4 Steps to write a formal email in English

4 Steps to write a formal email in English

Email is the most common form of business communication, so it’s important to get it right. To present a good image of yourself and your business, emails need to be professional.

If you want your English emails to sound professional, follow these four simple steps:

1. Greetings

Greetings, such as “Dear Alex”, should always be included in your emails. Use their family name if you have a formal relationship with the reader (e.g. “Dear Mr. Smith”). You can simply say, “Hi Alex” if the relationship is more casual. Use “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” if you don’t know the recipient’s name.

2. Thank the recipient

You should begin your response to a client’s inquiry with a thank you.

a- In response to a question about your company, you might say, “Thank you for contacting Your Company“
b- In response to someone’s email, thank them for their prompt reply or “thank you for getting back to me”. A sincere thank you will make the reader feel comfortable, and it will make you appear more polite.

3- What is your purpose?

If you are the one initiating email communications, it may be difficult to include a line of thanks.
Instead, start by explaining your purpose: “I am writing to you regarding …” or “Following our meeting …”

Tips:
Keeping your sentences short and clear is key to keeping people interested in your emails.

Please make sure your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct. You can use some online tools such as Grammarly

4. End your email

The last step is to include an appropriate conclusion:
“I look forward to hearing from you”
“Thank you in advance for your prompt reply”
“I look forward to your reply”
“Do not hesitate to contact us if you need further information”
“have a lovely day (further) ”
then, add:
“Best regards” or “Sincerely”, and your name.

Following these 4 steps to write a formal email in English will provide you with the basic structure for your email.
Stay concise and clear at all times.
As a side note, never send an email without checking if the attachment is in it 😊

4 Steps to write a formal email in English