Writing an Email
Use Formal Language Since formal emails are written for professional things, give a good impression. Use complete sentences and polite phrasing. Avoid things like: Slang Unnecessary contractions Emoticons and emojis Profanity Jokes
Stick to a professional font like Sans Serif or Times New Roman. Write your email in a legible font size, such as 12 point type. Avoid special styles like italics, highlighting, or multicolored fonts unless they are needed. Do not use all caps. It makes it seem like you are shouting.
Use a short and accurate subject line Use a short and accurate subject line. Use keywords in the subject line that suggest exactly what you are writing about, in just a few words. This helps make sure that readers don’t overlook your email because the subject line is missing, is too vague, or suggests the email is unimportant.
Begin with a Greeting Always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Lily”. Addressing the recipient by name (if known) is preferred. Include the person's title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.) with their last name, followed by a comma or a colon. If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi Kelly”. If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.
Greeting Samples Dear Mr. / Ms. / Mrs. Dear Sir / Madam, Dear _____, Hi _____, To Whom It May Concern,
State Your Purpose For example, “I am writing to inquire about …” or “I am writing in reference to …”. Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. 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.
In reply to your email… Thank you for your email… I am writing to let you know that… Could you please… I am sorry to inform you that… I would appreciate if you could… Could you please let me know…? I would also like to know… I would be glad to provide you with... Would you mind sending…
Add Your Closing Remarks Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks.
Add Your Closing Remarks Please let me know if you need anything else. Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know. I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me if you need any more information. If I can be of any further assistance, please contact me.
End with a Closing The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you” are all professional. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure it’s truly perfect!
End with a Closing Thank you, Best regards, Sincerely, Regards, Respectfully, Your student,
Match the Message with its Purpose A thank you email An email of apology An email congratulating someone An invitation to a party An email of complaint Please accept our apology for…. I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with… I’d like to thank you for your…. This is to invite you to join us… We are happy to inform you that you have been selected…