Nowadays, emails have become the most common method of communication in the business world as they enable you to interact with people and businesses all across the globe without any delay, and people send emails almost every day. Therefore, they need to be professional. Being able to write a strong and clear email in English is an essential skill because English is such a widely known language and this will enable you to do so many more things.
This blog post will teach you the format of a typical English email, good vocabulary to use, some useful tips and the do’s and don’ts of writing emails!
One of the most important things to remember about emails in English is that they favour short sentences, very concise language and a simple structure. This should make it slightly easier if English is not your native language.
Structure of an Email:
Subject line
Designed to grab the reader’s attention so they can see exactly what the email is about
Sometimes a general subject line will be automatically deleted so keep make it specific
Salutation
These are optional and are normally not used when replying quickly to work colleagues
If in doubt, copy the greeting the sender used
If you don’t know the name of recipient: Dear Sir/Madam
Acquaintances: Dear
Friends & colleagues: Hi
Could open with I hope this email finds you well to set a polite tone
Reason for Writing
The first sentence should tell the reader what the email is about
Examples: I am writing to let you know/I am writing in response to
If you are replying to a client’s inquiry be sure to thank them for their email
Main Point
Write in paragraphs and don’t make the email too long
End the main body of the email with something like I look forward to hearing from you or please let me know if you have any questions
Closing
These are also optional
Some common choices: best wishes, kind regards, many thanks
Signature
This automatically appears are the end of all of your emails to save you the time of writing it out every time
It should include: your name, job title, details about your company and a link to company website
Tips
Keep emails short
Remember the absence of standard salutations is common
Use different paragraphs for each point: makes email clear and easy to follow
Use simple and direct English: short sentences, common words and avoid idioms (especially important if the readers first language is not English)
Be polite and use a neutral tone: your email could be forwarded to other people so don’t include any confidential information
Tell the reader what you want them to do next, so they are not left guessing
Check your email before sending: avoid spelling and grammar mistakes
