Writing an Email to Colleagues: Encouraging Attendance at an Event
Situations for Sending an Email to Colleague
In TOEFL Writing Part 2, you are tasked to compose an email based on a given situation. One common scenario is writing an email to a colleague about an event that has already taken place. In this case, the email typically focuses on providing feedback or suggesting ways to improve future events.
Because this type of email serves a professional purpose, it is important to maintain an appropriate level of formality throughout the message.
Maintain Formality
The level of formality in an email depends on the context and the relationship between the sender and the recipient. In TOEFL Writing Part 2, emails addressed to colleagues are generally written for professional purposes. Although colleagues are not strangers, the relationship is typically work-related rather than personal.
For this reason, casual or informal language is usually inappropriate unless the prompt explicitly allows it. Maintaining a clear and professional tone is essential in this task.
Now, let’s try writing an email based on a similar scenario.
Practice Question
Email Prompt
You will read some information and use the information to write an email. You will have 7 minutes to write the email.
You and several colleagues are planning to attend an informal networking event hosted by another department next week. The event includes short presentations followed by open discussion. A few details about the schedule and participation have recently changed, and not everyone may be aware of the updates.
You would like to write to your colleagues to make sure everyone is prepared.
Write an email to your colleagues. In your email, do the following:
- Briefly explain what the event is and when it will take place.
- Share the updated information about the schedule or format.
- Encourage your colleagues to take part or prepare in advance.
Write as much as you can and in complete sentences.
Your Response:
To: Colleagues
Subject: Updated Details for Next Week’s Networking Event
Remember that you only have 7 minutes to complete the task. This means you are not expected to provide an in-depth analysis of the problem or detailed suggestions. Keep your ideas simple and focus on clarity.
Also, since you are writing an email to a colleague, the tone does not need to be overly formal. As long as you avoid highly colloquial expressions, a polite and natural style is enough.
Model Answer
Subject: Updated Details for Next Week’s Networking Event
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to share a quick note about the networking event scheduled for next Thursday. It will be hosted by the Product team and will start at 4:00 p.m. in the main conference space. The event will include several short talks, followed by small-group discussions rather than a single open session.
If you’re planning to join, it might be helpful to think about one topic or question you’d like to bring up during the discussions. The atmosphere is meant to be relaxed, so no formal preparation is required, but a little planning could make the conversations more engaging.
Hope to see many of you there.
Best,
Joe
Opening Greeting
This email is addressed to colleagues, so a simple opening is appropriate. Since the message will be sent to multiple people, you cannot specify an individual recipient by saying something like “Hi [Name].” Instead, a general greeting such as “Hi everyone” works well.
Because the recipients are your colleagues, a high level of formality is not required. Using a friendly but professional tone is sufficient in this situation.
Explain the Event, Its Date, and Updates
This email prompt can feel demanding because you need to include multiple pieces of information. However, you do not need to invent the event itself, as the prompt already states that it is a networking event. Here, networking does not refer to the internet but to an event designed to help people connect with one another.
What you do need to provide are two specific details:
- The date of the event
- Any updates to the schedule or format
The first point is straightforward. You can simply choose a reasonable date, such as sometime next week.
The second point requires a bit more creativity, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. You can mention a small change in the schedule or the way the event will be conducted. One or two updates are sufficient.
In the model response, for example, the writer notes a change in activities:
The event will include several short talks, followed by small-group discussions rather than a single open session.
Encourage Colleagues to Participate or Prepare for the Event
Finally, you are asked to encourage your colleagues to participate in the event or suggest how they can prepare. Either option works well, so you can choose whichever feels easier to write.
In the model response, the writer focuses on preparation rather than participation. Since the event includes small-group discussions, a practical suggestion is to encourage participants to think of a few discussion topics in advance. This kind of advice sounds natural and directly connects to the event format.
The model email expresses this idea as follows:
If you’re planning to join, it might be helpful to think about one topic or question you’d like to bring up during the discussions. The atmosphere is meant to be relaxed, so no formal preparation is required, but a little planning could make the conversations more engaging.
Besides offering preparation tips, you can also encourage your colleagues to participate in the event by highlighting one of its benefits. Since this is a networking event, an obvious advantage is the opportunity to expand professional relationships, which can become valuable assets in the future.
This idea can be incorporated into the email as follows:
Many leading researchers and business leaders are expected to attend the networking event. As a result, the event will not only provide opportunities to learn about the latest developments in various fields but also allow participants to gain inspiration through direct interaction with these individuals. I strongly recommend that you take part in the event and make the most of this valuable opportunity.
