Email Beginnings
If you were writing your friend (Julia Snyder) an informal email, you could start with just "Julia,". But, she is your instructor, what would be the best opening?
Dear Mrs. Snyder
Dear Ms. Snyder
If you are closing an email by saying thanking someone, "Thanks for your help" would be appropriate in an informal email. What would be suitable in a formal email?
-Thank you for your help -Thank you for your assistance in this matter -We appreciate your help in this matter
Informally, you can offer help by saying, "Do you want me to. . .". How would you make this more formal?
-Would you like us to. . .? -If you wish, we'd be happy to. . . -If you'd like, we could. . .
If you are starting a new email "conversation", you usually start by explaining the purpose of the email. Informally, you could start by saying: -I'm writing about. . . or I just wanted to ask you about. . . How would you do this in a more formal email?
-I am writing in connection with. . .
-I am writing with regard to. . .
If you were writing your final comments, and wanted to say that the person could contact you again if they needed help, "Let me know if you need anything" would be good for an informal email What could you say in a formal email?
-Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions -Please feel free to contact me if you need any assistance -Do not hesitate to contact me if you require any more information -Do not hesitate to contact me if you need any assitance
If you are asking for something, you can say "Can you. . .please?" However, when writing formal emails, you need to be more polite, especially if it is a request.
Could you. . . .please?
Would you... please?
If this is not the first email, phone call, or message of the "conversation", it is a good idea to refer to the previous contact. Informally, you might say: -Re: your last email. . . -Thanks for your (last) email. How would you do this in a more formal email?
-With regard to your email of (date),. . . -Further to your email of (date),. . . -In reply to your email of (date),. . .
If you were adding final comments/closing an email, and wanted to say "I hope to hear back from you soon" in a more formal way, what could you say?
-I am looking forward to your reply
After you make a request, it is good to thank the person even before they answer. So you're sending an email that says, "If you could send us the information by this Friday, we would really appreciate it." How would you thank them?
-Thank you in advance for your help in this manner. -I appreciate your help/understanding.
If you were writing (Julia Snyder) your tutor to ask an upcoming lesson, why would "Dear Mrs Snyder" be a bad beginning?
because of the comma.
Dear Mrs Snyder,
When you are writing an email, you use a greeting such as "Dear Sir or Madam" when you don't know the name of the person. Which of the next is not a suitable way of ending it.
Regards
Yours faithfully
Well, see you soon.
Yours sincerely
Well, see you soon.
If you are writing an email to a friend you can suggest for example: "I would recommend..." or " If I were you..". However, you are suggesting to a manager in a formal way. How could be?
Have you considered…?
Would you/we be able to…?
Perhaps you/we could…
It might be a good idea to
If you don't know the name of the person that you are writing to, you can't start with, "Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. *****". How would you begin instead?
-To whom it may concern -Dear (Corporate Finance/Accounting/Marketing. . .) Team -Dear Sir or Madam
When you give your sign or closing formula in a formal email, what information is usually included, and in what order?
-First closing.
-Second the name and last name
When giving information that was previously requested, it is a good idea to repeat the request or the question, so that the receiver knows what you are talking about. For example, a client has asked for some information about taxes. You have a form to send them. How would you formally answer their request?
-You requested some information regarding German tax law. Please find the form attached. -As you requested, I've attached the form about German tax law.