
Customer Service Supervisor, Ashworth Homewares
**Action.** Exactly what he has done, with the amount and when it will arrive.
**Next step.** Tells her how to get in touch. The door stays open.
**Sign-off.** Kind regards, then a comma. Polite but not stiff: right for a customer email.
**Full name and job.** She knows who is dealing with it, and that he can sort it.
Phase 3 · Model email, part 2 (17–20 mins)
Read it aloud, then open hotspots 1–4. Ask learners to point to the action before you open it.
Probe: "What exact facts does Kwame give?" (£34.99, three to five working days, a £10 voucher, a phone number.) Exact facts make the reader trust you.
Vocabulary: working days = Monday to Friday; voucher = money off your next buy.
Misconception: "Kind regards" with a capital K and small r, then a comma. Not "Kind Regards".
Device-free fallback: learners underline sorry, explain and action in three colours across both parts.
Inbox · Ashworth Homewares customer service
WEAK REPLY · fix it
From: K
To: Helen Price
Subject: kettle
hi,
got ur email. not sure why staff didnt refund u, it happens sometimes when were busy!!
anyway we can prob sort it if u come in with the receipt.
thanks
K
**Subject line.** Just "kettle". What about it? Good news or bad?
**Greeting.** Small h, no name. Too casual for a customer.
**No sorry, and an excuse.** Text speak (ur, u), missing apostrophes (didnt, were) and !! look careless.
**No clear action.** "Prob" sort it? When? How much? The customer has to do the work.
**Sign-off.** Just "K". Who is K? What is their job?
Phase 4 · Spot the problems (20–24 mins)
The same reply, written badly. In pairs, learners find as many problems as they can before you open hotspots 1–5.
Problems: no clear subject line; "hi" with no name and no capital; no thanks or apology; text speak (ur, u, prob) and missing apostrophes (didnt, were for we're); blames being busy; no clear action or date; "K" as a sign-off; "!!" looks careless.
Probe: "How would Mrs Price feel reading this? What would she do next?" (Probably complain again, or shop elsewhere.)
Device-free fallback: printed weak email; learners circle each problem in red.
Choose one line of the weak reply. Rewrite it so it gets a better result.
Phase 4 · Practice: improve it (24–28 mins)
Learners choose one line from the weak reply and rewrite it. Share a few on the board and improve them together.
Model answers: "hi," → "Dear Mrs Price," · "got ur email" → "Thank you for your email." · "not sure why staff didnt refund u" → "I am sorry that our staff did not refund you." · "we can prob sort it" → "I have refunded £34.99 to your card." · "K" → "Kind regards, Kwame Asante, Customer Service Supervisor".
Check: capital letter, full stop, no text speak, apostrophes in the right place.
Support: give the model email as a guide. Stretch: rewrite two lines, or the whole first paragraph.
Device-free fallback: learners write their sentence on a mini whiteboard.
Kind regards and my name and job
Subject line
Dear Mrs Price,
How to contact me
What I have done about it
Thank you and sorry
What went wrong
Put the parts of Kwame's email in the right order.
Phase 4 · Practice: email order (28–31 mins)
Learners drag the parts into order without looking back at the model, then check.
Answer: subject line → Dear Mrs Price → thank you and sorry → what went wrong → what I have done about it → how to contact me → Kind regards and name and job.
Common slip: putting the action before the apology. Say sorry first: the customer needs to feel heard before they hear the fix.
Device-free fallback: write the seven parts on strips of paper; pairs put them in order.
You want to change a shift. Which is the best subject line for the email to your manager?
Hello!!!
A quick question about something at work next week
URGENT – PLEASE READ NOW
Request to swap my shift on Saturday 14 November
Phase 4 · Check: subject lines (31–33 mins)
Now the switch to today's task: writing to your manager.
Answer: D. It says what you want and which shift, so your manager can find it again later.
Why the others are wrong: A says nothing and the !!! looks careless. B is long but vague: which question? C is shouting (all capitals) and still does not say what it is about.
Device-free fallback: learners hold up A–D cards or fingers.
Complete the email to the manager.
I am writing to ask if I could swap my shift on Saturday 14 November. I have a hospital appointment at 11am, so I cannot work that morning. Please let me know if this is possible.
Phase 4 · Check: build the request (33–36 mins)
Answers: writing · so · know.
Distractors: "wrote" does not follow "I am". "But" does not make sense: the appointment is the reason, so use "so" (or "because" if you turn it round). "No" is the sound-alike of "know": a common spelling slip, and there is no spellchecker in the exam.
Note: this is a good shape for the task: what you want → why → please let me know.
Editor note: after pushing, set this fill's text to 28px in the editor.
