How to write a formal email

(five easy steps)

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly professional.

1. Begin with a salutation

Being polite is important in business, and greetings are an important part of this.

A greeting does not have to be anything overly complicated. It can be as simple as:

Hi [First Name], (informal)

Hi John,
Hi Josie,

Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name], (formal)

Dear Ms. Pace,
Dear Mr. Fitch,

If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use:

“To whom it may concern” or“Dear Sir/Madam”.

Your relationship with the person you’re sending the email to will determine which greeting is most appropriate. It will also suggest what the first line of your professional email should be:

I hope you are well.

I hope you are having a nice week so far.

It is nice to be introduced.

2. Thanks to the recipient

You should begin with a line of thanks. For example, if someone has a question about your online course, you can say, “Thank you for contacting EasyFunEnglish”. If someone has replied to one of your emails, be sure to write: “Thanks for getting back to me”.

Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite.

3. State your purpose

Introduce yourself in the first paragraph if you are writing to someone you don’t have an existing relationship with, such as a new customer, hiring manager, or government official. Tell them how they are and why you are writing. Do this in the first and the second sentence of your email.

You can start with “I am writing to enquire about …” or “I am writing in reference to …”.

Get straight to the point with a clear sentence explaining what you want. Include what, where, and when. Link to any relevant websites, and tell the recipient if you’ve attached a document.

Remember: People want to read emails quickly, so keep your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation so that you present a professional image of yourself and your company.

Remember: When you write the body paragraphs of your email, always include three parts: (1) your purpose, (2) useful details, (3) the next action needed. Do those three things, and you will write a good formal email.

4. Add your closing remarks

Before you send your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks. You might start with  “ Look forward to hearing from you”, “ Let me know if you have any questions” or just “Thank you so much” follow up with” “Have a great day!”

5. End with a closing

There are a variety of closings accepted in formal emails. Make sure to follow up with your full name and job title or other signature under one of the following ending:

• Yours sincerely,

• Yours cordially,

• Respectfully,

• Best,

• Best regards,

• Your student,

• Thank you

Before Sending the Email, Make Sure of:

• Most email services now allow you the option to write using a variety of fonts like Times New Roman and Arial. Avoid decorative fonts like Comic Sans or Old English.

• Write your email in legible font size, such as 12 point type.

• Avoid special styles like italics, highlighting, or multicoloured fonts unless they are warranted by the content and purpose of the email.

• Don’t use all caps. These make it seem like you are shouting at the recipient.

• Including any necessary attachments mentioning them in the body of the email to let the recipient know that they are included.

• Proofreading your message for any spelling or grammar mistakes. It is a great way to use a checker to correct mistakes and improve phrases.

• Not including any sensitive information in the email keeping in mind that email is not a secure communication system, so it is not secure to include things like passwords, account numbers, or any other confidential information in the email.

Essential English Email Vocabulary

Recipient — This is the person you’re writing an email to.

Sender — This is you, the person sending the email.

Attachment — Any file (.pdf, .doc, .ppt, etc.) attached to the email is an attachment.

Subject line — This is the topic of the email, which the recipient will see when the email arrives in their inbox.

Draft — When you’re writing an email, it’s saved as a draft. This is an unfinished email, as you haven’t sent it yet.

CC: (Carbon Copy)—   Recipients’ email addresses are visible to all other recipients.

BCC: (Blind Carbon Copy) — Recipients’ email addresses are not visible to anyone.