Sending an email
Sending an email
What's coming up
In this activity, we will look at how to start writing an email, including where to write the main text and the person's email address that you want to send it to. You'll also learn about draft mail so you can write emails now but send later.
Start activity
Writing an email
Now Salma has an email account, she wants to learn how to write an email. She decides to send an email to Maryam to check that her account works.
First, she needs to select the 'Compose' button. Some email providers might call this 'New' or even just include an icon (a small picture) that looks like a piece of paper and pen, but the button is usually found in the same place at the top left hand corner of the screen.
Sending an email
When she's writing her message, the three most important boxes Salma will see are:
- To
- Subject
- Your message
To
This is where you write the email address of the person you're sending your message to . If Salma wants to write a message to Maryam she'll need to type in her email address, maryam.dsouza@yahoo.com.
Subject
The subject box is where you'll need to type what the email is about. The person you're sending the email to will see the subject of the email before they open it, so it's a good idea to make it as clear as possible. This will help them decide whether or not they want to read the email.
Your message
This is the big box underneath where it says ‘Subject'. This is where you will type your message. You should set it out like you're writing a letter, so that it's clear and easy to read.
When she's sending a message, Salma will have to think about who she's sending it to. If she's emailing Maryam, she'll be friendly and chatty, but when she is writing to her employer she'd be more formal.
Have a go
Let’s have a look at how to send an email.
On the next slide is a practice that includes some steps to try yourself. Select the Continue button below to begin and then follow the instructions on the right-hand side of the screen.
Have a go
Have a go
This is an interactive exercise that allows learners to practise sending an email.
This exercise has no soundtrack and in order to complete it, you need to enter a recipient's email address into the 'to' field, then enter a subject title in the email subject line and finally write a short message into the main text box of the email. This exercise aims to encourage confidence using the internet by practising a simple exercise in a simulated environment.
If a mistake is made during this exercise, there will be a prompt to ask you to try it again. If another mistake is made, the video will show you how to complete that section of the exercise.
The drafts folder
If Salma writes an email but decides she's not ready to send it yet, she can save it as a ‘draft' and send it later.
Most email providers will automatically save a copy of your email in your ‘Drafts' folder until you send it. You can find your drafts folder by clicking the word ‘Drafts' on the left hand side of your email screen.
Any messages you write will stay in your drafts folder until you send them.
The sent folder
When you've sent your email, it will move from the ‘Drafts' folder to the ‘Sent' folder.
You can get to your ‘Sent' folder by clicking the word ‘Sent' on the left side of your email screen.
In your ‘Sent' folder, you'll have a copy of each email you have sent.
Congratulations!
Well done, you've come to the end of the activity 'Sending an email'.
You've helped Salma send a message and have seen what happens to her email after she has sent it.
In the next activity, 'Receiving and responding to an email' we'll find out how Salma reads and replies to messages she's been sent.