Device-free fallback: write the sentences on the board with gaps; learners copy and fill them in.
What I'm asking for
My reasons
What I can offer
Plan your email: type one idea, then file it under the right heading.
Phase 5 · Plan (36–39 mins)
Show the task on the next slide first, then come back. Learners type ideas and file each under a heading. Aim for at least two in each.
Good ideas include: Asking: to swap Saturday 14 November; to work a later shift instead. Reasons: a hospital or college appointment; a family wedding; childcare has fallen through. Offer: Sam has agreed to swap; I can work Sunday or Monday instead; I can make up the hours next week.
Tip: a manager says yes more easily when you offer a solution. Keep private details short: "a hospital appointment" is enough.
Support: pairs share one device. Stretch: add a polite deadline ("Could you let me know by Friday?").
Device-free fallback: learners fill in the three-box planning frame on the handout.
Your turn: write the email
minute
second
Write an email to your manager, Ms Joanna Silva, asking to change a shift. Write about 150 words.
The shift: Saturday 14 November, 9am to 5pm, at Ashworth Homewares.
In your email:
say which shift you want to change
give your reasons
suggest a solution, such as a swap or another day
Useful phrases
Dear Ms Silva,
I am writing to ask if…
This is because…
I would be happy to…
Kind regards,
Phase 5 · Write, exam style (39–54 mins)
Learners work alone, on paper, using their plan. Start the 15-minute timer: write for about 12 minutes, then check for 3.
Support: use the useful phrases; three short paragraphs are fine (what I want · why · what I can offer). Stretch: add a polite deadline and a thank-you that doesn't sound like a demand.
What a good answer has: a clear subject line, Dear Ms Silva, the request in the first sentence, one or two reasons, an offer, a polite close, Kind regards and a full name.
Device-free fallback: the task is on the handout with writing lines.
Check your writing
W R I T I N G
1. Clear subject line?
2. Greeting and sign-off?
3. Request at the start?
4. Reasons and an offer?
5. Proofread?
Your manager can find it again later.
Polite, not stiff.
Busy managers may only read the first line.
A solution makes yes easier.
There is no spellchecker in the exam.
Subject: Request to swap my shift on Saturday 14 November
Dear Ms Silva, … Kind regards, and your full name.
Your first sentence says what you want: "I am writing to ask if…"
One or two clear reasons, then a swap or another day you can work.
Capitals for days, months and names, full stops, no text speak.
Phase 6 · Check your writing (54–57 mins)
Learners swap emails with a partner (or self-check). Click each yellow marker to reveal what good looks like; partners tick or circle each point.
Common errors: subject line missing or "shift"; "Hi Joanna" (too familiar unless that is the workplace norm); the request buried at the end; "u" or "thx"; "Kind Regards".
Proofreading habit: read it once for sense, then once slowly for capitals, full stops and spelling, finger under each word. Check sound-alikes: no/know, there/their, to/too.
Device-free fallback: read the five points aloud; learners tick them on the handout checklist.
You can now…
W R I T I N G
set out an email: subject line, greeting, sign-off
reply to a complaint: sorry, explain, action
ask your manager for something, with reasons and an offer
Phase 6 · Celebrate progress (57–58 mins)
Click to bring in each tick. Ask: "Which of these feels solid now? Which needs more practice?" Name it as real progress: a clear, well set-out email earns marks for format, purpose and detail.
Device-free fallback: learners tick the three statements in their book, adding a question mark next to any they are unsure about. Image credit: LessonUp Studio (made for this series)
The subject line
The greeting and sign-off
Getting to the point quickly
Giving clear reasons or actions
Proofreading before I send
Which part of an email will you take most care with from now on?
Phase 6 · Reflect (58–60 mins)
No right answer. Use the results to plan: the most popular choice is a warm-up next time.
Ask one or two learners: "Which real email will you write differently this week?"
Device-free fallback: learners write their choice and one next step on an exit slip.
Take it further
W R I T I N G
Stretch: in class
Before next lesson
Mrs Price emails back to say thank you. Write Kwame's short reply in 3 or 4 sentences.
Use a greeting, a sign-off and no text speak.
Look at three real emails you have received: from work, college or a shop.
For each, write down:
is the subject line clear?
does it say what happens next?
one thing you would change
Take it further
Stretch is for early finishers in class. A good reply: "Dear Mrs Price, Thank you for your kind email. I am glad the refund has arrived, and I hope to see you in the shop again soon. Kind regards, Kwame Asante".
Before next lesson needs no device. Learners bring their example to Lesson 3, where we set out formal letters and complaints.
Device-free fallback: this slide is already paper-based.